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 it to http://www.breastfeeding123.com

Leave a comment to let me know you’ve added the button to your blog! I’d love to see it in action and visit supporters of Breastfeeding 1-2-3! Thank you to anyone who helps spread the word about the breastfeeding information and support available at Breastfeeding 1-2-3!

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

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 course you can bring your baby, older nursling, and any older children too! Some groups welcome spouses as well — make sure to ask first!
~ You do not need to be breastfeeding to attend a meeting! It’s very helpful to attend when you are pregnant, or to continue attending even after you wean to help support other mothers. Doctors, nurses, students, grandmothers, and others are also welcome to attend (it’s nice to give the leader a heads-up in advance if you plan to show up, so the leader can be of most assistance and maybe even pass on free brochures to hand out!)
~ Meetings are free and while you are welcome and encouraged to join La Leche League, you can keep going to as many meetings as you like without actually joining.
~ In addition to the regular series meetings, there are toddler groups, groups for mothers of multiples, couples meetings, enrichment meetings, and informal park days or playgroups!
~ Usually there are snacks (depending on the location and group)
~ Often the group has a free lending library and you can check out birth, breastfeeding, and parenting books approved by LLLI!

Ready to go to a meeting?

~ You can use the LLLI tools to find a local group in the United States or other countries.
~ You can also search with a search engine tool like Google, using “La Leche League [your city or your state]” and you might find a website for your local group. Typical group websites include contact information for the local leaders and the date, time, and location of the next meeting. It’s always a good idea to call or email to confirm the information is up to date.
~ You can also reach an accredited La Leche League leader near you by calling 1-800-LA-LECHE (1-800-525-3243) and following the directions to find a leader by using your zip code. In Canada, telephone 1-800-665-4324, or (514) LA-LECHE for a French-speaking Leader.

Photo courtesy of: Generation X-Ray

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

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 about breastfeeding (so we don’t get comments like this one asking why a small business should have to provide a place for women to pump)? What is the best way to educate medical professionals?

Those questions (and the answers) are difficult ones, but they remind me of a couple of proverbs. “A stitch in time saves nine.” “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” If we don’t educate our young people about the benefits of breastfeeding, and don’t provide adequate information and support to pregnant women and new mothers, then some of them are going to turn to formula-feeding. My point is that we need to put the work in on the front end.

There should be breastfeeding education in the K-12 curriculum. More women should be preparing for breastfeeding during pregnancy. Medical professionals should be given training on breastfeeding so they can provide good medical advice about breastfeeding.

Hospitals and communities should support breastfeeding clinics, like the one run by Dr. Jack Newman, author of The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers: The Most Comprehensive Problem-Solving Guide to Breastfeeding from the Foremost Expert in North America, Revised & Updated Edition. I heard Dr. Newman speak at a La Leche League conference once. Not only was he a funny, dynamic, and inspirational speaker, it was obvious what a passionate advocate of breastfeeding he is. So I was saddened to read this City News article that says the Newman Breastfeeding Clinic and Institute faces closure due to lack of funding. One of the quotes by clinic co-founder Edith Kernerman stood out to me:

“Breastfeeding, like walking, is natural, but it’s a learned behaviour. And so when your child goes and falls the first few times you’re not going to say, okay, that’s it, it’s off to crutches for the rest of your life. No, you’re going to pick that child up and you’re going to learn how to walk with that child and that child will learn to walk with you….

And it’s the same with breastfeeding. We need to learn, we need to learn by watching women around us breastfeed and we don’t see women breastfeed because women are afraid to do it out in public.”

I totally agree. One of the best ways to educate women about breastfeeding is from one mother to another, or a mother to her daughter, or sister to sister, etc. Women need to see other women succeed at breastfeeding, and to receive support, encouragement, and advice from other mothers. It saddens me that La Leche League, which was founded on the principle of mother-to-mother support, sometimes gets a bad and erroneous reputation for being extremist. I have found leaders to be supportive of breastfeeding in general, whether a mother chooses to breastfeed for a day, a year, two years or beyond. If a new mother even goes to a La Leche League meeting, she might initially be taken aback to find other mothers who are breastfeeding toddlers. I wish those new mothers would realize that La Leche League members do not have some agenda to get everyone into extended breastfeeding. They want to support women to have a successful breastfeeding relationship in the early months (which then, not surprisingly, often leads to extended breastfeeding!) If you haven’t already, please take a moment to vote in the poll about La Leche League in the sidebar or at this post.

To sum up, my hope is that more emphasis will be placed on breastfeeding education and awareness — starting at a young age and continuing through to adulthood — so that more mothers and babies can enjoy the benefits of breastfeeding!

Enjoy these carnival contributions from the following bloggers:

~ BreastfeedingMums: The Perfect Breastfeeding Teacher
~ Hobo Mama: Breastfeeding Education
~ Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog: Podcast: So You Want to Work in Breastfeeding Support
~ Beautiful Letdown: How I Learned to Breastfeed
~ Momopoly: Q&A with a Lactation Consultant
~ Babyfingers: Let’s Take Our Perverted Society to School
~ Stop, Drop, and Blog: Breastfeeding: With a Little Help from My Friends, Books, and Professionals
~ Nurturing Notes: Breastfeeding and the Registered Dietitian
~ Poked and Prodded: You Have to Prepare for Breastfeeding

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

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 special circumstances.
Specialties include:
birth/labor doula services
childbirth education
birth tub rental
breast-pump rental
lactation education and consultation
parenting education
support groups
products that promote attachment and connected parenting (such as slings, books, etc)

What will you do if you win $10,000 for this idea?

From being an home-based, one woman show to developing a small service inside of a pediatric office, we are tired but excited by our progress. The extra money would help us make that next step in growth including expanding our hours of service and increasing our physical facilities space. We could then offer group classes for mothers/parents and at a variety of times to better serve our clients’ complex schedules. Further, with a bit of success under our belt, we are beginning to entertain investor options. Bringing more money to the table allows us to maintain control and the vision for our service.

If you agree it’s a fantastic idea and you want to support Micky and her business, vote here!

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

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?

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Reader contributions make all the work worthwhile. Thanks for sharing your breastfeeding stories and answering the Mom-to-Mom questions!

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

There’s no need for embarrassment, though. “La Leche” is pronounced “la LEH-cheh.” (Traditionally within La Leche League it may have been pronounced “la LAY-chay.”) It means “the milk” in Spanish. It was chosen as an informal code name for nursing by the founders in the 1950s when it wasn’t polite or politically correct to use the word “breastfeeding” in mixed company. While there’s no longer a need for a code word, there remains a need for La Leche League. 

There are two online tools that allow you to hear someone speaking the word “leche.” Try this tool (click on “leche”) or this one (click on the megaphone). No matter how you say it, I can guarantee the La Leche League leader will know what you mean and be happy that you called!

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

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 both sides, it’s a good idea for both mother and baby to see the doctor. We can rule those situations out since both your children have preferred one side.

It’s possible for a mother to have a flat or inverted nipple on one side but not the other, making it easier for the baby to nurse on one side. Such a mother could attempt to draw out the nipple.

It’s also possible for a mother’s milk to let-down faster on one side, making the baby favor that side as the easiest way to get milk. At the same time, if the let-down is too forceful on one side, the baby may reject that side. In either case, it may be helpful to get the milk to let-down through pumping or hand-expressing before putting the baby to the less favored breast.

One side may produce less milk due to a smaller number of milk ducts on that side, either as a simple fact of anatomy or as a result of injury or surgery on that side. Unfortunately, the problem can be self-fulfilling. If the baby prefers to nurse on one side, that side may continue to produce more milk and the other side may continue to produce less.

It’s not necessary to do anything to correct the lopsidedness unless you are bothered by it. In fact, it’s possible to nurse a baby on one side alone.

There are several things to try if you are concerned. Try offering the less favored side first at each feeding (if let-down is the problem, then you can start nursing on the favored side, then gently break the latch and slide the baby to the other side after let-down). It may help to offer that side when the baby is sleepy, or while you are walking or rocking to distract the baby. Try various positions and consider nursing in a darkened room. It may take time, so be patient. While you are working to increase supply on the less favored side, make sure to continue to nurse or express often enough on the favored side so that you do not become engorged or develop a plugged duct or mastitis.

Has anyone else had experience with one side producing more milk? What did you do, if anything?

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

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 and other breastfeeding and parenting books.

What are your favorite books on the topic of breastfeeding and baby care? Please leave a comment and share your book reviews!
 
* Keep in mind that reading up on breastfeeding doesn’t have to be an expensive proposition. If you’d rather not buy the books, you can:

1. Borrow from a friend.

2. Check your local library. Even if your local library branch does not have a particular book, a librarian may be able to request the book from another library. Make sure that you’re reading the most recent edition of the book. Breastfeeding advice and recommendations change all the time, and it’s best not to rely on out-dated sources.

3. Attend a La Leche League meeting and borrow a book from the group library. La Leche League meetings are free and open to everyone. The group in my area loans books out for one month at a time.

4. Scour used book sales. There are plenty of ways to find used parenting books: mom-to-mom sales (think huge multiple-family garage sale just for baby items), library book sales (if you’re in the U.S., scroll down to click on your state for a list of sales), on-line stores and used book stores.

5. Bid on an on-line auction.  A search of completed sales on eBay showed the most current edition of The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding (list price U.S. $18.00) recently sold for as low as $7.80 including shipping.

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

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 learning period for both mother and baby. 

Believe that you both can do it, but at the same time, throw out the notion that breastfeeding should come naturally and easily. You will benefit from arming yourself with resources and doing your homework in preparation. Take a class, read a book, attend a support meeting like La Leche League.

Once the baby arrives, breastfeed as soon as possible after the birth. If you experience any problems, seek help immediately. Work with a lactation consultant, post-partum doula, a breastfeeding support group or a La Leche League leader. With help, common problems with latch-on, thrush, and engorgement will resolve shortly. Generally, within eight weeks your milk supply will regulate and you will gain the confidence that comes from experience.

If after eight weeks you are ready to wean, you can do so with the assurance that you committed to working it out, and congratulate yourself on giving your baby your milk for those crucial first weeks. If you’ve made it eight weeks though, my guess is you won’t want to wean. You’ll have developed that special nursing relationship and you’ll have started to reap the benefits of breastfeeding.

Experienced moms, do you have any advice to share on how to get breastfeeding off to a good start? What did you do in the early days to establish a good nursing relationship? Did you write a birth plan, hire a post-partum doula, or take a class after the birth? Please leave a comment! You might also enjoy reading the Mom to Mom question about Recommended Reading for Breastfeeding Mothers.

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3