Breast Feeding Archives

New Study Says Breastfeeding Helps You Lose Weight

December 09, 2008

A new study found further evidence that breastfeeding can in fact help you lose weight. Here's the link to the study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

And a summary from WebMD:

Researchers concluded that women who gain a reasonable amount during pregnancy and breastfeed exclusively are likely to lose all pregnancy weight six months after giving birth. They also estimate that women who breastfeed retain 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) less than women who don't breastfeed at six months after giving birth.

Breastfeeding Bill Passes Massachusetts House

July 23, 2008

Hooray for my home state of Massachusetts. Today the state is one step closer to protecting a mom's right to breastfeed in public. From Boston.com:

The bill makes it clear that women who are breastfeeding can't be charged with crimes such as indecent exposure or lewd and lascivious conduct, said Representative David Linsky, the Natick Democrat who championed the bill. It also makes it clear that places of public accommodation, such as restaurants, hotels, or stores -- cannot prevent women from breastfeeding their children or tell them to leave the premises.

Supporters say Massachusetts is one of only three states that don't have such a law.

The bill will now go to the Senate, where a slightly different version has already passed, said Linsky.

Linsky said he hoped the House and Senate could resolve the differences between the two versions by the end of the session and send legislation to the governor's desk.

To find out about the laws in your state, click here.

Are You Breastfeeding or Pumping While At Blogher?

July 18, 2008

If so...send me your stories. I'd love to hear what everyone writes about on this topic this weekend.
If you don't know what Blogher is, click here.
Unfortunately, I'm not there. But I get to eat cake all weekend!! Going to my cousin's son's first year old birthday, and my grandmother's 88th birthday. Go Nana!

Tongue Tied Babies

July 13, 2008

We've all had one of the those moments where we stutter, stammer, or are at a loss for words. "I'm tongue tied," we might joke. But for some babies, being tongue tied is actually a serious problem. Tongue tie, or Ankyloglossia, is a condition that restricts the tongue's movement. The frenulum, the piece of skin that attaches the tongue to the floor of the mouth, is shorter than normal. This can make it difficult for the baby to latch on properly. Some tongue tied babies don't gain enough weight, and breastfeeding can be painful for the mom. Long term, tongue tie sometimes causes speech problems.

A new study, just published in Pediatrics, found that a freunulotomy, a minor surgical procedure to cut the frenulum, can improve breastfeeding. Here's the study abstract:

OBJECTIVE. There is evidence that infants with ankyloglossia can experience breastfeeding difficulties including poor attachment to the breast, suboptimal weight gain, and maternal nipple pain, which may lead to early weaning of the infant. No studies have investigated the cause of these breastfeeding difficulties. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of frenulotomy in infants experiencing persistent breastfeeding difficulties despite professional assistance by measuring changes in milk transfer and tongue movement during breastfeeding before and after frenulotomy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS. Twenty-four mother-infant dyads (infant age: 33 ± 28 days) that were experiencing persistent breastfeeding difficulties despite receiving professional advice were recruited. Submental ultrasound scans (Acuson XP10) of the oral cavity were performed both before and ≥7 days after frenulotomy. Milk transfer, pain, and LATCH (latch, audible swallowing, type of nipple, comfort, and hold) scores were recorded before and after frenulotomy. Infant milk intake was measured by using the test-weigh method.

RESULTS. For all of the infants, milk intake, milk-transfer rate, LATCH score, and maternal pain scores improved significantly postfrenulotomy. Two groups of infants were identified on ultrasound. One group compressed the tip of the nipple, and the other compressed the base of the nipple with the tongue. These features either resolved or lessened in all except 1 infant after frenulotomy.

CONCLUSIONS. Infants with ankyloglossia experiencing persistent breastfeeding difficulties showed less compression of the nipple by the tongue postfrenulotomy, which was associated with improved breastfeeding defined as better attachment, increased milk transfer, and less maternal pain. In the assessment of breastfeeding difficulties, ankyloglossia should be considered as a potential cause.

For more informtaion, Kellymom.com has a series of articles on this topic. And here's an excellent article that can help you figure out if your baby is tongue tied. Surgery is not the only option. (Read this too). But bottom line, talk to your pediatrician and a lactation consultant to figure out if your baby is tongue tied, and what is the best treatment option.

The Winner of the Medela Freestyle Pump

June 23, 2008

AND A FURTHER UPDATE: To see a comment from Hope, the pump winner, read below. She lives in Malaysia! There are pumping moms around the world!

Hi Andi! Thank you for giving me the chance to participate and win the Medela Freestyle. I was and still am really excited upon hearing the good news. It's great to know people at Mamaknowsbreast and Medela care about women and their needs as they venture into motherhood. As a reader from Malaysia, I believe your quest in spreading knowledge on the importance of breastfeeding is truly inspiring! I'm sure you've touched the hearts of women all around the world. Keep up the great work! Thank you and God bless! :)

UPDATED: Thank you to everyone who left a comment for a chance to win a Medela Freestyle Pump. I loved reading what you had to say! There really is no shortage to pumping stories! And now...drum roll... the winner is Hope. Congratulations! Here's her comment:

I'm due this coming October and I've been reading up on how to provide the best for my baby. My mom exclusively breastfed my brothers and sisters and I, and I'd love to do the same for my baby. The only difference is that my mom didn't have to go to work, whereas I do. So, I've been reading up on breast pumps and I've found that Medela is the best in the market! But it's quite pricey and I don't know if I can afford it. That's why I was ecstatic when I found this contest. It's like a blessing in disguise. A lot of great information and the chance to win a Medela Freestyle Breastpump. It's the most practical solution because it's lightweight and compact, yet has everything I would need to include breast pumping in my daily schedule. I've also been reading on bpa-free bottles and to know Medela has taken this into account just gives me more confidence in the name itself. I really hope to win so that I can always provide the best for my baby. PS: During our last checkup, we found out our baby's a boy! :)
Posted by: Hope | June 29, 2008 08:55 PM

BACK TO THE ORIGINAL POST:

Ok, all you pumping mamas...here it is. The latest and greatest pump from our friends at Medela. The Freestyle is Medela's first hands-free, double-electric pump. Just attach it to your bra and get back to your emailing and phone calls. It's really small, light-weight and best of all, the Medela bottles are BPA free.

Medela is giving away this pump. So if you'd like a chance to win, leave a comment answering this question: What is your best pumping story? And if you haven't had a baby yet, why do you need this pump? (The deadline to enter is July 1, 2008).

This post is part of our monthly breastfeeding carnival. To read the other entries about pumping, go here:

* The Motherwear Breastfeeding blog has tips for introducing a bottle to a breastfed baby.
* Raising Baby Bee writes about pumping at work.
* Breastfeeding Mums has some pumping tips.
* Breastfeeding 1-2-3 writes about exclusively pumping for a baby with a cleft palate.
* Hobo Mama writes about donating milk for an adopted baby.
* Adventures of a Breastfeeding Mother shares her pumping tips.
* Mike and Toni's writes about how a pumping experience turned into a business idea-- hands free pumping supports.

Cate Blanchett and Breastfeeding

May 20, 2008

Actress Cate Blanchett, who is starring in the new Indiana Jones movie with Harrison Ford, just had her third child, Iggy. And according to the The Daily Telegraph, Iggy's breastfeeding delayed Blanchett's appearance before the press. Here's a bit from the Telegraph story:

WITH a gurgle, a look, then a cry, Oscar winner Cate Blanchett's four-week-old son Iggy almost thwarted the world premiere of the fourth instalment of the Indiana Jones movies by demanding mum feed him.

Blanchett, who turned 39 this week, was about to face the international cameras at the Cannes Film Festival in France to promote the big budget Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull when baby Ignatius wanted to be breast fed.

Hollywood heavyweights Harrison Ford and Karen Allen stepped in with an extra long interview session before a smiling, radiant Blanchett strode in.

"He's just down the corridor with my mum," she declared by way of explanation.

So all I have to say is...Go Iggy, Go Iggy.

New Study Says Breastfeeding Raises A Baby's IQ

May 06, 2008

For the latest bit of evidence in this department...there's a new study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry. Here's some information from The LA Times:

Increased breast-feeding during the first months of life appears to raise a child's verbal IQ, according to a study of nearly 14,000 children that was released Monday.

The study in Archives of General Psychiatry found that 6-year-olds whose mothers were part of a program that encouraged them to breast-feed had verbal IQs that were an average of 7.5 points higher than those of children in a control group.

The researchers said that their findings suggested that the longer an infant is exclusively fed breast milk, the greater the IQ improvement.

The results echo smaller previous studies that found children and adults who were breast-fed tended to have higher IQs than whose who were not...

The latest study tracked breast-fed infants born between June 1996 and December 1997 in Belarus. Half of the infants and mothers were assigned to an experimental program designed to promote breast-feeding, while the remaining infants and mothers received regular pediatric and follow-up medical care.

The breast-feeding program included increased counseling and instruction when women visited doctors or clinics.

At the end of three months, 72% of infants in the experimental group were still breast-feeding to some degree, compared with 60% in the group that did not receive breast-feeding support.

The researchers believe that what drove the results was the substantially higher number of infants who were exclusively breast-fed in the experimental group: 43% compared with 6% of infants in the control group.

All children in the study were interviewed and examined between 2002 and 2005, when they were an average of 6 1/2 years old. The children's academic performance also was evaluated by their teachers.

Besides the improvement in their verbal IQ scores, children in the experimental group scored an average of 4.9 points higher on tests that specifically measured vocabulary.

Compared with children in the control group, children in the experimental group had overall IQ scores 5.9 points higher than those of children in the control group and better academic assessments from their teachers, but the improvements were not deemed statistically significant.

Kramer said that more research was needed to determine whether the benefits were related to a component of breast milk or to the physical and social interaction between mother and child that is inherent in breast-feeding...

Tell Us Your Breastfeeding Problems-- Join Our Carnival

April 14, 2008

If you've had a baby, odds are you had some sort of confusion, at one point or another, about how to feed her. And if you were breastfeeding, part of it probably went like this. "Oh, man, my boobs are _______." (Fill in the blank with your own thoughts here).

So, in honor of all the breastfeeding challenges we've stared down and conquered, the April Breastfeeding carnival is focused on breastfeeding problems. We want to hear from you about how you overcame a challenge, and where you turned for help. If you used the internet, please share the link with us.

I know this is sort of last minute, but the deadline for submission is supposed to be tomorrow, April 15th (tax day). If the other breastfeeding bloggers and I pick your post, you'll be asked to link back to each of the other participants in the carnival on April 22nd.

Breastfeeding Mom in Maryland Could Face Jail Time for Postponing Jury Duty

March 25, 2008

When I was about 36 weeks pregnant with our first baby, I had to go to court for jury duty. I waddled my way into the courthouse and settled uneasily into the wooden bench. Fortunately, the lawyers took one look at me and let me go. Wise decision, I believe. Had they picked me, I would have had to raise my hand every hour to go to the bathroom.

Before that day, I had considered postponing my jury duty until after the baby was born. But I soon realized that didn't make sense since I was planning to work from home and breastfeed. Without a full-time sitter, jury duty would have been near impossible. I had served on a week-long trial once before, so I knew what I was in for.

Given the challenges of breastfeeding and serving jury duty, there are twelve states that actually exempt breastfeeding mothers from jury duty (California, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon and Virginia). Click here to learn about the laws in your state.

So it's a bit of a surprise to see what's happened to a Maryland mom. A judge sentenced her to a night in jail or a $150 fine, after she asked to postpone her jury duty. Here's the story from one of the local TV stations:

Elizabeth Jett's baby boy Henry was less than 12 weeks old when she was called for jury duty. "I think it’s a case of priorities. Taking care of your children should be your first priority. Jury duty can always come later," Jett said.

Jett asked to postpone and serve during the Summer, when Henry would be older and her mother, a full-time teacher, could take care of him and his five-year-old brother.

The Carroll County judge said Jett was in contempt of court, which Jett thought was unbelievable. "I was just shocked. I couldn’t even put it into words," she said.

Legislation that would allow nursing mothers with children under the age of two to be excused from jury duty was introduced for the second time. When the plan was proposed in 2004, many lawmakers shot it down.

Brian Frosh, Chair for the Maryland Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, said the law would cause more people to try to postpone their duties, "If you start saying, we’re gonna excuse people for breastfeeding, you’ve gotta say ok to kidney dialysis, chemotherapy and all the other maladies that afflict the human condition."

Frosh said the law already gives judges broad discretion to excuse residents from jury duty, "So what we want is for judges to use their discretion liberally."

As for Elizabeth Jett, she has since asked for a waiver, because she can't afford the fine. The judge in the case, Barry Hughes, did not want to comment. The jury commissioner hung up on Andrea McCarren, as soon as she identified herself as a reporter.

Click on this link to watch the video from the TV station. You can read more about this story from the Baltimore Examiner.

Oscar News: Ryan Seacrest, Jessica Alba and Breastfeeding

February 25, 2008

Talk about chutzpah....During the Oscars red carpet last night, E host Ryan Seacrest asked Jessica Alba if she was planning to breastfeed. Maybe it was because of an interview earlier this month when she told Extra that she was worried about breastfeeding.
Watch this video courtesy of TMZ to see her answer. All I have to say is...you go girl!

Dads and Breastfeeding

February 24, 2008

If you're easily offended, don't watch this video. If, however, you want to see an irreverant take on breastfeeding, you'll get a good chuckle out of this one from the guys at Dad Labs.com.

So there you have it, my addition to the February Breastfeeding Bloggers' Carnival. To see what the other participants have to say, visit these sites:

* Tanya at the Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog has some book reviews.
* Stacie at The Twinkies has a joke for us.
* Sinead at Breastfeeding Mums has a story about a pumping multi-tasking disaster.
* Amy at Crunchy Domestic Goddess shares several, shall we say, "titbits."
* Carol at Happy Sad Mama shares why she loves to nurse her toddler.
* Angela at Breastfeeding 1-2-3 has some search terms that lead readers to her site.

How To Make A Brisket And Get Your Kids To Eat

January 03, 2008

I once ate an entire brisket. Of course it didn't happen in one sitting. But slowly, over the course of four days, I polished off about 5 pounds of meat.

This wasn't supposed to happen. The boys (ages 1 and 3) and my husband were supposed to pitch in. In fact, the meal was designed to get the boys to eat some real protein. They were going through their white period-- bread, bananas, yogurt, noodles, oatmeal and some raisins for variety. Maybe an apple. Definitely nothing green.

I figured that perhaps I needed to get more creative. It was time to focus on giving them a good old fashioned meal. So here's what I did. I called my grandmother and followed her directions:

1. Buy a big hunk of brisket (first cut) from Fairway.
2. Saute some onions and peppers (add salt and pepper) and line the bottom of a glass pan with the mixture.
3. Add in a big can of crushed tomatoes and a package of dried Lipton onion soup.
4. Put the brisket on top. Add in more peppers and onions (not cooked-- but I don't know why). Some garlic cloves go in too.
5. Add in small, pre-peeled potatoes.
6. Cook at 350 for about two hours.
7. Add in mini carrots.
8. Cook for another hour or more. (It's not possible to over-cook a brisket). Periodically use a spoon to spread the sauce over the brisket.
9. Take the brisket out of the mix and cut it on a cutting board. Slice thinly, against the grain.
10. Add the slices back into the mix.
11. The result is an incredibly tender meat that tastes even better when you re-heat it and serve it on the second and third day.

Laboring all afternoon, I eagerly anticipated the oohs and ahhs as I put the meal on their plastic, disherwasher-safe plates. I envisioned them grabbing fistfuls of meat and smearing sauce on their cheeks. I thought I'd have to tell them to chew slowly as they smashed carrots and potatoes into their mouths.

Here's what happened instead. The carrots ended up on the floor, the meat was untouched. "Please, stay in your seat," I pleaded. "Here, just give this a little try. It's delicious. No, you can't have a cookie." As I cleaned up the dinner debris, I ate what they left behind. This scenario replayed itself out at lunch and dinner for the next few days, and my husband was only home for one dinner. Hence, my brisket gluttony.

There were many times, when the boys were babies, that I worried about whether or not they were eating enough. Even in the early days of breastfeeding, I looked forward to doctor visits to see if they had gained weight. That sense of bewilderment is probably what motivated me to write my book in the first place. And despite my concerns, I do know that the kiddies are on track. At nearly 40 and 30 pounds respectively, pushing them in the double stroller is a serious work-out. Who needs the gym? Just try bench-pressing these guys all day.

My mom says not to worry, that they'll eat when they're hungry. The pediatrician assures me they're fine and don't need vitamins. I even have a 6 foot plus cousin who spent most of his preschool years, as I recall, eating raisin bread and cheerios. So I know it's not that big a deal.

But I'm not giving up yet. Every night I try to give them a protein, a fruit and a vegetable. I've decided that if they won't eat it, tough. I'm not going to do fancy cooking gymnastics a la The Sneaky Chef or Deceptively Delicious. I don't have the time or energy to puree beans and hide them inside other dishes. I do give in to their inner Cookie Monster demands, but not as often as they'd like.

Last week, we spent time with my mom. The first night we were all together we sat down for dinner, and she pulled a brisket out of the oven. I watched her put a heaping portion on the kids' plates. I looked down at the carpet, quietly thinking about removing a red stain from the fibers. I excused myself from the table for a moment, with a shrug of resignation. When I returned, our 1 year old was actually picking at something on his plate, and best of all, his older brother-- well, he had a mouthful of food and was already asking for more.

I can't explain it. Same recipe. Same presentation. Maybe they were finally hungry. Or maybe it was the grandma touch. Come to think of it, hey mom, want to come to visit us this weekend? The kitchen is all yours.

Keeping a Feeding Log

January 02, 2008

When our first son was born I kept a meticulous journal of his feedings. I'd note the time he ate, which breast he ate from, and how long he fed. I also marked down wet and dirty diapers. I was on top of things, and pretty proud of myself. At least I was, until his pediatrician more or less dismissed my note taking. I handed him a copy of the log, and he gave it right back to me. "I don't need this," he said. But look at all my hard work, I felt like saying back to him. Look, even my handwriting is neat!

What I realize now, is that he was essentially saying, your son is fine. He's peeing and pooping and most importantly gaining weight-- you can relax.

But fast forward to our second son, I did the same thing again. I kept a journal for a couple of weeks because I found it helped me keep track of what was going on. In a post-delivery fog, and sleep-deprived state, it helped me to remember when he ate. It was especially important because he was a sleepy baby, and I had to wake him to make sure he ate frequently enough.

So, I still like the idea of keeping notes for a little while, at least. And I'm sure some moms do it longer. That's why I was excited to get a copy of this journal from Random House. "Time to Feed: A Journal for Recording Your Baby's Feeding Schedule" is a great gift for a new mom. In fact, I just gave it to a friend today. It has simple entry spaces for each feeding, whether its boob or bottle, breast milk or formula. Best of all, there is a basic guide to breastfeeding at the back of the book, written by La Leche League.

Answering Your Breastfeeding Questions

December 20, 2007

I've been doing some guest writing on The Nest Baby, a cool site for new moms. Readers have been submitting questions about breastfeeding and I've been answering them. You can check out all of the answers on this link. You can also jump right to the specific questions from these links:
Breastfeeding Positions
Breast Lumps and Nursing
Dealing with Thrush
Inverted Nippes
Milk Blisters
Newborn Eating Enough?
Getting Help At Home
Prepping to Nurse?
Prepping to Pump?
Pumping and Work
Pumping Problems
Storing Breastmilk
Travel while Nursing
Weaning and Milk Supply
Pumping Extra Milk

If you have a specific question, feel free to email me any time at mamaknowsbreast@yahoo.com.

A BreastFeeding Holiday Poem

December 19, 2007

Our neighbors have a wreath on their door. So of course, The Bortsky (age three) wanted to know what it was. "Why don't we have a wreath?" he asked. "Well," I paused, choosing my words carefully, "Sarah celebrates Christmas and she has a wreath and a tree. We celebrate Chanukah and we have a menorah." "Why?" he asked. I gave him a basic "we're Jewish" answer, and fortunately that sufficed.

I'll admit that even though Christmas isn't our thing, I like the lights and decorations at this time of year. Everything seems transformed. I liked watching the Christmas shows when I was a kid and I'm a sucker for a little Holiday lore. Hence, my own version of the traditional poem, "A Visit From St. Nicholas." I wrote this last year, and thought the newcomers to this site might appreciate it.

So back by popular demand...I bring you, once again...

‘TWAS THE BREASTFEEDER’S NIGHTTIME
By Andi Silverman, www.mamaknowsbreast.com

‘Twas a holiday eve and the babe was asleep,
Swaddled tight in his crib he made not a peep.
My boobs were depleted from feeding all day.
“Please don’t wake. Sleep all night,” to the babe I did pray.

But his lips, how they moved, as he lay in his bed.
Visions of milky breasts danced in his head.
Dad in his boxers and I in my sweats,
Could we get some shuteye? Go ahead, place your bets.

The moon on the breast of my t-shirt did glow,
Gave a luster to leaking spots set to grow.
My nursing pads were soaked, they fell out of place.
My bra had unsnapped. How I missed sexy lace.

For months I’d been feeding our babe everywhere.
Coffee shop, park bench, museum, movie chair.
All my modesty gone, nothing shy anymore.
If the kiddo was crying, I knew how to score.

