1. Klean Kanteen Water Bottles. Staying hydrated is important for the breastfeeding mother but remembering to drink enough water can be difficult for the busy new mom. It helps to keep water beside the nursing chair and by the bed. Make it easier for the new mother with one or more of these Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel Colored Water Bottles. I like Klean Kanteen because the bottles are made from food grade stainless steel that is non-leaching, toxin-free and BPA-free. It’s an environmentally-friendly choice both because it eliminates the waste of plastic water bottles and because these steel bottles are 100% recyclable! They sell for anywhere from $9.25 to $29.95.

2. A Journal. For under $15 you can give this beautiful leather journal that is perfect for the mother-on-the-go to tuck in her diaper bag or stash in the side of the nursing rocker/glider. I know that I was constantly trying to remember to jot down “firsts” or cute things that my children did or said. It would be lovely for any parent to have the Blue Embossed Dragonfly Leather Journal to keep on hand.

3. Digital Camera. The birth of a baby presents the perfect occasion to buy or upgrade to a new digital camera like the popular Canon PowerShot Digital Camera. Time passes so quickly with a newborn and while you think you’ll remember just how your baby looked at a certain time, it’s always amazing to look back on the photographic evidence of steady changes in the growing nursling. At the time of this post this camera is going for $169 on Amazon.com.

4. DVD Set. In the early months before my baby started paying attention to the television, I would spend a lot of my time snuggling and nursing in front of the TV. Movies or sets of television shows would make an excellent gift for new parents. For under $10 a good choice is Friends: The Complete First Season. In later seasons, breastfeeding gets mentioned in some of the humor!

5. Organic Cotton Sheets. When we weren’t in front of the television set it was highly likely my baby and I could be found resting in bed. So while organic cotton sheets might seem like an unusual gift choice, they’re something I really would have appreciated. Once I learned the side-lying position for breastfeeding, I found I could get a lot of rest by nursing in bed. If the baby is going to be with the mother in bed for nursing sessions and possibly for co-sleeping too, then it’s particularly important that the sheets be organic cotton.

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Once I became pregnant and then became a nursing mother, I became increasingly concerned about the products I use and the chemicals they contain. This deodorant contains natural mineral salts and ammonium alum and checks out well on the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Database. It’s important to note that this product is a deodorant and not an anti-perspirant. While you might still sweat, the crystal provides a natural barrier against odor-causing bacteria. You simply moisten the stone (or apply it to wet armpits after a shower) and thoroughly cover the entire arm-pit area. The product is fragrance-free, hypoallergenic, and non-staining. I have found it to be non-sticky and very easy to use. My husband immediately jumped on board and he loves it too!

Now this is not an invitation for my friends in real life to come sniffing me the next time they see me, although I’m confident I’d smell pretty darn good! I was not sent a sample and I paid my own hard-earned $4 for this product (it retails for $4.95 and is even cheaper on Amazon). That’s an incredible price given that the product claims to last for a year! My husband and I have used it for a month and the stone looks essentially the same size.

I bought the three-ounce stone which comes in a small, recyclable cardboard box, but for the squeamish or particularly sensitive the product also comes in a stick or a spray mist (the company claims the mist is the best choice for those who are allergic to traditional deodorants). I happen to like the fact that it’s unscented, but the company recently introduced several scented versions as well. Naturally Fresh isn’t the only rock crystal deodorant out there (my husband said there were four brands offered at Whole Foods) but this is one of the more popular and I can see why. Today I cleaned house and wrangled a toddler and had company over to dinner, and at the end of a long day, in my humble opinion I smell far better than I would have if I’d used a brand of main-stream scented deodorant/anti-perspirant. I can see that on the hottest days or after a heavy workout I might have to wash and re-apply the deodorant, but that is true of any other brand I’ve ever tried and I think this one out-performs them all for a fraction of the price.

Have you tried Naturally Fresh Crystal Deodorant or a similar product? What do you think?

