The Telegraph quotes study leader Alison Steube:

“Pregnancy is associated with a number of things that you normally wouldn’t want to happen to your body including storing more fat and having higher than normal levels of fatty acids circulating in the blood. By breastfeeding, mothers can convert those energy reserves into nutrition for their infants.

Breastfeeding isn’t just good for babies, it’s good for mothers, too.”

Of course I think this is great news, although I realize women are not going to base their decision whether or not to breastfeed on the fact that it reduces heart attack risk. It’s just a nice little reward for those who do decide to breastfeed.

What scares the heck out of me is that like the nurses in the study, I gave birth in 2002. I’m among a group of women who are having heart attacks?! Thank goodness I’ve been breastfeeding for a total of almost five years! Thank goodness I exercise and eat well!

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

The results surprised and pleased me with the answers weighted heavily towards a combination of mother- and child-led weaning (37%) or child-led weaning (24%), followed by “I’m not sure. We’ll see how it goes.” (17%).

The full results:

Please answer the new poll in the sidebar! To see all prior poll results, click here.

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

“My little darling, Faith, is 31 months old and still nursing on demand and I fully intend to allow her to decide when it’s time to wean. I’m working from home, so that has never been an issue for us.

Throughout her life, I’ve gone about feeding her just like I would go about feeding myself–whenever she was hungry she would get “booby” and it didn’t matter where we were. One time my aunt-in-law (who has no children) expressed embarrassment because I didn’t cover her up. She actually went so far as to suggest I go to the car to feed Faith. I refused to do either. I explained to her in a diplomatic (I felt) but firm way that I don’t expect her (my aunt) to cover up while she’s eating, why would I do that to my infant? I didn’t hear much about it after that–though I would get the occasional “look.”

As Faith has gotten older, family members have become bolder in suggesting it’s time to wean. My step-sister, who had a child one year after Faith was born, proudly told the family at Christmas dinner that she weaned hers at 6 weeks, because babies shouldn’t be sucking on breasts for that long. At the time Faith was having a drink, which I found to be quite humorous. I guess I never was good at putting my child’s well-being behind what the community as a whole felt was normal (I’m also an attachment parent, to a certain degree). I try to be a little more discreet about it now, but only so far as to go into a separate room (not a toilet) so they don’t have to look at such a “shocking” thing. LOL Luckily, for me, my husband sees nothing wrong with giving Faith the “booby” whenever she wants it. I’m glad for that as having his full support makes bucking the “system” so much easier.

So far I’ve successfully stuck to my guns. I’m sure there will be a new onslaught of weaning suggestions when Faith turns 3, but that’s okay. She’ll be happy and, to be honest, I’ll be happy. I love the time we spend together while she’s nursing. We’re at the point now where she talks with her mouth full and even hums little songs while she’s doing it. I tell her stories and she laughs–I love it. There’s nothing more precious than looking into your child’s eyes while they’re so close to you and seeing that love and tenderness and contentedness. Even more, since she’s at the age now where she can climb up and lift my shirt and bra by herself, I get a good giggle as she works to make herself comfortable. I would have missed those precious memories if I would have weaned early, I think.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to tell my story. It’s sites like yours that give nursing mothers the knowledge and courage to do what’s right for their children (as well as show the dads that “Hey! See? I told you it’s not strange!”) Faith and I both appreciate it.”

Jennifer, thank you for sharing your story! I’m so glad that you have stuck to your convictions about what’s right for your daughter in spite of negative comments from those around you.

If Jennifer’s story has inspired you to share your own breastfeeding experience, please click here. To read more breastfeeding stories, click here.

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

“My name is Lissa and I am a member of the New Mexico Breast Feeding Task force, I have an Masters in Public Health, I am working on my PhD in Health Communication, and I am, of course, a proud breastfeeding mamma of a beautiful (and healthy) 2 year old.

Currently we have two bills that have been introduced into the NM 2007 legislative session. HB 613: Breastpump Use in the Workplace and SB 170: Expand Jury Service Exemptions. You can find them both at the NM Legislative Website.

This Tuesday [February 6, 2007] HB 613 is scheduled to be heard by the House Labor and Human Resources committee. We are looking for employee-breastfeeders or employers who support breastfeeding to attend the committee meeting which starts at 1:30 p.m. in room 305 of the Capital building in Santa Fe.

Please email me directly if think you can be at the hearing, you’d
like to be added to our NMLACTLEG listserv, or you have questions
about New Mexico Lactation Legislation group. My email address is
lissaknudsen@gmail.com.”

Good luck Lissa and all New Mexico lactivists! Keep up the good work!