And now with the holidays, things often got dire.
While out buying gifts, I sometimes drew ire.
I breastfed in clothing stores. Changing rooms rock.
I breastfed in bookstores. To the stacks I did flock.

When from the babe’s room there arose such a clatter.
We sprang from our bed to see what was the matter.
Away to his room we flew with a flash,
Threw open the door, in the dark I did crash.

What a klutz I can be, ‘twas those bags made me fall.
Sacks for our trip, all arranged in the hall.
We were going to Grandma’s, a five hour drive.
Holiday time—Will I make it alive?

One big huge duffle held all the babe’s stuff.
Diapers, wipes, onesies. Did I bring enough?
Now don’t forget burp cloths, crib sheets and toys.
Books and Bjorn, we’ll exhibit such poise.

On breast pump, on bottles, on stroller and boppy.
On car seat, on cradle, on blanket and binky.
Fill the back of the car, fill the trunk with our haul.
And we’ll drive away, drive away, drive away all.

Now don’t forget stopping to feed long the way.
Gas stations, McDonalds and rest stops, oy vey.
Of course there’ll be lots of those diapers to do.
Get out the Purell, you’ll be covered in poo.

When we finally arrive, now what will await?
Lots of food and embraces, it’ll be really great.
No, no one will not fight. I will not shed a tear.
Ok, a white lie— but rejoice in who’s here.

And what about wine or a champagne or two?
Will it make my milk bad? Old wives tale or true?
And will anyone say, “Can he now take a bottle?”
“How long will you breastfeed?” How these questions can throttle.

Now back to that “clatter,” the babe and that noise.
We had rushed right on in, leaping over the toys.
When what to our wondering eyes did appear,
Our babe still asleep, oh how sweet, oh how dear.

His cheeks, how they glistened, his hair soft and furry.
And I smiled when I saw him, despite all my worry.
How delicious, his belly, moving in and then out.
How precious, his lips in a sweet little pout.

He had not woken up! He did not need to eat.
He had had quite enough, his day quite complete.
And so back to our bed we did quietly crawl.
Happy Holidays to one, happy sleeping to all.

© 2006, Andi Silverman, www.mamaknowsbreast.com

The About.com guide to Urban Legends linked to this poem.

A Breastfeeding Blogging Bonanza

December 06, 2007

Moms love to tell their stories about childbirth. There's the "I pushed for 14 hours" story. The "you would not believe what happened to me..." story. The "I went all natural" or the "I begged for drugs" stories. And even the "I thought I was going to strangle (insert name)" story.

Now, it seems the story to tell is the breastfeeding tale. That's what happened today on the new collective blog, New York City Moms. The NY Moms blog is part of a larger blogging network that has sites focused on Silicon Valley, Chicago and Washington, DC. And today, in each region, the focus was on breastfeeding...the ups and downs of boobs, bottles and babes.

I'm new to blogging for NY Moms, and I was thrilled that they asked me to write the introductory post to today's entries. Click here for a full list of all of the entries from the day. The site administrators got so many requests from bloggers and readers to include their stories, that they ended up opening an entry where anyone can contribute. Click here if you have a tale to tell.

What's Best for Babes?

November 30, 2007

There are a lot of organizations, professionals and moms-on-a-mission who are devoted to promoting breastfeeding. They all do good work. Now here's another group that is taking a unique approach to increasing breastfeeding rates in the U.S. Best For Babes is a non-profit founded by two moms who are trying to harness the power of mainstream media. I had a chance to talk to the founders Bettina Forbes and Danielle Rigg about their plans. Here's what they had to say:

What is Best For Babes?
Best for Babes is dedicated to increasing breastfeeding rates and making breastfeeding mainstream. To accomplish this, BfB is the first and only entity to bring together celebrities, corporations, foundations, fashion, advertising and the media to give breastfeeding a makeover. Our motto is “inspire, prepare, empower”: BfB is providing inspiring images and role-models, smart info on how to avoid the "booby traps," and how to have a game plan for breastfeeding successfully. Our research and experience have convinced us that this strategy is the best antidote to persistently low U.S. breastfeeding rates.

Why did you start BfB?
Because new moms don't need more pressure or more guilt! They need solutions, and the inspiration to succeed at nursing. We are two moms who endured unnecessary breastfeeding problems ourselves and heard many similar stories from our peers. Danielle took her personal struggle and passion for breastfeeding and turned it into a degree as a CLC (Certified Lactation Counselor) in 2002. Bettina was more recently certified. In our work we kept finding the same problem: too many moms weren’t being motivated, prepared or supported properly. At a time when breastfeeding is being encouraged as never before, women are still being set up to fail.

On the motivation side, we found that many women were being turned-off both by existing breastfeeding groups and by images with which they did not identify. Many moms also were scared-off by stories they heard about breastfeeding problems. The saddest part is that 95% of these problems are easily avoided with the proper guidance.

What are your goals?
We’d love to see the U.S. have the same breastfeeding rates as Sweden—where 99% of women initiate and 79% are still mostly breastfeeding at 6 months. In the U.S., the initiation rate is 64%, and only 14% are breastfeeding exclusively at 6 months. One of our most important goals is to provide celebrity and everyday role models. Many women have never seen another woman breastfeed and don’t know where to turn for support or inspiration.

We also want to simply get the most accurate information into women’s hands. Mainstream articles are not always evidence-based, and put little emphasis on prevention. So, we are educating women on how to be better prepared before birth—which hospitals have the best breastfeeding track record, how to find a pediatrician who is trained in lactation or has an IBCLC on staff, which health insurance covers lactation specialists; which employers provide pumping accommodations and on-site daycare. Women also need social support from families and friends. They need positive media images and stores and restaurants that are nursing-friendly. All of these make a huge difference in breastfeeding success We will also be asking for volunteers: Moms are a powerful force and we think the time is right to harness their energy. Moms deserve to be pumped up, geared up, and to feel fabulous about giving their best mom-made wonderfood™ to their babes.

What celebrities are on board with this idea?
Marilu Henner is one of our founding board members and has been terrific. She immediately “got” our concept and is tremendously supportive. Henner is a well-known actress and a New York Times bestselling author who has dedicated herself to helping people improve their health. We’re expecting other celebrities to jump in soon too.

What did you do before BFB?
Well, immediately before BfB, both of us were trying to figure out how to tend to two small children (apiece), our husbands, our homes, and still find time to change the world! Before that, Bettina worked in corporate philanthropy for Merrill Lynch where she managed a highly successful scholarship program for inner-city youth in ten major U.S. cities. The program received numerous awards, including the nation’s highest honor, the President’s “Points of Light” Service Award, in 1999. Danielle was an employment and labor lawyer working at a prestigious NYC firm, and, later, for a large corporation. She gave all that up when she found her calling to help women learn to breastfeed Danielle’s diagnosis with breast cancer at age 37, has motivated her even more to tout breastfeeding’s protective effect against breast cancer – especially the lesser-known benefit for breastfed baby girls.

What should we watch for next from BFB?
In August we were on the cover of Stork Magazine. This was the first in a series of gorgeous images plus smart info that we have planned for our advertising/media campaign. Look for interviews with us in prominent mainstream magazines, and cross-marketing projects with our partners. Also tune in to the “Boob Tube” at www.bestforbabes.com where we set the record straight on latest breastfeeding-related articles, research and products.

Does Breastfeeding Make Your Breasts Sag? New Study Says No

November 14, 2007

From December 2003 to March 2006 I was either pregnant or breastfeeding. Not a day off. I got pregnant with The Bear while still breastfeeding The Bortski. So for a while I wasn't quite sure how things would look in the boob department once I was all done with the baby feeding thing. So what happened? Let's just say my bra size has changed. I won't tell you which way it went....up or down. But let's just say that it's different. And almost any mom will tell you something similar.

All the literature I've ever read says that breast changes are due to the pregnancy itself, weight gain, weight loss and heredity. Breastfeeding has nothing to do with it. Now a study that came out last month confirms that breastfeeding doesn't make your boobs sag. Here's some information from WebMD.

"Expectant mothers should be reassured that breastfeeding does not appear to have an adverse effect upon breast appearance," report University of Kentucky plastic surgeon Brian Rinker, MD, and colleagues.

They interviewed 132 women who came to their plastic surgery clinic to get breast augmentation or a surgical lift for sagging breasts.

The women were 39 years old, on average. The majority -- 93 patients -- had had at least one pregnancy. Most of the moms -- 58% -- had breastfed at least one child.

Rinker's team noted the women's medical history, BMI (body mass index), pre-pregnancy bra cup size, smoking status, and other factors.

The bottom line: "Breastfeeding does not adversely affect breast shape, beyond the effects of pregnancy alone," conclude Rinker and colleagues

However, four other factors were linked to breast sagging:
* Older age
* Cigarette smoking
* Larger pre-pregnancy bra cup size
* Greater number of pregnancies
Age and cigarette smoking both hamper skin's elasticity, note the researchers.

When I first learned about this study, and realized it was done by some plastic surgeons, I was a bit skeptical. Their ultimate goal, obviously, is to plant the idea in women's heads that a boob job is the way to go post-baby. But put that aside for a moment, and focus on the study's bottom line. Breastfeeding is not going to change your figure. I guess it's nice to get a thumbs up for breastfeeding, no matter where it comes from.

Still Trying to Get Amazon to Let Me Create a Tag That Says Breastfeeding

November 07, 2007

So far, I haven't had any luck with my quest to create certain "tags" on the Amazon page that sells my book. Amazon won't accept any variation of the word breastfeeding. I wrote about this here and here last week. Since then, I wrote yet another letter to Amazon. I got a pretty lame response today.

Here's my letter.

To the Amazon Team:
I have been trying to create tags for various forms of the word breastfeeding. Breast feeding. Breast-feeding. Breastfeed, breast feed, breast-feed. Amazon will not let me do this. The title of my book is "Mama Knows Breast: A Beginner's Guide to Breastfeeding." So these tags are very important to me.

I wrote about my trouble with this on my blog. www.mamaknowsbreast.com My blog is linked through RSS to the Amazon site, so the post is visible on my sales page. Can someone please help me resolve this problem? Thank you.

Here's the response:

Andi, Thanks for contacting us at Amazon.com.

I'm sorry, but I will need to research the tag feature further. I
will write back to you with an answer within the next 5-6business
days.

Thank you in advance for your patience, and thanks for shopping at
Amazon.com.

Some Parenting Sites for You To Check Out

October 24, 2007

Here's what I've found recently:

About.com has a new breastfeeding Guide. Melissa Nagin is a lactation consultant in New York City. Click here for her bio. She has a great post right now on how she tried to teach her son economics using breastfeeding to illustrate the concept of supply and demand. (Full disclosure, my husband works at About, but I promise, he had nothing to do with this post!)

Jennifer at the Black Breastfeeding Blog, who I've mentioned before, has added a cool new audio function to her blog. (She's using utterz). If you want to hear the sound of her lovely voice, you can check out a review she posted of my book.

Finally, take a look at The Well Mom. Former ABC News Anchor Heather Cabot is running this site. The Well Mom aims to help moms take care of themselves while they are taking care of everyone else, too. She has a fantastic post on her site now about post-partum depression, and legislative efforts to increase funding for PPD research and outreach to moms. Heather also recently interviewed me about my book. Click here to read her piece.

Applebee's Nurse In

September 04, 2007

This story has been brewing for a while and I've been a little slow on the uptake. Sorry about that.

So a quick summary: There's a national nurse in on Saturday, September 8th at Applebee's locations across the country. It all started when an Applebee's employee in Kentucky asked a mom to stop nursing. Here's a good summary of the incident at Breastfeeding123. There's also a fantastic map of the nurse ins...so far there are 51 locations in 27 states.

Now, if you want to see if there's a nurse in near you, you can check out this Yahoo Group formed for the event.

Smoking and Breastfeeding

I had my high school experimentation with cigaretttes. (Sorry, mom). Fortunately I was never a smoker. I know it's a habit that can be very hard to kick. But if you are smoking and breastfeeding, here's yet another reason to quit... a new study has found that babies sleep less if their mother smokes. The nicotine in breast milk seems to shorten babies naps by one third.

The study was done by the Monell Chemical Senses Center. Here's their website, and here's the link to the press release.

Now some quotes from the press release:

“Infants spent less time sleeping overall and woke up from naps sooner when their mothers smoked prior to breastfeeding,” says lead author Julie A. Mennella, PhD, a psychobiologist at Monell.

The findings, published in the journal Pediatrics, raise new questions regarding whether nicotine exposure through breast milk affects infant development....

Total sleep time over the 3-1/2 hours declined from an average of 84 minutes when mothers refrained from smoking to 53 minutes on the day they did smoke, a 37% reduction in infant sleep time. This was due to a shortening of the longest sleep bout, or nap, and to reductions in the amount of time spent in both active and quiet sleep.

The level of sleep disruption was directly related to the dose of nicotine infants received from their mothers’ milk, consistent with a role for nicotine in causing the sleep disruptions....

An earlier study from Mennella’s lab demonstrated that breast milk nicotine levels peak 30 - 60 minutes after smoking one or two cigarettes and clear by three hours after the smoking episode. Emphasizing the many benefits of breastfeeding on infant health and development, Mennella notes that lactating mothers who smoke occasionally can time their smoking episodes to minimize nicotine exposure to their child...

For more on this story go to The Washington Post.

And one final thought...if you can't quit smoking, it's still best to continue breastfeeding. The American Academy of Pediatrics has said smoking is not a contraindication to breastfeeding-- translation, you can smoke and breastfeed, but you should quit. Here's some information from Kellymom on smoking and breastfeeding.

Mama Knows Breast Book Excerpt on The Celebrity Baby Blog

August 13, 2007

A number of months ago a friend got me a subscription to US Weekly magazine. I never knew, until the magazine started showing up in my mailbox, that I had a celebrity fascination. Likewise, I never knew, until I discovered The Celebrity Baby Blog, that I actually wanted to read about celebu-tots.

If you haven't read Celebrity Baby yet, check it out. I recently met the founder, Danielle, and she is really impressive. She's got a whole team working for her now, and they are the go to site for celebrity baby news. The site even has a page devoted to celebrity breastfeeding stories.

And best of all...Celebrity Baby is running an excerpt of my book right now. It's a synopsis of the first chapter. So for a sneak peak, click here. And while you're reading the post, check out the rest of the Celebrity Baby site. You, too, may find yourself hooked.

Moms, You Deserve a Mama Merit Badge

July 26, 2007

If you were a Girl Scout, you'll probably remember the merit badges you got for different accomplishments. Well now, Mamas, you too can get your merit badges from Mama Merit Badges. This one is my favorite.

Via Babble.

Super Model Eva Herzigova Breastfeeding

Most of us mere mortals don't look so stellar 7 weeks post-partum. Then again, most of us aren't super models. So if you decide to check out these pictures of model Eva Herzigova, 34, breastfeeding her baby, please (I beg you) don't compare yourself to her.

Herzigova is pictured in the German magazine Bunte with her son. The Celebrity Baby Blog has the link.

National Board of Medical Examiners Won't Give Breast Feeding Mom Extra Time to Pump During Her Exam

June 23, 2007

Imagine this: You have a 7 week old baby. 7 weeks. She eats all the time, around the clock. But you've got a huge test to take. You're a doctor (not to mention, you also have a PhD), and the test is required in order to move on to the next stage of your career. The test takes all day, but your baby needs to eat. And if you can't actually breastfeed her, you need to pump. So you ask the folks running the exam to make a special accommodation to help you. Their answer-- No.

That's what happened to Sophie Currier of Brookline, Massachusetts. Here are some snippets from the story in today's Boston Globe.

For Currier to begin her medical residency at Massachusetts General Hospital this fall as scheduled, she must pass the clinical knowledge exam run by the National Board of Medical Examiners by August. The exam is nine hours long and allows a total of only 45 minutes in breaks....

...When she called the board last week to ask for extra break time, she said she was told that the test provides special accommodations only for disabilities covered by the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, and breast-feeding was not one of them.

Currier agreed that breast-feeding is not a disability. But it is physically demanding : "What am I going to do, express milk all over your computer?" she asked a board official.

In a statement faxed to the Globe, Catherine Farmer, the board's manager of disability services, wrote that the disabilities act "does not cover temporary conditions, such as pregnancy. . . . Furthermore, lactation, breast-feeding and breast pumping are not disabilities as defined by the ADA."

However, she added, examinees could use their break time outside the testing room for breast pumping, and if they finished sections of the test early, they could gain extra time for break...

...In a letter (Currier) is drafting to the medical board, she is going to request an extra 20 minutes of break time per day, she said -- the minimum she thinks she can manage.

We hear stories all the time of moms who run into trouble feeding their babies in restaurants, stores, and airplanes. But this one just takes the cake. A group of medical professionals-- The National Board of Medical Examiners-- a group that should know better than any other the importance of breastfeeding, is putting a new mom and her newborn in a difficult situation.

Good for Currier, for standing up to them, and taking her story to the media. Here's to hoping she gets some help and The Board comes to its senses.

Dads and Breast Feeding-- My Husband, My Co-Author

June 11, 2007

Welcome to the June Breastfeeding Carnival, a tribute to the Dads in our lives. At the end of this post you'll find entries from our usual cast of blogging characters, as well as some guests.

As I've been talking about ad nauseam here, I've been working on a book about breastfeeding that's coming out this September. In our house, this is our "third" baby. For nearly as long as we've had kids (going on 2.5 years now), I've been working on this book. And now, it's time to give credit where credit is due-- to my silent co-author, my husband. "Da-da," as the boys call him, has encouraged me every step of the way.

To begin with, he's a lactivist in his own right. He "covered" me while I breastfed on airplanes and in fancy restaurants. He brought me water while I was nursing, changed diapers in the middle of the night so I could go back to sleep, and even re-positioned an inconsolable newborn on my chest. So when I announced, one day, 5 months post-partum, that I wanted to write a book about breastfeeding, he said, "Go hire a babysitter and get to work."

Along the way, he contributed his own ideas; read draft after draft; reviewed contracts; helped develop my blog; and celebrated the book sale with champagne and flowers. Now, ever the MBA, he's devising ways to sell as many books as possible.

So thank you, "Da-da," for serving as an in house lactation consultant, and cheerleading me through this book process. This would not have been possible without you. Happy Father's Day. Maybe you should be the one doing any book signings!

And now for the other carnival contributors:
Jennifer, at The Lactivist, writes about how dads have to accept taking "second place" when it comes to breastfeeding. Her post is "Fathers and Breastfeeding: The Importance of Seconds."
Leisa, at Down with the Kids, (writing from Australia) contributes "Mothers' Milk: A Dad's Perspective."
Angela, at Breastfeeding 1-2-3, contributes "A Father's Take on Breastfeeding: Perception Versus Reality"
Kelli, at Nursing Your Kids, writes about the "Partnership" involved in breastfeeding.
Jessica, at hepatitis-epi, contributes her story about "Fathers and Breastfeeding."
Amy, at Musings of a Crunchy Domestic Goddess, contributes "My Hubby, the Lactivist."
Sinead, writing from Northern Ireland, writes "My Hubby, my Best Breastfeeding Buddy."
And a Dad, at Fine Whine, writes "Feeding on the Outrage, or Where are All The Boobs?"

A Nursing Hat?

June 01, 2007

Here's a new one.... Want to discreetly breastfeed your baby in public? Put one of these hats with an enormous brim on your babe's head. She'll be shaded from the sun and you'll be completely covered.

The MoBoleez hats come with some cute sayings too: "Au lait, s'il vous plait," "Milky Way," or "Time to tweet."

Now, I haven't actually tried one of these hats, but I did sort of concoct my own version last summer. I put my fuschia and white hat on The Bear's head while he was nursing. Of course it didn't stay on. Too big. And he managed to swat it away. Details. So maybe a hat properly sized for a baby will do the trick. Though I must say, I'd love to see what the baby looks like when she stops eating and sits up. Can she even see out from under that brim?!

Thanks to Babble for the "heads up" on this one!

NY Store The Upper Breast Side Has a New Location

May 23, 2007

I apologize up front to all of you who aren't in New York City. But if you make it here for any reason, you've got to go check out The Upper Breast Side-- a store dedicated to all things breastfeeding. Their slogan, "You bring your breasts, we've got the rest."

This Upper West Side (hence the name) institution recently moved to a new location at 135 West 70th Street (between Columbus and Amsterdam). I knew the store was moving, but I stumbled on the location today by accident, while watching a new mom carrying her infant in a sling. (I was impressed by her sling savvy. I was a total failure at the sling thing).

Anyway, this is THE place to go if you need a nursing top, breast pump, book-- you name it. They will even help you find the perfect bra size. One caveat, double strollers with side by side seats won't fit through the doorway. They'll help you out. But maybe bring an extra set of hands with you if you have to bring two kiddos.

Things That Happen After Weaning

May 10, 2007

I've been visiting my brother and sister in law and their 6 day old little peanut...the G Man...and the strangest thing keeps happening. Every time I see the baby, one of my breasts starts to hurt, as if milk was coming in. It's been nearly two weeks since I weaned The Bear, so it's a bizarre sensation. It happens as soon as I walk in the door. And stops once I've left. Some milk must be still lurking around in there.

Anyone else have a similar tale? Still lactating after weaning?

Silly Celebrity Breastfeeding Stories

May 01, 2007

Here are the latest celebrity breastfeeding "tit bits." I know, I know, hardly ground breaking news. But I can't help my celebrity fascination. Plus, as far as I'm concerned...the more talk about breastfeeding in popular media, the better.

