I'm still here!

It's been a crazy couple of months for me but wanted to chime in to let everyone know we are still here! Ardun is now 8 1/2 months old, he's been nicknamed Turbo and he's just amazing.

I was slightly jealous of Rachel's last post and her ability to pump and nurse beyond a year and I am just hoping that I make it another two weeks to his 9 month mark. I am insanely jealous of her paid pumping breaks where she gets to read! I don't get to take breaks to pump, in fact, I only get to pump once while at work, on my lunch break. My milk supply has been dwindling (like I only pump about 1.5 ounces TOTAL each time) and Ardun is still not the best nurser so who knows where we will be by then. At this point, we nurse when I am with him and then at the babysitter he gets formula. Yep, the dreaded formula.

Even if I don't make it to his first birthday, I am proud of making it this far. I know that breastfeeding has been one of the hardest things I have ever done and that I have stuck with it so long does make me feel good.


This past weekend I had to attend a class for work and it was 9-5 on both Friday and Saturday. I called in advance and let them know I was a pumping mom and needed to be able to use the lactation room, she said there wouldn't be a problem with that. I arrived a little late on Friday and I didn't get to ask where the room was and of course they didn't leave instructions for me. Thank goodness I wasn't the only pumping mom, I spotted something very familiar, a PIS bag from across the room. I thought I would ask her where the pumping room was when she got back. I watched the clock and thought, "wow, she pumps for a long time, she's been gone 30 minutes." Well, when I finally had her show me where the closet, err, lactation room was I understood why. It was soo out of the way and tucked in a corner of the purchasing department. There was no lock on the door, just a sign reminding people that the room is in use. At least there was a room, I pump in a storage room that is also our break room while everyone, including my boss walk in and out at lunch time. Well, Saturday rolls around and I go to pump and of course the purchasing department is locked, therefore, access to the lactation room was also locked. Do you know how hard it is to find someone with keys at UMKC Dental School on a Saturday? I was almost ready to find a bathroom with a plug out of the way, ugh, can you imagine? I finally did and got into the little room. I was never happier to get home to my little man and ignore the pump for the rest of the weekend.

On a different note...Ardun LOVES eating and recently I was able to try a bunch of the Happy Baby line-for free! Watch for Ardun's opinion coming soon!

I have made a big decision...

I have decided to continue pumping past one year. I told myself to make it to one year and then I would switch Eliza to an organic goat milk, but I just can't do it. I have no desire to let her wean, and she has no desire to wean. So, if she is still nursing full time, what is the point of me not pumping? I don't really want to pay for the organic goat milk, she loves her mom's milk, and I can continue to ship my milk through the Eats on Feets program.

My girl has started eating more solid foods, but she still loves her boob. I enjoy my pumping breaks (which are paid, thank you Courts!!!) because I can read and relax alone for a while. I only pump twice a day and since Eliza has been a nursing machine, I have been pumping a ton lately. I also stopped stressing out about it. I used to freak out if she didn't have fresh milk for Monday morning and I would pump all weekend to be sure. Now, I just let it go. If she doesn't have fresh Monday milk, she can drink frozen. Its no biggie.

Anyway. I was the anti-breastfeeder (I knew I would, but I just hated the idea of it), and here I am as an extended breastfeeder!

E will be 8 months old in two days!

4% of Nursing Mothers CANNOT make enough milk!

Its true, some women cannot make enough milk. I truly believe that some women try, and try and try, and cannot make enough milk. I have donated milk to women in this situation. Maybe Becky wants to talk more in-depth about this, but I have never seen a woman try harder to feed her son than this woman. 


So what is the answer? Should we shrug and go purchase formula? 


I am reading East of Eden right now and at one point the mother of an infant dies, the father gives him whiskey for 2 days and then buys a goat. Should we buy a goat? 


I had planned on nursing. Not "if" I can nurse, but when I can nurse. I have lots of friends who planned to nurse too, and things were not exactly as they planned. One of my best friends in the world was overwhelmed with the thought of breastfeeding her twins (who are huge, and grew and ate more than the average premature twin), and she pumped every day, and every night for over 7 months so that her sons had adequate breast milk with the occasional bottle of formula. (Standing ovation, you rule mama!)


How much does a mother need to try to breastfeed before its okay to supplement? 


This article is written by a woman who tried, and tried, and tried to nurse full time. I thought it was amazingly well written and very supportive of something that 4% of women cannot control, "primary lactation failure."


http://www.babble.com/baby/baby-feeding-nutrition/breastfeeding-problems-low-breast-milk-supply-lactation-consultant/


When she took on the question of why its not commonly discussed this was the reason:


""I believe the reason women aren't told about lactation failure is that there is a fear that it will lead to many women giving up before they've given breastfeeding a fair shot," says Daria Hoffman, a certified lactation educator in Los Angeles. "It's already often a struggle to prove to women that breast milk is superior to formula, though our numbers are improving, finally." She's right. In 1980, breastfeeding rates for women who breastfed "for at least some period of time" were at 54%. By 2004, it was up to 75%." HELL YEAH!


This sounds very true. I hear about food allergies all the time, but the scientific community reports that only 2% of adults have allergies:


"Fact: Although 25 percent of people think they're allergic to certain foods, studies show that about only 6 percent of children and 2 percent of adults have a food allergy. A true food allergy is a reaction triggered by the immune system (the part of your body that fights infection). Far more people simply have a food intolerance, which is unpleasant symptoms triggered by food (but does not involve the immune system)."


Manifestations of Food Allergy: Evaluation and Management by SH Sicherer, M.D. (American Family PhysicianJanuary 15, 1999, http://www.aafp.org/afp/990115ap/415.html)


So if 25% of adults think they have allergies, but only 2% do... what does that tell you about breastfeeding. Most women I talk to who don't breastfeed say that they didn't have the supply needed to feed their child. I truly believe that is true, but the reason their supply was low was probably based on a bad latch, poor nutrition or bad milk supply management (all of which could be remedied with support, education and better birth policies at hospitals). We need to support the 4% of women with primary lactation failure because they need support. BUT, before we make this rare problem mainstream, we need to support the women with lactation failure, and see if we can improve their supply before we jump on the "no supply" bandwagon.


Ill talk a little about the main reasons that women cannot properly make milk:


Nutrition: 


Did you know that there are certain foods that can lower your milk supply? Sage and peppermint are known for decreasing milk supply.


