Dear nursing mama, Q: Do you need to go to a meeting of Breastfeeding USA or La Leche League? A: If you think you need to, then you do. If you think you do not need to, then you need to even more. A hospital class, I am sorry to tell you, is not the same thing at all. Of course, any way of getting information is … Continue reading The Value of Breastfeeding Meetings in the Age of Social Networking
This is my cute, little first-born. Well, OK, he’s not so little at a whopping 8.5 years old (how the heck did that happen?). His babyhood might be long gone, but the memories of all the challenges we faced – real and imagined – are far from forgotten. Of all the things I wish I could change about that first year, breastfeeding is at the top … Continue reading 7 Breastfeeding Mistakes I Made, So You Don’t Have To
I am a donor mom. I started donating blood when I was 17 years old, I donated my hair a few times, and most recently I donated my breast milk. I will admit, the first time I donated blood it was to get out of class in high school. But, the satisfaction of knowing that I may have helped save a life kept me donating for years to come. … Continue reading Donating Breastmilk, Explained
Thank you to the ladies on the Breastfeed Chicago Facebook group for their contributions! In no particular order: Coconut oil apparently can cure ANYTHING. Find a supportive mama tribe – toxic relationships aren’t worth your time. Breastfeeding in public is not only possible; it’s normal! Preemies CAN learn to breastfeed! Twins can too! If your boobs look like they are covered in blood, check to … Continue reading Top Ten Things I Learned from Breastfeed Chicago (except that there are 22 things…)
My firstborn was always a fussy baby, and for most of her first year of life we had no idea why. She was gassy, never slept for longer than 45 minute intervals, and regularly exploded out of her diapers. Her stools were frequently greenish and stringy with occasional streaks of blood. She was sometimes wheezy. But, aside from these persistent annoyances, was overall a very … Continue reading What I Learned About My Own Gut Health Through Breastfeeding Allergic Babies
Can You Breastfeed Twins?: YES! So all of a sudden you have these two babies out of your womb and you are responsible for their nourishment. Sure you tried to prepare, but you really can’t ever be ready for the craziness that now is your life. Can you even breastfeed them? Will your body produce enough? Will you be able to keep up physically and … Continue reading Two Breasts for Two Babies, Part One: Breastfeeding Newborn Twins
As I sit here typing while nursing my son, I think back to just a few short weeks ago at how hard it once was for both me and him. On December 27 my son was born at 7 lbs 12 oz, and was just amazingly beautiful. I held my son to my chest shortly after birth and he suckled for a few short moments … Continue reading How I Ditched the Nipple Shield
Editor’s Note: Special thanks to The Maiden Metallurgist for generously allowing us to repost this piece. Please see the end of the post for additional resources.* I was talking to my grandma earlier today about our favorite subject- Henry- and breastfeeding came up. Again. My grandma is obsessed with the fact that I am still breastfeeding my boy. She is a little senile, well, maybe … Continue reading Breastfeeding My 10.5 Month Old
Nine years ago my son was born. Nine weeks premature and weighing just over three pounds, I was thrown into the world of NICUs, breast pumps, and doctor visits. When my pregnancy came to an end, my grieving began. I didn’t realize it as grieving right away—I was far too numb from the whole experience to have any true concept of what I was going … Continue reading Enlightenment and Healing
This week’s post is all about our members. Members of our Facebook group were asked how long they’ve been breastfeeding and their favorite words of wisdom. We want to emphasize that there is no “right” length of time to breastfeed your baby – everyone takes their own journey, but every journey is a lot more fun when you have supportive and encouraging people around you. … Continue reading Our Favorite Breastfeeding Advice
