Archive of ‘Breastfeeding’ category

7 Super Foods That Help You Lactate


breastfeeding mom words

Did you know that nearly half of mothers around the globe stop breastfeeding way before they want to because of insufficient milk production? Yeah…that’s definitely a bummer!  I mean…it is a devastating fact that still plagues mothers everywhere. A mother’s priority is to make sure her child is adequately fed with her breast milk but what can she do to help boost her milk production you ask? Well, I’ve compiled a list of the top 5 top super foods that will help any mama make more milk. Let’s go down the list shall we?

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Lactation Consultants: Do You Really Need Em’?

Lactation consultant imagery

We often hear the word “Lactation Consultant” but what do they really do and do you really need them? Lactation consultants are professional specialists who help teach breastfeeding moms how to properly breastfeed their baby. Usually, when a breastfeeding mom is having a hard time with her baby latching on properly or is experiencing pain while breastfeeding, a lactation consultant is able to help with such problems. They sure do come in handy as they help moms reach their breastfeeding goals and often times teach them how to properly store their milk, but the real question remains…do you really need them?

The answer is a big fat YES! Every mama who has consulted with a lactation practitioner have said it was well worth the money. Lactation consultants can be found in hospitals or can be privately requested. They can teach you anything and everything you need to know about breastfeeding. Whether it’s mouth care, getting you acclimated with a pumping schedule in order to maximize your milk production, they also school you on skin contact and how it helps with bonding and attachment between mother and baby.

Be sure to get a board certified Lactation Consultant to ensure that they have received a formal and clinical education in breastfeeding. This way, you’ll know you are getting top notch care for you and your baby.

Photo Cred: {boston.com} Lactation consultant Donna Norris with Nanci Gilmore and her baby, Noelle, at Newton-Wellesley Hospital. (Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff)

 

To Cover Or Not To Cover? That Is The Question…

Nursing-Covered-vs-Uncovered

 

Should a nursing mother have to cover up when she breastfeeds her child in public? This topic always seem to create a divide in the mommy community because many feel it should be kept private and done modestly with the breasts covered.  Others feel breasts are in fact not just a body part put there for decoration. It’s main purpose is to feed a hungry baby that needs food and a mother cannot help when her child needs to be fed. So why does it make moms especially in the United States sound off when it comes to breastfeeding in public? What is it about breastfeeding in public that makes people (both men and women) feel so damn sensitive? (more…)

Wine While Breastfeeding?

Wine While Breastfeeding? This is a popular question in the mommy community. We recently posted the question “A glass of wine while breastfeeding. Yes or No????” on our Facebook page. We had fans that came down on either side.

On the side of YES, here are couple of comments:

“Sure. We deserve it and it’s all about moderation and timing.” – Kara W.

“Yes! Its perfectly fine. That being said I still waited until my little guy was 3months old. And that was just to make me feel better. But my doctor in the hospital said it was fine.” – Andrea K.

And on the NO side, here are a couple:

“well no, but not because i’m an anal nazi.. rather because i prefer to ENJOY my class of wine in the silence of my solitude (or with my DH and a HUGE platter of gourmet cheese!!!!! lol) but i must say once I had a beer while nursing and ohmygoodness i’ve never produced so much milk in my whole life i thought i was going to drown my baby and flood the apartment (TMI? sorry!)” – Kari M.

“Personally no. But I’m over cautious. If I were to I’d have to pump and dump to feel okay about it.” – Ariel C.

And here are the jokesters comments:

For you or the baby? – Solomon O.

“A glass of wine WHILE breastfeeding? That’s coordination!” – Jennifer H.

If our response represented a straw poll, I would say most moms are OK with a glass of wine, but no more.

Like our Facebook fans, medical experts are divided as well. While most recommend avoiding alcohol completely while nursing, many recognize that moms may indulge. One of the most common pieces of advise from the experts, is that if you do have a glass of wine or beer, drink it just after you nurse rather than just before.

Another thing we noted amongst response on our page is that several women referred the traditional wisdom that alcohol helps wine breast milk produced. After doing some research, it may seem that this old wives’ tale is not true. Researcher Julie Mennella  of Philadelphia’s Monell Chemical Senses Center put this tale to test in 2005 and it seems it fell short. (You can find more about this test here). Now one thing to note is that they used spiked orange juice and not wine.

If you didn’t have a chance to join our conversation on Facebook, feel free to let us know your thoughts on wine while breastfeeding in the comments section below.


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