When I first put those two words together, "ethics and breastfeeding", my brain felt as if it were moving through sludge. Have you ever contemplated something and, perhaps due to lack of sleep, boredom or just sheer mental exhaustion, cannot seem to fathom its meaning? This could be as simple as trying to define the word "the". Go ahead and try, you will get stumped too. Ethics and Breastfeeding - Defined But, really folks, these two words are quite entangled and not always for the better. Let's start by defining each word. Thank you Google for being my dictionary this evening: Ethics is defined as "moral principles that govern a … [Read more...]
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Disclaimer: The information in this post is for educational purposes only. I am not a doctor. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. None of the opinions are meant to diagnose or treat any disease or illness. You should always consult your healthcare provider.
Denmark Feeding Schedule: Can It Work for Me?
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Let's all admit it - being a new mom is hard. There is advice coming at us from all angles and all advice seems to say something different. Add in sleep deprivation and the fear of making a mistake and ruining our children - you get my drift. It's helpful to have things broken down to examine on our own. Let's take a look at the Dr. Denmark Feeding Schedule and see if it can work for us while breastfeeding. Dr. Denmark is a fairly well known and well respected pediatrician. She has written some books, the most popular being "Dr. Denmark Said It!" which outlines her feeding schedule. The Dr. Denmark Feeding Schedule Baby is to be fed … [Read more...]
Breastfeeding and Postpartum Depression
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Having a baby is supposed to be a time filled with joy and wonder. It's supposed to be overflowing with happiness and giddy new parent smiling. But what if it isn't? What if you feel a deep-seated sadness? What if your baby blues aren't going away? What if you feel frustrated because you know how you are supposed to feel, but your actual feelings are quite different? What if you're breastfeeding and postpartum depression begins to creep in? I've been there. Three times, in fact. Postpartum depression is a heavy burden to bear and it can be very overwhelming without the proper attention and care. There's a stigma and a guilt that … [Read more...]
Our Experience with Tongue and Upper Lip Tie Revision Laser Surgery
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My son was born with an upper lip tie. I didn't recognize the issues we were having were related to his poor latch until he was already established at the breast. I had to fight for a referral to the right specialist to even have him checked out and it seemed no one would take me seriously. I was struggling with breastfeeding through a lip tie for most of my son's life because I was told that I would have to pay hundreds of dollars out of pocket on top of the cost to travel to a laser surgery professional to do the upper lip tie revision. I managed through the painful nursing sessions and I kept telling myself that maybe one day we can … [Read more...]
Food Poisoning and Breastfeeding: Should I Still Nurse My Baby?
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You had a lovely evening out to dinner with friends, but then at 2 am it hits you! Pain and nausea all at once, and you discover you must have food poisoning! After a long night of being sick your baby is now up and ready to nurse. But you are worried. "Should I still nurse my baby? Will she get sick?" Here are a few key things you should know about food poisoning and breastfeeding your baby. Can You Still Breastfeed When Sick With Food Poisoning? In most circumstances you can, and should, still continue to breastfeed when sick, including food poisoning. As long as your symptoms are gastrointestinal, your baby should not be affected at all … [Read more...]
When Allergies Strike: Claritin and Breastfeeding
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Allergy symptoms can make you feel awful, but we all know that moms don't get to call in sick. Relief from allergies is important and doing it safely while breastfeeding is even more important. Do Claritin and breastfeeding mix? What about other allergy medications? To find out if taking Claritin and breastfeeding is safe, I went to an expert in the lactation field. Dr. Thomas Hale has been studying breast milk for 26 years and is currently the head of Infant Risk at Texas Tech Medical School. Have you ever noticed that on the back of nearly all medications it says to consult a doctor if pregnant or breastfeeding? The reason why it … [Read more...]
Breastfeeding – A Man’s Perspective
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As a mother I often see articles pop up on my Facebook newsfeed. As a nursing mother, I pay special attention to those about breastfeeding. One day I was reading an article about a woman who was approached and asked to stop nursing in public. The question about what my husband, Richard, would do if I were in that situation entered my mind. It then dawned on me that we never discussed his feelings on nursing in public or if it makes him uncomfortable! In fact we never discussed if I would formula feed or breastfeed in general, I just did it. So I found myself curious and decided to ask his thoughts on the matter. Here is one man's perspective … [Read more...]
Breastfeeding and Older Siblings: How to Handle Questions and Curiosity
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Once you have more than one child, you will find yourself in situations where you will have to nurse your baby in front of his/her sibling(s). When that time comes, your child(ren) may have questions concerning breastfeeding and if you've never dealt with these before, they may make you feel a little uncomfortable or nervous. I've now had four children and answered innocent questions for each of my three oldest when a new baby joined our family. From having my oldest daughter at the age of two declare to a room full of people, "Brover eats boobers!" to dealing with my current three year old exclaiming that our newest son got his nursies by … [Read more...]
Anti-Public Breastfeeding: Becoming Comfortable Nursing in a Culture that Isn’t
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Anti-public breastfeeding has been a hot button issue for years now. To be honest, sometimes I forget that public nursing is even a big deal to some people because nursing has been such a constant part of my life for nearly a decade and it just feels normal. However, just about the time I start to dismiss the idea that some people are actually still offended by women who nurse their children in public another story flashes across the news and women start flocking to nurse-ins across the country again. While I do believe that the breastfeeding climate is becoming more favorable overall, the fact of the matter is that stigmas do still exist … [Read more...]
The Evolution of Breastfeeding-from My First to Second Child
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Have you ever noticed after you buy something new, everyone seems to have it? It’s called perceptual vigilance. The same thing happened when I became pregnant and, subsequently, when I started breastfeeding. I can’t recall ever noticing anyone breastfeeding in my pre-mommy days, nor can I ever recall seeing news headlines about "nurse-ins." Now that I am a mother of two daughters, 23 month old Sophia and 6 month old Harper, I see such headlines pop up on my newsfeed pretty regularly and I got to thinking about my experience...and the evolution of breastfeeding from my first to my second. The Evolution of Breastfeeding When I became pregnant … [Read more...]
