The other day I got this lovely comment from Kate at My Life As a Mom:
Hi there! I’ve commented before, but thought I’d say hi! I love your blog…do you have a “button” for people to add to their sidebars?
Well Kate, I do now! Thanks for asking! You can choose either my usual pretty purple background:

or the plain white background:

I am hoping that anyone who is a blogger can follow these instructions, because it’s all I know how to do! Right click the image to “Save image as” to your computer. When you upload the image to your sidebar, link …read more

When I polled people to see if they had ever attended a La Leche League meeting, the poll results showed that 35% — 50 people — had not attended a meeting but would like to do so. I want to help people make it to a meeting!
Here are some things that might help:
~ Here’s how to pronounce La Leche League
~ There are regular series meetings that rotate through four general topics, but you can go to any meeting and ask any question, any time!
~ Meetings are offered in the daytime or the evening or both, depending on the area
~ Of …read more

Welcome to the September Carnival of Breastfeeding! This round the topic is breastfeeding education. First, let’s start with a little breastfeeding education humor. The two adorable handmade Waldorf dolls shown in the photo were given to my daughters by their great aunt Sue. During yet another game of midwife, my three-year-old stuck these dolls together and said, “She’s breastmilking her baby. Breastmilking her!” Perhaps the term “breastmilking” should be added to the lactation lexicon!
Back to the question at hand. What is the best way to educate mothers about breastfeeding? What is the best way to educate the general community …read more

Micky of the breastfeeding blog Mocha Milk started a thriving business called 9 Months and Beyond, LLC. It offers childbirth and breastfeeding support. She wants to grow the business even more, and has entered the Ideablob $10,000 contest. Here’s what her entry says:
9 Months & Beyond, LLC offers a full doula services, lactation support and parenting education. We combine the best resources of a doula agency and pregnancy/ parenting boutique with a respectful, supportive community. From conception through the first years of parenting, we help birthing families through a range of counseling and educational services and products designed for their …read more

La Leche League recently celebrated its 50th year of mother-to-mother breastfeeding support. I am curious — have you ever attended a meeting?
{democracy:46}
Leave a comment with your opinion as well! Has La Leche League been helpful to you? What would you like to see change in La Leche League? Are you a leader and if so, how long have you served?

It is hard to believe it has been more than 18 months since Breastfeeding 1-2-3 launched in October 2006! Yesterday’s post on free banner ads for World Breastfeeding Week 2008 marked the 600th post. Readers have left 1,937 comments (thank you so much!) and spammers have left 74,259 filtered comments (boo hiss!)
Reader contributions make all the work worthwhile. Thanks for sharing your breastfeeding stories and answering the Mom-to-Mom questions!

When my first daughter was just four months old, I moved to a new town. With the stress of moving and some trouble breastfeeding, I was completely overwhelmed. I needed breastfeeding help and had heard of La Leche League. I looked up the contact phone number for a local leader on-line and screwed up the courage to call her, even though I wasn’t sure how to pronounce “La Leche” League. I needn’t have worried. The volunteer mother immediately knew why I was calling and was happy to help me. I soon started attending meetings and got to know some other mothers in the area. Thank goodness …read more

Reader Melissa writes:
Q: I am breastfeeding my 2 month old and I have more on my right than my left. What can I do?! The same thing happened with my 3 year old 2 years ago and I had lopsided breasts for the time that I was breastfeeding.
A: Yours is a relatively common concern. There are several reasons a baby might favor one breast. If it happens from birth, it’s important to rule out medical causes for favoring one side, like an ear infection or birth trauma. Similarly, if a baby suddenly refuses one side after nursing equally well on …read more

Yesterday’s Mom to Mom question discussed Tips for Getting Breastfeeding off to a Good Start. One easy way to prepare for breastfeeding is to read up on the subject. There are a ton of books out there – so many that it can be hard to choose.
Q: Which books on breastfeeding and baby care do you recommend? 
A: During my first pregnancy, a friend shared her copy* of The Breastfeeding Book by Martha Sears, R.N. and William Sears, M.D. I enjoyed the book’s easy-to-read style and informative nature. It wasn’t until much later that I discovered The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding …read more

Welcome to the first question in the “Mom to Mom” series! I’ll do the asking this first time, but if you have a question you’d like to pose or a thought you’d like to discuss, find out how to submit a topic.
Q: What should I do to prepare to get breastfeeding off to a good start? Do you have any advice for establishing a good nursing relationship once the baby arrives?
A: I’ll always be grateful to the mother who wrote in to a parenting magazine with the advice to commit to breastfeeding for eight weeks. Those early weeks are a …read more