This academic, peer-reviewed journal created by physicians dedicated to the advancement of breastfeeding worldwide provides a scientific forum on breastfeeding and human lactation. With the growing demand for the best evidence-based research advances, this interdisciplinary journal explores the immediate and long-term outcomes of breastfeeding. The Journal focuses on all medical aspects pertaining to breastfeeding and addresses the wide spectrum of research and clinical applications that impact upon the optimal care of mother and infant.

With the recent attacks on the science behind the benefits of breastfeeding, this complimentary journal access is timely and valuable!

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Photo courtesy of Karen Barefoot

Nearly 140,000 post-menopausal women were studied in the Women’s Health Initiative. According to the Vancouver Sun (via One Small Step for Breastfeeding…), the study revealed breastfeeding’s heart health benefits on three levels:

1. Risk Factors. Women who breastfed their babies had lower incidence of the following three risk factors for heart disease: diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

2. Cardiovascular Disease. Women who had never breastfed were significantly more likely to develop heart disease than women who breastfed for seven months or more.

3. Heart Attack and Stroke. Women who breastfed for a cumulative 12 months or more in their lifetimes had a 10% lower incidence of heart attack, stroke, or heart disease later in life.

Researcher Eleanor Bimla Schwarz, MD told WebMD:

The longer women nursed babies, the less likely they were to develop diabetes, heart disease, or stroke. Any breastfeeding was good, but more was better.

The complete study appears in the May 2009 issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

You can’t be there [physically in the NICU] all the time. So it was my way to be able to be there for them all the time. I’m providing for them.

This sentiment echoes exactly what Australian researcher Linda Sweet found when she interviewed parents for her study “Expressed breast milk as ‘connection’ and its influence on the construction of ‘motherhood’ for mothers of preterm infants: a qualitative study,” published in the International Breastfeeding Journal last December. Sweet concluded:

Providing expressed breast milk offered one way the mothers could be physiologically and emotionally connected to their preterm infant while they were in the constant care of hospital staff. Indeed, breast milk was considered the only way the new mother could connect her body (or part there of) to her preterm baby in hospital.

International Breastfeeding Journal 2008, 3:30.

You can see Cathy Robinson’s story and learn invaluable information from the UC San Diego Medical Center staff on the importance of breast milk for premature infants in this CBS interview. Thanks to Mama Knows Breast for highlighting this video!

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

In this survey, we will be asking you some detailed questions about how well you and your baby sleep, where members of your family usually sleep, and how tired you feel on most days. We will also ask you some questions about things that can interfere with sleep. There are very few studies on this important topic, and we will use the results for a research study.

The researchers obviously understand the realities of being a new mother, because they say:

It will take about 20-30 minutes to complete the survey. If you are not able to finish the whole survey in one sitting just close the survey when you need to take a break, by clicking on the X in the upper right corner of your screen. Come back to the same Internet address, at your convenience, to continue.

So click on the link above [link removed because the survey is closed] if you’re interested in contributing to this important research on mothers, sleep, and fatigue. I did and found it very interesting. The two things I would have liked to have seen addressed in the survey: (1) Back to Sleep. I did not see any questions about whether the baby is put to sleep on tummy or back, and I think that significantly affects how well babies sleep, and (2) length of awake times in the night. (a) Say I get a total of eight hours of sleep per night: eight and a half hours from bedtime to waking time, minus half an hour of time awake with the baby. Seems like a good amount, right? But what if that eight hours is broken up into four increments of two hours each, with five to ten minutes of time up with the baby for each waking? Not so good. I find I need at least one block of four hours in a row to feel decent. Anything else and I feel quite sleep deprived (and I’ve gone for years feeling quite sleep deprived!) (b) And how long is the baby awake for each waking at night? I am lucky in that it only takes a few minutes for the baby to nurse back to sleep in our bed at night. But what about mothers who are up for half an hour or more at a stretch? I imagine that would make it much harder to fall back asleep.

What is your sleep situation like? Do you feel sleep deprived? How do you think breastfeeding affects your quality and quantity of sleep? Please leave a comment!