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Not later than the 2008-2009 school year, all state school districts shall provide instruction on the benefits of breastfeeding. This instruction shall be given in a general health and safety course in grades nine (9) through (12).

Imagine how far such a provision would go to promote breastfeeding! This would help counter some Americans’ erroneous perception that infant formula is as good as breast milk. It would teach young people that breastfeeding is the “default” — that it is so beneficial that it should be every parent’s first choice, and formula should only be used as a breast milk substitute when breastfeeding is contraindicated. Wouldn’t it be nice to reach teenagers before the formula companies do?

Wyoming House Bill 105 (PDF version) also would exempt breastfeeding from Wyoming’s indecent exposure law, allow breastfeeding mothers to be excused from jury duty, provide for a breastfeeding mother friendly workplace, allow for protection of breastfeeding mothers who are incarcerated and provide criminal penalties for interfering with breastfeeding.

A few of those are so noteworthy they bear further discussion. The incarceration provision states that if a mother is breastfeeding her child under one year of age at the time of incarceration, or while incarcerated gives birth to a child she will breastfeed, the child may accompany her to the jail until the child reaches one year of age.

The workplace protections (so important in light of the United States’ dismal record in this regard) would require an employer to provide a private location and a flexible work schedule for a breastfeeding mother, including scheduling 15 minute breaks every two hours for breastfeeding or pumping.

If enacted as written, the criminal penalties would provide even stronger protection than the recently enacted local legislation in Wisconsin. This law would make it a misdemeanor to interfere with a mother breastfeeding her child and violators would face imprisonment up to six months and/or a fine of up to $750!

I commend Representative Kathy Davison and the co-sponsors of the bill for proposing broad protections for the promotion and protection of breastfeeding.

[Edited to add update: Wyoming Legislation Stalls in Committee]

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

To see the results of the prior poll, click on Poll Results: On-Line Sales of Breast Milk.

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

The results turned out to be quite divided when I aggregated all of the “yes” and “no” votes:

The complete results are as follows:

Sure, I’d buy the milk if I needed it: 2% of votes
Yes, it’s a matter of buyer-beware: 15%
Yes, if the milk has been tested and pasteurized: 8%
Yes, if the buyer plans to test and pasteurize the milk: 2%
Yes, if there is a site set up to regulate it: 13%
No, never, it’s too dangerous: 13%
No, never, it’s unethical/morally wrong: 0%
No, mothers should donate to nonprofit milk banks: 19%
No, for each of those three reasons: 21%
I’m not sure: 6%

The prevailing sentiment was that mothers should donate to nonprofit milk banks. The combined vote for the answers “No, mothers should donate to nonprofit milk banks” and “No, for each of those three reasons” was 40% of the total votes. To read more about donation of breast milk, click here. To read all prior poll results, click here.

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Lactivists, feel free to steal that–LOL–just give me and my subconscious proper credit. Good luck at Wal-Mart tomorrow!

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Support for breastfeeding

– 107 countries protect working women’s right to breastfeed; in at least 73 of these the breaks are paid. The U.S. does not guarantee the right to breastfeed, even though breastfeeding is proven to reduce infant mortality.

That is why the proposed legislation in Oregon is such a good idea and why we need more laws like the one recently passed in Oklahoma. Not only that but it would be nice to get guaranteed paid maternity leave.

Leave around childbearing

– Out of 173 countries studied, 168 countries offer guaranteed leave with income to women in connection with childbirth; 98 of these countries offer 14 or more weeks paid leave. Although in a number of countries, many women work in the informal sector, where these government guarantees do not always apply, the fact remains that the U.S. guarantees no paid leave for mothers in any segment of the work force, leaving it in the company of only 4 other nations: Lesotho, Liberia, Papua New Guinea, and Swaziland.

That is pitiful! The really sad thing is that the lack of paid maternity leave translates into lower breastfeeding rates among impoverished women (who cannot afford to take unpaid maternity leave) and those are the women who can least afford the cost of formula!

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

A public hearing on the measure is tentatively scheduled for February 7th, 2007 before the House Human Services and Women’s Wellness Committee. It’s vital that working and pumping mothers in Oregon appear to testify about their experiences pumping at work. Testimony describing both good and bad experiences and the value of supporting breastfeeding mothers will help counter any resistance from the business community. The Committee needs to hear that breastfed babies get sick less often and less severely and that businesses who support breastfeeding mothers will benefit from reduced absenteeism from working mothers caring for sick children.

If you want to testify, contact Chris through the link to the Reluctant Lactivist blog above. Even if you cannot testify, you can support the legislation by sending an email using this form.

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3