Motherwear has a great clearance sale going on right now, with lots of items marked down to make way for the winter styles.
To the right is the popular keyhole tee, marked down from $29.00 to $13.95. A long sleeved version is on sale for $19.95.
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I'm always surprised to find articles about breastfeeding in the New York Times, but I was shocked when I realized that I know the mother and baby whose picture is prominently displayed at the top! We met a little while back at a breastfeeding group I run, and I think she had some of the most sensible comments in the piece.
The article states:
For those incredibly shrinking women, the time they nurse is precious not only for its skin-on-skin cuddling, but also for the Get Out of Dieting Jail Free card that comes with it.
But does breast-feeding actually speed weight loss in postpartum women? It depends.
Last year, and epidemiological study of 36,000 Danish women found that the more a mother breast-feeds, the less weight she retains six months after birth. A few factors determined how much she lost: whether a woman was overweight before pregnancy, what she gained while expecting and duration of nursing, said Kathleen M. Rasmussen, an author of the study and a nutrition professor at Cornell.
So here's the thing about the guilt some of us feel when we experience weight loss with breastfeeding: It may feel like it's about vanity, but it's actually about your health. Numerous studies have shown that breastfeeding protects mothers against weight and metabolism related health problems, including diabetes, heart attack, coronary artery disease, obesity, and the high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and insulin resistance associated with metabolic syndrome. Researchers attribute this to the weight loss and metabolism shifts that occur during breastfeeding. Not burning off the weight - which your body added during pregnancy as a fuel source for breastfeeding whether you intended to breastfeed or not - puts you at a higher risk for these and other health problems. So it's not just about fitting into your old clothes. It's about your health.
Still feeling selfish for loving, as one of the stars of Ugly Betty put it, "nature's lipo?" Just keep in mind this quote in the article from breastfeeding advocate Marsha Walker: “We deserve it. She ought to get into those skinny jeans after 9 months of pregnancy and 20 hours of labor. That’s what I tell mothers. Go for it.”
I know it doesn't work for everyone, and the article points that out. My own observations: Some women appear at a month as if they've never been pregnant, while others seem to have a huge appetite during breastfeeding and hold onto some of the weight until they wean. Some mothers lose it gradually at first but lose more rapidly after the 6 month mark. And some women struggle with the last few pounds until they wean, while others go well under their pre-pregnancy weight. (This happened to me, and it wasn't pretty. Between the hair loss, sleep deprivation, and extreme weight loss I looked a little like a prisoner of war.) A few years ago I polled you (open with Explorer) on this topic, and I think the results show this, um, spread.
So, do you feel guilty for loving the calorie burn?
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Source: Wikimedia Commons
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The theme for our next carnival of breastfeeding will be breastfeeding experiences in the hospital. Here's your chance to
join in!
Please send your submissions by November 16th. The Carnival will be on November 23rd. As usual, we'll be looking for posts that are:
- Well-written and grammatically correct
- Thoughtful and directly on point for the carnival subject
- Submitted by blogs that pertain to subjects of interest to our readers (breastfeeding, parenting, etc.)
If your post is selected for inclusion, you will be asked on the day of the carnival to edit your post to link back to each of the other participants in the carnival. Examples of past carnivals can be found here.
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I've mentioned before that I help out with recruitment for a breast cancer study which uses breastmilk to identify molecular biomarkers for the development of cancer.
To participate, a mother has to be nursing, and have either had, or be expecting to have, a breast biopsy. Mothers are sent a box to overnight mail their milk to the lab (at the study's expense) and receive $25 in thanks. We've been helped a lot by the Avon Army of Women, but need to continue spreading the word. If you think you may qualify, you can email Dr. Sarah Lenington.
If you don't qualify for the study, but would like to help out, please consider posting a flyer in your pediatrician's office, you OB or midwife's office, at your La Leche League meeting, or anywhere else you think nursing moms might see it. You can download the flyer here, or you can email a request for hard copies from Dr. Sarah Lenington.
More information about the study is at the study website. Thanks for your help!
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I was recently playing around with the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep database, checking to see exactly how bad my shampoo is for me, when I noticed that the database includes information on nipple creams.