Do you get enough water? I used to force Becky to drink more water. I am a water junkie. TMI, but seriously, my pee is clear, always! I drink so much water that I have to replace the water jug at work at least once a day. I drink 3-4 cups of tea in the morning, and I fill my nalgene 32 oz. at least 4 times at work. I gave up soda completely and I am on an almost pure water diet (in terms of beverage). Water is amazing. I truly believe it is what gives me my supply. DRINK WATER!


What do you eat during the day? Protein, calories and nutrition are important. What you eat goes into your breastmilk. If you're not eating enough to properly care for your own body, your milk will suffer. Eat like you're pregnant, and I am not talking about a 100% fruit loop diet (I had a mom tell me she only ate fruit loops her entire pregnancy, made me sad for her growing fetus). Eat greens, lean meats, organics. What a great way to lose weight and retain your health. Also, eat enough calcium. Green leafy veg, dairy (if you can), etc. 


Hormones:


Did you go straight onto hormonal birth control? Did you know that it can decrease your milk supply? 


KellyMom has this to say: " For most mothers, progestin-only forms of contraception do not cause problems with milk supply if started after the 6th-8th week postpartum and if given at normal doses. However, there are many reports (most anecdotal but nevertheless worth paying attention to) that some women do experience supply problems with these pills, so if you choose this method you still need to proceed with some caution."


Your baby's latch:


Most LD Nurses and I hate to say it, Lactation Consultants aren't very helpful when it comes to breastfeeding. That being said, some are great! If you get a good one, you will learn to properly get your baby to latch at the hospital. Some women leave the hospital with sore nipples, a starving baby and stress. I highly recommend all new mothers read as many breastfeeding books as possible before birth, talk to friends, mothers, sisters, aunts, etc. Once the baby is born, go to a breastfeeding support group, LLL meeting, have friends come over and pick up the phone. Breastfeeding is not always natural. I cried and cried while my nipples bled. I remember shaking and crying while my mom said "FEED HER!" It wasn't until my cousin's wife called and said "pinch your nipple in your hand and shove it in the baby's mouth so that you cant see any areola" I did this and it still hurt, but it got better. As soon as my scabs healed, I realized I WAS DOING IT WRONG!!!!!!!! I had read at least 4 books, I watched videos, I talked to moms and I STILL DID IT WRONG! Once it was better, it took a lot of work to master nursing. I used my entire 6 week maternity leave to learn how to breastfeed. It took work, courage, late nights and lots of patience. By the end of 6 weeks, I admit that I still wasn't the most confident nurser, but I was on my way. Now at almost 8 months old, Ill whip it out in public and nurse that baby.... though you're not likely to see any boob, I'm pretty inconspicuous. 


Dr. Sears has a great article on proper latch: http://www.askdrsears.com/html/2/T021100.asp

How circumcision can harm your breastfeeding relationship!

This site has a ton of information and medical journal articles on the mother/child bonding after an elective surgery after birth.


"A stressful, painful event such as circumcision, however, still appears to affect the feeding patterns of infants who have recently undergone circumcision" 


Marshall RE, Porter FL, Rogers A, et al. Circumcision II: effects upon mother-infant interaction. Early Human Development 1982;7:367-74.


"Preliminary studies suggested that pain experienced by infants in the neonatal period may have long-lasting effects on future infant behaviour. The objectives of this study were to find out whether neonatal circumcision altered pain response at 4-month or 6-month vaccination compared with the response in uncircumcised infants, and whether pretreatment of circumcision pain with lidocaine-prilocaine cream (Emla) affects the subsequent vaccination response."


Taddio, A., Koren G. et al. Effect of neonatal circumcision on pain response during subsequent routine vaccination. Lancet, Vol. 349: 599-603 (March 1, 1997).


"This study showed that neonatal circumcision in male infants is associated with increased pain response in vaccination 4-6 months after surgery. The results support our previous finding of a higher pain response in circumcised than uncircumcised male infants during routine vaccination"


Taddio A, Goldbach M, Ipp M, Stevens B, Koren G. Effect of neonatal circumcision on pain responses during vaccination in boys. Lancet 1995;345:291-292.


"In my client population of adult men, serious and sometimes disabling lifelong consequences appear to have resulted from this procedure, and long-term psychotherapy focusing on early trauma resolution appears to be effective in dealing with these consequences. Early prevention by eliminating the practice of routine circumcision is seen as desirable."


Rhinehart J. Neonatal circumcision reconsidered. Transactional Analysis Journal 1999; 29(3):215-22.


La Leche League refuses to talk about the correlation because they feel that they are combining two different causes, but we're experiencing babies dying from formula, and women being told they can't breastfeed. We need to take the obstacles out of breastfeeding and keep our sons whole!

Awesome post by an awesome blogger!

http://thefeministbreeder.com/when-it-comes-to-breastfeeding-we-cant-handle-the-truth/

When It Comes to Breastfeeding, We Can’t Handle The Truth

Check it out:

"Of course then people say “It’s her CHOICE to formula-feed – leave her alone!” But I don’t believe that most women are making this “choice.”  The CDC shows that 3/4 of women are initiating breastfeeding in the hospital, but only 13.6% of women are still exclusively breastfeeding at 6 months.  What this tells me is that somewhere along the way, they gave up on themselves, and the reason I hear most often is, “But, I tried! I just couldn't make any milk!”

Here is the cold hard truth ladies:  You have been lied to.

If only 13.6% of us could make enough milk, the human race would never have survived.  And it’s not your fault. It’s the fault of this system that completely fails mothers and babies, and sabotages a mother’s good intentions.  Somewhere along the line, some one told you that you couldn’t make milk, and you believed them because we’ve all grown up in a culture that tells women their bodies aren’t good enough for much of anything except being toys for men.  Is it easy to make this milk?  No, not always – but neither was bringing that baby into the world and your body did a fine job of that.  Think about that.  Think hard. Your body created an entire human being inside from nothing more than the joining of two single cells.  Your body is a miracle worker.So what leads you to believe that, after creating a whole person with organs and tissue and a beating heart, that your body would call it quits when it came time to feeding this thing?  The major problem here is that someone in your life probably put their own ignorance ahead of the short and long term health of you and your baby, and you believed them because women are used to feeling shamed."

I applaud you Feminist Breeder! 

Don't say you'll try... YOU CAN DO IT!