Amanda Peet reportedly talked about using her breast pump in an airport bathroom on Live with Regis and Kelly. (via Breastfeeding123). (Could NBC please bring back Studio 60? I'd love to see Jordan pump in her office).

Tobey -Spiderman-Maguire does diaper duty (and a little awkwardly at that) after his wife breastfeeds.

Marcia Cross (Bree on Desperate Housewives) is breastfeeding her twins.

Tori Spelling talks about some challenges of breastfeeding. Seems like she might benefit from a little help from a lactation consultant. But kudos to her for trying, and not giving up.

And finally, here's one from a little while ago... Julie Bowen had vowed to "shock" her castmates by breastfeeding on the set of Boston Legal. I haven't heard any updates on this one yet...but I'm hoping to see something soon from this fellow class of 1991 Brown alum.

Weaned

April 29, 2007

It seems that we're done with breastfeeding. The Bear is 13+ months old, and yesterday was the first day in his life that he didn't have "bubbies." We were down to one feeding every day, usually around 5 a.m. He would wake up, eat for about 15 minutes, and then go right back to sleep for another hour or so.

But it had reached the point where I felt like a big pacifier. I wasn't sure he was actually getting anything to eat. It seemed he was just sucking to soothe himself back to sleep. Besides that, his teeth were hurting me a bit, even if I re-did his latch. And so, I think this is it.

I'm happy that we made it to the one year mark that is recommended, at a minimum, by the American Academy of Pediatrics. I know the World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding for two years, and that many people breastfeed their toddlers. But I've decided that I'm comfortable stopping now. It just feels right.

I'd like to sear in my memory the last time I breastfed The Bear. I have a bunch of impressions, but I'm not quite sure if they are specifically from the last time, or simply an amalgamation of the past few weeks. Of course it doesn't really matter. To me, this will always be what I remember.

It was around 4:30 in the morning. He started to whimper from his bedroom, so I walked down the hallway, making sure to avoid the stroller parking lot, and got him out of the room before he woke up his brother. I climbed back into bed and propped a pillow under my arm that held his head. I know he found my breast in the dark and I barely had to look to see that he latched on well. After a year of practice, we knew our routine by heart. I know he fussed a bit when I switched him from one side to the next, and that I winced when he bit me by accident. I know it was still dark and that I could hear the rain and thunder. Flashes of lightening lit the room periodically. I think I also heard some birds chirping outside our window, but I don't know if that makes sense. Would the birds have been out if it was raining? And besides, I've never noticed a ledge outside our 20th floor window where they could perch.

I know that once his sucking and breathing slowed, and he became heavier in my arms, I stuck my finger into the corner of his mouth and he popped off. He started to cry again, annoyed at the disturbance, and arched his back as I carried him to the Pak n Play in our room. I put him down on his back and he promptly flipped onto his stomach. I stroked the back of his head for a few seconds, whispered sh sh sh, and then slipped back into bed.

Will he remember any of this? No. His older brother, The Bortsky, certainly doesn't believe me when I tell him that he used to "have bubbies" once too. As far as he's concerned, "bubbies" are for babies, and he's been drinking from a Dora cup since the beginning of time.

But isn't that the way it's supposed to be? As moms, we remember almost everything. The smell of pajamas just washed in Dreft. Rubbing lotion on pudgy thighs. The wailing that kept us up at nights. And certainly, the bliss of a baby that has breastfed and fallen asleep.

Even though The Bear will never recall these 4 a.m. feedings, I imagine, on a certain level he'll remember that sense of contentment. Those were our moments together. Our moments alone, in the middle of the night. And our moments alone, even when we were surrounded by the outside world on a park bench.

Bye, "bubbies." The Bear may not miss you, but I think I will. Now I just have to figure out how to wean myself.

Breast Feeding and What I Didn't Expect When I Was Expecting

April 18, 2007

Welcome, once again, to our monthly Carnival of Breastfeeding. This time we're writing on the theme...What I didn't expect when I was expecting."

So here's my top ten list of things I didn't expect about breastfeeding when I was pregnant:

1. I had no idea that that newborns eat every two to three hours around the clock. And, that you start counting when the feeding starts, not when it stops. In other words, if you feed the baby at 9 a.m., you feed again at 11:00 a.m.

2. I didn't know what engorgement was, how to fix it, and that that it would make me look like a cartoon porn star.

3. I could never have imagined that I'd breastfeed during an OB-Gyn exam. True story.

4. I didn't know that I could get pregnant while breastfeeding. Turns out I didn't meet the Lactational Amennhorea criteria for breastfeeding as birth control.

5. I never thought my fear of dropping the baby would actually come true. I could never have imagined falling asleep while breastfeeding and that the baby (10 months) would fall out of the bed. (He was fine, thank God).

6. I didn't expect to comprehend why sleep deprivation is used as a torture device.

7. I didn't know that you can donate milk to human milk banks.

8. I never thought I would have to buy a padded bra after I had weaned my baby. I didn't realize my boobs would need all the help they can get.

9. I didn't expect to learn how to run a blog all because of my new fixation on breastfeeding.

10. And I certainly didn't expect to write a book about breastfeeding.

And now...I bring you what my fellow breastfeeding bloggers have to say: The Lactivist, BreastfeedingMums, The Motherwear Blog and Breastfeeding123.

And here are our guest bloggers: Spit up on my Shoulder, Adventures of a Breastfeeding Mother, New Mama's Nest, The True Face of Birth, Down with the Kids, and The Spice Choir.

New Study Shows Breast Feeding Protects Against Breast Cancer

April 17, 2007

My friend Kelley recently found out she has breast cancer. She has a three year old and a baby who is less than a year old. She was nursing the baby when she first detected the lump. Since then she's had a mastectomy, reconstructive surgery, and now chemotherapy.

Despite this, Kelley has a bottomless reservoir of optimism. She's a reporter at WCVB TV in Boston, and she's even been providing viewers with updates on her story. There are on-line diary entries and video clips.

When I asked Kelley if it was ok to write this post, she sent me a quote (ever the reporter!) from one of her doctors. The doctor emphasized that breastfeeding can actually reduce the risk of breast cancer:

"On a population level, we'd see a 5 percent reduction in breast cancer cases globally if everyone breast fed. Also, breast cancer in young women is rare, so the vast majority of lumps are benign. A good way to differentiate is a clogged duct should go away. If you are activley breast feeding, it (the plugged duct) should be gone if the baby empties that breast. If you wean, it should dissipate in about two weeks. "
-- Dr. Hope Ricciotti, OBGYN, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Similar news today confirms that breastfeeding can reduce the risk of breast cancer.

The most important finding of the new study is that breastfeeding seems to lower the risk of developing breast cancer that comes from having children later in life, said Dr. Giske Ursin, associate professor of preventive medicine at the University of Southern California medical school and the study’s lead author.

“Evidence suggests that women who have children after age 25 can reduce their risk of breast cancer by choosing to breastfeed,” Ursin says.

Please take a moment to read this story, and, for inspiration, visit Kelley's site.

Tori Spelling Talks About Breast Feeding

April 06, 2007

Here's the Tori Spelling baby scoop from US Weekly. And here's what Tori had to say when the reporter asked if she was breastfeeding:

"Yes. It's hard, but I love it. That's our time together, and I can give him the one thing he wants: food. Dean took a photo of me nursing, and I was horrified. I was like, "Oh, this poor baby must be so scared of this giant thing coming at him."

It's not clear to me from the quote what this "giant thing" is. The camera? Her boob? But I guess it doesn't really matter. So what I want to know, will Tori breastfeed on her new reality show, Tori & Dean: Inn Love? I don't plan on watching it, but if you do, let me know what happens.

Weaning Parties for Toddlers and Some Weaning Problems of My Own

April 01, 2007

I'm back home in Boston for the weekend, and lo and behold The Boston Globe had a story on the growing trend to breastfeed toddlers and young children.

At the start of the story we meet a little girl who is having a weaning party, complete with cake and friends.

On a recent Saturday evening, Ruth Tincoff and Bruce Inglehart of Wellesley had a party for Gwen, their not-quite-5-year-old daughter. They served six squealing girls squiggly pasta with red sauce and Gwen's favorite dessert -- vanilla cake with raspberry - and - lemon frosting. While the adults munched on veggies and dip, the girls played dress-up.

According to the piece, more and more moms are breastfeeding longer.

Figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and from Abbott Labs' Ross Mothers Survey show a steady increase in the number of women who initiate breast-feeding, from 57 percent in 1994 to 72 percent in 2005. Less well-known is the gradual increase in the age at which breast-feeding stops. In 1997, 26 percent of mothers were still nursing their babies at six months; in 2005, 39 percent were. In 1997, 14.5 percent of mothers were still breast-feeding at 12 months; by 2005, the number had climbed to 20 percent.

No one keeps count beyond 18 months, not even La Leche League International, a lactation support system. Katherine Dettwyler , the nation's leading breast-feeding researcher, says women who continue to nurse typically keep quiet about it, sometimes even to family members, because the culture is so biased against it.

So why the new trend? Here's what the article says:

Public health campaigns account for the increase in women who breast-feed, says Lawrence. Those who stay with it, particularly beyond 18 months, tend to be highly educated. "This is not a cult," she says. "It's about education and learning that the benefits persist." Research shows that breast-feeding provides continued protection against infection and allergies.

There is also the matter of the mother-child relationship. For a working mother who is separated from her child all day, nursing in the morning and at night is a loving way to reconnect, says Naomi Bar-Yam of the Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition.

As for me, here's the latest on the breastfeeding front with The Bear (12 months). We're down to just one feeding per day...unfortunately at 5 a.m. But we've had a few set backs lately. When I tried to transition him from formula to whole milk at 12 months, he rejected the milk. I tried mixing the formula with milk, and then tapering the formula until we were left with milk. That didn't work. Eventually, I just fed him when I was certain he was hungry and had no choice but to drink the milk.

Eventually I broke the formula addiction. But now that seems to be replaced by a general rejection of the sippy cup. Every day I find myself struggling to make sure he drinks enough, and thus monitoring the number of ounces he's getting. The pediatrician told me to aim for a cup and a half to two cups each day. (Our cups hold about 8 ounces). On days that I'm really concerned, I've fed him milk with a spoon, and even held the cup up to his lips for him to drink like a grown-up. He's thus earned a new nickname here, The Guzzler. This weekend we're trying some different style sippy cups.

I'll let you know how things are going in a week or so. I'm aiming to be done with breastfeeding by May. What then? I think we'll have a little family party. Vanilla cake, chocolate frosting.

Looking for PR Ideas For My Book

March 23, 2007

I just Fed Ex'ed another set of revisions to my publisher. Two down, one more to go. Now I have a long author questionnaire that I need to fill out for the marketing department. Part of this involves writing a list of websites, blogs, and media outlets that might want to write about the book.

Since there are literally thousands and thousands of sites that we moms visit, this task feels a little daunting. I know what I know...but I don't know what I don't know.

So if anyone has suggestions, send them my way. Let me know what sites you like; what magazines you read; what TV shows you watch. I'll add them to my list. I need all the help I can get!

In advance, thank you for your support.

Weaning

March 16, 2007

I'm planning The Bear's first birthday. A family brunch, complete with-- what else-- a bear shaped cake that I'm going to try to make myself. Wish me luck.

More importantly, wish me luck on something much bigger. I've started to wean him. I'm sure some of you are thinking...one year, it's about time. While others may say, one year, why not keep going?

The decision, in part, is a practical one. I'm starting to do more video production work outside of the house and I need the freedom. Also, I'm just plain tired. I've been pregnant or breastfeeding since December of 2003. That's when I got pregnant with The Bortski. I weaned him when he was 11 months old because I got pregnant. I know some people breastfeed through pregnancy, and then continue to tandem feed their toddler and newborn. But it wasn't for me.

Even though I'm ready, I'm feeling nostalgic about it. For a week now I've dropped one feeding, the 11 am one. We went straight to a sippy cup, instead of a bottle, given his age. And lo and behold, the first time I handed him the cup, he started drinking right away, like he knew exactly what to do. He'd never had a bottle or a cup before, only breast, so I was shocked. You mean I'm that dispensible?

I'd like to chalk it up to the fact that he has an older brother who he watches drink from a cup. Either that or he's quite talented! We all know how hard it usually is to get a breastfed baby to take a bottle or cup. The Bortski had a rough time of it when we weaned him. I thought he would get dehydrated he was so defiant about the whole thing.

But not The Bear. He's been drinking from that cup like a champ. Even so, it has been a rough week. His nap schedule has been all messed up. Instead of his usual two naps, morning and afternoon, he was down to one. Today, however, he seems to have settled back into his old routine.

So we'll see where we go from here. The afternoon feeding comes next. The question is, am I ready to wean myself?

Milk Shortage at Colorado Milk Bank

I first saw this story over at the Motherwear Breastfeeding blog...

The Mothers' Milk Bank in Colorado desparately needs donations. Their supplies are running low. That poses a serious risk for babies like 6 month old Julia Lam, who is getting donated breast milk while she undergoes chemotherapy.

To see Julia's story, you can watch this video from a Denver TV station.

To make a donation, go to the milk bank website or call (303)869-1888 or toll free (877)458-5503. You don't have to live in Colorado to help out.

ABC's SuperNanny's Negative Take on Breast Feeding

March 12, 2007

Supernanny needs a "time out" of her own. In Monday's season finale she sets out to fix the Walker family. One of the alleged chief problems, a 14 month old who, god forbid, is still breast feeding.

The Supernanny says to the mom: "So it really is in your court because I can help you either way. But the decision has to be yours."

As it turns out, mom wants to wean. She says, "I want to do it. I want to go ahead and try it...I'm ready to wean Alyssa (spelled?). I've been wanting to do it for months. I just don't know how to do. I don't know how to do it on my own."

Once the mom says that, the Supernanny's true feelings come through: "I'm glad that you've come to that decision because it show me that you're ready for personal growth which is good and there will be much benefit for you and Alyssa."

I could deconstruct this episode for the rest of the night-- the negative portrayals of extended breastfeeding, co-sleeping and sling-wearing. But bottom line, I think it's a shame that the show's producers depict breastfeeding as something to be avoided. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding for at least one year, and as long after that as the mom wants. The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding for two years. Even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has set a goal that by 2010, 25% of all moms still breastfeed when their baby is one year old. (Healthy People 2010). As for the babies themselves, some anthropologists think children would self-wean somewhere around 3 and 4 years old.

Beyond this, the show completely ignores the health benefits that come from breastfeeding. Instead, Supernanny turns breastfeeding into something that is simply about the mother-child bond. She asks the mom, "Is the reason you're still breastfeeding her an emotional one?" The mom answers, "It's just the feeling of, you know, we love each other, you know."

Yes, weaning is emotional. I was weepy when I weaned our first son at 11 months and I get teary just thinking about weaning our second son. But come on, Supernanny, you could have at least tipped your hat to the mom for keeping at it for 14 months. It's no small feat.

Of course whether or not to breastfeed is a matter of personal choice. Breastfeeding works for some women, and not for others. But it's too bad that Supernanny and ABC didn't celebrate this mom's choice, and instead presented it as an obstacle to family harmony.

Go to your "naughty mat," Supernanny. Good riddance until next season.

And moms if you want some real advice on weaning, try Kellymom. There's good information about the benefits of extended breastfeeding too.

Breast Feeding Advice: Establishing Your Milk Supply

March 10, 2007

Welcome to our monthly breastfeeding carnival. This month, the booby brigade is writing about breastfeeding advice. Good advice. Bad advice and everything in between. At the bottom of this post you'll find links to the other blogs.

So, now for my two cents. First off, I'd like to do a public service announcement for lactation consultants. As far as I'm concerned, these professionals, the ladies with the IBCLC credentials, are goddesses. These days, whenever a mom asks me for help, I tell her to find an LC. If she's in New York City, I refer her to The Manhattan Lactation Group. If she's elsewhere, I suggest she get recommendations from an OB, midwife, pediatrician, hospital or friend. If she can't come up with any recommendations, I'll refer her to the International Lactation Consultant Association website. And most importantly, I'll add that not all LC's are created equal. They are just like any other professional. There are good plumbers and bad plumbers. Good lawyers and bad lawyers. Good LCs and bad LCs.

Second, I'd like to make a pitch for being a bit obsessive-compulsive shortly after your baby is born. This, I think, is what got me off to a good start with both of our kids. I was udderly (couldn't resist the pun) fastidious about feeding them every 2 to 3 hours, around the clock, for 24 hours, for a couple of weeks. In practice, that meant that I started a feeding every 2 to 3 hours after I started the last feeding. For example, if I feed the baby at 9:00 am, I fed again at 11:00 am (for 2 hours) or 12:00 (for 3 hours). Of course the schedule wasn't always so neat; if the baby wanted to eat sooner, then I fed him "on demand."

As I type this, it sounds insane. So crazy in fact, that I'm not sure I even actually did it. Did I really not sleep for more than a couple of hours at a stretch, for weeks on end?

My husband assures me this is so. He remembers going to our son's two week check-up. I reportedly handed the pediatrician the meticulous log I had been keeping. The log in which I wrote down the time of day, the length of the feeding, which breast, the number of pees and the number of poops. "Here, this is for your files," I said to the doctor. "Oh, that's fine, I don't really need it. Your baby's weight is just fine," he replied.

That was the end of my record keeping. In any case, after a few weeks, both kids started to go longer stretches, eating every 3 to 4 hours. By 12 weeks, they practically slept through the night. Later on, of course, they fell off the wagon and went back to eating in the middle of the night. But that's another story.

My point is that I think it was my nearly maniacal attention to the feeding schedule that helped me establish my milk supply and get the kids on the right track. If they didn't wake up on their own, I woke them to eat. If they were still sleepy, I stripped them to their diapers, tickled their cheeks and lips, even dug my fingernail into the heel of their feet. When the hospital nurse wouldn't release one of the kids from the nursery (because he had been spitting up black stuff), I practically banged down to the door to get in and feed him. I also put a big note on his bassinet saying "No bottles or pacifiers. Only breast milk."

Honestly, I don't know if it was this schedule, or sheer luck, that made breastfeeding work. And it was so exhausting, that I'm always afraid to tell pregnant friends what I did, lest they get scared off. Additionally, what worked for me, may not work for everyone. I'm not an LC. Just another mom, who muddled through this breastfeeding thing as best she could.

So that's my bit of motherly advice. Now, if you want to hear what some other mamas have to say, check out these blogs:

We've got the regulars from the Booby Brigade: The Lactivist, Breastfeeding123, the Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog, and Breastfeeding Mums. We've also got a bunch of guest bloggers: Black Breastfeeding Blog, Mocha Milk, Cairo Mama, The Twinkies, Random Wonderings, and the Baby Gravy Train.

Read More »

An Update on My Book Mama Knows Breast

March 07, 2007

It finally feels real. My editor Melissa showed me a draft of the cover illustration and it's pretty cool! They've hired an illustrator whose work is really hip, colorful and fun. She's expert at drawing cherubic babies, as well as moms who look like they could handle any dirty diaper thrown at them with aplomb.

And now, I've just Fed Ex'ed my corrections to the first layout to my editor. For the past 4 days I've been utterly consumed by going over the book line by line. (I had to buy a pencil to do this). I have to say, I'm amazed that every time I read it, I find something to re-write.

Some of you have asked how I got to this point. So here's a bit of Mama Knows Breast history. It all started in March of 2005 during a family vacation in Miami. I off-handedly commented that since I was breastfeeding, this would perhaps be the only time in my life when I would actually look like all the other bikini-clad buxom babes strutting around. A family member, who has had a long career in book design, responded: "You should write a breastfeeding book!" Hmmm...not a bad idea I thought.

When we got home I spent hours searching the aisles at Barnes & Noble and surfing the internet to see if anyone had written a "hip" guide to breastfeeding. I found plenty of books about breastfeeding. Books that are great if you're looking for detailed, problem-specific advice. But I didn't find a book that matched what I had in mind; a book that would give people practical information in a fun, light-hearted manner; the book that I wish someone had given me when I was pregnant and utterly clueless about breastfeeding.

So I wrote a book proposal. I learned how to do this years ago in journalism school from a class taught by renowned author named Sam Freedman. This 50+ page document had a sample chapter and an overview essay that detailed the book's contents and potential audience.

The proposal was basically a pitch document that I used to find an agent. I sent it to 10+ agents and kept getting rejected. Then a cousin told me about her friend Abby who was writing a book called The Crafty Mamas: Book of 50 Fast, Fabulous and Foolproof Projects for Baby Gear. I met Abby and she introduced me to her agent Katherine at Curtis Brown. Katherine "got it" right away. I signed on the dotted line and she started shopping the proposal around (after she had me re-write it a few times).

Of course publisher after publisher rejected the book. Until finally, the folks at Quirk Books "got it." I turned in my first draft last August and we've been editing it for the past few months. Finally, the end is in sight. There will be two more sets of layouts to review. Sometime this spring we'll wrap things up and the book will be published in September.

At this particular moment, I have one thought...it's a good thing the gestation period for human babies is shorter. If it was as long as that of this book, we may well be extinct.

Breast Feeding Twins and Triplets

March 04, 2007

If the thought of breastfeeding one baby has ever seemed overwhelming to you, imagine what it's like to breastfeed twins or triplets. Believe it or not, it can be done.

Today's New York Times has a beautiful essay written by a mom who delivered her triplets prematurely at 26 weeks.