Had any of you noticed that, or used the information to decide which one you use (if any)?
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I'm pleased to review a new book on, you guessed it - making babies. You can win one of five copies (see entry instructions at the end of this post).
Making Babies, by Dr. Sami David and Jill Blakeway, LAc presents a three-month program for 'maximum fertility' as naturally as possible.
What sets this book apart from others on this topic is that the authors - a reproductive endocrinologist and an licensed acupuncturist and herbalist - bring both Western and Chinese medicinal traditions to the task.
Like other books, the authors discuss conception, common problems and solutions, and assisted reproduction.
But unlike other books, but they also present five "fertility types" (tired, dry, stuck, pale, and waterlogged) based on Chinese medicine. The authors then provide a fertility plan for each of these types, addressing foods to eat and avoid, exercise, and supplements, and Chinese medicine treatment.
The book isn't as detailed at Taking Charge of Your Fertility, but this makes it a bit more accessible, I found. It's full of case studies from the authors' practices, and the information is presented in a friendly, supportive, and optimistic tone. I think it would be a welcome addition to both mothers' and practitioners' bookshelves.
To enter to win a copy of this book, leave a comment below by November 11, 2009. One entry per person, and entries must come from U.S. and Canadian residents. No P.O. boxes, please. Winners will be chosen using random.org and announced in the comments section of this post. Copy will be sent directly to you by the publisher.
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For a few years I volunteered at the nursing mothers' lounge at The Big E, the multi-state New England fair held in Massachusetts each September. It's a big fair - more than 1.2 million people attended this year.
When I've posted about this a number of you have commented that you wish you had something like this at your own fair. So I asked Lezlie, the La Leche League leader responsible for organizing the lounge, to answer a few questions about how she does it. Her responses are below.
Can you describe the nursing mothers' lounge at the Big E? What does it look like, and how does it work?
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Thanks for your wishes for a speedy recovery from the flu. I'm feeling much better now.
While we're on this theme, I thought I'd share the fairly new American Academy of Pediatrics advice on breastfeeding and H1N1. It states in part:
While the advantages of breastfeeding are well-known, this close interaction of mother and newborn also can facilitate transmission of influenza virus. The benefits and the risks of close contact must be considered carefully.
To protect the infant from possible serious infection while allowing essential and encouraged mother-infant bonding to occur, a compromise is required until more data are available. The following precautions are suggested to minimize the risk of infection to the infant, particularly while still in the hospital and while the mother is symptomatic with fever and coryza:
- Pay careful attention to handwashing prior to any contact.
- Prior to breastfeeding, wash the breast with mild soap and water; rinse well
- The mother should wear a surgical mask to prevent nasal secretions and the spontaneous cough or sneeze from inoculating the infant.
- Use clean blankets and burp cloths for each contact.
- Monitor the maternal-infant interaction on perinatal floors for compliance with the above precautions
These precautions are designed to minimize the risk of transmission until mother’s immune response to H1N1 influenza is established, and increased, specific immune protection may be provided by breast milk. Note that influenza virus does not pass through breast milk.
The advice also notes that "separation may create more long-term problems in breastfeeding success and mother-infant bonding than any potential benefit achieved from avoiding infection in the newborn infant."
Of course, this post is not intended as a substitute for medical advice from you health care provider.
Maybe you live in one of the states, like California, New York, and Tennessee, that require employers to provide time and clean space (not a bathroom stall) to pump at work.
But if you don't, and you're having trouble, as this Ohio mother did, getting your employer to support you in these ways, you might consider enlisting your doctor's help.
Here are several templates for doctors' letters to your employer. You might ask your pediatrician or your obstetrician to sign one.
And here's a letter to your human resources manager making a similar request. I always recommend that mothers talk with their human resources office about their pumping needs. Your immediate boss may not know much about pumping - and in some cases may really, really not want to talk about it!
Here's the text of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services letter, with a few suggested edits from me:
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A little while back I read about The Wet Nurse's Tale on Elita's Blacktating blog, where she posted an interview with the author.
I got a copy through inter-library loan and really enjoyed it. I'm wondering if any of you would like to join in a mini-book group reading of this book.
