World Breastfeeding Week

OK so I know I have been MIA (super busy summer here).  And of course I am behind on breastfeeding week too (which was this past week) but in honor of the occasion I put my breastfeeding stats on facebook and figured I may as well blog about them too!

 Me nursing 13mo old Thrace in Yellowstone, June 2010

OK, so here are my Breastfeeding Stats . . . . 

• I started nursing with my first child in 2000
• I have been nursing for almost 10 years non-stop
• I have been tandem nursing (nursing 2) for over 8 years non-stop
• I have nursed through 4 pregnancies
• I have tandem nursed through 3 pregnancies
• I have nursed 3 kids for a total of a year (6mo after #3 was born, 6mo after #4 was born)
• I have nursed a child to sleep every night for almost 10 yrs straight (and almost every day for nap)
• I have nursed 2 kids to sleep (for bed and nap) for 8 yrs straight
• So far, my 3 kids who have weaned did so at 4.6, 5, and 4.8 yrs old
• I am currently nursing my 1 and 3 yr old (to bed and for nap ;0)
• I started pumping to donate milk after #4 and 5 and have pumped 1000's of oz
• All of my kids nursed exclusively for a min of 6mo (till they insisted on eating table food)
• None of my kids has ever had a drop of formula 
• None of my kids has ever had a bottle, not even of expressed milk (nor a paci)
• And I am very grateful that I, or my babies, have never had any 'issues' or problems nursing, other than the occasional 'episode' of mastitis, ugh.

So I suppose all of this makes me 'special' or some amazing person right?  Uh no!! LOL!!  There is nothing amazing or special about me.  I just do what I have to do and what I feel is best.  What is amazing and special is the fact that God created our bodies so wonderfully and perfectly!  That we can make the most perfect food for our babies!  That breastfeeding has a host of benefits not just for baby but for mom too!

I happen to feel very strongly about nursing, and I also happen to be pretty stubborn and determined and idealistic about some things too.  No it is not always easy (especially when you are 9mo pg nursing a toddler and just barely being able to tolerate it) but I am just so convinced that allowing them to nurse as long as they need to is not only the most natural choice, but it is also so beneficial to them, that any 'issues' I may have are simply minor inconveniences and I can suck it up and deal with it (even if it means I spend over an hour every night nursing kids to sleep, LOL).  It becomes normal, it becomes natural and it is like second nature.

It is life with little ones and I wouldn't change a thing!

How can we save the lives of 900 babies a year?

BREASTFEED

Yep, that's it.

There was a study published a few wks ago in the journal "Pediatrics" (yes folks, I am late, don't count on me for current events, LOL) that concluded that "The lives of nearly 900 babies would be saved each year, along with billions of dollars, if 90 percent of U.S. women fed their babies breast milk only for the first six months of life"  HERE is the article from the AP.

As if we needed one more reason to prove that breastfeeding is best.

Seems that people are finally starting to see breastfeeding as more than simply a choice that moms have, but rather, as a vital aspect of health.  From the article . . . 

"The magnitude of health benefits linked to breast-feeding is vastly underappreciated, said lead author Dr. Melissa Bartick, an internist and instructor at Harvard Medical School. Breast-feeding is sometimes considered a lifestyle choice, but Bartick calls it a public health issue."

So how do we get 90% of moms nursing exclusively for 6mo?  Support and education.  There are still hospitals out there that are not baby friendly.  There are still hospitals who don't have trained lactation specialists (preferably IBCLC's) available to help moms establish nursing, make sure baby has the proper latch, make sure mom knows how supply and demand works.  We still have friends, family and others who are downplaying the importance of nursing and don't know how to help or support the mom as they try to establish nursing with their baby.  Well meaning moms or dads who tell the flustered new mom "it is OK to give a bottle of formula if you are too tired to nurse at 3am".  Shoot, we still have dr's who are clueless about how to keep milk supply up and tell the new mom that her baby, only nursed for 20 min every 4 hrs, has failure to thrive and must be supplemented (WTH? I have heard this before).  For the mother with no education and no support it is easy to see why they quit.

