The Breastfeeding Page
Compiled by LLM
"People need to understand that when they're
deciding between breastmilk and formula, they're
not deciding between Coke and Pepsi... they're
choosing between a live, pure substance and
a dead substance made with the cheapest oils
available." -Lactation Consultant Chele
Marmet
On this page:
Also see:
from Chantal's
Birth Story
Breastfeeding Stories
Breastfeeding
Anyway Mothers share their stories of breastfeeding
while overcoming challenges- including nursing
after difficult births, breastfeeding against
medical advice, and breastfeeding after breast
reduction surgery (note that this mother's story
includes a bit of her birth stories, as well as
much detail about attempts to breastfeed her five
children- note she is pregnant with her sixth).
This beautiful page shows just how much love mothers
try to give to their babies through their breasts.
Gloria at 5 (the little girl
without the glasses)
Gloria Lemay was Breastfed
(for awhile)
"I am the daughter of a British war bride
who met a handsome Canadian soldier in London
during the war. My mom was the only woman in
the local Canadian hospital who chose to breastfeed
her babies- that is all she had ever seen in
England, and she didn't know if she could manage
all the scientific preparation of formula!
"Left to right [above]: David, Marian,
Gloria and Roy hiding in the background. We
were all breastfed for 3 months and weaned abruptly
the day we turned 3 months. My mother remembered
that in England they said the children should
be nursed for 3 months so that's the way she
did it. It must have been brutal for her and
for the babies.
"David was a very hungry baby so she would
breastfeed him and then give him a whole bottle
of condensed canned milk as well to try to satisfy
him every feeding. She went in the bedroom and
closed the door to nurse- her children were
not allowed to see her breast. She said that
my older sister, Marian, and I were the easiest
babies because we sucked our thumbs all the
time. I sucked my thumb till I was about 8 years
old." See Gloria's Index
Page at BirthLove.
Notes
from a Breastfeeding Journal Charlotte has
nursed her daughter for over seven years; her
daughter loves it, and Charlotte loves the intimacy
and learning the breastfeeding engenders.
My
Breastfeeding Story A mother of four shares
her many experiences of breast and bottle, and
comes to the ultimate conclusion: "No one
told me breastfeeding was so much more than the
best way to feed your baby. We are in our own
little perfect world for a while when we lay cuddled
up next to each other.... It is the fourth trimester
of my pregnancy. I would never give it up without
a fight. So in the debate of breast or bottle,
what are you kidding? There is a debate?"
Micklyn's breastfeeding sadness
"Breastfeeding was a nightmare [after
my cesarean], I wads unable to sit up and struggled
to get my baby latched on. By day 3 my nipples
were bleeding, and each feed was agony. As she
latched on, tears would roll down my face. But
I was determined to feed her and persevered.
"On day 4 a nurse came to see why my
baby cried so much- she yanked open my gown
and roughly tugged on my nipple. "That's
why she's crying, you have no milk". I
couldn't decide which was worse- the humiliation
of having someone treat my breast with such
rough disrespect or the pain caused by her brutal
fingers.
"After that they gave me medication, Eglynol,
to help me produce milk. As a result, for the
entire 13 months that I breastfed my baby, I
was dependent on this medicine for my milk.
If I ever stopped taking it, my milk would dry
up within a day. Nobody told me it would have
side-effects- such as loss of sexual desire,
weight gain or that once I started taking it
I wouldn't be able to stop. Nobody told me."
-from Tane's
Birth Story: The Healing Beauty of Unassisted
Homebirth
The
Continued Rewards of Breastfeeding Jeanette
writes beautifully about the luscious, deep joy
of breastfeeding her baby daughter; this is an
excerpt of her journal. Includes photos.
from Lea's
Birth- A Case of Undisturbed Birth
Mother's
Milk- preemies deserve only the best! Angie
talks about the challenges of nursing her tiny
premature baby; most of which came from having
to deal with an unsupportive hospital staff who
tried to force formula on her baby, and had never
heard the words "Kangaroo Care".
Nursing
a Special Needs Baby Lauren describes her
preparations from breastfeeding, and the realities
of providing milk for a baby in an incubator.
Nursing
Joy An adoptive mother tells of the deep joy
and satisfaction of breastfeeding her two babies.
Includes induced lactation resources.
Flawed
Creatures in an Imperfect World A mother of
three talks about the breastfeeding challenges
that led to her giving her babies bottles- even
though she initially couldn't imagine bottlefeeding.
Her experiences have taught her compassion for
other women- and not to judge without knowing
the full story behind others' choices.
from My
Breastfeeding Story
Breastfeeding Fun
Why is Breast Best?
"A not necessarily well-prepared student
sat in his life science classroom, staring at
a question on the final exam paper. The question
directed:
"Give four advantages of breast milk."
What to write? He sighed, and began to scribble
whatever came into his head, hoping for the
best.
1. No need to heat.
2. Never goes sour.
3. Available whenever necessary.
So far so good- maybe. But the exam demanded
a fourth answer. Again, what to write? Once
more, he sighed. He frowned. He scowled, then
sighed again. Suddenly, he brightened. He grabbed
his pen, and triumphantly, he scribbled his
definitive answer:
4. Available in attractive containers of varying
sizes.
