Just a Little Bit Famous

A few months ago I volunteered to participate in a photography project with the Utah Breastfeeding Coalition.  Timbra (Landslide Photography) was hired to photograph women nursing their children in various locations in Utah that have committed to supporting breastfeeding. I was originally assigned to meet her at a dark office building, but because of scheduling problems we had to (got to) change our location to a french bakery--much more my cup of tea. She did several fabulous posters (you can see more of them by visiting www.utahbreastfeeding.org and looking at the Posters under the heading "Utah Opens Its Doors To Breastfeeding) and Sophia and I were on the one below! I love it when she reaches up and holds my hand while she nurses, so it was fun to have that captured.

One of her photos ended up as part of the "Call To Action To Support Breastfeeding" that the U.S. Surgeon General put out last week, and I was in it! If you 'd like to read the whole "Call To Action" you can visit the Surgeon General's website, but the page that Sophia and I are on is below. I realize that most people will never, ever see this, but still, it IS a national publication--from the Surgeon General of the United States!

Feeling just a little bit famous.

It's More Than Just the Milk

Welcome to The Breastfeeding Cafe Carnival!

This post was written as part of The Breastfeeding Cafe's Carnival. For more info on the Breastfeeding Cafe, go to www.breastfeedingcafe.wordpress.com. For more info on the Carnival or if you want to participate, contact Claire at clindstrom2 {at} gmail {dot} com. Today's post is about breastfeeding thoughts. Please read the other blogs in today's carnival listed below and check back for more posts July 18th through the 31st!

---

My mom nursed all eight of the children in our family but other than that I grew up in an era where bottle feeding was the norm. I babysat for many families as a young woman and prepared formula and enjoyed feeding those cute babies. I really didn't think more about infant feeding until I was a student in the dietetics program at Utah State University. We had a short unit on breastfeeding. and my eyes were opened. My commitment to breastfeeding was born. My sister Lauren was just ready to have her first baby. I bombarded her with pamphlets and photocopies and statistics.

I graduated from school and left on my mission for the LDS Church in Chile where I saw women nurse their babies without embarrassment or shame. It was just what they did to feed and nurture their babies.

When I returned home I began working for a social program that promoted breastfeeding as part of it's strategy to improve the health of babies and mothers. It also saved the program a lot of money if women chose to breastfeed rather than use formula. I attended a week-long course about breastfeeding. We discussed in detail the composition of breastmilk, how to teach about breastfeeding, and how to help moms with problems. I was committed to helping moms nurse their babies. It was all about the milk.

Breastmilk is what babies are designed to get. It contains the right amounts of all nutrients that babies need. Babies who don't get breastmilk are at a higher risk for so many illnesses and diseases--as infants and later in life--because of protective factors and immunoglobulins in the milk. Moms who don't breastfeed their babies are at a higher risk for certain cancers and other illnesses. Breastmilk changes to meet the needs as a baby grows. Using formula is expensive and puts a strain on the environment. Preparing bottles takes time and effort and is way less convenient than breastfeeding. There are moral issues with companies marketing infant formula in doctor's offices and hospitals and third world countries. It was still all about the milk.

And then I became a mother.

Breastfeeding came to be about so much more.

It is not just about providing the right nutrition or immune factors, although that is important too.

It is about nurturing.

It is about really connecting with my baby.

It is about fulfilling my role as a mother and parenting in a loving way.

It is about looking into my baby's eyes and knowing that although she can't express in words how she feels, she loves me.

It is about feeling full of love and emotion as my baby places her hand on my breast and smiles.

It is about protecting a mother's right to nurse her baby in any place or situation.

It is about feeling empowered to do something for my baby that no one else can.

My journey with nursing has not been an easy one. It has required more effort than I ever thought possible. There have been tears and frustration along the way. Ryan and other friends and family members have supported and sustained me, even when they might not fully understand why it is so important to me. It is worth it. My babies are worth it.

---

Here are more posts by the Breastfeeding Cafe Carnival participants! Check back because more will be added throughout the day.

• Amy @ Anktangle—just ONE thing


• Sylko @ Chaotic Mama—Breastfeeding Carnival: The World


• Timbra @ Bosoms & Babes—Ho Hum EXTRAordinary


• Shelly @ Lousy Mom—What does breastfeeding mean?


• Renee @ Just the 5 of us!—Amazing


• Claire @ The Adventures of Lactating Girl—The Best Start Possible


• Sarah @ Most Revealing—One thing


• Natasha @ naturalurbanmama—Breastfeeding Thoughts: A Letter to my Kids


• Kimberly @ Monkey Tales Mama Thoughts—Do You Remember?


• Mamapoekie @ Authentic Parenting—Breastfeeding: What It Means To Me



• And of course the guest poster on the Breastfeeding Cafe’s Blog today is Marilee Poulson—The Normal Course of Breastfeeding

3rd Annual Breastfeeding Cafe

Most of you know I'm a bit of a lactivist (advocate for breastfeeding) and I've been involved with the Utah Breastfeeding Coalition in various aspects over the past several years. This month, the UBC is sponsoring the 3rd Annual Breastfeeding Cafe at the Salt Lake City Main Public Library. This year, the event is hitting the road too and will make an appearance in Logan and Cedar City later in the month. The Breastfeeding Cafe is a community outreach program and it's purpose is to show that breastfeeding is normal, inspire thought and conversation about breastfeeding, and encourage relationships among breastfeeding advocates.

