Feb
22
Here are the "seven natural laws of breastfeeding" which make up the foundation of the book Breastfeeding Made Simple, which I have reviewed (first edition, second revised edition) and like a lot.
If any of these "laws" are unfamiliar to you, I recommend picking up a copy of the book!
http://breastfeeding.blog.motherwear.com/2012/02/the-seven-natural-laws-of-breastfeeding-1.html
Feb
20
I'm very pleased to share a guest post today from Ann, a nursing (and working) mama of two – an almost five year old who nursed till age 3, and a currently nursing 20-month old. She blogs about sewing, fashion and thrifty shopping.
You may remember Ann's prior posts: How to become a nursing fashionista, and The essential summer packing list for nursing fashionistas.
This time Ann has put together some great ideas on how to navigate the tricky fashion terrain after having a baby – a time the fashion world terms "transitional" but most of us view as "Help, what can I wear?!?" Read on for her solutions.
You've just had that cute bundle of joy! And then you went back into your closet. Depression set in. In between that tired-of-maternity-wear and can't-fit-in-to-pre-pregnancy lies a no-woman's land of fashion purgatory. Knowing how a few pieces can work extra hard can transition you to your new shape.
First, it is helpful to evaluate where you are – immediately postpartum, your breasts will be quite a bit larger than they were before. I joyfully went from a B to a DD! Of course, we also look five or six months pregnant as well. And you're probably carrying your new babe in a sling or carrier and nursing all the time. So, don't go nuts buying a whole new wardrobe, but I recommend a couple of go-to outfits for spring and summer:
For the chillier days of spring ahead, pair an empire waist nursing hoodie with a drape cardigan in a bright color (Bright colors help camouflage tired appearances), your favorite jeans (and yep, it's ok if they are pregnancy jeans. You may also feel much better going to a thrift store and buying larger size jeans inexpensively). Small stud earrings are baby-safe. Grab your stylish diaper bag and off you go!
As the days warm, invest in one nursing cami, two short sleeve nursing tops (or one sleeveless, one short sleeve) with empire or crossover access. Hauling the tail of a tee up through a tight sling is hard, and it's near impossible in a soft wrap like a Moby. The empire or crossover top openings are very easy to use while carrying baby and they keep your tummy covered.
On the bottom, invest in a few skirts – elastic waists or yoga fold over waists are helpful right now. You will continue to lose in the belly area as you recover from pregnancy those first few months. Skirts look more polished than shorts. A knit cardigan goes well over this if it's still chilly.
Pair this nursing tee and skirt combo with some accessories. At this time in your baby's life, you don't have to worry too much about jewelry being in the reach of grabby hands, so feel free to wear a statement necklace or earrings. Soon, your baby will want to yank on anything you're wearing, so you'll have to switch to some sturdy necklaces. Be careful though, some 'costume jewelry' you may wear regularly could contain even small amounts of substances (lead, cadmium) that are harmful to your baby. There are a number of manufacturers of 'teething' or baby-safe jewelry, and Tanya developed her own nursing necklace using items from a craft store.
Scarves (especially floaty chiffon or gauzy cotton) are wonderful for nursing mothers. It can be draped across your cleavage during nursing for extra cover during nursing. They're stylish, inexpensive (but splurge if you feel you want to – it's an accessory that will never go out of style) and there are a million tutorials floating around on Pinterest for how to tie them in a bunch of different ways.
A great diaper bag is worth the investment. You’ll carry this every day for at least two or three years. Get one you love, that works for your child (or children) and splurge a little for durability, style and features.
Follow Motherwear on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to the Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog with email updates and RSS feeds. Subscribe to our podcasts on iTunes.
http://breastfeeding.blog.motherwear.com/2012/02/guest-post-the-nursing-moms-guide-to-escaping-fashion-purgatory-after-having-a-baby.html
Feb
18
The Motherlode Blog at the New York Times posted a story of hard-earned courage when faced with tough conditions pumping at work.
Novelist Lynn Messina wrote about keeping pumping a secret from her colleagues when nursing her first child, using a manual pump in a public bathroom.
When nursing her second child, and now working at a new business, she was given the run around when searching for the key to the pumping room.
By now I knew I was wasting my time. This wild-goose chase could end only one way: my engorged breasts leaking bodily fluid all over my shirt…
And with that, I felt something inside me break, a timidity I’d carried around my entire adult life. A sense of entitlement surged through me. I marched to the managing editor and requested an office, taped a sign on the door announcing my activity in large red letters, sat on the floor, opened my shirt and took out my breasts.