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

~ Check out the 12 full-color pictures from the IBFAN Breastfeeding Calendar 2010. The calendar is available from Baby Milk Action for £7, £6 if ordering 10 or more. Add £2 per calendar for shipping and handling outside the United Kingdom (although you might be able to order a calendar from your national International Baby Food Action Netork group).

~ The 2010 Australian Breastfeeding Association Calendar features 14 breastfeeding pictures selected from thousands of submissions. It sells for AUD $15 plus postage.

La Leche League of Central Lake County, IL 2010 Breastfeeding Calendar

~ New this year is the La Leche League of Central Lake County, IL 2010 breastfeeding calendar! You can preview the pictures at the site and order through PayPal. Each calendar is sold for $15.00, including tax and shipping. Proceeds from the sale of the calendar will help fund breastfeeding education and support for the mothers and children of Central Lake County, Illinois.

~ Also new this year is the 2010 Calendar from the Rugby Breastfeeding Cafe in the UK. You can watch a slide show of the pictures, then order the calendar for £10 plus shipping. It’s available both in and outside the UK.

~ The New Mexico Breastfeeding Task Force held a contest for pictures for its 2010 Breastfeeding Calendar. Watch the task force home page for announcement of the 2010 release. The 2009 version is still for sale.

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

The week before I had been shopping for popsicles and could not find a single kind that did not have corn syrup or was not made by Nestlé (which in the ice cream/popsicle aisle masquerades as Edy’s and Dreyer’s and Häagen-Dazs among others.) It’s time for me to start making my own popsicles again! In the past I’ve used an ice cube tray and cut straws or popsicle sticks. Anyone have a suggestion for a good popsicle mold — a metal or BPA-free plastic one?

Why Boycott Nestlé?

For some history and reasoning behind the Nestlé boycott, see “Should You Boycott Nestlé?”

The #NestleFamily Controversy

Recently Nestlé invited a group of bloggers out to California to learn more about the company. In a whirlwind of #NestleFamily debate on Twitter, many breastfeeding advocates expressed disappointment that people were accepting a free trip and gifts from Nestlé in spite of the company’s history of unethical marketing practices. Some bloggers defended their decision as being open to a dialogue with the company. I would not have been interested in hearing what the company had to say at such a one-sided publicity event, but I have found Nestlé’s answers to some questions posed by Annie at PhD in Parenting to be fascinating and informative (well, Annie’s discussion is informative; Nestlé’s answers are a bunch of double-speak.)

Which Products are Nestlé Products?

Nestlé owns many brand names and it can be tricky to keep up with all of them. Check out this Nestlé product boycott list compiled by Amy at Crunchy Domestic Goddess.

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Last week I reviewed the set of “Laugh and Learn” DVDs on childbirth, newborn baby care, and breastfeeding. Now is your chance to win these four helpful DVDs!

The Products

You can win this 4-DVD set of three classes: Laugh and Learn About Childbirth, Laugh and Learn About Newborn Baby Care, and Laugh and Learn About Breastfeeding. The whole DVD set currently sells for $79.95 on the Laugh and Learn site. I see that if you want to watch the classes online they are offered that way at a discount too!

How to Enter

The contest is open to entrants with a mailing address in the United States. You have three chances to win! For your first entry, simply leave a comment on this post using a valid email address before the end of the day Friday, October 16, 2009 Pacific Coast Time. For a second chance to win, mention this contest on your blog with a link back to this post, and — this is the key part to get a second entry number — leave a second comment letting me know about your post! For a third chance to win, mention this contest on Twitter @Breastfeed123 and come back to leave another comment. The winning comment number will be picked at random using Random.org. I will notify the winner on Saturday, October 17 both at Blisstree.com/Breastfeeding123/ and by email. The winner will have until Tuesday, October 20, 2009, to get back to me with a postal mailing address for shipping within the United States, or another winner will be selected. Good luck!

Leave a comment below!