I hear this every single day “I tried, but I just couldn’t” or “I’ll try my best, but if I can’t I won’t be disappointed.” When did our society become so accepting of failure? I am not saying that women who truly cannot breastfeed are failures, by any means. My friend who almost died at her son’s birth, went through several surgeries with a newborn on her breast, and was told she could pump and dump for 2-6 weeks to maintain her supply while the medication she was on was out of her system. With a newborn to care for and surgery to recover from, she gave up. I give her so much credit; she tried, and wanted to breastfeed. She is the only person I know who truly couldn’t breastfeed.

I had a father tell me “the nurses at the hospitals were breastfeeding Nazis, we got almost too much support- they told *wife* that if she didn’t get a proper latch by the end of the day, they weren’t going to let her go home.” I mentioned to friend that perhaps that isn’t the type of support that women need to succeed. That is the type of “support” that makes mothers feel inadequate and turn to a bottle for a little relief. This is the same hospital that scheduled the same friend for induction at 38 weeks on a Thursday, (along with all of the other expecting mothers) my guess is that the OB/GYNs like to have their weekends off… I feel bad for people birthing in the more rural areas. They really don’t have a lot of choices, and that is just unfair.

I hate hearing “I’ll see how it goes.” Dear mothers, if women were truly unable to breastfeed, how in the h*** did humankind make it this far? I am astonished that women can go 9 months without a drink, a turkey sandwich or coffee but they give up after a week of trying. Breastfeeding took be about three months to get used to doing. I still struggle daily. Sometimes E will hurt me, or smack me, or refuse to nurse, or wake up at 3 am crying. Its part of being a parent.

My advice:

#1. Take some responsibility for yourself and your child: I hate to pressure new mothers, but seriously DON’T MAKE BREASTFEEDING OPTIONAL!!! Stop setting yourself up to fail, because everything else about the birthing process in America is already doing that for you. Go into breastfeeding with a positive attitude. It’s all or nothing when it comes to your baby. You’re either breastfeeding, or you’re not. You carried that heavy, heartburn inducing parasite in your belly for over 9 months and enjoyed it (at least I did), how can you not want to spend the next 9-24 months sharing a quiet, intimate moment with that baby that only you can do? I love nursing! I was scared to death of it, but I made it mandatory because of the health benefits. I honestly considered doing exclusive pumping EP because I was so wigged out by the thought of putting boob in mouth. Now, I couldn’t imagine doing it any other way.

#2. Surround yourself with successful breastfeeders: Those people who tell you “good luck” when you say you’re going to breastfeed… don’t ask them for advice. Find like-minded mommies, and stick to them like glue! My beloved friend Kylee took me to my first La Leche League meeting, and my beautiful friend Jen came over a week after baby E was born to help me work on my breastfeeding posture, positions, etc. She helped me, and took me to a breastfeeding support group. It was my first outing alone with E. My cousin’s wife Elizabeth was the first mom to give me advice on the phone when E was two days old. My husband’s aunt is a lactation consultant and I talked to her for over 2 hours on the phone to vent, chat, learn and ask for advice. It seriously takes a village to learn to breastfeed! If you failed with your first baby, use the second baby as your chance to make it better.  Finding mommies who plan to breastfeed is EASY, join a mother’s group, go to LLL meetings while pregnant, take a natural birth class (Bradley, Hypno-birth, etc.) and request a lactation consultant (LC) come to your room IMMEDIATELY after the baby is born.

#3. Read Lots of Books and go to lots of support groups!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My advice to pregnant women is “do as much research on the birth as possible, and do as little research on child rearing once the baby is born.” My dear friend who was unable to breastfeed (see intro) gave me some advice “use your instincts when it comes to raising your child.” I do, and bless her for giving me the courage to not open a single child rearing book! On the other hand, your instincts may not be enough for breastfeeding. I hate to say it. I know babies do “the crawl” towards the breast, but not all babies take it properly. Whether your nipples are shaped funny, your baby has some mouth or tongue problems with getting a good latch, most everything can be worked through. If you know before-hand what issues can arise, it’s a lot easier to address them. Think about it like this:

You’re a new mother who has been struggling to breastfeed the first week after the baby is home (I know I was!!!). Your support system (mom, sister, friends) have all left and you’re on your own. Your husband is at work. You take your baby to the first doctors appt. and the doctor says “this baby isn’t gaining enough weight, if we don’t see a significant weight-gain within the next week, we’re supplementing with formula.” You go home, you try to nurse, it still doesn’t seem like the baby is getting enough. You call a friend who nursed for a year, she gives you some advice, it doesn’t seem to work. You panic because you don’t want to harm your baby, the advice you have didn’t work and your doctor is threatening you. That nice nutrient rich tub of formula the hospital sent home is easy, and you can pop a bottle in to get your baby some nutrition while you learn to nurse. The baby takes the bottle and drains it. His weigh starts to go up. You breathe a sigh of relief and attempt to breastfeed. The baby won’t take the breast. You figure formula is better than starving, so you say goodbye to breastfeeding.

This happens more than you can even imagine. Now imagine this:

You’re a new mother who has been struggling to breastfeed the first week after the baby is home (I know I was!!!). Your support system (mom, sister, friends) have all left and you’re on your own. Your husband is at work. You take your baby to the first doctors appt. and the doctor says “this baby isn’t gaining enough weight, if we don’t see a significant weight-gain within the next week, we’re supplementing with formula.” You go home, you try to nurse, it still doesn’t seem like the baby is getting enough. You call a friend who nursed for a year, she gives you some advice, it doesn’t seem to work. You pack your bag up, put the baby in the car and drive down to the hospital to meet with a lactation consultant. She has you remove your shirt and show her your latch. The lactation consultant gives you a ton of advice, helps you fit the areola into your nurslings mouth, and supports you. The LC has you pump to see what your supply is. The baby is weighed before and after eating to see how much he is taking in. You’re given a ton of books and websites to read for support. You’re encouraged to go to a LLL meeting and a breastfeeding support meeting at the hospital. You attend both. You find yourself surrounded by other women facing the same problems, and other women who have overcome similar problems. All of these women are there to support you. You meet friends, exchange e-mail addresses and have phone numbers you can call at 2 am when you have a serious case of clogged duct. You laugh about problems, and talk about things like biting. Your child starts to gain weight because you both needed to learn how to breastfeed. It’s a skill, not something you’re born knowing how to do!

