Natural Family News

Apparently the lack of clear-cut laws in Massachusetts has made for mixed messages from local ball parks. Some moms are told they can stay in their seats to breastfeed, and others are shooed off into bathrooms and first aid stations. Sigh.

You can read more here

A new study out of England investigated how mothers who chose to formula feed their babies felt about that choice. They were looking for feelings of guilt, etc. in relation to not breastfeeding. I found several things in the piece disturbing. First, they kept calling it “formula milk”. Perhaps that is an appropriate term, but it just seems wrong to me. Formula is NOT milk. It is a milk replacer, a milk substitute, but not milk. Second, only 39% of women agreed with the statement that “breastfeeding is natural, all women can do it”. While I suppose that some would take issue with the “all women can do it” part, since there are a rare few that can not, it is still sad that such a large percentage of women sees breastfeeding as difficult and unattainable. Finally, I am concerned about this whole idea of how a baby is fed being “moralised”. The authors seem to think that we need to find ways of being more supportive of bottle-feeding mothers and stop making them feel guilty for their choice. While I certainly wouldn’t advocate running around pointing a finger at all moms who formula feed and telling them they are making bad choices for their babies, I find nothing wrong with continuing to be honest about the risks of choosing not to breastfeed and encouraging moms to make informed choices. Perhaps things are different in England, but my experience here in the US is that breastfeeding moms are also made to feel guilty – for “depriving” the father or other family members of the joy of feeding the baby, for choosing to stay out of the workplace to care for the baby, and for having the audacity to do such a thing in a public place.

You can read the article here

A recent study in Singapore showed that children who were breastfed decreased their chances of short-sightedness by 50%. I think there may be an error in the percentages reported in the article, as they don’t seem to match the percentages. The summary of the study does not say how long children should be breastfed to decrease their chances or whether longer periods of breastfeeding would offer greater protection. The initial study was a very small population, but there are plans to conduct a more in-depth, larger study. You can read more here.

If this study is to be believed, then breastfeeding moms should be calm, cool, and collected. The study measured levels of cortisol in women who were breastfeeding versus women who were bottle-feeding as they were exposed to stressful situations. Consistently, the breastfeeding moms had lower levels of cortisol, which is a stress hormone. As a side benefit, this should have some weight loss implications, as well, if the infomercial for Relacore are to be believed. Several weight loss products on the market claim to supress cortisol production, which causes weight to accumulate in the belly area. So, the next time you’re feeling stressed out, just grab your baby and settle in for a nice long nursing session. You can read more about the study here.

My kids are at my Mom’s house today, so I just happened to be watching the Today Show this morning. They did a segment on breastfeeding, which for the most part, was positive. They pointed out that the AAP encourages exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months and that children should really breastfeed until at least 2 years of age. They highlighted the benefits for mom and baby. All in all, it was pretty well done. The main points can be read on the Today Show site.

However, female talk show hosts should just quit talking about breastfeeding altogether, I think. First Barbara Walters opens mouth, inserts foot about mothers nursing babies on airplanes, and on today’s segment Katie Couric was just about as bad. First, she went on and on about how hard it is to breastfeed. While she did encourage women to seek professional help if they were having difficulties, she made it seem like breastfeeding was one step away from torture. Then there was the end of the interview. After it was pointed out that babies should be nursed until 2 years of age, she said “But when they can ask for it, they’re too old, right?” The doctor responded with something like “It varies from mother to mother.” And Katie’s reply? “That sort of creeps me out.” She did follow up with “to each his own”.

So, ladies, perhaps it’s time for a bit of education, or a letter writing campaign, or a nurse in. It’s sad to me that it’s the women in the media who, more often than not, are the ones who torpedo the Moms who are just trying to provide the best possible life for their children.

The video of the interview, including the comments mentioned above, can be seen on the Today Show’s website.

Australian toddlers have weighed in. The results? Breastmilk is as good as chocolate and better than ice cream. I thought that was one of the sweetest quotes I’ve read in a long time. This article was part of World Breastfeeding Week’s focus this year on nursing toddlers. Many women stop nursing by one year, in spite of the World Health Oranization’s guidelines, which indicate children should be nursed until at least two years of age. I know that here in the United States, women interpret the AAP’s guidelines of “at least a year” as meaning *until* a year. So, here’s to all those women who have continued on past a year. May your nursings be as sweet as your children. (read article here)

This has got to be the worst breastfeeding in public story I’ve read to date. A mom in Colorado was actually ticketed for breastfeeding her baby by a lake, despite making rather heroic efforts to do so discreetly. She was cited with “knowingly (exposing) one’s gentials in a public place”. The ticket was thrown out by the park manager, who said that “poor judgement was used in issuing the ticket.” No kidding.

Read the whole story here

Another instance of a mother being harassed about breastfeeding in public, this time at Six Flags Hurricane Harbor in Illinois. This woman had a blanket pinned to her swimsuit so that the baby was totally covered except for her feet, and they still gave her grief about it. In my opinion, this just reinforces the fact that people’s objections to breastfeeding in public have very little to do with concerns of modesty and stem from the fact that on some level they find it dirty and disgusting.

read more about it here

A new study in Obstetrics and Gynecology found an increased risk of yeast infection associated with intrapartum antibiotic use. The study followed 435 mother-infant pairs for at least one month after birth. Of the mothers in this group, 173 (39.8%) received intrapartum antibiotics; most of them were receiving prophylaxis for Group B Strep. Among those who received antibiotics, 46 (10.6%) of them developed developed either breast candidiasis or neonatal thrush. The authors of the study conclude that further study is warranted.

read the article here

I must admit that my first thought is “no kidding”; the breastfeeding community has been aware of this for some time now. But if it takes getting press in a major medical publication to cause doctors reconsider such widespread antibitoic use, then so be it.

Well, apparently it’s happened again. A mother in Louisiana says she was asked to leave a coffee shop for breastfeeding her baby. It’s a shame that this has become such a regular occurrence in the U.S.; women in restaurants, malls, and all sorts of public venues have been made to feel like they were doing something wrong by tending to the needs of their babies. If you want to bare your skin for the purpose of sexually arousing the men around you, that’s fine – but a mom doing her best to nurse discreetly is “offensive”. It’s a sad, mixed up world.

read the article here

This year’s National Nurse Out will occur during the week of July 30 – August 7, in conjunction with World Breastfeeding Week, announced ProMoM (Promotion of Mother’s Milk, Inc.) executive director Dana Anagnostou.

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) June 25, 2005 — This year’s National Nurse Out will occur during the week of July 30 – August 7, in conjunction with World Breastfeeding Week, announced ProMoM (Promotion of Mother’s Milk, Inc.) executive director Dana Anagnostou.

Breastfeeding mothers are encouraged to breastfeed in public as much as possible during National Nurse Out week, and to organize local “nurse outs” with other mothers in their area.

“The sight of a nursing mom is unusual. We’re hoping to make it commonplace, at least during this week, and help mothers feel more comfortable nursing their babies in public,” said Anagnostou.

ProMoM has created a special feature area on their web site with information about the Nurse Out, tips on breastfeeding in public, and flyers and brochures that can be printed out.

The web site also offers a discussion board where nursing mothers can organize their local nurse outs, and provides information that can be downloaded for use in organizing and promoting the event locally.

Anyone interested in organizing a nurse out in their area should email for further details.

ProMoM is a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing public awareness and public acceptance of breastfeeding.

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