Tri-County Health Department celebrated World Breastfeeding Month with a special day to honor their 370 clients who have exclusively breastfed their babies within the past year. As a reward, the women received a spa day that included a facial, massage, healthy snacks and prizes donated by local merchants.
"Breastfeeding has numerous health benefits for babies and moms, so encouraging mothers to nurse is a win-win situation from a public health standpoint," states Anne Bennett, Director or Nutrition at Tri-County Health Department. " Exclusively breastfed babies are less likely to have food allergies and related problems such as diarrhea, vomiting, stomach infections and respiratory infections."
"Breastfeeding also helps new moms lose their pregnancy weight. Breastfeeding burns over 500 calories a day for the women who don't supplement with formula. It takes the average woman two hours of aerobic activity, such as moderate walking, to burn 500 calories," Bennett added. "Scientific research also suggests that breastfeeding might reduce the mother's risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer and osteoporosis."
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Saturday, September 30, 2006
Breast-feeding ABCs (Exeter News-Letter )
Catrina Lavoie never gave a second thought to her decision to breast-feed when she became pregnant with twins.
She successfully nursed her daughter, so she had no qualms about going the same route with the twin boys. But the young mother often got comments from people, including her pediatrician, who couldn't believe she would attempt to feed two babies at the same time. You'll never make enough milk, her doctor said during one visit, before suggesting Lavoie use formula.
But for Lavoie, the choice to breast-feed felt like the right thing to do for her baby boys, and she did not want to give up, despite her doctor's suggestion. She remembered the Women Infants and Children office had a lactation consultant and gave them a phone call. The woman she spoke with told her it was definitely possible to nurse twins as long as they were healthy, and had Wendy Jordan, the lactation coordinator, call her back.
click to read more...
She successfully nursed her daughter, so she had no qualms about going the same route with the twin boys. But the young mother often got comments from people, including her pediatrician, who couldn't believe she would attempt to feed two babies at the same time. You'll never make enough milk, her doctor said during one visit, before suggesting Lavoie use formula.
But for Lavoie, the choice to breast-feed felt like the right thing to do for her baby boys, and she did not want to give up, despite her doctor's suggestion. She remembered the Women Infants and Children office had a lactation consultant and gave them a phone call. The woman she spoke with told her it was definitely possible to nurse twins as long as they were healthy, and had Wendy Jordan, the lactation coordinator, call her back.
click to read more...
Forget those labor horror stories, breast-feeding is the scary part (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES)
Our mothers think we're crazy. Though few of them had full-time careers while they were pregnant and raising infants, they did all have lives, they tell us now. They went places. Did things. Drank coffee. Had cocktails. They were not, in other words, breast-feeding their babies every two hours.
And somehow, they kindly point out, those babies survived. Nurtured on powdered formula and instant cereal, we grew into healthy, successful adults.
In response, we just smile our smug, how-little-they-knew-then smiles. Because we'd sooner buy a flammable cradle with its razor-sharp edges coated in lead paint than give our own precious babies food from a can.
Every generation finds its own way to make peace with the bone-grinding hard work that is new motherhood. For the women of the late '60s-early '70s Lamaze era, grueling labor stories were the key to establishing one's status as a martyr. So even if you stashed your little one in a plastic playpen while having a cigarette and a nice, long gossip with your neighbor, you could still claim the moral high ground of motherhood by invoking the 36-hour-long labor you endured with only deep breathing and a reluctantly enlightened husband to dull the pain.
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And somehow, they kindly point out, those babies survived. Nurtured on powdered formula and instant cereal, we grew into healthy, successful adults.
In response, we just smile our smug, how-little-they-knew-then smiles. Because we'd sooner buy a flammable cradle with its razor-sharp edges coated in lead paint than give our own precious babies food from a can.
Every generation finds its own way to make peace with the bone-grinding hard work that is new motherhood. For the women of the late '60s-early '70s Lamaze era, grueling labor stories were the key to establishing one's status as a martyr. So even if you stashed your little one in a plastic playpen while having a cigarette and a nice, long gossip with your neighbor, you could still claim the moral high ground of motherhood by invoking the 36-hour-long labor you endured with only deep breathing and a reluctantly enlightened husband to dull the pain.
click to read more...
Breast-feeding discrimination protested (KVBC Channel 3)
local woman says her rights were violated when she tried to breast-feed in a public place. Nevada law clearly states that a woman can breast-feed and she doesn't have to be covered up.
Two weeks ago a woman was breast-feeding her baby in the lobby of a North Las Vegas recreation center when city employees told her she had to do it in the bathroom. Now she's back to tell them why they're wrong.
Most of us don't know what NRS 201.232 is, but the women who were out protesting Thursday know this section of Nevada law by heart. "The law allows any woman who's breast-feeding her child to nurse her baby anywhere she's legally permitted to be, whether or not her breast shows."
Beth Wishengrad says while she was breast-feeding in the Silver Mesa Recreation Center, one North Las Vegas city employee told her to cover it up. Another suggested a designated breast-feeding area, and a third said she should have been escorted to the bathroom.
click to read more...
Two weeks ago a woman was breast-feeding her baby in the lobby of a North Las Vegas recreation center when city employees told her she had to do it in the bathroom. Now she's back to tell them why they're wrong.
Most of us don't know what NRS 201.232 is, but the women who were out protesting Thursday know this section of Nevada law by heart. "The law allows any woman who's breast-feeding her child to nurse her baby anywhere she's legally permitted to be, whether or not her breast shows."
Beth Wishengrad says while she was breast-feeding in the Silver Mesa Recreation Center, one North Las Vegas city employee told her to cover it up. Another suggested a designated breast-feeding area, and a third said she should have been escorted to the bathroom.
click to read more...
The breast is the best (BrooklynPapers.com)
So, it’s okay for mothers to spend billions of dollars a year at Toys “R” Us, but they’re not allowed to breastfeed on the premises — it’s offensive, too sexual and not appropriate for children.
No wonder hundreds of breastfeeding women and their supporters gathered outside of the Times Square Toys “R” Us for a rally last Thursday in support of Chelsi Meyerson, a breast-feeding mother who was allegedly harassed by store employees for breastfeeding her 7-month old son.
Smartmom wanted to go out and join them: she longed to rip off her shirt, pull down her bra, and nurse right in the middle of Times Square. “Latch On. Latch On,” she’d scream, her fist held high.
Trouble is: she hasn’t lactated since 1999, when the Oh So Feisty One decided she’d had enough at the age of 2.
But Smartmom was there in spirit, recalling the relief and pleasure of giving her children the most nutritious food imaginable.
Smartmom still misses being a nursing mother, one of the most meaningful experiences a mother can have. Which isn’t to say that it was easy, painless, or always enjoyable.
click to read more...
No wonder hundreds of breastfeeding women and their supporters gathered outside of the Times Square Toys “R” Us for a rally last Thursday in support of Chelsi Meyerson, a breast-feeding mother who was allegedly harassed by store employees for breastfeeding her 7-month old son.
Smartmom wanted to go out and join them: she longed to rip off her shirt, pull down her bra, and nurse right in the middle of Times Square. “Latch On. Latch On,” she’d scream, her fist held high.
Trouble is: she hasn’t lactated since 1999, when the Oh So Feisty One decided she’d had enough at the age of 2.
But Smartmom was there in spirit, recalling the relief and pleasure of giving her children the most nutritious food imaginable.
Smartmom still misses being a nursing mother, one of the most meaningful experiences a mother can have. Which isn’t to say that it was easy, painless, or always enjoyable.
click to read more...
City gets baby-friendly award (www.tbsource.com )
The Thunder Bay District Health Unit has set the precedent for 'baby friendly' service across Canada.
Thursday the Health Unit was presented an award for achieving a 'Baby Friendly' designation.
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Thursday the Health Unit was presented an award for achieving a 'Baby Friendly' designation.
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Got breastmilk? (Esquimalt News)
Ready, set, suck.
