Supply Drive for Afghan Refugees

---

As a business that focuses on improving the lives of those in our community, we are putting our chest/breastfeeding ‘hats’ aside to bring awareness to a community that desperately needs our help and resources.  San Diego, specifically El Cajon, is expecting 5000 Afghan refugees to arrive in the next few months, with little notice and few supplies.  The San Diego Breastfeeding Center has partnered with Welcome Home to host a Supply Drive to collect items that these families need to start their new lives in San Diego.  

Details

What: Supply Drive for Afghan Refugees

Where: San Diego Breastfeeding Center (8325 University Ave.  La Mesa, CA 91942)

When: Saturday, September 25, 2021 from 11am-1pm

Just drive up in front of the center or park on the street and our volunteers will help unload the items from your car.  Please wear a mask to protect yourself and our volunteers.

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Robin Kaplan at robinkaplan@sdbfc.com

For more information about our partnering organization and the incredible work they do in our community, please visit their website:

Welcome Home

---

Thank you, in advance, for your supply donations and for supporting our newest community members.

Warmly,

The San Diego Breastfeeding Center Family

Meet SDBFC's Newest IBCLC - Yvonne Campbell

We are so thrilled to introduce you to our newest lactation consultant (pending)/RN at SDBFC! Yvonne joined us on August 2nd and will be doing office visits starting August 31st!  Here is our interview with Yvonne.  We can't wait for you all to meet her!

Yvonne, tell us about yourself!

Hello! Let’s see, I spent my year 0 through 25 in a small town in Sweden called Trollhattan (basically translates to Troll’s Hat). We were a multicultural household with an American dad and a Swedish mom. My parents met in San Francisco while my mother was working as an Au Pair for a year after high school and then they moved to Sweden to raise a family (18 months of parental leave, yes please). Sweden is great in a lot of ways, however I don’t think I would trade it for all of the sunshine days we get here in San Diego. A couple years after receiving my BSN, I felt adventurous and moved to San Diego. I’ve been here 12 years now! I have a husband, Sean, two daughters, Elise and Clara (6 and 3 years old) and a 10 year old cat Zoe. We love to travel, otherwise I bet we would have a dog too!

In my free time I’m an avid baker, often found whipping up cream cakes, cookies, breads, you name it. I have a crazy sweet tooth that I try to balance with exercise and otherwise healthy eating like a true Swede. Did you know that Swedes eat the most candy per capita in the world? 35 pounds per person per year! Career-wise I have always felt the happiest helping people. I have worked as an Emergency Room Nurse for almost 15 years (definitely doesn’t feel like it’s been that long). 

Check out Yvonne’s bio page

What inspired you to become a lactation consultant?

I absolutely fell in love with breastfeeding after having kids of my own. I always thought breastfeeding was something beautiful and envisioned doing it one day. Little did I know how difficult, yet absolutely amazing the journey can be. Being a bit of a researcher I started reading more and more about lactation. It kept piquing my interest and I developed a new passion!

What are you most excited about working for the SDBFC?

I can’t think of anything more satisfying and heartwarming than helping families reach their breastfeeding goals, whatever that may look like for them. I want to empower families and be a positive cheerleader in their corner. I’m very excited that the SDBFC has a foundation so that we can reach more families.

What are your top 3 tips for a brand new chest/breastfeeding parent?

1. Go with flow and be your most flexible you. Often things aren’t going to be exactly as you had envisioned from the get go with a new baby. If you stay positive and embrace the challenges, you end up with so much less stress. If there are any breastfeeding questions or concerns we're here ready to help!

2. Accept and/or reach out for help. The saying “it takes a village” is so true! What’s helpful varies from family to family. It could be for someone to hold your baby while you shower, for someone to take over household chores, or bring food so you can focus on the baby. Make a list of things that would be helpful for -you-, then people offering to help can choose items off that list (we all know well meaning helpers sometimes need a little *cough* direction so that they are in fact being helpful).

