Lactation Consultant

I am a first grade teacher who is on childcare leave with my almost one-year-old son. As I contemplate my new role as a SAHM, I often ponder what life would have been like if I had gone back to work after the standard 3 month childbearing leave. The one thing I can’t wrap my mind around is how I would have continued to breastfeed. When and where would I pump with a classroom full of needy 6 year olds, a short lunch period and even shorter recess, hallways teaming with students, parents, teachers, and administrators, and literally no completely private areas other than the women’s handicap restroom?  Spurred by the concept of this challenge, I did some research and discovered a page of teachers-who-pumped testimonials on the La Leche League site.

After reading these stories of teachers who balanced breastfeeding with teaching, I discovered that a team effort is the basis for success. Here’s a quick list of the things these teachers did to build their team and continue nursing their babies:

1. Stocked up on frozen breast milk. They recommend that you stock up on milk to allow you time to adjust to a new pumping routine at work. This is wonderful advice, especially since stress can inhibit milk production. If possible, have a two week supply in the freezer before you go back to work.

2. BYOB. Many of the women had their caregiver (family member, nanny, etc.) bring the baby to school at lunchtime and/or after school so they could nurse.

3. Declared their intent to continue breastfeeding/pumping while at work. They talked to their principals and rallied support from co-workers they felt close to.

4. Became more efficient at recess. They made sure to have their students ready to go before the recess bell so they could be out the door and they could pump.

5. Posted signage. In order to subtly communicate to custodians, administrators, or any other people who had keys to their rooms, they posted some sort of “Do Not Disturb” sign

6. Explained (a little) to students. When students asked these teachers what they were doing, they referred to how animals feed their babies or said, “I am feeding my baby” which seemed to work with the young ones. I think that my former, VERY street-smart, students would have been uncomfortable with the idea of me breastfeeding so I would have limited their exposure to my breastfeeding by proceeding behind locked doors or in my car.

These women have inspired me to see that pumping at school can be done if the proper steps to ensure privacy, space, and time are implemented. Definitely not the easiest path but something that I’m sure becomes second nature after a little practice! So if you want to become a teacher, know that it can be done and that we are fortunate to have the technology that gives us the option. Pump on, mamas!

A good friend of mine has two buns in the oven right now. I am fascinated by multiples, especially with the idea of breastfeeding them. Do you feed them at the same time? Can your milk supply keep up with two appetites? How in the world do you position them? Lots of questions have been running through my mind. Then, last week, I reconnected with a friend from graduate school who nursed her twins for 15 months. Whether or not you have twins, I think you’ll be interested in what she has to say. (Thanks, Erin for allowing me to post your story!)

The most important advise for your friend is hubby/partner support!! They are a major player! I nursed them at the same time…same side all day and switch the next day…less to remember and works very well especially if one is a little lazier eater than the other they will start the day with the faster flow side, and it continues to encourage the other to “work”. They slept in the same bassinet for the first few months and then in the same crib. They take comfort and sleep better when together because that is what they know…this is of course not everyone’s experience but they still climb in bed with each other on occasion.
Chad was fantastic, he was never negative about nursing and was very helpful as was my mom when she was around the first week in helping me get the hang of getting them both situated and and latched. I encourage experimenting with different positions, we usually ended up with one cradling the other one’s head so their feet were usually going the same direction, be prepared to utilize pillows! At night Chad would get them and take them back to their bed, I nursed in bed at night with two king sized pillowed on either side and cradling theirr heads in my armpits with their bodies parallel. It worked for me, of course they were a little older when we started doing that about 2 months. If one woke up we woke the other to eat so they always fed at the same time. Then, at about 2 1/2 months, I decided to not wake Abigail up when Jonathan woke and she slept until the next feeding. But she was an odditity for many children she slept 8-4 early and eventually gave into 8-8 by 4 months!! Of course Jonathan continued to nurse at 11, 3, & 7:30 but he was a boy!!!

Please let your friend know that there will of course be days were you are ready to throw in the towel, until you think about it again and realize, “If I give them bottles, they don’t get to snuggle, they will be sitting in a chair or car seat with me holding the bottles, unless I do it one at a time, and then it becomes a never ending cycle!!

Erin told me that she has met several women with twins who were told by their doctors that they COULD NOT nurse twins. Her story is proof that this is far from the truth. I was especially interested in her last point about how bottle feeding twins makes it a lot more work to hold/snuggle your baby while feeding them. Especially in the beginning when babies are eating so frequently, if you are bottle feeding them each separately, you would probably be dealing with bottles around the clock. We’d love to hear your story too if you have experience nursing twins!

A couple of nights ago, I was at a friend’s barbecue when all of a sudden, I was overwhelmed by the urge to PUKE my brains out! It was like every smell from a 3 block radius, had banded together to invade my nostrils. All I could think to do was flee. Quickly and carefully I made my way to the door, weaving around guests and furniture. The smells followed and intensified. Halibut, chlorine, tomatoes, vinegar, deodorant, garlic, beer, wine, tobacco smoke emanating from some dude’s shirt, and perfume propelled me out the back door, into the fresh air. Talking myself out of hurling, I made eye contact with the hostess through their back window and signaled her to join me. “You’re pregnant!” she shouted. Grabbing her hands, I freaked out for a moment; admitting that it was a likely explanation.

Upon returning home, I told my husband about my symptoms and took a pregnancy test. Negative. Two hours later, I started menstruating for the first time since my pregnancy with Dominic! It was heavy, unpleasant, and surprisingly unfamiliar for a 32 year-old woman who has been menstruating since she was 13 years old. All the pieces of the puzzle came together and I realized that this physical change came only three days after weaning Dominic. Some women, like my neighbor, start menstruating again after only a few weeks postpartum. Some women, like myself, don’t menstruate until there is zero breastfeeding activity. Just remember that breastfeeding isn’t effective birth control as you never know which type you might be!

A couple of different friends noticed early on in their breastfeeding that one side produced much more than the other. The first friend had no pain or tenderness but her son simply refused to latch on to her left side! So, she nursed him on the right for 12 months. She said that her unused left breast quickly returned to its pre-pregnancy size, while the other one was “gigantic”. Despite the awkward bra fitting, she said it was fine and he got all the milk he wanted. The second friend had no problems with latching but did her left breast produced about twice as much as the right. What worked for her was to always start nursing him on the left side to keep her production nice and high. Then she would switch to the other side. She was able to nurse her baby exclusively for 8 months until she weaned.

In other words, don’t be discouraged if you have uneven milk distribution! You can still feed your baby what they need.

Just when you think there couldn’t be another benefit to breastfeeding, a conversation with a friend, thankfully, proves you wrong. She was telling me about her mother’s recovery from breast cancer. When I asked if the doctors had any ideas about potential or likely causes, she said that hormone therapy used in treating menopause is suspected, but not yet confirmed, to be the culprit. My 84 year old grandmother recently recovered from breast cancer as well and is convinced that her cancer was caused by the hormone treatment she had been undergoing to control her menopausal symptoms. While this news is very disconcerting and makes us contemplate our own hormone therapies in the form of birth control, I was encouraged by the research my friend shared with me that suggests breastfeeding reduces your risk of breast cancer. While your child-bearing age is also a factor in the risk for breast cancer, the number of children you breastfeed and for how long have been shown to significantly reduce your risk of developing the disease. Breastfeeding inhibits the production of reproductive hormones in your body, therefore discouraging the growth of some types of breast cancers.

Here’s a link to one such study supporting breastfeeding as a factor in reducing the risk for developing breast cancer. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2681548

At some point in your newborn’s life, they will become distracted by the world around them, making it harder to concentrate on breastfeeding.  They may root and suckle at the breast, and then be distracted by a sound or other people in the room.  This happened when my daughter was around 5 months old, and I remember thinking it was really cute at first!  It was a wonderful sign that my baby was noticing and interacting with the world around her.  Though nursing sessions did take longer, I really enjoyed seeing my daughter unlatch and smile up at me with her big blue eyes.  It made me feel like I was bonding with my little one, and sharing something special.  My daughter teethed pretty early, and there were a few painful biting moments, but I tried to remain calm and not cry out, in hopes that she would not be surprised and then go on a nursing strike.  To combat breastfeeding distractions, I tried to nurse her in a quiet room, or cover her with a blanket.  That seemed to help sometimes.  I found that even singing to her sometimes caused her to unlatch and look up at me as if to say, “Mom, can’t you see I am busy?!”  

Ways to help distracted babies with breastfeeding:

1) Nurse in a quiet room, away from loud sounds and distractions

2) Cover baby with a light blanket or your shirt, making a warm cocoon

3) Wear a nursing necklace, designed to give the baby something to hold on to and play with (In my case, it was whatever necklace I was wearing or buttons from my shirt)

Women don’t technically need a partner to breastfeed because all the equipment necessary comes standard with the female form.  However, the role of your partner in breastfeeding is inextricably crucial to your success.  Without the support of my husband, Darren, I wouldn’t have made it through the pain of a thrush infection and would have stopped nursing after a week.  Probably the most important way to support breastfeeding is to be on the same page about why you have decided to breastfeed.  Before you give birth, make sure you’ve had the conversation about your expectations and reasons for nursing.  Believe me, when the baby arrives, you will be so sleep deprived that you’ll want to give up at the first sign of pain in your nipples or other complications such as mastitis.  During this exciting and challenging time, you want your partner there to lovingly remind you about your decision and encourage you to stick with it as long as possible.  But that’s not all!  Here’s a list of things your partner can do to give you a better chance of sticking with breastfeeding:

1.  Bring mom healthy snacks and water while nursing.  Once you’re milk start to flow, you will probably feel super thirsty which is your body’s way of telling you, “I’m running low on ingredients!”

2.  Bottle feed the baby.  This is a great way to give mom a break from nursing so she can get some extra winks or grab a shower.  More importantly, it’s great bonding time for your partner with your new arrival.  

3.  Clean the pump.  This simple act makes pumping easier, quicker, and less stressful.

4.  Get up in the middle of the night.  Take turns with the responsibility for getting up with the baby and bring her to mom so she can nurse while laying in bed.  Be sure that you wait out the feeding and put baby back into their crib or co-sleeper, unless, of course, you’re bed sharing.  This helps mom get a few extra winks.

5.  Champion the cause.  Sometimes family, friends, or even strangers will act inappropriately about nursing in front of them.  Don’t apologize but rather remain calm and remind them that it’s perfectly natural to feed your child when they are hungry!

6.  Encourage your partner.  Breastfeeding is a wonderful experience but the first few months can feel very isolating to a new mom.  Tell her how proud you are of her efforts and thank her for giving so much of herself for your little one.  A few kind words will go a long way!  

A while ago, I posted about breastfeeding and the law. While N.I.P. is protected by the law, there are many nursing moms who encounter looks of disgust, rude comments, and critical stares. This is very upsetting to me as it indicates the ugly imbalance in what our culture deems as decent behavior.

American television and movies are loaded with images of sex, murder, war, sexual and physical abuse. If you go to the mall, you will see stores that sell thong underwear for young girls and outfits that reveal what is not yet fully developed on their pre-pubescent bodies. It doesn’t make sense that these things are accepted as the norm while N.I.P. is perceived as too revealing and “innappropriate”.

Sexualizing breastfeeding is damaging to mother, baby, and society at large. You can read my post about the benefits of breastfeeding. I would add to the list of benefits that breastfeeding lowers infant mortality. Premature babies that are given breastmilk rather than formula have a higher survival rate. In addition to being essential to a baby’s development, breastfeeding provides a bonding experience and connection to the infant that can help combat or minimize postpartum depression. I found an article that addresses breastfeeding as treatment for PPD. When a woman nurses, there is a surge of the hormone oxytocin in her body. This “feel good” hormone makes the mother relaxed and happy.

Our society benefits from healthy moms and babies and should so support and protect N.I.P. Expecting a mother to hide away from the world in order to give her baby the gift of breastmilk is, in my opinion, criminal. This attitude limits a mother’s chance to successfully breastfeed. Gawk at the woman in the see- through tank top, showing off her augmented fakies. Respect the woman on the park bench, feeding her child. If need be, educate others by showing them the research. There are lots of great websites out there. See our list of breastfeeding links.

Wearing your baby in a sling, close to you is a wonderful way to bond early on in your relationship. Plus, you get some ‘hands-free’ time while still paying close attention to your baby. Among it’s many other benefits, ‘Baby wearing’ can also help with breastfeeding. Experts believe that the close proximity the baby has to mom encourages more frequent feedings. Some babies who experience discomfort or back arching during regular breastfeeding actually have an easier time with it while mom is moving. (Source: Kellymom.com) Also, slings are great for those early months when baby is nursing every two hours. Fortunately, there are many different types of slings on the market. A few popular slings include:

• Moby Wrap
• Maya Wrap
• Zolo Wear

Babycenter.com states that babies with colic cry less when worn and also babies who have trouble gaining weight benefit from being worn as they feed more. My daughter was pretty tiny in the first few months, and I think she may have benefitted even more had I worn her more often. I will definitely take advantage of the amazing benefits of baby wearing with my next child!

Breastfeeding is a great way to combat ear pain due to the rapid changes in altitude that occur in flight. My sister advised me to nurse my baby during takeoff and landing so the sucking motion would help alleviate any pressure in his ears. This seems to work for him and had the added benefit of knocking him out for most of the flight which made for smooth sailing. I would also recommend bringing a nursing pillow to make nursing more comfortable and give your tot a comfy place to sleep. Read my post on my favorite breastfeeding accessories to learn more about breastfeeding pillows.