The Wet Nurse's Tale, which was a top ten finalist in Amazon's Breakthrough Novel awards, is set in Victorian England, and tells a fictional first-person account of a wet nurse. From the book jacket:
As you can see, there is some content for mature audiences here. If you'd like to join in, leave a comment below. I'm not sure how we'll do the discussion, but I'll figure it out. I'm thinking that we'd take a month or so to read it.
Anybody in?
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I'm very pleased to share a guest post by Dr. Marianne Neifert, author of Great Expectations: The Essential Guide to Breastfeeding. I had been wanting to write about "late preterm" babies - born between 34 and 36 weeks gestation for a while now. Those of you who have had a baby born at this age know that these babies can pose particular breastfeeding challenges.
I hope that you find this post useful!
Just a Few Weeks Early
Breastfeeding Challenges in Late-Preterm Infants
By Marianne Neifert, M.D.,
Until recently, babies born a few weeks early -- between 34 and 36 weeks gestation -- were referred to as near term infants. However, the designation, near term, implies that an infant is almost term or almost fully mature, and the misnomer has often caused health professionals and parents to underestimate the medical risks in this large, vulnerable population of infants. Recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that infants born at 34, 35, or 36 weeks gestation be referred to as late-preterm infants to emphasize that these babies are physiologically immature and have special health care needs compared to full term infants (born between 37 to 41 weeks). In addition, the mothers of late-preterm infants are more likely to have medical complications themselves, such as gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, or C-section delivery.
The Rising Incidence of Late-Preterm Births
The proportion of all U.S. births that are late preterm has increased over the past 15 years. Late-preterm infants now comprise over 9% of all births, and account for more than 70% of all preterm births (<37 weeks gestation), representing nearly 400,000 babies each year. Although the reason for the increase in late-preterm deliveries is not well understood, one explanation is the increased use of fertility treatments, which has lead to a rise in pregnancies with twins and higher multiples. Half of all twins and 90% of all triplets are born preterm. Other possible contributors to the rise in late-preterm births include the rise in cesarean section births (now 30% of all deliveries), the need to deliver some infants early due to medical complications, and more pregnancies occurring among women at an older age. In addition, performing elective labor inductions or elective cesarean sections for no clear medical or obstetrical reason sometimes leads to the unintentional delivery of a late-preterm infant. Both expectant mothers and obstetricians need to know the importance of avoiding late-preterm delivery unless it is medically necessary.
Medical Complications among Late-Preterm Infants
Because many late-preterm babies are the size of infants born at full term, health care professionals may not always give these at-risk infants the special treatment and careful screening they deserve. Instead, hospital personnel and parents tend to treat these apparently healthy infants as if they were developmentally mature. Late-preterm infants have been called imposter babies because many of these "slightly early" newborns masquerade as full-term infants, appearing to need no special care after birth and being discharged as early as term babies. Yet, babies born even a few weeks early have an increased risk of medical complications after birth and may require a longer hospital stay than full-term infants. Late-preterm infants are more likely to develop low blood sugar, severe jaundice, breathing difficulties, and infections; to have difficulty maintaining their body temperature; and to experience feeding problems and excessive weight loss after birth. Late-preterm infants also are more likely to be re-admitted to the hospital in the early weeks of life for medical complications, including newborn jaundice, breastfeeding difficulties, dehydration, and possible infections.
The brain and nervous system are among the last systems to mature during fetal development, and some studies show that late-preterm infants have a higher risk of developmental and behavioral problems compared to full-term babies. Late-preterm infants also have a higher rate of birth defects and an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome. For all these reasons, late-preterm infants require close monitoring, evaluation, and follow-up after birth.
Breastfeeding Challenges among Late-Preterm Infants
The initiation of successful breastfeeding can be especially challenging for smaller, developmentally immature, late-preterm infants. These babies often have trouble latching on to the breast correctly and may be unable to breastfeed effectively at first because of their lower muscle tone and tendency to tire easily. Inadequate breastfeeding increases a newborn's risk for severe jaundice and excessive weight loss.
Continue reading "Guest post: Was your baby an "impostor?"" »
Motherwear held its winter photo shoot last week, and here are a few cute shots of the process!
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