Breastfeeding 1-2-3 » health of the mother

Poll Results: Breastfeeding and Menstrual Cycle

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 20:23:46 +0000

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 time (both of which affect the menstrual cycle). Still, there’s a lot to be learned from the results. The chart for women whose period has not yet return sheds even more light on the information:

Finally, the results regarding women who got pregnant before their periods returned, and women whose periods returned shortly after weaning:

Vote in the new poll!

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Banning the Sale of Used Single-User Breast Pumps: A Poll

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 20:22:41 +0000

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 pumps should not be banned. The main argument is that many women do not qualify for free or low-cost pumps or pump rentals yet they cannot afford to pay for a new pump or a rental. If the ability to buy a used pump allows women to continue breastfeeding longer than they would have otherwise, should they be allowed to take the risk?

{democracy:38}

What about you? Have you borrowed a used pump from a friend? Would you or have you bought a used pump from a stranger? What do you think?

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Return of Fertility for Breastfeeding Mothers: A Poll

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 21:20:39 +0000

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 time they are ready to try to conceive again.

So, when did you get your period back? Do you think you ovulated before you got your first period (I ask because it relates to the Lactational Amenorrhea Method of birth control)? (My answers are: at 3 months postpartum, even while exclusively breastfeeding, and yes I think I ovulated beforehand). Take the poll!

{democracy:37}

Please share your experience in the comments as well. If you were trying to become fertile again, what changes did you make (i.e. night-weaning, nutritional changes)? Rather than cutting back on nursing to see if it brought your cycles back, did you decide to wait longer before trying to conceive? How did/does all this affect the planning for and spacing of your children?

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Holiday Weaning

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 17:57:41 +0000

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 process. Either way, keep in mind that the holidays are a prime time for developing plugged ducts and mastitis. If you are run down, you are more susceptible to breast infections. Add in a child who is cutting back on nursing sessions and thus removing less milk, and you are even more vulnerable. Safeguard your health, wash your hands, get as much rest as possible, and say “no” when necessary!

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Does General Anesthesia Affect Breastfeeding?

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 23:46:52 +0000

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?

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Breastfeeding and the Diabetic Mommy

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 20:00:00 +0000

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 of cow’s milk in genetically at risk babies may also give them a “leg up.”

3. Moms who are insulin dependent will most likely use less insulin while breastfeeding and it is absolutely compatible and safe in conjunction with breast milk. The insulin molecule is very large and does not pass through to the breast milk.

Now, there are some considerations that go along with breastfeeding while diabetic. For one, you are at risk for developing skin infections and mastitis. Newborn jaundice is also more common in breastfed babies, but that is easily treated. And I absolutely advise any diabetic mother to coordinate her breastfeeding efforts with her OB/Gyn, PCP and endocrinologist. Medications, hormone levels and blood sugars need to be closely monitored.

But by all means… go ahead and put that baby to breast. Living with a chronic disease like diabetes should not inhibit you from enjoying all that comes with “mommyhood”!

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Breast Cancer and the Breastfeeding Woman

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 15:19:14 +0000

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 breast-fed for a total of six years or more (all children combined) over the course of their lives had as much as a 63% decrease in breast cancer incidence compared to women who never breast-fed.”

For more information on breast health and breast cancer, see these articles:

Breast Self-Exams in Lactating Women
Video Demonstration of Breast Self-Exam
Promising Anti-Cancer Powers of Breast Milk
Breast Cancer Testing: X-rays, Mammograms, Ultrasounds, Cat Scans
Breastfeeding after Chemotherapy, Radiation and Lumpectomy
Breastfeeding Reduces Cancer Risk
One-Sided Nursing with Full Supply

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Recurrent Mastitis, Herpangina and Tandem Nursing (Mom to Mom #10)

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 14:47:35 +0000

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 my 12 week old doesn’t get it. My pediatrician completely frowns on tandem nursing, so I kind of left this little detail out when we just saw her for my son’s herpangina.

When he started getting sick, I immediately started cleaning my breasts/nipples after he nursed to protect the baby. My OB said that actually cleaning the nipple could cause mastitis!?

Did I actually cause the mastitis this second time? How can I protect my infant from the Herpangina? What am I doing wrong this time to get Mastitis twice since I never got it with my first child? What can I do differently to avoid getting it again? Thank you so much for any advice you can give!”

