Our 2019 Fundraiser was a HUGE Success!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Our 2019 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 $5,850! We are truly humbled by our community’s support, which allows us to forge forward in 2020 to provide free and reduced-fee breastfeeding consultations for families with financial and racial barriers to receiving breastfeeding support. The recipients’ testimonials say it all…. these consultations were lifesavers!
Due to your generosity, we will be able to provide over 50 free/reduced-fee breastfeeding consultations in 2020. This covers about 25% of the consultations we plan to provide in 2020, so while our fundraising efforts never end, this gets us off to an amazing start in 2020!
Something new we added during this year’s fundraising campaign was dedicating a week’s donations to fund a scholarship for a local woman of color to become an IBCLC. We are pleased to announce that we raised $1920 for our scholarship fund and look forward to gifting this to an IBCLC student in 2020!
Thank you to our donors!
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 2019:
Schoenith Foundation, TUA
Dr. Stanton, Victoria, and Alana Hom at Future Generations
Dr. Najmeh Hannahvash at Little Star Pediatric Dentistry
Kindred Bravely
Rawr Naturals
Gymboree
Good Vibrations Chiropractic
Rebecca Hammond
Jamie Reichling
Cheryl and Greg Williams
Becoming Peaceful
Nutrition in Bloom
Blissful Bellys
Sugar Night Night
Rise Physical Therapy
Sakura Bloom
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!
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!
Racial Disparities in Healthcare and Breastfeeding Support
We’d like you to meet Chardá Fontenot. She is a Perinatal Navigator with Project Concern International Healthy Start, a Doula, a Certified Lactation Educator & Counselor (CLEC), and one of our board members. She is someone who is truly committed and already making enormous strides to improve health and breastfeeding outcomes for our local African-American and black families. We feel honored to know her and to work with her!
I‘m so excited to be a part of the SDBFC Foundation Board! A personal and professional goal of mine is to increase the breastfeeding rates for all families, but particularly black breastfeeding families due to the low initiation and duration rates.
The most recent statistics from the CDC show that White and Hispanic families have an 82% breastfeeding initiation rate, with 27-31% breastfeeding at 1 year. Black families have a 64% breastfeeding initiation rate, with 17% breastfeeding at 1 year.
In order to eliminate that disparity there needs to be a sense of urgency and a group of individuals that are dedicated to helping these families. The SDBFC foundation has the capacity, skill and drive to help break down the barriers that prevent black families from breastfeeding successfully.
I believe anyone that wants to breast/chest feed, should be able to do so and with proper support. Having access to a lactation professional that is knowledgeable, inclusive and affordable is key. SDBFC Foundation fits that role and fills a gap that needs some focus.
In my job, I work with many families both prenatally and postpartum. I see the struggles first hand and the first thing I do is offer support as a CLEC, but if it’s something that needs to be addressed by an IBCLC, some families simply can not afford the help they deserve so they quit. The SDBFC foundation is here to prevent families from quitting due to lack of support and assistance. This is why I’m so excited to be a part of the foundation. I want all of those who want breastfeeding help to be able to obtain it.
For us to continue doing this amazing work, we need your support in order to support those who need it most. Your donation of any amount helps towards our mission and will keep breastfeeding babies and families happy, healthy and thriving!
Chardá Fontenot, SDBFC Foundation Board Member
Ready to help us reduce racial disparities in breastfeeding?
All is takes is your donation. $5, $50, $500.... it all makes a difference!
Can you help us reach our $10,000 goal?
For more information about the racial disparities in healthcare and breastfeeding support, particularly for African-American and black families in the United States, please see Chardá’s interview with Robin, by clicking here!
Increase Access to Breastfeeding Support this Giving Tuesday 2019
We’d like you to meet Veronica. She is one of the moms who was able to access affordable breastfeeding support because of the reduced-free consultations provided by the San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation.
I reached out to the San Diego Breastfeeding center after experiencing the hardest eight weeks of my life. My baby was born a few weeks premature, he had a tongue and lip tie, he experienced colic, and we had many lactation problems among a number of other issues. I was desperate, I felt helpless and was beginning to experience postpartum depression and anxiety. As my last hope, I left a voice message at the SD Breastfeeding Center thinking I would get a call back until Monday since it was a weekend; however, I was surprised to get a call back that same day. The person on the phone was very understanding and empathic, and she was able to schedule my appointment with Robin right away. I explained that we had so many expenses given all the issues we experienced and I was worried that I would not be able to keep my appointment because I could not afford it. Again, the administrator who helped me was very understanding and I was offered a lower fee.
