As I was searching for help about breastfeeding, I came upon this page. Im not very good with the internet so I hope this post turns out ok. As I came across this page, it gave me hope as I have searched among the secular folks for answers to my breastfeeding questions and not that their answers arent right but I wanted to know how Christians viewed breastfeeding. Most of the Christians I know believe that scheduling is the only way to breastfeed so that the mother does not get worn down. Although I love that idea, it seems that the AAP and Le Leche do not. So, I am having trouble breastfeeding my 6 month old (6 months as of today yeah!) He has never breastfed well but he has been growing at the lowest ok rate until his 4 month appointment. Currently, I dont think he will drain the breast enough to get enough hind milk. I think this is true because he has been having green diapers, gasiness, and fussiness (I do not think he is teething) He is healthy otherwise. He is rolling over, reaching and sucking on anything he can get to and his color is wonderful.

I am trying to fed him every 1.5 hours during the day and only letting him sleep up to 6 hours per night. However,I am extremely tired and not sure how well this is working. I have been trying to feed side laying for many of his feeding as he is really distractable. I ve been told that baby wearing might help? I also want to know how people in countries that dont have doctors feed their babies and know how to keep them healthy while doing normal home making activities.

I hope have been clear and I hope this site can be revived some as I like the concept.

Christine

Is there a website out there that has the info from the book Medications and Mother's Milk or something similar?

Tomorrow I need to be seen for auto-immune eye problems I'm having that will probably require medication. - Hopefully just steroid drops but possibly something systemic and I want to go into the appointment knowledgable about what's safe...experience has shown me most clinicians will say everything is unsafe while breastfeeding which isn't really true. :P

Can anyone offer advice on steroid safety and/or a website with safety info?

My baby is 10 months old and I am not weaning anytime soon (but I don't want to go blind either!).

I'm not sure if anyone knows this or not, but I learned today at my Peer Counseling meeting that "SAGE" used in cooking (mostly stuffing) can almost dry up your milk supply, especially those who are still establishing one. Older babies (who have begun solids) won't suffer as much. It can take less than 24 hours for your milk to dry up, but as long as you keep nursing and don't supplement, your supply will be back in 48 hours. Please ask if any recipies contain sage during the holidays! Also, the IBCLC on board said she gets a lot of calls about peppermint during the holidays and supply dropping, so keep a look out ladies!

x-posted all over

I am 11 weeks pregnant with my 4th baby.

I have a 13 month old daughter who is still nursing, just not very much. Really, she is only nursing at night and in the morning, and at first I thought that I was okay with it. I weaned my second son at 13 months, and it felt nice to have a little more freedom.

Suddenly, Im not okay with this so much and I want her nursing more often.

She will take the breast whenever I offer it, but my question is this.. Does supply and demand still work well while pregnant? Can Rebecca still increase my supply even though Im headed for the second trimester. Dont things start to dry up sometime around then?

Anyone here ever been judgmental? Anyone ever been out and seen a Mom offer her baby a bottle and cringe thinking "What a bad Mom...just LOOK at that!"

I have. Many times.

I decided I wanted to be a Peer Counselor for WIC. This led me to talk with random strangers at Wal-mart or acquaintances... I wanted their stories. Why didn't you breastfeed? Why did you stop? How long did you nurse for?"

I met a woman who was pregnant with her second. I asked if she had nursed her 1st baby and she said no. I asked her if she planned on trying with the next and she said no. She went on to tell me how as a young woman, she had a reduction, knowing full well she probably wouldn't be able to nurse (though some women have been able to). She told me when her 1st was born, she did TRY. Days later, she didn't produce a thing. Nothing. So she went to formula, half expecting she would have had to anyway.

The next incident took place at my 6 year old Brownies meeting. I began to nurse the Bambino, when another Mom said "Still nursing,huh?" (He was about 9 months at the time) I beamed proudly "Yes!" Now, I remembered her from my kids school...she was pregnant the same time I was and turns out her daughter is exactly one month older than my son. So I asked her if she had nursed. "Yeah, but I stopped when she was 6 months."

At his point I'm thinking , "What's wrong with you? Why would you stop?!" (quick background, I only nursed my 1st for 6 months, my second for 4 months....lack of support and knowledge, but here I am being judgmental!) She went on to explain to me how her first daughter had an out of town open heart surgery take place around the time her little one was 6 months and between stress and not being able to pump and being away from the baby, she dried up. Open heart surgery. And here I was thinking I was "better than her" for nursing longer. Sheesh.