At the incubator, I stared through the plastic cover, unsure if I was allowed to put my hand through the side window. A nurse appeared, urging me on: “It’s O.K., you can touch them. Just be gentle and don’t rub. And talk to them — they definitely recognize your voice.”

I opened the window and placed my finger on Baby A’s leg. His knee was the size of an acorn.

The nurse also told me the boys needed my highly nutritious colostrum and pending breast milk and that she would return with bottles and suction cups.

The story is more focused, however, on the mom's decision not to "reduce" the fetuses from three to two, as her doctor counseled her to consider.

“You need to consider reducing to one or two fetuses. In triplet pregnancies the babies often are born very premature with a lot of complications. You may be saving the lives of the other two by eliminating one.”

While I am a feminist who believes in abortion rights, this was not the choice I had in mind. To spend years and tens of thousands of dollars trying to conceive a baby only to end with discussions of an abortion seemed to me an especially cruel twist of fate. But what would we do if the triplets were born with serious handicaps? It seemed an impossible choice. ...

What hasn’t weighed on me, as our boys have grown healthier and bigger (they’re now 4 and thriving in preschool) is our decision not to reduce. I often look at them and ask myself that impossible question: Which one wouldn’t be here?

But I feel no righteousness about our choice, only luck. Time and again I run into mothers at the playground with twins who notice my triplets (it’s hard not to) and gently ask whether I faced that decision, only to then confess their deep guilt at having reduced from triplets themselves.

On a totally different note, at the Oscars last week, Melissa Etheridge's wife, Tammy Etheridge talked about breastfeeding her twins. The Celebrity Baby Blog had this story:

Joan Rivers asked Tammy if she had exercised to get back into shape after giving birth to the twins. Tammy said, "No, I'm breastfeeding, I don't have to do anything else." Joan said, "Your breasts look great, so keep nursing!"

If you want to learn just how to feed triplets or twins, here are some good links from Kellymom, Mothering magazine and La Leche League.

To the moms out there who do breastfeed multiples...I'm in awe.

Breast Feeding Product Reviews

Angela at Breastfeeding 123 gets my vote today for hardest working, most diligent blogger. My eyes practically jumped out of my head when I saw her latest post.

Angela has compiled a fantastic collection of breastfeeding product reviews. Basically, she found reviews from all the breastfeeding bloggers out there, and provides links to the sites. If you click here, you'll find reviews of breastfeeding products, books and clothing. If you can think of it, she's got it. Here's a list of the reviews:
Breastfeeding bras
Breast pumps
Breastfeeding accessories
Breastfeeding art and calendars
Breastfeeding bloggers' stores
Breastfeeding and parenting books
Children's breastfeeding books
Children's breastfeeding toys
Sewing your own breastfeeding products
Nursing bracelets
Nursing covers
Nursing necklaces
Nursing pads
Nursing pillows
Nursing shirts
Slings
Breastfeeding videos
Kids' products

Bravo Angela. What an invaluable resource you've created!

Daycare and Breast Feeding

February 28, 2007

Is your baby in daycare and are you breastfeeding him? If so, have you ever run into any problems with the daycare center? Two moms, one in Ohio, and the other in Michigan, have.

In Ohio, a daycare center charged a mom an extra $50 per week because she was bringing in pumped breastmilk for her baby. (Click here for an update on the story). And in Michigan, a mom was restricted from breastfeeding her child in front of other children.

This story was first reported in the Motherwear Blog, The Lactivist and Breastfeeding123. The question is, is this a pervasive problem or are these isolated incidents? Tell us if you've had a similar experience.

Pennsylvania Nurse In Update

February 26, 2007

Roughly 150 people gathered at a Pennsylvania shopping mall this past weekend to support a mom who was forced to stop breastfeeding her baby in public. Leigh Bellini says a security guard asked her to put a blanket over her baby's head, feed her baby in the bathroom or her car, and even threatened to call the police.

The nurse in got its share of media attention. To watch a new clip from a CBS affiliate, click here. (Make sure you go to the right hand side of the page that pops up to find the link to the video). The piece has an interview with Bellini who says her goal is to get Pennsylvania to enact a law that would protect breastfeeding in public.

Angela at Breastfeeding 123 reports that a Pennsylvania State Senator has introduced a piece of legislation that is moving things in that direction. The Right to Breastfeed Act would allow a mom to breastfeed in any public or private place that she is otherwise allowed to be.

Pennsylvania Nurse In Saturday February 24th

February 22, 2007

A mom and her hungry baby are behind a nurse planned for Saturday in Pennsylvania. Leigh Bellini says she was at a shopping mall, trying to feed her son, when she had a little run in with mall security. She says they told her to cover her baby with a blanket, feed him in the bathroom or sit in her car outside.

PA moms, take note--
Pennsylvania doesn't have a law protecting a woman's right to nurse in public or private. But Philadelphia does have a city ordinance allowing women to breastfeed in public places. A State Representative, however, is pushing two pieces of legislation that could help breastfeeding moms. (via Breastfeeding123)

If you want to go to the nurse in, here are the details:
Center Court at the Berkshire Mall in
Wyomissing, Pennsylvania.
Saturday, February 24th at 1:00p.m.
The nurse in is being sponsored by Mothering And More and Birth Without Boundaries.
Check both of these sites for details about the event.
As for Leigh's story, you can read the whole thing here. In part, she writes:

My husband and I took our 2-year-old daughter and 6 month-old son out for a day of shopping and errands. While at the mall, my son became hungry. I found a bench near an indoor tree and parked my stroller directly in front of me. As discretely as possible I began nursing my son. After about 10 minutes or so I was interrupted by a security guard, who asked me if I could put a blanket over my son and cover up better. I informed him that I did not have a blanket nor would I like him to get me one and also that I had no breast exposed anyway....

Moments later we were confronted by another security guard. I immediately told her that I had no intention on listening to what she had to say. My husband told her that she had to back away from my son and I and speak with him further down the hall. While I continued to feed my son, my husband dealt with this person. She asked why they couldn't provide me with a blanket or buy me a new one. My husband explained to her that we weren't going to use a dirty blanket or use a new one that hadn't been laundered. At this point the first security guard came back to get involved. He asked why I couldn't move the breastfeeding into a more private location like the bathroom. My husband asked him if he liked to eat on a toilet seat in a public bathroom. The security guard replied that I didn't have to sit on a toilet. My husband asked where should she sit, on the floor. The security guard replied that I could stand in the bathroom. My husband laughed and said "obviously you've never breastfed." Then the security guard suggested I go out to my car to breastfeed. IT WAS 30o OUTSIDE!!!!!!

Breastfeeding Advice-- Join The March Breast Feeding Carnival

February 21, 2007

What's the worst piece of breast feeding advice you've ever heard? What's the best?

Tell me your stories. And, if you run a blog of your own, consider submitting an entry for our next Carnival. Remember, this is the joint post that The Booby Brigade does on a breastfeeding theme. So calling all bloggers, think about the best and worst breastfeeding advice you've ever encountered and send us your submissions.

The Rules of the Game:

Submissions are due, by email, on February 26th.
Entries should be on the topic "Good Advice/Bad Advice."
Entries should be well-written-- grammar counts!
If you're accepted (we vote), you have to link to the other members of the Booby Brigade as part of your post: Breastfeeding123, The Lactivist, The Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog and The BreastfeedingMums Blog.
The Carnival will be on March 12th.

Now...I'm going to take my own advice...and crawl into bed. Hmmm...unless there's something compelling on our TIVO.

TO KEEP ABREAST (pun intended) OF THE LATEST POSTS ON "MAMA KNOWS BREAST," SUBSCRIBE TO THE EMAIL LIST.

A New Breastfeeding Blog-- The Black Breastfeeding Blog

February 19, 2007

Random internet ramblings recently lead me to a new breastfeeding blog-- The Black Breastfeeding Blog. It's run by Jennifer James, the founder of Mommy Too! Magazine, an online magazine for mothers of color. James also has a six-blog network for black moms and parents that focuses on breastfeeding, parenting, babies and toddlers, pregnancy, big issues and shopping.

The breastfeeding blog has great photos and fantastic design. And of course, great information. It's fun to add another breastfeeding mama to our blog roll. (Tanya at Motherwear found this site, too!) So hey Jennifer, want to contribute to our breastfeeding carnival?

Check Out This Breastfed Baby

February 13, 2007

I stumbled on this piece while checking out Babble today. Blogger Steve Almond sings the praises of breastmilk. His 4 month old daughter is one big baby, and he says she owes it all to breastmilk.

What’s most amazing about our baby’s bromdignagian proportions is that they have been achieved solely through the consumption of Erin’s breast milk. Josie’s never had more than a tablespoon of formula in her life. My wife is pumping out a serious elixir, and don’t think I haven’t considered the marketing possibilities there, as well. (Goo Juice: Suck Until Large!!!) Getting Erin to agree to give up some of her milk supply for commercial use is probably going to take some doing.

Almond says Josie is getting ready for world domination. If she wants to become a professional wrestler he'll name her "The Invincible Goo."
Go, Josie, Go.

New York City Mayor Promotes Breast Feeding

February 12, 2007

Go Mayor Mike! I always knew I sort of liked you, even though you are a Republican. But now I think you've won me over.

The New York Post is reporting that New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is spending more than $2 million to get city run hospitals to promote breastfeeding.

"We don't yet have any hospitals in New York City that meet national 'baby-friendly' standards," Bloomberg's health commissioner, Dr. Thomas Frieden, said at a parenting conference last week.

"That means getting formula out of the nursery. It means putting the baby on the breast immediately after birth. It means that every person who interacts with that mother and child is supportive and encouraging of breast-feeding."

According to the Post, Deborah Kaplan, chief of the Health Department's Bureau of Maternal, Infant and Reproductive Health, says the days of hospital goody bags filled with formula freebies are over. Hospitals will now give new moms ice packs to keep pumped breast milk fresh.

The Gothamist covered this one as well.

The man who doesn't want you to smoke in City bars or clog your coronaries with sweet, sweet trans fats now wants to do something healthy for the tiniest and newest New Yorkers...City health commissioner, Thomas Frieden, wants babies to dine on nothing but their mothers' breast milk for the first six months of life. Right now, about 75% of New York mommies breast feed their babies but nearly 40% stop before the six month mark.

It's nice to see a politician promote breastfeeding.
Oh, and by the way, it seems fitting that we can say Happy Birthday to you too, Mayor Mike.

Breastfeeding Bloggers' Carnival-- Baby Love

In honor of Valentines Day, the breastfeeding bloggers and I have devoted February's Carnival to the theme "Baby Love."

Here's what we have to say:

Angela of Breastfeeding 123 has tips for welcoming a new baby into the family.
Sinead of Breastfeeding Mums writes about falling in love with her husband as a teenager, and then with each of her three babies.
Jennifer of The Lactivist talks about the crazy things baby love make you do.
Tanya of The Motherwear Blog talks about how breastfeeding helped her deal with the psychological trauma of a difficult birth.
As for me, I have a review of the new book "Babyproofing Your Marriage." Click here to read my review.

We also have some guest bloggers:
Karen at Cairo Mama writes about falling in love with her newborn.
Melissa at Booby Juice writes about the happiest day (make that days) of her life.
Colleen at My Baby and More writes about maternal longings.

Now, go forth and eat some chocolate. Happy Valentine's Day everyone.

Pork Board vs. Blogger Is Over

February 07, 2007

It's done. They've settled the matter, and Jennifer over at The Lactivist is quite pleased.

You may remember this story from last week, when the National Pork Board threatened Jennifer with trademark infringement suit. They said her t-shirt slogan, "The Other White Milk" infringed on their slogan, "The Other White Meat."

The Board apologized, and employees are actually digging into their own pockets to make donations to the Ohio Milk Bank. (Jennifer donates money from t-shirt sales to the milk bank).

You still can't buy "The Other White Milk" t-shirts. But Jennifer does have a new one that should make you smile: "Breast: The Original White Milk."

I Need More Help For My Book

February 05, 2007

Calling all readers...I'm still wading my way through the edits to first draft of my manuscript...typing as fast as I can. And I'm looking for some more ideas on a few topics. Here are my questions for you:

1. What did you do to re-ignite your sex life after you had a baby?

2. How did you wean your baby? What approach did you use?

3. What sort of diaper/pee/poop calamities have you experienced? What sort of tricks do you have for keeping your baby's bottom, and your house, clean? How do you handle diapers when you aren't at home?

Here's my most recent story. This morning The Bortski almost peed on my head. I was lying on the bedroom floor, trying to stretch my back. Dad was supposedly changing his diaper, but the Bortski quietly slipped away before a new one was on. Suddenly I heard a little sound behind me. I looked up and saw a naked boy leaning in my direction. Seconds later...a stream of pee landed just inches from me. Oy vey.

Breast Feeding on the Today Show

February 03, 2007

The Editor In Chief of BabyTalk magazine was on the Today Show this past week, talking about the challenges women face when it comes to breastfeeding. Top of the list, of course, breastfeeding anywhere outside of home. To watch the clip, click on this link. To find the video, go to the left hand column, click on "Today Health and Living" and then click on "What is Breastfeeding Etiquette."

Moms...I'm curious to hear from you, how you've handled the challenge of breastfeeding in public. I'm working on that section of my book now. Cramming to get all of my edits done this week. Is there anything you want to see included? Let me know.

Help Me Finish My Book

January 30, 2007

For months my book has been "gestating" and now it's time to deliver this baby. We are in labor over here. Yesterday I met my editor. She came from her office at Quirk Books in Philadelphia and invited me to a book party for The Handbook of Style. It was at chic salon in SOHO-- thankfully I got my hair colored a couple of days ago.

But I digress. The point of the visit was to go over my manuscript. And now, I have two weeks to turn in the next draft. So, as I type, I'm staring at a copy riddled with the editor's questions-- in all capital letters, highlighted in yellow. As I'm going through the edits, I'm going to post questions here from time to time. So let's get started...I'm looking for answers to the following questions:

What did it feel like when your milk "came in" the first few days after birth? What does it feel like now, when you feed your baby?

If you've used formula, how much would you estimate you've spent in one year?

What are the best things (the "pros") about breast feeding?

What are the worst things (the "cons") about breast feeding?

Has breastfeeding impacted your relationship with your spouse? How about your sex life?

If you had a c section, which breastfeeding position worked best for you after birth?

So, as The Bortski (now 28 months) has said on occasion, "HELP, PLEASE HELP." I'd love to hear your comments. And watch here for more requests to come.

The Man's Guide To Breast Feeding

January 29, 2007

Breastfeeding is back in the news. This time, it's the MSNBC website, that takes on the topic of public breast feeding. (Thanks to Louise for pointing me to these two articles).

The main article, "Food or Lewd? Breast-feeding Reveals Divide," doesn't tell us much of anything new. Yeah, yeah, we know public breastfeeding elicits a wide range of responses.

Even though health authorities have said for decades that breast is best for baby, American attitudes about nursing are still heatedly divided. In some cases, women who don't or can't breast-feed are made to feel like they're bad mothers. And those who do breast-feed — and nurse in public — can be the targets of complaints and outrage. Men often don't know what to do in the presence of a nursing mom and other women can be most critical of all. Why are we so conflicted? “Our society still doesn’t recognize the functional use of breasts,” says Karen Peters, executive director of the Breast Feeding Task Force of Greater Los Angeles. “It only recognizes the sexual aspect.”

This brings me to the second, and more interesting piece-- "A guy's guide to breast-feeding: Don't be a boob." The subtitle gets right to the point-- "To look or not to look? How men should act around a nursing mom." The author writes:

...(D)epending on the situation, breast-feeding can make us uncomfortable, not because we are opposed in any way, but because we feel trapped. If, say, we were sitting at an airport gate waiting area, and the woman sitting across from us began breast-feeding, we wouldn’t be entirely sure what to do. If we pause for longer than an instant, we risk being accused of voyeurism, even if the sight of mother-baby bonding is simply making us feel warm and fuzzy inside. But if we make a show of NOT looking, we risk being accused of being disapproving...

Because breasts are dual-purpose machines, we men can have some trouble completely severing the link between boobs and sex and replacing it with boobs and nurturing babies. Expecting us to regard them as the teats of a lowland gorilla is like asking a seventh-grade boy not to look at Pamela Anderson.

So ladies (and gentleman, if there are any of you reading this) what advice do you have for men who might be a little ill at ease, or not sure how to react, if they see you feeding your baby? And please, be kind.

An Update on My Book "Mama Knows Breast"

January 25, 2007

As you may have gathered from this site, I'm working on a book called "Mama Knows Breast: A Beginner's Guide to Breastfeeding." It's a tongue in cheek, irreverent look at the life and styles of breastfeeding moms.

I got the idea to write the book when I realized-- after 6 months of feeding The Bortski-- that I knew more about his car seat and stroller than I did about my own boobs. I looked for a fun book about breastfeeding, and all I could find were some pretty serious, albeit useful, tomes. That was my "light bulb" moment.

So here's a little update on the progress of the book in case (like me!) you're wondering what's going on. The book should be published by September. That's the latest from my editor at Quirk Books. In fact, she's coming to the city on Monday and we're going to start whipping this thing into shape. I handed in a draft months ago and now it's time to start revising.

I'm nervously waiting for her comments. You could say I'm a book virgin-- never written one of these things before. So I have no idea what I'm in for.

As for some other first time authors, I went to a book party this week for the launch of Babyproofing Your Marriage. (My husband knows the husband of one of the three authors). Anyway, these ladies reached the holy grail of all writers this week-- they were on the Today Show. I'm reading the book right now and I'll bring you a review as part of the next Breastfeeding Blog Carnival on February 12. So far, it's a good read-- especially the chapter on sex.

And if you're looking for another fun book, check out Haiku Mama which is published by Quirk Books. The author is the blogger Kari from Haiku of The Day.

So that's the latest from book land, cross your fingers for me and my meeting with my editor.

Breast Feeding Links

January 22, 2007

Here are some links I've found recently that I thought were interesting or amusing:

Babble has a beautiful essay this week called "Breast Friends." The author describes her experience cross-nursing. She and a friend feed each other's kids, making them "milk-siblings."

Can men breastfeed? This short video, Milk Men, claims that they can. Watch and judge for yourself.

Breastfeeding Photos is a blog devoted to breastfeeding photographs. You can supposedly post your own but I haven't figured out how to do it yet. Even if I could figure it out, I'm not sure I have anything even I want to look at.

Here are two more breastfeeding blogs: Adventures of a Breastfeeding Mother focuses on "breastfeeding, homebirth, mothering and attachment parenting." Mocha Milk is written by Micky who describes herself as "A fierce brown-skinned mama on a mission to impact the health and wellness of the African-American community through breastfeeding awareness and support."

And finally, the Celebrity Baby Blog has a post about an article in Us Weekly about breastfeeding celebrities.

Anyone want to add anything to my list? Sites you've recently found? Articles or blog entries worth mentioning. Send me your story ideas.

Contests For Breast Feeding Moms

January 18, 2007

Hey mommas...Here are a couple of things you may want to check out.

Motherwear clothing is running a contest to find the best breast feeding tips. You can send yours to the Motherwear blog for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate. The deadline is Friday the 19th.

Also...there's a photography contest in advance of World BreastFeeding Week (August 1- 7). The deadline to submit your photos is March 15th. Click here for details on how to enter the contest.

And just a little advance warning...I'm going to be running a contest of my own coming soon. The winners will get some really cool baby products. Watch here for more details.

Breast Milk For Sale-- Milk Banks, Wet Nurses and Casual Sharing

January 16, 2007

The Washington Post has an excellent story today on the growing trend of alternative ways to feed your baby breast milk, even if you aren't breastfeeding. The piece, "Banking on Milk: Options Are Growing for Women Who Can't Breast-Feed," covers all its bases-- non-profit and for-profit milk banks, wet nursing and cross nursing.

Breast milk, touted by the government and even formula-makers as the best food for babies, is becoming a hot commodity. Ten nonprofit milk banks that match donors to those searching for milk are accredited members of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA). For-profit milk banks and wet nurses for hire are also available. Countless other private transactions go on, many facilitated by the Internet, creating a sisterhood among strangers. Some moms "cross-nurse" with babies of friends and relatives.

But the milk-sharing movement, still largely an underground network, brings up many questions. First, there is worry about the safety of unscreened milk, which can pass diseases such as HIV and syphilis to babies. Others debate ethical concerns, such as whether people should make money selling human milk and how such businesses should be regulated.

Best of all, Jennifer of The Lactivist is quoted in the article!

Will Ferrell Carries A Breast Pump to The Golden Globes, Maggie Gyllenhaal Nurses While Getting Ready for The Awards and Brooke Burke Breast Feeds

Here's the latest from LA...

Will Ferrell and his wife Viveca Paulin carried a breast pump (click here for excellent photo!)to the Golden Globe Awards last night. Maggie Gyllenhaal got her hair and makeup done for the Awards between nursing sessions. Plus Brooke Burke, co-host of Rock Star Supernova (love the show!), is breastfeeding her third child.

Pretty meaningless information in the grand scheme of life. So why do I bother to bring you these stories? Oh I don't know...maybe I hope it will bring some new readers to this site. But that aside, it is nice to see people in the spotlight...or on the "red carpet"... talking about breast feeding.

Breast Feeding Bloggers' Carnival For February

January 10, 2007

Here we are again, planning our next blog carnival. Since you'll aready find Valentine's Day candy in the stores, The Booby Brigade has picked the theme "Baby Love" for February. So calling all bloggers, think about what that phrase means to you and send us your submissions.