Mothers and babies across North America are competing this Saturday to try to set a new record for the most babies breastfeeding in one place at one time.
While it's not yet on par with the Grey Cup, the international feeding frenzy is gaining recognition.
Contenders say nursing en masse is more about raising awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding for mothers, infants and communities than it is about competing for top spot.
In Greater Victoria, the 2006 edition of the Breastfeeding Challenge kicks off at 11 a.m., Sept. 30, at Sir James Douglas School (on the corner of Moss Street and Fairfield Road) during the Moss Street Market.
BCNG Portals Page
Mothers and babies across North America are competing this Saturday to try to set a new record for the most babies breastfeeding in one place at one time.
While it's not yet on par with the Grey Cup, the international feeding frenzy is gaining recognition.
Contenders say nursing en masse is more about raising awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding for mothers, infants and communities than it is about competing for top spot.
In Greater Victoria, the 2006 edition of the Breastfeeding Challenge kicks off at 11 a.m., Sept. 30, at Sir James Douglas School (on the corner of Moss Street and Fairfield Road) during the Moss Street Market.
BCNG Portals Page
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Mama-rama: Truth is, breast-feeding is best (the HUB)
Babies were born to be breast-fed. Maybe you've seen the black-and-white billboards, the advertisements or TV commercials proclaiming that message. They're part of an ad campaign created by the Department of Health and Human Services in conjunction with the Ad Council, with the goal of raising breast-feeding rates.
Currently, 70 percent of mothers initiate breast-feeding soon after birth, but only 33 percent are still at it at six months, though the American Academy of Pediatric recommends breast-feeding exclusively for six months and continuing until a year or beyond.
Critics say the messages, some of which focus on the risks of NOT breast-feeding as opposed to the benefits of breast-feeding, are too heavy-handed. For example, some of these critics - including representatives from formula companies - say that instead of saying "formula-fed babies are more likely to develop asthma, ear infections and allergies," the advertisements should state that "breast-fed babies are less likely to develop asthma, ear infections and allergies." Both statements are true, and both say essentially the same thing - right?
click to read more...
Currently, 70 percent of mothers initiate breast-feeding soon after birth, but only 33 percent are still at it at six months, though the American Academy of Pediatric recommends breast-feeding exclusively for six months and continuing until a year or beyond.
Critics say the messages, some of which focus on the risks of NOT breast-feeding as opposed to the benefits of breast-feeding, are too heavy-handed. For example, some of these critics - including representatives from formula companies - say that instead of saying "formula-fed babies are more likely to develop asthma, ear infections and allergies," the advertisements should state that "breast-fed babies are less likely to develop asthma, ear infections and allergies." Both statements are true, and both say essentially the same thing - right?
click to read more...
Breast-feeding key to avoiding obesity, diabetes, says research (Earth Times)
ALEXANDRIA, Va.: Here are important tips for mothers-to-be: breast-feed your baby for the first 12 months, if you want the child to grow up healthy, not obese or diabetic. And if you want to avoid diabetes yourself, make sure you have sufficient fiber in your food. These tips are based on the findings of two recently completed studies that are published in the October issue of the Diabetes Care.
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Monday, September 25, 2006
Milking the System (The Daily Journal)
After giving birth to her daughter, Jabrea, this past January, Jahana Holloway of Kankakee was eager to experience the joys of breast-feeding.
Holloway, who spent years feeding infant formula to her other three children, chose to breast-feed her new baby after learning about its nutritional values and the chance to enhance the bond with her baby.
Unfortunately for Holloway, a full-time teller for Centrue Bank in Kankakee, she also discovered the difficulties that come with nursing a newborn after going back to work.
click to read more...
Holloway, who spent years feeding infant formula to her other three children, chose to breast-feed her new baby after learning about its nutritional values and the chance to enhance the bond with her baby.
Unfortunately for Holloway, a full-time teller for Centrue Bank in Kankakee, she also discovered the difficulties that come with nursing a newborn after going back to work.
click to read more...
Nursing moms donate to milk depot (IndyStar.com)
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The first of a series of breast milk collection sites has opened as part of a state plan intended in part to benefit ill or premature infants.
State health commissioner Judy Monroe attended Friday's opening of Indiana's first "breast milk depot" at a Women, Infants and Children office in Bloomington. She said similar depots will open next year at three other WIC offices in Indiana.
Women visiting such depots can donate pumped breast milk that will be given to Indiana Mothers' Milk Bank in Indianapolis, one of 10 such banks in the United States.
click to read more...
State health commissioner Judy Monroe attended Friday's opening of Indiana's first "breast milk depot" at a Women, Infants and Children office in Bloomington. She said similar depots will open next year at three other WIC offices in Indiana.
Women visiting such depots can donate pumped breast milk that will be given to Indiana Mothers' Milk Bank in Indianapolis, one of 10 such banks in the United States.
click to read more...
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Attendant's remarks miff nursing mom (DenverPost.com)
While traveling recently with her 10-month-old daughter on a United Airlines flight, Joany Tarud was reminded that not everyone can stomach breast-feeding in public.
The Denver mother's subsequent complaints about a flight attendant prompted an apology from the airline.
Tarud was traveling with her daughter and mother from Birmingham, Ala., to Denver. Tarud said she and her infant were hunched against a window and covered with a baby blanket. Tarud's mother was sitting in the next seat, further blocking the duo from view. No other passengers were seated next to the family.
Just before the plane took off, Tarud said a flight attendant instructed her to use a blanket provided by the airline to cover herself and the baby more fully.
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The Denver mother's subsequent complaints about a flight attendant prompted an apology from the airline.
Tarud was traveling with her daughter and mother from Birmingham, Ala., to Denver. Tarud said she and her infant were hunched against a window and covered with a baby blanket. Tarud's mother was sitting in the next seat, further blocking the duo from view. No other passengers were seated next to the family.
Just before the plane took off, Tarud said a flight attendant instructed her to use a blanket provided by the airline to cover herself and the baby more fully.
click to read more...
Readers speak out about breastfeeding (TheNewsTribune.com)
We asked our readers to share their thoughts about breastfeeding in public. Here are their responses.
I breast-fed both of my children until they self-weaned – around a year old.
When I had my first child, I knew breastfeeding was the best start I could possibly give him, but I never thought I'd have the guts to nurse in public. I soon found out how silly and inconvenient that notion would be. Within weeks I was sitting in the middle of the Lobster Shop’s Thanksgiving buffet, happily eating my dinner as I nursed my son.
I have found Tacoma to be quite receptive to me as a nursing mother.
Never once have I been asked not to nurse my baby, and in fact I’ve often been encouraged by people who’ve seen me discreetly nursing.
Honestly, I wish even more people would take a minute to give a nursing mother some words of encouragement. I believe it’s deserved just as any other working person is given words of encouragement when they do well in the workplace.
click to read more...
I breast-fed both of my children until they self-weaned – around a year old.
When I had my first child, I knew breastfeeding was the best start I could possibly give him, but I never thought I'd have the guts to nurse in public. I soon found out how silly and inconvenient that notion would be. Within weeks I was sitting in the middle of the Lobster Shop’s Thanksgiving buffet, happily eating my dinner as I nursed my son.
I have found Tacoma to be quite receptive to me as a nursing mother.
Never once have I been asked not to nurse my baby, and in fact I’ve often been encouraged by people who’ve seen me discreetly nursing.
Honestly, I wish even more people would take a minute to give a nursing mother some words of encouragement. I believe it’s deserved just as any other working person is given words of encouragement when they do well in the workplace.
click to read more...
Lactation intolerance (TheNewsTribune.com)
For decades experts have told us that when it comes to babies, breast is best. But just try being a nursing mother in public - or at work.
Every woman remembers her first time.
The first time she had to nurse her baby in public, that is.
For Rhiannon Rubadue of Federal Way, the moment of truth happened in a Wal-Mart.
“Suddenly in the middle of our shopping, my son began to cry,” she says. “Although he was only about a week old, I knew exactly what he wanted and needed.”
