African-American Breastfeeding

We'd like to share a fairly new organization and some wonderful links that we've found which have been of interest for some of our moms.

First of all, a mom in Maryland started a one of a kind organization for African-American breastfeeding moms. It is called The African-American Breastfeeding Alliance. Her name is Kathi Barber and she is also the author of a book entitled The Black Woman's Guide to Breastfeeding.

You can hear a really interesting podcast which includes some great facts about the history of breastfeeding pre and post slavery with her on the Motherwear Blog. They really start to break down some of those assumptions/myths and how those turn into generalizations. Check it out when you get a chance!

Also, a couple of favorite blogs to check out are
MochaMilk and Jennifer James' Blog Black Breastfeeding.

Have a great rainy week. :)

Working with Employers - some links for you!

Planning on going back into the workforce soon?
A great book to check out is Nursing Mother, Working Mother by Gale Pryor.

Here are some great websites for moms returning to work & looking for more information for their employers.
The Business Case For Breastfeeding: Steps For Creating A Breastfeeding Friendly Worksite

To order copies or print the pdf

World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action – Women and Work


Cornell University Model


Breastfeeding Task Force of Greater Los Angeles, CA


South Carolina Breastfeeding Coalition


South Carolina Breastfeeding Action Committee


And here is a great article with tips on the Politics of Pumping


Feel free to pass these along to your friends!

Myths of Breastfeeding

When I was pregnant with my first child, I heard quite a few myths from well meaning friends and family. One in particular was that I had to rub my nipples with a wash cloth to toughen them up for nursing. Thank goodness I just thought that was silly and didn't go on with that one!

I am lactose intolerant so another one that stuck in my mind was that a mother must drink milk to make milk. A healthy diet of vegetables, fruits, grains and proteins is all that a mother needs to provide the proper nutrients to produce milk. Calcium can he obtained from a variety of nondairy foods such as dark green vegetables, seeds, nuts and bony fish. No other mammal drinks milk to make milk!!

Another one that really bugged me was the idea that parents shouldn't hold their babies or they will spoil them. Babies who are held often cry fewer hours a day and exhibit more security as they mature. I never understood the rush to get a baby to be independent and I see looking back how nice it is to have that time to cuddle.

My two children had frequent ear infections. (yes breastfed babies do get sick) I was told perhaps the lying-down nursing position causes ear infections. I frequently nursed lying down to get some rest myself. Because human milk is alive and teeming with antibodies and immunoglobulins, the baby is less likely to develop ear infections overall, no matter what position is used.

I also had a doctor tell me that after "X" months my breast milk was of no value nutritionally. The myth that the quality of breast milk begins to decline after six months is ridiculous. The composition of human milk changes to meet the changing needs of baby as he matures. Even when baby is able to take solids, human milk is the primary source of nutrition during the first year. It becomes a supplement to solids during the second year. In addition, it takes between two and six years for a child's immune system to fully mature. Human milk continues to complement and boost the immune system for as long as it is offered.

Once I had these facts and others in my toolkit I felt more confident to make the choices I did for my family. Feel free to comment and tel us what myths you were told and how you handled them. You can find more "common myths" by clicking here.

Have a great day!
~ Naomi