World Breastfeeding Week

it's world breastfeeding week. amazing to think i have been nursing for over 3yrs in total so far! i nip'ed almost every day in july.

my nurslings at different ages, and stages to celebrate human milk for human children...

extended nursing - a celeb talks tandem

i found this interview with kelly rutherford really compelling. she tandem nurses her 3yr old and her infant in what has to be a fairly inhospitable environment.

she spoke of her difficulties with nursing her first, and how different nursing her second is, and despite what others think, she is tandem nursing. it takes courage to discuss it, much less be an extended nurser in a culture that idolizes body perfection and seemingly discards everything else. a few snippets from the interview...

"BfB: Absolutely, toddlers do get jealous sometimes and tandem nursing (12) is a wonderful transitional tool.

KR: I just want to say, to each his own. I know it’s not for everyone. Some people wonder how I do it and isn’t it exhausting but you have to realize it’s not all the time. My son is mostly busy doing other stuff and it’s more of a comfort thing, but it is really cute when they are nursing together. He just looks at her, and checks her out, and puts his hand on her little feet. It gives him this close-up intimate look at her, and it’s very beautiful to see them to kind of get to know each other. When a child is starting to be independent, to be able to come back to the mother and hold on, they are processing things when they are nursing. The world is a big place for us, imagine what it is for them. For children, it’s a nurturing, cuddly place to come back to that’s safe, where they can process the world that they are in. I see my son processing, and my daughter already; they sit, they look at you, they are safe, they have a moment to breathe, to be nurtured."

and...

"BfB: Believe it or not some companies provide smoking breaks but not pumping breaks, and no place to pump besides a dirty broom closet with an outlet or the bathroom. What do you think of the Breastfeeding Promotion Act, which has been re-introduced into Congress and aims to end this discrimination under the 1964 Civil Rights Amendment?

KR: I’m happy to endorse the Breastfeeding Promotion Act (13) and anything that is associated with this. It’s hard to go back to work and continue nursing. I’ve even heard of people being discriminated against on airplanes. And the thing is, every time we’ve travelled, my son is nursing on take-off and landing, and so his ears don’t hurt. As a result, he’s a lot less fussy, he doesn’t cry like a lot of kids do, and that’s a lot more pleasant for everyone on the airplane.

BfB: That is a great tool and it is so worth sharing. More moms need to hear that because so many moms fear public disapproval (14).

KR: I would love to endorse anything in terms of this . . . in the beginning, I kind of felt alone out there [after sharing about nursing Hermes as a toddler] because all of a sudden everyone in the press was talking about it, good and bad, and I thought, oh my God, what have I said! I didn’t think it was that risqué or odd to talk about it, because it is acceptable to talk about so many things in the world. Just consider what they talk about on the news, or even show on the news!"

self weaning happens and honouring the nursing relationship

well, it appears that this pregnancy brought on a huge drop in supply
and after over 26mths of nursing c he has self weaned (although some of the weaning is surely the drop in supply during this pregnancy

i do plan on pumping milk for him for as long as his sibling nurses.

nursing my former preemie for over 2 yrs is one of the biggest accomplishments in my life so far.
and i honour it
i honour him
and a relationship that brought him from tubes and isolettes to a healthy, robust (albeit slim!) toddler.
c was stubborn about learning signs, but he picked up the one for milk early

i think back to how we started and i am really proud of myself
and that the challenges we had showed me that i had strength previously unknown to me

c would not nurse at the breast for almost 3 mths.
i pumped and pumped some more and never supplemented
i'd pump for up to an hour in one session
10-14 times a day
i learned of every possible galactogogue
herb
massage technique
pumping technique
latching technique
dietary restriction
that one could possibly learn

i would pump and cry
i would try to latch him and he'd cry
and i'd cry
i fell deep into the darkness of motherhood
the hopeless, depressed, struggling side

and then one day
magical
he latched
even though failure was the stronger bet to take
we beat the odds

and made it past 2 years

and it restored my trust in my body
in myself
i am glad and grateful to have been able to turn our struggles with nursing
into energy and action and helping other new nursing mamas in their unforeseen challenges with breastfeeding

i learned of blessings
and gratitude
and rejoicing in the small miracles
that each day can bring



all of this
reminders
from the trials to the triumph
in our long term nursing success

i celebrate the commitment of women who are extended nursers
it is not an easy path
but now that the supply is gone temporarily
i celebrate them
am grateful for the changes that they are bringing
in acceptance of something so pure and natural
and am honoured to be part of them.

