Wisdom and Births

This year's World Breastfeeding Week is highlighting the importance of breastfeeding peer counselors in optimizing the breastfeeding success of new and experienced mothers. With little more than half of all mothers exclusively breastfeeding past one week (1) , peer support is critical for increasing our population's health. Breastfeeding is important for the health of both mothers and babies. Breastfeeding helps a baby stay healthy and research shows that increased length and exclusivity of breastfeeding can decrease a baby's risk of contracting a number of illnesses such as otitis media (ear infections) and gastroenteritis, or dying from SIDS. The benefits of breastfeeding extend into childhood and beyond by decreasing the risk of childhood obesity, diabetes (type 1 & 2), and leukemia. For the mother, breastfeeding helps to protect against breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and type 2 diabetes. (2) "Compared with breastfed infants, formula-fed infants face higher ris...

This post is in response to an excellent inquiry made by a friend. She wanted to know what I thought about lanolin, coconut oil, or shea butter as a natural nipple cream. I wasn't sure how to answer, so this blog is my researched response! First I would like to recommend good 'ole Breastmilk for nipple care. You can rub a little breastmilk on the nipples and allow them to air dry. For many women this is all they need for normal nipple care. Also, remember that you DO NOT need to use any soap on your nipples! This will only increase dryness and decrease your own natural and protective oils. As for some other commonly used natural products... Lanolin, which means "wool oil", is a yellowish and waxy secretion from the sebaceous glands of woolly animals; most commonly from sheep. Lanolin is collected from the sheep's wool when it is pressed between rollers and squeezed out. While scouring the internet I found some mothers wondering and discussing about thrush and lano...

There are so many choices that mothers make which will be debated over, questioned, and even attacked by strangers, coworkers, friends, and even family. How a woman chooses to give birth and feed her child is of particular interest and debate, especially in recent years. Not only is it World Breastfeeding Week and I wanted to highlight a topic, but I just received the 'Birth Plan' for my next doula client and she explicitly states that she does NOT want to breastfeed and does not want any lactation counselors to come talk to her while in the hospital. I knew about this decision from our prenatal appointment, but as a passionate advocate for Breastfeeding, I was motivated to educate her and maybe change her mind with information and positive encouragement/support. I didn't fully accept her decision until I saw it in print... so I had to hang my doula hat for a moment and try to understand.   We ALL know that 'Breast is Best', but do we know that formula IS NO...