When I was done, I washed everything in the kitchen sink while an editor microwaved Lean Cuisine. Yes, ma’am, these are breast shields. I put them over my breasts when pumping.
Her next assignment, "a bastion of male power," had 14 lactation rooms.
Follow Motherwear on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to the Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog with email updates and RSS feeds. Subscribe to our podcasts on iTunes.
http://breastfeeding.blog.motherwear.com/2012/02/new-york-times-getting-over-my-embarrassment-about-pumping-at-work.html
Feb
15
As I've written before, I sometimes have the privelege of working with Professor Kathleen Arcaro at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, on her groundbreaking breast cancer/breastmilk research.
Kathleen analyses breastmilk to study DNA changes in breast cells, which are naturally present in breastmilk, and their relationship to breast cancer. It's very gratifying work because a better understanding of these patterns may one day lead to new early detection, prevention and treatment strategies for breast cancer. Here's a sampling of some of the recent press coverage about this research.
For a number of years I've worked with her to find mothers to participate in her studies, and I'm very excited to be posting about a new study, funded by the Avon Foundation for Women. We hope that you can help us find moms willing to donate milk for this important research!
Our goal is to recruit African American mothers to donate milk samples. Why African American moms? Because we want to ensure that our findings apply to all women, and to do that we need a diverse sample of mothers participating. Having African American moms well represented in this research is of particular interest because African American women have different patterns of breast cancer than women of other races.
So, the UMass Breastmilk Lab is seeking:
Participants will receive $25 in thanks – and the knowledge that they are advancing our understanding of breast cancer!
To participate, or for more information, you can email me or Beth, or call Beth or Eva at (413) 545-0813. More information is also available at the UMass Breastmilk Lab website. You can also like us on Facebook!
We need help spreading the word about this study. Contact me if you'd like me to write a guest post, and link, FB, and Tweet to your heart's content!
And if you're African American but not nursing, we have a request for you, too! As part of this project we're trying to increase the number of African American women who are part of the Love/Avon Army of Women. We hope you'll sign up for the Love/Avon Army of Women. Please select "Breast milk study" when asked how you heard about the Army of Women.
Follow Motherwear on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to the Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog with email updates and RSS feeds. Subscribe to our podcasts on iTunes.
http://breastfeeding.blog.motherwear.com/2012/02/african-american-moms-needed-for-breastmilk-study.html
Feb
13
A few weeks ago the Washington Toxics Coaltion and Safer States relased a report entitled "Hidden Hazards in the Nursery."
It was based on testing they conducted (sample analysis done at Duke University) of foam in a number of baby products. They were looking for flame retardants which can pose health risks, particularly to babies.
The Coaltion found:
Popular baby products, including nursing pillows and car seats, contain toxic flame retardants linked to cancer, hormone disruption, and other health effects…Children and families are exposed to the compounds, called Tris chemicals, when they escape from household items and contaminate house dust and indoor air.
The report, Hidden Hazards In the Nursery, found toxic flame retardants in 85% (17 of 20) of new baby and children’s products tested, including bassinet pads, nursing pillows, changing pads, and car seats. The most prevalent flame retardant found was chlorinated Tris (TDCPP), a chemical voluntarily removed from children’s pajamas in the 1970s when it was found to cause adverse health effects. Chlorinated Tris was present in 80% of the products (16 of 20). California recently classified chlorinated Tris as a carcinogen, and evidence links the chemical to neurotoxicity as well as hormone disruption.
According to the report, nursing pillows and baby carriers were recently exempted from flammability standard requirements.
Of the 20 products tested, two were nursing pillows, both purchased in Washington state at major retailers. One, the My Brest Friend Deluxe, tested positive for TDCPP and TDCP; the other, the Balboa nursing pillow did not. The My Brest Friend website states, "We do not use fire retardants in our foam."
The Baltimore Sun reported that the Boppy nursing pillow is "known to not use Tris flame retardants," and its website states, "The fabric and filling in the Boppy Feeding and Infant Support pillow (and slipcovers for those pillows) meet the requirements without the addition of flame retardant chemicals."
All a little unsettling, no?
Follow Motherwear on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to the Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog with email updates and RSS feeds. Subscribe to our podcasts on iTunes.
http://breastfeeding.blog.motherwear.com/2012/02/toxic-flame-retardants-in-your-nursing-pillow.html
Feb
10
Here are my favorite entries to Motherwear's last nursing story/tip contest. You can see more here, including the winner Genet, pictured to the left.
Ever think that breastfeeding might help you at a dicey border crossing? Read on and enjoy.