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition examined weight gained during pregnancy and the elimination or retention of that weight postpartum. The authors concluded that exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months as recommended can help most women return to their pre-pregnancy weight by six months postpartum. The study also addressed one of the concerns from a previous review of similar studies in that it took into account the pre-pregnancy Body Mass Index (BMI) of the women studied. Basically it concluded that women who were heavier before pregnancy were the most likely to continue to struggle with weight postpartum. The study also concluded that exclusive breastfeeding resulted in lower postpartum weight retention in all women. Women who gained a reasonable amount of weight during pregnancy and breastfed exclusively for the first six months were likely to return to prepregnancy weight by six months postpartum. According to WebMD, researchers estimated that women who breastfeed retain 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) less than women who don’t breastfeed at six months after giving birth.

Thanks to Mama Knows Breast for highlighting this study!

Photo of scale by peter_w.

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

My first two children were born at hospitals and it seemed like the children’s birth certificates magically showed up for me to sign sometime before we left the hospital. When Nicole was born at home, I had to go through a bunch of legwork to get her birth certificate. On the morning of Nicole’s birth, the midwife carefully explained to me what I would need to do: make an appointment with the county and take this letter and this form and a copy of a utility bill to establish residency. Click my heels three times and repeat, “There’s no place like home (for a birth).” (Just kidding). I nodded my head, yes, I will remember all of this stuff, but really I was lost in a haze of post-birth natural high, consumed by baby love, and I had no room for details in my brain. So about six weeks later when I went to the county, not only did I first go to the Office of Vital Records instead of the Health Department, I then dragged my three-year-old and newborn a few blocks more to the Health Department without an appointment, and I didn’t take a copy of the utility bill. Now I can look back and laugh, but at the time I was not amused about having made mistakes that meant yet more half-hour car rides with a 6-week-old who didn’t like the car seat.

When I think back to all the paperwork I had to fill out to get the birth certificate, I cannot recall having to answer any questions about breastfeeding. So I was surprised to read “Breastfeeding Status on U.S. Birth Certificates: Where Do We Go from Here?” Pediatrics, Vol. 122 No. 6 December 2008, pp. e1159-e1163. It explains that 79 percent of U.S. states collect breastfeeding data for birth certificates, or expect to do so within two years. According to this interesting United States map, California is not yet collecting breastfeeding data on birth certificates (so no, my memory isn’t quite that bad!) Researchers contacted the vital statistics registrars in each of the 50 states, as well as New York City, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico. Nearly 57 percent of the registrars were already reporting breastfeeding status on state birth certificates, although the questions used to collect the information were not standardized. Most states use the Standard Certificate of Live Birth (SCLB) questionnaire (PDF), which asks, “Is the infant being breastfed at discharge?” Six states, New York City, and Washington, DC, developed their own questions. The study authors concluded:

Within the next 2 years, nearly 80% of US states are expected to be collecting breastfeeding data on their birth certificate. This represents a significant contribution to our national breastfeeding surveillance efforts, because data should be collected for every newborn in every participating state, thereby avoiding the potential for sampling bias. Because birth certificates also collect data on several relevant variables that are known to affect breastfeeding outcomes, the inclusion of a breastfeeding question on birth certificates has a strong potential to improve breastfeeding surveillance in the United States. Consistent with the Healthy People 2010 guidelines, we strongly encourage all states and US territories to collect exclusive breastfeeding data on their birth certificates and to monitor this outcome closely. Standardization of the breastfeeding question that is used on state birth certificates should be a priority so that breastfeeding outcomes can be compared across states. The revision of this question should involve a process that includes feedback from health professionals who collect these data, pretesting of the revised question for feasibility, and training of professionals who collect these data.

Were you asked about breastfeeding when you applied for your child’s birth certificate? Do you think the information provided at that time is valuable? I agree that the pertinent question is whether or not the baby is being exclusively breastfed. It would be helpful to see which states are breastfeeding-friendly and which hospitals need to improve exclusive breastfeeding rates and reduce any unnecessary introduction of sugar water or formula.

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Betty initiated flex hours and a family-friendly workplace in the ’60s, long before they became the popular perks they are today. Business hours at the La Leche League International office were set to allow mothers to be home with their children after school. Betty’s ideas about work teams and home offices were also far ahead of their time.

Keep in mind that year-end donations to LLL are being matched by generous donors, so it would be a lovely tribute to Betty to make a donation in her honor.

~ A new study of over 100,000 interviews with parents from the National Child Health Study revealed that breastfeeding can have a positive impact on a child’s behavior:

Parents of children who were breast-fed were 15 percent less likely to be concerned about their child’s behavior, compared to formula-fed infants. And the breast-fed children were 37 percent less likely to have a medically diagnosed behavioral or conduct problem, according to the study.