He received an A." -author unknown
from Nursing
With Siblings
Still
Nursing? Delightful, witty and right-on answers
to the commonly heard (and relentlessly annoying)
questions- "are you still nursing?"
and "when are you planning to wean?"
Mom I
Am A Celebrations of Breastfeeding
Witty, often deeply touching Seuss-style verse
written by a collaboration of Mommies, and one
Daddy.
Breastfeeding
101: A Definition of Terms Funny, moving thoughts
about breastfeeding.
A
Weaning Story A funny look at society, breasts,
C-cup bras, and- weaning.
In Defense of Breastfeeding
and Wearing Socks Let society concentrate
on covering up the body parts that really
offend. This includes a hilarious cartoon.
Twelve Days of Breastfeeding!
Verse written in the style of "The Twelve
Days of Christmas" by a breastfeeding peer
counselor.
Beatrice Jasper of Breast&Belly
Breastfeeding Research,
Articles and Links
By site editor LLM:
- A Simple Circle of Life and Death, of Earth
and Birth in My Front Yard (click
here) This includes Leilah's own experiences
of breastfeeding in pregnancy (its sad ending),
as well as much about her children and placentas.
- What
Newborns Really Want This includes an extensive
section on learning how to breastfed.
Breastfeeding Reduces Prevalence of Respiratory
Infection in Infants
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Mar 21 - The
results of a study published in the March issue
of the Archives of Diseases in Childhood suggest
that predominant breast feeding for at least
6 months and partial breast feeding for up to
12 months reduces the prevalence and morbidity
of respiratory illness in infancy.
In a prospective birth cohort study, Dr. Wendy
H. Oddy of the Curtin University of Technology
in West Perth, Australia and colleagues examined
the association between breast feeding duration
and the incidence and morbidity of respiratory
illness in the first year of life. Main outcome
measures included hospital, doctor, or clinic
visits and hospital admissions.
"Main exposure measures were the duration
of predominant breast-feeding (defined as the
age other milk was introduced) and partial (any)
breast feeding (defined as the age breast-feeding
was stopped)," the investigators explain.
"Main confounders were gender, gestational
age less than 37 weeks, smoking in pregnancy,
older siblings, maternal education, and maternal
age."
After adjusting the data for confounding factors,
predominant breast feeding for less than 6 months
was a risk factor for two or more hospital,
doctor, or clinic visits (p < 0.0005) and
hospital admission (p = 0.007) for wheezing
lower respiratory illnesses. "For two or
more wheezing lower respiratory illnesses, this
effect continued until 8 months," (p =
0.018), they report.
"Although additional studies are required
to confirm these findings and to understand
the mechanisms of breast milk protection,"
they suggest that public health interventions
to promote breast feeding for up to 1 year may
reduce the prevalence and morbidity of respiratory
illness in infants.
Arch Dis Child 2003;88:224-228. Reuters
Health Information 2003. © 2003 Reuters
Ltd.
from Birth
Story of Saige and Claire
Articles:
Baby
Formula Linked to Deaths A vitamin deficiency
in a specially prepared kosher formula leads to
babies dying. A good lesson for us all: don't
rely on corporations to feed our precious babies.
Breastfeeding
is now a Terrorist Action A Canadian woman
in International airspace is accused of a "terrorist
action" by an American man who objects to
her defending her right to breastfeed. This story
strains credulity, but is true nonetheless.
An Anthropological
Look at Extended Breastfeeding and Cosleeping
Amazing information about what the actual
optimal length of breastfeeding is for placental
mammals, and just how beneficial cosleeping really
is.
Question:
Can I Still Nurse My Older Baby When I'm Pregnant?
Two wise responses; one from an herbalist mother
who has been there, and the other from a breastfeeding
counsellor.
Nursing
With Siblings A wizened mother relays her
experiences of nursing her three children- and
what she has learned about mothering and life
because of it.
Supporting
our Babies, Showing our Breasts An article
(by BirthLove's Contributing Expert Sarah Buckley,
MD) that shows the illogic of making women's breasts
taboo, and talks about the benefits of breastfeeding.
Excerpted: "In short, breastfeeding is the
one of the most effective preventative health
measures that exists, and offers the best that
nature can give for mothers and for babies."
The
Pleasure of Extended Breastfeeding A more
bonded, loving mother/child relationship, and
improved health and IQ, and a lifelong sense of
confidence for the child are just some of the
reasons to breastfeed much longer than just a
few months
Boycotting Nestle:
Catherine Young's Last Request A breastfeeding
and natural birth advocate has died... this is
her final wish.
Exposure
to free formula drastically reduces new mothers'
breastfeeding
Links:
Evolution Revolution
Hathor
the Cowgoddess and the Evolution Revolution
Amusing cartoons and insightful/incite-ful commentary
about homebirthing, breastfeeding on demand, maintaining
constant contact, sharing space, unschooling and
saving the world.
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