While nursing my newborn, my 4yr old sat down next to me. She said “Mommy, babies like mommy boobies and not daddy boobies…right?” I said “Right.” She said “Babies like drinking milk from mommy boobies and not hair from daddy boobies.” Then just for more clarification she said, “Babies only drink from boobies and not bottoms…right?” Right. Glad we were able to clear all that up. – Erin
It was 2:00am and I had been cramped in a car with four other people for well over 12 hours, therefore I was in no mood to deal with the argumentative border guards of Romania. My 13month old son (at the time) and I had been in Romania for well over 6months caring for my ill husband, but due to the fact that I had no Romanian I.D., my stay there was considered illegal. I attempted to explain the situation to the young man who despite his rough speech was quite pleasant compared to others I had dealt with. He took the legal documents I had (marriage license, birth certificate, death certificate – all Romanian) and walked off with them making us wait for a significant amount of time. My cousin who had been driving and was more familiar with their ways said ¨I think they’re waiting for a bribe of some sort… They can wait all they want! They’re not getting anything!¨, was my curt reply. The guard returned and asked my cousin to step out of the car in order to talk to him…They spoke (or rather argued) and we continued to wait. My son, who had been sleeping until then, woke up to all this commotion and started whimpering. That was my cue. Although breastfeeding is quite common in this country (more so than in the US), you will not see most decent women in public doing so. It is considered rather inappropriate and makes most decent men uncomfortable. As I saw the young awkward guard approaching the car again I took my son from his car seat and latched him on. He came to my door and asked me to exit the vehicle. At least he attempted to do so, but stopped mid-sentence when he saw what was happening. He retracted his words and said I could remain in the car. I was already grinning inwardly. I then proceeded to open the window and engage in the discussion I knew was coming. To my delight, it did not last long. He seemed very concerned that the window not remain open for too long lest the child catch a cold and he was having a hard time making eye contact. His tone of voice was more polite than I expected and after briefly explaining a few legal things he said I must quickly close the window and let the ¨Prince¨ rest easy. =) I thanked him politely, closed the window, waited for my cousin to climb back into the car and then I burst into laughter. *Note* I was indeed wearing a Motherwear top and so I wasn’t ¨showing¨ anything. I’m a decent woman 
– Ella
My favorite nursing story goes all the way back to my first child. She was born in Italy while my husband and I were stationed there with the US Air Force. Upon my return to the US while my husband deployed to Iraq in 2003, I had to go through customs. I had my 5 month old daughter strapped to me in the infant front (Bjorn) carrier, a backpack, and diaper bag on me, while waiting for the luggage at the carousel. A customs officer and his dog came sniffing around me and the dog seemed to be quite interested in me, more than I was comfortable with. The officer asked if I had any organic material with me, like fruits or vegetables. I said, "No." He did not believe me because of the dog's keen interest. It was at this point that I figured it out. I turned to him with as straight a face as I could muster and said, "Well, I do have some breast milk in this backpack, would you care to see it?" He turned many shades of red, couldn't find any words to come out of his mouth, gave me a sheepish, "No, and sorry to bother you ma'am.", while trying to get away as quickly as possible! I was laughing so hard to myself at his uncomfortableness that I nearly missed my luggage coming around on the carousel! – Robbyn
I am the first one to breastfeed in my family and so my family was a little hesitant at the thought of me nursing my son in the same room as them. I came across your site and quickly ordered several tops. The story that sticks out in my mind was when my husband's cousin came over to visit us. I was feeding my son when he came in, gave a kiss hello to all of us and then sat right next to me on the couch. Time and conversation had passed and I went to burp my son and the discussion of feeding came in to topic… he put two and two together and immediately said "WAIT, you were just feeding him this whole time!!!???" He had NO clue I was feeding the baby because your tops are awesome! No one ever notices or stares because they can't tell. It simply looks as if I am holding a sleeping baby. From then on it doesn't matter who is around me when I nurse my 2nd child now, because they all know that I wear a Motherwear top and feel completely comfortable… and most importantly… SO DO I!!! THANK YOU MOTHERWEAR!!! – Marisa
http://breastfeeding.blog.motherwear.com/2012/02/my-favorite-nursing-stories-from-motherwears-contest.html
Feb
8
A federal court in Texas has ruled against a mother who was fired from her job for attempting to pump at work, Courthouse News Service reports.
The case involved a complaint filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against Houston Funding on behalf of Donnicia Venters, a mother who says she was fired when she expressed her desire to pump at work when she returned from maternity leave. The company maintains that she was fired because she had abandoned the job.
