by Jessica Gottlieb on September 11, 2008 · 7 comments
Most new moms don’t need an introduction to Medela. When you’re registering for your baby shower Medela is the brand that pops out at you. The breast pumps, though intimidating, are widely recommended and touted as “best” by doulas and lactation consultants.
Up until now Medela has only supplied women with plastic bottles for breastmilk storage. This week they have expanded their line to include glass bottles. The glass bottles are 8 ounces each and are designed to work with most of the Medela pumps.
Why glass bottles though?
[read the full article...]
Just when you thought that we didn’t need a World Breastfeeding Awareness week, yet another mother, this time a young mom in Berea, Kentucky, is asked to leave a restaurant for breastfeeding her child. Kentucky actually has a law that forbids public interference of a breastfeeding mother, but because she was not breastfeeding when the police arrived (who threatened to charge her with criminal trespassing if she did not leave), the police did not enforce the law.
[read the full article...]
Editor’s note: This guest piece on breastfeeding is from Amy Gates. Amy writes about attachment parenting, activism, green living and photography at Crunchy Domestic Goddess, where this was posted originally. Thank you Amy for sharing your story!
When I became pregnant with my son, my daughter Ava was about 20 months old and still nursing regularly. While I had friends who’s children had self-weaned when they became pregnant, I had my doubts that my “na-na”-loving kid would consider weaning for a second, even if my milk dried up.
At that age, Ava was still a comfort nurser, and still woke at night to nurse. After finding out I was pregnant I worked towards gently night weaning her by letting her know she could nurse as much as she wanted during the day, but at night the na-na had to sleep and she had to wait until the sun woke up in the morning to have mama milk.
By 22 months, miraculously (or so it felt) she was sleeping through the night. (Can you hear the angels singing? I thought I could. It was wonderful. She was still happily in our bed, but no longer waking for na-na, and I was able to get the sleep I needed while growing a baby. [read the full article...]
I never doubted that I would nurse. I read all articles I could get my hands on and after learning about the huge health benefits for both mother and child, I was sold. But really, when I’m totally honest with myself … I also nursed because I’m lazy.
Yep, that’s right. For all the horror stories you hear about lost sleep and teething babies, it seemed a lot easier to me to just pop a boob out when he was hungry. No bottles to clean, nothing to warm, no formula to shake or measure, just one swift movement and – voila! Happy baby.
[read the full article...]
While staying home with your child with a fully supportive significant other and surrounded by friends and family cheering you on is ideal. Often this is simply not the case. If you have difficulty breastfeeding, for one of the multitude of reasons that seem to pop up in the early days, this lack of support can lead to giving up. That doesn’t need to be the case.
In my little circle of friends, we experienced all sorts of different situations. Some Moms had the luxury of staying home with a fully supportive significant other. Some returned to work full time almost immediately and argued with a variety of caregivers about the benefits of breastfeeding and the importance of feeding their little one expressed milk. Some had the support of all with whom they came in contact. Some were hassled by store clerk, waiters, airline employees and …. The list goes on! [read the full article...]
As someone who breastfed her two kids a combined total of 36 months, I, like many women, am fairly informed when it comes to the benefits of breast milk for babies. But when it comes to spouting off the same statistics when it comes to the benefits of breastfeeding for moms, I have a bit of a harder time. And sometimes, when it comes to encouraging breastfeeding with a new mother who is still on the fence, it’s important to offer the pros for both she and her baby.
[read the full article...]
by Jessica Gottlieb on August 5, 2008 · 8 comments
I was 28 when my daughter was born. With a typical pregnancy you will gain 35 (or so) pounds. I gained a few more than 70. No, it’s not a typo, I was a chili cheese fry eating machine (I also jammed a few pounds of cotton candy down my throat each week).
Giving birth was easy, suckling was natural and we sent the lactation consultant out of the room. Jane and I knew what to do. Parenting an infant was the easiest thing in the world to me. I was a little surprised that I still looked pregnant after giving birth (no one tells you that) but there was one remarkably stunning moment in my adult life that I’ve shared with no one until today.
The first day of milk boobs.
[read the full article...]