I felt so fortunate to be able to work with Robin, who is extremely knowledgeable and professional. I was in tears at my appointment, but with her positive and calm energy she was able to provide the support and empowerment I needed to not lose hope. Had they not offered a reduced fee, I would have never been able to breastfeed my baby, something which was extremely important for me to do. I am forever grateful with Robin and the SD Breastfeeding Center for giving me such an opportunity to obtain services I would have never imagined I could have access to. I am happy to say that my baby is now five months old and we are breastfeeding beautifully.
- Veronica G.
Did you know that San Diego has pockets of ‘breastfeeding deserts’ where there is limited access to breastfeeding support groups and lactation consultants. These deserts exist in areas that have a higher population of low income families and families of color. This is absolutely unacceptable! Access to breastfeeding education and feeding support is a basic human right, not a privilege.
Your donation today, no matter the size, helps us train breastfeeding support staff and provide free and low-cost breastfeeding consultations to families living in these breastfeeding deserts. Help us break down these income and racial disparities today!
Join me in helping local families, like Veronica’s, gain access to critical breastfeeding support on this #GivingTuesday.
Wondering how to do this?
We are asking you to help us #SupportSDMoms by donating your weekly coffee money! It’s that simple! If everyone reading this blog post/email donated $20 today (the amount they would spend at a coffee shop this week), we would be able to raise over $40,000 on #GivingTuesday.
Can you help us reach our $10,000 goal?
All you have to do is click on this Go Fund Me link to donate this week’s coffee allowance and help bring affordable and accessible breastfeeding support to hundreds of local families.
To donate to the San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation, you can send a check to:
San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation
8325 University Ave.
La Mesa, CA 91942
Or donate through Go Fund Me!
READ THIS BEFORE YOU SHOP ON AMAZON THIS 2019 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 financial resources and access to ongoing lactation support.
You can donate to the San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation with every purchase you make through Amazon Smile?
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.
I am thankful that I had access to a lactation consultant through the San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation at a discounted/affordable rate during the first weeks and months after having my first child. Breastfeeding was an ever-changing thing for us and being able to have this type of support was what I needed to push through and even enjoy the experience and make sure my son was getting what he needed in a way that was sustainable. We are still breast-feeding fifteen months in, and it has been both the hardest and sweetest aspect of motherhood. I don't know if I could say that without the one on one appointments I was able to have at multiple points in our breastfeeding journey that provided much needed tools and support. Just having someone to observe and bounce concerns and issues off of was priceless!
Nicole P.
Amazon Smile Details:
AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization.
To donate to the San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation directly, you can send a check to:
San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation
8325 University Ave.
La Mesa, CA 91942
Or donate through our website: https://www.sdbfcfoundation.org/donate.
Sleeping Like A Baby – 4-12 Months
Have you been asked this question: How is your baby sleeping? This is my least favorite question because it puts the parent in a position to evaluate or validate their parenting skills based on their child’s sleep. The reality is that your baby’s sleep habits may have everything to do with brain development and how the brain organizes sleep cycles and awake windows.
By Jen Varela
Have you been asked this question: How is your baby sleeping? This is my least favorite question because it puts the parent in a position to evaluate or validate their parenting skills based on their child’s sleep. The reality is that your baby’s sleep habits may have everything to do with brain development and how the brain organizes sleep cycles and awake windows. I think the perfect answer to that question is: “They are sleeping like a baby!”
What does it mean to sleep like a baby?
The first thing to consider is how much sleep your little one is getting. The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) recommends that infants age 4 to 11 months sleep for 12 to 15 hours in a 24-hour period, while toddlers age 1 to 2 years old get 11 to 14 hours of sleep during that same time frame. The NSF has a very informative chart listing recommended hours of sleep for children and adults at its website, which can be a helpful resource for parents.