Rubadue found a deserted aisle – the garbage can section – and latched him on.
click to read more...
Every woman remembers her first time.
The first time she had to nurse her baby in public, that is.
For Rhiannon Rubadue of Federal Way, the moment of truth happened in a Wal-Mart.
“Suddenly in the middle of our shopping, my son began to cry,” she says. “Although he was only about a week old, I knew exactly what he wanted and needed.”
Rubadue found a deserted aisle – the garbage can section – and latched him on.
click to read more...
Saturday, September 23, 2006
State's First Breast Milk Depot Opens (Inside Indiana Business)
The depot at the Monroe County Women, Infants and Children (WIC) office will provide a location for women to donate pumped breast milk to the Indiana Mothers' Milk Bank. Three additional milk depots are planned at WIC offices in Delaware, LaPorte and Tippecanoe counties. State health officials say Indiana could save close to $8 million per year if the number of women breastfeeding in Indiana increased from the current level of 64 percent to 75 percent.
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Food for Thought: Babies Motor Better with Breast Milk (Science News Online)
Physicians have been advocating for years that breast milk is the best food for infants. Not only does it have the nutrition that babies need, but it also provides some antibodies and growth factors that speed maturation of the infant gut, thereby fending off disease. Now, a team of scientists in Britain offers strong evidence of another benefit. Mother's milk boosts early neurological development.
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Friday, September 22, 2006
Breast milk is key weapon in fight to lower Africa's child mortality rate (Independent Online Edition)
The lives of a million babies could be saved every year by the simplest and most natural remedy of them all - breast-feeding.
Field workers running a research project in remote Ghanaian villages have discovered that the surest way to keep a baby alive is for the mother to start breastfeeding within an hour of the baby being born. If the first feed from the mother's breast is delayed for even one day, they found the risk of the child dying within a month more than doubles. Early introduction to animal milk or any other substitute for mother's milk pushed the child's chance of living for a month down to barely one in 10.
In the developing world, four million babies die every year before they have reached the age of one month. The research, funded by the British Government, suggested that nearly a quarter of them, or a million babies a year, could be saved if they were breastfed from the first hour of life.
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Field workers running a research project in remote Ghanaian villages have discovered that the surest way to keep a baby alive is for the mother to start breastfeeding within an hour of the baby being born. If the first feed from the mother's breast is delayed for even one day, they found the risk of the child dying within a month more than doubles. Early introduction to animal milk or any other substitute for mother's milk pushed the child's chance of living for a month down to barely one in 10.
In the developing world, four million babies die every year before they have reached the age of one month. The research, funded by the British Government, suggested that nearly a quarter of them, or a million babies a year, could be saved if they were breastfed from the first hour of life.
click to read more...
Take That, Toys R Us: Babies Get Breastfed on Broadway (Gothamist)
Toys R Us cannot live down the tempest in a nursing bra cup. Last week, breastfeeding mother Chelsi Meyerson claimed employees at the Times Square store harassed her to stop nursing her son in the store, urging her to move to a private room.
While the store said that its employees did not harrass her and only offered her "opportunity to breastfeed in a private area designated for this purpose in the Times Square store" (per a letter from the store manager, Mindy Clements), this didn't stop mothers from staging a nurse-in yesterday. While the actual number of mothers and babies are conflicting (the Post counts 40 while the Daily News says 300 showed), it was an opportunity ripe for mothers to yell at the Toys R Us employee who tried to give them water and Cheerios and to tell their own horror stories.
click to read more...
While the store said that its employees did not harrass her and only offered her "opportunity to breastfeed in a private area designated for this purpose in the Times Square store" (per a letter from the store manager, Mindy Clements), this didn't stop mothers from staging a nurse-in yesterday. While the actual number of mothers and babies are conflicting (the Post counts 40 while the Daily News says 300 showed), it was an opportunity ripe for mothers to yell at the Toys R Us employee who tried to give them water and Cheerios and to tell their own horror stories.
click to read more...
Jamaica Gleaner News - LETTER OF THE DAY - Breastfeeding yes, but more maternity leave - Friday | September 22, 2006
The Editor, Sir:
I read with interest the article 'More breast milk, less psychos' published in The Gleaner of Tuesday, September 19. In this article, Dr. Eva Lewis-Fuller, director of family health services in the Ministry of Health, states, "mothers who breastfeed their babies for up to six months or more are less likely to raise children who are psychopaths."
While I endorse Dr. Eva Lewis-Fuller statements on the importance of breast milk to the emotional, mental and physical development of children, as a mother I am deeply concerned about this correlation with access to maternity leave.
click to read more...
I read with interest the article 'More breast milk, less psychos' published in The Gleaner of Tuesday, September 19. In this article, Dr. Eva Lewis-Fuller, director of family health services in the Ministry of Health, states, "mothers who breastfeed their babies for up to six months or more are less likely to raise children who are psychopaths."
While I endorse Dr. Eva Lewis-Fuller statements on the importance of breast milk to the emotional, mental and physical development of children, as a mother I am deeply concerned about this correlation with access to maternity leave.
click to read more...
Nursing a grievance (New York Daily News)
With babes at their bosoms, some 300 women staged a "nurse-in" at Toys "R" Us yesterday to protest the treatment of a Brooklyn mom who says she was hassled for breast-feeding at the Times Square store.
Carrying signs that read "We Shall Not Be Moved," some chanted "Apologize! Apologize!" - but very quietly, so as not to upset their nursing infants.
"The store apologized to me, but I want them to publicly acknowledge they were wrong," said Chelsi Meyerson, 29, as she burped her 7-month-old son Mason. "I want better education for their employees."
click to read more...
Carrying signs that read "We Shall Not Be Moved," some chanted "Apologize! Apologize!" - but very quietly, so as not to upset their nursing infants.
"The store apologized to me, but I want them to publicly acknowledge they were wrong," said Chelsi Meyerson, 29, as she burped her 7-month-old son Mason. "I want better education for their employees."
click to read more...
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Babies’ health not in formula (Straight.com Vancouver)
The Nestlé booth was abuzz with pregnant women and new parents at the Baby and Family Fair on September 16 and 17. The attraction was free Baby Einstein and Disney DVDs, free rice-cereal samples, free infant formula samples, and a send-away card for a free diaper bag, a baby-magazine subscription, and more formula. It was one of the juiciest giveaways at the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre event.
Meanwhile, Douglas College’s perinatal program manager, Kathleen Lindstrom, was trying to entice the thousands of orb-bellied women to come to her breast-feeding workshop.
“I said, ‘Come find out how to save thousands of dollars a year and feed your baby free,’” Lindstrom recounted to the Georgia Straight. “But I couldn’t tear them away from the formula booths. I felt like getting on the loudspeaker and saying, ‘Do you not care about what’s going into your baby?’”
Lindstrom said she was disgusted that at a trade show designed to “nurture the parent-child bond” she was forced to compete with formula companies. “There isn’t close to the same amount of money to market breast-feeding as there is to market formula,” she said. “If there were, we wouldn’t have a problem.”
click to read more...
Meanwhile, Douglas College’s perinatal program manager, Kathleen Lindstrom, was trying to entice the thousands of orb-bellied women to come to her breast-feeding workshop.
“I said, ‘Come find out how to save thousands of dollars a year and feed your baby free,’” Lindstrom recounted to the Georgia Straight. “But I couldn’t tear them away from the formula booths. I felt like getting on the loudspeaker and saying, ‘Do you not care about what’s going into your baby?’”
Lindstrom said she was disgusted that at a trade show designed to “nurture the parent-child bond” she was forced to compete with formula companies. “There isn’t close to the same amount of money to market breast-feeding as there is to market formula,” she said. “If there were, we wouldn’t have a problem.”
click to read more...