3. Surround yourself with positive people who understand your goals. There are so many different ways to parent and it makes the most sense to take advice from people who share your parenting vision and goals. Find a support group that speaks to you! SDBFC offers a great one every week.

Welcome to the team, Yvonne!

Meet SDBFC's Newest IBCLC - Mariana Covarrubias

We are so thrilled to introduce you to our newest lactation consultant at SDBFC! Mariana joined us on March 24th and will be doing office visits starting June 1st!  Here is our interview with Mariana.  We can't wait for you all to meet her!

Mariana, tell us about yourself!

I grew up in Tijuana, just across the border from San Diego, CA. I then moved to San Diego when I was 16 years old. Since then I have lived in other cities like Mexico City and Miami, but recently moved back to San Diego. I love living in San Diego because I am close to family and because it is next door to Tijuana, which has the most amazing food and it is where my roots are. I have been married for 6 years and have a daughter who is the center of my life and one of the biggest reasons I decided to pursue a career as a lactation consultant. I have a bachelor’s degree in Nutrition & Dietetics.  It is a field I love and am very passionate about, but I wanted to look at nutrition from the start. My curiosity and constant love for learning led me to study lactation. I had the pleasure of working for a Pediatrician, IBCLC while living in Mexico City which further propelled my curiosity, since I got to learn about the many facets of lactation and the big difference I could make helping people. I am a constant student and homebody that loves doing anything creative. I also have a passion for living a natural/non-toxic lifestyle. I love to cook and really enjoy creating beautiful tables when hosting friends and family.

Check out Mariana’s bio page

What inspired you to become a lactation consultant?

As a Nutrition & Dietetics student gaining experience in the field, I had the opportunity to work on the delivery floor of Mary Birch Hospital. Working on that floor made me happy; I really enjoyed working around babies. Being the constant learner that I am, I started looking at the different learning possibilities that I could add to my career. I learned about becoming an IBCLC and never looked back. Mid-way through my IBCLC program I found out I was pregnant  and had to pause it, due to a high-risk pregnancy. When my daughter was born and I had the opportunity to experience everything first-hand, I found out I was even more passionate about this than when I began. I then finished my training with UCSD Lactation Program and am so proud to be able to provide help and guidance to anyone who needs it.

What are you most excited about working for the SDBFC?

I am most excited about the fact that I will be able to offer lactation services to Spanish speakers. I am Mexican and fluent in both English and Spanish. Being the first consultant at SDBFC that is a Spanish speaker is a badge that I wear with honor. Coming from Mexico, I used to cross the border daily to go to school in the U.S. We would wake up at 5:00 AM and sometimes it would take up to 4 hours to get to school and then we had to do the same journey back, all to start it again the next day. I am proud of where I come from and am thankful for all the sacrifices my parents made to give me an education. I am proud that I will be using that education to help others and hopefully it will inspire people in the Hispanic community to seek out my help and guidance. I am proud to be representing the Latina community as a lactation consultant, bringing my culture and experiences with me. I am so excited to meet new families and help them along their journey.

What are your top 3 tips for a brand new chest/breastfeeding parent?

1.     Be flexible with your expectations. Although, ideally your chest/breastfeeding journey is exactly how you pictured it, it may be a little or completely different. Do not let that discourage you. Chest/breastfeeding looks a million ways, the right way is what works best for you and your family. You are a great parent no matter what your journey looks like. Allow yourself to see beauty in the unexpected.

2.     Support system, support system, support system. It is ideal that you plan out your support system, whatever that may look like for you.  It does not necessarily have to be family.  Supporting your postpartum period may look like ordering a meal delivery service, having a friend cook some meals for you, or hiring someone to help with household chores. This will allow you the time to focus on you and your baby. Ask for help… a good support system will help you deal with sleepless nights and new parent duties. At SDBFC we offer chest/breastfeeding support groups; meeting up with parents going through similar journey’s might help you a feel sense of community and most importantly have your questions/concerns addressed.