Becky- can you talk more about this?!

Great books: The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, Ina May’s Guide to Breastfeeding, The Breastfeeding Book, and plenty more, ask your LLL Leader!

#4. Have an un-medicated birth or at least take control after birth: You know how I feel, but an alert baby is a better eater. Epidural born baby is a lethargic and tired baby. I don’t eat when I am sleepy and medicated, why would I expect a baby to be any differently? The baby should latch within an hour of birth to ensure a good breastfeeding relationship.  (Recommended by WHO, UNISEF and WABA).

If you can’t have a natural birth (c-section or other complications), you can still get the baby on the breast within an hour. The hospital might lie to you and say you can’t but you can (the hospital staff wants to get in and get their job done quickly, and you sitting around enjoying your baby can get in the way of that)! It’s always better to have a doula with you who can speak up for your rights! Becky had an emergency C-section and still had Ardun breastfeeding within 40 minutes- (You rock mama!).

#5. Be Proud of Yourself:  I find this as a source of contention to some. Many people get offended at the mere mention of breastfeeding. I get snarky comments on Facebook all the time, and not even from mom’s who “couldn’t” breastfeed, but sisters, friends, etc. who have nothing to do with being a parent. It’s weird. I don’t get it. I don’t care though, if my success makes someone else feel bad, that is their problem, and not mine. Mom’s have a lot of guilt for some awful reason. And many people think that if you do something contrary to them, you’re looking down upon them.

Seriously, every single medical based entity (AAP, WHO, etc.) supports breastfeeding. All of the studies show the benefits of breastfeeding. If you feed formula, you must know those things. If you choose to formula feed instead, that is your choice.

#6. Don’t be afraid: I breastfeed in public. I am not one of those whip it out boob-flashing mamas, but more power to them. Why do fatty men get to show their boobies (many of which are larger than mine!) but I can’t feed my kid? I admit that I do pick and choose where I nurse. Now that I am back in the San Francisco area, I feel comfortable nursing almost anywhere, but in Missouri, I mainly stuck to places like nicer cafes, parks, etc. I struggle to keep my little one still while I nurse, but I promise that not a single person out there has seen my nipples, so back off J

#7 Talk about it: Breastfeeding will never be normalized until we take control and make it normal. The baby on the bottle is still the “norm” in this country, and we need to change that perception. I talk about pumping at work with co-workers, so nobody feels uncomfortable. I let them know what I am doing, how long I plan to do it and I feel supported. I was very lucky to work at a Catholic university immediately after E was born and now I work for a county in California. We have a lactation room and two 15 minute paid breaks a day. Its important that people know what you’re doing. I hope that other women in the courthouse see me using the lactation room every day and feel comfortable someday using it themselves. I feel like I am approachable enough that someone can come up and ask me about it or get advice. What is the use of a lactation room if nobody is comfortable enough to use it?! FYI, there is also one in the jury room at this courthouse, kick ass!

We have a tooth!

E's first tooth has cut. She bit me. It hurt. I said "OUCH" loudly without startling her too bad. I handed her to daddy and she had to stop eating. She wasn't pleased... but she hasn't done it since... we'll see how long this lasts!

Other advice given to me:

Yell OUCH loudly (ill wait until she is a bit older for this)
Push her face into the breast until she lets go (good for biters who don't let go!)
Stick the finger in the mouth to break the latch


Any more advice out there!?

This blog has a kick ass section on biting!
http://community.livejournal.com/boob_nazis/1184075.html

I hate Facebook fights!

So many women get offended to hear about other’s breastfeeding. I had a “friend”post on one of my facebook posts today: “I find that mothers who are able to breastfeed are very judgmental and in fact discriminatory against those who are unable and choose to give their babies formula. Every one of my friends who were unable to breastfeed have agreed.” 

Judgmental? Seriously? I am PROUD! I will stand at the roof top and scream it.  I WORKED REALLY EFFIN HARD AT THIS AND I SUCCEEDED! I AM SO PROUD OF MYSELF! IT WASN’T EASY, I CRIED, I DEDICATED A LOT OF TIME AND ENERGY, BUT I SUCCEEDED! I don’t enjoy being covered in milk, or pumping at work, but I do it. It is the best thing I can do for my daughter, and I am proud of it. If formula moms feel discriminated against, then perhaps it’s them doing all of the discrimination, because I don’t care either way. It’s your kid, I am sure we have a zillion things that we don’t agree on in all areas of being a human being. I post things on facebook as a reminder to myself and my dear pregnant friends, that they can do it. I have had more than one pregnant mom tell me that the pro-breastfeeding things I post on facebook has encouraged them and empowered them, so damn-it, I am going to keep on keepin’ on!

I don’t get facebook. I seriously don’t. I have a good friend who works for the CDC and supports vaccines and often posts about it. I just skip over those posts and I don’t put anything negative, it’s my personal choice, and if she feels that she needs to promote the flu shot, then do it! It seems like every single time I post something (or a friend posts something) about breastfeeding, at least someone gets offended and acting like I am attacking them directly. Nothing I post on Facebook is aimed towards anyone but myself, and my fellow breastfeeding natural moms who might want to read the same article. If it doesn’t apply to you, or you don’t want to read it, then skip it. DAMN!  Though I am not as nice as some of my friends, I like to defend myself and I rarely apologize for anything I have said or posted, because again, its NOT aimed at YOU! Get over it!

Other controversial things I post on Facebook:

*My pit bull

*Holistic Medicine
*Not vaccinating my child

*The war in Iraq (I’m very much against it… shocking!)

*Cloth Diapering

*Green Living

*Healthcare in the US

*Maternal death rates

None of these things were handpicked to piss you off. If they do piss you off, just delete me as a friend instead of starting a Facebook fight! Thanks J

I love this blog! 101 Reasons to Breastfeed!

You know those people who say "formula is almost exactly the same as breastmilk!" You know how you always cringe when people say that but you never have the comeback you want? Here is that come back-

101 Reasons to Breastfeed

I actually had a friend of my sister-in-law call me an idiot on facebook because I mentioned that premies can be saved with pumped human breastmilk. She insisted that Similac is preferred in NICU wards to save the lives of premies. I casually mentioned that many NICUs are now creating milk-banks to store and serve human breastmilk for the purpose of saving lives. Anyway, why argue with idiots who have a tremendous amount of mama-guilt!?

