So what if I got a little giggle when I chose a “cone graph” format that looks suspiciously like breasts in a row (well, maybe Madonna’s pointy breasts of the 80s)? That’s just the kind of wacky girl I am. The graph still shows the most interesting part of the results of the 145 votes — that there is a wide range of what’s “normal” when it comes to the return of a breastfeeding woman’s period. Unfortunately, the poll and results do not account for how often the mother was breastfeeding and whether or not she was night-nursing at the …read more

What do you think about the petitions going around like this one and this one that ask eBay to ban the sale of used single-user breast pumps (not the kind that are intended for safe use by multiple users)? Previously I have pointed readers to the FDA’s breast pump website for information on the risk of contracting communicable diseases like HIV or hepatitis through the use of shared single-user breast pumps (and for tips on how to get help paying for a pump or pump rental). I know, though, that many women feel very strongly that the sale of used …read more

A Breastfeeding 1-2-3 reader suggested a great question for this next poll. She wanted to know when most breastfeeding women get their periods back after giving birth. (This would be a good question for mothers who are breastfeeding adopted newborns too but I think it might confuse the issue with different hormone changes and levels of milk supply, so if you are an adoptive mother, please do share your experience in the comments!)
Most women enjoy amenorrhea for a while, but it can be really frustrating for mothers who have not experienced a return of their menstrual cycles by the …read more

At a La Leche League meeting the other day, one of the leaders mentioned the phenomenon of “holiday weaning.” Sometimes children get so distracted by the holiday festivities, the lights, the visiting relatives, the special food, that they do not think about nursing as frequently as they had been. If you notice this happening and you do not want your child to wean, you might offer to nurse occasionally, just to remind your child to keep it up! If, however, you are interested in weaning, then by all means take advantage of this time to initiate or hasten along that …read more

This question came up recently when one of my friends had an emergency appendectomy. Personally I have used this question as a way to weed out (bad) doctors — unless they give me the correct answer or say “I don’t know, but I’ll find out for you,” they’re history. For the expert answer to whether general anesthesia affects breastfeeding, watch this 24-second video clip.
VideoJug: Does general anesthesia affect breastfeeding?

Hi there. Kendra here from Diabetes Notes, a fellow blogger at the science and health channel. Being a nurse, I can’t tell you how many times I have heard the words, “I know I can’t breastfeed after I have the baby, I’m a diabetic.” And I can’t count how many times I have said, “the heck you can’t.” There are proven benefits to both the baby and the diabetic mommy who breastfeed.
What are they you ask? Let me give you a few…
1. Babies that are breastfed have a reduced risk for developing diabetes later on in life.
2. Prolonging the introduction …read more

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which means it’s time for us to revisit the good news about breastfeeding and breast cancer. According to a Cornell University fact sheet:
“Although there are a few studies that report a decrease in the risk of breast cancer after only three or more months of breast-feeding, the evidence for risk reduction becomes more consistent the longer women breast-feed. The most consistent evidence of a relationship between breast-feeding and the risk of breast cancer has been reported in studies of Chinese women who breast-fed for long periods of time. In these studies, women who …read more

Today’s Mom-to-Mom breastfeeding question comes from a mother battling recurrent mastitis. She writes:
Q: “Hi, I’m hoping that you, or someone you know can help. I’m a tandem nursing mom to my 2 1/2 year old and my 12 week old. I never had any nursing issues or problems with my first. I am currently suffering from mastitis for the second time in 4 weeks! On top of that, my 2 year old was just diagnosed with Herpangina (a form of Hand, Foot, and Mouth) virus. I guess it’s very contagious by saliva and I’m praying that …read more

New scientific research reveals that choosing organic dairy and meat products over conventional products improves the fatty acid content in breast milk. A recent study (PDF) published in the British Journal of Nutrition examined the diets of 312 breastfeeding women from the Netherlands and collected breast milk samples at one month postpartum. Women who reported that they chose organic dairy and meat products over conventional products at least 90% of the time showed a measurable increase in beneficial fatty acids in their breast milk. The study specifically examined the conjugated linoleic acid isomers (CLA) and trans-vaccenic acid (TVA). The Free …read more

I confess I’m finding the WOMAN Challenge rather difficult. I’ve stayed faithful to my commitment to exercise at least 30 minutes every day, but often that’s meant an after dinner walk or sit-ups and push-ups in front of the television at night.
Tanya tagged me to share some pictures of one of my walking routes. This trail is a rail trail–an old railway converted into a scenic multi-use trail. As you can see from the photos, the weather is gorgeous and there’s no shortage of beautiful places to walk, jog or bike. I’ve got no excuses for not getting out …read more