Your BF Place in PDX?

No, I don't still swear with a 5-year old in my midst (OK, so occasionally the pre-parent me shines through).  By BF I mean Breastfeeding Friendliest.  And I'm curious: in your humble opinion, what restaurant, store, ladies lounge, wherever spot is the single best publicly accessible place you have found to breastfeed in Portland?  While I'm one week post-weaning (yes, very bittersweet), I recall the joy at locating a supportive place to rest and nurse when I was out and about.  I imagine there are loads of unexpected and mostly undiscovered BF places to be shared.  So head over to Activistas and share your fave spot.  Milky mamas all over Portland will rejoice in the new knowledge. 

And be sure to check out our home-grown project to distribute breastfeeding friendly stickers (that sweet picture in blue...) to retail establishments around town (starting with SE Hawthorne on Sat 4.26).  Just a little consciousness raising and a friendly beacon to hungry babes & milky mamas alike.  Of course we'd love your help.

PS - Check back for a similar question on BBF places in PDX.  Yup.  Best Bottle Feeding places.  Whether you're using formula and need.water.bad, or lugging around pumped breast milk and need.heat.bad, we'll want to know the ideal places for that, too.  Straight from my husband: Starbucks, venti cup with hot water.  Great spot to float a frozen bottle of milk.

Nursing Working Mama's Conundrum: Part III

Check out our previous discussions on this topic: Mama Pump-A-Lot 1, Mama Pump-A-Lot 2, Nursing Working Mama's Conundrum 1, and Nursing Working Mama's Conundrum 2.

Here writes Arabee, who is having challenges stockpiling milk for the one full day per week that she is away from babe:

HELP! I am a working mother of a 4 month old little girl. I have the luxury of working a part time/flex time job and I get to breastfeed her exclusively everyday except for Saturday when I am gone all day at work. I need to pump a milk supply to give to her Daddy when I am gone, but I am having an awful time with this whole pumping thing. I try to do it daily, an hour or two after her morning nursing, and an hour before her next nursing before we head off to work. I am getting no milk lately, like really a teaspoon in a half hour. She is healthy and about 16 lbs, so it appears my milk supply is more than adequate. Are there any tips y'all may have about pumping to create a stockpile for the one day a week I cannot breastfeed? Thank you!!!

Bottles & Formula: Just What is Safe?

One of our fave organizations, the Environmental Working Group (EWG), just released a report on the safety of baby bottles and formula.  Back to that exhausting topic of living the Plan B life in a Plan A world.  Not surprisingly, they found that both bottles and formula leach a potentially dangerous chemical, Bisphenol-A. Yeah, right on into your baby.  How nice.

And this one touches us all, mamas, except those who nursed 100% of the time.  And these days, whatever your gig (working, staying at home, dating, traveling), it's pretty hard to never use a bottle.  And even then, there's all those toxins in our milk.  Arrgghhh, you just can't win!  Find out what the research shows and what you can do about it over on Activistas.

Breastfeeding Friendly: Say It Out Loud!

This excellent picture is the official breastfeeding friendly symbol.  Makes me smile just looking at it.  I'm thinking that we ought to get Portland businesses using this thing.  Seen any around town?  Mothering magazine has made it very easy to download the image and spread it 'round, and the fabulous artist signed it over to the Public Domain.  Stickers and t-shirts are available, too.  They developed it through a contest, and you can check out the 12 semi-finalists.  You won't regret it. 

Enjoy and hey, let's get this symbol up in Pdx.  I can think of about 10 retail places that would be a great start - you?  If we can't show it off in Portland, mamas, who can???  I mean really.

To see my fave that didn't win - read on over at Activistas...

Can you think of any fave public breastfeeding-friendly places?

Activistas Coffee Hour with NMC ~ 10.06.07

Lookin' for a playdate with coffee, bagels, multiple kid play areas, the opportunity to meet other urbanMamas and learn about the Nursing Mothers Counsel of Oregon?  What a coincidence, mamas, because that's exactly what's cookin' this Saturday at Urban Grind NE!  Learn about NMC's Peer Counselor program to support other nursing mamas and their successful work lobbying for breastfeeding legislation in Salem.  Head on over to Activistas to get the full scoop.  See you there.

