Clicking for Breastfeeding

We talk a lot about pregnancy and birth. But, in addition to those very important topics, I love breastfeeding posts. I will literally scour my fellow bloggers sites to find tidbits of wisdom that I absolutely have to share with my readers... so here are my most recently discovered gems.

Nurshable writes a beautiful piece about 'human pacifier's and her feelings on that term. She gives such insight and passion that I was instantly taken back to a time when I, too, found myself breastfeeding my little one 'pretty much straight through the night'. This is a wonderful post on how to change our perceptions on those times when it is sometimes difficult to remember that it is good and positive to breastfeeding on request.

I am not a “human pacifier”. I am what you have a biological and evolutionary need for. I will not devalue your needs by implying that you lack the wisdom and understanding of what those needs are. I will not devalue your needs by becoming frustrated by your refusal to accept something that does not meet those needs. I want you to listen to your body from the beginning, to understand the difference between a healthy need of yours and a pacifying object. To have an understanding that dates back to the beginnings of your time on this planet.. That comfort comes from having your needs met, not from distracting yourself with something pink, pretty and plastic. - Read the rest here.

Bellies and Babies posted a history/art lesson on breastfeeding throughout time and cultures. I know, I know, I snuck myself into this post. But I loved researching and finding all of these beautiful works of art!

From the mythical figure of Philosophia-Sapientia, the personification of wisdom, who suckled philosophers at her breast and by this way they absorbed wisdom and moral virtue... To the Bible drawing parallels between absolute love and devotion, care and comfort as being a woman nursing her child... To the Egyptian goddess Isis, the symbol of motherhood and protection, nursing her son Horus. Breast has always been known to be best! Throughout history, women have been given special time to establish nursing and child caring after birth (such as the lying in time), given special sanction and law to be able to nurse their child on demand in any setting (such as allowance to not make exodus' to birth cities for census), and have been encouraged to nurse. - Read the rest here.

Breastfeeding With Comfort and Joy (which, by the way, I LOVE the book) has a wonderful post on a woman's yearning for her baby after birth. Although it is one of those 'duh' concepts, I love how she presents the information, a plea to hospitals to be more mother and baby friendly, along with great breastfeeding advise.

So I began my search for images of moms and babies skin to skin and/or breastfeeding in the operating room. Recently, with the help of Preparing For Birth, Mother’s Utopia, and Amy Romano of Science and Sensibility, I was alerted to a blog post with a photograph and a mother’s story of meeting her baby in his "birthday suit" in the operating room, and the video below that shows a baby skin to skin with his mom and feeding at birth in the operating room. I posted these and asked for moms’ comments. I am hoping that the images and comments help moms get that yearned-for closeness at birth when possible and that health care personnel become comfortable with the adjustment in procedures necessary to make this happen. - Read the rest here.

BABEs wrote a great post on how to take care of a breastfeeding mama. As mama worries about feeding baby, others should be worrying about nurturing that relationship and loving mama back into health and community.

Share your successful breastfeeding stories and experiences and leave the negative experience or breastfeeding “horror stories” for another person……a new mom is already emotionally full as she processes her birth experience and contemplates motherhood…she is full of desire to be successful at breastfeeding and bonding with her new baby.  Offering stories of challenges may not fill her with the inspiration she needs, especially if she is struggling…..certainly let her know she is not alone even if there are struggles but adding to the list of “what if” and “could that happen to me” worries is probably going to have a negative effect. - Read the rest here.

Banned From Baby Showers recently had a guest post on her blog about her loathing of breastfeeding tents. It was a neat read, I love it when I can read a post and, at the beginning be like 'huh?' and by the end be like 'huh!'. KWIM?

They are bad for breastfeeding moms. They imply you should nurse your baby in them.  In fact, I have been approached at an event while nursing and told there was a breastfeeding tent. I was sitting within eyesight of it. I didn't need to be told.  I have no desire to interrupt my conversation or relocate it somewhere I don't want to be.  Even if I see it as optional, the person who told me about the tent did not.  She thought I needed to be in the tent.This makes the tent more offensive, in my opinion, than the controversial Hooter Hider, or nursing cover.  At least with a nursing cover, I have to pack it in my bag and make the choice to put it on my body.  A Breastfeeding Tent is kinda like having a stack of Hooter Hiders in the corner for "those" breastfeeders.  And empowering someone to walk up and hand me one. - Read the rest here.