A: First off, congratulations on your 12-week-old! I’m sorry to hear you have endured repeated bouts of mastitis this time around. Mastitis can be very debilitating and has a nasty way of kicking you when you’re already down. You should be very proud of yourself for working through both cases and continuing to tandem nurse.

Recurrent Mastitis

Let’s address each of your questions separately. Did you cause the second bout of mastitis? It’s true that mothers are generally advised not to wash their nipples with soap because the soap can remove essential oils from the surface of the breast. I doubt though that washing your nipples caused the second bout of mastitis. When a case of mastitis comes closely on the heels of a previous bout of mastitis, it’s likely that the first case never really went away and the “second case” is really just a second flaring-up of the first. When battling mastitis, it’s important to rest-rest-rest and nurse-nurse-nurse. If you take antibiotics to treat the mastitis, it is imperative that you take the full prescribed course of antibiotics and you do not stop taking the pills once you start feeling better.

Spreading Germs

How can you protect your infant from the herpangina? It’s fine to rinse your nipples with plain water, and for a little added protection from virus transmission you could express some breast milk onto your nipples and let the milk air dry. Breast milk has antiviral and antibacterial properties. However, KellyMom says it’s really not necessary to take any special precautions to prevent the spread of germs between nurslings (with the exception of thrush):

By the time symptoms occur in a viral illness, the two nurslings will have been in close contact for days (both in the home and at the breast), and thus the well child will have already been exposed to the illness. In addition, your breasts will have already started to produce antibodies specifically for that illness. These antibodies will help the sick child get well quicker and will also help protect your other child from illness….

Washing the breasts between nurslings might even reduce the breasts’ exposure to the pathogens and therefore reduce the breasts’ efficiency at manufacturing antibodies.

Avoiding Mastitis

What can you do differently to avoid getting mastitis again? As I said, breast infections kick us when we’re down, so the key is to stay otherwise healthy and (reasonably!) well-rested. Follow these ten tips for breast health.

Share Your Experience

How have other mothers dealt with mastitis? Have any other tandem nursing mothers dealt with viruses? Leave a comment!

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Eating Organic Dairy and Meat Boosts Beneficial Fatty Acids in Breast Milk

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 11:36:33 +0000

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 Press explains:

CLA is a type of fat that is believed to have anti-carcinogenic, anti-atherosclerotic, anti-diabetic and immune-enhancing effects, as well as a favorable influence on body fat composition. For newborns specifically, CLA is believed to especially aid immune system development.

“These findings provide scientific support for common sense, by showing that organic foods are healthier,” says Dr. Lukas Rist, who is the lead author of the study….

What does this mean for the average breastfeeding mother–is this good news or bad news? What I don’t want to happen is for women who have poor nutrition and/or cannot afford organic foods to think that their breast milk is somehow inferior or inadequate. Breast milk is always superior to f*rmula; it is always better for a mother to breastfeed her baby rather than switch to f*rmula. The Breastfeeding Answer Book notes:

Research from developing countries and other parts of the world indicates that even mothers who are mildly malnourished produce an adequate supply of good quality milk for their babies and that only under famine or near famine conditions will a mother’s nutrition affect her milk supply or the composition of her milk.

So, the good news from this research is that mothers can enhance the already superior nutritional value of their breast milk by choosing organic dairy and meat products over conventional. Lucky for us that Carrie at Natural Moms Talk Radio just wrote a helpful article with money saving tips for eating more organic foods without busting the budget!

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

WOMAN Challenge Pictures

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Wed, 23 May 2007 17:12:24 +0000

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 for some fresh air, sunshine and invigorating exercise each day . . . except something always manages to make exercise a low priority. Driving my preschooler to school or ballet class, taking my toddler to storytime, going to the park or the mall or the grocery store, doing laundry and of course, blogging.

I have to say though that breastfeeding puts me at a distinct advantage when it comes to exercising. I know if my toddler gets fussy along the trail, we can stop at a bench for a quick nursing session and then happily go on our way. On the weekends, I’ve been known to take 2.5-hour bike rides up to the next town and back. Breastfeeding makes those trips possible.

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