Breastfeeding | Inhabitots

Time Magazine Breastfeeding Cover Photo Sparks Major Controversy

by Michelle Lloyd, 05/11/12

Time’s new issue features a cover photo of a mom breastfeeding her 3 year old son. The cover depicts Dr. Bill Sears’ method of attachment parenting for the feature article, “The Man Who Remade Motherhood.” The article is an in depth expose about Dr. Sears, his wife Martha, and attachment parenting, which breastfeeding plays a major role in. The cover has already sparked much controversy around the internet, especially on Twitter and parenting blogs.

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Help Get a Google Doodle to Promote Breastfeeding

by Julie Seguss, 05/04/12

No matter how many studies point to breastfeeding as the healthiest choice for babies, or how many celebrities openly breastfeed, some people are still uncomfortable with nursing in public and breastfeeding rates in many states across the country are still too low. How can breastfeeding get more mainstream? A member of the Breastfeeding Task Force of Santa Clara, wants Google to create a “Google Doodle” to help promote and normalize breastfeeding. Breast pump brand Hygeia, is also on board to help fuel the crusade and blogger Joni Rae (aka the Kitchen Witch) has even created a possible graphic for Google.

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Pacifier Use May Increase Breastfeeding Rates Contrary to Previous Beliefs

by Jennifer Chait, 05/02/12

In order to achieve “Baby-Friendly” status many hospitals are halting the use of pacifiers in newborn units. Now however, new research out of Oregon Health & Science University Doernbecher Children’s Hospital says that removing pacifiers may decrease exclusive breastfeeding and increase use of formula. Researchers on the study analyzed feeding data on 2,249 infants born between June 2010 and August 2011 and the pediatrician-scientists found that routine removal of pacifiers during the after-birth hospitalization was associated with decreased exclusive breastfeeding and increased supplemental formula feeds. The data, which is surprising to say the least, was presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting in Boston on April 30. Laura Kair, M.D., a resident in pediatrics at OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, notes, “There is a great deal of energy, nationally and internationally, in support of increasing the number of ‘Baby Friendly’ hospitals. Baby-Friendly hospitals and the 10 steps, when taken together, have been shown to increase exclusive breastfeeding, but the effect of pacifier use on the initiation and duration of exclusive breastfeeding has not been well-established.”

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Seattle Pushing to Make Breastfeeding a Civil Right

by Jennifer Chait, 04/05/12

A newly proposed law in Seattle could make it illegal to ask a nursing mother there to stop breastfeeding, to cover up or to move to another location. City council member Bruce Harrell, who introduced the law to make breastfeeding a civil right told KING 5 TV, “If we change cultural norms, that people realize it’s important to have a healthy Seattle, that people will breastfeed in public areas, it begins the conversation as to why.” Harrell also points out that a law like this may law help eliminate stigma, and encourage minority moms to breastfeed more, which would be good news since minorities statistically breastfeed less in the U.S. The city’s Office of Women’s Rights have reported that they receive many complaints from nursing mothers about breastfeeding discrimination in the workplace, stores, restaurants and public areas but if passed, the proposed law would mean it’s an act of discrimination to ask a woman to move or leave a location simply because she’s breastfeeding in public. The spirit behind this proposal should be applauded, but not everyone is clapping.

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Q&A: Mayim Bialik, Actress and Author, Chats About Attachment Parenting

Mayim Bialik: actress, Attachment Parenting advocate, breastfeeding consultant, neuroscientist, and mother of two boys, can now add author to her list of accolades with the recently released Beyond the Sling: A Real-Life Guide to Raising Confident, Loving Children the Attachment Parenting Way. Detailing her personal experience following the Attachment Parenting style of raising a family, Bialik covers ever-present parenting topics such as co-sleeping, breastfeeding, and gentle discipline. Read on for our interview with this smart, compassionate Mama.

GREEN BOOK REVIEW: Beyond the Sling by Mayim Bialik

Unlike numerous child stars who seem to fade into oblivion or become fodder for gossip rags, Mayim Bialik has stayed out of trouble by diving into causes she is passionate about. She’s a mom of two, a neuroscience PhD, a Holistic Moms spokesperson, vegan and an attachment parenting advocate. Oh, and did we mention she can still be seen regularly on the TV hit The Big Bang Theory? Her latest venture is a book, Beyond the Sling: A Real-Life Guide to Raising Confident, Loving Children the Attachment Parenting Way, about her decision to follow an attachment parenting style for raising her children. The book is written in an approachable, conversational tone. If you ever watched Blossom or Beaches (and how could you possibly grow up in the ’90s without having done so?), as you read this book you can easily imagine Bialik talking to you across the kitchen table, while sipping a soy latte perhaps. Divided into sections including elimination communication, babywearing, co-sleeping, when to use medical interventions, and how to avoid buying too much stuff for baby, the book touches on many “hot buttons” in parenting and are presented clearly, logically, and and always in Bialik’s confident voice, which at times turns humorous (such as when she discusses her surprise at just how often her firstborn wanted to be held) and very serious (such as when she is discussing her feelings on gentle discipline.)

Beyonce Spotted Breastfeeding Blue Ivy at NYC Cafe

We’ve been waiting and hoping Beyonce would be spotted breastfeeding Blue Ivy and she finally was seen nursing in public over the weekend. Beyonce, Jay-Z and Blue Ivy made their first public appearance as a family at Sant Ambrose cafe in New York City, and Mom and Dad weren’t the only hungry ones. Witnesses say Beyonce breastfed her 7-week-old baby right at the table, which is exactly what we like to hear.

Judge Rules Breastfeeding Not Covered by Discrimination Laws

Judge Lynn Hughes in Houston recently decided that a mother can be fired for wanting to pump breast milk at work, claiming that lactation is in no way related to “Pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition.” This case came about after Donnicia Venters gave birth and was ultimately fired from her job at Houston Funding after asking to use the bathroom to pump milk, although the company claims they fired Venters for abandonment. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a complaint on behalf of Venters against Houston Funding, noting that the company violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which makes it illegal to discriminate against a woman “Because of pregnancy, childbirth, or a medical condition related to pregnancy or childbirth.” Not that the suit helped. In fact, the case didn’t even make it to court. Judge Hughes dismissed the lawsuit and wrote in the opinion, “Firing someone because of lactation or breast-pumping is not sex discrimination.” Judge Hughes goes on to say that Venters, “Gave birth on December 11, 2008. After that day, she was no longer pregnant and her pregnancy-related conditions ended.” Thus, the Judge wrote, “Even if Venters’s claims are true, the law does not punish lactation discrimination.” Well… score one for shady companies. Score zero for babies and mamas.

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CDC Researchers Say Delaying Breastfeeding to Increase Vaccine Efficiency May be Wise

In news that’s almost unbelievable, 10 CDC researchers suggest that delaying breastfeeding in favor of making the rotavirus vaccine more efficient may be useful. What the frog! Or in other words, what we say around my house when we can’t cuss out loud. The study, publicized in the CDC’s 2010 spring newsletter, has remained fairly quiet until now but recently hit mainstream media. This worries me, because some parents may take the study at face value and delay or stop breastfeeding in order to pump up the effectiveness of the rotavirus vaccine. The U.S. has abysmally low rates of breastfeeding as it is, so the damage research like this could do is significant. As a parent, if you hear about this study, you should strongly consider how the benefits of breastfeeding outweigh any smaller inactivity of the rotavirus vaccine. Honestly, when it comes to who funded this study, my money is on the formula companies – although that’s just a guess.

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milkmakers Kicks Off “Moms That Move” Campaign to Help Mamas Get Fit

milkmakers, a Seattle-based company that creates yummy lactation cookies to support nursing moms, has a new goal for 2012 – they’re aiming to help families get fit and healthy. With that goal in mind, milkmakers has launched Moms That Move, a campaign designed to help parents set and meet goals for personal physical activity levels and healthy living. Emily Kane, founder and owner of milkmakers and mother of three young children created this new campaign because she personally knows how hard it can be to get and stay fit when you have young children. Kane notes, “I certainly wasn’t feeling fit after each of my kids was born. I was sleep deprived, my clothes didn’t really fit, and I could barely find time to eat let alone eat right. It’s so easy to put off taking care of yourself and say you’re too busy or life is too chaotic. But getting moving again, in small easy steps, is one of the best ways to start feeling like yourself again and set a great example for your entire family.”

Do Public Nurse-ins Raise Awareness About Breastfeeding Rights?

If you’re a mama, you’ve likely already heard about the Target breastfeeding scandal. To sum up, a mama attempted to breastfeed her 5-month-old son while seated on the floor of the women’s clothing department at Target and it didn’t go well. The mother, Michelle Hickman, of the Houston-area, reports that even though she was feeding her baby under a blanket cover-up, several Target employees told her to relocate to a fitting room and one employee even said that she could be cited for indecent exposure if she didn’t stop. After complaining to Target’s corporate headquarters, Time magazine reports that Hickman was told by guest relations, “Just because it’s a woman’s legal right to nurse a baby in public doesn’t mean she should walk around the store flaunting it.” Hickman, who was rightfully outraged, told some friends, one of which launched a Facebook group about the Target events. Last Wednesday, breastfeeding mamas staged “nurse-ins” at Target stores across the country in order to raise awareness about public breastfeeding rights. This is far from the first time a breastfeeding mama has been attacked in public. It’s also not the first time nurse-ins have been staged, but a Time magazine piece about the nurse-ins raises an important question – do nurse-ins help change public perspective about breastfeeding in public, or not?

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Rhode Island is the First State to Stop Giving Away Infant Formula to New Moms at Hospitals

In an effort to encourage breastfeeding, Rhode Island’s seven state birthing hospitals recently stopped giving away goody bags of free formula to new mothers. While they aren’t the first hospitals to go “bag free” — 540 of the 3,300 birthing hospitals across the country have already done it — the new policy does make Rhode Island the first state to have all birthing hospitals agree to participate in the “Ban the Bags” campaign.

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The Milk Truck Mobile Breastfeeding Unit by Jill Miller Now on Display at the Warhol in Pittsburgh

We first told you about The Milk Truck in July when it was just in its prototype stage, and now the mobile breastfeeding unit complete with a giant breast on top has rolled into Pittsburgh. Jill Miller’s creation is now on display at the Andy Warhol Museum as part of the Pittsburgh Biennial. Miller dreamed up the clever vehicle in hopes of starting a conversation about a mother’s right to breastfeed in public. After all, a little humor from a 5 foot in diameter and 3 foot high breast must go a long way in gaining attention, right?

Man Quits Drinking Wife’s Breast Milk and Donates it to Quadruplets

Last week we reported on a California dad who decided that he was going on a diet consisting strictly of his wife “Katie’s” frozen surplus of breast milk. The couple had accumulated a 22-cubic-foot freezer full of milk that they weren’t able to donate to breast milk banks. But instead of throwing it out, they decided Dad would drink all of it and they’d blog about the experience. The experiment, which kicked off less than a week ago, has (to no one’s surprise) come to an end. But it’s demise is not for reasons you may think. The man, known as “Curtis,” didn’t give up because he couldn’t stomach anymore breast milk, but rather because of all the internet hype, he and Katie were able to connect with a West Coast mom desperately seeking donor milk for her quadruplets.

Man Living Entirely Off His Wife’s Breast Milk

If you’ve haven’t already gleaned from all our coverage over the last year, breast milk is no longer just for babies. But while we’ve seen human breast milk turned into an array culinary delights for the adult set, this is the first time we’ve caught wind of a man opting to turn it into his sole source of sustenance. One man has decided to see how long he can survive on a diet consisting entirely of his wife’s breast milk. Currently, the parents of three maintain a 22-cubic-foot freezer full of milk that they haven’t been able to donate to breast milk banks. So what’s a couple to do? There’s no waste in this household – each drop will be consumed, and the couple is blogging daily about their breast milk experiment!

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Bonding With Baby When Breastfeeding Isn’t an Option

I would have breastfed my son Elijah forever. Okay, maybe not forever, but a looooong time. During the first months of his life, nursing was a wonderful bonding time (and one of the only quiet and peaceful times in our day). Even before our son was born, my husband and I knew we would be adopting a little girl in the future, so I briefly entertained the idea that I would continue nursing and pumping until she arrived and then perhaps I would nurse her as well. That was, until Elijah weaned himself without a backward glance at 15 months. Now I have to wonder, when breastfeeding isn't an option, how can mothers reap the same baby bonding benefits?

Breastfeeding Reduces the Risk of SIDS

Breastfeeding clearly has many benefits for both mother and child – no one will argue against that – especially not during World Breastfeeding Week. Breast milk contains all the nutrients your child needs as a baby and is safer than most formula. Breastfeeding supports mama + baby bonding and may help prevent obesity. Plus breastfeeding is very affordable and it’s green because it’s package free. However, some benefits are debatable. For example, past research hasn’t been entirely clear about whether or not breastfeeding is linked to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) prevention or if this is just a wild theory. With this in mind, a team of doctors and researchers recently got together to examine the association between breastfeeding and SIDS. What the researchers learned is that breastfeeding is truly a protective measure that families can take against SIDS. Also, the protective effect is stronger when breastfeeding is exclusive.

The Big Latch On Celebrates World Breastfeeding Week

Each August, to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week women all over the country and beyond, gather together, with their babies and hold a huge simultaneous breastfeeding event called The Big Latch On. Back in 2002, 1,130 mothers gathered in Berkeley, California and breastfed simultaneously. Each ongoing year the goal has been to raise the bar and break the record while increasing support in communities for breastfeeding in public. Since 2002, there have been multiple coordinated simultaneous breastfeeding sites both nationally and internationally. In fact, last year, 9,826 nursing mothers were recorded breastfeeding their little ones at 325 sites in 16 countries. This specific breastfeeding event, The Big Latch On, was started in New Zealand by Women’s Health Action in 2005 as part of World Breastfeeding Week. Like other events, The Big Latch On has seen big growth, and if you’re breastfeeding, or even not, this is the perfect event to get involved with this year.