thank you for nursing in public

was reading the blog kind over matter and really like their nursing in public cards

it basically is a printable card to give to nip'ers to thank them for nursing in public

here's the link to the thank you cards

i think i would have been blown away if i had been given one of these while nursing in public. so rarely do we get positive feedback, usually just tolerated or sometimes stared at.

what a beautiful idea...

yes, more benefits for MOTHERS who breastfeed

i have nursed my son now for 2 years and still going...i know my milk will probably change to colostrum soon and my son may wean, but yes - 2 YEARS and counting!

in any case, i don't always love nursing my son, and often find it a chore, but the benefits, first for him and now for me, are important to me.

i am aware of several of the benefits already - reduced risks for breast, ovarian and cervical cancers, reduced risks for r.a. and osteoporosis, but there are more! i read bbc news a lot as they cover all types of health stories so of course this one caught my attention...

Breastfeeding 'protects mother'

highlights:

"...women who breastfed for more than a year were 10% less likely to develop the conditions than those who never breastfed.
Even breastfeeding for at least a month may cut the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. "

"The latest US study, by the University of Pittsburgh, focused on nearly 140,000 post-menopausal women.
On average, it had been 35 years since the women had last breastfed - suggesting the beneficial impact lasts for decades. "

"...breastfeeding for more than a year cut the risk of high blood pressure by 12%, and diabetes and high cholesterol by around 20%. "

excellent story on preemies and human milk

the drop in rates of nec were of particular interest in the hospital used in the story
as well as the stats that any former nicu mom knows - way less preemies go home on human milk than their full term counterparts

breastmilk saves the world!

...okay maybe not exactly, but it is certainly is a less polluting way to feed an infant and toddler!

i loved the title of this ...mammaries for the planet which outlines some of the ways breastfeeding has a carbon neutral footprint!

...a few gems from the article...

"breastfeeding is the ultimate example of an ecologically sound food — it comes to us from the most local source available, is delivered to its consumer without any pollution, and is the first step in a baby’s understanding of nature’s interconnectedness."

"...In their first year, a baby on formula consumes an estimated average of 14,500 ounces of formula. That divides out to more than 60 canisters that are thrown away in a year..."

natural weaning

so no animal milk for cal yet
am thinking of introducing a small amount starting at 16mths.
we'll see
i don't want him to wean early
came across an interesting bit of research on the age of natural weaning in humans

http://www.kathydettwyler.org/detwean.html

"In societies where children are allowed to nurse "as long as they want" they usually self-wean, with no arguments or emotional trauma, between 3 and 4 years of age."

more good news about breastfeeding

http://www.thestar.com/article/421708

stories like this make the struggle to get breastfeeding established with callum oh so worthwhile

we've joined the small legion of extended breastfeeders having passed the year mark a little while ago.

a bit of the article...
"Children who are breast-fed are smarter than those who aren't. And children who nurse longer and more intensely are smarter still, according to the largest ever study on lactation and intelligence."

yay...now no more asking me when i am going to stop breastfeeding my child...

one more on the subject of earth day

i should of course point out the obvious - breastfeeding is earth-friendly!

here are two wonderful links that talk about it -
Breastmilk: the perfect renewable resource

and
from La Leche League

a few of the highlights - "The undermining of breastfeeding is the destruction of a natural resource and should therefore be seen in the same light as logging in the rainforests or overfishing our seas and rivers."

"If 50% of infants born in Canada (total births about 400,000 per year) are bottlefed for six months, then more than 15 million tin cans would be discarded."

breastfeeding is normal

love this article
http://ontheotherhandcolumn.blogspot.com/2008/04/northwest-georgia-breastfeeding.html

"the “breast is best” tagline is a disservice to women and babies. Such slogans suggest that formula-feeding is the norm and breastfeeding is something better than the norm."