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Laugh and Learn about Childbirth

Sheri Bayles has taught over 4,000 couples in the New York area and worked over 20 years as an Ob/Gyn nurse. The “Laugh and Learn about Childbirth” class is a 2-DVD set for a total of 4 hours and 15 minutes. Of all the DVDs, I enjoyed these the most. When I was pregnant with my first child, my husband and I took a Lamaze class offered through the local hospital. Frankly we would have been far more comfortable and invested a lot less of our time watching this DVD class at home! Sheri talks about “normal birth” and what happens when a “cascade of interventions” begins (such as in my first labor when I decided to get an epidural, needed IV fluids, had to have a catheter, and nearly had to be given pitocin when the epidural slowed down my labor).

One of the most powerful things presented in this class is how to talk to the doctor and nurses about managing your own labor. Want to breathe through the pushing stage but the doctor and nurses are telling you to hold your breath and push to a count of 10? Confidently say that you would like to try breathing and pushing for a while and see what progress you make, and if that is not going well you will switch.

The DVDs came out in 2007 and contained a lot of information from studies up to that point. The only change I would have liked to have seen was with the information presented and paper insert given about cord blood banking and a particular company. While I think it’s important for parents to learn about cord blood banking and make an informed decision, that felt more like an advertisement than information. It doesn’t diminish my recommendation of Laugh and Learn About Childbirth though and I highly recommend it.

Laugh and Learn about Newborn Baby Care

This short newborn baby care class covers everything the hospital nurse tried to teach me in 10 minutes before I was discharged from the hospital. I wish I had had this DVD to watch in the comfort of my home before I gave birth!

The class would be particularly helpful for husbands or partners to watch so that they can become comfortable caring for the baby as well. The lessons cover giving a sponge bath, diaper changes and dressing a newborn, swaddling, tub baths, diapers and dressing for a 3-month-old, and baby supplies. I recommend Laugh and Learn About Newborn Baby Care highly as well.

Laugh and Learn about Breastfeeding

As a breastfeeding blogger you know I watched Laugh and Learn About Breastfeeding first! As I said, Sheri is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. She nursed her twin boys for nine months, which is an admirable accomplishment! The nine lessons offered are generally helpful and present some good information. There are just a few things I want to note. Sheri recommends breastfeeding for 10-15 minutes on one side, then breaking the latch, burping the baby and switching to the other side. For many mothers and babies that might work fine, but I see an awful lot of women at breastfeeding support meetings who have low supply because they followed advice to limit feedings to that short of a duration. Ideally babies should nurse on one side until they are done, and they are “done” when they either fall asleep at the breast or pop themselves off. Sheri also mentioned starting a bottle at two weeks, and ideally I think that should wait until four weeks. She talks about pumping a bottle for the partner to give in the evening so the mother can sleep: the mother last nurses at 8 or so, goes to bed, the partner feeds the baby at 11 or so, and then the mother gets up at 2 to feed the baby again. That could give the mother 5-6 consecutive hours of sleep, which I agree would be heavenly. However, nighttime is some of the most important time for nursing sessions to build up and maintain the mother’s milk supply. Some mothers who do have a good supply might experience engorgement, which is not only painful but can also spiral over time into lower supply as the body signals itself to stop producing as much milk because the breasts are uncomfortably full. Again, some mothers have success with the “relief bottle” but others need to be careful with that.

I have to mention one other thing, simply because I found it so funny! Sheri demonstrates different breastfeeding positions (and by the way I love the footage of the mothers breastfeeding their newborns in those positions!) In the DVD there is a written banner across the screen with the title of each hold. After the “Cross-Cradle” and “Football” holds, some sports-loving man must have been a little confused, because the banner read “Sideline” position (as in the sideline of a “football” field?) instead of “Side-lying” position. It does not affect the quality of the information presented, but it gave me a giggle!

Conclusion

I enjoyed these DVDs and will be passing them on to my sister who is due with her first baby later this month. If you have watched any of these DVDs, please leave a comment and let us know your opinion as well. If not, stop by on Monday and enter the contest to win your own set of “Laugh and Learn” DVDs!

