World breastfeeding Week Schedule

This schedule of WIC/LLL events are awesome. I wish I could be at everything, like a weeks vacation. Looks like so much fun! I didn't realize that WIC was having so many activities. Facebook is a great way to reach out (there is an event page for each activity) and I hope their is lots of attendance at all the events.

 

Tuesday, August 2nd, at WIC office on Avenue C from 11 am to 1 pm Babywearing Fashion Show.

Wednesday, August 3rd, at WIC office 531 Lake Whitney Place, SLW. 11 am Permission to Mother. Dr. Punger will answer your breastfeeding questions.
Wednesday, August 3rd, at WIC Office 531 Lake Whitney Pl, SLW 2:30 - 3 and 3 - 3:30 Yoga classes by Jenn Cohen.

Thursday, August 4th, at WIC office 531 Lake Whitney Pl, SLW 11:30 - 12 and 12 - 12:30 Yoga classes by Jenn Cohen

Friday, August 5th, at WIC office 531 Lake Whitney PL, SLW 11 am to 1 pm Babywearing Fashion Show.

culminating in the www.LATCHonPALOOZA.org  extravaganza on Saturday morning
....and the following week be sure to hit Panera Bread in Vero, 2nd wed of the month La Leche League meeting,  where you can meet our newest Leader!!!

What's your favorite nursing bra?

I wore playtex for many years (do they still make bras?). After I found medela, I realized my playtex bras fell apart quickly and gave them up. I tried bravado, but found they lacked the support I need (13 years ago, things might have changed). I have one from motherwear... this was before I had medela and I was feeling huge. It was the best support ever for heavy pp breast. Once my first son was born, I wear a bra 24/7. I am not comfortable without one, ever. I still wear my medela sleep bra around the house and at night. The tanks didn't come out till after my third. After a few months pp I was comfortable in a tank without a bra. If I wear my tanks now to exercise, I put a sports bra underneath. I wear them around the house without a separate bra. The first time I bought nursing bras, I thought to myself, "Do I really need this? I'll only need it a short time!" haha-14 years of maternity and nursing bras...that's a short time... my size has changed through the years with pregnancy and weight management issues. I've had quite a collection. Makeshift- sports bras were not comfortable to me. I have never worn a target, k-mart, or off brand bra... I need support. The latch on playtex I could release and put back with one hand. Medela can be released with one hand, but I need two hands to put it back.


Now for what I don't like... I never wore one, but it must be popular. I see it a lot. Not sure what it's called and if more than one company makes it... but I don't like when the cup is thick and "molded." What I observe is that it is hard to pull it truly out of the way so that the breast position is not distorted. Your breast should be in the natural position when the flaps are moved out of the way. If you can't get your cup out of the way, either get it out of the way, or consider another style. Newborns need your breast and nipple to be in natural position and no fabric in the way of learning to latch.




Disclaimer: I currently sell Medela bras in my office. When I run out of inventory I am not stocking up again. It's too much to keep up with all the different styles, colors, and sizes. I don't have space for the inventory. I am not paid for this review. 

Can Nursing Twins be Done?

I know nursing twins is hard and time consuming.  Tandem nursing took up my focus for years (a bit different because one is old enough to benefit from solids and distraction from another caregiver). My breastfeeding advice to a woman expecting twins, if they want to breastfeed exclusively is to not plan to do anything else for the first 6 months after babies are born except hold babies. With a singleton, I got that advice; that was probably the best advice I got. 


Of course, that's not always real life. We all have other elements of our life to consider particularly earning money and paying bills and the educational requirements to be employed. I had to let go of optional things for one baby. Deciding on your breastfeeding goals and if it is realistic (and what other things to put on hold) would be something only the mom (or parents) can decide. I am glad to support you with where you are at. 


On the positive side of things, some mothers don't need the full 6 months to get in the groove and find themselves incorporating the babies into life more easier or sooner than expected. 


I just appreciate knowing what your goal is, so I can be most helpful.

Liquids, greens, and high quality grains, vitamins or high quality supplements are beneficial to establishing your milk supply as well as mastering the art of babywearing twins. Have several carriers.

I didn't say it would be easy. Planning ahead for donated milk, galactologues, and shields probably a waste of time. I have mixed feelings about pacifiers. I have a hard time recommending pacifiers at least til supply and breastfeeding is established in any circumstance. Probably better to hold the babies than to worry about the results of pumping.

I do believe it's possible to build a supply of milk for your babies. To deliver it to your babies exclusively at the breast is a HUGE commitment. I won't lie about that. I commend the mothers of twins who can provide their milk for their babies.

I hear it's hard to find good twin breastfeeding information. Any words of wisdom anyone care to share?

How late is too late to become a nursing baby?

Here is another beautiful comment left by Daryllyn. I wanted to make sure everone has a chance to see it. A part of my feels that feeding at the breast is a lifestyle choice. I have not been that successful getting babies past 4 months old to latch on, but there is always exceptions. Thank you for sharing this story with me.

noelani has left a new comment on your post "How late is too late to re-lactate?":

When my fourth adopted child was placed with me, she was 6 1/2 half months old. I was still nursing my 2YO and really wanted to nurse her. She had spent most of her life in the hospital and had issues with both her physical and emotional health. I was told that a baby over 4 months could probably not be taught to nurse, but I tried, anyway. At first, things did not go well at all. I applied everything else I knew about attachment parenting and made a great deal of progress with her. For months, I tried to be happy with that, but I couldn't do it. Finally, I decided to consider every aspect of her experience of bottle feeding and then tried to make small changes toward breastfeeding. The day before her first birthday, she became a nursing baby!

Since then, I have been in touch with other adoptive moms who wanted to get older babies started breastfeeding and needed encouragement. Some of their children have been well beyond infancy when they began breastfeeding. The results have been tremendous, especially with children who have experienced a great deal of trauma and/or deprivation in their early lives.

I would encourage any mother who has an interest in re-lactating to go ahead. It may take a lot of patience and creativity, but it can be done!

Adoptive Nursing: Advance Preperation is Helpful but not Necessary

I was happy to get this comment to a post buried way down in my archives... I want to make sure you all get to see it. Thank you Daryllyn for sharing!!!

I was very happy to come across this site today! I have breastfed my six adopted babies, born between 1983 and 1995, using the Lact-Aid. Domperidone, which is the only drug that is safe and effective for use in induced lactation, was either not around or not available to me. I never knew very far in advance of the babies' arrival; sometimes less than 24 hours. I just started nursing on demand with the Lact-Aid when they got home. In a short time, I was producing drops of milk and that slowly increased as we went along. I needed to supplement until they were taking other foods, but they got a significant amount of milk from me. My last four children nursed until they self-weaned, at an average of a little over two years old.


I want everyone to know that, although advanced preparation can be helpful, any mom who wants to can start nursing with the Lact-Aid, whether she's had a chance to prepare in advance, or not.

I like the fact that this site focuses on nurturing. In recent years, the option of inducing a milk supply in advance with medications and breast pumps has had an unfortunate side-effect in that some adoptive moms focus so much on pumping milk that they never get nurturing at the breast established. I think they, and their babies, miss out on the best part!


Darillyn Starr
noelani54@hotmail.com