If we make ourselves available to our friends and family members, nurse in public where it will become more common and accepted and talk about the benefits of nursing to anyone and everyone that will listen then maybe things will change.

As for this new article . . . I guess it takes science and studies to finally make people wake up and see what to me seems only logical.  God doesn't make mistakes.  Our bodies are not insufficient.  Man cannot do better than nature.  This body that can grow a child perfectly, produces the most perfect nutrition for that child.  The fact that anyone would think that man could improve upon what God has designed to be a perfect system of creation and nurture is . . . well . . . pretty pompous of us isn't it?

 Is it too much of me to hope that maybe one day we will wake up to realize that our bodies are not broken when it comes to childbirth too?  That God, the author of birth, doesn't need to be edited?  That the body that grows the child without intervention, can birth the child without intervention?

 But I digress . . .

After reading the above article I found the comments below pretty enlightening.  Mostly the comments from women who couldn't nurse and were angry at the article and study, saying that articles like this are bullying them into feeling guilty . . . what?  How can stating facts be bullying someone?  The truth is the truth, but if the facts are beyond your control then you work with what you can control. Should we edit the truth for fear of hurt feelings?  That is a bit too PC for me.  If you truly cannot nurse your baby for whatever reason (and there are a small percentage of women who can't) then an article that states the facts shouldn't make you feel like a bad mother.  You take what is within your control and do the best you can with it!!

In the words of Eleanor Roosevelt . . . "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent"

Mastitis and raw garlic

Mastitis sucks! I mean really it does!! (and those of you who have had it know what I am talking about). It comes on quickly and knocks you off your feet!

The first time I had it was when Piper was like 6mo. I have had plugged ducts before but I knew this was different, I was feverish, achy, in the bed. I sent Charlie out for some garlic (as we were out), took it, and was almost 100% by the next morning. I have gotten it many times since then (that was 7 yrs ago) but I can usually stop it with raw garlic at the first signs of symptoms . . . of course I have to be paying attention to notice the symptoms (and with more kids I find I am more distracted, LOL).

Fast forward to when Thrace was like 3 wks old. I knew I was coming down with mastitis but we were out of town and my mother in law didn't have any raw garlic. By the time I got some I was pretty bad off. I took my garlic, popped some Ibuprofen (really the only OTC med I use, I have to be able to function to take care of the kids) and hopped into the bath (my place of choice when I am achy and shaking and feeling bad). By the next morning I was probably 90% just a little tired.

Fast forward to the night before last. I was not feeling well and was achy. I figured it was because it was late and I was tired. I had a thought "maybe I should take some garlic in case" but I don't like taking garlic unless I have to (not the best tasting) so I thought "naw, I am just tired". Well I woke up yesterday feeling the same way. I was on the phone with Charlie saying "I am just not feeling well, I am achy and my breast is sore" then it hit me . . . duh, mastitis (didn't I say I am more distracted with more kids?). So immediately I took some garlic, then ibuprofen and I felt fine so we headed to a friends house. Well it got worse after that, it came on slowly and the ibuprofen wasn't helping. I ended up lying on her sofa and then she fixed my kids dinner (with Thrace on her back in the Kozy) while I lay in her bath for an hour or 2, delirious and nauseated and waiting for myself to stop shaking and feel better so I could drive home. I call these 'episodes'. I had another one after coming home and getting the kids to bed (Charlie is out of town so I am alone here). I was in the bath and so nauseated and praying "please God don't let me throw up all that raw garlic, that would be horrible". Thankfully I didn't. But I didn't sleep well either.