Here are our guidelines:

Submissions are due, by email, on January 26th.
Entries should be on the topic "Baby Love."
Entries do not have to be about breastfeeding. But they should be well-written-- grammar counts!
If you're accepted (we vote), you have to link to the other members of the Booby Brigade as part of your post: Breastfeeding123, The Lactivist, The Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog and The BreastfeedingMums Blog.
The Carnival will be on February 12th.

As for me, I'm going to go feed my chocolate craving with a bag of Hershey's Kisses wrapped in silver and red foil.

TO KEEP ABREAST (pun intended) OF THE LATEST POSTS ON "MAMA KNOWS BREAST," SUBSCRIBE TO THE EMAIL LIST.

Hilarious Breast Feeding Photo

January 09, 2007

Now this is one hungry baby!!

Thanks to Angela who found this on BoingBoing.

Drinking Water and Breast Feeding

January 07, 2007

We've all heard the general advice to drink 8 glasses of water a day. But if you're pregnant or breast feeding you need even more fluids. Personally, after both kids were born I was always thirsty. Constantly. I always had a glass of water on my night stand. If I didn't, I found myself begging my husband to get me a glass.

So how much water should you be drinking? Dr. Sears, in "The Breastfeeding Book," recommends drinking at least ten 8 ounce glasses of water a day (page 74). He says try to drink a glass of water every time your infant feeds. Then add in a few more glasses during the day.

But if you're like me, and you easily lose track of what you've had, here's another way to gauge if you're getting enough water. DrSpock.com says:

Breastfeeding mothers may feel thirstier than usual. You can gauge your fluid intake by looking at your urine; if it's dark, you need to drink more liquids. No scientific studies have found that drinking more fluid will result in producing more breast milk; however, not getting enough to drink can affect how much milk is produced.

Dr. Sears, on the other hand, says (p. 74): "Because milk-making hormones help your body conserve water, failing to drink enough water will not affect the fluid content or volume of your milk. But not getting enough fluids can contribute to maternal constipation, fatigue and impaired concentration." Also, remember, anything with caffeine is actually a diuretic and fruit juices have extra caolories.

Given all this, it makes sense that Jennifer at The Lactivist started a new blog chain, asking other bloggers to post a picture of their preferred mode of consuming all that water. She showed us her big huge blue mug.

Here are some other moms who have been tagged along the way: Natural Moms want a glass that won't break so often. Nature Moms has a great shot of her mug in the desert where she hikes every day. Sinead at Breastfeeding Mums drinks so much water her doctor was worried she had diabetes (she doesn't). BabyTalkers has one enormous bottle that she sips at all day while her son works on his sippy cup!

Now you can see my hydrating attempts in the photo above. I've got the Brita and glass of water on my desk at all times. And when I'm out doing errands or taking the boys to the park, I've always got a bottle or two of Poland Spring water stashed under the stroller.

In reality, I find it hard to drink enough water. Sometimes half a day goes by before I realize I haven't had anything except a cup of coffee. So this post has actually been a good way to remind myself to drink up! And now it's my turn to remind a couple of other bloggers. I tag...Haiku Mama and The Mommy Blawg.

Breast Feeding Book for Kids

January 04, 2007

When The Borstki was about 15 months old we had an amazing revelation--he was memorizing the books we read. Here's how we figured it out. I picked up the Dr. Seuss book "There's a Wocket in my Pocket" and started to read. "Did you ever have the feeling there's a ZAMP..." When I paused, simply to take a breathe, The Bortski said "in the LAMP." Yes, that's right, he finished the sentence for me. At first I thought it was a fluke. So I kept going. "Or a NINK..." And he did it again. "In the SINK." Then it happened with other books too.

So now, I've found another one I'd like to add to his repertoire. "Near Mama's Heart," by Colleen Newman is a book about breast feeding. It's got a catchy rhyme and beautiful photos of kids breast feeding. You can see mom's feeding while hiking, sleeping, sling wearing and picnicking.

Newman self-published through Trafford Publishing. The back of her book has endorsements from Harvey Karp, M.D. of "The Happiest Baby on The Block" and breast feeding maven Kelly Bonyata, of Kellymom.

You can order "Near Mama's Heart" on Colleen's website, MyBabyAndMore. You can also click on this link to a promotional piece for the book on YouTube. This video gives you a sneak peak inside the book's covers.

TO KEEP ABREAST (pun intended) OF THE LATEST POSTS ON "MAMA KNOWS BREAST," SUBSCRIBE TO THE EMAIL LIST.

New Year's Resolutions-- Breast Feeding Bloggers' Carnival

January 01, 2007

Greetings 2007! Did you make any resolutions for the New Year? My fellow breast feeding bloggers came up with some of their own. Tanya of The Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog writes about ways we can all support breastfeeding moms. Jennifer of The Lactivist has three plans: drinking more water, volunteering and not over-extending herself with too many committments. Sinead of BreastfeedingMums Blog wants to make some big changes around her house, including planning more family time. And Angela of Breastfeeding123 takes on what may be one of the most popular resolutions...getting some exercise. As for our guest bloggers... Natural Mom's Talk Radio wants to improve the tone of her voice, and Momma's Angel has big plans for her daughter's second year.

So what do I have in mind? I'm resolving to get organized. Yes, it will likely prove futile. But at least I can give it a try. Here's my post, first put up a couple of days ago....

Home, Sweet, Home. Sometimes, it's messy. Somtimes it's clean.

If, for instance, you showed up unannounced at 4:00 p.m., here's what you would find in our apartment. A pile of laundry, cleaned, but unfolded. A hurricane of toys in The Bortski's bedroom. A tangle of strollers, coats and shoes in the hallway. A "fort" constructed out of blankets, draped over the sofa and coffee table. A semi-circle of pillows around The Bear and his toys, just in case he topples over while playing. A fine layer of crumbs in the kitchen.

On the other hand, if you stopped by about four hours later, you would find the toys stuffed into bins. The living room returned to a semblance of sophistication. The dishwasher and washing machine humming in harmony. Shoes in the shoe rack. Newspapers and magazines neatly stacked. Strollers all in a row.

It's an ongoing battle, this fight against the natural chaos of daily life. It's kind of like trying to prevent the incoming tide from destroying a sandcastle. I know it's futile. And yet, I persist.

I find disorganization distracting. Clutter makes me cranky. Before I sit down to write, I have to spend at least 15 minutes loading and unloading the dishwasher, washing the high chair tray and clearing the path to my desk.
Each day I face-off against rogue sneakers, two overflowing Diaper Dekors, and a migrating Aeron chair.

So I find myself at odds with the "anti- anticlutter" movement described recently in The New York Times article, Saying Yes To Mess.

An anti-anticlutter movement is afoot, one that says yes to mess and urges you to embrace your disorder. Studies are piling up that show that messy desks are the vivid signatures of people with creative, limber minds (who reap higher salaries than those with neat “office landscapes”) and that messy closet owners are probably better parents and nicer and cooler than their tidier counterparts. It’s a movement that confirms what you have known, deep down, all along: really neat people are not avatars of the good life; they are humorless and inflexible prigs, and have way too much time on their hands.

For the record, I'm not one of those "really neat people," and that's why my New Year's resolution is to get organized and de-clutter. And it appears I'm not alone. Getting organized is a pretty common New Year's resolution. In fact, according to The New York Times article, The National Association of Professional Organizers says January is Get Organized Month.

Here's my plan. Not only will I continue to beat back the daily mess in our apartment, I'm actually going to take care of the other messes, the ones you can't see. The ones I never let anyone see because I can hide them behind a door, under a bed or in a drawer.

Here are my top ten missions:
1. Organize my sock drawer. Throw out pre-pregnancy bras that don't fit.

2. Clean my purse. Throw out old lipsticks, ancient receipts, empty Purell bottle and crumpled nursing pads.

3. Donate unused kids' toys and clothes to Baby Buggy.

4. Organize the stack of research papers for my book, "Mama Knows Breast" (Quirk Books 2007). Prevent future pile-up of papers by following the OHIO principle-- "only handle it once."

5. Put stack of photographs in an album.

6. Edit together two years worth of family videos. Step one, buy new computer. Step two, learn video editing software.

7. Organize kitchen junk drawer. In other words, move the matches and batteries so The Bortski can't reach them.

8. Collect stray change and take it to the Coinstar at the supermarket. Donate said change. Bring The Bortski so he can see how the machine works.

9. Figure out a way to curb the sprawl of keys, cell phones, iPod and Blackberry.

10. Do SOMETHING, in fact, DO ANYTHING, about the coat closet.

Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I have to admit that my husband pitches in. He's great with trash, recycling, folding laundry and putting things on the top shelf of a closet. I also have a cleaning lady who does the real dirty work once a week.

So why am I setting my sights higher than keeping after the daily mess? Perhaps because I pine for the perfection you find in magazines like Real Simple. I yearn for a Zen like calm even when I open closet doors. I don't want to have to literally shut out the mess.

But is this really possible? In all honesty, I'm terrible at keeping resolutions. I always seem to be able to stick to my plan for a month or two. But then, things start to slide. Stuff happens to get in the way. There's a deadline for work. Someone gets sick. I "mess up" and we're back to square one.

So perhaps, the so called "anti-anticlutter" people don't have this so wrong after all. What's so bad about a little mess? I'm busy! Maybe I'll get my sock drawer organized once, but I'd rather "play trains" than match mismatched socks. Maybe I'll clean my purse tonight, but I'll always be too rushed to do anything more than shove a receipt in my bag and push the stroller out of the store before the screaming escalates. Maybe I'll file my papers this month, but I'd rather sit on the sofa with my husband than take care of this each night.

In fact, if I let some of the daily mess slide, I'd be free work on some other resolutions. I could go to bed at 10:30. Exercise at least three times a week. Start my next book. Have a weekly "date night" with my husband and read more books to The Bortski and Bear.

You know, maybe I should have a new mantra for 2007. "Mess, Sweet, Mess."

TO KEEP ABREAST (pun intended) OF THE LATEST POSTS ON "MAMA KNOWS BREAST," SUBSCRIBE TO THE EMAIL LIST.

Drinking Alcohol and Breast Feeding

December 27, 2006

We actually have a babysitter for New Year's Eve. Yes, believe it or not, we have found the holy grail of sitters. Someone who actually wants to work on New Year's Eve. Now, truth be told, we don't have any plans. But we do have a few days to scare something up. And at a minimum, we have a bottle of champagne in the refrigerator we could take with us on a walk in Central Park.

If that's what it comes to, we'll probably have trouble finishing the bottle. You see, I have zero tolerance for alcohol. One glass of red wine and I get sleepy. One beer makes me full. A good mojito and I'm giddy. Two Tanqueray and Tonics and I'm apt to spill State secrets. Anything more and it's lights out.

So for me, I've never worried too much about whether it was ok to drink while I was breast feeding. I knew I would never drink so much that it would be an issue.

Nevertheless, I have been wondering about the official take on alcohol and breast feeding. So after a bit of research, I've found that as with anything mommy related, there are differing, and sometimes conflicting, opinions.

But from numerous reputable sources, it seems that bottom line, alcohol in small amounts is ok. One to two drinks per week is fine. You might want to feed your baby before you have a drink, and then wait 2 to 3 hours after drinking before feeding again. Also, there's no need to "pump and dump." As the alcohol leaves your bloodstream, it also leaves your breast milk. So sober up, and your boobs will be set to go. If it makes you feel better, give your baby a bottle of expressed milk in the meantime.

Here's a bit of information from Kellymom.com:

In general, if you are sober enough to drive, you are sober enough to breastfeed. Less than 2% of the alcohol consumed by the mother reaches her blood and milk. Alcohol peaks in mom's blood and milk approximately 1/2-1 hour after drinking (but there is considerable variation from person to person, depending upon how much food was eaten in the same time period, mom's body weight and percentage of body fat, etc.). Alcohol does not accumulate in breastmilk, but leaves the milk as it leaves the blood; so when your blood alcohol levels are back down, so are your milk alcohol levels.

Always keep in mind the baby's age when considering the effect of alcohol. A newborn has a very immature liver, so minute amounts of alcohol would be more of a burden. Up until around 3 months of age, infants detoxify alcohol at around half the rate of an adult. An older baby or toddler can metabolize the alcohol more quickly.

La Leche League also says that the occasional drink is ok, but excessive drinking is not.

Alcohol abuse (excessive drinking) by the mother can result in slow weight gain or failure to thrive in her baby. The let-down of a mother who abuses alcohol may be affected by her alcohol consumption, and she may not breastfeed enough. The baby may sleep through breastfeedings, or may not suck effectively leading to decreased milk intake. The baby may even suffer from delayed motor development. If you are concerned that you or someone you know is drinking alcohol excessively, call your doctor.

At least one organization, the March of Dimes says you should avoid alcohol while breast feeding.

Small amounts of alcohol do get into breast milk and are passed on to the baby. One study found that the breastfed babies of women who had one or more drinks a day were a little slower in acquiring motor skills (such as crawling and walking) than babies who had not been exposed to alcohol. Large amounts of alcohol may also interfere with ejection of milk from the breast. For these reasons, the March of Dimes recommends that women abstain from alcohol while they are nursing.

So, what's a mom to do? Use caution if you plan to get your party on this New Year's Eve. If you want a drink or two, it seems you can go for it. You deserve to celebrate your parenting successes of the past year. Just remember, you may still have to get up in the middle of the night to feed your baby. So make sure you'll be sober enough to safely care for her. And don't forget, if you have an early bird, she's not going to give you the day off from work.

Come to think of it, maybe I should book that sitter for January 1st. Cheers!!!

TO KEEP ABREAST (pun intended) OF THE LATEST POSTS ON "MAMA KNOWS BREAST," SUBSCRIBE TO THE EMAIL LIST.

"'Twas The Night Before Christmas" Parody for New Moms

December 24, 2006

I don't celebrate Christmas...instead we have a Chinese food/movies tradition. Even so, it's hard to resist the spirit of the season. And so, I bring you, once again...

‘TWAS THE BREASTFEEDER’S NIGHTTIME
By Andi Silverman, www.mamaknowsbreast.com

‘Twas a holiday eve and the babe was asleep,
Swaddled tight in his crib he made not a peep.
My boobs were depleted from feeding all day.
“Please don’t wake. Sleep all night,” to the babe I did pray.

But his lips, how they moved, as he lay in his bed.
Visions of milky breasts danced in his head.
Dad in his boxers and I in my sweats,
Could we get some shuteye? Go ahead, place your bets.

The moon on the breast of my t-shirt did glow,
Gave a luster to leaking spots set to grow.
My nursing pads were soaked, they fell out of place.
My bra had unsnapped. How I missed sexy lace.

For months I’d been feeding our babe everywhere.
Coffee shop, park bench, museum, movie chair.
All my modesty gone, nothing shy anymore.
If the kiddo was crying, I knew how to score.

And now with the holidays, things often got dire.
While out buying gifts, I sometimes drew ire.
I breastfed in clothing stores. Changing rooms rock.
I breastfed in bookstores. To the stacks I did flock.

When from the babe’s room there arose such a clatter.
We sprang from our bed to see what was the matter.
Away to his room we flew with a flash,
Threw open the door, in the dark I did crash.

What a klutz I can be, ‘twas those bags made me fall.
Sacks for our trip, all arranged in the hall.
We were going to Grandma’s, a five hour drive.
Holiday time—Will I make it alive?

One big huge duffle held all the babe’s stuff.
Diapers, wipes, onesies. Did I bring enough?
Now don’t forget burp cloths, crib sheets and toys.
Books and Bjorn, we’ll exhibit such poise.

On breast pump, on bottles, on stroller and boppy.
On car seat, on cradle, on blanket and binky.
Fill the back of the car, fill the trunk with our haul.
And we’ll drive away, drive away, drive away all.

Now don’t forget stopping to feed long the way.
Gas stations, McDonalds and rest stops, oy vey.
Of course there’ll be lots of those diapers to do.
Get out the Purell, you’ll be covered in poo.

When we finally arrive, now what will await?
Lots of food and embraces, it’ll be really great.
No, no one will not fight. I will not shed a tear.
Ok, a white lie— but rejoice in who’s here.

And what about wine or a champagne or two?
Will it make my milk bad? Old wives tale or true?
And will anyone say, “Can he now take a bottle?”
“How long will you breastfeed?” How these questions can throttle.

Now back to that “clatter,” the babe and that noise.
We had rushed right on in, leaping over the toys.
When what to our wondering eyes did appear,
Our babe still asleep, oh how sweet, oh how dear.

His cheeks, how they glistened, his hair soft and furry.
And I smiled when I saw him, despite all my worry.
How delicious, his belly, moving in and then out.
How precious, his lips in a sweet little pout.

He had not woken up! He did not need to eat.
He had had quite enough, his day quite complete.
And so back to our bed we did quietly crawl.
Happy Holidays to one, happy sleeping to all.

© 2006, Andi Silverman, www.mamaknowsbreast.com

Brooke Shields, Gwen Stefani and Other Celebrities on Breast Feeding

December 20, 2006

Gwen Stefani tells USA Today "I'm still nursing, and I think it gives you superhuman powers." Brooke Shields sings the praises of a nursing shawl, L'ovedBaby. Heidi Klum is breastfeeding her third child. Jennifer Garner says it helped her lose weight. Former Spice Girl Gerri Halliwell says pregnancy made her breasts look like a porn star's. Britney Spears wants new boobs.

You can find all of this and more on the Celebrity Baby Blog, and its page specifically devoted to breast feeding.

But these stories beg the question...why do we (ok, why do I) love hearing about celebrities, their babes and their boobs? Perhaps because motherhood levels the playing field somewhat. No matter how perfect Gwyneth Paltrow looks with her kids in tow, we know she, too, has had some pretty horrific nights trying to console a screaming infant. She may have an Oscar, but she's still a mom, and unless she's outsourcing the entire thing, she's definitely had leaking boobs, spit-up on her new sweater and poop under her finger nails.

We can't all be superstars with our phalanx of nannies, stylists and trainers to help us. But seriously, would you want the paparazzi just waiting to catch you trying to nurse your kid at the playground? And in any case, at least in our kids' eyes, we're all superhuman.

Breast Pumping Video-- Can Men Pump and Breast Feed?

December 16, 2006

Did you ever find yourself thinking, "I wish, just for one minute, he knew what this felt like"? Maybe you were referring to trying to sleep when you're 8 months pregnant, or perhaps pitocin-induced contractions.

If so, I've found the men for you. Some adventurous dads decided to test drive a breast pump. And that, my friends, is this week's YouBoob video. It's coming to you courtesy of the guys at Dad Labs. I found it through one of the bloggers, Dad Gone Mad, on the new site Babble.

Women often pump for ten or twenty minutes a pop. Personally, I've had my ups and downs with my pump. So how long do you think this guy lasted? Click here to find out.

So fellas...anyone else up to taking this one step further and trying to breast feed? So men claim they can actually do it!

TO KEEP ABREAST (pun intended) OF THE LATEST POSTS ON "MAMA KNOWS BREAST," SUBSCRIBE TO THE EMAIL LIST.

Babble-- A New Website for Moms and Dads

December 13, 2006

"Gee" is the The Bear's latest babbling sound. My husband thought that perhaps he was "Gee," that The Bear had spoken his first word and picked his Dad as the object of his affection. I hated to tell him that "Gee" was used to comment on diaper changes, a jar of carrot mush and a cell phone that was out of reach. Bottom line, it's the babble of an 8 month old and we're mighty proud.

If you're looking for babble of another sort, check out a new parenting website that launched late last night. Babble is brought to you by the folks who are behind Nerve, an off-beat sex magazine. Here's how they're selling themselves.

Babble will be every bit as disruptive to the status quo as Nerve was when it started. It will be a revolution in parenting magazines: a publication that talks to parents not just as caregivers, but as fun, smart, intellectually curious people. It will apply Nerve’s tradition of irreverent honesty to the experience of parenting without the infantilizing, hyper-judgmental tone or acquisitive baby-as-accessory bent of so much of today's parenting fare.

The subject of parenting needs a bold new voice because people lie about it so often. The topic is plagued by politically correct clichés and generic sentimentality. This is just what we said about sex nine years ago. Today there are more taboos and more social pressures around parenting than there are around sex. We will cover the most controversial topics in parenting via personal essays, our exhaustive info center, and witty, original columns like "Bad Parent" and "Notes from a Non-Breeder."

I've been checking out the site for the past hour or so and it's pretty endless. I could spend a few more hours here reading all the columns, essays and blogs. But we're on day 4 of sleep training here with The Bear, and I fear another long night. I could also spend a while watching the videos they've got on the site, but I'm trying to keep the volume low on the computer for fear of stirring the sleeping beast-- The Bortski (age 2). I could also jump into the discussion forums, but my log-in isn't working and I can't find the paper where I scribbled my user name and password.

In a quick overview, I did find some interesting breast feeding items. For starters, they're hyping a piece titled "The Breast Feeding Conspiracy: Believe it or Not, Formula Isn't Poison." Given the headline, I expected something pretty sarcastic. Instead, I found a fairly level-headed piece. The author writes:

Let's agree that breastfeeding is ideal. Let's agree that public policies and workplaces should support it better. But let's also acknowledge that bottle-feeding moms need encouragement too. Cruelty helps no one — not babies, not moms.

In the breast feeding arena, there is also a beautiful essay, Succor, about nursing a baby boy.