I digress, this post has 101 real, supported with citations, reasons to breastfeed. Some of my favorites are:

#49: "Formula costs the government (and taxpayers) millions of dollars
The U.S. government spends more than $2,665,715 a year to provide formula for the children of non-breastfeeding mothers participating in the WIC supplemental food program. Of course, this doesn't take into consideration the additional costs of caring for those infants who are statistically much more likely to get sick. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, higher breastfeeding rates could reduce US health care costs by $3.6 billion per year."

Riordan, J "The cost of not breastfeeding: a commentary" J Hum Lact 1997; 13(2) 93-97

A.A.P. Breastfeeding Policy Statement: Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk Pediatrics Vol. 115 No. 2 February 2005

(http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;115/2/496)

#56 "Breastfed babies are less likely to die before their third birthday

Not only are breastfed babies less likely to contract life-threatening diseases, they are better able to combat any illnesses that may develop."Van Den Bogaard, C. "Relationship Between Breast Feeding in Early Childhood and Morbidity in a general Population."Fan Med, 1991; 23:510-515

#98 "No worry about latest ingredient discovered to be missing from formula

There is no formula that can duplicate human milk because, as the FDA recognized in a recent statement "...the exact chemical makeup of breast milk is still unknown." "Formula-fed infants depend on products which can be quite different from each other, but which are continually being found deficient in essential nutrients... These nutrients are then added, usually after damage has occurred in infants or overwhelming market pressure forces the issue." "

M. Walker, R.N., International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, The Journal Of Human Lactation, Sept 1993

Jenna Elfman donated her milk to save a sick baby!

What a hero! 

http://www.bestforbabes.org/2010/11/jenna-elfman-donates-breastmilk-to-save-sick-baby-beats-breastfeeding-boobytraps/


Jenna Elfman has always seemed like a kind and good natured celebrity. I am not sure why I have always liked her. I was shocked to read this article about how she donated her milk to save a meth-addicted newborn. The baby wasn't surviving on formula (shocking!) and only started to come around once he was on 100% human milk. 


She also talks in depth about how she wasn't prepared for breastfeeding. She says " I thought you put the baby on the breast and they sucked and that was it.  There was maybe one sentence on it in my birth class. So . . . when I finally put him on the breast; I didn’t know about latch, I didn’t know about anything!   I was not prepared, and didn’t know that you’re very tired, that you have to feed your baby often so you’re awake a lot, that you’re focusing all your attention on this brand new prize, and that your hormones go through a whole shift.   You potentially have no education about how to breastfeed, yet you still have the duty of feeding your child, and keeping  the child alive." So very true! I took a Bradley Birth class and even that class is more focused on the birth. Thankfully my birthing teaching talked about breastfeeding in depth. I was also blessed to have a mother and some close friends who were able to reach out and help me. (Thanks Mom, Jen C., Kylee, Becky, Rachel B., Liz S., Sherri, and others.) 


Kudos to Jenna Elfman, you are a hero to breastfeeding moms and everyone! 

All women can breastfeed, they just need the proper support!!!

I feel so bad that women fail at breastfeeding. I do not blame anyone who attempts to do it and fails. Those women were set up to fail. The fact that women are sent home with a tub of formula in their "breastfeeding support" kits from the hospital are one step away from failing. No woman should be handed formula "just in case.:" This story about the Laramie Breastfeeding Bag is truly inspirational. Similac and all the other formula companies have such a stronghold over hospitals, and to send anyone home with a Similac sponsored "breastfeeding kit" is a slap in the face.

The hospital talked about in the article has been quite receptive to a formula free breastfeeding support. If breastfeeding saves lives, why aren't more hospitals promoting it and supporting women?

" Ivinson Memorial Hospital now proudly displays their international breastfeeding symbol stickers in all entries and on each floor, it has banned the free formula bags entirely, and it is making steps toward becoming a certified “baby-friendly” hospital."


http://www.nursingfreedom.org/2010/11/laramie-breastfeeding-bag-project.html

Who owns public space? Great article!

By Peggy O'Mara in Mothering

"It is unnecessary to defend breastfeeding in public. To me, it's like walking in public. It's a basic human right. For others, however—those who live in a bottle-feeding culture with little or no apparent exposure to breastfeeding—the act is a private matter. How little they understand breastfeeding."

"In fact, our public spaces lack private places, and not many public places accommodate nursing a baby or changing a diaper. It is cruelly paradoxical that new mothers are encouraged to breastfeed without any idea of how much society and other people will undermine them. When it comes to going out in public to do what everyone else does, only clothing-store dressing rooms and bathroom stalls are spaces predictably private enough for mothers and infants. This is not good enough. Breastfed babies normally nurse almost continuously during the first few weeks and months as they build up the milk supply. Infant humans cannot simply be stashed at home while mommy runs off for her errands. Baby needs to be carried around so that breastfeeding is readily available, as breastmilk is low in fat and babies must feed often."

I joined Eats on Feets!

Move Over, Milk Banks: Facebook and Milk Sharing

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2032363,00.html#ixzz167vobrXP


"The result is a new network called Eats on Feets — a play on Meals on Wheels — that uses Facebook to connect women whose babies need supplemental breast milk to women nearby who have extra milk to give away. Shell Walker, a midwife in Phoenix, came up with the name and created the original page to facilitate local matches. But Kwasnica, who had already made several matches via her Informed Choice page, took the idea global, and in just a few weeks the network has grown to 98 local groups, spanning all 50 states in the U.S. and 22 countries. More than 70 matches have been reported so far, with milk coming not only in bags and jars, but also sometimes directly from the source."


I signed up to help another baby. My girl is 7 months old now and still going strong. I have a small stash in my freezer and I am hoping that someone takes me up on my offer!

Are moms being "bullied" into breastfeeding?

http://www.herald.ie/lifestyle/parents/is-breastfeeding-really-best-2430275.html

Headline:

Is breastfeeding really best?

Mum of five Aileen Hickie says mothers should not be bullied into breastfeeding if they don’t want to

I am going to have to disagree. Nobody is bullying moms into breastfeeding. The studies have been done and the medical benefits of breastfeeding is undeniable. Formula should be the very last resort when deciding what to feed a baby. If mom's choose not to breastfeed, they are automatically making a choice that creates medical issues, costs taxpayers money, and can threaten the life of the child (in the case of ill or premie babies). 

