Happy World Breastfeeding Week! How are you celebrating? This week Barbara and Barb chat about the benefits of breastfeeding along with the risks of formula feeding. Also, Donald Trump made breastfeeding news last week! Hear what we have to say about it! Show Notes: Formula recalls do happen more often then we think! In 2010, this formula company recalled …
General Breastfeeding
Size matters! In breastfeeding?
Does it really? Get your mind out of the gutter! We are talking about breastfeeding. And yes! Surprisingly, size does matter in many ways for breastfeeding. Here are five examples. 1. Birth weight. A little baby makes a big difference! One of my girlfriends had a 6 pound baby the first time and an almost 9 pound baby the second time. She was astonished at the difference in her two, baby …
All Things Breastfeeding Episode 9: Nipple Shields
Nipple Shields! What are they and why might a breastfeeding mother need this tool? Barbara and Barb discuss all things nipple shields. What is a nipple shield? Here's a great picture of one in use! Note the milk in the shield! Resource of the Day: Kellymom has a lot of great evidence based information about breastfeeding. Check out the link to …
All Things Breastfeeding Episode 8: Tongue Tie with Dr. Alison Hazelbaker
This week on the podcast Barbara and Barb speak with expert Dr. Alison Hazelbaker about tongue tie. Dr. Hazelbaker's original research on tongue-tie, done in 1993, has changed clinical practice both in the USA and abroad. We discuss the new thoughts on tongue tie and treatment options. Visit Dr. Alison Hazelbaker's website to learn more about her work and practice in Columbus, …
Help for Bottle Feeding Babies!
I just told my husband this morning, "I feel a blog coming on..." Checking through my google alerts this morning, I found a link to this article about adoptive breast feeding and pressure from breast feeding "crazies" (me?). I went to check it out because I have a lovely friend, Alyssa Schnell, who specializes in adoptive breast feeding and I wanted to see if the article might be interesting. I …
All Things Breastfeeding Episode 7: Breastfeeding Your Newborn Baby
This week on the podcast, we discuss breastfeeding the newborn baby. How much should a newborn baby breastfeed? Barbara and Barb dive into what is normal and how to tell your breastfed baby is doing well. This is a great episode to share with new mothers and expecting mothers! Show Notes: Find an IBCLC. Check out Dr. Jack Newman's video that demonstrates good active nursing with deep …
Working and Breastfeeding Solutions
The Business Case for Breastfeeding tells us that 80 percent of mothers stop breastfeeding within the first month of returning to work (Cardenas & Major, 2005). Unfortunately, research on returning to work and breastfeeding is limited. There are several critical factors for supporting breastfeeding in employed mothers that I have identified in the literature and my clinical practice. Despite …
Happy Mother’s Day
Happy Mother's Day from the Breastfeeding Center of Ann Arbor! As a Mother's Day Special we decided to talk to mom's about their favorite part of breastfeeding and the most surprising thing about breastfeeding. You are doing a wonderful job and we hope you have a wonderful day celebrating with your family! Enjoy! …
All Things Breastfeeding Episode 6-Human Milk for NEC Prevention
This week on the podcast Barbara and Barb chat with a very special guest. Jennifer Canvasser, founder of the NEC Society speaks out about the importance of human milk for premature babies and why her mission is so important and close to her heart. WHO Feeding Guidelines state that " Only under exceptional circumstances can a mother’s milk be considered unsuitable for her infant. …
All Things Breastfeeding Episode 5-All Things Pumping
This week on All Things Breastfeeding, Barbara and Barb talk all things pumping! Whether you are a part time or full time pumping mother, we have information and tips to share with all pumping moms alike. Sit back and listen while you pump....or breastfeed. Either way-Enjoy! Show Notes: 77% of mothers need a larger size breast shield! Reference to this …
The War on Breastfeeding
The March 2015 issue of National Geographic's cover caught my eye. "The War on Science". It was by Joel Achenbach. I immediately knew I wanted to read that article and I did as soon as I had a chance. Wow. What an eye opener. This article explained so much to me. The author, of course, did not mention breastfeeding, people rarely do. However, the points they made about how humans create their …
All Things Breastfeeding Episode 3-Sleep
This week on the All Things Breastfeeding Podcast Barbara and Barb chat about sleep! You know that thing you used to do before baby came along! What is normal for infant sleep patterns and how can you get more sleep? The podcast is now a available on iTunes! Check it out and add to your electronic devices to listen anywhere! Show …