Bill Maher: I think I hate you

On September 8, 2007, nursing mamas in 105 locations in 38 states participated in a nurse-in, "after a breastfeeding mother was treated poorly by Applebee's on both local and corporate levels."  On September 14, 2007 Bill Maher, on "Real Time with Bill Maher", spent a good part of his opening comments elborating how he thought breastfeeding in public was narcisistic and inappropriate.  See the whole thing here (and forward to the 7:00min point).

He said, "Breastfeeding a baby is an intimate act, and I don’t want to watch strangers performing intimate acts…” He equates breastfeeding, a “natural” act, with masturbating, also an “intimate”, “natural” act.  Making it sound like breastfeeding is some fad, he speculates, “Next thing, mothers will want to give birth in the waterfall at the mall.”

If we mamas nurse in public and are not decent about it, we are “lazy to either plan ahead or cover up.”  To the mothers who nurse publicly, he says you are “fighting for the spotlight that you surely will get when you go 'Janet Jackson' on everyone."  And, finally, he winds down with “Only in America do women think they deserve a medal for having a kid," and he suggests that even dogs can have kids (so are we all dogs?)  He closes with “it’s about how petty and parochial our causes have become, how activism has become narcissism..... There is a place where breasts and food go together, it’s called ‘Hooters’”.

Cyberspace is teeming with anger with his comments, just google "bill maher breastfeeding" to find mamas and others around the country who are writing about it.  I try not to be hypersensitive when it comes to comedians trying to make a buck and tell a joke, but Bill Maher goes too far and is offensive, obscene, misogynistic, completely outta line.  Local mama Bridget is preparing a statement to send to HBO, and you can email her at billmahermustapologize@comcast.net to add your name to petition.  Are there other ways we can express our views? 

Do you have breastmilk to spare?

A mother in our community is looking for help from other mothers who are breastfeeding. Janet's little son August was born 6 months ago with missing genetic material, has had several surgeries and faces a host of developmental challenges. Please read Janet's email below, and help if you can:

I have run out of my frozen supply of breast milk for little August.  still pumping, but not producing enough for his overnight continuous feed of milk through his G-tube.   I am able to get enough for his feedings during the day though.  Anyone have a freezer full of milk, or know anyone producing copious amounts that would be willing to send some our way?  Please pass on my contact info to them. Thanks a bunch, Janet Funk 503-234-2693

Nursing Working Mama’s Conundrum: Part II

Betsy's a working nursing mama, and her supply is dwindling.  Did you read that?  Her supply is dwindling! Ack. She writes:

Dear Mamas,

I need a friendly chorus. My nursling is 9 months old, and I'm working full time out of the house - I've been pumping as regularly as I can, but my supply is just dwindling and she's barely growing.  Here's what I'm doing, which covers just about every wives tale remedy I've ever heard:

• - daily oatmeal
• - fenugreek, 3 caps, 3x/day
• - nursing tea, 1x/day
• - pumping 3-4 times/day at work
• - drinking liquids like they're going out of style (only one caffeinated beverage per day)
• - eating like mad - this week, I started a dark beer per day.

My supply has dropped from 16 + ounces in an 8 hour period when I started, to far less than 12 now.

Meanwhile, the baby has gained only 4 ounces since her six month checkup, and my husband who is caring for her at home this summer (with our 3-year-old) reports herculean efforts to get her to eat. She is a social, alert, active baby who is meeting all her developmental milestones. She's just not growing much, and I want to fix that before three more months have gone by with such low weight gain; she's still on the growth charts, but just barely -and she was above the 50th percentile for size at birth. Gauging from what a let-down consists of throughout the day, and comparing that with what she *should* be eating (over 700 calories per day at 16 pounds) is rather alarming; I just don't think she's getting that much, but she doesn't seem to want more.

I want to nurse her as long as I can, but it is brutal to pump so much for so little return. Every session is an exercise in fighting off feeling like a failure (irrational, I know, but it's there). We've begun supplementing with formula, and I'm fine with that, but I don't want my husband to spend all his time trying to jam food into her gob (not that we can force her to eat, anyway).

Mostly I'm writing to whine, but if anyone can look at my tale and say "Aha - that happened to me, and I just did X and fixed it!" or "I understand. My body just quit making milk, too. It's hard."