To put it bluntly... you push a baby out of your vagina, after carrying it in your uterus for 9+ months, and then to say breastfeeding is weird, too painful, inconvenient, etc. Also, these same mom's are the ones who wouldn't eat lunch meat, drink a sip of wine or do any research on their birth. What a cop-out. I went through so much to birth a happy and healthy baby girl, why would I quit the moment she is born? 

There is nothing easy about having a baby, and if you think that your role stops the moment the baby is born, you're sorely mistaken. It takes work, effort, pain, tears, emotions and a slew of other not so enjoyable feelings. Breastfeeding is a job. I have to get up and feed the baby, pump, get her bottles ready for daycare, pump at work, but isn't my daughter worth it? I think so! 

I think women who choose not to breastfeed are selfish. If you have no plan to ever breastfeed, you're too selfish to have a child. Sorry... that's how it is. 

I also think that our medical system has set women up to fail with breastfeeding. So many well meaning mothers fail because they are given bad advice, no advice, mean nurses, people saying things like "if you don't learn to breastfeed, we're not letting you leave the hospital." or "if this baby doesn't gain weight, you're going to have to quit breastfeeding."

My advice is for mommies to surround themselves with successful breastfeeders, stop with the mama guilt, stop calling it "bullying" and accept that our society forces people to not leave their babies unattended, not lock babies in the car, not do other horrible things to their kids, so why would we sit back and just let them fill their baby will cow milk from a terrible factory? We care about the future of your child! Do some research, learn how to be successful! 

I am officially the first user of the Lactation Room at my new courthouse!

Lets just say that lactation rooms ARE AMAZING! Thank you California Labor Code 1031:

"The employer shall make reasonable efforts to provide the

employee with the use of a room or other location, other than a
toilet stall, in close proximity to the employee's work area, for the
employee to express milk in private"

I have this nice, clean room with a chair, a bench and a sink. The lighting can be dimmed for my relaxation.

Thank you California for being so friendly to us nursing mommies!

Sorry I have been gone! New Job, new pumping situation!

So I just packed up and moved across the country! Sorry I have been so MIA for a while!

I started a new job and I was terrified about how to ask about pumping. Librarians are famous for having no children, so I had a feeling that my boss and many co-workers would be child-less (I was right!). I decided to just wait until I started on my first day to bring it up because I didn't want to make it a big deal. I was talking with one of the office managers and she mentioned my pump bag because her daughter had the same one. I told her I would need a place to pump, and she went out of her way to help. I was given the break room for my own use for 15 minutes twice a day. Signs were put on the door so I would be undisturbed and everyone was informed that I wasn't to be bothered. I was also told that CA law requires all new buildings to have a "lactation room" for nursing mommies, so the new court house Ill be in will have that for me to use.

Whew! I have been so blessed to have such a supportive work place during my months of pumping!

Overheard on Road Trip

“I’m so sorry Aunt B, he just fell off the chair, I didn’t mean to do it” – Henry, my 5 year old nephew on why Ardun was on the floor and not in the chair where he was two seconds prior

“Give him some icing, it won’t kill him” – my entire family at a cousin's wedding while my 6 month old is being fed cream cheese icing (I know it won't kill him, but I'm not fond of giving him dairy at this age)

“Is that baby in your tummy?” – 6 year old girl in elevator at the hotel, I was wearing Ardun in a ring sling

“Wow, he made an ugly face!” and as I turn to see what Henry is talking about “Don’t worry Aunt B, I only gave him a tiny amount of cookie and then he sucked the chocolate off my finger, but he didn’t like it and made an ugly face.” – Henry in the car while we are driving home. I thanked him for sharing his food, but reminded him Ardun doesn’t need cookies yet.

“Aunt B, let me help and get your nursing cover for you.” Henry helping me feed Ardun at the wedding, I love this one.

“Wow, your baby is really small, what is he, 3 months?” – random woman in the pool at the hotel, I’ll remind you, Ardun is 6 months and 16.9lbs

“Where the heck is your mom?” me, asking the same 6 year old from the elevator while we are in a pool she can’t touch the bottom in. The answer: “I don’t know, somewhere over there.” SERIOUSLY???

“NOOO” – from my sister, Jenny, about a thousand times to her 15 month old son, Jack

“WOW, Mommy fail, your car seat wasn’t latched AT all today Becky.” – Jenny to me after a three hour car ride. Yep, MASSIVE MOMMY FAIL!

“What were you doing Aunt B?” – Henry to me after seeing me wear my nursing cover in the car while Ardun was next to him. “She was cold.” – Jenny to Henry “Ahhh, were you pumpin’ Aunt B?” Henry to me when he saw the milk. How does he know this stuff?

“Can we rip out that bathtub and put it in your truck?” – Jenny to my Dad after taking the most amazing bath at the hotel.

“Jen, is this movie inappropriate for Henry?” – me to Jen while watching the Hangover “Henry, close your ears and go to bed, I love this movie.” Jen to Henry

And P.S. Rachel and Mark have begun the journey across this country to California, so she will be MIA for a little while. We already miss them and Kansas City mourns losing and amazing couple and awesome little girl. We love you guys, travel safe!

Ugh, teething, distracted, un-cooperative nursing!!!

Sorry about the picture. I googled "baby teeth" to find a picture that worked, and this made me laugh and think... wow, those parents rule! So, thank you google docs for again providing me with a weird picture :)

Now that I have your attention, how do I get the attention of my little child? Last night she was hungry and tired. We decided it was time to retire to bed, where I nurse her to sleep. Lately the dogs have been running in the room and barking while I am trying to nurse so I have been turning the tv on mute for some soft light. She craned her neck to look at the tv last night. I kid you not. She wouldnt even face me to nurse. I was holding her against me with all of my might and she showed no interest in eating.

This has been a common theme for us lately. She is far too distracted to eat. If we're in public its awful, she unlatches, drools spit and milk all over me, laughs, looks around, sucks 2 more times, and repeat. I am getting frustrated with her. I am almost to the point of packing a bottle of breast milk just to give her when she is acting like that. Although, ill admit, I am far too lazy. Power to the formula moms, they lug around a lot of crap. I never minded nursing in public until lately, she pulls my shirt up, drools all over me, smacks me.

A friend has a daughter 6 days older than Eliza, and she has teeth. I am scared to death of the day Eliza bites me...

What is a new mom to do?

Why I switched my 5 month old to her "big girl" car seat!