This morning I was not "better" like I normally am. Garlic usually knocks this out for me but apparently this was a pretty bad case and is going to take longer. I am better than yesterday though (maybe at like 50%), just weak and a little achy (no more 'episodes' so far). But I don't need 4 ibuprofen at a time (which is prescription strength) in order to function. I am trying to rest though since that is the best thing (It is just so hard because I have a ton to do before Thanksgiving). I am still taking the raw garlic, and doing other things (like nursing a lot, using heat, massaging the area etc.). I did also mega dose A and D along with the garlic to help things along. You have to be careful about not overdosing on those 2 but if you take it for a short period it is fine and it does some amazing things. I used it with the kids once (when they had a 102 fever for 5 days) and it took all of an hour for them to show improvement. I have never had to give more than a dose or 2 so no worries about toxicity (which would be mega dosing for days on end). There is some great information from Dom (the Kefir king) here. It is nice to have it as a back-up to try for more acute issues . . . going to a dr is our absolute last resort.

Anyway, I am sure I will be fine tomorrow!

Raw Garlic

www.clipartguide.com

I wanted to give a bit of information about using raw garlic for ailments. It really is an amazing plant!! We have been using it for years. Maybe I'll do a whole post on it later. There are other things you can use, like GSE or colloidal silver but garlic is the first one we look to.
Garlic is antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal! So it works for pretty much everything. Charlie went a whole 18mo without getting sick when he used raw garlic at the sign of any illness. It can cause upset stomach for some people but we have never had issues. The only real caution I know of is that it is a blood thinner (which is why some use it for heart problems or high blood pressure or high cholesterol) so if you have some type of surgery or procedure coming up then it is best not to take mega doses of raw garlic. Apparently it can help with heartburn in some people, but taking it daily (even just a couple cloves a day) for long periods can cause problems like indigestion for some people too (Charlie discovered that after taking 2+ cloves a day for several months). You have to see how your body reacts. I have met a few people for whom raw garlic is too irritating, but most do just fine with it.
Garlic can also cure yeast infections (maybe I can tell you how later) and warts (have heard of taping a piece to a wart to make them go away). I cured a nasty ear infection in one of my dogs with a homemade garlic oil like 8 yrs ago. Add the herb mullein to the garlic oil is even better for ear 'issues'. There are many more uses for garlic, and some studies done to prove it's effectiveness, you can check out the links below.

How to take garlic

What we do is at the sign of illness, we take 2-4 cloves of garlic. You can take more if you feel you need it. I took 6 yesterday. It is imperative that it is raw, that is the most potent. Pills or cooked garlic in food may be OK for daily maintenance, but it won't stop an illness. And crushing it helps it to work better, so you want to chop it up or chew it. I can't handle chewing it so what I do is chop it in little pieces and throw them on the back of my mouth and chase it down with some full strength grape juice. I hardly taste it. I have heard of others who do take it other ways. Here are some ideas

• Chop and swallow like I do, with a strong drink like grape juice
  
• Chop and swallow with a spoon of honey and water (honey is also beneficial)
  
• Chew cloves with a piece of bread (helps with the burn, my friend does this)
  
• Chew cloves with apple slices (supposedly it hides the taste and burn)
• Crush and mix with butter or oil and spread on bread or toast (remember to keep it raw)
  

The way I take it, it usually takes about 3-4 swallows per clove. I prefer to do it at night, so I am not burping up garlic, but if you are really sick, it is best to take it throughout the day. Yesterday I did 2 cloves in the morning, 2 in the afternoon and 2 at night. I took 2 this morning and will take 2 more tonight.

Garlic is our natural antibiotic. I have not been to a Dr for an illness in, geez, probably 15 yrs. The kids have never needed a Dr or had any abx either. Charlie hasn't in probably 15 yrs too. I haven't needed to use garlic for the kids. I usually do nothing first and let things take their course. You can make garlic lemonade. Make sure not to boil the garlic, just steep it in the hot water. My kids didn't like it when they were really little but I bet I could get the older ones to drink it now . . . especially if I added some ginger!

You can find more information on garlic used through history click HERE and for info on many other uses and studies go HERE

A magic 'formula' for easier parenting??