3.     Opinions, everyone has them, but only you know what works best for you and your family. Follow your gut instinct and trust it. You will get a lot of opinions or “advice” from friends, family, and sometimes even strangers, but letting your instincts guide your choices will turn out best. Seek out professionals that align with your values and gather all the necessary information to make informed decisions.

Welcome to the team, Mariana!

Our Fundraiser was a HUGE Success… all thanks to you!!!!

Our 2020 end-of-the year fundraiser was such a HUGE success and we cannot thank you enough for all of your support.  Our goal was to raise $10,000 between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve and we ended the fundraiser with donations totaling $13,015! 

We are truly humbled by our community’s support, which allows us to forge forward in 2021 to provide free and reduced-fee breastfeeding consultations for families with financial and/or racial barriers to receiving breastfeeding support. The recipients’ testimonials say it all…. these consultations were lifesavers!

So, what will your donations pay for this year?

• Over 150 free/reduced-fee breastfeeding consultations in 2021.  This covers over 50% of the consultations we plan to provide this year, so while our fundraising efforts never end, this gets us off to an amazing start in 2021!  

• $2,615 has been designated for our scholarship fund to support local BIPOC women to pursue a career in lactation!

---

Each of our donors is incredibly important and imperative for funding our programs, which is why we like to share their names on our donor pages!  There also are a few donors we would like to personally thank today for their very generous donations this year.  These individuals and businesses donated $250 or more to our foundation in 2020:

The Schoenith Foundation

Audrey Conley & Gertrude & L.J. Whitaker Charitable Fund

Herwitz Law

Charity Dunphy

Robert and Patricia Dodson

Toshiko Umphrey

Stephen and Candice Kerner

Jack and Jennifer Einbinder

Kara Ballester

Andrew Eckblad

And a HUGE SHOUT OUT to our local anonymous donor who matched $3k during our fundraising campaign!

---

Still want to donate?

You can make a one-time donation or a recurring monthly donation (which is one of our favorites!), through our website at any time!

---

Thank you, from all of us at the San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation!  You have truly made a difference in so many families’ lives and we so appreciate it!

Warmly,
Robin Kaplan

President, San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation

Will you help us dismantle racial bias in breastfeeding/chestfeeding support?

DID YOU KNOW?

• San Diego has pockets of ‘breastfeeding deserts’ where there is limited access to breastfeeding support groups and lactation consultants, specifically for low income families and families of color.

• Without access to breastfeeding support, these families stop breastfeeding sooner than they planned, negatively impacting the physical and emotional health of both the nursing parent and the baby. 

---

Will you help us dismantle this racial bias and income discrimination?

---

Your donations go directly to pay for lactation consultations for families, like Julia’s!

---

We have raised $7920 this month. Can you help us reach our goal of $10,000?

Our ability to help families like Julia’s is only possible with your help. Thank you so much for supporting our foundation!

Warmly,
Robin Kaplan
President, San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation

Is the Covid 19 Vaccine Safe to Take While Breastfeeding/Chestfeeding?

Let me start off by saying that I don’t want this to turn into a vax/anti-vax conversation.  Whether you choose to vaccinate yourself and your family is a completely personal decision and one that is really none of our business.  

That being said, many of our clients have reached out to us this week to ask if the covid vaccine is safe for them to get while breastfeeding/chestfeeding.  Our goal is to share the most recent information about the vaccine, provided by medical professionals, so that you and your family can make an educated decision on what you would like to do.

So, what do we know about this vaccine, with reference to lactating parents?  

Honestly, not much.  

• Since this vaccine is so new (and fast-tracked with limited clinical trials), it has not been tested on pregnant or lactating parents.  

• According to Mother to Baby CA, the Covid vaccine is an mRNA vaccine, which means that it doesn’t contain the live virus. ‘The mRNA vaccine works by telling cells in the body to create harmless fragments (small pieces) of the virus that causes COVID-19. These fragments cannot cause COVID-19. However, they trigger an immune response in the body that helps make antibodies against the virus.’