Thanks to reader Kelley for the link!

~ This year’s Quintessence Foundation Breastfeeding Challenge had a fantastic turnout with 357 sites in 18 countries! View the 2008 results here!

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~ If you are breastfeeding and scheduled for a breast biopsy, you could participate in a groundbreaking research study. Tanya at the Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog explains how “when you make milk, cells from your milk ducts are exfoliated off in the process. These are called epithelial cells, and they’re detectable in your milk. Past research has demonstrated that long before we notice a lump, those epithelial cells start changing in ways that are precursors to the development of breast cancer.” If you participate in the study at no cost to you, your milk sample could help in the development of a non-invasive means of determining breast cancer risk through breast milk.

~ The Health and Wellness Channel here at b5media features its own blog dedicated to breast cancer awareness written by Karen Lynch. To celebrate BCAM, Karen is running a prize giveaway every day this month! Check out Pink Ribbon Review for your chance to win!

~ Boob Maternity and Nursing sells a “Boob Think Pink” nursing top for CDN $65 at Milkface.com. Three Euros from the sale of each tee goes toward breast cancer research.

~ Breastfeeding 1-2-3 features several articles on breastfeeding and breast cancer:

~ Leaking Breast Milk after Surgery for Breast Abscess or Lumpectomy
~ 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

Among the study findings were that one-fourth of mothers do not place their child on their backs to sleep, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, and 34 percent regularly co-slept with their infants. In addition, only 8 percent of mothers experienced six “baby-friendly” hospital practices that encourage and assist mothers with breastfeeding. The more of these practices experienced, the greater the likelihood that mothers would breastfeed for six weeks or longer. Pertaining to food practices, nearly all mothers who fed their infants formula used an iron-fortified product, and more than 20 percent of infants had a food-related health problem, including 6 percent with allergies.

It is not at all surprising to me that mothers are not receiving proper encouragement and assistance in hospitals for breastfeeding. Those findings are consistent with the 2007 CDC National Survey of Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care, which found that 70 percent of birth facilities continue to undermine breastfeeding by marketing formula to new mothers.

Those findings are also consistent with my experience when I prepared to give birth this past July. I researched Baby-Friendly Hospitals and did not find any in my area. When I examined the breastfeeding rates in the hospitals near me, they were disappointingly low. I was glad to have a home birth and a successful start to breastfeeding.

Hopefully the results of the Infant Feeding Practices Study II will inspire additional practice-specific research and lead to greater support for breastfeeding.

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

The average uncomplicated vaginal birth costs 68% less in a home than in a hospital, and births initiated in the home offer a lower combined rate of intrapartum and neonatal mortality and a lower incidence of cesarean delivery.

“The Cost-Effectiveness of Home Birth.” J Nurse Midwifery. 1999 Jan-Feb;44(1):30-5. Gee, what a novel concept — care that costs less but has a better outcome!

I did an informal survey of sources online to determine that the average hospital birth costs around $8,000 in the United States, depending on exactly where the mother lives. That does not include the additional costs of an epidural or cesarean section, nor does it include the prenatal care from a physician, which costs anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000. For the sake of discussion, let’s say the total cost of prenatal care and physician-assisted hospital birth is approximately $10,000. Compare that to my prenatal care and home birth with a midwife, which cost a total of $4,300. That’s $5,700 — nearly 60% — less! And I was far happier with my home birth experience than my two hospital birth experiences.

Guess how much of that $4,300 my insurance company covered? $2,947.08. Compare that to what the insurance company theoretically would have paid for physician-assisted hospital birth: $8,000! By that token, the insurance company should have been paying ME to have a home birth. My choice of home birth saved the company over $5,000. And the irony is, I had to fight to get the company to cover a home birth at all. Because there were in-network midwives who could attend births at a hospital, the insurance company initially denied my request for a homebirth. I had to have my midwife write a letter to the company stating that I had a “medical need” for a homebirth (basically we argued that I had had such bad hospital experiences — with a fourth-degree tear and a failed epidural — that for my mental health I needed a home birth!) Luckily, the company agreed to pay, although I had to pay 25% co-insurance, rather than 20% co-insurance for an in-network provider. In the end, I wound up paying about $450 less out of pocket for a homebirth, and had a safe and satisfying birth.

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3