All Things Breastfeeding Episode 2: Working and Breastfeeding
This week Barbara and Barb talk all about working and breastfeeding including how companies benefit from supporting breastfeeding mothers, what new mothers returning to work can expect, and about how Deborah Norville was treated when she went back to work as a breastfeeding mother back in 1991. Show Notes: *ROI (return on investment) for companies supporting …
Cost of Formula Feeding
As much as we are not fans of artificial baby milk, ie formula, it was created to help keep babies alive when breastmilk was not available. The first rule of lactation is feed the baby. The second rule is protect the mother’s breastmilk supply. If we do not have breastmilk available, then we use formula if it is medically necessary. The issue is that most of the time, it is not medically …
Welcome to the All Things Breastfeeding Podcast- Episode 1
Intern Barb here! Barbara, and I are so excited to debut the All Things Breastfeeding Podcast! Please listen to our first episode which can be played right from this page just below! Our goal is to bring to you, information, thoughts, and opinions on All Things Breastfeeding! Podcasts will be available on itunes very soon for download for all electronic devices. Stay up to date on the podcast by …
Podcast Coming Soon!
Stay tuned for a new and exciting project from the Breastfeeding Center of Ann Arbor! …
Breaking news: Formula companies want your money!
There was just an ad (FYI, yes, this is an ad for formula feeding!) put out by Similac, one of the world's leaders of formula production. I will not link to it out of protest, but, you have probably seen it anyway. My intern Barb showed it to me the other day and said although everyone was loving it (I believe it went viral), but she was uneasy because at the end of the ad it clearly states that …
Twins: Twice the Fun for Breastfeeding!
Congratulations! Twins! Twice the fun! We all know that human breastmilk is best for human babies. This holds especially true for twins. Breastfeeding one baby can be challenging. Having twins offers even more possibilities of potential problems so being prepared is important. What you can do before your babies are born? Take a breastfeeding class or meet with an experienced IBCLC …
What is education? (And what does this have to do with breastfeeding?)
I was called to be a teacher a long time ago. One summer day, I was with my sister Up North in a field near a place we visited every year. I was sharing some information about the wildflowers that I had learned. We were both having a great time. My much younger sister was feeling empowered and important. I was feeling like I was guiding her to a stronger place of knowledge and self-esteem. This …
Breastfeeding Secrets
At this point in my career I have seen thousands of mothers and babies. Something that has always struck me that mothers share is that they will be somehow "trapped" by breastfeeding their babies. They will be too close to their babies. They will loose themselves. I remember this feeling as a young mother! Mothers talk to me about needing schedules, limiting time at the breast, not wanting to …
The breastfeeding study I want and why it will never be done
I was just looking over a 2013 meta-analysis on the long term benefits of breastfeeding. It was done by the World Health Organization so I know I can trust the results. Two things struck me. One, how few quality studies we have on breastfeeding. The second thing that really hit me was the fact that many of these studies were looking at babies who were formula feed and babies who were breastfeed, …
About Time! New Protection for Breastfeeding Mothers!
Breastfeeding mothers have it tough. Breastfeeding laws and protection vary from state to state making it hard for a breastfeeding mother to feel confident with what her rights are to provide her milk for her baby. My colleague, Jake Marcus, JD, has a great site which provides all of this information. However, in a new ruling, breastfeeding while working falls under the Pregnancy Discrimination …
Breastfeeding or carrying weapons in public? You decide!
Warning: If you cannot read this as humor, tongue in cheek, don't read further. I thought the commonality was funny. But if you are already offended, read no more! Of course these groups are worlds apart. The weapons people seem, a little, hmm, overzealous? Breastfeeding in public is not dangerous at all. The most that will happen is perhaps a little squirt of milk in the eye and that is only …
You Can’t Force It!
I just read a story about human mammals and eating which really intrigued me. At first glance, I didn't understand the author's point. I thought, is she another breastfeeding hater? Saying breastfeeding sucks? No! This dietician has gotten the message that no one likes to be forced to do anything! Whether we are a baby, a child, a teen, or an adult, eating the healthiest way possible might …