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Can You Breastfeed While You’re Pregnant?

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As I discovered yesterday on a thread in the forums, there is a lot of misinformation regarding whether or not you can breastfeed while you’re pregnant. Many doctors in fact tell their patients that you cannot breastfeed while you’re pregnant as it causes miscarriage. Some other misinformation also includes that breastfeeding during pregnancy can cause low birth weight babies. Finally, there’s always the idea that you won’t be able to make enough milk for the new baby and supply enough nutrients to the growing fetus. Since someone asked, I thought I’d take a closer look at each of these arguments … Continue reading →

Valorie’s Breastfeeding Index

Later today I will post a review of the baby blog of 2007 so why does breastfeeding get its own category? Well, in part as an answer to readers who want to read what I’ve written on breastfeeding. I’ve written so much on breastfeeding at this point that you all have asked for an index of sorts so it’s easier to find what you’re looking for. It’s also in part because I’ve become known as the breastfeeding lady. . .guru. . .whatever you want to call it. I’ve been at this breastfeeding business for a long time and many of … Continue reading →

Placentophagy

I have long since been interested in looking at mammalian maternal behavior as a means of looking at how culture has influenced us. I’ve mentioned before that I’m very interested in Kathy Dettweiler’s work. She studied various mammals’ nursing patterns and based on indicators other than age, came up with an approximate “natural weaning” age for humans. . .which was between 5 and 7 years. Placentophagy, while I admit is not something I’d be willing to try (certainly vomiting outweighs the alleged benefits, does it not?), definitely falls into this category. Placentophagy is the act of eating the human placenta … Continue reading →

Challenging the Status Quo on the Age of Weaning

Most people who are around Families.com for any length of time know where to go if they have a breastfeeding question. Especially one that’s out of the ordinary. It’s true, I’ve been nursing for what will be 9 years in March. . .although not the same child. I have nursed twins, I have tandem nursed singletons. I even had one child stop nursing only to start again four months later. . .which I allowed. I consider the minimum age for weaning two years, (following recommendations by WHO) and I’ve mentioned before that I actively encourage breastfeeding until this time. The … Continue reading →

Ask a Baby Blogger: Breastfeeding and Boundaries

Question: Is it appropriate to tell my toddler to stop nursing? She’s 13 months and wants to nurse all the time but I don’t want her to. I don’t want to stop nursing entirely either. Suggestions? Nursing All the Time My first question would be to ask why she wants to nurse all the time. At 13 months it’s possible that she’s getting new teeth in which case, if it were me, I’d be inclined to just nurse her as much as is reasonable. However, if she feels like she’s not getting enough food–her natural response is going to be … Continue reading →

Unwanted Breastfeeding Advice: My Spare Breast

This blog is inspired by two happenings. The first is a thread in the forums about us poor moms who endure countless quips about when the baby will start formula, how we have to supplement or various other myths about breastfeeding. The second happening is my own unwanted breastfeeding advice wrought down upon me by my daughter falling down the stairs and sustaining a large goose egg on the forehead. . .but let me back up. One of the twins fell down the stairs this weekend. As is my custom when my children are hurt like this, I proceeded to … Continue reading →

5 Common Breastfeeding Mistakes that New Moms Make

The CDC announced recently that while more women are breastfeeding than even a few years ago, they’re still not doing it for long enough. I have said before that I believe the number one reason women quit breastfeeding is for lack of support and information. Sure, while you’re pregnant you undoubtedly had lots of brochures passed your way and maybe you’ve even had a conversation with the pediatrician. But your baby is born and all does not go as planned and before you know it, you’re supplementing and slowly you lose milk. So here are my top 5 common mistakes … Continue reading →

Ask a Baby Blogger: A Toddler’s Proper Place on the Weight Charts

Question: My youngest is one and starting to lose ground on the charts. All of my kids went through this when they started becoming very active and I night weaned. My ped wants me to stop breastfeeding and put him on whole milk. I want to continue to breastfeed. I’ve been giving him baby yogurt, ice cream (he hates it), avocado (he hates it) cookies and other junk food to get the calories in. Any other suggestions? Ah. . .doctors and their lack of knowledge on breastfeeding coupled with their attachment to those charts = a dangerous combination. To put … Continue reading →

Gerber Cereal Causes Choking?

I am partly using this blog to inform those of you who read it, that Gerber has recalled its organic rice and organic oatmeal because of a potential choking hazard. Apparently some of the cereal doesn’t dissolve in milk or water. However, there are literally hundreds of recalls on products that are pertaining to babies and I cannot possibly write about them all. I admit I have an ulterior motive here and that is to talk about, once again, old school vs. current research on feeding your baby solids. Gerber is essentially covering their all important back side to avoid … Continue reading →

Breastfeeding and Jury Duty

I have found myself in a most unpleasant situation. I will start by saying the simple fact of the matter is, I cannot serve. I have a gazillion and one reasons why I cannot but suffice it to say that as Murphey’s Law would have it, they called the one week I just can’t go. Every single babysitter known to man (or at least known to my adorable, but slightly difficult two year old twins) is busy and gone. Had they given me a summons the week earlier or the week later it would’ve been fine. But they didn’t and … Continue reading →