What do you think of the ad? My first thought was, “Way to go Medela! You actually showed actual breastfeeding, on television!” (Yes, actually, that is how I actually thought it LOL). Apparently though this version of the ad is a revision from a previous version that received complaints from the lactation community, and still the ad has received criticism for implying that a pump and bottles are necessary for breastfeeding, and for showing breast milk as a commodity in a grocery store, in a newspaper ad with coupons, and on a billboard. The whole point of the ad is that you will not find breast milk that way, but then there is still the impression at the end of the ad that a breastfeeding mother will need a pump to remove the milk from her breasts and need bottles to feed the baby. I don’t know. Medela is already in hot water with some in the lactation community for marketing bottles and nipples (teats) as a feeding system apart from a breast pump in violation of the WHO International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes. That marketing definitely bothers me. But this ad? I guess I am easily swayed by any portrayal of breastfeeding on television and by a cute smiling baby. I didn’t find the ad so troubling, and some breastfeeding women do need pumps and bottles.

So, what do you think of the ad? Is it a great promotion for breastfeeding or a devious undermining of breastfeeding? A little of both?

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

It’s the easiest poll ever!

To see all past poll results, click here.

Feel free to leave a comment! Have you tried breast milk, why, and what did you think (keep it clean or I won’t approve your comment)?

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Have you tried Mother’s Milk Tea (either the regular or organic versions)? How did it taste? Did you find that it helped your milk supply at all? Did you use it in combination with any other techniques or any medications? Leave a comment with your product review — short, long, good, or bad!

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Another wrote to tell me her story, and to explain why she supports informal breast milk sharing or donation. Her daughter was born premature at 30 weeks gestation. Fortunately the baby is doing well now and she should be released from the NICU in another two weeks. Here is what the mother had to say about what she hopes to do with her stash of expressed breast milk:

Since our baby has been in the NICU for the last 7 weeks, I have about 2,000 oz of breast milk frozen. We have filled our space allotment in the hospital’s milk bank, filled our freezer at home, and have almost filled my mom’s freezer. There’s no possible way [my daughter] will ever catch up with what I have stored, and anyway, I prefer to breastfeed [when she is ready to transition to the breast]. (We didn’t use bottles much at all with our first.)

I first looked at donating to a milk bank, but can’t because one of the requirements is that you haven’t received a blood transfusion within the past 12 months, so that ruled out that option. (I had practically all of the blood in my body replaced during/after an emergency C-section . . .) Another mother in the NICU was literally pouring her milk down the drain, because she had also filled her space in the hospital’s freezer and her home freezer. I just couldn’t bring myself to do that, because I knew there were people that would really appreciate it. I just didn’t know where to find them.

When I was craving ice cream a few nights ago (which I couldn’t buy because we don’t have room in the freezer for it), I decided I had to take some actions to find a home for it. In my search, I saw that there are quite a few people passionately against milk sharing. Not sure why when obviously there are many healthy people with abundant supplies and many people who can’t afford to purchase milk from a milk bank. Most people do home pasteurization in some form anyway. Obviously people should be aware of the risks of taking a stranger’s milk . . .

Anyway, I think I’ve found someone who wants me to ship all my milk to her, but that milkshare Yahoo group is really active, and I’m pretty sure if this lady I’ve been in communication with changes her mind, that I wouldn’t have any trouble finding a home for it. I do think that milk sharing deserves more attention though, because a lot of women who give birth are also given a blood transfusion, and current milk banking practices eliminate all of those women from donating. (My sister researched the reason for this, and it’s because there was one case of West Nile virus being transmitted through donated milk. If a woman waits through the incubation period to donate her milk, then she can rule out that threat.) And the state of medical insurance what it is, most families can’t afford to buy milk from a bank.

Well, I’ve been long winded here. I just know I’m not the only NICU parent with an excess of milk, so there are others who don’t know what to do with their milk.

I am pleased and grateful that this woman wrote to share her opinion on informal breast milk donation. What’s your opinion? Would you donate your milk informally? Would you take advantage of casual milk sharing if you and your baby had the need? How do you feel about any potential risk of disease transmission or other problems with milk not screened by a milk bank? Are independent testing and pasteurization methods adequate? Leave a comment!