 Image from Mom4Life.com

When Eliza was 2-3 weeks old, I met Becky at a holistic mom's meeting and I was surprised that she had Ardun in a sling rather than his car seat. I used the car seat, but I generally took her out of it when we got where we were going. She looked surprisingly confident and Ardun slept like an angel. Later that day, one of the moms at the group said "our society views children as luggage" and that just hit me... I lugged her around in a carseat praying that she would sleep the entire time I was out, as a convenience to myself. I don't necessarily think that is a bad thing, because we all need our own time, but I actually enjoy the company of my baby, and I have no qualms about waking her up to go in to a store.

I read this article in Mothering; Car seats are for Cars and it really made sense. The article talks about flat-head syndrome which has become rampant in this generation.

"Timothy R. Littlefield, MS, is affiliated with an Arizona clinic that treats plagiocephaly. In an article in the Journal of Prosthetics and Orthotics, he notes that 28.6 percent of infants who attended the clinic between 1998 and 2000 spent 1.5 to 4 hours daily in car seats or swings, and nearly 15 percent were in them for more than four hours per day. Another 5.7 percent of infants were allowed to sleep in these devices.Littlefield observes that cranial distortion resulting from overuse of car seats and swings is more severe and complex than in children who develop plagiocephaly from back-lying on a mattress. Consequently, he recommends reducing the time spent in car seats and swings, if possible"

They also talk about the lack of touch. The authors talk about parents who leave children in the seats for extended amounts of time. "In a Columbia University study, researchers gave either a baby seat or a soft, wearable infant carrier to mothers of low socioeconomic status who had recently given birth. After 13 months, the researchers found that the babies who had been transported in wearable carriers were significantly more likely to demonstrate a strong attachment to their mothers."

Now that Eliza is much more interactive, we felt that even though its a lot harder to hold her when we go to stores or out to eat, at least we're interacting with her. The car seat is safer in the car anyway!  A new study in the journal Pediatrics reports that " almost 9,000 infants go to the emergency room (ER) every year for car seat-related injuries that happen outside the car." As reported by MSNBC.

1-in-4 children took drugs for chronic conditions in 2009! Appalling!

 Image from www.revolutionhealth.com

Reuters reports that 1 in 4 children took drugs for chronic conditions in 2009. That is 25% of children! I am blown away. As a person who takes no drugs for anything (except the occasional headache at work), I am flabbergasted! As parents we're here to protect our children, and the sad thing is, our over-protection is leading to a new form of abuse- over-drugging children.

This quote scares me: " Children were the leading growth demographic for the pharmaceutical industry in 2009, with the increase of prescription drug use among youngsters nearly four times higher than in the overall population, according to a report by Medco Health Solutions Inc." Have we become so complacent with immoral marketing tactics that we allow the pharmaceutical industry to infiltrate our homes, schools and doctors offices? Why are children the targets and what are we doing to protect them?


I am so sick of the argument that pharmaceutical companies are out to "make the world a better place with medicines and vaccines." People need to wake up and see that IT IS ALL ABOUT MONEY!!! It has always been about money. If they find a cure for something, they make a lot of money. 

The article seems to blame obesity on the rising use of medications on children, but truly, is obesity to blame? I know plenty of obese individuals who take no drugs. 


Hopefully this article is a wake up call to many parents out there. My heart breaks!

Come on Missouri-We Can Do Better!!

I ran across this article this morning while reading the daily news.

Hopefully with resources and more media coverage people will begin to realize how normal it is to feed your child they way they were intended to. Again, as Rachel and I both have said, there are reasons why some children cannot get breastmilk but I have to think that there are many kiddos who could have breastmilk but the Momma for one reason or another doesn't do it.

I know how hard it is and I know how hard it is to continue to breastfeed once you return to work, so I get it Momma's, I know why you don't keep going, but being a Mom also means a lot of self sacrifice and I don't regret one minute of my sacrifices I have made to give Ardun what I have.

Even if you didn't breastfeed or couldn't, it's important to support those who are and encourage it for others. I am so lucky my coworkers, some who have breastfed and some who tried but didn't continue, are all super supportive of me doing this for Ardun and have even offered to feed me while I pump! Let's make Missouri a better place, support breastfeeding and let people know it is NORMAL!

One More Reason Breast is Best!

Browsing around this afternoon I came across this article from the LA Times. It's encouraging information to see!

A new study suggests that breast milk may not combat common infections of infancy unless it is the exclusive source of food for the first six months of a baby’s life. That’s right, sleep-deprived new moms: This would mean that you might have to ditch that occasional, sanity-saving bottle of formula if you want to keep the ear infections at bay. Researchers from the University of Crete followed 926 infants, interviewing their mothers in the first year of the babies' lives, at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of age.

They recorded whether the babies were breastfed and for how long, and if and when the babies also ate other liquids or solid food. Over the course of the year, the team tracked which children contracted common infections, such as gastroenteritis, conjunctivitis, thrush and respiratory, urinary and ear infections — as well as whether those babies were hospitalized. Babies who were exclusively breastfed for six months — in accordance with World Health Organization recommendations — experienced “fewer infectious episodes than their partially breastfed or non-breastfed peers,” according to the researchers’ findings, which were published online Tuesday in the Archives of Disease in Childhood. The infections the exclusively breastfed babies contracted were less severe, as well. A shorter duration of exclusive breastfeeding offered less protection, and partial breastfeeding “had no substantial protective effect,” the researchers found.

It’s potentially compelling stuff, but this won’t be the final word on breastfeeding. As noted in this controversial and well-reported essay on breastfeeding from 2009, the antibodies in breast milk don’t enter a baby’s bloodstream. Scientists don’t really understand how breastfeeding might boost a baby’s immune system. What’s more, it has been hard in studies to separate the effects of breastfeeding itself from the effects of the circumstances in which many breastfed babies are raised (i.e., more comfortable ones.) Maybe breastfed babies are more robust simply because it’s usually wealthier, healthier mothers who choose to nurse their babies. Or perhaps not. The babies studied in Crete all had access to adequate healthcare — including state-funded vaccinations — so socioeconomic differences may not have effected this study to the same extent. Without a doubt, we’ll be hearing more. -- Eryn Brown / Los Angeles Times

Starting a new job as a pumping mother!

I just put in notice at work that I am moving back home to California to be near my family. I have been so blessed to have such a supportive workplace of my parenting and pumping. I have had a safe space to pump, paid breaks, and loads of support.