Here is the disclaimer for this post. While of course I believe that breastfeeding is by far and away 1 million times superior to formula, I also know that there are moms who end up having to supplement with formula for one reason or another, maybe they have a medical condition, or an adopted child (though I recommend finding donated breastmilk or using raw milk formula if possible, I could write more about that later). That said, I really think it is the exception, it is really rare for a mom not to be physically able to nurse her baby, especially if she is getting the right information and support (unfortunately not everyone is).

OK that said. I heard about a disturbing new formula that is being put out by Enfamil. Have y'all heard of this thing? It is called "Restful" and it is for nighttime feeding. And here is what it does . . . according to their site, it is "specially designed to help babies feel full longer and sleep better" and "it thickens gently in baby's tummy and digests slowly".

Does anyone else find this extremely disturbing and just plain wrong? It sounds like a diet pill . . . "designed to make you feel full longer so you eat less". I'm sure you have heard those diet ads. That is exactly what this is doing. It is thickening in baby's tummy so that they feel full longer so that they don't wake up as often needing to eat and disturbing your precious sleep. Wow! What some companies won't do to make money? This is not just completely unnatural but I would go so far as to argue that this is potentially dangerous. Babies wake at night for a reason, not just because they are hungry but because they need us. I think it is part of an instinctual survival type thing, they don't want to be alone. But I googled this and found that some even think that this could lead to an increase of SIDS. I know it seems far-reaching, but if you think about it, SIDS seems to occur more often when babies are in a deep sleep, and this product would seem to encourage that by expanding in the tummy to make them feel full, thus helping to prevent them from feeling hungry which would naturally cause them to wake.

I can see some moms finding this product very appealing. I mean I am sure getting up multiple times at night is very tiring. But after 5 kids I can tell you that I have only gotten up in the middle of the night with a baby a handful of times . . . seriously! I breastfeed and co-sleep. So when baby stirs to nurse (they don't even cry) I can latch them on and go back to sleep. Sure it took me a while to get used to it when I had my first, but it is so natural and eventually became like second nature. I am with them constantly, I hear them breathing, I know if something is wrong, I am right there!! Shoot I have ALL the kids still in the bed, and I would argue that I still get way more sleep than the mom who doesn't co-sleep! It is just downright easy!


OK here starts my little rant . . . . about this "Restful" formula . . . we are really a screwed up society if we buy into this!! It kind of goes along with the age old question that every new mom is asked by everyone once their baby is born . . . "is he sleeping through the night yet?" WHY is sleeping through the night so important? WHY is this some type of milestone that most moms feel they have to reach? Sometimes I think people just ask this out of habit, because they want to ask us something. I used to get asked this question all the time and I was baffled . . . ummm, before having kids *I* didn't always sleep through the night, LOL!! I know, I know, we do miss out on sleep when baby wakes up at night, and it is an adjustment, but that is part of being a parent!! But it is like the moment a baby is born, moms are looking for ways to get their lives back to the way they were before baby. Sorry folks, that isn't going to happen!

People talk about how important sleep is, how important it is to 'train' baby to sleep. Why? Why must we train them to sleep . . . is something wrong with them? I mean they know when they are hungry, and we feed them . . . they know when they want to be held, and we hold them . . . they fuss when they are tired, and we rock, nurse, and sometimes (especially if they have reflux or gas etc) we will pace the floor to help them calm down to sleep. And they wake up again because they are hungry or uncomfortable, or they want to be near us and they are lonely etc. This is the nature of babies. Beautiful little people who need loads of attention and love all the time. We are not parents just during the day. Parenting is a 24 hr a day job, and that includes NIGHTS! Are we really so desperate that we need a magic formula to help our babies sleep longer?

Yes it is hard! Parenting in general is hard. It can be tiring and frustrating and sometimes we would love to just be able to use the bathroom in peace! And believe me, I have been known to at times exclaim "Calgon, take me away!!" (most of y'all are hopefully old enough to remember that, LOL). But when you have a baby, they come first because they are so helpless and so needy and they cannot wait or reason or understand. During my writing this Thrace (who is 3mo old and lying next to me) has woken up 4x and though I may be in the middle of a thought or sentence and I do NOT want to stop writing, I stop and nurse him (or give him my pinky to suck when he just nursed a ton and spit up 10 min before, LOL). Because that is just what I do, that is my job. And if you look at things from a different perspective, as overwhelming as it can be, you know that as mothers and fathers, we are the most important part of their lives. What a privilege that is!

Some of my kids have been better sleepers than others but none of them sleep as well alone as they do with me (or on me). Why? because they are BABIES, they are completely helpless, their whole being screams to be close to us, to be held, to be protected by us. We are their only source of food, we provide comfort. They know our voice, our smell they are bonded to US. For young babies, they spent the majority of their lives inside our bodies. Why on earth would they not want to be with us every second of their short lives on the outside? So what do we moms do? Lets see . . . we spend most of our time trying to schedule their feedings, trying to get them used to not being held too much and ignoring their calls for us (don't want to spoil them right?) and trying to get them to to sleep through the night so we can sleep undisturbed and shoot, if a formula comes along that will help with that, then woohoo!! Lets buy it!!

As a mom who carries her babies everywhere, nurses them till they are ready to wean, sleeps with them, nurses them throughout the night, and answers their calls promptly, I can attest to the fact that they DO learn to sleep through the night on their own eventually, . . . when they are mentally and physically ready to do so. I help them sleep and do things to encourage sleep (sleeping with them, making them warm and comfortable, wearing them often, keeping them close). But I don't have to 'train' them to sleep, they always end up doing it on their own in their own time when they have matured a little (and every one is different in this way).

I encourage you to respect these little people the way that they are. Respect their little bodies, how God designed them. Respect the fact that they need us so much and those ingrained needs are a part of every fiber of their being.
What an amazing thing to have a person who needs us and loves us so desperately. And they don't just need and love us because we give them food, but because we are their parents. These little people who can spot you across the room, who know your voice when you think you are out of earshot, who look to you for comfort when a stranger is near and who can't stand for you to even leave the room. They do grow, they mature and change, this is but a brief moment in life. We don't need a formula to help make parenting easier . . . we need to simply cherish every moment!!

Ditch the bottle, breastfeed your baby . . . doll that is.

If you had the choice would you buy your child a doll that had a bottle or a doll that was designed to nurse?

Well hello . . . no question there (for me at least). I want the nursing doll!!

I understand that bottles are sometimes needed. You have a nursing mother who goes back to work and has to pump, or that instance where a mother has to supplement because she doesn’t make enough milk (it is pretty rare, but it does happen). Hey, you know, I teach my kids what I want them to know and stress things that are important, and when it comes to them and their dolls . . . well lets just say that I have done my fair share of hiding the plastic baby bottles that so many baby dolls come with, LOL!!

I have always tried to avoid bottles if possible, both for my babies (I have never used a bottle) or for my kids and their dolls. Xian didn’t even know what one was and at age 3 we were walking through the store and he pointed at one and asked “what is that?”. I had to explain to him that some babies don’t get ‘nuk’ (what we call nursing) they get a bottle instead (sometimes it is breastmilk, sometimes formula). And if we are out and they ever hear a baby cry, you can bet the first thing out of their mouths will be “that baby needs ‘nuk’. We want them to know it is a good and natural thing. We also try to promote breastfeeding to our friends and family and anyone else who will listen. We (lactivists like myself) want to make it seem normal and natural, to encourage nursing in public so that people in this country will be come more accustomed to seeing it and maybe realize that duh . . . breasts are for nursing, nurturing and comforting our children. What a wonderful thing that God created!!

Anyway, my reason for this post is because in Spain, they have developed a baby doll for children that nurses. No bottles or pacis etc. The kids actually nurse this baby. It is called Bebe Gloton. I would explain it to you but here, just watch the news clip, you can get a better idea if you actually see it.