As your baby grows month by month, the amount of sleep they will need in a 24-hour period will decrease, along with the number of naps they will have in the day. One of the most challenging times for parents is when their infants are between 4 and 5 months in age: The length of a nap will range from 20 minutes to two hours, and the number of naps in the day could be anywhere between three and five.
Although the NSF doesn’t categorize sleep as day sleep or night sleep, the time of day when the nap happens and the combined total hours of sleep during naps do affect night sleep. The myth “if your baby skips a nap, then he will be tired and sleep better at night” might sound logical, but the reality is that the placement and quantity of day sleep can affect the number of night awakenings and create early rising patterns.
So how do you know when your baby should nap? Using the 12-hour clock to schedule naps for your little one might be effective; however, focusing on how long your little one is awake between naps, and especially between the last nap and bedtime, is where the magic happens. When a baby is awake too long, cortisol is released in the system, which gives your little one a “second wind” and suppresses the sleep pressure. Once the cortisol has dissipated, you will have a second opportunity to get your child to sleep. There is a direct link to spending too much time awake before bedtime and an increase in night awakenings.
Here is a general guideline to the number of naps you can expect your child to take, based on age:
4-5 months - 3-4 naps
6-8 months - 3 naps
9-12 months - 2 naps
Just as the total amount of sleep needed in a 24-hour period will decrease with age, the amount of time your baby can be awake between naps will increase.
Here are recommended ranges of awake time between naps, by age:
4-5 months - 90-minutes
6-8 months - 1 ½ to 2 hours
9-10 months - 2-3 hours
11-12 months - 3-4 hours
There is also another HUGE factor affecting your baby’s sleep. Sleep “regressions” are really “progressions” related to developmental milestones and major lifestyle shifts called world view changes. Developmental milestones will be sleep disruptors, as children spend more time in active Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep. According to researcher Nathaniel Kleitman , “REM dreaming allows us to process daytime emotional experiences and transfer recent memories into longer-term storage.” On the other hand, the purpose of quiet, non-REM sleep is to allow the mind and body to rest and recharge.
The biggest sleep disruptors related to developmental milestones and world view changes:
World view changes: Moving, travel, parents going back to work, new caregiver or daycare
Developmental milestones:
4-6 months – A big developmental burst occurs between 4 and 5 months and many babies go through a sleep regression during this time.
Finds toes
Vision increases
“Personality” shows up
6-9 months
Rolls over in both directions
Sits momentarily without support
Crawling begins
9-11 months
Pulls self to standing
Cruises the furniture
12 months
Takes a few steps
During times when it is clear that your little one is waking at night because of a developmental leap, the very best thing you can do is protect their sleep. Helping your child get back to sleep and keeping the night awake time to a minimum will help keep the “sleep tank” full. Once they are not working on that new developmental milestone, the night awakening frequency will decrease. It is the same concept for teething and sickness—protect their sleep and get them back to sleep as soon as possible. (I also have other sleep tips to help your baby during sickness. )
Babies will have the largest amount of brain growth in their lifetimes during the first eight months of life. Sleep is a large part of that growth, and when your little one gets the necessary amount of sleep it improves the quality of sleep for the whole family. I promise that sleep is in your future, even if your baby’s sleep habits seem to always be changing. It won’t always be like this.
Top Tips:
Be mindful of the amount of time awake, especially before bedtime.
Avoid sleep deprivation; you want to keep the “sleep tank” full, making sure your little one is getting enough sleep in 24 hours. Note: Even 20 minutes more a day can make a difference.
Develop a bedtime routine that you do in the same fashion and order each night, with wind-down activities such as a massage, song, or book.
Ask your doctor when:
You notice your baby snores loudly and persistently.
Total sleep time is less than 9 hours in a 24-hour period.
You are considering night weaning.
For almost a decade, Jen Varela, a Certified Gentle Sleep Coach®, co-author of “Loved to Sleep”, and the founder of Sugar Night Night, has been helping families teach their babies and toddlers to sleep through the night while keeping tears to a minimum.