• According to the CDC, ‘There are no data on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in lactating women or on the effects of mRNA vaccines on the breastfed infant or on milk production/excretion. mRNA vaccines are not thought to be a risk to the breastfeeding infant. People who are breastfeeding and are part of a group recommended to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, such as healthcare personnel, may choose to be vaccinated.’

• According to the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, ‘there is little biological plausibility that the vaccine will cause harm, and antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in milk may protect the breastfeeding child…. During lactation, it is unlikely that the vaccine lipid would enter the blood stream and reach breast tissue. If it does, it is even less likely that either the intact nanoparticle or mRNA transfer into milk. In the unlikely event that mRNA is present in milk, it would be expected to be digested by the child and would be unlikely to have any biological effects.’ They go on to say that,’Antibodies and T-cells stimulated by the vaccine may passively transfer into milk. Following vaccination against other viruses, IgA antibodies are detectable in milk within 5 to 7 days. Antibodies transferred into milk may therefore protect the infant from infection with SARS-CoV-2.’

So, with this lack of specific research on the Covid 19 vaccine, it is recommended that you speak with your healthcare provider to go over the pros/cons of taking the vaccine while breastfeeding/chestfeeding, based on your risk of possible exposure to the virus, your health history, and your child’s health history.

And, please continue to follow the CDC guidelines for preventing the spread of covid:

• Wear a mask

• Stay at least 6 feet away from others

• Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds or using hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol

Stay safe! We will update our website with information as it becomes available.

We are matching funds up to $3000 this week!

We cannot begin to express how grateful we are to everyone who has donated to our fundraising campaign and shared about it with their friends and family!

So far, we have raised $3000 in the past 2 weeks.  This week, an anonymous donor has offered to match donations up to $3000 from 12/14 until 12/21, so your donation this week will be doubled!  Which means, we will be that much closer to our goal of raising $10,000 during the month of December!  Can we count on you to help us meet this goal?

---

Meet Sabrina, a local mother who received low-cost breastfeeding consultations from the San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation.

“I am a first generation, lower income, Latinx full-time college student. 

I battled a 7 month long struggle with breastfeeding.  I reached my breaking point and found the SDBFC Foundation, hesitant to make an appointment due to the cost, until I saw the option for Medi-Cal.  If I had to pay for the full price for an initial appointment, I doubt I would have made the appointment. This is not because I would not want to, but because I could not afford it. 

Through the SDBFC Foundation, my daughter and I were able to access the necessary services in order for her to receive the proper care and attention needed for her to survive and thrive. 

Nonprofits like these help break down systematic barriers that prevent Latinx and other BIPOC communities from successfully breastfeeding. They also allow lower-income parents to be able to provide an equitable childhood to their children beginning at infancy. I am forever grateful!”

-Sabrina

---

Sabrina is one of the 200 families of color and low-income families that our foundation was able to assist this year, all due to your donations and those from our community!  We are 30% to our goal of raising $10,000.  Will you help us reach this goal?

Our ability to help families like Sabrina's is only possible with your help. Thank you so much for caring so deeply.

Warmly,

Robin Kaplan

President, SDBFC Foundation

READ THIS BEFORE YOU SHOP ON AMAZON THIS 2020 HOLIDAY SEASON!

DID YOU KNOW….

• While 93% of parents start breastfeeding exclusively at birth in San Diego, only 56% continue doing so at 3 months, largely due to a lack of access and financial resources to ongoing lactation support.

• You can help low-income families and women of color gain access to critical breastfeeding support by purchasing Amazon items online, just by shopping through smile.amazon.com instead of amazon.com!

GUESS HOW EASY THIS IS???

We are asking you to take 60 seconds of your time today to designate the San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation as your charitable recipient for Amazon Smile.  All you have to do is go to their website (smile.amazon.com) and choose the San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation as your Amazon Smile recipient.  Then as you make your holiday purchases, as well as your staples of diapers, nipple cream, baby toys, book, etc, the SDBFC Foundation will receive 0.5% of every purchase, at no extra cost to you.  This money will go directly to paying for lactation consultations for families in need.

