The April Carnival of Breastfeeding will feature tips on “how to” do all sorts of things related to breastfeeding! Potential topics include how to deal with a plugged duct, how to pick a breast pump, etc.

Have a tip you want to share in a carnival post on your blog? Email me your submission by April 13, 2009, for consideration for the carnival on April 20, 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 commentary directly on point for the …read more

In this video Dr. Jack Newman guides a woman in using the cross-cradle hold to latch her baby onto the breast. While there are many different breastfeeding positions, the cross-cradle hold can be particularly helpful for newborns. Note how the mother is not forcefully pushing the baby’s head onto the breast, but rather is simply supporting the head and bringing the baby tummy-to-tummy and using her arm on the baby’s back and hand under the baby’s face. This position also allows for breast compressions (using the mother’s thumb on top of the breast and four fingers underneath the breast to …read more

Nursing covers are not for everyone, but if a cover helps you feel more comfortable breastfeeding in public, you might be glad to find these instructions to sew your own “Bebe au Lait”-style nursing cover. Heather at Sleek Mama created these detailed pattern instructions and sewed two stylish covers for just $8!

In this video, registered nurses and lactation consultants Corky Harvey and Wendy Haldeman offer advice and reassurance about breastfeeding in public. These women project the right attitude (in my opinion) about nursing in public — anywhere (except the public restroom), anytime, with confidence. I especially love their answer to the question: “How do I deal with curious kids when nursing in public?” The one tip I would add about nursing a distractible baby in public is to use a sling!
VideoJug: Tips For Breastfeeding In Public

Want to save money on nursing pads and help save the environment too? Several sources provide very simple instructions for making reusable nursing pads from flannel receiving blankets, old cotton t-shirts, or fleece fabric. Check out these options:
NJW of Associated Content — uses a CD as a circle pattern to make reusable nursing pads out of flannel
Frugal Families — suggests four layers of flannel rather than two
Frugal Baby Tips — uses old cotton t-shirts
mistymq on eHow — uses fleece and t-shirt cotton or flannel, and adds a waterproof fabric layer (PUL, drapery lining or plastic diaper cover-ups)
For more “do-it-yourself” projects …read more

With the new World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) 2008 logo and theme already set, it’s a good time to think about what worked for this year’s WBW events. World Breastfeeding Week serves at least two purposes: (1) fundraising and (2) promoting breastfeeding awareness (not necessarily in that order!)
Fundraising Opportunities
La Leche League offers a list of fundraising ideas. In my area, five La Leche League groups worked together to plan a WBW walk, bike ride, and potluck lunch for a Saturday in August. One person volunteered to coordinate all the activities, one person took charge of the finances for the day, …read more

Think hand expression is unnecessary or too difficult? Dr. Jane Morton offers a free video that demonstrates how to teach mothers (or how to learn for oneself) the technique for hand expression of breast milk. When I interviewed Dr. Morton last March, she mentioned new research that suggests that hand expression used in conjunction with pumping in the first three days is much more effective in promoting subsequent milk production than pumping alone. She said if women were taught to hand express in the first three days after giving birth, their milk production could be boosted significantly and fewer women …read more

The other day I wrote about Using Cloth Diapers. While using cloth diapers can help a family save money in the long run (see this savings calculator), the initial investment can be quite expensive depending on the cloth diapering system and brand you choose. I bought my Fuzzi Bunz diapers used on eBay. I’ve had friends who have had success with the sales forums at diaperpin.com (one friend advised that it’s best to create your username and password and login before searching for diapers because the items listed often sell quickly and you’ll want to get the contact information and …read more

This video is practically worth watching just for the seven and a half minutes of adorable baby goodness! In those seven and a half minutes though you will learn all about how to give your baby a soothing massage. Massage can help promote growth, improve digestion and soothe a colicky baby.
VideoJug: How To Massage Your Baby For Health And Happiness
Have you tried infant massage? Did it help your baby?
If you enjoyed this video, check out the video category for more!

When I first found the video on how to perform a breast self-exam, I was disappointed not to find a VideoJug video on how to breastfeed. Fortunately the website has a place to submit requests for future video topics and my request was granted! The following is a very helpful five-minute video on how to breastfeed a newborn. Keep in mind that the video shows the naked breast and nipple and may not be appropriate for viewing at work or in front of children (although I have to giggle to myself because my kids would not think anything of this …read more