About.com Breastfeeding

Must See: "Precious"

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:49:59 +0000

I'm not in the habit of writing movie reviews.� It's definitely not my niche, and coming from a father whose�key criteria for a�"fine film" includes guns, fire, and helicopters, I grew up watching anything and everything and never became the most discerning filmgoer.� I'm also terribly behind in my movie viewing--my Netflix queue has been capped to the point that I received an email telling me that they are not allowing me to add any further movies.

Until now.

My friend, Amy, who is clearly much more up-to-date with current books and films, asked me to see a midweek movie, and having worked like a madwoman for the past few weeks, I welcomed the break.� Last night we saw "Precious", based on the novel "Push" by Sapphire.� Aside from the acting being superb (and potentially award-winning?), the story itself is remarkable.� You're probably wondering why, on a breastfeeding site, I would write about a movie.� There were quite a few breastfeeding "moments" in the film and without giving away too much, I must mention one of the most poignant scenes.� You may already know that Precious is a 16 year old girl, pregnant with her second child.� She's been emotionally and physically abused her entire life, living in conditions that are absolutely unimagineable to most of us, but the sweetest moment comes when she delivers her baby boy.� She stares at him so lovingly, takes her arm out of her hospital gown, and begins to breastfeed the baby.� It is such a beautiful moment--the nurturing and love that she gives to her baby is amazing, despite having grown up being tortured every day, breaking the abuse cycle which so many victims encounter.

If you�get a chance this weekend, please see this movie.� It will change your life.�

Must See: "Precious" originally appeared on About.com Breastfeeding on Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 20:49:59.

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Breastfeeding To "Look Hot Again?"

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:15:07 +0000

In my prenatal breastfeeding classes, I'm the first one to tout the benefits of breastfeeding ad nauseum throughout the two hours I have everyone's captive attention. And yes, one of the myriad perks of breastfeeding is that you may get back into your prepregnancy jeans faster than your formula-feeding counterparts. At the same time, it's not my thing to focus on losing weight and burning calories and dieting while breastfeeding (I actually can't stand that kind of conversation with my non-breastfeeding friends and family either...It never seems to go anywhere positive...)� I give a very general "you need to eat about 500 extra calories a day while breastfeeding" speech, but that's where I leave it.�

Breast-Feed the Baby, Love the Calorie Burn, a recent�article that ran in the New York Times, did quite the opposite.� The first two-thirds of the piece focused on becoming a size 4 again; burning a significant amount of calories from breastfeeding alone;�and feeling like a "yummy mummy".� The other third?� Yeah, sure...it gave a little face time to women who don't have it as easy with their weight loss while breastfeeding.� I'm not unrealistic...I know how desperately newly postpartum moms want to get out of their maternity clothes and feel like they're getting back into shape.� I simply see this kind of article as a disservice to the breastfeeding process.� My fear is that if the focus is on the calorie burn, too many moms are going to start experimenting with cutting even more when they realize their weight is dropping, potentially decreasing their milk supply.�

It may sound like a wild and crazy idea, but...my recommendation?� Eat well and exercise.� It's the safest way to go while breastfeeding.� It works, but unfortunately it's neither novel�nor controversial.� Oh well.

Breastfeeding To "Look Hot Again?" originally appeared on About.com Breastfeeding on Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 at 21:15:07.

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Happy Veteran's Day! Time To Celebrate Our Breastfeeding Moms in the Military!

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 06:00:59 +0000

In recent times we've heard, to our utter shock, about: major companies and organizations disregarding and/or fighting the needs of breastfeeding moms who work for them; bosses and higher-ups not adhering to state laws protecting breastfeeding mothers in the workplace; and courts denying appeals of breastfeeding mothers who feel that their breastfeeding relationships with their babies are threatened by the lack of support in the workplace.

Well, perhaps these work environments need to take some lessons from our military's breastfeeding regulations and policies. These people get it! Want to be impressed? Here's the lowdown:

The Air Force offers four-month deployment deferrals after the birth of a baby.� One mom stated, "The fact that you're in the military, hurrah, hurrah, let's go to war, let's do this, do that, you're not a woman, you're unisex, and once you've had the baby, you're no longer a woman, but back to being unisex. I think the nursing keeps you thinking-I'm a mother, I'm a woman, and I'm taking care of this child. That in itself keeps you sane, you don't lose your identity."
The Army�will defer mobility for�6 months following the birth of a baby.� Active-duty breastfeeding moms stationed in Landstuhl, Germany, get 12 months!
The Marine Corps allows for 6-month deferments.
The Navy will provide for a 12-month non-deployment period and lactation support in the workplace.

I think these policies are fantastic and should be mimicked everywhere.�

A special thank you and a salute to all in the different branches of our military.� And an extra kudos to the breastfeeding moms who are protecting their babies while protecting us at the same time.� Your service is commendable!

Happy Veteran's Day! Time To Celebrate Our Breastfeeding Moms in the Military! originally appeared on About.com Breastfeeding on Wednesday, November 11th, 2009 at 06:00:59.

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Diabetic? You Can Breastfeed!