When I first saw this I thought . . . it’s about time!! I think it is wonderful!! I mean why haven’t they done this sooner? What is more normal and natural than nursing right? And why shouldn’t our kids have the option of a baby doll that nurses? OK so the flowers may be a bit cheesy, but I assume they work to trigger a response in the doll. But I just can’t understand why are people so bothered by this. Just search around You Tube to see other various news reports, most of them are very negative. I mean what I am seeing in some of these people is shock and embarrassment. They almost seem disgusted and the whole concept seems to make some people very uncomfortable. People are saying it is “inappropriate”, “it is too adult for a child”, or “what is next dolls that have sex?” What the heck? I just want to yell at the TV . . . GROW UP PEOPLE!!! Hello . . . it is a doll, it is teaching kids about breastfeeding and WHY on earth is that too adult of a topic for them? Why do these people think feeding babies is PG-13? Why can't they see through the nursing shirt and realize that this is NOT a sexual thing. If it were then how is this any worse than a little girl playing with her overly endowed Barbie doll?

I can understand people thinking it is a little strange or odd, I mean it is the first doll of it’s kind and most people are probably not used to seeing children pretend to nurse. But nursing is often a natural act for them and something they will initiate on their own with their dolls if that is what they know. Most of my kids haven’t been too into dolls, but Ever loves them and he will happily nurse his babies, which is precious. And I know many, many people whose little girls nurse their baby dolls. Why? Because it is what they know, it is what they see mama doing, it is normal and natural to them and there is nothing wrong with that. Why would we shelter them from something that they view as innocent and normal? There is no reason for them to view it any other way. They learn from us, and if they see us acting disturbed or horrified at the prospect of a nursing doll, or see us refusing to buy it for whatever reason, then what on earth are they going to think about nursing in general?

Ever nursing his baby doll in the bed, much the way I often nurse him

Of course we know many of these things are cultural. No wonder Spain was the first to come out with a doll like this. In other countries they have signs up in the subways showing mothers nursing promoting breastfeeding. Here we are bombarded with formula ads and commercials at every turn . . . after all . . . they are enriched with DHA and AHA and contain Bifidus BL, just like mamas milk (make sure you read that last line with sarcasm). But still, compared to other cultures we nurse our babies very little. According to Anthropologist Katherine Dettwyler PhD http://www.kathydettwyler.org/detwean.html

"It is true that there are still many societies in the world where children are routinely breastfed until the age of four or five years or older, and even in the United States, some children are nursed for this long and longer. In societies where children are allowed to nurse "as long as they want" they usually self-wean, with no arguments or emotional trauma, between 3 and 4 years of age"

We have come a long way since our mothers were told that formula was better than breastmilk. There are wonderful groups like LLL that promote breastfeeding and we are getting much better with hospitals employing IBCLC’s and many striving to become Baby Friendly. And shoot, the AAP recommends nursing for a year or longer. But apparently we still have a LONG way to go if people are so freaked out over a durn breastfeeding baby doll!!

Geez, it seems like we NEED this doll in our country. Who knows, maybe if our daughters are breastfeeding their dolls then they will have a more positive, natural view of breastfeeding when they have their own children. I am doing my part in my own home. I believe in child led weaning, and believe my kids get many benefits from nursing until they wean themselves, both mentally and physically. Piper nursed till she was 5, Xian till 4 ½, Arah till 4 yrs 8mo and I am nursing 2 right now! GASP . . . THUD (that is the sound of jaws dropping, I am sure) Yes, freakish isn’t it? LOL!! Let alone the fact that I have been nursing for almost 9 yrs straight, tandem nursing for 7 yrs straight and have nursed 3 kids for a total of a year of my life. Oh the horror!! Yes I have nursed 2 kids to sleep for bed and for naps EVERY DAY for the last 7 yrs and I am still sane!! But guess what folks, that is natural too, and if I was living somewhere else or even in another time no one would think a thing of it!!

At our house, breastfeeding (be it breastfeeding a baby or pretending to nurse a doll) is as normal and as common as making yourself a sandwich and sitting down to lunch. And if you were to have lunch at our house, chances are I’ll be sitting across the table from you . . . nursing my baby!!