Feeding a 6mo when he 'hates' solids

Oh, wise urbanMamas, can you share some of your experiences with introducing solids to your childrens' diets?  Vivian emails:

We're trying to transition into solid foods with my 6 mo son -- cereals, pureed fruits, etc. -- as it is definitely time and i notice that i sometimes have trouble keeping up with him in terms of supply and demand... one problem: he has decided that he categorically HATES all solid food.  This is not just 'eeewww, this is a weird texture' or something, he really flips, and this from one of the most mild-mannered little guys around.  It has gotten so that he clams up whenever he sees something approaching his mouth, even though we've tried to keep our attempts low-pressure and light-hearted. Normally, I'd be very into just letting him do it in his own time, but his doctor says he needs the extra iron, and I certainly need the help in feeding this little bottomless pit!  Has anyone encountered such things? do you recommend any really 'big winners' in the baby food department?  Or should I just work on really increasing my milk supply right now and waiting until he decides to make the step himself?  Thank you so much for any ideas at all!

Seeking Lactation or Newborn Care Classes

Erin is new to Portland and new to motherhood.  Does anyone have an experience with lactation classes or newborn care classes:

Could you point me in the direction of lactation classes and newborn care classes? I've been searching but can't find any. I'm looking for recommendations and opinions on how the hospital-offered classes compare with private organization offerings.

Best Bottles for Breastfed Babies?

Have you mamas had great experiences with bottles for baby? Jenny is wondering:

I'm going back to work in August and am planning ahead for feeding my baby pumped breastmilk while I'm at work. He'll be 4 months old. I had to pump a lot for his first month in order to supplement the nursing, but we finger fed him instead of using a bottle. I'm nervous about introducing a bottle because of the potential of nipple confusion. I'd appreciate suggestions for specific bottles and nipples that imitate the nursing experience and work well. I've done a bit of research but the options are overwhelming and it's always helpful to see what has actually worked for mamas and their babies.

Juggling a Preschooler and a Nursing Babe

I remember when our second daughter was born, our older one was just over 3 years old. Just when I'd settle in to nurse baby Tati, I'd hear: "Mammmmaaa!" from the other room. "CAN YOU DRAW WITH ME?!?!?" I came to look forward to evening nurse sessions, after I had tucked in older Philly to bed. But, even then, it'd be: "Maammmmmaaaa!" she'd holler, waking baby Tati from her nam-nam slumber. "I GOTTA GO POTTY/NEED WATER/WANT A KISS!!!!" It's tough, juggling the two. How did you do? Sarah is feeling challenged:

I'm due to have my second child any day now, and I already have a 3 1/2 year old daughter. Does anyone have recommendations for a special activity or ways to occupy a preschooler while nursing a baby? When my daughter was nursing, it regularly lasted 30-45 minutes, and I want to be prepared in case this baby is a slow eater too. Any tips?

Finding the Right Nursing Bra

For me, personally, finding the right nursing bra still hasn't happened.  I have two that I wear regularly, several that I will wear only in dire situations (ack the laundry drain is plugged!) and a bunch that I should probably throw away from my last nursing era.  I did find a few decent Japanese Weekend bras at Generations on Hawthorne, but they aren't my favorite.  I actually haven't loved ANY of my nursing bras, but that's probably because I don't like the traditional designs.  I also don't need (ahem) a whole lot of support.  One of our readers asks this question, in an effort to find her perfect nursing bra:

I am looking for shops in the Portland area that sell good quality nursing bras in smaller sizes. Any suggestions for places and brands? Thanks!

Have any of you found a great bra?  If so, do share your success!

On the Road: Breastfeeding-Friendly

I'm in Philadelphia for the week. I went to dinner yesterday, and a sticker on the door stopped me in my tracks. "Breastfeeding Welcome Here!" it read. I smiled and felt proud to be supporter of this business. I felt like breastfeeding mamas were being welcomed with open arms, hugs, and kisses, ushered right into this little restaurant. It's amazing what a feeling a sticker can impart.

In Portland, the image is a little different, but the sentiment is the same.
The State Department of Health has a department committed to promoting breastfeeding in the workplace. Other great resources incldue the Nursing Mothers Council of Oregon and Washington and La Leche League of Oregon.

Props to those businesses out there who support breastfeeding mamas. Feel free to give a shout-out if you're a Portland business that actively welcomes nursing mamas like us!

About Boob: Weaning from Real-Life Mamas

Sometimes being a mama ain't all that easy.  Tonia's preparing for the inevitable and is interested on how other mamas have gone about weaning.  She writes:

I'm planning to wean my 17 month old daughter in the next few months (for medical reasons) and am very interested in hearing about how others went about doing it.  All the mamas I know are either still breastfeeding or had little ones who just magically quit nursing on their own.  My daughter, however, is a fiend for the boob and doesn't seem to have any intention of giving up without a fight.  How about a call for weaning stories from some real-life mamas - any tips of the trade I should know?  Happy endings, horror stories, words of encouragement, or common-sense advice are all welcome.

Mama Pump-A-Lot, Part 2

Previously in this series ... Mama Pump-A-Lot, Part 1 and Nursing Working Mama's Conundrum.

Thanks for the email, Christina. We'd love to hear other urbanMamas thoughts:

I've had this complicated love/hate relationship with my breast pump for four months now. We go back further than that, the pump and I, but it was four months ago that I went back to work, my boy enrolled in daycare and I started to lug my PumpnStyle through the streets of downtown Portland, to work and back home again. Started hauling it upstairs to this dusty, cold supply room where I slap on those chilly horns and get to work. Despite the unpleasantness, it's a way to provide for my son that as a working mama makes me feel just a bit better about everything. Every so often I become convinced that the pump is giving up the ghost, that it's just not doing its job the way it should. Then I'll have a good pumping day and come home with full bottles of milk that I show to my husband who says "good day behind the horns, eh?" But I still fantasize about the day I will leave the pump at home, that I won't have to do my time among the forgotten detrius of my company's files.

But I have questions that keep me pumping: If I stop, will I still have the breastmilk to feed my son at lunch, in the evening, in the morning, on the weekends? And what will I do with the pump when I'm done? I bought it used and heard from an LC that they're only designed to last for about a year. My e-mail to Medela about whether they take them back for refurbishment went unanswered. I hate to think about just throwing the thing away - not after our long and sordid relationship. How about it, Mamas? Anyone with advice on breaking up with your breast pump? Any recycling ideas? Anyone else just want to rant about their pumping escapades?

Nurse-in at Portland airpot

Nurse-in at the Delta ticket counter? Tomorrow (Tuesday) morning, 10 a.m.? Sounds like fun! I've been writing about Emily Gillette, the woman escorted off a Freedom Airlines flight (they run Delta Connection) for daring to breastfeed in the second-to-last row, discretely, next to her husband, after a two-hour delay (according to the law in Vermont, where Emily's plane was sitting on the tarmac, public breastfeeding is protected). GRRRrrr. I offered to take her out for coffee when I was in New York last week just to thank her for being a lightning rod. As our own Chris (the reluctant lactivist) knows, it's not an easy thing. But alas, her Good Morning America appearance was rescheduled for this week.

Anyhow. Tomorrow. 10 a.m. The Delta ticket counter at PDX. Moms, with and without breastfeeding babes, are asked to attend. I'm sure no one would turn away an uPapa, either. If you're available, go, support a mother's right to give her baby food anywhere.

Portable Boppy?

Many of us urbanMamas are constantly out and about with our little folk. We will often have to change, feed, diaper, nurse our young whenever they need. Asks Cynthia:

I was wondering if any urbanMamas had recommendations on a nursing pillow that is portable. I'd like to find something that works when nursing on the road instead of lugging the boppy pillow around.

Help! Milk Production Advice Needed

One of our dear readers is seeking your suggestions on increasing her milk supply.  Any chance a mama's been in her situation?

My son turned five months this week and at the very same time, with no other big changes I can think of, my breast milk production has gone off a cliff! When I'm with him, I have to feed him way more often to keep him satisfied. When I'm at work, I'm getting half what I used to when I pump -- and not near enough to keep up with what he needs at daycare. He used to sleep through the night and now he's waking up two or three times. My breasts constantly feel empty. I called the lactation consultant and she suggested taking more herbs (I've been taking a lactation support blend I found at New Seasons for two months), so I doubled that. But at this point, I'm going to deplete my freezer stash of breast milk tomorrow and I'm faced with having to supplement with formula. Now, I realize that formula isn't poison, but I was really hoping to make it to at least six months on breast milk alone. It's such an emotional issue, and the LC didn't have any advice for me on supplementing. Have any other Mamas out there found themselves in this position? Any advice on starting with some formula? Anything I'm not thinking of that could be to blame for this sudden drop in breast milk production?