It wasn't until just this past week when another incidence (unrelated) happened where I caught myself judging someone until I learned their story and then felt bad for making assumptions. Then it hit me. God's talking to me! He's communicating! He's disciplining!

I think of the grapevines, how the farmer picks up the grapes that droop in the mud and gently clean them off to hang them back on the lines, in the light. And I got it! I'm learning compassion and sympathy and acceptance. God is working, and I'm a work in progress. :)

I've seen this video posted a lot today. Thought I'd share it here!

we celebrate two years of nursing on the 10th. we have nursed through FIVE consecutive months of breastfeeding problems (multiple cracks, resistant thrush, an abscess, a kidney infection), psoriasis on my nipples and i am currently nursing with a shattered elbow and broken humerus (FULL of metal, 2 plates, wires and 7 screws). oh and i am also pregnant. we have never supplemented either.

if i can nurse anyone can :o)

Breastfeeding Campaign Aims To Save Lives: 1 million babies globally may be saved if nursed in the first hour, experts say (Excerpt: "Breastfeeding babies in the first hour of life allows the mother’s bacteria to colonize the infant’s gut and skin, providing antibodies and other protective proteins which serve as its first immunization and protect against infections.")
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20161360/

FDA warns nursing mothers of painkiller risk
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20319327/

HHS Toned Down Breast-Feeding Ads (After) Formula Industry Urged Softer Campaign
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/30/AR2007083002198_pf.html

And it gets "better" in a transcript of the chat by the authors of the above article
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2007/08/31/DI2007083100337.html

Here's my favorite quote:
"Also, regarding the science, we found it interesting that former surgeon general David Satcher told us that different administrations look at, and interpret, science differently depending on their political points of view."

Ummmm...isn't the very point of science objectivity? Yeaaaahhhh....

This is only slightly breastfeeding related. Breastfeeding helps children and adults make and store the proper amount of fat in the proper ways, while formula feeding increases the propensity for obesity.
Obese Toddlers At Risk for Iron-Deficiency Anemia
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070904/ap_on_he_me/fat_toddlers;_ylt=AuRDr3zsz_USStPMQCjFflms0NUE

Hi, I'm Shelley. I'm 28, a stay at home mom of one (so far). My daughter, Janelle, is 9 months old and nurses really well (and all the time it seems, lol). On Tuesday we had her 9 month old check up and they checked her hemoglobin. Her iron count was 9.1 - meaning she has iron deficiency anemia. The ped wants me to supplement her with iron drops (Ferinsol - 0.2ml 2x a day). I went to Whole Foods and they recommended that I give her Floradix, but on the box it says the youngest age is 4 years old. The lady at WF said I could give her a half dose of the 4 yr (so 1 t. instead of 2 t.), but I'm not sure. I also went to Walmart Pharmacy and they're going to order the Ferinsol. I'm supposed to give her iron-fortified cereals - but she really has just started solids and basically hates anything that isn't breastmilk or banana baby food. I mixed breastmilk in with the organic baby oatmeal cereal and got her to eat about 1 tablespoon of it on Tuesday, but yesterday she wouldn't take more than 1 spoonful. I tried organic baby food sweet potatoes, but she really hated those. I am now taking iron supplements with my normal prenatal vitamins, so hopefully she'll get some through the breastmilk. I'm not sure if I'm anemic too - I only got that way twice while pregnant. Anyway, I'm sorry this is all jumbled - I'm just not sure what would be the best way to help her iron count since she really won't take table food or baby foods and I don't know which iron supplement would be best (floradix or ferinsol). I was just hoping that someone here had some suggestions! Thanks in advance for any help!

I just read this news report that links increased sun exposure in childhood to a decrease in the risk of getting MS. The article speculates the link is vitamin D, which is absorbed from sunlight.

You may have heard rickets and osteoporosis are on the rise, both linked to Vitamin D. I've heard some ill-informed pediatricians blame increased breastfeeding rates for the increase in these diseases (because breastmilk has less vitamin D than formula). But breastfeeding has been around since the beginning of time...surely something "new" is triggering these changes. It seems much more likely that the real rise in these vitamin D deficiencies is due to Smother Mothers - mothers who slather sunscreen on their children just for their morning walk to the bus. :)

It seems to me that God made us to live in the sunlight, and while there are clear dangers to sunburn and overexposure, moderate sun exposure is very healthy. Another reason to marvel at God's creation design. The inherent order in his design amazes me.

BTW, although breastmilk has less vitamin D than formula, it is thought that the vitamin D in breastmilk is more easily absorbed and used because it is naturally occurring as opposed to what's added to formula.