TORONTO, Sept. 20 /CNW/ - On September 30, mothers and babies at sites (CNW Group - Press Release)
TORONTO, Sept. 20 /CNW/ - On September 30, mothers and babies at sites
across Canada and the United States will compete to set the record for the
most babies breastfeeding at one time. Breastfeeding mothers and babies are
invited to participate and help Toronto win the challenge. Last year Toronto
came in seventh in North America with 74 moms and 77 hungry babies.
click to read more...
across Canada and the United States will compete to set the record for the
most babies breastfeeding at one time. Breastfeeding mothers and babies are
invited to participate and help Toronto win the challenge. Last year Toronto
came in seventh in North America with 74 moms and 77 hungry babies.
click to read more...
The breast of times (Salon Life)
I've nursed my son through four birthdays now. I know what the critics say, but it's what he wants.
Sept. 18, 2006 | My son turned 4 a few weeks ago. His birthday wishes included the following: real binoculars, anything to do with Spider-Man and to keep on nursing.
In the past two years, like a slice of Wonder bread squeezed into a marble of dough, the breast-feeding my son so treasures has been compressed into something that only vaguely resembles its original self. For us, nursing has become a brief bedtime ritual that lasts as long as it takes me to sing the alphabet song. It involves little overt emotion; most of the time the process is as perfunctory as the tooth brushing that precedes it. It no longer offers much nutrition: My milk has dwindled to a few desultory drops.
What this ritual also became long ago is a loosely kept secret. For many women, the decision whether to breast-feed at all has become a public litmus test of maternal devotion. Recent government efforts to promote it have provoked an emotional debate that boils down to one loaded question: Are you a bad mother if you don't breast-feed? Having experienced the challenges of breast-feeding firsthand, I don't think so. But having started down this path, my personal debate has involved a different question altogether: Am I a bad mother if I haven't stopped?
Though there is a growing body of scientific knowledge about the nutritional value of breast milk, science has relatively little to say about breast-feeding's psychological value, and even less to say about continuing past the usual milestones. The World Health Organization promotes breast-feeding until age 2 and beyond. American Pediatric Association guidelines recommend breast-feeding for 12 months, and after that for as long as "mutually desirable." But what to do when the desire -- on the part of at least one party, anyway -- shows no real sign of abating? When physical nourishment is almost beside the point, and what we are talking about is mostly the emotional kind?
click to read more...
My comments are, as usual, in the comments field. ~ Ali
Sept. 18, 2006 | My son turned 4 a few weeks ago. His birthday wishes included the following: real binoculars, anything to do with Spider-Man and to keep on nursing.
In the past two years, like a slice of Wonder bread squeezed into a marble of dough, the breast-feeding my son so treasures has been compressed into something that only vaguely resembles its original self. For us, nursing has become a brief bedtime ritual that lasts as long as it takes me to sing the alphabet song. It involves little overt emotion; most of the time the process is as perfunctory as the tooth brushing that precedes it. It no longer offers much nutrition: My milk has dwindled to a few desultory drops.
What this ritual also became long ago is a loosely kept secret. For many women, the decision whether to breast-feed at all has become a public litmus test of maternal devotion. Recent government efforts to promote it have provoked an emotional debate that boils down to one loaded question: Are you a bad mother if you don't breast-feed? Having experienced the challenges of breast-feeding firsthand, I don't think so. But having started down this path, my personal debate has involved a different question altogether: Am I a bad mother if I haven't stopped?
Though there is a growing body of scientific knowledge about the nutritional value of breast milk, science has relatively little to say about breast-feeding's psychological value, and even less to say about continuing past the usual milestones. The World Health Organization promotes breast-feeding until age 2 and beyond. American Pediatric Association guidelines recommend breast-feeding for 12 months, and after that for as long as "mutually desirable." But what to do when the desire -- on the part of at least one party, anyway -- shows no real sign of abating? When physical nourishment is almost beside the point, and what we are talking about is mostly the emotional kind?
click to read more...
My comments are, as usual, in the comments field. ~ Ali
Pregnancy and Lactation May Affect Maternal Behavior and Coping Skills (Newswise)
In the October 2006 issue of the journal Endocrinology, a collaborative research study by scientists at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University and the University of Otago Medical School in Dunedin, New Zealand, shows that pregnancy and lactation in rodents produce long-term changes in hormone receptor actions in a mother’s brain that may affect maternal behavior as well as her response to stress.
“It appears that hormonal changes occurring in rats after they nurse their pups may bring about endocrine and neuroendocrine changes that help produce better mothering skills with each pregnancy and reduce the mother’s anxiety levels as she matures,” said Robert S. Bridges, PhD, the senior author of this paper and head of the reproductive biology section at Tufts’ Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine.
click to read more...
“It appears that hormonal changes occurring in rats after they nurse their pups may bring about endocrine and neuroendocrine changes that help produce better mothering skills with each pregnancy and reduce the mother’s anxiety levels as she matures,” said Robert S. Bridges, PhD, the senior author of this paper and head of the reproductive biology section at Tufts’ Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine.
click to read more...
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Heavy moms less apt to stick with breastfeeding (Reuters.co.uk)
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Overweight and obese women are less likely than normal-weight women to keep breastfeeding their infants for six months or longer, a study from Australia shows.
Dr. Wendy Hazel Oddy of the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research in Perth and colleagues looked at 1,803 children and their mothers participating in a large pregnancy study. Eighteen percent of the women were overweight or obese before becoming pregnant.
After the researchers adjusted for factors including socioeconomic status and years of education, they found that women who were overweight or obese were less apt to attempt breastfeeding at all and those that did were less likely to continue breastfeeding.
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Dr. Wendy Hazel Oddy of the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research in Perth and colleagues looked at 1,803 children and their mothers participating in a large pregnancy study. Eighteen percent of the women were overweight or obese before becoming pregnant.
After the researchers adjusted for factors including socioeconomic status and years of education, they found that women who were overweight or obese were less apt to attempt breastfeeding at all and those that did were less likely to continue breastfeeding.
click to read more...
Extended Breast-feeding (WKOW 27)
A local author has touched off a firestorm of emotion in an article she's written for this week's issue of Salon, an online magazine. In her article Judith Woodburn examines extended breastfeeding-or nursing beyond the age of one. She also shares that she continues to breastfeed her four-year-old son. It’s an act that’s often seen as taboo, but 27 News has learned there is a solid case for extended breastfeeding…even though those who do it are often secretive, and those who see it are often shocked.
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Sunday, September 17, 2006
Finding a Place to Breastfeed at Work (Shore Publishing, LLC)
Stonington - Some female employees steal away to an office bathroom stall to do it while others have secure access to relaxing, company-furnished rooms. For breastfeeding mothers, doing so in the workplace can depend entirely on employers.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, “Many women stop breastfeeding when they return to work outside the home. Because of this, not enough babies in this country are breastfed, and few are breastfed for one year. The Academy believes that more babies would receive the benefits of breast milk if more employers provided appropriate facilities and adequate time in the workplace for expression of breast milk.”
In 2001, state legislation was enacted so employers would make a “reasonable effort” to provide convenient places for working mothers to express milk or nurse their babies; specifically, a “place near the work area that is not a toilet stall,” as long as that effort doesn't place undue hardships on employers. Even with the passage of that legislation five years ago, working mothers are still experiencing wildly different workplace arrangements for breastfeeding.
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According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, “Many women stop breastfeeding when they return to work outside the home. Because of this, not enough babies in this country are breastfed, and few are breastfed for one year. The Academy believes that more babies would receive the benefits of breast milk if more employers provided appropriate facilities and adequate time in the workplace for expression of breast milk.”
In 2001, state legislation was enacted so employers would make a “reasonable effort” to provide convenient places for working mothers to express milk or nurse their babies; specifically, a “place near the work area that is not a toilet stall,” as long as that effort doesn't place undue hardships on employers. Even with the passage of that legislation five years ago, working mothers are still experiencing wildly different workplace arrangements for breastfeeding.
click to read more...
Controversial formula feeding may cause death (IOL)
London - Children who had not been breastfed were more at risk during the diarrhoea outbreak of November 2005/February 2006 after major flooding in Botswana, says the UK-based National Aids Map (NAM) organisation.
In its September 'HIV and Aids treatment in practice' newsletter, it said 470 children who were under five years old died in the 12 health districts of Botswana surveyed. Indications were that the total could have been as high as 574.
"One village we visited lost 30 percent of formula-fed babies - none other - during the outbreak," the US Centre for Disease Control's (CDC) Dr Tracey Creek said.
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In its September 'HIV and Aids treatment in practice' newsletter, it said 470 children who were under five years old died in the 12 health districts of Botswana surveyed. Indications were that the total could have been as high as 574.
"One village we visited lost 30 percent of formula-fed babies - none other - during the outbreak," the US Centre for Disease Control's (CDC) Dr Tracey Creek said.
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Most Malaysian Mothers Are Shy To Breastfeed (Malaysian National News Agency)
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 16 (Bernama) -- Very few Malaysian mothers fully breastfeed their offspring, a senior official of the Malaysian Child Welfare Council said Saturday.
Tan Sri Zaleha Ismail, who is president of the Malaysian Child Welfare Council, said a study on national health and morbidity conducted from 1996 to 2005 showed that only 29 per cent of mothers breastfed their babies fully and continuously for four months.
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Tan Sri Zaleha Ismail, who is president of the Malaysian Child Welfare Council, said a study on national health and morbidity conducted from 1996 to 2005 showed that only 29 per cent of mothers breastfed their babies fully and continuously for four months.
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Battle for the breast (Sun.Star Davao)
IN A secluded space outside the barangay's health center is a woman trying to hush her baby with a bottle of thin milk. Emaciated, both of them, the baby's eyes had that somber expression of malnutrition very different from the curious glints in the eyes of babies that we love to play peek-a-boo with.
The health center was still closed, work hours hasn't started yet, but the surroundings are starting to fill up with women with their toddlers and children.
A better-dressed woman, dyed hair and all, arrives, a teenage girl tagging along carrying that baby kit bag -- those plastic, cushiony bags that come in pastel shades, and decorated with tiny flowers -- and shaking a freshly-made baby formula bottle. The better-dressed woman motions to the teenage girl with a wide sweep of her hand, calling the attention of those around as well, and quite loudly asks whether she alrady needs to buy another can of a certain brand of milk formula (the one that prides itself about making gifted children).
"Show off," I mumbled.
click to read more...
The health center was still closed, work hours hasn't started yet, but the surroundings are starting to fill up with women with their toddlers and children.
A better-dressed woman, dyed hair and all, arrives, a teenage girl tagging along carrying that baby kit bag -- those plastic, cushiony bags that come in pastel shades, and decorated with tiny flowers -- and shaking a freshly-made baby formula bottle. The better-dressed woman motions to the teenage girl with a wide sweep of her hand, calling the attention of those around as well, and quite loudly asks whether she alrady needs to buy another can of a certain brand of milk formula (the one that prides itself about making gifted children).
"Show off," I mumbled.
click to read more...
Got milk? Popular breastfeeding organization holds walkathon this Sunday (The Hudson Reporter)
"Mother's milk is the gold standard in terms of what is needed to nourish your baby," argues Jennifer Lisimachio of Jersey City. "It is Mother Nature's perfect food."
But some mothers, particularly those who don't have the time or inclination, don't see it that way.
Lisimachio's group feels the need to educate them. She is one of several "leaders," as they call themselves, who helm a popular group called La Leche League that meets monthly in Jersey City and Hoboken.
The League is an international, nonprofit, nonsectarian organization that supports and educates mothers about breastfeeding (see sidebar).
They will commemorate World Breastfeeding Week by holding a fundraiser today (Sunday, Sept. 17) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Hoboken and Jersey City, seeking to raise awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding.
click to read more...
But some mothers, particularly those who don't have the time or inclination, don't see it that way.
Lisimachio's group feels the need to educate them. She is one of several "leaders," as they call themselves, who helm a popular group called La Leche League that meets monthly in Jersey City and Hoboken.
The League is an international, nonprofit, nonsectarian organization that supports and educates mothers about breastfeeding (see sidebar).
They will commemorate World Breastfeeding Week by holding a fundraiser today (Sunday, Sept. 17) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Hoboken and Jersey City, seeking to raise awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding.
click to read more...
Friday, September 15, 2006
Hundreds of thousands of bottles of baby formula recalled (CNN.com)
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Abbott health care company is recalling hundreds of thousands of bottles of infant formula because they might not have enough vitamin C.
The recall is for approximately 100,000 32-ounce plastic bottles of Similac Alimentum Advance liquid formula and approximately 200,000 bottles of Similac Advance with Iron, Abbott spokeswoman Tracey Noe said Friday.
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The recall is for approximately 100,000 32-ounce plastic bottles of Similac Alimentum Advance liquid formula and approximately 200,000 bottles of Similac Advance with Iron, Abbott spokeswoman Tracey Noe said Friday.
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Baby gets fed, contentedly (The Jersey Journal)
HOBOKEN - Tuesday night's school board meeting was business as usual, as board member Theresa Minutillo's breast-feeding went unremarked.
Twice during the meeting, Minutillo held her 3-month-old daughter, Gabriela Italia Gross, under a pink blanket - a discreet cover for the infant to nurse.
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Twice during the meeting, Minutillo held her 3-month-old daughter, Gabriela Italia Gross, under a pink blanket - a discreet cover for the infant to nurse.
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Uh Oh, Toys R Us Goes Up Against Breastfeeding Moms (Gothamist)
Is Toys 'R Us right to not want to be Ta-Tas 'R Us? Or should they be more forgiving of their customers who are feeding future customers? Or is everyone crying over unspilt milk? A Brooklyn mother claims she was harassed by three or four female store employees when she breast fed her 7 month old son at the Times Square Toys 'R' Us on Monday. Chelsi Meyerson says she went to an "out of the way" place to nurse son Mason, but soon after, a store employee said, "You have to go down to the basement to do that." More employees appeared to tell Meyerson she had to move because there were "children around," and then the store's security was called in. Now, Meyerson has called in the New York Civil Liberties Union, which has asked the toy retailer for an apology and "appropriate compensation," as NY State civil rights law permits women the right to breast-feed wherever they like.
click to read more...
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Changes At Breastfeeding Clinic Cause Concern (from Oxford Mail)
A woman campaigning against changes to a world-renowned breastfeeding clinic fears milk supplies for mums with premature babies will be hit.
That was the warning yesterday from Julia Horsnell, chairman of the John Radcliffe Hospital's maternity services liaison committee, who has been campaigning to save the clinic, which opened at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital in 1991.
click to read more...
That was the warning yesterday from Julia Horsnell, chairman of the John Radcliffe Hospital's maternity services liaison committee, who has been campaigning to save the clinic, which opened at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital in 1991.
click to read more...
NYCLU Threatens To Sue Toys R' Us Over Treatment of a Breastfeeding Shopper (The New York Sun)
The New York Civil Liberties Union claims that Toys "R" Us employees harassed a shopper who was breastfeeding her infant this week at the 42nd Street store.
In a letter sent to company headquarters in Wayne, N.J., yesterday, a lawyer with the NYCLU claims the company violated the state's basic civil rights law and demanded a public apology and compensation for the mother.
A lawsuit could follow if the demands are not met, the lawyer, Elisabeth Benjamin, said, in an interview yesterday.
click to read more...
In a letter sent to company headquarters in Wayne, N.J., yesterday, a lawyer with the NYCLU claims the company violated the state's basic civil rights law and demanded a public apology and compensation for the mother.
A lawsuit could follow if the demands are not met, the lawyer, Elisabeth Benjamin, said, in an interview yesterday.
click to read more...
Controversy over breast fedding in NYC store (7Online.com)
(Times Square - WABC, September 14, 2006) - A young mother is demanding an apology after she claims she was harassed at the Toys "R" Us store in Times Square.
