Recently my body sent me a little warning that I needed to slow down. My husband was out of town last week and that left me on my own (with the three kids) for five days. I shuttled the girls to daily swim lessons, weekly library story time, the children’s museum and a playdate. On top of that I made a concerted effort to keep up with the laundry and other housekeeping chores. By the end of the week, the kids were happy, the house was tidy, but I was wiped out and my body told me so! On Saturday …read more

Here I am, mother of three, with nearly six years of breastfeeding experience, a year-and-a-half as a breastfeeding counselor, and nearly two years writing this blog. You would think I would know how to prevent any and all breastfeeding problems. Really though, the problems I have dealt with over the years are the reason I became a breastfeeding counselor in the first place. And this time around, while I could not prevent problems, I knew better how to deal with them.
1. Painful latch. For the first few days, I winced as the baby latched on. I checked for a good …read more

Welcome to the first Carnival of Breastfeeding, a monthly feature of contributions from several breastfeeding bloggers. Today we have five posts based on the theme “Home for the Holidays.”
I offer Ten Tips for Breast Health to help prevent breast infections. Cold and flu season, holiday travel and the excitement of the festivities can make breastfeeding mothers particularly vulnerable to plugged ducts and mastitis this time of year. Find out how to have a happy and healthy holiday season!
Jen at The Lactivist gives important information on Breastfeeding and Holiday Travel including the status of various state laws regarding breastfeeding in public.
Tanya …read more

With American Thanksgiving and the December holidays fast approaching, does it make me a Grinch if I point out that ’tis the season for breast infections? As exciting and fun as the holidays are, they can be stressful, too. For nursing mothers, that stress can translate into plugged ducts and mastitis. Here are ten tips to help prevent breast infections this holiday season:
1. Wash your hands often. What does hand-washing have to do with breast infections? Frequent hand-washing can reduce the number of respiratory illnesses you contract by up to 45 percent. Bouts of colds and flu wear down nursing …read more