Now I must venture into a new world. As a librarian, I am surrounded by child-less women and men. I don't know what it is about the profession, but many choose to forgo parenthood. I don't understand it and I have a friend writing her PhD. thesis on the phenomenon.

Ill go through my experience of finding a new job, dealing with the trials and tribulations of attempting to pump, and we'll work through it together.

Thank you to my current bosses for their amazing support through this first 5 months of being a pumping mamacita!

The accidental breastfeeding mommy!

I just came across a story about a mother who accidentally started breastfeeding because her child rooted up and latched on without any help. What a lovely story from a lovely blog!

"This baby after some time began to root towards mom's nipple. She was astonished and watched with amazement. The baby continued in his quest and latched on with no assistance. "Wow!" shouted the new mom. She was so shocked and delighted she just let him continue. "I guess I'm breastfeeding," she announced."


The Newborn Baby

I don't blame you, formula feeding mommies!!!

As a very proud and successful breastfeeding mother, I would like to extend an olive branch to you, the formula feeding mommies of the world. When I say that formula is disgusting, I don't blame your choice, I blame the formula manufacturer. When I say that breast is best, I don't say this to make you feel bad, I say this because it's medically proven and we as a society need to wake up and support new mothers. The new CDC report shows that 75% of women attempt to breastfeeding postpardum and only 17% are still exclusively breastfeeding by 6 months. This shows that 75% of women are trying to make it work. I stand up and applaud you!!! Those 25% that didn't even try, many have reasons, such as medical reason, reasons relating to HIV status, drugs prescribed or other reasons, I understand, those who just chose not to, shame on you.

Hospitals and formula manufacturers are to blame. I don't trust them, I don't like them and I sure as hell don't want them to have anything to do with me or my baby (unless we're very ill, and then I'll consider going to a hospital).

Why are babies hijacked the moment they're born and given a bottle within the first few hours of their life? Why aren't doctors and nurses called in to help a women establish a healthy breastfeeding relationship? A study published in the journal Pediatrics shows that if 90% of women breastfeed exclusively for the first 6 months of life, 900 babies lives would be spared. Talk about pro-life!  This article by MSNBC states "The magnitude of health benefits linked to breast-feeding is vastly underappreciated, said lead author Dr. Melissa Bartick, an internist and instructor at Harvard Medical School. Breast-feeding is sometimes considered a lifestyle choice, but Bartick calls it a public health issue."

This isn't to be taken lightly. We're programmed by corporate America  to trust them with what is best for our families. We have learned through trial and error that many things promoted as "healthy" and "natural" are neither healthy or natural.

The book Selling out Mothers and Babies by Marsha Walker examines the marketing tactics used by formula companies on the health care industry. A National Library of Medicine abstract on the book states: "Walker reports that, in 1984, the World Health Assembly established the International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes and specifically targeted the feeding of infants as a health issue rather than an economic issue. However, the United States was the sole rejecter of this code, stating that infant feeding was an economic issue. Since that time, the marketing strategies of formula companies have purposely circumvented the code and its mandates."

 I am sympathetic to you mommies who have tried and failed. Instead of being pitted mommy against mommy, why don't we take a stand as mommies against the formula industry. Lets start demanding a higher quality product, consumer protection, honest marketing strategies! Lets rise above the corporate evils and start supporting the breastfeeding mother as friends, co-workers, bosses. Lets not sneer at women who breastfeed in public, or banish pumping mothers to dirty public restrooms. Lets rise as parents and unite. It shouldn't be us v. us, it should be us v. them. Lets do what is best for our children, the best way we know how. Lets advocate for more support, higher quality formula and an understanding that breast is best, but formula is okay too as long as you gave it your best try.

No more fighting... in the end, its the babies that matter, right?

A week without pumping... It was nice!

I took the week off. I deserved it dammit!

My family and I took a vacation home to see family in California. I was a little nervous about traveling with Eliza since she was almost 5 months old. I was nervous about breastfeeding on the plane sitting next to strangers, I was nervous about the dirty looks we were going to get... I am not generally a nervous person, but I think I may have psyched myself out.

It wasn't bad at all!!! Nursing on the plane was easy, nobody bothered me, I don't know (or care) if anyone saw. I recommend wearing a nursing top so you dont have to lift your shirt or pull it down, because I was able to nurse very discreetly. Save for my little brat of a child drooling all over the shirt, it was great!

We cloth diapered the entire trip. I wanted to use disposables for the flight, airport, travel days, but I panicked last minute because I didn't want to use the natural diapes and have them leak on me, or use the chemical dipes and have them give her a chemical burn, so I panicked (common theme, huh?) and just packed our BumGenius. Good choice, they were great. She did blow out a diaper on the plane ride home (thanks lovey) that we changed out quickly, and discretely. Thank god for breast milk poop, it doesn't smell bad!

I did pump once so I could leave my mom with the baby, but she ended up boycotting the bottle and waiting until I got home from dinner to nurse. Oh well!

I did get a little sore from the constant nursing, but it was really nice. We took Eliza to the ocean for the first time, to San Francisco, to Sonoma County, to meet her namesake, my brother, my aunts, uncles and cousins! What a terrific trip! 

CDC's 2010 Breastfeeding Report Card... Its bad folks...

Percent of Children Who Are Breastfed at 6 Months of Age, Among Children Born in 2007 (Provisional)

Source: National Immunization Survey, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services

http://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/data/reportcard.htm


"The CDC's highlighting of exclusivity rates is important. The American Academy of Pediatrics and other major medical organizations around the world recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life and breastfeeding for a minimum of 12 months.

Currently, 43 percent make it to the six month marker, with 22.4 percent making it a full year. Exclusive breastfeeding rates haven't budged either, with 33 percent of moms breastfeeding exclusively at three months, and only 13.3 percent at six months."

Borrowed from ByMomsforMoms

I am proud to say that my child is just over 5 months old now and is 100% exclusively breastfed. That makes me a minority, a HUGE minority. Call me stubborn, but this wasn't hard. You want to talk about struggles, facing obstacles, and wanting to give up? Talk to Becky, she faced everything yet still manages to pump and exclusively breast feed her little man each day.

BABIES DIE FROM FORMULA USE!!!!!!!! Look at Becky's post about the pre-term drug addicted baby who is surviving on donated breast milk.