As a pediatric sleep consultant, Jen focuses on the needs of each family’s unique sleep goals whether they are a co-sleeping family, room share with their child or the child is in their own room. She is located in San Diego, California and provides video coaching nationwide. She offers one-one-one sleep coaching services and workshops for 4 ½ month old’s to 5 years old, education and sleep shaping information for parents with infants under 4 ½ months.
www.sugarnightnight.com
http://www.facebook.com/SugarNightNight
Instagram: @SugarNightNight
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenvarela/
Boob Group Podcast Roundup - The New Parent's Guide to the Breastfeeding Journey
Welcome to the Boob Group Podcast Roundup! As many of you know, Robin was the original host of the Boob Group podcast and hosted the first 112 episodes! There was so much amazing breastfeeding and pumping advice and research shared during those 2.5 years, so Robin has decided to reshare these episodes with all of you in a monthly roundup!
This month we are featuring a beautiful collection of three episodes that can help you navigate the first days and weeks of your breastfeeding journey.
So many of us spend months preparing for our birth but don’t give much thought about what happens after our baby is born. After we’ve had our baby, breastfeeding can seem overwhelming and unfamiliar. We get lots of varying advice from pediatricians, parents, friends, and of course ‘Dr. Google’, and it’s hard to know what “normal” really looks like.
We created this series as a guide to help breastfeeding parents maximize their breastfeeding success. For our first time parents, this can give you a general idea of what to expect at each stage of your baby’s life and how to overcome common challenges along the way! To our 2nd and 3rd time parents, hopefully you can use this series as a way to pick up new tips and tricks to make it potentially easier this time around.
Let’s dive in! For each age range, we will discuss what typical feeding sessions look like- how often babies should be feeding, for how long, and how much they should be generally getting. We’ll help you understand what weight fluctuations your baby might have early on and what overall weight gain looks like so you can feel prepared at upcoming appointments. We’ll also see how sleep patterns change as babies get older so you can have realistic expectations of when your baby might start sleeping for longer stretches. On top of these foundational topics, please see the guide below for other common questions we’ll cover in each episode.
We hope that this series empowers you with the tools needed to get breastfeeding off to a great start!
First 24 Hours
How can birth stories influence lactation?
What are the benefits of Skin-to- Skin?
What do I do if I’m separated from my baby and can’t breastfeed?
Why is my baby eating so often?
What is colostrum?
How do I know if my baby is getting enough?
Why is my baby so sleepy?
First Week
Why is my baby losing weight?
What do I do if my baby is jaundiced?
When do I need to supplement and what are my options?
Why are my nipples so sore?
What is engorgement and what can I do about it?
Second Week
When should my nipple soreness go away?
What is mastitis and how do I avoid it?
When should I introduce a bottle?
What happens during a growth spurt?
What are the benefits of babywearing?
What does bedsharing look like?
And… here are the podcast episodes!
https://parentsondemand.com/podcasts/the-boob-group/new-mom-breastfeeding-manual-the-first-week/
https://parentsondemand.com/podcasts/the-boob-group/new-mom-breastfeeding-manual-second-week/
Want more resources about the breastfeeding journey? Please see the additional ones below.
https://www.sdbfc.com/blog/2014/1/24/ive-had-my-baby-now-what-breastfeeding-during-the-first-week
Stay tuned, as next week we will share episode 4 and 5 of this series, which discusses the breastfeeding journey from 3 weeks - 6 months!
It's the Ultimate World Breastfeeding Week Giveaway 2019!!!
The theme of World Breastfeeding Week 2019 is Empower Parents: Enable Breastfeeding. According to the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action - “Empowerment is a process that requires evidence-based unbiased information and support to create the enabling environment where mothers can breastfeed optimally. Breastfeeding is in the mother’s domain and when fathers, partners, families, workplaces, and communities support her, breastfeeding improves.” Well, we couldn’t agree more! Here at the San Diego Breastfeeding Center and The Badass Breastfeeder, our goal is to provide judgment-free breastfeeding support so that breastfeeding and pumping families can provide as much breast milk to their children as possible and reach their personal breastfeeding/pumping goals. We also love to partner with wonderful companies that do all that they can to support, guide, and protect a family’s ability to meet their personal breastfeeding/pumping goals.
To celebrate World Breastfeeding Week 2019, 11 breastfeeding and pumping-supportive companies have donated items for an enormous Ultimate World Breastfeeding Week Prize Package, valued at over $2000! First we’d like to introduce you to the co-hosts of the 2019 Ultimate World Breastfeeding Week giveaway. Then, we’ll share all of the goodies that have been so graciously donated.