World Breastfeeding Week Events

Chris Musser, the Reluctant Lactivist, has co-founded a support group for Mamas nursing in public called Mom's Milk Anywhere or MomMa for short. This week, in celebration of World Breastfeeding Week,  MomMa is hosting gatherings to show support for nursing Moms:

August 2nd, 10AM: Nursing moms' coffee at Starbucks at the Civic Center in Hillsboro
August 3rd, 11AM: Nursing moms' coffee at Milagros Boutique, 5429 NE 30th Avenue
August 4th, 2PM: Nursing moms' coffee at Washington Square II Barnes & Noble Cafe
August 5th,11AM: Nurse-out and family picnic at Pioneer Courthouse Square

Victoria's Secret Nurse In

We're always for spreading the word.  Chrissy has given us the heads up on the a national nurse in on July 1.  She writes:

I don't know if you've heard about this yet, but Victoria's Secret lately seems to have been on a campaign of harassment against nursing moms in their stores.  To protest, there is going to be a nationwide nurse-in at their stores on July 1 at 1 pm.  My family will be going to the Clackamas Town Center store, and there will also be nursing mamas at Lloyd Center, Washington Square and Tanasbourne VS stores. Come nurse with us, and make Victoria's Secret reconsider their mama-and-baby-unfriendly policies!

Contact Chrissy for more info.

Nipper's Unite

Perhaps something positive resulting from a rather unfortunate inicident.  Chrissy et. al. have started a support group for nursing in public:

We are tired of the dirty looks and harrassment. We are doing what's best for our babies. We refuse to be stuck in the house or feed our little ones in the bathroom. Come help us change the world!

If you are a current, future or former nursing mom in the Portland, OR, area, come help us support other NIP-ers. We are planning to have monthly meetings where we'll discuss NIPing and give support to anyone who has had a bad experience. We will also provide peer support for anyone who is just starting to NIP and is shy about it, or for someone who has been burned while NIPing and needs to get back on the horse. It's so much easier to NIP when you're surrounded by a group of supportive women! We have a blog - http://nippersunite.blogspot.com - and a Yahoo Group - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nippersunite/. Please come join us in making the world a safer place for nursing moms and their babies!

Nursing in Public - It's NOT Against the Law

Chrissy shares a story about her friend's experience with nursing in public - breastfeeding mamas really shouldn't have to think twice about it.  Chrissy thinks we should "support breastfeeding mommies by boycotting Fred Meyer."  Or, does this call for a mass public breastfeeding event a la Critical Mass to raise awareness?

Last week, a friend of mine was shopping at the Fred Meyer near her house when her two-month-old decided he wanted to be tanked up.  She settled on a bench outside the play area, where her daughter was, and started to breastfeed him.  He was crabby and popping on and off, but she finally got him settled.  As he was eating, the store manager came up to her and told her she needed to be more discreet.  Needless to say, she was embarassed and completely horrified.  She had a short exchange with him, in which she asked him if he'd tell someone with a midriff-baring top that SHE needed to be more discreet, and he explained that breastfeeding was "different" and she should at least cover up with a blanket.

Now, how many of you have tried to breastfeed a crabby, flailing infant while successfully covering up with a blanket?

My friend later called the regional office to complain and was basically told the same thing by the regional manager - you're allowed to breastfeed in our stores, yes, but you need to be "discreet".

Women are never going to breastfeed in large numbers in this country if the culture continutes to see it as embarassing, sexual, or something that should only be done in private.  While I don't argue with the need to try to be as discreet as possible, due to the current unsupportive climate, but it's NOT always possible.  Women should not be harrassed for trying to feed their babies!  I'm sure a bottle-feeding mother has never been approached and told to cover up that bottle...

Anyway, I wanted to let breastfeeding moms and supporters that Fred Meyer is not breastfeeding-friendly and that I won't be shopping there any more. I've also written about this on my blog today -http://knittinmom.blogspot.com.  I want to spread the word as much as possible - Fred Meyer should at least be shamed into apologizing for harrassing my friend!

Just say NO

The first time around, I took the easy way out.  I cheated, in a way.  I waited until I was pregnant again; I waited until she was 2-years 7-months old; and I waited until I had a work-related trip to separate me from her for 4 days.  That was our weaning tactic.

Our second girl is now approaching that 2-1/2 year old age, the time when she is fully-potty trained and on her way to becoming an independent woman.  And, yet, she says to me with such clarity and conviction: "Mama, I want to nurse."

And so I let her.  What am I going to do?   Say "NO?"  She'll say, "Why?" and I'm afraid I don't really have a good enough reason.  "You're too old," isn't really that true; "I don't feel like it," shouldn't be an excuse.  I know.  I'm a weakling!  I can't do it.

So, I think I'm just going to leave.  I need to find a place to go and hide for a couple of days.  It'll be good for me, too.  All of us mamas need a break from the "No, MINE!" and the "Mama, she's bothering me!" and the "Mama, I need some ..."

There is one thing, though.  I've started to count while I nurse.  I tell her, "I'm going to count to '5', and then we'll be done."  I start counting: "One, two, three..." and by the time I get to "Five", she latches off.  We've been doing this for several days.  I think I'm going to start counting to '3', then maybe work my way down to '1'.  Maybe we can do this after all, without having to take the easy way out ("outta sight, outta mind").

For all of yous who've been through this before, what has been your weaning tactic?

The Big Let Down

What's a nursing mama to do when she has issues with let down?  Rebecca writes:

I started work on a part time basis when my daughter was about 5 months old. As a result, I never really needed to pump very often. As time has gone by, and now my daughter is almost 9 months, I seem to have lost my ability to get a let down with the pump..I struggle to get even 1 oz....and leave my breast full. My daughter always gets satisfied and she is a happy babym so I know that she is getting plenty.

Along those lines, for those 2 days she is in daycare...she gets no milk and is not so happy about formula. I simply feed her before I leave and as soon as I get there.

Anyone with similar lack of let down?

Baby Whispering

I stumbled upon Tracy Hogg's The Baby Whisperer and have decided to give her sleep-through-the-night method a go.  My daughter, Genevieve is nearly 6 months and still wakes at 11, 1ish, 3ish, 5ish and sometimes extra to nurse, nurse, nurse. 

Today is day one of the E.A.S.Y. plan--four-hour time slots of eating, activity, sleep, and you-time (during the sleeping).  It felt strange and panicky to back off on the frequency of nursing during the day, but I truly look forward to easier nights. 

I'll post here a couple times in the duration of this baby-whispering experiment to let everyone know how it's progressing.  Today was mostly about observing the baby's current routines, but I did implement the pick up/put down procedure.  The procedure is a real struggle but, for me, ultimately better than letting Genevieve cry it out.  You basically put baby in the crib for nap or night sleep and, if she cries, pick her up and speak in a monotone. The second she stops crying, back to the crib she goes.  No rocking, singing, or coaxing to sleep.  If she cries again, up again, then back down.  The book says that the record for repeated pick up and put back downs is 150 over the course of a couple hours...dios mio.

PROGRESSIVE PORTLAND OR COMMONPLACE?

Since I've been in Portland, I've been called to jury duty twice.  I was surprised to see though that this time I was exempt.  There are only two "mandatory" circumstances in which the court allows you to be excused from service:

• If you are 70 years or older; or
• If you are a woman breastfeeding a child.

HE'S BITING ME!!

Jack just started biting me while nursing...  He's 5 months old with two bottom teeth.  With two year old Ella traipsing around, I can't bear the idea of pumping and bottle feeding.  Any ideas for helping to break Jack of this new and PAINFUL thing?

Nursing Working Mama’s Conundrum

Without a doubt, I knew I was going to nurse my babes.  Nursing (while the natural and simple choice for me) is certainly wrought with its own set of challenges.  Coupled with returning to the workplace outside of the home, the challenges become even more complex.  With my first child, I nursed for 9 months - feeling guilty and inadequate for not being able to do it for at least a year.  But when it came down to the stress of trying to balance mamahood and work, to stop nursing seemed to be one of the choices I had to make to stay sane.  It stressed me out to figure out how to fit in pumping into my busy work schedule in addition to figuring out how to continue nursing will traveling out of state at least once a month.  It was also tough for me to figure out how to pump when attending all day workshops or conferences that did not provide a private room allowing me to use my electric pump.

Fast forward to child number two.  I’ve been nursing for seven months, and the reality of nursing for at least a year seems easily achievable this time. Learning from from baby number one, I’ve completely relaxed my perspective.  It’s no longer just black and white to me, and the shades of gray in between are what makes breastfeeding and working outside the home manageable.  Here are some strategies:

Think portable.  The electric pump is a luxury not a necessity.  For some reason, when I started nursing, I felt that having an electric pump was *the* only option.  But I soon found out there are situations when you need to pump, but you couldn’t find a private location, a spot with an electrical outlet, or found out that your batteries were dead.  Here’s where the trusty manual pump comes in handy.  Crazy as it sounds, I’ve been pretty much solely hand pumping this time around.  With a hand pump, you can do it the bathroom or in the car.  It’s also been convenient on road trips.  An added plus is that it’s compact.  The downside is that it’s probably not as efficient as an electric pump.  In my case, it’s a draw whether I use the manual or electric.

