Tumbling Boobs

Are you kidding me?

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 11:17:19 -0700

Are you kidding me?

Help me count the number of ways Babble undermines breastfeeding...

Sun, 15 May 2011 14:39:00 -0700

Help me count the number of ways Babble undermines breastfeeding in their “Feeding & Nutrition” Section. (PS: the link to the “Breastfeeding Guide” directs to a page discussing the pain and horror of mastitis, leaking, and cracked nipples)

Breastfeeding after Surrogacy or Adoption? Yes, it is possible!

Sun, 24 Oct 2010 22:19:00 -0700

Welcome Carnival of Breastfeeding readers!

A few weeks ago I was pleasantly surprised to receive a note from a friend who wanted to share her story of inducing lactation for her daughter. Given this month’s carnival theme of birth and breastfeeding, my friend’s experience as a nursing mom who has never given birth is a beautiful example of the diversity of what a successful breastfeeding relationship can look like. She’s now starting the process of inducing lactation for her second baby who is due in December. I’m very happy to share this story, especially as it highlights breastfeeding as an option for moms regardless of birth experience.

I learned about inducing lactation from my sister’s surrogate. At first I thought it was meds from injections, and I hate needles and was having quite enough of them with IVF and acupuncture to stimulate egg production. Then I read more about it on a surrogacy website, and thought - I could do that! At first it was about the benefits for the baby. I thought maybe it would be weird for me, but so worth it for baby. And then I started loving the idea of the bonding, and doing something that “normal” moms do, that maybe my body could feed at least, even if it couldn’t grow her.

My husband was worried about it at first, if it didn’t work and my body failed me again, would I be depressed instead of just happy that we had a baby? I did the Newman-Goldfarb protocol (http://www.asklenore.info/breastfeeding/induced_lactation/protocols4print.html)starting domperidone at the start of the 2nd trimester, and I got milk drops the very first time I pumped! I had almost 200oz. saved up before she was born, and continued nursing until she was seven months old, only stopping because we were doing another IVF cycle to try for baby #2. I got milk from two donors and some moms on MilkShare. Luckily our first IVF try worked, so I was only off meds for 4 months, and right away there was milk again.

I start pumping in less than three weeks. Not looking forward to the exhausting schedule, and not sure how that’s going to work with a busy toddler, but excited about getting milk stored up, and it means we’re getting in the home stretch before the birth!

I loved nursing and spread the word about being able to breastfeed for adoptions or surrogacies whenever I can.

Exhibitor map at this weekend’s AAP conference. Are you...

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 14:36:01 -0700

Exhibitor map at this weekend’s AAP conference. Are you comfortable with the relationships these companies have with your child’s doctor?

You know you think way too much about breastfeeding when you see...

Sat, 25 Sep 2010 17:12:00 -0700

You know you think way too much about breastfeeding when you see this ad and immediately think about mommy guilt and formula feeding.

(Side note: I actually don’t watch Dexter so can you explain the real meaning to me?)

With the new federal workplace lactation accommodation law, many...

Sat, 18 Sep 2010 17:21:00 -0700

With the new federal workplace lactation accommodation law, many questions remain about employers’ responsibilities supporting both salaried and hourly workers. I’m always happy to see this issue covered by mainstream media, so I was interested to see this local news segment on confusion over the new law and the challenges of pumping at work.

Needless to say, I was quite surprised to hear “My Milkshake Brings all the Boys to the Yard” blaring out of my speakers during the segment intro. Are you kidding me?

I’m sure the frat boy producers thought they were pretty clever…

I wanted to hide under the couch when I first saw...

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 00:26:00 -0700

I wanted to hide under the couch when I first saw this breastfeeding commercial from New York WIC. Along with cheesy dialogue and the production quality of a Snuggie ad, I’m uncomfortable using weight loss as a primary motivator to encourage breastfeeding.

I was hoping to forget about the embarrassing ad, but, being “the boob lady”, many of my friends made sure to forward it to me, and several parenting sites started asking, “Is Breastfeeding the New Jenny Craig?”. What I’d initially dismissed with an eye roll was actually prompting meaningful conversations about advocacy, breastfeeding awareness and better ways to support moms. What more could you ask of a commercial?

So while I still find the ad tacky, kudos to New York WIC for creating a campaign that succeeded in getting people talking.

I typically avoid WebMD because the “Symptom...

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 22:34:29 -0700

I typically avoid WebMD because the “Symptom Checker” often scares me into thinking that my sore throat is really a sign that I have the elusive “Foggyrainicitis” and my end is very near.

For millions of others, WebMD is the go-to source for health advice and related information. With content written by MDs, it’s not surprising that people would expect evidence-based advice from this site. That’s why it’s especially troubling to see Gerber/Nestle funding WebMD’s breastfeeding guide. PhdinParenting has once again done a wonderful job breaking this down: http://www.phdinparenting.com/2010/09/04/more-strange-bedfellows-webmd-breastfeeding-guide-sponsored-by-gerber-nestle/webmdgerber/

I’d comment on the content of Nestle’s...

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 21:59:00 -0700

I’d comment on the content of Nestle’s “Breastfeeding Basics” video, but I simply can’t get past the creepy cartoon lady.

Now why would Similac be sending me formula? Do they just...

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:52:00 -0700

Now why would Similac be sending me formula? Do they just assume that at my age I should either be pregnant or mothering an infant?

It's not just parenting websites promoting Similac's latest marketing ploy

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 14:12:00 -0700

The absurdity of a formula company creating a breastfeeding advice line is in the same league as a bacon company sponsoring a kosher food festival.

After reading PhD in Parenting’s wonderful post explaining many of the concerns with Similac’s new “Feeding Expert” hotline http://www.phdinparenting.com/2010/09/03/similac-and-babble-team-up-to-dupe-breastfeeding-moms/ it’s hard to imagine how someone could overlook the major conflict of interest. Surely nobody would fall for this, right?

Unfortunately it’s not just websites like Babble, who survive on advertising dollars, that are promoting this predatory new campaign. Much more alarming are the medical professionals directing patients to Similac for breastfeeding advice.

Here are just a few medical centers actively promoting Similac’s feeding hotline to moms seeking breastfeeding help.

Are your medical providers marketing more than health?

Look who's kindly offering to solve breastfeeding problems

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 00:09:00 -0700

Predatory marketing like this is why I support the WHO...

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 21:31:00 -0700

Predatory marketing like this is why I support the WHO Code.

(Original link: http://www.babble.com/baby/feeding-and-nutrition/breastfeeding-problems-engorgement-mastititis/)