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

It’s refreshing to see evidence- and practice-based breastfeeding recommendations from a doctor. While most physicians receive very little education in breastfeeding, Dr. Neifert has many years of experience practicing breastfeeding medicine as a pediatrician, co-founder of one of the very first breastfeeding centers in the United States, and co-founder of the Denver Mothers’ Milk Bank (among a long list of credentials, not the least of which is having breastfed her own five children!)

The book strikes the perfect balance between informative and accessible, enthusiastic and non-judgmental. It gives women the tools and encouragement to get breastfeeding off to a good start and to continue breastfeeding through any challenges or changes in the breastfeeding relationship. It covers common breastfeeding problems, working and pumping, special circumstances such as medical issues or multiples, toddler nursing, breastfeeding during pregnancy and tandem nursing. I liked the tone of the book and agreed with the vast majority of the breastfeeding and parenting advice presented in it. The only issue on which we part ways is bed-sharing/night-time parenting (I’m a huge fan of co-sleeping to maximize sleep for mother and baby and to help maintain a good milk supply for the mother especially if she plans to return to work), but I was still pleased to see Dr. Neifert offer some guidelines for safe co-sleeping.

I very highly recommend Great Expectations: The Essential Guide to Breastfeeding. What about you? Have you read the book? Please leave a comment with your own book review!

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Photo by Maira Kouvara

Nursing Clothes Pattern Retailers

Blessed Designs – click on “Nursing Patterns” in the sidebar and you can find patterns for nursing lingerie (nursing sleep bra, nightgown, camisole and tummy cover), a hoodie sweatshirt and jacket, and nursing shirts.

Elizabeth Lee Designs – offers an entire Nursing Classics line with several patterns for nursing tops, nightgowns, swimsuits and coverups, dresses, slips, and jumpers.

Sew Baby – offers a collection of nursing patterns including ones from Blessed Designs, Elizabeth Lee Designs, Kwik Sew, and SewFast Nursing Designs.

Jalie – highlights a few shirt patterns that function as discreet nursing tops.

Kwik Sew – features a pattern for a maternity nursing gown. I have linked directly to the pattern but if you are outside the United States, you might wish to visit the main page to select your country.

Baker Lane Dressmaking and Design — “Catherine’s Choice” is a particularly modest dress that serves as a maternity dress followed by a nursing dress.

Common Sense Patterns – offers another modest women’s shirtwaist nursing dress that includes an option for a shawl to use as an extra nursing cover. (Note that this company is currently up for sale so check availability).

For Help with Your Nursing Pattern Sewing Projects

There is a Nursing Mothers’ Sewing List for e-mail support. Its pattern sources page also lists out-of-print nursing patterns like Butterick #6553 and McCall’s #8254 which sometimes can be found on eBay and the like.

Your Projects

Do you have a nursing pattern you particularly like? Do you have any tips for sewing nursing clothing? Please leave a comment!

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

What do you think of the ad? My first thought was, “Way to go Medela! You actually showed actual breastfeeding, on television!” (Yes, actually, that is how I actually thought it LOL). Apparently though this version of the ad is a revision from a previous version that received complaints from the lactation community, and still the ad has received criticism for implying that a pump and bottles are necessary for breastfeeding, and for showing breast milk as a commodity in a grocery store, in a newspaper ad with coupons, and on a billboard. The whole point of the ad is that you will not find breast milk that way, but then there is still the impression at the end of the ad that a breastfeeding mother will need a pump to remove the milk from her breasts and need bottles to feed the baby. I don’t know. Medela is already in hot water with some in the lactation community for marketing bottles and nipples (teats) as a feeding system apart from a breast pump in violation of the WHO International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes. That marketing definitely bothers me. But this ad? I guess I am easily swayed by any portrayal of breastfeeding on television and by a cute smiling baby. I didn’t find the ad so troubling, and some breastfeeding women do need pumps and bottles.

So, what do you think of the ad? Is it a great promotion for breastfeeding or a devious undermining of breastfeeding? A little of both?

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3