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Breastfeeding Truly Takes a Village!

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A few months ago, we sent out a Call for Breastfeeding Stories.  Our desire was to flood the Internet with beautiful breastfeeding stories of triumph, overcoming challenges and struggles, and positive outcomes, regardless of the total amount of milk a mom was producing.  We are thrilled to share these stories with you, our readers, and hope that they offer support and inspiration for you, wherever you are in your breastfeeding journey. 

Thank you to all of the mothers who submitted their stories!  If after you read these memoirs you are inspired to submit your story, feel free to send it to RobinKaplan@sdbfc.com.    

Help Us Make A Difference on Giving Tuesday!

Happy #GivingTuesday!

Breastfeeding is not always easy!  Having personally experienced breastfeeding challenges with both of my kids, I know firsthand how critical breastfeeding support is for a mom in those first few weeks after her baby is born.  Critical, both physically and emotionally.

Join me in helping local low-income women gain access to critical breastfeeding support on this #GivingTuesday.

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Breastfeeding After Breast Reduction - A Memoir

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Breastfeeding After Breast Reduction - A Memoir

A few months ago, we sent out a Call for Breastfeeding Stories.  Our desire was to flood the Internet with beautiful breastfeeding stories of triumph, overcoming challenges and struggles, and positive outcomes, regardless of the total amount of milk a mom was producing.  We are thrilled to share these stories with you, our readers, and hope that they offer support and inspiration for you, wherever you are in your breastfeeding journey. 

Thank you to all of the mothers who submitted their stories!  If after you read these memoirs you are inspired to submit your story, feel free to send it to RobinKaplan@sdbfc.com.    

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This breastfeeding memoir is from Jenna

Ten years ago, eighteen-year-old Jenna was bouncing between San Diego and Los Angeles counties looking for a plastic surgeon. They had to be willing to do a keyhole incision and leave my nipple attached while they performed a bilateral breast reduction. I was a senior in high school and had my breast reduction surgery during spring break. 

Fast forward six years. I find out I'm pregnant the day my boyfriend gets to Djibouti, Africa, where he'll be deployed for the next 7 months. I sought out a natural birth provider in my network after reading the book, Defining your Own Success: Breastfeeding After Breast Reduction Surgery by Diana West. In this book, it encouraged mothers to birth as naturally as possible for the best chance at breastfeeding after a reduction and this book had become like a Bible for me, so I followed its every recommendation.

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We Were Not Meant to Mother Alone

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We Were Not Meant to Mother Alone

A few months ago, we sent out a Call for Breastfeeding Stories.  Our desire was to flood the Internet with beautiful breastfeeding stories of triumph, overcoming challenges and struggles, and positive outcomes, regardless of the total amount of milk a mom was producing.  We are thrilled to share these stories with you, our readers, and hope that they offer support and inspiration for you, wherever you are in your breastfeeding journey. 

Thank you to all of the mothers who submitted their stories!  If after you read these memoirs you are inspired to submit your story, feel free to send it to RobinKaplan@sdbfc.com.    

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Our first breastfeeding memoir is from Michelle

I booked at least 2 vacations for my maternity leave, all on airplanes. I was going to wear my baby everywhere, nursing her as we went along. I had the organic breast pads purchased, all the nursing tanks, and the most breastfeeding-friendly bottles, but of course I wouldn’t need those for at least several months. I would see Mamas nursing their babes at the beach and I would find myself staring as I daydreamed about my nursling that was to come. December 2013, my sweet baby girl arrived.  She latched and we were a nursing team. 24hrs later I was told she was Coombs positive and her jaundice levels were high. She was sleepy, was losing too much weight and I needed to give her formula in a bottle. I cried lots of tears. "FORMULA? No way!", but I had no other options. Every time I fed her, and I wouldn’t let anyone else feed her.  I felt awful and felt like I was letting her down. 7 days later I was told, "your daughter is failure to thrive". Queue more tears, more formula, more guilt, and not a lot of milk being produced from me. 

Awesome Opportunity Drawing at the San Diego Big Latch On Event!

So you thought you were just coming to the Big Latch On event to hang out with friends and latch on your kiddo, right?  Well, wait until you see all of the fantastic breastfeeding and pumping swag you have the opportunity to win at our drawing on Saturday!  

We feel incredibly fortunate to have the support of so many local businesses and national breastfeeding-friendly companies.  These businesses have graciously donated goods and services to help raise money for the San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation, our non-profit organization which offers reduced-fee private breastfeeding consultations for local low-income families.  Last year we raised about $2500 for our foundation at the Big Latch On event and we are hoping to DOUBLE that this year!  

Call for Your Breastfeeding Stories!

Call for Your Breastfeeding Stories!

This year’s theme for World Breastfeeding Week is Sustaining Breastfeeding Together, which really brings forth the collaborative nature of breastfeeding.  When I think about the components that shape a mother’s breastfeeding experience, the first thing that come to mind is support.  Who is part of her ‘Dream Team of Breastfeeding Support’?  Her partner?  Her family and friends? Her doctors and midwives?  Her lactation consultant?  Her local and online community? All of these connections shape how we view ourselves as a breastfeeding mother and how successful we feels about ourselves and our experience.  Since not all of us are fortunate to have a huge system of in-person breastfeeding support, online support can be critical.  

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2017 Ultimate World Breastfeeding Week Giveaway

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The theme of World Breastfeeding Week 2017 is ‘Sustaining Breastfeeding Together’, which is probably our favorite theme thus far!  We know that all families benefit from a team of support to reach their personal breastfeeding goals and this year’s theme really brings that collaborative spirit to the forefront!  In addition to the in-person, online, and mom to mom support that the San Diego Breastfeeding Center and the Badass Breastfeeder offers, these amazing companies have been part of this breastfeeding-supportive team for families for many years and we are thrilled to partner up with them this year for our 2017 Ultimate World Breastfeeding Week Giveaway!

Pre-sale for San Diego Big Latch On T-shirts

Probably one of the biggest requests we received last year at our Big Latch On was to sell T-shirts for the event. Now sure why we never thought of that idea because it was brilliant!

We are so excited to partner up with Garb Goods, one of our favorite local designers and screenprinters, to offer you a San Diego Big Latch On 2017 t-shirt or tank top.  

  • The pre-sale will take place from July 17th - July 27th and all shirts are $15.  
  • All shirts can be picked up at Wonderful and Wild starting on August 2 or you can pick them up when you sign-in at the Big Latch On event.  
  • We will also have a limited amount of T-shirts for sale at the Big Latch On event, for $20.

All proceeds will be donated to the San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation to help pay for lactation consultations for local low-income women.  

Global Big Latch On Event 2017

Global Big Latch On Event 2017

We are so excited to announce that the San Diego Breastfeeding Center and Wonderful and Wild are co-hosting a 2017 Big Latch On event!  For those who are unfamiliar with the Big Latch On, this is an event that started in New Zealand in 2005 during World Breastfeeding Week.  The mission of the Big Latch On is to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding women and each year groups of breastfeeding women come together at locations all around the world to latch on their children at a designated time and day in honor of this mission and to attempt to set a new record!  This year, our Big Latch On event will also serve as a major fundraiser for our non-profit organization, the San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation.