Making More Milk

How can I tell if my baby is getting enough milk?

Once mother's milk comes in, usually on the third or fourth day, the baby should begin to have 6-8 wet cloth diapers (5-6 wet disposable diapers) per day. (An easy way to feel the weight of a wet disposable diaper is to pour 2-4 tablespoons of water in a dry diaper.)

In addition, most young babies will have at least two to five bowel movements every 24 hours for the first several months, although some babies will switch to less frequent but large bowel movements at about 6 weeks.

A baby that is sleeping rather than feeding every 2-3 hours or is generally lethargic may need to be assessed by a health care provider to make sure that he is adequately hydrated.

These are additional important signs that indicate your baby is receiving enough milk:

* The baby nurses frequently averaging at least 8-12 feedings per 24-hour period.
* The baby is allowed to determine the length of the feeding, which may be 10 to 20 minutes per breast or longer.
* Baby's swallowing sounds are audible as he is breastfeeding.
* The baby should gain at least 4-7 ounces per week after the fourth day of life.
* The baby will be alert and active, appear healthy, have good color, firm skin, and will be growing in length and head circumference.

The physical act of breastfeeding is more than the quantity of milk that is supplied, as you will find once you hold your baby in your arms. Breastfeeding is warmth, nutrition, and mother's love all rolled into one. Understanding and appreciating the signs of knowing when your baby is getting enough to eat is the one of the most important things a new mother can learn. If you have any concerns regarding your baby, they should be addressed with your health care practitioner.

** For those moms out there who are not sure if they are making enough milk or if they KNOW they aren't making enough milk, there is a book for you!! It is called Making More Milk by Diana West, BA, IBCLC and Lisa Marasco, MA, IBCLC. It is a wonderful resource for moms with different issues of supply. This book will help you play detective and figure out the best solution for your situation.

Here is a recent book review on Celebrity Baby Blog about MMM. Check it out or tell a friend about it. You'll be glad you did!

Human Milk Donations

Have a stocked fridge of breast milk that you think you'll never use? Are you making enough for twins or more while nursing a singleton?
OR in need of donor milk due to adoption or medical reasons?

Have you heard about the Human Milk Banking Association of North America?

The Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA) is "a multidisciplinary group of health care providers that promotes, protects, and supports donor milk banking."

There is an interesting history and lots of facts on human milk banking in a full article from Leaven... click here.

Save Lives - Make Hospitals Safe in Emergencies

To celebrate World Health Day (WHD), sponsored by the World Health
Organization on April 7, LLLI and WABA are pleased to announce a joint
statement that features the role of breastfeeding in relation to the WHD
theme "Save Lives - Make Hospitals Safe in Emergencies."

The PDF of the LLLI/WABA statement can be found at the following link under the subheading "Documents and Statements" - http://www.llli.org/advocacy.html.


* World Health Day
2009 - Save Lives - Make Hospitals Safe in Emergencies.

You can also link directly to
http://www.llli.org/docs/WorldHealthDay2009.pdf

Time did not allow for translations of the statement, but please do follow
up with a translation to your language if it is possible to do so. The joint
statement is also posted on the home page of the WABA website -
www.waba.org.my

Updated information on Memberships

We have had some questions about the changes to LLLI memberships.

All memberships sold from April 1, 2009 forward will not include a print publication. New members purchasing a regular, sustaining, or premier membership will receive access to an electronic publication.

Because New Beginnings is transitioning to an electronic format, new members may receive a paper copy before the transition is complete.

If you have found LLL of Charleston helpful to you and would like to buy a membership which will benefit your local group and LLLI as well please read on...

The best way is to join through a local Group, so that funds will be available in YOUR vicinity to help mothers and babies. With your membership, your local group can receive a small portion of the funds to be able to purchase new pamphlets, books and other resources for your Group.

To join your local Group, sign up with a Leader at your next meeting. If you can’t make another meeting soon, but are still interested you can simply email or call our Leader Elizabeth.

$25 Supporting Membership
$40 Regular Membership - includes a one year subscription to NEW BEGINNINGS (now on-line only)
$100 Sustaining Membership
$250 Platinum Membership

All Membership levels includes a 10% discount in the LLLI Online Store

Thanks so much for your support!
Please remember that you don't have to be a member to attend meetings or for phone/email help.

The Leaders of La Leche League of Charleston, SC

Brittan, Elizabeth, Kimberly, Mandy, Marlo, Naomi & Samara

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