U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes ruled in favor of the company, stating that, "firing someone because of lactation or breast-pumping is not sex discrimination" under current law.
Courthouse News Service reports:
"Even if the company's claim that she was fired for abandonment is meant to hide the real reason – she wanted to pump breast-milk – lactation is not pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition," Hughes wrote.
"The law does not punish lactation discrimination," the three-page opinion states.
It appears to me that Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney's bill, the Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2011 would remedy this problem, as it amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 "to protect breastfeeding women from being fired or discriminated against in the workplace."
Follow Motherwear on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to the Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog with email updates and RSS feeds. Subscribe to our podcasts on iTunes.
http://breastfeeding.blog.motherwear.com/2012/02/federal-court-rules-the-law-does-not-punish-lactation-discrimination-in-the-workplace.html
Feb
7
We had a bad scare last week.
On Wednesday evening, my daughter, now 19 months, went from happily playing to doubling over and screaming in stomach pain every 10 to 20 minutes. At first I thought it was a stomach bug which has been going around. But a few hours into it, with no vomitting and no other symptoms when she wasn't in pain, I brought her to the doctor.
Thank God for our pediatrician, who calmly told me that it was possible that she had an intestinal problem not uncommon at this age, in which a part of the intestine "telescopes" in on itself. It causes severe pain but can be fairly easily treated if caught early. (What I'm grateful he didn't say, but I kinda knew from reading about bowel obstructions after c-sections, is that left untreated it can be very, very serious).
So off we went to the emergency room of our regional hospital. They have a pediatric ER, and we were seen pretty quickly. An ultrasound confirmed our pediatrician's suspicion that it was an intussusception, and by midnight she was treated with an unpleasant but effective non-surgical procedure. Her pain immediately disappeared.
After this was all over, the ER pediatrician said that she needed to be on a clear liquid diet for a while. I had heard moms say that they'd been told that this meant no breastfeeding, so I asked with a little trepidation if I could nurse. She said yes.
We stayed overnight, and by 6:00 am next morning she was running through the halls of the children's wing. When nurses stopped to say hello, she said "nurz! nurz!" (her current word for nursing). The nurses replied, "You're right, I am a nurse! What a smart girl!"
She also came to a screeching halt when she saw a group of residents standing in the hall discussing a case, and said, "people!" When they turned around laughing and said, "Yes, we are people!" she told them about nursing, too. The same thing happened when we were discharged: She told the attending physician, while he was palpating her abdomen, all about "nurz" (and then said, "bye, bye, people!" when they left the room).
Far be it for me to assume I know what's going on in her head, but nursing really seems to have been a port in the storm for her that day. And I'm grateful for it, yet again.
Follow Motherwear on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to the Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog with email updates and RSS feeds. Subscribe to our podcasts on iTunes.
http://breastfeeding.blog.motherwear.com/2012/02/a-clear-liquid-diet.html
Feb
6
Mothers are organizing nurse-ins at Facebook offices in California and around the world to protest the company's removal of breastfeeding photos from members' pages (and in some cases suspension of their accounts). The events are to take place from 10:00 to 1:00 on Monday, February 6th.
The protests are related to the case of Emma Kwasnica, a Vancouver mother. The San Francisco Chronicle reports:
For Vancouver mother Emma Kwasnica, a breast-feeding advocate and a protest organizer, the sour milk for her began in 2007, when she joined Facebook. In the five years she’s had an account, she has had about 30 of her photos flagged as inappropriate and her account shut down four times — once for 30 days.
“This is discrimination,” she said. “There’s no other way to look at it. We’re being treated as pornographers. Breast-feeding moms, especially ones with infants, spend hours a day with their children at their breast. They’re not trying to be sexually explicit. This is just part of their everyday lives.”
The protests are being organized, naturally, on Facebook, and you can see a list of locations here. Below you'll find a teaser video about the protests, and a podcast on this topic at the Motherlove Blog.
Here are some pictures from a similar but much smaller event I attended a few years ago in Palo Alto.
http://breastfeeding.blog.motherwear.com/2012/02/protests-planned-at-facebook-offices-around-the-world.html
Feb
4
In case you haven't heard (and if I've heard about it then you must have a long time ago) there is a wildly popular "[Stuff] people white girls say to black girls" YouTube video. It has been endlessly parodied.
Thanks to Free to Breastfeed, here is the "[Things] people say to breastfeeding mothers" version. The one that made me crack up: "Isn't it hot?" I'm not sure why. Have you heard any of these?
http://breastfeeding.blog.motherwear.com/2012/02/things-people-say-to-breastfeeding-mothers.html