Don’t stress over breast is best.  I had to overcome the mental hurdle of thinking that breast milk was the only way to go to ensure a healthy baby.  Obviously, it’s the best choice, but you’re not going to hurt your child if you need to supplement with formula.  And for the mamas that solely formula feed, they’ve also been known to raise healthy children as well!  We leave formula with our caretaker in the event he runs out of breast milk.  On the rare occasion when it’s given to him, he drinks it (unwillingly).  I’d rather have him eat then starve.

Be creative.  Remember that breast milk can be refrigerated up to 8 days, frozen for up to 3 months, and be unrefrigerated for up to 8 hours.  If you are in a situation that you have to be away from you baby for more than 24 hours, check to see if you have access to a refrigerator or freezer.  Bring ice packs, and a small cooler.  I can fit my manual pump and three bottles of milk in a lunch cooler with ice packs.

Feed and pump.  If I feel like I'm running low on milk, I will pump while nursing my son.  I feed him on one side, and use my manual pump on the other side.  It's amazing to see a true let-down occur and typically I will collect more milk will nursing him.

I would love to hear from other moms who have to pump.  What are your strategies for handling work and pumping?  What about professions that require rigid schedules and not easily conducive to pumping?  Any mamas with strategies allowing you to deal with issues?

"Breastmilk for Sale"

February is one of several "sweeps" months where all the television stations drum up the most ridiculous/fear-driven/infotainment stories they can to get your attention, and then promo the heck out of it. One particular promo caught my attention and I thought I would pass it along in case any mamas might be interested in watching it. Tonight, KATU Channel 2 is doing a sweeps special called "Breastmilk for Sale." According to their promo, they are going to uncover the possible horrific dangers involved with using breastmilk that is donated to milk banks. The promo was very slanted, so I am curious to see if they cover the various reasons why many women use donated milk supplies, or even how women can go about getting more info.

This whole topic, I must admit, is very new to me. I had never heard about milk banks until this post on Urban Mamas. I tend to lean toward the "whatever works best for each mama" philosophy, but apparently there are as many people out there who have strong opposition to the idea that a mama would use another mama's milk (regardless of what their specific situation is) as there are strong activists for the cause.  Check out the story sometime during their 11p.m. newscast tonight on Channel  2 if you are interested. 

An Approach to Introducing Solids without Hurting the Milk Supply?

A question from one of our readers,  I know there are some moms out there with good sagely advice. What say you?

My typical approach when encountering the Great Unknown as it relates to babies is to read 3 or 4 sources about the topic and come to my own conclusions. Well, when it comes to starting solids and making sure baby doesn't wean too soon (I want to breastfeed for at least a year), I am behind on my research. Someone gave me a copy of "Super Babyfood", which is good but overwhelming (she just can't resist packing in all those extra details, ideas, warnings... it made my head spin). And from the little I've read online, suggested servings vary, and I'm not sure how much water to give him with food... when do they start using sippy cups?

So.. I'd love to hear from moms who've successfully started their baby on solids and were able to maintain your milk supply.

Mama Pump-a-Lot

How the heck are we supposed to work at the office all day and still nourish our young.  Medela, oh sweet Medela, how you make it easy for us working mamas to continue offering nam-nam to our babies.

When I had the first baby, I was the third to deliver in a cluster of two other expecting moms.  When I returned to work, they already had the pump routine down pat. On my first day back, they came by my cube at 10:30am. "C'mon, let's go," they said. Off we snuck, each of us with a Pump-in-Style over our shoulder. While I was still on maternity leave, they had secured an unused office to mark as our nursing territory. We three shared a key, and the office was otherwised locked.  This is where we three pumped, pumped, and pumped gallons of milk over the course of the next several months.  We were like the pumping mafia.  We could exchange knowing looks summoning one another to our calls of duty; we shared a bond.  In the war room, facing each other as we pumped, we'd share stories of sleepless nights, "Ferberizing" our babies, introducing solids, grandparental antics, stroller and sling reviews.  Those few months of hard-core pumping was affirming.  To have mamas in similar states as me (the oft engorged state) made it a little easier.