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

If breastmilk has been thawed and wasn’t used, can I refreeze it? If not, and I store it in the fridge, what’s the shelf life?

Good questions! If breast milk has been thawed and was not used, it should not be refrozen. In the back of the refrigerator (not in or near the door), thawed milk can be stored up to 24 hours for later use.

For more information on storage and handling of expressed breast milk, see:

LLLI.org: La Leche League Storage Guidelines for Pumped Milk; For an update from June 2008, see La Leche League Updates Breast Milk Storage Guidelines
Kellymom.com: Breastmilk Storage and Handling
Kellymom.com: Human Milk Storage — Guidelines for Premature or Hospitalized Infants (these guidelines are more restrictive)

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

In fact, spices in a mother’s food do flavor the breast milk. Does that mean that nursing mothers should avoid garlic and spicy foods in favor of a bland diet? Absolutely not! The varied flavors of the milk may actually help breastfed children learn to enjoy a greater variety of table foods once they begin eating solids. In observation of my own two nurslings, I’ve found that to be true.

However, nursing mothers know their babies best and they may start to suspect a correlation between something they’ve eaten and fussiness in the baby. The Nursing Mother’s Companion says:

Some babies fuss for up to 24 hours after their mothers have eaten garlic, onions, cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, chiles, or beans. Citrus fruits and their juices, chocolate, and spices such as chili powder, curry powder, and cinnamon can also bother young nursing babies.

p. 123. I have not found this to be true and have never had to restrict any foods while nursing. So, while nursing mothers need not eliminate foods arbitrarily, if a mother suspects her child is having a reaction to a particular food she ate, she can eliminate that food from her diet for a couple of weeks to see if the baby’s symptoms improve.

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Colostrum. Colostrum is the nutrient-rich early milk that the baby receives for the first few days after birth. The yellowish “liquid gold” colostrum is low in quantity but high in quality. Colostrum contains beneficial immunities that help protect the baby from illness while the baby’s own immune system is still developing. It acts as a laxative to help the baby pass the first dark stools (called meconium) which in turn helps prevent jaundice.

Mature milk. Three or four days after the birth, the mother’s milk starts to come in. Milk production increases and the colostrum transitions into mature milk over the next two weeks. Amazingly, the mature milk changes composition throughout each nursing session.

Foremilk. At the beginning of the feeding, the baby receives foremilk. The copious foremilk is low in calories and fat. Think of it like skim milk.

Hindmilk. As the baby drains the first breast, the baby receives hindmilk. Hindmilk has less fluid and is more concentrated with fat and protein. It’s important for the baby to be allowed to finish nursing on the first breast before being switched to the next breast. You will know the baby is done when the baby pops off or begins falling asleep. Switching the baby too soon, such as on a set time-table, could mean that the baby receives too much low-calorie liquid and not enough fat. Excess foremilk intake, called a foremilk/hindmilk imbalance, can lead to slow weight gain, fussiness, gassiness and greenish frothy stool.  

Toddler milk. Misinformed people may try to convince a mother that her milk no longer has benefits for her baby after the baby reaches a certain age. In fact the milk continues to provide nutritional and immunological benefits as long as the child continues nursing. Toddler milk supplies protein, fat, vitamins and antibodies. some in even greater quantities during the second year and beyond. It’s interesting to note that the American Academy of Family Physicians cites an increased risk of illness for babies weaned before the age of two. (Breastfeeding Position Paper).

Supply and demand. In addition to its marvelous ability to change qualities, breast milk readily adapts to changing quantity needs. Breast milk production operates on the principle of supply and demand. The more milk the baby demands, the more milk the breasts produce. A mother may worry about her supply if the baby suddenly desires to nurse more often, but those additional nursing sessions will actually increase her supply to meet the baby’s needs. Similarly, a mother may worry if her breasts feel empty, yet the rate of milk production increases when the breasts are less full, and slows as the breasts refill.

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3