Preemies and Pumping

This article talks about the benefits of both manual pumping and using an electric pump.

Snippet:

"In the study, 67 new mothers of premature infants learned how to combine an electric breast pump with hand-expression techniques to extract milk. Unlike prior research showing poor milk production in preemies’ moms, the subjects who used both hands and pump established plentiful milk supplies. By the end of the eight-week study, their average milk production exceeded the amount needed to feed a healthy 3-month-old, even though none of the women studied could nurse when their babies were born. The findings could have implications for women who have full-term infants, too."

UK Backs Up Breastfeeding Benefits

The article in the following link was published by the UK Baby Friendly Initiative in response to recent articles negating the positive effects of breastfeeding.

Let's Accentuate the Positive!

A baby should be on the breast 20 (10, 15, 7.6) minutes on each side.

Not true!  However, a distinction needs to be made between "being on the breast" and "breastfeeding".  If a baby is actually drinking for most of 15-20 minutes on the first side, he may not want to take the second side at all.  If he drinks only a minute on the first side, and then nibbles or sleeps, and does the same on the other, no amount of time will be enough.  The baby will breastfeed better and longer if he is latched on properly.  He can also be helped to breastfeed longer if the mother compresses the breast to keep the flow of milk going, once he no longer swallows on his own.  Thus it is obvious that the rule of thumb that "the baby gets 90% of the milk in the breast in the first 10 minutes" is equally hopelessly wrong.

There is no (not enough) milk during the first 3 or 4 days after birth.

Not true! It often seems like that because the baby is not latched on properly and therefore is unable to get the milk. Once the mother's milk is abundant, a baby can latch on poorly and still may get plenty of milk. However, during the first few days, the baby who is latched on poorly cannot get milk. This accounts for "but he's been on the breast for 2 hours and is still hungry when I take him off". By not latching on well, the baby is unable to get the mother's first milk, called colostrum. Anyone who suggests you pump your milk to know how much colostrum there is, does not understand breastfeeding, and should be politely ignored.

It is normal for breastfeeding to hurt.

Not true!  Though some tenderness during the first few days is relatively common, this should be a temporary situation that lasts only a few days and should never be so bad that the mother dreads nursing.  Any pain that is more than mild is abnormal and is almost always due to the baby latching on poorly.  Any nipple pain that is not getting better by day three or four or lasts beyond five or six days should not be ignored.  A new onset of pain when things have been going well for a while may be due to a yeast infection of the nipples.  Limiting feeding time does not prevent soreness.  Taking the baby off the breast for the nipples to heal should be a last resort only.

Myths

There are many myths surrounding breastfeeding.  Some of the myths, when said, sound plausible especially when said in conjunction with something else.  Things such as timed breastfeeding.  "Your baby should only nurse 10 minutes each side and only once every four hours.  There is an obesity epidemic in this country and it starts at this age with improper/too much feeding."

You take a fact (obesity epidemic) with another fact (improper feeding) and combine it with breastfeeding, something new moms worry about, and make it sound plausible.  

For the record, watch the baby, not the clock.  Do NOT do timed or restrict breastfeeding to your baby.  The improper feeding is doing things like propping bottles or ignoring hunger cues.  Allowing your baby to nurse whenever he wants is proper feeding.

Anyway, I am going to do a daily (or every other day) myth.  The myth will be the post title with the fact in the body of the post.  The tag will be MOTD.  Myth Of The Day

Many women do not produce enough milk

Not true! The vast majority of women produce more than enough milk. Indeed, an overabundance of milk is common. Most babies that gain too slowly, or lose weight, do so not because the mother does not have enough milk, but because the baby does not get the milk that the mother has. The usual reason that the baby does not get the milk that is available is that he is poorly latched onto the breast. This is why it is so important that the mother be shown, on the first day, how to latch a baby on properly, by someone who knows what they are doing.

Symposium

There is a symposium that I would like to go to that I will be refunded for, but need to pay for upfront.  I have put a donate to La Leche League button in the side bar that I will keep there long after the symposium is done with.  

La Leche League of Indiana will refund all expenses and the refunds will go back into La Leche League of Terre Haute.  If you feel so moved as to want to help out La Leche League of Terre Haute and La Leche League as a whole and help out breastfeeding mothers across the Wabash Valley, please donate to this wonderful organization.

The meetings includes meals.  Rooms and travel are extra.  It will cost around $1,000 to be able to attend.

Where to find us

We will be at the Downtown Farmer's Market on Saturdays from 8:00am to noon.  The Downtown Farmer's Market runs from June 6 to October 31.

Come visit us and see what we're about.  We will have hand-outs, pamphlets, and various information concerning breastfeeding, La Leche League, and specifically La Leche League of Terre Haute.

There will be a donation box set up that Colleen will design.

We hope to see you there.

New Leader!

Terre Haute now has a third leader!  Her name is Colleen and she is very interested in focusing on working mothers and helping them balance careers, babies, and breastfeeding.  With her energy and creativity, I know we will have a wonderful support system in Terre Haute for working mothers.