""The truth is, breastfeeding is nothing more than normal. Artificial feeding, which is neither the same nor superior, is therefore deficient, incomplete, and inferior. These are difficult words, but they have an appropriate place in our vocabulary."How often are we reminded that breastfeeding is simply normal? Every mammal species on the planet uses mammary glands to nurture its offspring. This is one of the defining characteristics that classifies humans as mammals. By choosing not to feed our infants in the normal way, we expose them to many known and unknown risks."

normalize breastfeeding - nursing ad

now that callum is on the cusp of becoming a toddler, i find myself saddened by the shock and questions that often arise for mothers who breastfeed past one. given that the world health organization has noted that the average age a child is breastfed until in this world is a little over 4yrs old - WE are the ones who are not normal.

i don't plan on severing my nursing relationship with my son anytime soon. and you can be a working mother and continue to breastfeed.

it's interesting how in such an "advanced" society we have such poor acceptance for really the most natural thing in the world. as an accompaniment to today's stint on the soapbox, i am posting a clip that shows toddlers and babies nursing. it was made by the health dept in puerto rico. seems like we can learn more than just how to salsa from our latin american neighbours.

stem cells found in breastmilk

it is a beautiful thing to see research being done into the benefits of breastmilk.



but the benefits could extend beyond the nursing relationship between mother and child.



in australia, scientists have found stem cells in breastmilk - STEM CELLS! this could perhaps usher in an age of stem cell research without the ethical questions.



it is time to return to the things our body produce to bring health - that it should be from mothers' milk seems just that sweeter



here is the link to the article



http://www.sciencealert.com.au/news/20081102-16879.html

passionate about breastfeeding

callum and i had a very rough start with breastfeeding. being in the nicu, and born without a sucking reflex, he was whisked away from me minutes after he was born.

i pumped exclusively for 2.5 months before he learned to latch for good. i never knew something natural could be so difficult. i'd sometimes pump for an hour, take an hour off and pump again 10-12 times a day i was pumping in order to have enough breastmilk for my son. i often cried while pumping. the motor was loud enough to drown out the sounds of my despair. but i wanted him to have breastmilk, and only breastmilk. the fact that nothing about his coming into the world came close to what i would have hoped for, i would at least commit to this. so i did.


i was told i'd lose my supply if i didn't take drugs - WRONG

i was told i'd probably quit because you can't just pump - WRONG

i was told i would need a lactation consultant to get him to latch - WRONG

WRONG WRONG WRONG

no one told me breastfeeding could be so hard

this is just part of why i am so passionate about breastfeeding, and here are a few of the 101 Reasons To Breastfeed Your Baby (from promom.org)

1. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends it

5. Not breastfeeding increases mother's risk of breast cancer

10. Breast milk contains immunities to diseases and aids in the development of baby's immune system.

14. Nursing helps mom lose weight after baby is born

15. Pre-term milk is specially designed for premature infants

16. The World Health Organization and UNICEF recommend it

17. Breastfeeding protects against Crohn's disease

18. Formula feeding increases risk of baby developing type I (juvenile, insulin-dependent) diabetes.

21. Not breastfeeding increases mother's risk of developing ovarian cancer

22. Not breastfeeding increases mother's risk of developing endometrial cancer

23. Formula feeding increases chances of baby developing allergies

24. Breast milk lowers risk of baby developing asthma

27. Breastfeeding protects baby against diarrheal infections

28. Breastfeeding protects baby against bacterial meningitis

29. Breastfeeding protects baby against respiratory infections

30. Formula fed babies have a higher risk of developing certain childhood lymphomas

31. Breastfeeding decreases chances of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis

32. Breastfeeding decreases child's chances of contracting Hodgkins disease

33. Breastfeeding protects baby against vision defects

34. Breastfeeding decreases chances of maternal osteoporosis in later life

39. Breastfed babies have less chance of developing ulcerative colitis

40. Breast milk protects against hemophilus b. virus

44. Breastfed babies have less chance of developing necrotizing enterocolitis

52. Breast milk acts like a natural tranquilizer for baby

53. Breastfeeding acts like a natural tranquilizer for mom

59. Fewer waste packaging products

65. Natural pain relief for baby

77. Facilitates proper dental and jaw development

80. Better speech development

86. Contains no synthetic growth hormones

87. Lack of breastfeeding associated with multiple sclerosis

88. Less chance of inguinal hernia

93. Protects mothers against anemia (iron deficiency)

96. Breast milk is good for combatting eye infections

97. Breast milk is a good natural antibiotic for wounds

101. It's what breasts were designed for!

For the medical resources, and all of the 101 reasons to breastfeed your baby... http://www.promom.org/