Your hosts:
San Diego Breastfeeding Center: A judgment-free online and in-person resource for evidence-based breastfeeding information and personalized assistance for parents facing breastfeeding challenges. Founded by Robin Kaplan, M.Ed., IBCLC in 2009, SDBFC offers private breastfeeding consultations, classes, free support groups, and an extensive blog. In August 2016, Robin started the San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization which offers reduced-rate lactation consultations to local families with financial need. In 2018, Robin published her first book, Latch: A Handbook for Breastfeeding with Confidence at Every Stage and just last month released her first online course, Breastfeeding for the Working Family, a step-by-step course to help breastfeeding parents prepare for a seamless transition back to work and meet their personal breastfeeding goals DESPITE returning to work.
The Badass Breastfeeder: The Badass Breastfeeder is a blog written by Abby Theuring, a social worker, writer, public speaker, activist, wife and mother of 2 who lives in Chicago, IL. The blog empowers mothers to breastfeed in public, and to breastfeed beyond infancy. It encourages moms and dads to trust their parenting instincts and helps parents develop the confidence to make important decisions for their families. It’s also the personal story of one family’s struggles through the ups and downs of attachment parenting. Unlike many parenting blogs, it paints an honest, authentic picture of the stressful moments that come along with being a parent. The Badass Breastfeeder is a global community of moms and dads who share their experiences so that we know we are not alone.
How to Enter the 2019 Ultimate World Breastfeeding Week Giveaway
You may enter the giveaway from August 1, 2019 - August 8, 2019. On August 8, 2019, we will announce 1 lucky winner of the Ultimate World Breastfeeding Week Prize Package. Winners must live in the United States or Canada.
NOW Check out the Prizes!
One Breastfeeding for the Working Family online course. Protect your breastfeeding relationship (and your milk supply) DESPITE returning to work! This step-by-step course will prepare you for a seamless transition back to work.
One Ruby All In One Nursing and Handsfree Pumping Bra from Dairy Fairy. A feminine and functional bra that’s supermodel worthy and super mom functional.
One Explore Baby Carrier - “Splash” by Baby Tula. The Tula Explore Carriers offers all the features you and baby need: variable width settings for use with newborns to toddlers, adjustability perfect for nursing while baby is in your carrier, and multiple carry positions including forward-facing and back carry.
One Milk-Saver. One Milk Tray, one Nursing Blend, one Nursing Time Tea, one Softies Nursing Pads, and one Nipple Nurture Balm all from Fairhaven Health. Milkies by Fairhaven Health is a line of innovative breastfeeding products to help moms reach their breastfeeding goals! Products include breast milk collection and storage solutions to help moms returning to work, as well as supplements, teas, nipple balm, nursing pads, and much more!
One $50 gift certificate for Lactation Granola Bars from Oat Mama. Undeniably delicious and packed with brewer's yeast and healthy fats from nuts and seeds, Oat Mama lactation granola bars are lovingly crafted by breastfeeding mamas for breastfeeding mamas.
One $25 gift certificate from Momzelle. Momzelle's mission is to help mothers feel comfortable and confident breastfeeding in public by designing high quality, affordable and super cute nursing wear.
One Breastfeeding/Nursing Necklace from Wee Kings. Wee Kings nursing necklaces are the perfect distraction for baby's hands while being fed, and are a stylish, practical accessory for mom to wear.
LatchPal and a Little Zip Pocket Blanket from LatchPal. LatchPal® is an Award Winning Breastfeeding Clip that holds up any shirt, for a nursing top in seconds. The patented one-handed fastening method makes it easy to for a mom to breastfeed (or pump ) in comfort., without neck strain or distractions.
Set of Visy bras and BusyTabsfrom Nurse Me Mama. Its soft cotton & stretch frame assists in cupping around breast. The visual graphics on frame helps baby focus and latch!
Breastfeeding Friendly Seed Tee from Cuarto Creciente. Designed for functional nursing without having to lose style, comfort and most importantly without feeling exposed when nursing in public. Seed t-shirts are locally made in Vancouver by a lovely couple who has been in business for over 30 years.
One Gemma Nursing Top from Teat and Cosset. The Gemma tee is our best selling top for nursing moms because the flattering & functional V design in the front hides zippers for easy & discrete nursing & pumping. Moms can now nurse their babies AND feel confident at the same time.