Dou-la-la has a phenomenal post (another one of those 'huh's) where she gives another side of the story when it comes to getting off the Medela teat. You have to read it to understand it... and I am not sure how much I can really rally with her, but I must say I totally get her position now and can't disagree.

By way of introductory comments, I first need to hail the revival of Just West of Crunchy, which was rendered out of commission by a terrible crash. Welcome back! Secondly, I'm going to point you in the direction of a Very Important Post: The Problems With Medela. What's that you say? Problems? With Medela? But - they make breastfeeding products! They promote breastfeeding, right? And I love my slick Pump In Style. How can you have problems with them? - Read the rest here.

Dr. Jen talks about good bacteria, the role of breastmilk in immune system development, and that "one" bottle in an amazing post. I can't really even do it justice in a little blurb before quoting her, so I am just going to go onto the quote bit.

In a perfect world, a term, healthy newborn comes into the world vaginally. Again, I want to talk about normal. I know the process doesn't go normally all the time. (And I've talked about this here.) The delivery of that baby close to the anus is critical for immune system development. The healthy, term newborn's gut is sterile (without bacteria) and the bacteria that get into that pristine gut are truly important. During a vaginal delivery, the largely harmless bacteria around the mother's anus are the bacteria getting into the newborn gut. They increase in number, compete for food and space and help coordinate efforts to create a healthy gut for that baby. With the exception of our skin, the gut is the largest immune system organ in our body. Because breastfeeding is normal, what happens to healthy, term newborns who are breastfed is normal. The newborn has a delay in their immune response to bacteria. A delay? To a bacteria? Yup. Normal. After delivery, that newborn gut has many challenges from invaders that may not be friendly. Doesn't seem too smart not to fight back. We all have mechanisms in our body to fight infection. In the gut it's called Gut Associated Lymphoid Tissue (GALT) and it's ready to roll at 19 weeks of gestation. All of the things that make up the GALT are waiting for a specific series of events to occur after delivery, when, if it proceeds normally, will result in a functioning immune system. - Read the rest here.

Timeline of a breastfed baby, written by the Alpha Parent, is a must read for all women intending to breastfeed, their support people, doulas, childbirth educators.. heck, everyone! It is such an easy read, with such positive information, that I have been sharing this post at every opportunity.

However there is a persistent and understandable demand from first-time mothers for information on what is considered ‘the norm’. This is particularly so with breastfeeding, as understanding breastmilk intake is more complex than looking at the oz mark on a bottle. This is a topic rife with large-scale confusion, especially as breastfeeding mothers are in the minority and can often find themselves, and their health workers, comparing their baby with formula-fed babies. Breastfed babies are not the same as formula fed babies. One is fed the milk of its own species; the other is fed the milk of an entirely different species, so it is unsurprising that stark differences can be observed. - Read the rest here.

And finally, for a little more wittiness and humor, check out Modg's 10 Things about Boob Feeding post. She had me snorting my coffee the other morning (yes, sorry Mary, my lovely and guru-like chiro, I was drinking that evil sludge when I was reading it; but you'll forgive me if you click on the link.. promise). It's riotous!

Guess what? It’s world breastfeeding week. That’s where everyone in the world has to find a lactating breast and take a drink. Hooray! In honor of this week of boobs, I wanted to 1) draw you a picture of boobs (and if your boobs are actually that round and symmetrical, I shoot rockets at you. SSSS.) and 2) talk about my experience with breastfeeding and the 10 hidden benefits of breastfeeding that you don’t read about in Lucky Magazine. I know, I didn’t see any in there either. Weird. - Read the rest here.

So there you have it.. my most recent finds on the blog universe. It's a lot of clicking, but I really encourage every breastfeeding mama, mama considering breastfeeding (or preparing to breastfeed), and breastfeeding advocate take a look at these. They are worth the click.