He spits up milk. Runs down his cheek. And onto my blouses that now smell rotten. My tits have worry lines. I've got nipples for days. And then the breast pump from hell.

Under the heading of Extreme Parenting (slight bias there), you'll also find "Milking It," an essay written by a woman who nursed her daughter until she was almost four years old.

When I told my sister I didn't know how long I planned to nurse, she said that a child who could ask for the breast was likely too old for it. I threw my head back and laughed. Indeed. Who nurses a kid capable of reciting his phone number or knock-knock jokes? That's creepy. But then there I was, years after giving birth, hoisting my shirt and lowering my bra cup for the budding comedian in my lap.

Finally, under the Health & Development heading, you'll find information on a range of topics, including breast feeding. Within each topic, the editors have created a spectrum that shows how different groups come down on a given topic. For instance, my blogging friend The Lactivist is at one end of the spectrum on the topic of Breast Milk: Sharing vs. Banking.

Overall, I like what I see. But the site does feel a bit like the popular kids' table in the school cafeteria. Only this time, the gossip isn't about the latest hook-up or break-up. Instead, everyone seems to be trying to one-up each other with their parenting coolness quotient. As for this household...the real cool kids are both still in diapers and they've got a posse of pals just waiting to exchange true baby babble.

Breast Feeding Quotes

December 12, 2006

The Bortski (27 months) seems to have a new found interest in my breasts. His fascination is different from that of The Bear (8 months). And it's certainly different from that of his father (444 months). It seems, purely and simply, that he has taken a scientific approach to my chest. Here are a few scenes from the theater of the absurd here in our apartment.

SCENE 1:
I am rushing to get dressed. We have a birthday party to get to on the other side of the city and it's raining. Dada is changing The Bear's diaper. I have to corral the Bortski to change his diaper. I'm half dressed. Can't put on my clothes until the last possible moment in case of sweating, baby spit up, and misfired pee. The Bortski runs into the room and runs out while making this pronouncement:

Bortski: "Mommy, I found your boobies."
Dada: (from the other room) "How'd they look?"
Bortski: "Pretty."
Me: (stunned silence).
Dada: "Did you hear that? I think you've got your quote of the week."

SCENE 2:
The Bortski: "Mama, can I touch your boobies?"
Me: "Um, ok."
The Bortski: "Ok."
Thankfully, he turns to run away and does a flying leap, head first onto the sofa. "Super Bortski!"

SCENE 3:
The Bortski has figured out how to open the drawers on our dresser. This requires a bit of skill since there aren't any handles. He reaches into one and pulls out Dada's jock strap.
Bortski: "Mommy, I found the thing that holds your boobies."
Me: "Oh, thanks so much. Can I have that, sweetie? Thanks!"

SCENE 4:
Bortski: "Mommy, your nipples are next to your boobies."
Me: "Yes, that's right."
Bortski: "I have nipples."
Me: "Yes, you do."
Borstki: "I don't have boobies."

SCENE 5:
I'm changing The Bortski's diaper. He reaches down to touch himself.
Bortski: "What's in my diaper?"
Me: "That's your penis."
Bortski: "It's on me. Like your boobies on you."
Me: "Um, yes, that's right."

SCENE 6:
Bortski: "Mommy, what's your Boobies name is?"
Me: "They don't really have a name."
Bortski: "Call them Mr. Booby."

Do your kids have any zingers you'd like to share? Do tell.

TO KEEP ABREAST (pun intended) OF THE LATEST POSTS ON "MAMA KNOWS BREAST," SUBSCRIBE TO THE EMAIL LIST.

Epidurals and Breast Feeding

December 11, 2006

I wrote thank you notes to the anesthesiologists who gave me my epidurals. Seriously. After both kids were born, I sent the doctors birth announcements and thanked them profusely for making my labor more comfortable. I'm a wimp, and there was no way I was going to "just say no" to drugs. I am the total opposite of my friend who had three babies at home, on the sofa and in an inflatable swimming pool.

So, I took particular interest in the results of a new study which says that women who have epidurals have more trouble breast feeding. Here's a section from the study's Abstract published in The International Breastfeeding Journal:

Background
Anecdotal reports suggest that the addition of fentanyl (an opioid) to epidural analgesia for women during childbirth results in difficulty establishing breastfeeding. The aim of this paper is to determine any association between epidural analgesia and 1) breastfeeding in the first week postpartum and 2) breastfeeding cessation during the first 24 weeks postpartum.
...
Conclusions
Women in this cohort who had epidurals were less likely to fully breastfeed their infant in the few days after birth and more likely to stop breastfeeding in the first 24 weeks. Although this relationship may not be causal, it is important that women at higher risk of breastfeeding cessation are provided with adequate breastfeeding assistance and support.

Note the use of the word "opioid" above. The researchers were basically investigating whether the epidural made the babies so sleepy that they had trouble eating. (This is something I had heard about anecdotally before I had our kids). The researchers conclude that this is a possibility. But that it's also likely that there could be a link between the choices women make about pain management and breast feeding.

As for me, I had epidurals and I breast fed. I was fortunate that both of my kids picked up on the boob thing pretty quickly. I breast fed The Bortski for eleven months, and The Bear and I are now going strong on our eighth month of boob milk.

Why was I able to succeed and some people have trouble? Quite honestly I have no idea. Maybe it's just been just good luck. Or maybe it was my obsessive nature, which made me religiously feed the babies every two hours for a couple of weeks after birth. I remember doing everything within my power to wake The Bear when he was sleepy. I stripped him down to his diaper. I tickled his nose and lips. I pinched-- or more accurately-- dug my fingernail into the heel of his foot. I remember feeling like I had reached a milestone when he ate for more than 5 minutes without falling back asleep.

Perhaps these researchers are onto something that OB's and anesthesiologists need to investigate further. Quite honestly, I don't know anything about the medical aspects of epidurals. All I know is that without one, I might have bit my husband's head off (oh, actually I did that when he was chewing nuts while I was having a contraction). I also threw up all over him before I got my epidural.

So, I really hope this study doesn't deter women who plan to breast feed from getting pain relief if they really want it. There's no medal for being a tough guy during labor. If you need help, get it. And as I tell all my friends who are about to have a baby, if you want an epidural, ask for it "early and often." There's no telling how long it will take for the doctor to show up once you request the epidural. So repeat after me..."early and often."

And for goodness sake, if you have to have pitocin to get your labor going, get the epidural before the pitocin. With The Bortski, I had the pitocin first, epidural second. The pitocin made the contractions so unbearable I had a hard time staying still when they were trying to insert the epidural needle. With The Bear, I got the epidural first, pitocin second. Now that, was sheer bliss. And if you're wondering about-- or maybe passing judgment on-- my decisions, please note that I had preeclampsia so my doctors had to induce me both times.

One more thing... send a Holiday card to your doctors...they'd probably be happy to hear from you.

Plus, to hear what other bloggers have to say about this study, check out The Lactivist and Breastfeeding123.

TO KEEP ABREAST (pun intended) OF THE LATEST POSTS ON "MAMA KNOWS BREAST," SUBSCRIBE TO THE EMAIL LIST.

Join Our Breast Feeding Carnival

December 10, 2006

It's that time of month again...no, not that time...when The Booby Brigade is starting to think about our blogging carnival. Remember, once a month, four other bloggers and I are banding together to bring you our thoughts on a given topic or idea. For January, we're writing our New Year's Resolutions. And once again, we're calling on other bloggers to join in.

We now have a couple of carnivals under our belt. In Home for The Holidays, I wrote a parody of the poem "'Twas The Night Before Christmas." And in Gifts For the Breastfeeding Mother, I wrote and ode to my DVR. So now that we're getting the hang of this, we've got a few guidelines:

Submissions are due, by email, on December 23rd.
Entries should be on the topic "My Parenting Resolutions for 2007."
Entries do not have to be about breastfeeding. But they should be well-written-- grammar counts!
If you're accepted (we vote), you have to link to the other members of the Booby Brigade as part of your post: Breastfeeding123, The Lactivist, The Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog and The BreastfeedingMums Blog.
The Carnival will be on January 1st.

And by the way, I still haven't had "that time of the month" yet since I'm breastfeeding. Add that to the list of reasons to breast feed!

TO KEEP ABREAST (pun intended) OF THE LATEST POSTS ON "MAMA KNOWS BREAST," SUBSCRIBE TO THE EMAIL LIST.

Breast Feeding Video

Things have been a little serious around Mama Knows Breast lately. So it's time to lighten up. Here's my YouBoob video of the week, courtesy, once again of YouTube.

This is one kid who knows what he wants, and he's not shy about trying to get it!

Anybody out there have a video of their own they'd like to share? If so, let's try an experiment. Upload it to YouTube and then send me an email letting me know it's there.

Personally, all of the videos we've shot are sitting in a box in my desk. I don't have the patience to figure out how to transfer the video to our desktop. It's not like I used to work in television or anything.

Breastfeeding Bill of Rights For New York?

December 08, 2006

Update on December 11, 2006: I just got an email from State Senator Liz Krueger, saying she found this post on my blog. She wrote, "I wanted to thank you for helping spread the word."

I've breastfed The Bear all over New York City. We've done it in Central Park, playgrounds and restaurants. Today alone, I breastfed in a coffee shop, during a kiddie music class and at a preschool meeting. In general, I'm shy. But with breastfeeding, I just don't care. If The Bear is hungry, I'm not going to make him wait.

So I'm fortunate that New York has a law that allows a mom to breastfeed in any public or private location. But according to State Senator Liz Krueger, it's time for New York to take things one step further. (Thanks to Tanya of The Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog for pointing this one out). Krueger has introduced a bill she's calling the Breastfeeding Mothers' Bill of Rights.

The Press Release outlines these objectives:

Before You Deliver: The right to information free from commercial interests, which provides the nutritional, medical and psychological benefits of breastfeeding; An explanation of some of the problems a mother may encounter, and how to avoid or solve them.

In the Maternal Healthcare Facility: The mothers' right for her baby to stay with her after delivery to facilitate beginning breastfeeding immediately; to insist the baby not receive bottle feeding; to be informed about and refuse any drugs that may dry up breast milk; 24 hour access to the baby with the right to breastfeed at any time.

When You Leave the Maternal Healthcare Facility: The right to refuse any gifts or take-home packets, distributed by the maternal healthcare facility, that contain commercial advertising or product samples; access to breastfeeding resources in one's community.

Sounds like a good idea if you ask me. When The Bear was born in a New York City hospital, I had a strange experience the second night we were there. The nurse wouldn't let me take him out of the nursery because he had been having a spitting up problem and they wanted to keep an eye on him. I was fortunate that they were exceptionally vigilant, but I also felt compelled to feed him after a certain number of hours had passed. I asked the nurse if I could sit in the nursery to feed and she said that wasn't possible. I don't remember the reason she gave. I waddled back to my room, determined to make a stink if they didn't let me have him within the hour.

Quite honestly, I wish I could remember how this situation resolved itself. Chalk it up to post-partum fuzz. I think I eventually demanded that they let me have him. I knew it was important to keep feeding him regularly, and I was confident (second child) that I would be able to rush him back if there was a real problem.

Krueger's bill could have helped in this area since it would require "24 hour access to the baby with the right to breastfeed at any time." But let's be real, the burden would still fall on moms to speak up. That's what we as moms do after all. We advocate for our kids. It's a life long enterprise. And it starts on day one.

Nevertheless, if you live in New York, let Senator Krueger know that you support her. Give her office a call.

Massachusetts Moms-- Call Today to Help Pass Breastfeeding Law

December 07, 2006

Did you know that Massachusetts is one of only 5 states that doesn't have a breastfeeding law to protect moms and babies? In fact, moms have no legal protection if they want to breastfeed in public in Massachusetts.

There is a bill that could change that, but it's stuck in a committee right now. Tanya at The Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog has a great explanation of what's going on in the Commonwealth, my home state. She writes:

The Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition is urging calls to the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, especially today (Thursday, 12/7). SB 2704 is stalled in this committee, and the bill is encountering opposition from restaurant owners. They are urging calls to Chairman DeLeo of the House Ways and Means Committee at 617-722-2990. I just called, and it was quick and easy! You can find talking points here.

Unfortunately I don't live in Beantown anymore, so my call won't count. But yours could help. Click on Tanya's post for more information. And help make Massachusetts the progressive state that it claims to be.

Which Breast Pump Do You Use?

December 06, 2006

When The Bortski was a baby, I pumped milk all the time. I pumped so I could go out to dinner with my husband. I pumped so I could do some freelance work. I pumped so I could go skiing for a couple of hours. The Medela Pump In Style was my best friend. Sort of.

When baby number two, The Bear, was born eight months ago, I pulled my breast pump out of the closet and pumped to relieve engorgement. But now, that pump is back in the closet next to my husband's shoes. It is literally gathering dust. I have used a hand pump (the Medela Harmony) a few times. I even stuck it in my purse once and took it to a black tie wedding. But even that pump isn't getting much use lately.

Why have I abondoned pumping? I'm not quite sure. Perhaps because The Bear sleeps solidly between 6 pm and 11pm, so there's little risk he'll wake up hungry and torture a babysitter if we went out. Perhaps I don't pump because I'm working from home. Or maybe I'm just too lazy.

So why the ramblings about my pumps? Another blogger, The bOOb Lady's Blog, has asked me for suggestions of the best pumps. So I turn to all of you. Which ones do you use? Which do you love? Which do you hate? What's the best bang for the buck? And while you're at it, anyone have any good pumping stories to share?

Meanwhile...I have to say, in a weird way it's a blessing I haven't been pumping and stockpiling frozen milk. Our refrigerator is not working well, and I would be absolutely beside myself if I had to throw out pumped milk. But the refrigerator...man, don't get me started. That's another story altogether.

Lost Mom Saves Her Kids By Breastfeeding

December 05, 2006

This is a truly remarkable story.
A San Francisco family was stranded in the snowy Oregon wilderness for nine days, and the mom kept her kids alive by breastfeeding them. The four year old and seven month old are doing well now. The San Francisco Chronicle has details of their trip and how they got lost. ABC News has a piece on how breast milk kept the kids alive.
Unfortunately, the father is still missing. He left his wife and kids to try to get help.

Very Funny T-Shirts

December 04, 2006

Here are some t-shirt slogans for you:
"I'm No Weaner"
"nip/suck"
"I suck"
"ain't yet quit the tit"

Want to buy one of these shirts, or another like it? Then head over to The Lactivist. For every t-shirt that you buy this month, Jennifer is donating 100% of the proceeds to the milk bank in her home state of Ohio. And that money is sorely needed. According to Jennifer's current post:

One of the great things about the HMBANA milk banks is the fact that they are non-profit. They charge ONLY enough money to cover the processing and storage costs for the milk. While insurance often covers the cost of the milk, some insurance companies refuse to pay. In other situations, the parents of the baby simply don't have insurance. Since HMBANA milk banks are committed to providing that milk for any baby that medically needs it, that means that they sometimes send out milk that they will never be reimbursed for. In fact, the average milk bank never receives payment for 15-20% of the milk that they ship. Here in Columbus, that percentage if even higher. Add in the fact that the milk bank is barely two years old (and thus hasn't yet recouped enough costs to pay for all their equipment) and you've got a milk bank that's really struggling to the point that every single dollar of donations REALLY counts.

So buy someone a funny holiday gift. You'll all get a good laugh out of it, and help a worthy cause at the same time.

Gifts for The Breastfeeding Mother

December 03, 2006

Welcome to the second Breastfeeding Carnival. For those of you just tuning in, once a month four other bloggers and I join together to post on a specific theme. Last month, in time for Thanksgiving, we did Home for the Holidays. This time, we bring you Gifts for the Breastfeeding Mother.

Jennifer at The Lactivist has a list of some goodies we all may want.
Angela at Breastfeeding123 has tips for buying cost-effective gifts.
Tanya at The Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog has a lactation consultant's take on all of this.
Sinead at BreastfeedingMums Blog has her personal wish list; at the top is a full night's sleep!
We also have some thoughts from two visiting bloggers: I Don't Know and Momma's Angel.
As for yours truly, I've composed an ode to my digital video recorder. So read on...

I Want My DVR

I want my, I want my, I want my D-V-R...
That is my anthem for the breast feeding mom. For the holidays, there is nothing a breast feeding mom (or any new mom, for that matter) needs more than a Digital Video Recorder. Yes, that's right, I'm advocating melting your brain while you breast feed. Breast feeding is your license to sit down, kick back, and watch some television in the middle of the day. And with a DVR, you can watch whatever you want, whenever you want.

Dire Straits must have been on to something way back in 1989 when they wrote "Money For Nothing"-- a/k/a-- "I Want My MTV." And if the band was around today, I'm certain the lyrics would have been "I Want My D-V-R." If you weren't old enough to watch MTV back then, here's the video from YouTube.

Before our kids were born, I never would have watched TV at 3:00 in the afternoon. First of all, I would have been at work. And if it was the weekend, I would have been doing something more "productive." The guilt would have been too great. But as a mom, I've realized breast feeding is as productive as it gets. Plus, you can't really send emails or cook dinner while breast feeding (at least most of us can't) so you might as well relax.

I first discovered the beauty of the DVR when I was pregnant and on bed rest for two months with The Bortski (our now 2 year old). I had resisted the notion of TIVO for months, arguing that it was a waste of money. But then, my husband went ahead and got it anyway. Once it was installed, I begrudgingly admitted that it was pretty cool.

I quickly developed a Sex And The City-Miranda-like obsession with the TIVO. Remember how upset she got when her cleaning lady accidentally deleted her favorite program? Ironically enough, during that pregnancy I watched, thanks to TIVO, every single episode of Sex and The City. I was also really into Arliss, the tale of an uptight sports agent.

Once The Bortski was born, I fell under the spell of Monk, the obsessive compulsive detective with an uncanny ability to solve crimes. And Monk-like, I realized the true benefit of the DVR-- I could religiously watch the show without missing a single episode or scene. I could breast feed while watching 20 minutes of the program. Stop. Change a diaper. Go for a walk. Do some work. And when I came back the next day, for another feeding, the show was right there, ready to pick up where I had left off.

As an aside, I have to admit that TIVO and I did have some rough days. For a while, I didn't have the patience to figure out how to program shows. To top it off, our universal remote sometimes gave me fits. Remember, when I was a kid we had to manually change the channel; there were about 6 channels to choose from, and some stations even went to bars and tone at night. So, a note to gift-givers-- please, answer your cell phone in the middle of the day when Mama calls asking you how to turn on the TV.

Now, back the the regularly scheduled program...

When we moved from Boston to New York, and I was pregnant once again with The Bear (our 8 month old), we had to live in a temporary apartment. Our stuff was in storage and we were without our TIVO. Oh, did I suffer withdrawal. If I missed an episode of LOST, it was lost and gone forever. If I had to pee (which we all know was quite often) I couldn't pause the show. I had to go fast. But if I didn't have to pee, I actually had to watch the commercials. I kept pressing the remote, hoping I could pause or fast forward the program. The reflex was that ingrained.

Lo and behold, when we finally moved into a permanent apartment, and I was still pregnant, we suffered another TV calamity. The TIVO was broken. Somewhere along the way it had gone on strike. Fortunately, we were able to replace the TIVO with a DVR that was built into our cable box. Back in business.

Since the fall television season started, I've got my new list of favorites: How I Met Your Mother (my husband thinks I'm a mix of Lily and Robin); Desperate Housewives (unrealistic, but who cares); 30 Rock (love Alec Baldwin as the meddling boss); Studio 60 (hope the network holds onto this one); Six Degrees (hope the network brings it back soon) and Walking the Bible (an author's journey to locate key places in the Bible). Boy do I watch a lot of TV! Sorry mom.

All of this brings me to another television item which is a great gift for the breast feeding mom-- a premium cable channel. If you pay for HBO, you can watch some of the most creative shows on television. I've been hooked, at various times, on Big Love (fascinating characters), Entourage (the guys' Sex and the City), Curb Your Enthusiasm (how can she be married to that guy?) and The Comeback (almost too painful to watch). Plus, if you get HBO, you'll also have HBO on Demand which gives you a whole bunch of movies to watch at your leisure.... No, they are not paying me to write this.

Today, The Bear has been less than pleased with my television watching habits. I used to be able to put the TV on mute, and read the captions without distracting him from his meals. But now, when I breast feed, the flashing lights catch his attention and he pops off the boob and cranes his head to see what's going on. I think my days with the DVR are numbered.

But even if that's the case, the DVR is already serving another purpose. It's the perfect babysitter at 6:00 am when The Bortski wants to watch Dora, again and again and again.

Come to think of it, where is that remote?! "Bortski?!?!?!?"

Dallas Nurse In A Success

December 02, 2006

They came, they saw, they nursed!
Twenty-seven adults and twenty-nine kids (according to organizers) met at the Dallas/Fort Worth airport for their nurse-in. This time, the police let them stay. That's Texas justice for you!

The Mommy Blawg has a fantastic description of the events at DFW including a power outage in the middle of the whole thing. She also had this insightful commentary:

Then it struck me. For every Emily Gillette who is strong enough and educated enough to stand up for her rights - get a lawyer and file a complaint, know the right people to contact to inspire over 700 people in 40 cities to show up at their local airports two days before Thanksgiving garnering national and international media coverage - there are countless others who are intimidated, harassed, or embarrassed, and do nothing. Worse, think of the mothers who never breastfeed because they are daunted by the thought of nursing in public and want to have a life. Think of the babies whose hunger cries are ignored because they come at an "inconvenient" time or place, impairing the nursing relationship and reducing their mom's milk supply.

