A good way to prevent overfeeding, when offering a bottle, is to use a slow flow nipple. Unless your baby is very fussy about taking a bottle, stay with the newborn flow nipples as long as you are breastfeeding. Oftentimes, using a faster flow nipple can cause a baby to overeat which, in turn, can make a mom question her supply when, in fact, it's perfectly fine.
When it comes to pumping, the number of sessions is more important than the duration of the session. Therefore, if you can only spare 30 minutes of your workday for pumping, dividing that time into 3 pumping sessions does a better job at maintaining your milk supply than one session of 30 minutes. The more frequent stimulation, informs your body that your baby is feeding 3 times instead of 1 and therefore keeps milk production steady by meeting one of the golden rules of breastfeeding --Milk supply is driven by demand.
If your breastfed baby is not gaining as quickly as the early months, it is very likely that she is still growing beautifully. Between six and 12 months, breastfed babies tend to gain two to four ounces a week, which is a drop from the five to eight ounces gained in the first few months. Also, remember that a linear growth pattern is always more important than a baby's percentile on a growth chart. Therefore, a baby on the 10th percentile can be as healthy as one on the 90th.
Founder / owner Amanda Cole was recently interviewed in the Washington Post in an article that describes how the Affordable Healthcare Act ("Obamacare") has led to a boom in demand for breast pumps. Under the new legislation, breast pumps can be eligible for insurance reimbursement under certain conditions.
"Yummy Mummy, a New York boutique that specializes in breast pumps and accessories, is in the process of acquiring a warehouse and call center to accommodate the increased demand.
"“I have three employees taking calls right now,” owner Amanda Cole said. “We’re still in the stage where we’re figuring out how to add fax machines and phone lines. It’s all very new to us.”
"Specialty suppliers like Yummy Mummy stand to benefit from the change if they manage to get on insurers’ lists of approved distributors. Women who might have bought a breast pump at a local retailer are now likely to turn to their insurance plan. Cole opened her store in 2009 but never thought about working with an insurance company until last year, when she learned of the health law’s new requirement. She began to worry that if women got their breast pumps through their insurer, her store would not have any business left.
"“I began pounding the pavement to get onto their list of providers,” said Cole, who recently signed a contract with Aetna to provide pumps nationwide. “Now that the plan really took effect on January 1st, there’s been a marked change.”"
Complete article, on the Washington Post WONKBLOG
For more information on the Affordable Care Act, see: Good News: Coverage for New Moms
Oftentimes mothers say they didn't breastfeed in the hospital because they felt they weren't making any milk or because of the non-milky look of colostrum, which tends to be clear or yellowish. The good news is that mothers begin making colostrum by the end of the first trimester, so it's already there after birth. Secondly, it's never good to judge milk by its color. Although not white in appearance, colostrum is still milk and is loaded with carbohydrates, protein, antibodies, and properties that prevent jaundice and low blood sugar levels, making it a perfect first food for a newborn. Finally, the more a mother breastfeeds in the early days, the sooner her breastmilk will transition into mature milk which is more white in appearance.
P&N says: "[Yummy Mummy is] a great resource for all the gear recommendations and advice you might need. The purpose of this site started by Amanda Cole, lactation expert and owner of the specialty store with the same name, is 'to facilitate and enrich the breastfeeding experience by providing the information, personal attention, and products and services that mothers need to make breastfeeding enjoyable, rewarding and stress free.will serve as a gathering place for soon-to-be and new moms who are seeking support, guidance and sisterhood.' Sounds good to us."
You can find everything from breast pump rentals to nursing apparel to links to lactation consultants and breastfeeding information to books and DVDs and more. Emporium is the right word to describe this online haven for nursing moms—it's a one-stop spot for gear you can buy and ears you can bend for helpful tips. (If you live in the Manhattan area, check out their selection of classes.)
Peruse Yummy Mummy today—maybe you'll find just the boost you need to keep your breastfeeding success going strong.
Read the entire article.
“Best place to buy everything you need: Yummy Mummy has a well-edited selection of both tried-and-true and technologically advanced gear for breastfeeding moms, as well as nursing clothes that are as stylish as could be expected. Just in: MimiJumi Very Hungry bottles, and Boob “Before & After” tops.”
Bite problems, medically referred to as malocclusions, occur when either the top or bottom row of teeth overextend causing misalignment. In most cases, the treatment for malocclusions is braces. Babies who are breastfeed for more than a year are less likely to have malocclusions thanks to the work done by the jaw, while transferring milk from the breast. The feeding motion during breastfeeding also helps to form a U-shaped hard palate which contributes to proper teeth alignment.
This 2011 Finish Study found that mothers who breastfed for 33 months or longer (cumulative lifetime total) had stronger bones than women who nursed for a shorter time. Turns out that the low levels of estrogen during lactation, which keep milk supply steady, also allow for outer bone growth. And when it comes to bone strength, having greater bone diameter is more important than density. This explains why women who have breastfed are less prone to fractures later on in life. Yet another awesome reason to breastfeed. Your bones will thank you!
http://www.springerlink.com/content/u3w2v6x023525604/fulltext.html
Cranial bones are designed to move over one another as a baby descends through the birth canal. However, when forceps or a vacuum are used during labor, they can often cause shifts in the cranial bones that are not easily self-corrected by the baby after birth. Since the cranial nerves control what the baby does with his mouth, affected cranial bones can cause ineffective latching, which in turn can lead to breastfeeding pain. Many mothers find that in these situations, complementary therapies such as chiropractic care and or craniosacral therapy can make a big difference for correcting how well a baby latches. When deciding on such therapies, it is important to choose a provider who is trained and experienced to work with babies.