5 Breastfeeding Myths and Misconceptions that Really Annoy the Heck Out of Us!
How many times have you heard a so-called breastfeeding ‘fact’ from a family member, friend, healthcare professional, or online resource that has your ‘mama-radar’ going off at warp speed? Maybe something just doesn’t sound right. Maybe it goes against all of your breastfeeding instincts. Maybe it is completely contradictory to what you heard the previous day. Well, it’s time to start busting those myths and misconceptions!
World Breastfeeding Week 2019 begins in a few days and this year’s theme is all about empowering breastfeeding families. We couldn’t think of a better way to empower breastfeeding families than by providing real facts to some of the most common breastfeeding myths/misconceptions! We will also be chatting about additional breastfeeding misconceptions on Baby Tula’s Facebook Live on August 2, 2019 at 10am PST, so definitely join us that day!
So, here we go…..
Myth #1: When pregnant, you should rough up your nipples to prepare them for breastfeeding.
Ok, so who thought up this ridiculous idea??? Why would we ever think that "roughing up" our nipples by rubbing them with a towel was a good recommendation. There is no need to cause nipple trauma and scabbing before your baby even arrives! In fact, rubbing your nipples can actually remove the protective substances produced by the breast during pregnancy and afterwards. Sure, your nipples may feel sensitive for those first few days to weeks, but with a great latch, they will become less sensitive over time, all on their own. No need to do anything to prepare them prior to your baby being born.
Myth #2: If your baby feeds more than every 2-3 hours, then he/she is not getting enough.
So, this statement is a little complicated. Sometimes, this can be true, especially if your baby is not gaining weight well and feeding every hour throughout the day and night. This situation might indicate that your baby might not be getting enough milk and your milk supply/baby milk transfer should be assessed.
Typical baby behavior is feeding about 8-12 times per 24 hours, especially for the first few months. Remember, babies’ tummies are small, so they need frequent, small feedings. Some babies with reflux and tummy issues also like small, frequent feedings. There are also situations where babies temporarily feed more frequently, like during cluster feedings times (aka witching hours) and during growth spurts (which last a few days.) Cluster feeding often happens when your baby needs a bit more snuggling time to unwind from the day and growth spurts are nature’s way of requesting more milk for future feedings. So, these are totally normal situations when a baby would feed more frequently than every 2-3 hours and don’t indicate a low supply, at all.
Myth #3: Nursing beyond a year is just for mom’s benefit
So, let’s just think about this one for a second. Is there an on/off switch that makes breastmilk less valuable and nutritious on a baby’s first birthday? Does it suddenly lose all of its immunological properties? I think not. In fact, there are so many nutritional, social, mental, and physical benefits for breastfeeding beyond a year, as well as the fact that breastfeeding beyond a year is normal. Kellymom.com has incredible resources on this subject, so I will just share a few of my favorites:
According to Dewey (2001), in the second year (12-23 months), 448 mL of breastmilk provides:
29% of energy requirements
43% of protein requirements
36% of calcium requirements
75% of vitamin A requirements
76% of folate requirements
94% of vitamin B12 requirements
60% of vitamin C requirements
Immunities in mother’s milk continues as long as breastfeeding continues and some increase in concentration as the child gets older.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that “Breastfeeding should be continued for at least the first year of life and beyond for as long as mutually desired by mother and child… Increased duration of breastfeeding confers significant health and developmental benefits for the child and the mother… There is no upper limit to the duration of breastfeeding and no evidence of psychologic or developmental harm from breastfeeding into the third year of life or longer.” (AAP 2012, AAP 2005)
So, if you want to breastfeed for longer than a year, go for it! It is fantastic for both you and your child. What’s most important is the breastfeeding family’s goals for how long they want to breastfeed…. Not what others believe should be the goal!
Myth #4: Small breasts = small milk supply; Large breasts = large milk supply
As a lactation consultant, I see breasts of all shapes and sizes and this misconception could not be further from the truth. Milk supply is determined by the amount of glandular tissue you have in your breasts and how this fatty tissue expands and multiplies during pregnancy and after your baby is born. Milk supply also significantly depends on breast emptying after your baby is born…. The more you empty your breasts when feeding or pumping, the more signals are sent to your brain to produce more milk. The actual breast is just the vessel/container to hold the milk. So, a size DD breast can hold more milk at one time, compared to a size B breast, but may not necessarily differ in the amount of milk made over a 24 hour period.