Modesty, or "discretion", is a red herring. I see women and girls all the time dressed immodestly. I would love to ask a woman with a lace thong peeking out of her ultra-low-cut jeans to just wrap a sweater around her waist. I don't want to see that, and I don't want my husband or young boys to see it either. What would be so hard about covering up a little? But I don't, because she is free to dress how she wants, and so am I. We invaded Afghanistan to defeat the Taliban (and their oppressive treatment of women), but some misinformed people here at home still try to dictate what a mother and baby can do in public.

This battle is about raising awareness of the law. Until policemen, flight attendants, restaurant managers, store owners, movie theater ushers, and last but not least the mothers themselves know that a baby has the right to breastfeed anytime, anywhere, and its mother is not legally required to be "discreet", the Nurse-in will continue to be used until society as a whole, "gets it".

Dallas Nurse In Rescheduled For Friday

November 30, 2006

A long, long time ago, I lived in Dallas. I was there for a summer job during law school. During my stint in "The Big D" I discovered that the cowboy motif was alive and well. I learned to say "inn-surance" (emphasis on "in") instead of "in-sur-ance" (emphasis on "sur"). And I realized I was essentially considered a foreigner since I was from Boston.

So, why in the world, you ask, did a New England girl who wore a lot of black and didn't have big hair go to Texas? I went there for a guy, of course. And once that relationship ended I never went back. Since then, I've only passed through the airport on a cross-country trip. And from what I remember, that is one big airport.

So those ladies in Dallas have their work cut out for them tomorrow. Last week, during the nationwide nurse-in, police at the Dallas/Fort Worth airport turned away the moms and babes who showed up. Well now they're coming back on Friday and holding another nurse in at 10 am at the Delta ticket counter. To see a copy of the press release, click on the word "comments" at the bottom of this entry.

You probably recall that this was all started when Emily Gillette was kicked off a Delta commuter flight (operated by Freedom Airlines) for breast feeding her daughter. During the nationwide nurse in, roughly 850 people gathered at 40 airports across the country.

After tomorrow, we should be able to add the Texas crew to the rally tally. So ladies, since everything-- especially the airport-- really is bigger in Texas, make sure you go to Terminal E. Remember, don't mess with Texas!

Teething and Breast Feeding

November 29, 2006

The Bear has teeth!
No, duh, you say. All bears have teeth. So true. But for those of you who are new here, "The Bear" is our baby. He's now eight months old, and among other milestones (sitting up, clapping his hands and pushing himself backwards to slide on the floor) he now has two little buds poking out of his bottom gum. Very cute. But man, they hurt! He clamped down nice and hard today. I let out an involuntary yelp and pulled my boob out of his mouth. I don't think he saw the memo yet about not biting the boob that feeds you.

Another side benefit of these two new teeth is a little extra crankiness. Of course, it seems to be rearing its head in the middle of the night. Someone recommended we rub Whiskey on his gums. We tried a little Johnnie Walker a couple of times, and it worked! But I'm afraid to keep doing that in the middle of the night, for fear of creating a new dependency in addition to his 3:00 a.m. nursing addiction. The pediatrician recommended giving him a little Tylenol or letting him suck on something cold.

Has your babe ever nipped your nip? If so, how did you react? Did it happen multiple times? How did you get the kiddo to cut it out? And how do you handle teething? Inquiring minds want to know.

By the way, for those of us with a few more teeth, we celebrated The Bear's eight month milestone with cupcakes of course!

Join the Breast Feeding Bloggers' Carnival

November 27, 2006

Last month, four other moms and I who blog about breast feeding-- for the sake of brevity, let's call us "the booby bloggers"-- got together to do a carnival, or joint post. As you may recall, we all wrote posts on the theme "Home For the Holidays."

Next week, we are bringing you our monthly installment once again. This time the theme is "Gifts for the Breast Feeding Mom." And we're going to try something new-- opening the carnival to other bloggers. We are accepting submissions and will pick five other bloggers to join in. So if you're a mommy blogger, send me a submission by Friday. And daddy bloggers, we'd love to hear from you too. After all, you and your babes share a common fixation!

Breast Feeding Videos

November 26, 2006

Welcome back from the long Thanksgiving weekend. If you're like me, you've probably been eating your way through the past 4 days. In this family, we had Thanksgiving plus three birthdays to celebrate. So as far as The Bortski is concerned, that means there has been cake every day. As for me, the lingering leftovers drove me to the gym today. And I hate the gym.

After both kids were born, I vowed I would do a twenty minute yoga DVD in the apartment at least 3 times a week. For some reason, I've been less than diligent at keeping my resolution. There's always an obstacle-- diapers to change, mouths to feed, laundry to do, emails to write. In reality, it's most likely laziness that gets in the way. But maybe this video will give you a glimpse into some of the challenges moms face when they try to work out at home. And so, courtsey of YouTube, I bring you my YouBoob video of the week. Click on the photo to watch the clip.

While yoga at home hasn't worked out that well for me, I have managed to go to a local yoga studio that allows you to bring your baby to class. If you're in New York City, you've got to check out the Prenatal Yoga Center. Maybe this is a better way to get your zen on. Then again, there's always one or two moms (myself included) who have to stop doing downward dog to breast feed. Thankfully no one objects to the crying!

Blogs Report on the Nurse In

November 22, 2006

As expected, the blogosphere has been buzzing all week about Emily Gillette getting kicked off a plane for breast feeding. I've found some interesting posts after yesterday's nurse in and I'll keep adding to this entry throughout the day if I find more.

Jennifer at The Lactivist writes about a run-in with an airport representative in Port Columbus, Ohio.

Chris Musser, The Reluctant Lactivist, was one of 40 moms and kids at the airport in Portland, Oregon. She describes the scene:

We got a warm reception from travellers who happened by and from the Delta employees we spoke with (I made a point of urging them to speak with their bosses about getting a written breastfeeding policy in place, which Delta is currently refusing to do). One woman...I'm guessing a former breastfeeding mom...walk by us chanting, "Yay! Breastfeeding!" I saw a number of people stop and give moms kudos to their advocacy. The director of the Port of Portland approached us about our plans and was quite positive. I had stickers with the breastfeeding icon on them which I was handing out to participants and the press...I offered him some, explaining the purpose of the icon, and he asked for multiple copies. Perhaps PDX will be one of the first airports to adopt the icon!

The Mommy Blawg, which is about the intersection of motherhood and the law, examines what happened at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport. Moms were turned away by the police. She writes:

Texas Health & Safety Code § 165.002. RIGHT TO BREAST-FEED. A mother is entitled to breast-feed her baby in any location in which the mother is authorized to be.

Ah, how simple. Is it really to much to ask that police officers be familiar with the law? The statue was only enacted eleven years ago, so maybe the word hasn't gotten out yet.

Ms. Booty Homemaker was at the airport in Nashville, Tennessee. She writes:

With the exception of perhaps two or three quizzical glances, we nursing families were met with great welcome, kindness and support. Two older women who’d nursed their babies years ago stopped to congratulate us and cheer us onward. One even was interviewed by the news. Another older couple stopped to speak with some mamas; the gentleman worked for Delta and wanted to express his support of us. An airport employee gave stickers to all the kids and an American Airlines flight attendant stopped to tell us that not all in her profession were offended by breastfeeding, that she herself was so glad to see us.

On The Huffington Post, Erin Kotecki Vest writes an entry called "My Tits and My Toddler Fly The Unfriendly Skies":

I'm curious as to why those of you squeamish types can't seem to handle a little boob. Is it because you want it to stay stuffed in a Victoria Secret bra instead of in a baby's mouth? Does it make you uncomfortable to see what God clearly intended as man's plaything and not a tool of nutrition used in such a vulgar manner?

Here's another good one from The Huffington Post. Russell Shaw writes, "Bless The Moms Who Breastfeed in Public Places":

The height of hypocrisy is that some of the same people who totally object to a mother breast-feeding her child in a public place are some of the same people who vote for "family values" conservative politicians. Although discretion is certainly appropriate in some crowded public places, and a concealing blanket isn't a bad idea, I cannot think of a "family value" more basic than a mother feeding her child.

Finally, Jeff Jarvis at BuzzMachine actually linked to Mama Knows Breast when I wrote my entry about how the internet enabled all of these moms across the country to work together. The phenonemon is known as a smart mob, so he aptly titled his piece, "A Mob of Moms."

Nurse In Round Up

November 21, 2006

The two babies are asleep, the dishes are done, "How I Met Your Mother" is playing off our TIVO and I ate nearly a pint of Ben & Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk. So at long last I was able to sift through emails, news reports and random internet ramblings. And here's what I've come up with, some highlights from today:

* Forty airports across the country...from Las Vegas to Vermont.
* Roughly 850 moms, babes and supporters.
* International (Pakistan ), national (The Washington Post), and local news coverage (watch this video from a New Mexico TV station and see an interview with Emily Gillette, the woman who was kicked off the plane).
* Plus an apology from Delta.
But I think this photo, says it all. Look very closely at what she's doing.

Nurse In News Reports

So here are early reports from different news sources...

Of course moms and their babes were in Burlington, Vermont, where this brouhaha all started last week when Emily Gillette got kicked off a plane for breastfeeding her daughter. Today, about 25 people staged a nurse in at that airport. In Boston, five women gathered at Logan airport. Moms were also in Louisville, Kentucky...Indianapolis, Indiana (see photo above)...Bradley International Airport in Connecticut...Jacksonville, Florida....40 moms showed up in Portland, Oregon....and about ten moms were in Detroit, Michigan. Jennifer Laycock, of The Lactivist, was one of 12 women who were at the airport in Columbus, Ohio. She even got quoted in the local newspaper. Make sure you click on Jennifer's site to get a good round-up from other airports as well.

I'll bring you much more after I put The Bear to sleep, do The Bortski's bath, books, bed and crying routing, have dinner with my husband, clean up the kitchen and self-medicate with Oreos.

Nationwide Nurse In Today

It's 9:15 and as I type, moms across the country are gathering at airports for a nurse in. As I've been reporting here, they were motivated to stage this grass roots nurse in by the story of Emily Gillette, the mom who was kicked off a Freedom Airlines flight (a commuter flight for Delta) for breastfeeding. The nurse in kicks off officially at 10 am, local time.

To monitor the progress of the nurse in plans, I subscribed to the Yahoo chat group moms were using to coordinate their efforts. This morning I woke to find 182 messages in my in-box-- progress reports about t-shirts, press releases, and travel plans. From the site I found a list of least 33 airports where you can expect moms and their babes to be today.

As the day progresses, I'll be writing periodic updates on the events. Usually each time I write a new entry I send out an email notification of the entry. To save you from In Box clutter, I won't do that today. But do check back every few hours or so to see what's new on my site.

Right now I have to take a shower. Good thing it isn't de rigueur yet to use video to communicate over the internet.

Nationwide Nurse In on Tuesday

November 19, 2006

For the past couple of days I've been watching a grass roots movement in action. Moms across the country are getting together, via the internet, to organize a nationwide nurse in on Tuesday, November 21st. They've been galvanized by the story of Emily Gillette, the mom who was kicked off a Freedom Airlines flight (a commuter flight for Delta) for breastfeeding. Moms who have never met each other before are talking about meeting at 10 am, at Delta counters around the country. They're drafting press releases, making t-shirts, discussing logistics, even debating the merits of organizing the event. It's pretty cool to watch this unfold.

If you want to find specific information about the nurse in, you can check out this Yahoo Chat group. You can also check out ProMom and Mothering.

Click onto any of these links to see the internet -- and some spirited women-- in action.

Nationwide Nurse In on Tuesday, November 21

November 17, 2006

When The Bortsky was a baby we took him on numerous airplane rides and I had not a single qualm about breastfeeding him. He was hungry, so he ate. Plus, it had the added benefit of keeping him from screaming bloody murder. I'm sure it also helped his ears during the flight. So I can just imagine how I would have felt if a flight attendant had asked me to stop. Could I have found myself in the same situation as Emily Gillette, the mom who was kicked off a Freedom Airlines flight for breast feeding her child?

Now, it seems a nationwide protest is brewing. This grass roots "nurse in" is scheduled to be at Delta airport counters on Tuesday, November 21, at 10 AM, local time. Freedom Airlines runs some of Delta's regional flights.

To follow developments on the protest, check out the discussion boards at ProMom and Mothering.

To update you on Gillette's story, Freedom Airlines has written a public letter responding to the incident. The letter says the airline disciplined the flight attendant because she acted contrary to the company's policy which supports a mother's right to breastfeed. The letter also said the pilot offered Gillette the chance to get back on the plane. But she says that didn't happen. The dispute continues...

International Breast Feeding Symbol

November 16, 2006

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the contest Mothering magazine was running to create an new international breast feeding symbol. The idea is that there should be something similar to the signs which indicate no smoking, or a ladies room or handicapped access. So at long last, breast feeding moms, there's something for you too. Drum rollllllllll please....here's the winner.

The magazine has made the image available copyright free, for use in the public domain. That means anyone can download it. Go to Mothering to download the symbol for your own use, and to read what the magazine has to say about the symbol. Here's an excerpt:

The purpose of an international symbol for breastfeeding is to increase public awareness of breastfeeding, to provide an alternative to the use of a baby bottle image to designate baby friendly areas in public, and to mark breastfeeding friendly facilities...(S)ometimes there are no chairs in public, sometimes nowhere to change the baby, or for the mother separated from her baby, nowhere to plug in an electric breast pump. Mothers welcome quiet, private places in public where they can collect themselves and their children. The symbol could designate these kinds of places. In addition, businesses could use this symbol to designate a lactation room, required now by law in California. Restaurants could use the image to let moms know, "Breastfeeding welcome here."

You can also read an interview with the creator of the symbol, Matt Daigle of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He is a stay-at-home dad, freelance graphic designer, and cartoonist. He and his wife have a one-year-old son.

Elizabeth Vargas Fake Breast Feeding Photo Update

November 15, 2006

A few days ago I wrote about how Marie Claire magazine published a fake photo of ABC anchor Elizabeth Vargas breast feeding. I've now had a chance to review the article, and here's my take.

The piece is nothing earth shattering. It's a Q &A about Vargas' career and family. What do we learn? That she's not exactly like the rest of us-- she has a cook, an immaculate apartment and she's married to the singer Marc Cohn. Not to mention she is one of THE stars of ABC news. (You may remember she and Bob Woodruff were supposed to be the future of ABC's evening news. They were named co-anchors after Peter Jennings died. Then Woodruff got seriously injured in Iraq and Vargas got pregnant. So now she's back at 20/20 and Charlie Gibson has the anchor job). But in other ways she is like the rest of us. She has to figure out how to balance work and family. When she was anchoring the evening news, her son wouldn't go to sleep until she got home.

As for that photo...from my perspective, there is no reason your average reader would think it was a fake. The story byline says "By Judith Newman, Photo Illustration by Eric Cahan." Does that mean anything to any of you? Certainly not to me. I just don't get what Marie Claire was thinking. Didn't it occur to them that most people wouldn't get the distinction, and that ultimately, someone (Drudge) would point out the liberties they took?

The Boston Herald ran a story on this today. There was an additional comment from Marie Claire:

“We wanted an arresting, satirical image to make the reader stop and read this important story about what happens when job and family collide. This is an image illustration and is stated so with the byline of this story.”

Wouldn't a real photo have made the case just as strongly?

Oh, and by the way, the photo at the top of this entry is from The Boston Herald. Just wouldn't want anyone to be confused.

Mom Kicked Off Plane For Breast Feeding

File this one under-- you've got to kidding.

A New Mexico mom says Freedom Airlines kicked her off a flight for breastfeeding her daughter on board the plane. The plane was waiting to take off from an airport in Burlington, Vermont, when 27 year-old Emily Gillette says a flight attendant asked her to put a blanket over the baby's head. Gillette says she refused. That's when a Delta ticketing agent asked Gillette and her husband and daughter to get off the plane. Freedom was operating the Delta flight between Burlington and New York City.

Now, imagine for a minute you are a passenger on this plane. Which would you prefer-- (a) or (b). (A) listening to a screaming, miserable baby on your flight, and maybe, by chance, feeling a little odd about the slight potential that you could see a little bit of the mom's boob. Or (B), contentedly-- in silence-- reading your trashy novel, working on your lap top, listening to your iPod, or trying to meditate to transport yourself away from the sardine box in which you are all crammed. I'm sure most of you picked (B), thinking, "Just feed the poor child and make the crying stop already!!" And if you picked (A), think about how you would feel if the flight attendant said, "Sorry, no pretzels for you on your flight today."

But back to the story at hand...

Here's what a Freedom Spokesperson had to say about the incident to The Boston Globe:

"A breast-feeding mother is perfectly acceptable on an aircraft, providing she is feeding the child in a discreet way," that doesn't bother others, said Paul Skellon, spokesman for Phoenix-based Freedom. "She was asked to use a blanket just to provide a little more discretion, she was given a blanket, and she refused to use it, and that's all I know."

Gillette has filed a complaint with the Vermont Human Rights Commission as well as Delta and Freedom Airlines. She told the Burlington Free Press she'd like to see the airlines change their policies. In addition, she'd like the airlines to make a donation to an organization of her choice and give her another trip.

Elizabeth Vargas Breast Feeding-- Photo is a Fake

November 14, 2006

Here is the latest from the Drudge Report:

Marie Claire magazine has published a fake photo of ABC News' "20/20" anchor Elizabeth Vargas breast feeding. I have to go pick up the December issue of the magazine to see for myself. But here's what Drudge has to say:

A source close to the anchor says Vargas' is disappointed but has a sense of humor about the whole thing.

"Elizabeth was more than happy to sit for the interview but was disturbed that the magazine would set aside basic journalistic standards to photoshop her head onto a fake image. Vargas did joke that her real baby is cuter, that she is proud to breastfeed her newborn but wouldn't do it at the anchor desk and that she wouldn't be caught dead in that ugly gold blouse!"

A MARIE CLAIRE spokesperson counters: "There isn’t a working mother who can’t relate to this image and immediately identify with the very real dilemma Elizabeth Vargas wrestled with. We do not believe anyone seriously thought she would nurse and report the news the same time! This is an image illustration and is stated so with the byline of this story. We only want to make the point that women choosing between their career and being a parent is a tough decision that we are very sensitive to. We at MARIE CLAIRE think that Vargas is a great journalist and we look forward to watching her on 20/20. We are also grateful for her interview, which we hope reaches the many women who can relate to this serious topic."

Here are my thoughts:

First, I really like Elizabeth Vargas. I like her reporting style. And on the superficial side, she always has great clothes and hair! Plus, I used to be a former television reporter, so I can relate to the challenges she must face as a working mom. Television news, like many professions, is incredibly demanding on your time. It can be unpredictable. You can be called off to work at the drop of a hat. It's not easy then to find a balance between work and family. So hats of to Vargas for pulling it off. I'm looking forward to seeing what she says in the interview.

Second, as a former reporter, I simply don't understand why Marie Claire would feel the need to fake a photograph. It's wrong journalistically. They didn't need to do an "image illustration" -- or whatever that is, as they call it-- in order to make the point that being a working mom is tough. We know that. No news there. Besides which, the photo doesn't exactly support that point. Where's the burp cloth? Everything looks just a little too perfect. No one is that poised when breast feeding.

So, it will be interesting to see how this story develops. As they say, stay tuned...

Breast Feeding Bloggers' Carnival

In honor of the approaching holiday season, I wrote a poem entitled "'Twas The Breastfeeder's Nighttime." As I'm sure you've guessed, it's a parody of "A Visit From St. Nicholas," (otherwise known as "'The Night Before Christmas") by Clement Clarke Moore.

This poem is my contribution to the first ever Breastfeeding Bloggers' Carnival. Once a month, four other bloggers and I are banding together to bring you our thoughts on a given topic or idea. This month, we're all writing about the theme "Home For the Holidays."

Here's what you'll find at our first carnival:
Jennifer, of The Lactivist Breastfeeding Blog, has the scoop on breastfeeding laws in every state. Check here if you're traveling to visit relatives away from home.
Tanya, of The Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog, writes about the challenges of dealing with unsupportive family members during the holidays.
Angela, of Breastfeeding123, has ten tips for keeping your breasts healthy during the stressful holiday season.
And all the way from Ireland, Sinead, of BreastfeedingMums Blog, brings you advice on how to keep your wits about you during this hectic time.

By the way, before I met these other bloggers, I had never heard of a blogging carnival. Apparently, they're quite common. To see other carnivals, check out this site, The Blog Carnival index.

I first posted this poem yesterday. So in case you missed it, I bring you once again...

‘TWAS THE BREASTFEEDER’S NIGHTTIME
By Andi Silverman, www.mamaknowsbreast.com

‘Twas a holiday eve and the babe was asleep,
Swaddled tight in his crib he made not a peep.
My boobs were depleted from feeding all day.
“Please don’t wake. Sleep all night,” to the babe I did pray.

But his lips, how they moved, as he lay in his bed.
Visions of milky breasts danced in his head.
Dad in his boxers and I in my sweats,
Could we get some shuteye? Go ahead, place your bets.

The moon on the breast of my t-shirt did glow,
Gave a luster to leaking spots set to grow.
My nursing pads were soaked, they fell out of place.
My bra had unsnapped. How I missed sexy lace.