The second time around, when I returned to work, I was lucky to have my own office.  When pump time came along, I'd just close the door.  I could continue working (or web-surfing), and I was pretty relaxed in my own space.  When I switched jobs, I was stuck back in a cube farm.  I had two options when it came to pumping: 1) trek up 3 flights of stairs to the quiet room or 2) pump in the bathroom.  By this time, I had no shame.  Pumping in the ladies room was more convenient and it was fine by me.  It was probably weird for the other ladies to walk into the restroom to see me pumping in the corner, watching myself in the mirror.  **eeewwwww**

At my husband's office, his next-door cube-mate simply put up a shower curtain for her privacy, and that was enough.  She could then continue working and pump away.

Here are some things that worked for me through my two stints of pumping.  I know these things seem so commonplace, and maybe you've heard it all before, but here goes:

1 - Get comfortable.  During my first pumping stint, I felt so comfortable pumping with my two other mama friends.  When I would pump alone, I remember feeling a little nervous and lonely.  I was paranoid that my milk supply was affected by the nervousness.  Being comfortable and relaxed helps the milk come down.  So, find a place that will work for you, and make sure it's secure so you don't need to worry about uncomfortable intrusions.  Every workplace should have a quiet room.  Also seek out small conference rooms that lock, lit storage rooms that also lock, clean bathrooms or ladies' lounges, locker areas.

2 - Schedule your pump times.  If you work in a busy meeting-intensive environment, you can schedule your pump times into your Outlook calendar (as a private appointment).  For me, it deterred people from trying to suck me into meetings at that time.  As much as possible, try to stick to your pump times.  I have left meetings where the end was nowhere in sight and when I already felt myself leaking in my bra.  Pumping works best spread out during the day, and done during a time to replace a normal feeding.  When I was on the twice-a-day pump schedule, I would pump at 10:30am then again around 2:30pm.  I would feed before I went to work, around 6:30am, then again when I got home from work, around 5pm.  That seemed to be spread out enough, and it seemed like a good routine when I would be engorged enough to pump at my designated times.

3 - Relax and think of your cute baby!  The Medela pumps have the photo slot for a reason.  Staring at a picture of your baby does nothing but send good vibes to your nam-nams and entices them to let-down.  If you're trying to increase supply, go ahead and pump away for a good 10-20 minutes after let-down.  You can stimulate more production after a few days when your body readjusts.  And, don't worry.  By trying to pump, you're doing the best thing possible for your baby.  I constantly have nursing paranoia: I'm not producing enough; I'm such a bad mama.  I have to actively take long, deep breaths to relax and remember that, doggonit, I am good enough.

4 - Go for the long haul if you're upping production.  I have had moments when I dump out a mere ounce on each boob after let down.  And what a let down that is!  We're made to produce when there's demand, right?  I love the heavy-duty industrial pump (the Pump-in-Style) for helping get production up.  For me, after I let down, I'd continue to pump for another 10 or 20 minutes!  Yes - after let-down!  I think that's the trick.  It was a little sad to watch my poor little nam-nams get nothing but air sucked out of them.  But, in due time, I was finding that my inital dump would result in more than just one ounce per side.  On occasion during this marathon pumping sessions, I would have two let-downs.  Weird.

Pumping Breastmilk

I have been successfully breastfeeding for 2 months now and am now wondering about pumping. I am not planning on going back to work so I don't need to I guess.but here are my questions Do I need to pump? How much should I pump? Should I rent or buy? If I buy is a manual pump ok? (I am broke) When should I pump? Will it screw with milk production? Do I have to buy bottles and then what kind? Pretty much any info on pumping would be appreciated.

Would it convince you to breastfeed if...

... a Supermodel dropped by your hospital after you'd had your baby? Personally, I made the decision long before I even got pregnant, muchless birthed my little one. For some, the decision is not so easy. Perhaps I am a bit unversed, but to me it seems there is much confusion about the "facts" of breastfeeding. Everyone at one point or another every mother-to-be has been fed a line regarding breastfeeding and probably 90%(this is an estimation, not an expert statistic) of what they are being fed is untrue. For a simple article stating the facts as they are known, to both lactation specialists and (some) medical doctors, I recommend reading "Breastfeeding: Good For Babies, Mothers, And The Planet". This article outlines all the good things breastfeeding has to offer. As the authors say "the choice of an infant feeding method is far more than the choice between two relatively similar methods with only convenience as the deciding factor." Weigh in on what helped you make your decision to breastfeed... or not breastfeed.