Myth #5: If your baby is taking forever to transfer milk while breastfeeding, then you have a lazy baby
I don’t think there are many phrases I despise more than ‘lazy baby.’ Think about this…. Why would a baby choose to be lazy? Your baby’s only job is to feed to stay alive, therefore survival is based on being as robust a feeder possible. A baby who seems ‘lazy’ and takes over an hour (on average) to breastfeed is actually a baby having a difficult time breastfeeding. This could be caused by tethered oral tissue (tongue/lip tie), jaundice, using a nipple shield, prematurity, as well as many other reasons. So, babies who appear ‘lazy’ are often just doing the best that they can with the situation they’ve been dealt. And this is a fantastic reason to meet with an IBCLC to see how you can help your baby begin to feed more effectively and easily, as soon as possible!
So, what other breastfeeding myths and misconceptions absolutely drive you crazy?
Share them in the comments and we will do our best to remedy this misinformation in our interview on Baby Tula’s Facebook Live this week.
Boob Group Podcast Roundup - New Parent Support
Welcome to the Boob Group Podcast Roundup! As many of you know, Robin was the original host of the Boob Group podcast and hosted the first 112 episodes! There was so much amazing breastfeeding and pumping advice and research shared during those 2.5 years, so Robin has decided to reshare these episodes with all of you in a monthly roundup!
This month we are featuring 4 episodes that review the importance of support during breastfeeding and where you can turn to find that help.
Having a baby changes relationships we have with our partners, family, and friends. Obviously you don’t need a partner to have a baby, but having additional support during the postpartum period, and especially on our breastfeeding journey, is crucial. They say “it takes a village” to raise a baby, but with modern society and many of us living far from home, it can leave us feeling pretty isolated.
In these episodes, we discussed ways to ask for help and find support from a variety of local and online resources! For those of us with partners, it’s crucial for them to know how important they are in making our breastfeeding experience both positive and successful. We need not only cheerleaders, but people who will relieve us of stress and know how to assist us each step of the way. On top of that, we also need to be connected with other breastfeeding parents who are going through similar experiences! We’ll review the multiple ways to find a new mom community - whether it’s through an online forum, a local support group, or a facebook page for breastfeeding mamas.
We’ll talk about how to find a group that best suits your needs, what expectations you can have before joining, and the amazing benefits of connecting with other new parents. We hope to inspire you to reach out and find your support because we are all right there with you!
And… here are the podcast episodes!
https://parentsondemand.com/podcasts/the-boob-group/seeking-support-from-breastfeeding-moms-online/
https://parentsondemand.com/podcasts/the-boob-group/breastfeeding-support-local-and-online/
https://parentsondemand.com/podcasts/the-boob-group/partner-support-with-project-breastfeeding/
Want more resources to learn about how to get more breastfeeding support? Please use the additional ones below.
San Diego Big Latch On 2019 T-shirts are ON SALE!
Who wants an awesome Big Latch On 2019 T-Shirt???
We are so excited to partner up with Heart and Soul Printing, one of our favorite local designers and screenprinters, to offer you a San Diego Big Latch On 2019 t-shirt or tank top.
Each t-shirt costs $25 (plus sales tax and S&H) and will only be on sale from August 12-19, 2019 so don’t miss your opportunity to have one of the most adorable event t-shirts out there!
*** Shirts will only be shipped. You will not be able to pick up your shirt at the San Diego Breastfeeding Center.
All proceeds will be donated to the San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation to help pay for lactation consultations for local low-income families.
Ready to see the awesome T-shirts????
HEATHER GRAY LADIES CREW T-SHIRT - AVAILABLE IN S, M, L, XL, 2XL
NAVY BLUE LADIES RACERBACK TANK - AVAILABLE IN XS, S, M, L, XL, AND 2XL
SEA GREEN LADIES SLOUCHY TANK - AVAILABLE IN S, M, L, XL, 2XL (RUNS A LITTLE BIG)
For more details about the Big Latch On Event, check out our FB event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/347252742653283/
As well as our blog: