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Breastfeeding Articles & Resources

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Breastfeeding Information, Support & Answers

The Tickle Turdle™ Knit Baby Sling Review
The Tickle Turdle Knit Sling is one of the simplest babywearing tools around. It’s a simple knit tube that is worn across the body like a sash. There are several positions to wear your baby, depending on his size and your preferences. "Finally a sling as comfortable as your favorite sweater!"

It’s a Strike! (opens to new window)
With a healthy, alert baby and a motivated mom, breastfeeding is usually very successful. But what do you do if your baby decides to stop nursing? What if your baby goes on strike? Not being able to feed your baby makes mothers feel like failures. It’s horrible to feel that you can’t feed your infant. The first thing Kamin tells moms whose babies are on strike is to have a good cry. You need the release. The second thing she tells them is that they are not bad mothers. She shows them how they are being good mothers: they are holding their babies, trying hard to nurse them, talking to them and calling for help.

Where To Turn For Breastfeeding Information (opens to new window)
Suddenly, there’s a whole new life that you're responsible for – a grunting, squawking, crying, pooping new life. It’s hard to know where to turn for reliable advice. Most health care professionals are not formally trained in breastfeeding education. Instead, when giving breastfeeding advice and information to new moms, they often rely on their own personal experiences and biases -- and even more dangerous, information given to them by pharmaceutical representatives who are employed by formula manufacturers. Many of the more common myths about scheduling feedings, supplementation and the need to wean are perpetuated by the mother’s or baby’s doctor.

I had a really hard time breastfeeding my son (opens to new window)
From the start, things just did not work out -- even after hundreds of dollars for a lactation consultant and months of pain, frustration and tears. Now I am pregnant again and am wondering if it will be the same experience as the first. Do you have any advice for me?

Commonsense Answers to Common Breastfeeding Myths (opens to new window)
When it comes to breastfeeding, what’s common knowledge is often perfect rubbish. Breastfeeding expert Dr. Jack Newman explodes the most common breastfeeding myths that may surprise you!

I am breastfeeding my son, who has just turned 3 years. (opens to new window)
I am all for extended breastfeeding, but he seems to show no sign of diminishing interest. He nurses regularly, day and at night. What would you suggest in order to gently wean him -- or do you think it better to let him be until he “weans himself”?

Doc Said Stop Breastfeeding? Think Again! (opens to new window)
Over the years, far too many women have been wrongly told they had to stop breastfeeding. The decision about continuing breastfeeding when the mother takes a drug, for example, is far more involved than whether the baby will get any in the milk. It also involves taking into consideration the risks of not breastfeeding for the mother, the baby and the family, as well as society. And there are plenty of risks in not breastfeeding, so the question essentially boils down to: Does the addition of a small amount of medication to the mother’s milk make breastfeeding more hazardous than formula feeding?

The answer is almost never. Breastfeeding with a little drug in the milk is almost always safer. In other words, being careful means continuing breastfeeding, not stopping.

When It Has to Be Formula (opens to new window)
What can you do to optimize the health of your formula-fed infant? First off, know that infant formulas are constantly improving. Research on breast milk substitutes is growing every day, with few bumps in the road. Some very recent fortification attempts hold the promise of possibly lowering the greater risks of diabetes, heart disease, obesity and cancer found among children and adults who were formula-fed as infants.

That said, there are strategies you can take now to improve your formula-fed baby’s health, as well as things you will definitely want to avoid. These factors can have a life-long impact on your child’s overall health.

Breastfeeding Your Toddler -- Why on Earth? (opens to new window)
Because more and more women are now breastfeeding their babies, more and more are also finding that they enjoy breastfeeding enough to want to continue longer than the usual few months they initially thought they would.

Foods and Supplements for the Nursing Baby (opens to new window)
Breast milk is the only food your baby needs until about six months of age. There is no advantage to adding other sorts of foods or milks to breast milk before about six months, except under unusual circumstances.

Help Your Hubby Support Breastfeeding (opens to new window)
Odd as it sounds, you and your child aren’t the only ones affected by your decision to breastfeed — your husband is, too. And getting him involved is critical. A number of studies have shown that when dads support and encourage breastfeeding, their wives are more interested in doing it, are a lot more successful and do it for longer.

My 6-month-old baby wakes up almost every hour to breastfeed (opens to new window)
I want to respond to her cues, and I don't believe in letting her cry. I'm getting so tired that I can barely function during the day. Please, I desperately need some help!

Do Breastfeeding and Pacifiers Mix? (opens to new window)
I'd personally suggest that most breastfed babies, if they get a pacifier at all, would be better off without a pacifier until the six-week growth spurt is over and mom's milk supply is well established.

Will Breastfeeding Give Your Child Cavities? (opens to new window)
Breastfed children have far fewer dental cavities than those who are bottle-fed. This includes nursing caries as well as other cavities. The unfortunate term “nursing caries” refers to a typical pattern of dental decay seen when juice, formula or breast milk sits in the mouth frequently for extended periods. Nighttime snacks are highly cavity-causing because saliva is not very mobile during sleep, leaving baby without its rinsing and antibacterial qualities. Juice bottles by far promote the greatest number of nursing caries.

Both breastfed and bottle-fed infants have a need for comfort nursing. The only way bottle-fed infants can find this comfort is to “nurse” their bottles very slowly when allowed to lie and hold their own bottles, causing formula to sit against their teeth for long periods. Nursing caries are more common in bottle-fed infants, especially in those who have nighttime bottles at older ages. Among breastfed infants who develop nursing caries, most are those who comfort nurse for long periods during the night after teeth have developed. And among these, most are those who have frequent snacking and sugary foods or juices in their diets.

Insufficient Milk Syndrome: A Fallacy Becomes Reality (opens to new window)
One of the biggest fallacies surrounding breastfeeding is that it can provide insufficient milk. The faulty perception can be made a reality, however, with scheduled feedings and with formula supplementation, especially in the beginning. Regular, frequent stimulation of oxytocin and prolactin by the act of breastfeeding is required to keep milk levels flowing.

The Deadly Influence of Formula in America (opens to new window)
This groundbreaking analysis from noted author, health educator and advocate Dr. Linda Folden Palmer may be a rude awakening for the millions of Americans who have bought into the myth that infant formula is a perfectly safe breast milk substitute. Dr. Palmer's key finding: Using formula DOUBLES THE DEATH RATE for American infants.

Breastfeeding Thrush - Thrush Remedies

Another Look at Thrush and Breastfeeding (opens to new window)
Thrush (Candida albicans) is a common yeast infection that occurs in a baby’s mouth and diaper area and on a nursing mother’s nipples. It is almost always harmless, but because it thrives in these warm, moist places, it is extremely stubborn and difficult to eliminate. In addition, it can be very annoying because it is quickly and easily transferred back and forth from mother to baby, until both are totally clear of it.

Natural Remedies for Thrush (opens to new window)
Does nursing hurt so badly that it makes a root canal look good? Are your nipples so bright that they can double as night-lights? Do you find yourself guessing shapes among the white patchy clouds in your baby's mouth? Whether you are a new breastfeeding mom or a seasoned veteran, thrush can invade your nursing times, making them dreaded, excruciating and disappointing feedings. Knowing your condition is half the battle. Thankfully, treatment is as close as your health food store.

Breastfeeding in Public

Breastfeeding in Public - Breastfeeding Law (opens to new window)
If anyone even suggests that you shouldn’t be feeding your baby in public, be aware that you are well within your rights. Keep in mind that it’s the onlooker’s problem, not yours.

Nursing Among Friends - Or Maybe Not (opens to new window)
When I was eight months pregnant with my son, I attended a breastfeeding class given by my local baby-friendly (UNICEF-certified) hospital. It was wonderful; I learned a lot and gained confidence. But one thing they didn't teach in that class was how to breastfeed around people who had never known a nursing mom.

 

Breastfeeding Weaning - Weaning Baby

What's the Right Age for Weaning Baby? (opens to new window)
Many mothers assume that at one year of age, her baby no longer needs to breastfeed and the weaning process should take place. This idea is often promoted by pediatricians who say that at a year, your baby should be switched to cow’s milk and drinking from a cup. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics encourages breastfeeding even beyond a year: “It is recommended that breastfeeding continue for at least 12 months, and thereafter for as long as mutually desired.”

More and more research is coming out on the benefits of continuing to breastfeed your baby, even after they may no longer solely depend on it from a nutritional standpoint. With this information in mind, when is the right time for you to approach weaning from breastfeeding?

Simple Tips for Weaning (opens to new window)
When it is time for weaning, how do you do it? We have a few tips to help you through the process.