You can also do it in the APP! Open the app and find ’Settings’ in the main menu (☰). Tap on ‘AmazonSmile’ and follow the on-screen instructions to turn on AmazonSmile on your phone.

---

Your Amazon Smile purchases can help families, like AnaKaren’s, get the breastfeeding/chestfeeding support they deserve!

“Breastfeeding was something I always knew I wanted to do, I just didn’t know how hard of a process it was going to be. When I had my baby girl I suffered from postpartum anxiety and pretty bad baby blues. Diana, like all babies, lost a lot of her birth weight and was not gaining it back as fast as she should’ve been. Breastfeeding my daughter had become a real struggle and with my postpartum anxiety I was at a loss. With limited income and a husband in school, it would’ve been very difficult to be seen at SDBFC without their affordable $25 appointment fee. Being able to afford the appointments made the difference between breastfeeding my baby and not breastfeeding. - AnaKaren”

Adjusting the Dream of Breastfeeding

A few weeks ago, we sent out a call for Breastfeeding/Chestfeeding/Pumping memoirs.  Our desire was to flood the Internet with beautiful breast/chestfeeding and pumping stories of triumph, overcoming challenges and struggles, and positive outcomes, regardless of the total amount of milk a parent 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 breast/chestfeeding or pumping journey. 

Thank you to all of the parents 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.    

---

This memoir is from Becky.

We were in Cambodia. Part business, part travel. I was seven months pregnant with our first baby and loving every bit of what first time mamahood brings. The flutters, the kicks, the dreaming of what would be. 

We had fought for this baby — with years of infertility and trying and going through the system and finally attempting IVF, as our last effort — and there she was…a little heart beating on the first ultrasound. We did it. And we were ready for all she had for us. 

As we rode wide-eyed through the streets of Cambodia, I saw her. A mama, holding a toddler, nursing an infant…all while balancing on the back of the moped her husband was steering. 

That would be me someday. I was sure of it. It was all so natural and freeing. I was ready and excited to breastfeed.

January 2011, our baby came at rocket speed. We were in front of the hospital as she made her entrance into the world. It was freezing outside. She was tiny and shivering her ounces away. 

We were on cloud nine. First time parents. I was high on endorphins and oxytocin and the thrill of a fast labor. I was walking around hours later. Things could not be going better. (I had no idea these things were not normal).

She seemed to latch well. The nurse told me I had the perfect breasts for breastfeeding. I had read all the books. I was feeling confident. 

Too confident. 

The next day, they said she was losing weight too quickly. I couldn’t understand it. I almost didn’t believe it. They almost didn’t send us home, but we were resolute. We thought we just needed to get out of the hospital, to get home and comfortable.

What I didn’t know is how hard it could be. From everything I had heard, it would be natural, and it would just work. 

But it didn’t. Our sweet baby girl was not gaining weight. The pediatrician threatened to label her with ‘failure to thrive.’ 

In the post-baby haze, I didn’t capture the gravity and seriousness of it all. I was caught in the trap of first time motherhood that takes every input from every direction and confuses it with intuition. I was lost. There was no support. 

I cried myself to sleep clutching our new baby, nearly every night.

We have five kids now. And every single one of them has a breastfeeding story of their own. We always tried and it never went exactly as I wanted. Yet, every baby, every child ended up thriving.

With our first, I used a supplemental nursing system with formula until she could also use table food, at which point I nursed her until she was 14 months old and we were ready for our next embryo transfer.

With our second, he got off to an amazing start. I thought “ah, THIS is a different story.” He gained weight well in the first several weeks, and he began sleeping more. I couldn’t have been more thrilled. Then, at his 8 week appointment, he hardly gained an ounce…in FOUR weeks. It was like a punch to the gut. All the self-doubt and trauma returned. We supplemented with formula until we moved nearer to a dear friend who provided her breastmilk for him. At 9 months my supply was gone, and he plumped up on my friend’s luscious, gracious milk.

With our third, we were ready. We met with San Diego Breastfeeding Center while he was still in utero. I had a midwife and a doula and an acupuncturist and an LC, and I was ready. He was a spitfire from birth. He rarely slept easily but nursed well, I thought. At three weeks, I sobbed as I left SDBFC group meeting. He had hardly transferred any milk. He wasn’t thriving. All the terror and sadness returned…yet, somehow, with help, we pushed through. I pumped, and supplemented from the meager ounces I could squeeze out. It was trying. But he made it to self weaning at 11.5 months.

Our fourth, our only non-IVF baby, was born at home. We were getting more and more natural as time went on. Maybe, I thought, that would help with breastfeeding. And he did well. I held onto every encouraging word from my LC. I remembered the diligence my body required. I was exhausted, but it didn’t matter...he made it. My supply was JUST enough, so I didn’t pump, and I didn’t supplement. It felt like a breath of fresh air. He weaned himself at 11 months, much to my heart’s sadness…yet I had to also rejoice. We made it.

Our fifth and final baby was a champ. Born at home and co-sleeping, she was the best weight-gainer-sleeper of them all. It felt like smooth sailing. Then, suddenly when she was 7 months old, my hormones went haywire, I had a crazy migraine, my period returned and my supply tanked. Where she used to be gulping, there was nothing but air. Once again, my LC walked me through with encouragement and a solid, educated plan. We used donor milk, and soon she’ll be transitioning to 100% table food.

I still think about that nursing mama on the back of the moped in Cambodia. I’m glad that is her story. I’m glad that for many women in the world who chose to breastfeed, their babies thrive. 

But for those of us whose babies don’t thrive, whose dreams of breastfeeding are altered or jolted or completely shattered, we know that every ounce of effort is part of our souls. Every compromise is for the good of our babies’ health, and every bit of love we show by adjusting our dreams is what will set them on the thriving course to someday make their own dreams come true.

Meet SDBFC's Newest IBCLC - Tabitha Kemp

We are so thrilled to introduce you to our newest lactation consultant at SDBFC! Tabitha Kemp joined us on August 24th and will be doing office visits starting Sept 28th!  Here is my interview with Tabitha.  I can't wait for you all to meet her!

Tabitha, tell us about yourself!

I am a San Diego Native, married to Adam, my amazing husband of 10 years! We have two beautiful daughters. I am an amateur runner, and I love a good coffee and donut.

What inspired you to become a lactation consultant?

About 4 years ago, while working in the emergency room, I took care of a new mother and her child who simply needed help with breastfeeding. She was nervous and overwhelmed. I will always remember her because she was so thankful to have help with one of the most basic roles of parenthood: feeding her child. After that, I enrolled to take a course to become a Certified Lactation Educator and was overwhelmed by the importance of giving parents the ability to provide breastmilk for their child. I had found my way to contribute to my community by promoting and protecting the health of families.

What are you most excited about working for the SDBFC?

I am excited for the new challenge! I look forward to learning from the impressive lactation consultants at the San Diego Breastfeeding Center. The teamwork and collaboration is amazing, and I love the way all the consultants support one another and their clients as they work through feeding challenges. I hope I can be an advocate and support for all my clients to help them reach their goals!

What are your top 3 tips for a brand new breastfeeding parent?

1. Be patient. Breastfeeding is natural and normal, but this does not mean it is easy. So be patient with yourself and your baby as you learn. 

2. Find help. There will be hiccups and speed bumps, but resources abound, so do not wait to seek help when and if you have a problem. 

3. Find friends. Surrounding yourself with people (even online) who love and support breastfeeding can be a lifesaver. Having the opportunity to watch someone else breastfeed can be a game changer. So, find a neighbor, friend, or support group where you can be surrounded by breastfeeding.

Welcome to the team, Tabitha!