Welcome to the October Carnival of Breastfeeding! Today’s topic is “I wish I had known….” It’s perfect timing for my sister, who just made me an aunt over the weekend with the birth of her beautiful baby boy!
Today I share a guest submission from a woman who does not have a blog but who felt strongly about sharing her breastfeeding wisdom in hindsight. At the end of her comment you can find the links to all the other carnival participants. First, Crystal offers the following insight:
What I wish I had known…to trust myself and my body to do …read more

What do you wish you had known about breastfeeding? The October Carnival of Breastfeeding asks you to write on the theme “I wish I had known then….”erhaps you would have liked tips about nursing in public or choosing a breast pump. Maybe you could have used help preventing engorgement or dealing with plugged ducts. Let others benefit from your hindsight by sharing the information you wish you had known! Please email me your post by October 19, 2009, for consideration for the blog carnival on October 26, 2009.
As a reminder, here are the guidelines that will increase the chances …read more

This contest has ended.
Last week I reviewed the set of “Laugh and Learn” DVDs on childbirth, newborn baby care, and breastfeeding. Now is your chance to win these four helpful DVDs!
The Products
You can win this 4-DVD set of three classes: Laugh and Learn About Childbirth, Laugh and Learn About Newborn Baby Care, and Laugh and Learn About Breastfeeding. The whole DVD set currently sells for $79.95 on the Laugh and Learn site. I see that if you want to watch the classes online they are offered that way at a discount too!
How to Enter
The contest is open to entrants …read more

Here’s another guest post from pediatrician and author Dr. Marianne Neifert. I enjoyed her new book so much that not only did I review Great Expectations: The Essential Guide to Breastfeeding on my blog, I also took the time to post my first-ever review on Amazon.com.
Today she talks about how breastfeeding success begins in the hospital:
Five Hospital Practices that Extend Your Duration of Breastfeeding
Your hospital experience — brief as it may be — can have a powerful impact on your long-term breastfeeding success. Making hospital changes in maternity care practices has been shown to significantly increase breastfeeding initiation and duration …read more

Welcome to the September Carnival of Breastfeeding! Today working mothers share their stories and tips for combining breastfeeding and working outside the home. Pumping at work can be challenging but with a little advance preparation and determination, both mother and baby can reap the rewards of continuing to breastfeed after the mother returns to work. Read on for the advice working mothers shared with me, and then check out the links at the end to other carnival participants!

Today’s guest post comes from Marianne Neifert, M.D., author of the new book Great Expectations: The Essential Guide to Breastfeeding.
Just a Few Weeks Early
Breastfeeding Challenges in Late-Preterm Infants
Until recently, babies born a few weeks early — between 34 and 36 weeks gestation — were referred to as near term infants. However, the designation, near term, implies that an infant is almost term or almost fully mature, and the misnomer has often caused health professionals and parents to underestimate the medical risks in this large, vulnerable population of infants. Recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that infants born at …read more

Remember this Mom-to-Mom question asking for tips for traveling with a nursling and for advice about nursing in a dress at a wedding? This toddler nursing photo addresses the second part of the question by demonstrating one way of breastfeeding while wearing a fancy dress. The mother in this case wore a nursing bra underneath a dress that could be pulled aside at the top.
What a darling little flower girl! I suspect that toddler nursing break was just the thing she needed to re-charge and re-connect during the excitement of the wedding and reception! Her mother looked gorgeous too …read more

The June Carnival of Breastfeeding topic is “Nursing in Public.” I have written a lot about nursing in public in the past, and now it’s your turn to share a story, advice, a photo, or other piece on the subject.

Have a story or tip you want to share in a carnival post on your blog? Email me your submission by June 15, 2009, for consideration for the carnival on June 22, 2009. As a reminder, here are the guidelines that will increase the chances a post will be selected for inclusion in the carnival:
– A well-written, grammatically correct post
– Thoughtful …read more

Welcome to the biggest Carnival of Breastfeeding to date! Many mothers submitted posts to share their “how to” knowledge, from how to wean from a nipple shield to how to get a spouse to help with breastfeeding. After I discuss how to teach your baby nursing manners, take a look at the links to the other participants. You might also wish to enter to win a free baby carrier, sling, or wrap of your choice (contest ends Friday, April 24, 2009).
f you breastfeed for the recommended year or more, you might experience some occasional unwanted behavior from your nursling. I …read more

Mommy’s Little Breastfeeding Book: 101 Tips Your Baby Wants You to Know about Nursing is a great book! I love the concept and the philosophy presented. This little breastfeeding book is condensed enough to read in an hour yet it is jam-packed with helpful tips for successful breastfeeding. It has all the things I would want to tell a pregnant friend to encourage her to make the decision to breastfeed and to help her get started. One of my favorite tips?
41. A good rule of thumb is that Mommy puts the food in and Daddy takes it out.
A little …read more