The mom was breast feeding her 7-month-old son in the back of the store when she says a sales person told her it was "inappropriate" and then called security.
Seven-month-old Mason Meyerson has no clue his hunger put him in the center of a civil rights debate between a toy store giant and the New York Civil Liberties Union.
"It was harassment, it was uncomfortable, it was embarrassing, it was demeaning," Chelsi Meyerson said.
click to read more...
The mom was breast feeding her 7-month-old son in the back of the store when she says a sales person told her it was "inappropriate" and then called security.
Seven-month-old Mason Meyerson has no clue his hunger put him in the center of a civil rights debate between a toy store giant and the New York Civil Liberties Union.
"It was harassment, it was uncomfortable, it was embarrassing, it was demeaning," Chelsi Meyerson said.
click to read more...
Mom: Boobs at Toys R Us hassled me over nursing (New York Daily News)
A Brooklyn mom is threatening to stage a "nurse-in" outside Toys R Us after workers at the flagship Times Square store allegedly hassled her when she breast-fed her baby there.
Chelsi Meyerson, 29, of Ditmas Park is livid that store workers swooped down on her when she started breast-feeding her 7-month-old son, Mason, during a family trip there on Monday.
She contends they ordered her to go to a basement room and threatened to call security - a charge the store denies.
"I was harassed, hassled and embarrassed. It was very humiliating," Meyerson told the Daily News last night. "It was a big deal for me. They treated me like a criminal."
click to read more...
Chelsi Meyerson, 29, of Ditmas Park is livid that store workers swooped down on her when she started breast-feeding her 7-month-old son, Mason, during a family trip there on Monday.
She contends they ordered her to go to a basement room and threatened to call security - a charge the store denies.
"I was harassed, hassled and embarrassed. It was very humiliating," Meyerson told the Daily News last night. "It was a big deal for me. They treated me like a criminal."
click to read more...
Toys R Us violates civil law by barring breastfeeding in store, NYCLU warns
September 14, 2006 -- The NYCLU today warned the Toys R Us company that it had violated civil rights law by telling a mother that she could not breastfeed her infant in a store.
A saleswoman approached Chelsi Meyerson after she began to breastfeed her seven-month-old son in an out-of-the-way section of the Toys R Us store on 42nd Street in Manhattan, where she was shopping with her family. The saleswoman informed Meyerson that she was not "allowed" to breastfeed in the store unless she moved to the basement, and that her breastfeeding was "inappropriate" because there were "children around." When Meyerson asserted that she was in the right and refused to move, four more store employees harassed her, and the original saleswoman called security.
"Breastfeeding is not a crime, and the right to breastfeed is simply not a right that I am willing to give up," Meyerson said. "This incident was humiliating and dismaying. I'm asking Toys R Us to guarantee that it will never happen again."
click to read more...
A saleswoman approached Chelsi Meyerson after she began to breastfeed her seven-month-old son in an out-of-the-way section of the Toys R Us store on 42nd Street in Manhattan, where she was shopping with her family. The saleswoman informed Meyerson that she was not "allowed" to breastfeed in the store unless she moved to the basement, and that her breastfeeding was "inappropriate" because there were "children around." When Meyerson asserted that she was in the right and refused to move, four more store employees harassed her, and the original saleswoman called security.
"Breastfeeding is not a crime, and the right to breastfeed is simply not a right that I am willing to give up," Meyerson said. "This incident was humiliating and dismaying. I'm asking Toys R Us to guarantee that it will never happen again."
click to read more...
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Milk bank helping new mothers (ABC Australia)
KERRY O'BRIEN: Still on motherhood - while breastfeeding isn't of course the only option to feed babies, it's acknowledged by the World Health Organisation as the ideal food for the healthy growth and development of infants but many women have trouble producing enough milk or in cases of premature birth, producing milk at all, and have had to use formula. Now Australia's first breast milk bank in Perth is providing mothers with an alternative and drawing international praise along the way. Hamish Fitzsimmons reports.
click to read more...
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Breastfeeding incident raises ire (The Daily Advertiser)
Laws protect breastfeeding mothers.
When 7-month-old Kaden is hungry, he lets his mother, Nicole Guillory, know. Kaden, who is breastfed, goes lots of places with his mother, and when they are away from home, she prefers to discretely breastfeed him.
But an incident during the weekend left Guillory so shocked, she couldn't finish feeding Kaden.
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"I've never had anything like that happen before," said Guillory, a mother of three, who lives in Pine Prairie.
Guillory said she was told she couldn't breastfeed Kaden while she was at The Great Escape Water Massages inside the Mall of Acadiana on Saturday.
The store owner, Diane Harvey, who was not present when the incident occurred, said Guillory wasn't asked to stop breastfeeding, but to cover up while she did. Guillory said she was covered.
Stories of misunderstandings and ignorance of a woman's right to breastfeed in public are pretty rare here - but only because many women do not choose to breastfeed, said Melissa Principato, a local leader of La Leche League International, a breastfeeding education group.
"We have so few breastfeeding people in Louisiana, it's not very common," Principato said.
click to read more...
When 7-month-old Kaden is hungry, he lets his mother, Nicole Guillory, know. Kaden, who is breastfed, goes lots of places with his mother, and when they are away from home, she prefers to discretely breastfeed him.
But an incident during the weekend left Guillory so shocked, she couldn't finish feeding Kaden.
ADVERTISEMENT
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Fast moving oil and gas stocks with huge potential. Free newsletter.
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"I've never had anything like that happen before," said Guillory, a mother of three, who lives in Pine Prairie.
Guillory said she was told she couldn't breastfeed Kaden while she was at The Great Escape Water Massages inside the Mall of Acadiana on Saturday.
The store owner, Diane Harvey, who was not present when the incident occurred, said Guillory wasn't asked to stop breastfeeding, but to cover up while she did. Guillory said she was covered.
Stories of misunderstandings and ignorance of a woman's right to breastfeed in public are pretty rare here - but only because many women do not choose to breastfeed, said Melissa Principato, a local leader of La Leche League International, a breastfeeding education group.
"We have so few breastfeeding people in Louisiana, it's not very common," Principato said.
click to read more...
Mother's milk is best (Salt Lake Tribune)
When Ronnie Lynn interviewed me concerning our use of banked, pasteurized human milk for preterm infants, I may not have made it clear that the gold standard and the goal for feeding all infants, particularly "premies," is the mother's own milk (Tribune, Sept. 6).
In our NICU, 94 percent of the mothers do provide some or all of the milk their babies need, and 78 percent are still doing so two weeks after discharge. Pasteurized human milk is our second choice when mothers are unable to provide their own, or have a low supply. A distant third is formula, which we try not to use at all unless it is unavoidable or is parents' choice.
click to read more...
In our NICU, 94 percent of the mothers do provide some or all of the milk their babies need, and 78 percent are still doing so two weeks after discharge. Pasteurized human milk is our second choice when mothers are unable to provide their own, or have a low supply. A distant third is formula, which we try not to use at all unless it is unavoidable or is parents' choice.
click to read more...
Public breast-feeding taken in stride (The Star-Ledger)
But Hoboken school board member is faulted by online critic
Once or twice a meeting, Hobo ken Board of Education member Theresa Minutillo discreetly drapes a pink receiving blanket over her shoulder and breast-feeds her 3-month-old daughter, Gabriela Italia Gross.
The infant has been nursed at four board meetings, apparently without objection from panel members or the four or five parents who regularly attend the sessions. But at least one Hoboken resident finds fault.
click to read more....
Once or twice a meeting, Hobo ken Board of Education member Theresa Minutillo discreetly drapes a pink receiving blanket over her shoulder and breast-feeds her 3-month-old daughter, Gabriela Italia Gross.
The infant has been nursed at four board meetings, apparently without objection from panel members or the four or five parents who regularly attend the sessions. But at least one Hoboken resident finds fault.
click to read more....
Monday, September 11, 2006
Remedia execs, health officials face charges (Israel News)
Three former executives of baby food maker Remedia will face involuntary manslaughter charges for the 2003 sale of soy-based infant formula that lacked the vitamin B1. Five Health Ministry employees will also face charges in the affair, the state prosecution announced yesterday.
The former Remedia executives who will be tried are former CEO Gideon Landsberger, former chair Moshe Miller and Frederick Black, head of research and development for the firm.
The three will be charged with involuntary manslaughter, as well as negligent sabotage, misleading the public, obstruction of justice, actions that may spread disease, fraud and conspiracy.
click to read more...
The former Remedia executives who will be tried are former CEO Gideon Landsberger, former chair Moshe Miller and Frederick Black, head of research and development for the firm.
The three will be charged with involuntary manslaughter, as well as negligent sabotage, misleading the public, obstruction of justice, actions that may spread disease, fraud and conspiracy.
click to read more...
Friday, September 08, 2006
Breastfeeding rooms for working moms proposed in House (INQ7.net)
HOW about breastfeeding rooms for working mothers?
This is how Parañaque Representative Eduardo Zialcita wants to promote breastfeeding in the country to save the government nearly three billion pesos every year from milk formula imports.
Zialcita is the author of House Bill 5714, which calls for the formulation of a comprehensive program by the Department of Health and the Department of Social Welfare and Development in coordination with other government agencies and the private sector to promote breastfeeding.
click to read more...
This is how Parañaque Representative Eduardo Zialcita wants to promote breastfeeding in the country to save the government nearly three billion pesos every year from milk formula imports.
Zialcita is the author of House Bill 5714, which calls for the formulation of a comprehensive program by the Department of Health and the Department of Social Welfare and Development in coordination with other government agencies and the private sector to promote breastfeeding.
click to read more...
How I became a breast-feeding monster (Jerusalem Post)
This past June I wrote a column and became the Antichrist, which, in itself, is quite a feat for a rabbi. To be sure, in my life I have not hesitated to be controversial when the situation warranted. But to become, in the eyes of my devoted readers, the twin brother of Saddam Hussein over a straightforward article on breast-feeding was, to say the least, unexpected.
But OK, if I was wrong, I'll admit it. True, as many of you will point out, I've never been wrong before. But I am, after all, human, that is, unless you're one of my breast-feeding critics, in which case I am a bushy-bearded Cyclops.
click to read more...
"If I was wrong, I'll admit it." Feh! Talk about your insincere apologies! Having myself been on the receiving end on several such non-apologies, I can promise you they only serve to exacerbate the problems they purport to address. Perhaps someone should send the Rabbi a copy of the most excellent book, On Apology by Aaron Lazare. ~ Ali
But OK, if I was wrong, I'll admit it. True, as many of you will point out, I've never been wrong before. But I am, after all, human, that is, unless you're one of my breast-feeding critics, in which case I am a bushy-bearded Cyclops.
click to read more...
"If I was wrong, I'll admit it." Feh! Talk about your insincere apologies! Having myself been on the receiving end on several such non-apologies, I can promise you they only serve to exacerbate the problems they purport to address. Perhaps someone should send the Rabbi a copy of the most excellent book, On Apology by Aaron Lazare. ~ Ali
Breast-Feeding Takes Giant Leap (On Balance, Washington Post)
Ten years ago, it was essentially inconceivable that a story about working moms who breast-feed would be a a front page national news story. Maybe something buried in a Health or Women's section, hidden behind the words "lactation" or another innocuous descriptor chosen to avoid making men squirm. But here we are, moms: Note the historic date of Friday, Sept. 1, 2006, when the New York Times ran a front page story and home page video on its Web site about how hard it is to breast-feed at work: On the Job, Nursing Mothers Are Finding a 2-Class System. There were even color pictures of one woman's milk baggies in the office freezer next to some black bean enchiladas and two photos of moms pumping at their offices.
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Milking at the Job (Washington Post)
I often joke that I breast-fed all three of my children because the milk was free. Ok, I'm not joking.
Pumping that milk at work wasn't easy. But I did it. I breast-fed each kid for more than a year. I still get giddy over all the money I saved on formula.
click to read more...
(you will need to scroll down to see this piece...)
Pumping that milk at work wasn't easy. But I did it. I breast-fed each kid for more than a year. I still get giddy over all the money I saved on formula.
click to read more...
(you will need to scroll down to see this piece...)
Milking at the Job (Washington Post)
I often joke that I breast-fed all three of my children because the milk was free. Ok, I'm not joking.
Pumping that milk at work wasn't easy. But I did it. I breast-fed each kid for more than a year. I still get giddy over all the money I saved on formula.
click to read more...
(you will need to scroll down to see this piece...)
Pumping that milk at work wasn't easy. But I did it. I breast-fed each kid for more than a year. I still get giddy over all the money I saved on formula.
click to read more...
(you will need to scroll down to see this piece...)
Islam and Breastfeeding: Religious and Cultural Traditions
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 8, 2006--Islamic religious beliefs and cultural practices in Muslim communities guide women's breastfeeding decisions and are important factors in early infant care and feeding, according to a paper in the recent issue (Volume 1, Number 3) of Breastfeeding Medicine, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. (www.liebertpub.com) and the official journal of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine. The paper is available free online at www.liebertpub.com/bfm.
Helping Muslim women adopt good infant feeding practices requires an understanding of the differences between the religious basis of breastfeeding and the cultural practices followed by some Muslims. Clinicians can help differentiate between religious beliefs and cultural norms to promote breastfeeding in Muslim communities.
Ulfat Shaikh, MD, MPH, and Omar Ahmed, MD, from the University of California Davis School of Medicine explain that the Islamic holy book, the Qur'an, recommends that mothers breastfeed their children for two years if possible and, in fact, states that every infant has the right to be breastfed. If a mother is unable to breastfeed, she and the father can decide together to have a wet nurse feed the child.
click to read more...
Helping Muslim women adopt good infant feeding practices requires an understanding of the differences between the religious basis of breastfeeding and the cultural practices followed by some Muslims. Clinicians can help differentiate between religious beliefs and cultural norms to promote breastfeeding in Muslim communities.
Ulfat Shaikh, MD, MPH, and Omar Ahmed, MD, from the University of California Davis School of Medicine explain that the Islamic holy book, the Qur'an, recommends that mothers breastfeed their children for two years if possible and, in fact, states that every infant has the right to be breastfed. If a mother is unable to breastfeed, she and the father can decide together to have a wet nurse feed the child.
click to read more...
Why some women don’t breastfeed (INQ7.net)
IN 1950, 90 percent of babies were breastfed while in 1978 the percentage dropped to 66 among urban poor, and not more than 27 percent of babies in the elite were breastfed.
Current statistics show that at six to seven months of age, less than two percent of Filipino infants are exclusively breastfed according to the National Demographic and Health Survey.
Here are the reasons women don’t breastfeed: ....
click to read more...
Current statistics show that at six to seven months of age, less than two percent of Filipino infants are exclusively breastfed according to the National Demographic and Health Survey.
Here are the reasons women don’t breastfeed: ....
click to read more...
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
When the breast milk runneth over (Salt Lake Tribune)
While her premature son matured in a newborn intensive care unit, DeNai Garn pumped so much breast milk that she had to buy a storage freezer.
The 29-year-old Bluffdale mother knew little Nathan would never be able to drink all that milk, even when he got out of the hospital.
"I didn't know what to do with it, and I didn't want to throw it away," she said.
Nurses at LDS and St. Mark's hospitals directed her to Mothers' Milk Bank at Presbyterian St. Luke's Hospital in Denver.
It's the region's only nonprofit milk bank that collects, pasteurizes and sells - at $3.25 per ounce plus shipping - human milk donated from overflowing moms like Garn.
The bank sells the milk to hospitals' neonatal intensive care units and individuals who can't provide their own breast milk and have a prescription for banked milk from their baby's doctor.
click to read more...
The 29-year-old Bluffdale mother knew little Nathan would never be able to drink all that milk, even when he got out of the hospital.
"I didn't know what to do with it, and I didn't want to throw it away," she said.
Nurses at LDS and St. Mark's hospitals directed her to Mothers' Milk Bank at Presbyterian St. Luke's Hospital in Denver.
It's the region's only nonprofit milk bank that collects, pasteurizes and sells - at $3.25 per ounce plus shipping - human milk donated from overflowing moms like Garn.
The bank sells the milk to hospitals' neonatal intensive care units and individuals who can't provide their own breast milk and have a prescription for banked milk from their baby's doctor.
click to read more...
Mother's milk: A gift with a price tag? (Salt Lake Tribune)
OGDEN - Latasha Hernandez wanted to give her tiny twins, Titan and Xavier Pacheco, the best possible start after they were born 13 weeks premature. So when she couldn't produce enough breast milk to feed them both, she agreed to supplement their feedings with pasteurized human milk purchased from Mothers' Milk Bank, a nonprofit bank based at Presbyterian St. Luke's Hospital in Denver.
Until this summer, that was the closest bank to take Utah moms' donations and fill Utah hospitals' orders.
Now, the Birth and Family Place in Holladay has opened a depot to collect donated breast milk on behalf of California-based Prolacta Bioscience, the country's first for-profit distributor of human milk.
Some Utah moms love the convenience of a local milk depot, but Prolacta's arrival has stirred up a debate on the ethics of selling human milk commercially.
"Human tissue, no matter what it is - organs, blood, skin, eyes - needs to be outside the realm of the commercial endeavors," says Laraine Borman, director of Mothers' Milk Bank. "Saving lives should be paramount and not giving money to the stockholders."
Prolacta sells milk to hospitals at a reported $30 an ounce, compared with the $3.25 per ounce charged by Mothers' Milk Bank. Repeated calls to the company were not returned.
click to read more...
Until this summer, that was the closest bank to take Utah moms' donations and fill Utah hospitals' orders.
Now, the Birth and Family Place in Holladay has opened a depot to collect donated breast milk on behalf of California-based Prolacta Bioscience, the country's first for-profit distributor of human milk.
Some Utah moms love the convenience of a local milk depot, but Prolacta's arrival has stirred up a debate on the ethics of selling human milk commercially.
"Human tissue, no matter what it is - organs, blood, skin, eyes - needs to be outside the realm of the commercial endeavors," says Laraine Borman, director of Mothers' Milk Bank. "Saving lives should be paramount and not giving money to the stockholders."
Prolacta sells milk to hospitals at a reported $30 an ounce, compared with the $3.25 per ounce charged by Mothers' Milk Bank. Repeated calls to the company were not returned.
click to read more...
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
4000 Die Daily Due to Lack of Breastfeeding (allAfrica.com)
At least 4000 infants and young children die everyday in Uganda due to lack of breastfeeding. This was disclosed by the Health Minister in charge of General Duties, Dr Richard Nduhura in Gulu on Tuesday.
Nduhura was addressing a rally to mark the World Breastfeeding Week.
"Everyday, as many as 4000 infants and young children die because they are not breastfed. Why should this continue?" Asked Nduhura.
He said the trend could be reversed if mothers are empowered with enough knowledge about breastfeeding and are continuously motivated and supported to breastfeed the children.
The minister blamed the increasingly poor breastfeeding culture in the country on aggressive advertising for bottle feeding, where marketing gimmicks and slogans are used to discredit breastfeeding.
click to read more...
Nduhura was addressing a rally to mark the World Breastfeeding Week.
"Everyday, as many as 4000 infants and young children die because they are not breastfed. Why should this continue?" Asked Nduhura.
He said the trend could be reversed if mothers are empowered with enough knowledge about breastfeeding and are continuously motivated and supported to breastfeed the children.
The minister blamed the increasingly poor breastfeeding culture in the country on aggressive advertising for bottle feeding, where marketing gimmicks and slogans are used to discredit breastfeeding.
click to read more...
Monday, September 04, 2006
Another benefit of breastfeeding
Formula feeding in infancy is associated with adolescent body fat and earlier menarche.
click to view abstract...
click to view abstract...
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Mother of three leads grassroots effort to breastfeed Latino babies (Santa Cruz Sentinel)
When Ana Maria Luna talks to moms about breastfeeding, they listen.
That's because Luna, 39, can talk about the ups and downs of breastfeeding her three children.
She breastfed her oldest for almost a year.
She experienced post-partum depression after the birth of her middle child and stopped nursing after two-and-a-half months.
She underwent surgery after the third baby and had to pump her breast milk.
"I can relate," said Luna, who is fluent in Spanish and English.
A certified lactation counselor at the Community Bridges Women Infants and Children program, she is a key element in a grass-roots effort to encourage more Latino mothers to give their babies a healthy start by breastfeeding. Doctors recommend babies be fed only breast milk for the first six months to reduce the likelihood of becoming overweight.
click to read more...
That's because Luna, 39, can talk about the ups and downs of breastfeeding her three children.
She breastfed her oldest for almost a year.
She experienced post-partum depression after the birth of her middle child and stopped nursing after two-and-a-half months.
She underwent surgery after the third baby and had to pump her breast milk.
"I can relate," said Luna, who is fluent in Spanish and English.
A certified lactation counselor at the Community Bridges Women Infants and Children program, she is a key element in a grass-roots effort to encourage more Latino mothers to give their babies a healthy start by breastfeeding. Doctors recommend babies be fed only breast milk for the first six months to reduce the likelihood of becoming overweight.
click to read more...
Friday, September 01, 2006
Necessity on One Hand, Security on the Other (New York Times)
Standing in line at La Guardia Airport, Kelley Parker watched in tears as a security agent poured a two-day supply of her baby’s milk into the garbage.
click to read more...
click to read more...
On the Job, Nursing Mothers Find a 2-Class System (New York Times)
When a new mother returns to Starbucks’ corporate headquarters in Seattle after maternity leave, she learns what is behind the doors mysteriously marked “Lactation Room.”
Whenever she likes, she can slip away from her desk and behind those doors, sit in a plush recliner and behind curtains, and leaf through InStyle magazine as she holds a company-supplied pump to her chest, depositing her breast milk in bottles to be toted home later.
But if the mothers who staff the chain’s counters want to do the same, they must barricade themselves in small restrooms intended for customers, counting the minutes left in their breaks.
“Breast milk is supposed to be the best milk, I read it constantly when I was pregnant,” said Brittany Moore, who works at a Starbucks in Manhattan and feeds her 9-month old daughter formula. “I felt bad, I want the best for my child,” she said. “None of the moms here that I know actually breast-feed.”
click to read more...
This may be news to the New York Times and its readers, but it sure isn't to those of us living in the real world. Nevertheless, I am glad to see the issue's profile being raised. (And by the way, if you think this is the only 'two-tiered issue' on the table, you need to think again. Let's talk about health care and child care just for starters.)
This country needs to stop handing out unrealistic advice to new parents and start providing them with actual support. ~ Ali
Whenever she likes, she can slip away from her desk and behind those doors, sit in a plush recliner and behind curtains, and leaf through InStyle magazine as she holds a company-supplied pump to her chest, depositing her breast milk in bottles to be toted home later.
But if the mothers who staff the chain’s counters want to do the same, they must barricade themselves in small restrooms intended for customers, counting the minutes left in their breaks.
“Breast milk is supposed to be the best milk, I read it constantly when I was pregnant,” said Brittany Moore, who works at a Starbucks in Manhattan and feeds her 9-month old daughter formula. “I felt bad, I want the best for my child,” she said. “None of the moms here that I know actually breast-feed.”
click to read more...
This may be news to the New York Times and its readers, but it sure isn't to those of us living in the real world. Nevertheless, I am glad to see the issue's profile being raised. (And by the way, if you think this is the only 'two-tiered issue' on the table, you need to think again. Let's talk about health care and child care just for starters.)
This country needs to stop handing out unrealistic advice to new parents and start providing them with actual support. ~ Ali
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