Author: Breastfeed Chicago

Breastfeed Chicago is a network of families and professionals who are dedicated to supporting, normalizing, and advocating for breastfeeding in Chicagoland.
Uncategorized

Parents: Unite to Fight Breastfeeding Inequality

By Neve Spicer Breastfeeding is the most natural of all parenting practices. Yet, while this ancient rite is available to (almost) all mothers, not all mothers have an equal opportunity to make it work for them and their baby. At the beginning of August, the world celebrated World Breastfeeding Week. It was the perfect opportunity to change the ‘mommy war’ debate. After all, the big … Continue reading Parents: Unite to Fight Breastfeeding Inequality

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Uncategorized

Board Member Spotlight: Maria’s Ten Breastfeeding Truths

Maria Briseño is a Breastfeed Chicago board member with an extensive background in community health and lactation support. Currently, Maria is a Preventive Care Navigator for the Indiana Breast and Cervical Cancer Program. Previously she worked as a Lactation Counselor for the Health Consortium of Illinois’ Healthy Start Program. She is a La Leche League International Breastfeeding Peer Counselor and Program Administrator, and has training … Continue reading Board Member Spotlight: Maria’s Ten Breastfeeding Truths

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advocacy

Announcing the 2018 Breastfeed Chicago CLC Scholarship Program!

Have you ever dreamed of becoming a Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC)? Breastfeed Chicago is excited to offer three (3) partial scholarships for CLC training opportunities in 2018! These $120 scholarships will enable three (3) of our members living in the greater Chicagoland/Northwest Indiana area to receive financial support to participate in a CLC training through Healthy Children’s Center for Breastfeeding. This scholarship amount is equal … Continue reading Announcing the 2018 Breastfeed Chicago CLC Scholarship Program!

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insurance, Pumping, pumps, work

Buying a Breast Pump: What You Need to Know

Q: What kind of breast pump do I need? Can I get my breast pump covered through insurance? If you’re returning to work outside the home and want to continue providing breast milk to your baby, the right breast pump is a must. You’ll be spending hours with this piece of equipment and it will be essential to maintaining your supply while you’re at work. … Continue reading Buying a Breast Pump: What You Need to Know

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breastfeeding, New mom, Pumping, pumps, work

Breastfeed Chicago’s Ultimate Back-to-Work Guide

Heading to work after the birth of your baby? You likely have lots of questions and concerns about how to balance working and breastfeeding. You are not alone! The United States Breastfeeding Committee reports that one-third of working mothers return to work within three months of the birth of their child, and two-thirds return within six months. Breastfeed Chicago knows that maintaining a successful breastfeeding … Continue reading Breastfeed Chicago’s Ultimate Back-to-Work Guide

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Pumping, work

How Often Should I Pump at Work?

Q: How many times a day should I aim pump at work? You should aim to pump as frequently as your baby nurses while you’re with them. This usually means pumping somewhere in the range of every two to three hours. How frequently your baby nurses (and how frequently you’ll have to pump pump) also depends on your breast storage capacity. Breastfeeding parents with a … Continue reading How Often Should I Pump at Work?

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Pumping, Uncategorized, work

Choosing a Bottle & What to Do If Your Baby Refuses It

Q: Bottles are hard to choose! How do I select the “right” one? and Q: My baby won’t take a bottle! What do I do? Did I wait too long to try one out? Bottle feeding and breastfeeding require very different skills from your baby. Learning to feed from the breast and the bottle are very different processes and both require patience. Some babies are … Continue reading Choosing a Bottle & What to Do If Your Baby Refuses It

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Pumping, work

When Your Childcare Provider Asks You to Send More Milk

Q: How do I make sure that my baby’s caregiver doesn’t overfeed my baby? My childcare provider keeps saying that I need to send bigger bottles! Help! When interviewing potential caregivers for your baby, ask them about their experience caring for breastfed babies. Make sure they know that they play a very important role in helping you to successfully breastfeed your baby. Breastfed babies generally … Continue reading When Your Childcare Provider Asks You to Send More Milk

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Pumping, Uncategorized, work

Pumping: How Many Ounces of Breastmilk Will Baby Drink While I’m Gone?

Q: How much milk will my baby drink while I am gone? Your baby will likely need between nine and 14 ounces for an eight-hour workday with reasonable commute time. Research on breastfeeding babies has shown they eat 24-32 ounces per 24 hours, which translates to 1 to 1.5 ounces per hour. Using these numbers as a guide, multiply the number of hours you’ll be … Continue reading Pumping: How Many Ounces of Breastmilk Will Baby Drink While I’m Gone?

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Pumping, work

How Much Milk Should You Pump Before You Go Back to Work?

Q: How much milk should I have stashed away in the freezer by the time I go back to work? How could I possibly pump enough to use for months of work? One of the most common questions we see on our Breastfeed Chicago parent support Facebook group is about how large of a stash to have. The most basic answer is to have enough frozen … Continue reading How Much Milk Should You Pump Before You Go Back to Work?

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