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:47:02 +0000

It's American Diabetes Month and there's no better time to talk breastfeeding!� If you are pregnant and have diabetes (not gestational), OR if you have been breastfeeding and are diagnosed, this is important information to have at hand.� Here are the guidelines for The Diabetic Breastfeeding Mother.

Diabetic? You Can Breastfeed! originally appeared on About.com Breastfeeding on Monday, November 9th, 2009 at 16:47:02.

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Health Care Open Enrollment and...Breastfeeding?

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 08:48:00 +0000

It's that time of the year where we take our health care coverage choices to heart and review what we need most. Whether you are currently pregnant and plan to breastfeed or have been breastfeeding for a year, be sure to scrutinize the fine print and find out if lactation consultations are covered in your health insurance plan. More and more companies are covering consults, but even if it's not "officially" stated anywhere in the literature, submit your bills for reimbursement! You never know...I had one client who was received a check from her insurance company for 90%!

Health Care Open Enrollment and...Breastfeeding? originally appeared on About.com Breastfeeding on Sunday, November 8th, 2009 at 08:48:00.

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Happy Halloween! The Breastfeeding Witch, Revisited...

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 09:07:33 +0000

This photo of "The Witch Lactation Station," was part of a Halloween display in Brattleboro, Vermont. Lauren and David Petrie, the creators of this fantastic work of art, drew tons of controversy as a result. Breastfeeding in public is always a hot topic and even though this breast was a mere gourd, it made it onto CBS news in Boston. If you've got any similar Halloween ideas and have taken pictures, please feel free to send them my way and I'd love to post them!

Happy Halloween! The Breastfeeding Witch, Revisited... originally appeared on About.com Breastfeeding on Saturday, October 31st, 2009 at 09:07:33.

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Support Group Theme of the Week? Thrush!

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:38:37 +0000

I've probably mentioned this before, but every week I run a breastfeeding support group and, without fail, every week seems to carry a "theme" amongst the moms. One week, everyone seems to have sore nipples. Another, milk supply issues are all the rage. This past week, a signficant portion of the moms were talking about searing nipple and breast pain, so I thought it would be a great time to focus on thrush. How do you know if you have it? What is the best way to treat it? Here's everything you need to know...THRUSH

Support Group Theme of the Week? Thrush! originally appeared on About.com Breastfeeding on Saturday, October 24th, 2009 at 18:38:37.

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Facebook Fan? Twitter Addict? It's All Good!

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:39:37 +0000

It may sound crazy, but one of the biggest points of contention in our house is Facebook. My husband, my kids, and even a little bit of my dog, are constantly up-in-arms, claiming that I spend more time on Facebook than I do with them. Of course, one of my excuses is that I'm constantly on the computer writing for About, and I'm just "checking in" to my Facebook page to see what's happening. I'll admit that I do get roped in to flexing my vocabulary muscle by playing Scramble, and by having simultaneous instant message conversations with old buddies from my teen tour, with colleagues, with moms in my weekly support group, and with friends from the gym. But I see them all as opportunity to close the distance in time, to cultivate new friendships, or, simply, to help with a problem. I dabble in Twitter, but I'm not as addicted. All joking aside, social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are providing such value to the world, it's difficult to make the argument that they are just a procrastination tool.

Case in point: How Social Media Saved Jaeli, a wonderful blog by Angela England about a four-month-old baby with a rare chromosomal disorder, who required breast milk to survive. The story is compelling in itself, but the social media aspect is what really amazed me. I won't ruin the story (or more, do it justice) by paraphrasing, so please read the blog for full impact!

Facebook Fan? Twitter Addict? It's All Good! originally appeared on About.com Breastfeeding on Tuesday, October 13th, 2009 at 15:39:37.

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Supporting Breastfeeding Moms in Spanish

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:39:04 +0000

I'm the first to say that I am one power nerd. I just spent a few weeks poring through Diana Glick and Tanya Lieberman's Spanish for Breastfeeding Support, which is a fantastic workbook/course to teach you how to communicate all-things-breastfeeding with Spanish-speaking moms. It is primarily intended for lactation consultants, breastfeeding peer counselors, nurses, physicians, midwives and childbirth educators, but anyone would benefit from this book. (Putting aside the fact that I'm a lactation consultant, I felt like I was back in high school, getting excited when I was on a hot streak with correct answers!)

Spanish for Breastfeeding Support also contains two CD's and audio files that can be downloaded which have spoken versions of the conversations in each chapter. They also have exercises covering vocabulary, pronunciation, and listening. The workbook is an invaluable resource and so much fun! Kudos to Glick and Lieberman for a job beautifully done!

Supporting Breastfeeding Moms in Spanish originally appeared on About.com Breastfeeding on Monday, October 12th, 2009 at 19:39:04.

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Photos to Share From Breastfeeding Challenge 2009!

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 15:18:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, I posted about the Quintessence Foundation's Breastfeeding Challenge 2009. Well, yesterday was the big day and, from what I understand, it was a huge success. A huge thanks to Rosie from Full Circle Family Care in White Plains, New York, for sharing these photos. Great job to all moms who participated!

Photos to Share From Breastfeeding Challenge 2009! originally appeared on About.com Breastfeeding on Sunday, October 4th, 2009 at 15:18:00.

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