For months I’d been feeding our babe everywhere.
Coffee shop, park bench, museum, movie chair.
All my modesty gone, nothing shy anymore.
If the kiddo was crying, I knew how to score.

And now with the holidays, things often got dire.
While out buying gifts, I sometimes drew ire.
I breastfed in clothing stores. Changing rooms rock.
I breastfed in bookstores. To the stacks I did flock.

When from the babe’s room there arose such a clatter.
We sprang from our bed to see what was the matter.
Away to his room we flew with a flash,
Threw open the door, in the dark I did crash.

What a klutz I can be, ‘twas those bags made me fall.
Sacks for our trip, all arranged in the hall.
We were going to Grandma’s, a five hour drive.
Holiday time—Will I make it alive?

One big huge duffle held all the babe’s stuff.
Diapers, wipes, onesies. Did I bring enough?
Now don’t forget burp cloths, crib sheets and toys.
Books and Bjorn, we’ll exhibit such poise.

On breast pump, on bottles, on stroller and boppy.
On car seat, on cradle, on blanket and binky.
Fill the back of the car, fill the trunk with our haul.
And we’ll drive away, drive away, drive away all.

Now don’t forget stopping to feed long the way.
Gas stations, McDonalds and rest stops, oy vey.
Of course there’ll be lots of those diapers to do.
Get out the Purell, you’ll be covered in poo.

When we finally arrive, now what will await?
Lots of food and embraces, it’ll be really great.
No, no one will not fight. I will not shed a tear.
Ok, a white lie— but rejoice in who’s here.

And what about wine or a champagne or two?
Will it make my milk bad? Old wives tale or true?
And will anyone say, “Can he now take a bottle?”
“How long will you breastfeed?” How these questions can throttle.

Now back to that “clatter,” the babe and that noise.
We had rushed right on in, leaping over the toys.
When what to our wondering eyes did appear,
Our babe still asleep, oh how sweet, oh how dear.

His cheeks, how they glistened, his hair soft and furry.
And I smiled when I saw him, despite all my worry.
How delicious, his belly, moving in and then out.
How precious, his lips in a sweet little pout.

He had not woken up! He did not need to eat.
He had had quite enough, his day quite complete.
And so back to our bed we did quietly crawl.
Happy Holidays to one, happy sleeping to all.

© 2006, Andi Silverman, www.mamaknowsbreast.com

A Breast Feeding Poem

November 13, 2006

You can smell the holidays right around the corner. Christmas commercials. Decorations in stores. Chocolate, food and more chocolate...

Well here are my thoughts for the holiday season-- a poem to make you smile. It's a parody of "A Visit from St. Nicholas," otherwise known as "The Night Before Christmas." This poem will be featured tomorrow on the very first Breast Feeding Blogger's Carnival.

And now, without further ado, I bring you...

‘TWAS THE BREASTFEEDER’S NIGHTTIME
By Andi Silverman, www.mamaknowsbreast.com

‘Twas a holiday eve and the babe was asleep,
Swaddled tight in his crib he made not a peep.
My boobs were depleted from feeding all day.
“Please don’t wake. Sleep all night,” to the babe I did pray.

But his lips, how they moved, as he lay in his bed.
Visions of milky breasts danced in his head.
Dad in his boxers and I in my sweats,
Could we get some shuteye? Go ahead, place your bets.

The moon on the breast of my t-shirt did glow,
Gave a luster to leaking spots set to grow.
My nursing pads were soaked, they fell out of place.
My bra had unsnapped. How I missed sexy lace.

For months I’d been feeding our babe everywhere.
Coffee shop, park bench, museum, movie chair.
All my modesty gone, nothing shy anymore.
If the kiddo was crying, I knew how to score.

And now with the holidays, things often got dire.
While out buying gifts, I sometimes drew ire.
I breastfed in clothing stores. Changing rooms rock.
I breastfed in bookstores. To the stacks I did flock.

When from the babe’s room there arose such a clatter.
We sprang from our bed to see what was the matter.
Away to his room we flew with a flash,
Threw open the door, in the dark I did crash.

What a klutz I can be, ‘twas those bags made me fall.
Sacks for our trip, all arranged in the hall.
We were going to Grandma’s, a five hour drive.
Holiday time—Will I make it alive?

One big huge duffle held all the babe’s stuff.
Diapers, wipes, onesies. Did I bring enough?
Now don’t forget burp cloths, crib sheets and toys.
Books and Bjorn, we’ll exhibit such poise.

On breast pump, on bottles, on stroller and boppy.
On car seat, on cradle, on blanket and binky.
Fill the back of the car, fill the trunk with our haul.
And we’ll drive away, drive away, drive away all.

Now don’t forget stopping to feed long the way.
Gas stations, McDonalds and rest stops, oy vey.
Of course there’ll be lots of those diapers to do.
Get out the Purell, you’ll be covered in poo.

When we finally arrive, now what will await?
Lots of food and embraces, it’ll be really great.
No, no one will not fight. I will not shed a tear.
Ok, a white lie— but rejoice in who’s here.

And what about wine or a champagne or two?
Will it make my milk bad? Old wives tale or true?
And will anyone say, “Can he now take a bottle?”
“How long will you breastfeed?” How these questions can throttle.

Now back to that “clatter,” the babe and that noise.
We had rushed right on in, leaping over the toys.
When what to our wondering eyes did appear,
Our babe still asleep, oh how sweet, oh how dear.

His cheeks, how they glistened, his hair soft and furry.
And I smiled when I saw him, despite all my worry.
How delicious, his belly, moving in and then out.
How precious, his lips in a sweet little pout.

He had not woken up! He did not need to eat.
He had had quite enough, his day quite complete.
And so back to our bed we did quietly crawl.
Happy Holidays to one, happy sleeping to all.

© 2006, Andi Silverman, www.mamaknowsbreast.com

Breast Feeding Video

November 12, 2006

Welcome back to YouBoob, my weekly breast feeding video courtesy of YouTube. This one is a ballad. A dad and his infant sing a duet entitled, "Where's My Boob?" This one is heading right to top of the charts!

CLICK HERE to watch, or click on the image above.

Breast Feeding and Actress Rachel Weisz

November 08, 2006

Here's the latest from our celebrity mom star-struck media. People Magazine reports that actress Rachel Weisz credits breastfeeding and Pilates with helping her get back in shape after giving birth in May.

The magazine quotes her as saying:

"I don't really have a magic potion or pill...I do Pilates. Nursing burns a lot of calories, 500 calories a day. So, if I could help promote breast-feeding, that would be a good way...I was seven months pregnant when I won the Academy Award!...Really, since then, I've just been a mom, mainly. It's the most ultimate honor you can get. But I had to duck out of the rat race for a bit and be Mom... I have respect for all working moms out there, because it's definitely a complicated balancing act, which millions of women are doing all the time...But I'm part of that club now."

Welcome to the club, Rachel.

Home For the Holidays

November 07, 2006

Last month I wrote about the new friends I've made through this blog-- 4 other women who are also blogging about breastfeeding. There's Jennifer of The Lactivist, Tanya of Motherwear, Angela of Breastfeeding123 and Sinead of Breastfeedingmums. Well this crew has decided to band together once a month and bring you a "carnival of blogs." Basically, we'll all be writing about one particular topic, and linking to each other. This will give you the perspectives of a bunch of different booby bloggers. On my site, I'm going to call this monthly carnival, "Of Babes and Boobs."

Next week will be the first installment of "Of Babes and Boobs." The topic is "Home For the Holidays." So the five of us have our homework cut out for us. We're trying to come up with tips, stories, advice and inspiration for your holiday season as a breastfeeding mom.

My assignment isn't due until next week, so for now, I turn to you dear readers. Do you have any stories or ideas for me? Send your letters to "Dear Mama, All I want for Christmas (or Chanukah, or whatever holiday you celebrate) is _______________." I'll be here, working on my list.

Quote of the Day

November 06, 2006

Once again...out of the mouths of babes...

This one is courtesy of our two year old, The Bortski. We had this conversation while the baby, The Bear, was busy nursing:

"Mammee, the baby has boobies." (translation: "Mom, the baby breastfeeds.")

"Yes, that's right. Do you still have boobies?"

"Not yehhht," he said with authority and a sly smile.

Breast Feeding Video

Welcome back, once again, to my breast feeding video of the week, YouBoob.

Here's a clip from the Australian Breastfeeding Association. At first glance you may think this is a little too sentimental. But I promise you, it's worth watching the entire clip. Trust me! CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO.

Donating Breast Milk

November 05, 2006

There are a lot of things you simply don't know about your breasts before you have kids. I, for one, didn't know that boobs can leak or grow exponentially. And I certainly didn't know that you can donate your breast milk. It simply never occured to me that you can donate breast milk in the same way that you can donate blood.

Welcome to the wild wild west of parenting. Lots to know. Lots to know.

Here's the scoop. Milk banks have been around since the turn of the century. The first one opened in 1909 in Vienna, Austria. In 1919, milk banks opened in Boston and Germany. Today, the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA) is a non-profit that is sets the standards and guidelines for milk banks in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. It was founded in 1985. There are currently 11 milk banks that distribute the milk to hospitals, and babies who are home and need breast milk. Sometimes they are even able to help babies who have been adopted.

The milk banks screen donors and carefully process and pasteurize the milk. If you're interested in becoming a donor, contact the milk bank closest to you.

In addition to the milk banks that are affiliated with the HMBANA, there is now also a company called Prolacta. This for profit operation is also collecting breast milk and selling it to hospitals.

Prolacta recently announced a deal with the University of Minnesota Medical Center to collect milk. Like the milk banks of HMBANA, Prolacta then sells the milk back to hospitals. Only it charges a lot more. This recently caught the attention of some of my fellow breast feeding bloggers. To read The Lactivist's take on Prolacta, click here.

Prolacta is also a sponsor of an organization called The International Breast Milk Project that collects milk and sends it to children in Africa who are orphans because their parents had HIV. Here's a news story about donations to children in South Africa.

Whatever your take on Prolacta, I think the main thing to focus on here is that there are moms out there whose generosity is helping improve the lives of babies who need help. Think about how tiring it is to feed and care for your own children. Now consider that these donors are also taking the time to pump milk to help babies that they'll never meet.

Breast milk donors, we applaud you!

Breast Feeding and Sleep

November 02, 2006

Sleep, oh, sleep, where for art thou, sleep?

The Bear is now 7.5 months and has decided that in the middle of the night he wants to party. We had a few good months-- months 3, 4 and 5-- where he slept through the night. From 6 pm to 6 am he dozed away, uninterrupted. It was sheer bliss. But then, sometime this past summer, he fell off the wagon. Now, he won't go back to sleep unless I breast feed him. He's up at least once during the night. Sometimes twice. I've been trying to do the Ferber sleep training thing, but it's not working yet.

I know there are many different approaches to teaching your kids to sleep. I've bought the books. I've asked the pediatrician and friends for advice. Still nothing is working yet. As The Bortski would say, "Help, Please, Help!"

Any and all advice is welcome. Or if you don't have any specific recommendations, simply tell your tales of sleepless nights. This might not be Shakespearian, but I'm sure it will make for good reading. Misery loves company, right?

Breast Feeding Icon-- You Can Vote

November 01, 2006

We all recognize certain international symbols. There's no mistaking the men's and ladies' room. We know what a handicapped sign looks like. And of course there's the no smoking logo.

Now the folks at Mothering magazine think it's time for an international breastfeeding icon that could indicate a place that is breast feeding friendly. Mothering says, " Ideally, the space would be private, quiet, with a comfortable chair and an electrical outlet for pumping." The icon could be used in offices, restaurants, airports, malls, libraries, parks. You get the idea.

Apparently examples of breast feedind icons have been spotted in Canda and Singapore. But Mothering thought it best to create a new logo altogether. The magazine has been holding a contest to design the logo and they've narrowed the choices to three finalists. They'll make the winning image available worldwide (copyright-free, as a public domain image).

So check out some of the other entries that are no longer in the running.

And while you're at it...Vote for your favorite of the three finalists.

Bottle Versus Breast

A couple of weeks ago I got a call from a reporter, Mackenzie Carpenter, at the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. She was working on a piece about the "politics" of breast feeding and bottle feeding. It was pretty cool to get her call. As a former reporter, however, I was agonizingly aware of every word I uttered during our conversation. This was the first time I was ever interviewed, and I wasn't ready for it.

I asked Mackenzie to go easy on me, and she reassured that I shouldn't worry. Today I got an email from her telling me the piece ran in yesterday's paper, but that unfortunately my quotes got cut by her editor. Oh well.

Anyway, the story's headline pretty much sums up the piece-- "Bottle vs. Breastfeeding: Cultural Confusion Engulfs Moms No Matter Which Method is Used." The basic idea is that moms face societal and personal challenges whether they breast feed or bottle feed.

Here's my take on it. As moms, we question our child rearing choices all the time. Is the baby getting enough to eat? Am I reading enough to the baby? Does he have the right toys? Should he have a play date or is it ok to just be around his older brother? Bottom line, it's all too easy to feel guilty about the choices you make, and I think breast feeding and bottle feeding are simply an easy flash point for all of that parental guilt to come to a head.

I'm not sure I said anything remotely like that when Mackenzie interviewed me. In fact, when we spoke I was so tired, and so busy breast feeding The Bear to keep him from crying, that I can hardly recall anything I said.

In any case, it was fun to talk to her on the phone. Hopefully, I'll be a bit more mentally prepared for the next time the phone rings!

Breast Feeding Video of The Week

October 29, 2006

Welcome back to YouBoob, my breast feeding video of the week. Last week I brought you a French commercial from 1971. This week it's another foreign clip. The videographer says it's French, but it isn't. If you recognize the language let me know.

So if you've ever breast fed in public and thought people were staring at you, this clip from YouTube should make you smile. Then again my husband, who obviously hasn't breast fed, thought it was pretty funny too. Click here to watch the video.

Breast Feeding Quote of The Day

October 28, 2006

Here's another feature I'm starting...my favorite breast feeding quote of the day.

This week, it's courtesy of our two year old, The Bortski.

Let me set the scene: I'm trying to eke out a few more minutes in bed with my eyes closed. The Bortski appears at the side of the bed, his head level with mine. He picks my "over the shoulder boulder holder" (ie. my nursing bra) off the floor, holds it up over his head and says, "Mommy, put your boobies away."

As they say...out of the mouths of babes...

Breast feeding Blogs

October 27, 2006

According to my husband, I'm very "Web 2.0" for running this blog. Web 2.0? As he explained, it more or less means being part of the second wave of the Internet, the wave after the dot.com crash. Check Wikipedia for a further definition.

In any case, I think he was referring to the fact that I'm sometimes distracted by trying to "optimize my blog for search," i.e. make it easier for people to find my blog. I've been running this blog since April, but every day I'm figuring out some cool new trick. I'm really a neophyte at this. Plus, I'm frequently corresponding with people I've met through my blog. In fact, I've actually stumbled upon a few other women who are also running breastfeeding blogs. We've been emailing, and in some cases, helping each other figure out the technical nuances of making a blog run well.

The most established breast feeding blog is The Lactivist. Jennifer just had her second baby, and is providing great running commentary on the early weeks of breast feeding. She also sells some really funny t-shirts with breast feeding slogans. My favorite says "Milk Jugs." Based on her archives, it looks like she's been running the blog since November 2005. Happy Anniversary, Lactivist.

The Motherwear Blog is a new blog that started running in September. It's connected to the clothing manufacturer Motherwear, which makes maternity, nursing and kids clothes. The blogger, Tanya, is a lactation consultant.

Then there's Breastfeeding123. I think the blogger, Angela, just started doing the blog this month, but I like the information she puts up. There's always something cool to check out, like this site with breastfeeding art.

Just this week I "met" Sinead, a breast feeding blogger in Ireland. The breastfeedingmums blog will introduce you a whole new vocabulary. Do you know what a cotbed is?

Finally, I've had some interesting discussion with moms on the website Promom.org. Part of the site is a chat room devoted to breastfeeding. Write a post or entry in the discussion forum and watch the responses pile up.

So check out these fellow booby bloggers. Maybe this is the start of Mommy Bloggers 2.0.

Breast feeding and Thyroid Problems

October 25, 2006

Have you ever tried to take a baby with you to one of your doctor's appointments? It might seem practical. You don't need a sitter. You don't have to worry that the baby will get hungry while you're away...especially if he won't take a bottle. So I do it all the time. Maybe not one of my smartest moves.

Invariably, there are the steps to drag the stroller up, a narrow examining room and the challenge of keeping the baby from trying to grab the stirrups in the Ob's office. Lovely. As always, there's the perfectly timed crying. Just as the doctor prepares to examine you, the screaming starts. And let's not forget the last time I took The Bear (our now 7 month old) to the doctor with me-- a plane crashed into a building a few blocks away. The appointment was cancelled.

So I had pretty low expectations when I went back to the doctor to try the appointment again. I was seeing an endocrinologist because it turns out my thyroid has decided to go haywire after this pregnancy. I have something called Hashimoto's. Basically it's an auto-immune condition where the immune system attacks the thyroid. This creates hypothyroidism, or an under-active thyroid. So now I'm taking thyroid replacement medicine.

Of course my questions were: (1) is the thyroid imbalance bad for the baby if I'm breastfeeding? (2) is it ok to take the medication, Synthroid, if I'm breastfeeding? As any good former reporter (or anal mom) would do, I checked multiple sources. I found this link about breastfeeding and thyroid conditions. And per the pediatrician, my general practitioner, my endocrinologist and my gynecologist (oh and a second endocrinologist I saw after The Bortskerini was born), Synthroid is just fine if I'm breastfeeding. In fact, it should make me feel better.

Now to be fair, I didn't really feel all that bad. Just VERY tired. But then again I have two kids, and a baby who doesn't sleep through the night. So we'll see if the thyroid medication will help. (Exhaustion and depression are hypothyroid symptoms).

In the meantime, maybe The Bear will start to take pity on us and stop waking up at 4 in the morning...a mere two hours before his big brother, The Bortskerini decides to yell, at the top of his lungs, "HELP!!!"

If you're concerned about any medication you may be taking while breastfeeding, check here.

Grey's Anatomy-- BreastFeeding and Breast Cancer

October 20, 2006

Last night on Grey's Anatomy one of the story lines follows a young mom who has breast cancer and is going to have a mastectomy. She arrives in the hospital with her husband and baby in tow. The husband tells the doctors she's having a hard time, that she had to stop nursing and the baby won't take a bottle. Talking amongst themselves, one of the doctors says she probably thought the lump was a plugged milk duct.

Hurray to Grey's Anatomy for highlighting breast cancer during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This is television at it's finest! A subtle reminder to all women, even breastfeeding moms, to take any lump seriously.

I wrote an entry last week about a Seattle mom who first found a lump while breastfeeding her twins. She now runs an organization called Check Your Boobies, which promotes doing regular self breast exams. If you sign up, you can get a montly email reminder to do a check.

Grey's Anatomy has been noted before for promoting breastfeeding. One of the main characters, Dr. Bailey, is a new mom. Not only did we get to see her endure some wonderful (imagine sarcastic tone here) labor pains, but we also got to see her breastfeeding. I actually missed that episode, but ProMom.org (another breastfeeding website) encouraged people to write letters to the show commending the writers.

And who said the "boob tube" wasn't educational?!?!

Pumping and Flying Update

October 17, 2006

Update: a new rule effective August 4, 2007 does away with the limits on the amount of breast milk a mom can carry on board a plane.

********

A little update from the TSA...
I got an email this morning from the Office of Public Affairs at the Transporation Security Administration. The PR person who wrote to me wanted to add that if you are traveling with your baby, you CAN bring ice through the security checkpoint to cool the formula or breast milk you might be bringing on board. The ice exemption also applies to medications that need to be cooled.

Flying and Pumping--What's a Mom to Do

October 16, 2006

Update: a new rule effective August 4, 2007 does away with the limits on the amount of breast milk a mom can carry on board a plane.

********

I love the Style section in the Sunday New York Times. Seriously, it's the highlight of the paper for me. My husband brings it to me if I'm still in bed, breast feeding the Titty Bear (From here on out, the Titty Bear will simply be called "The Bear." We decided he might be embarrassed to learn some day that we called him the Titty Bear. What would his friends say?)

I digress. Anyway, I was thrilled yesterday to see a piece in the Style section about a mom who goes on a business trip, breast pump in hand. She describes all the crazy places she had to pump (in the plane, on a bus, in a closet), and ultimately what happened when she had to pass through airport security with a cooler full of breast milk.

The new restrictions for carry-on luggage have made traveling even tougher for breast feeding moms who have left their babes at home and need to pump.

It's all a little confusing, so I called the TSA to try to figure this out. Here's the deal: If you have a baby with you, you can bring formula and pumped breast milk on board. You just have to show it to an agent at the security check point. If you don't have a baby with you, you are more restricted. You can bring on board the plane one, quart-size ziploc bag, with three ounce containers of breast milk inside. (Each passenger is allowed one ziploc bag for any toiletries). If you have more milk than that, you will have to put it in a cooler, pack it up with ice, and send it on it's way with your luggage.

For a little more information, here's a link to the TSA's rules about carry on luggage. Here is specific information about breast milk and formula.

So if you're planning a trip any time soon, and need to leave the babe behind and instead, tote the pump, good luck to you. I know these flight restrictions are there to keep us safe, but boy oh boy, do you need a serious level of dedication if you intend to bring that liquid gold home with you. Happy trails to you.