Yesterday as I was there, a family stopped by who had spent many years in Denmark. They took a picture in front of the Cafe, because they thought it was such a funny idea. In Denmark a Breastfeeding Cafe would not be at all necessary--but in the USA, where bottle-feeding is more accepted as the norm--the Cafe provides a great place for women to nurse their children and for people of all backgrounds to get information about breastfeeding. In Denmark a Breastfeeding Cafe would be as out of place as a Toothbrushing Cafe in our country (or some other promotional event for other practices that we take for granted here as being the norm).

Instead, in our country women are asked to leave restaurants and clothing stores for feeding their babies or are told to cover up so others don't have to see that--all while using scantily-clad women with mostly exposed breasts to sell beer or cars or plastic surgery is perfectly acceptable. Innovative entrepreneurs come up with all sorts of ways that women can hide themselves and their babies (like these very cute Hooter Hiders). If moms are more comfortable with a covering, all the more power to them, but we have this mindset that nursing a baby is something to be ashamed of and something that must be hidden. Some women even feel they should nurse their babies in a bathroom stall rather than out in the public eye (would you eat your lunch in a stall?). The Australian Breastfeeding Association a great commercial that address that issue...

To give a little background: ten years ago I was trained as a lactation educator, during my early years as a WIC dietitian. I did a lot of counseling and teaching and preaching about breastfeeding before I had any real personal experience with my first baby. I expected nothing less than a glorious, easy experience with breastfeeding when Olivia was born. I was devastated when things didn't work out that way.

I struggled and cried and investigated and still didn't figure out how I could make enough milk so that Olivia could grow. With both babies I pumped for weeks and tried every breastfeeding contraption and device, herbal supplement, prescription medication, and any other thing that could possibly increase my milk supply, including ordering a medication not approved for use in the US from Australia. Nothing worked. The thing that DID work is that I had great support from Ryan and my colleagues from WIC and from many friends and sisters, and I was able to breastfeed both Olivia and Coleman for over a year. Many did not understand why it was so important to me and why I still campaign for breastfeeding education and support, so I'll climb up on my soapbox for a minute and explain:

Breastfeeding isn't something extra-ordinary or special or superior in any way, it's just normal. It's the normal way human babies should be fed, it's the normal nutrition that human babies need, and it's a normal part of the nurturing process between mother and child. Anything other than breastfeeding is sub-par and deficient.

Now, a word about formula--from someone who used formula in conjunction with breastfeeding--I am grateful that it has been developed and improved over the years (there have been some serious formula scares--with deficient nutrients and food safety issues) because without it, my babies may not have thrived or survived. Despite the fact that formula has improved over the years, it still isn't the best alternative to mother's milk. The World Health Organization places it 4th behind milk straight from the mother's breast, expressed mother's milk, and banked human milk (banked human milk is available to purchase, but at around $3 an ounce, it's not a very affordable alternative). However, in our culture, formula is so readily available and it is considered an acceptable and equal alternative to breastfeeding. Formula should be the exception, rather than the rule. Everyone argues for "choice" and for letting moms choose how they want to feed their babies. I agree, we should all be able to choose, but let it be an informed choice.

ProMom.org lists 101 reasons to breastfeed (and includes scientific research to back it all up).

Moms should know that formula fed babies are at increased risk for:
• Ear infections
• Overweight
• Viral infections
• Allergies
• Asthma
• Diabetes
• SIDS
• Diarrhea
• Childhood Cancers
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• ...and more

Not breastfeeding also places mothers at increased health risks:
• Breast Cancer
• Ovarian Cancer
• Endometriosis
• Osteoporosis
• Anemia
• Postpartum Depression

And... some other fast facts about breastfeeding:
• Breastfeeding is normal.
• Breastfeeding is convenient.
• Breastfeeding strengthens a baby's immune system.
• Breastfeeding is environmentally friendly (think about the factories and emissions to make the formula, cans, and bottles--then the waste of the cans, not to mention the plastic in the bottles that has been banned in Canada because they leech dangerous chemicals into the formula).
• Breastmilk is free (and if more chose to breastfeed, our tax burden would be lower because of decreased costs at WIC and Medicaid).
• Breastmilk protects the intestines.
• Breastfeeding is calming for mom and baby.
• Breastmilk provides complete infant nutrition.

Of course there are breastfed babies who are not healthy, and likewise formula fed babies who are healthy (just as wearing a seatbelt doesn't guarantee that you won't die in a car wreck, nor will skipping the seatbelt guarantee that you will die in a car wreck), but overall statistics show that formula fed babies are at higher risk for so many problems. Don't parents deserve to know this information when they are making their choice? There will still be those who choose to use formula (just as people choose to drive or ride without a seatbelt, knowing the health risks) but families deserve to have this information before they make their choice.

There are some women who for reasons beyond their control have unsuccessful attempts at breastfeeding, but I propose that most women, with proper education and support can breastfeed successfully. There are other women who choose to bottle-feed, and I just hope that they make that choice with all of the facts in hand. As moms we need to help and support each other, whatever our choice and circumstances are. Maybe after this lengthy rant, you can understand why breastfeeding is supported here.
If you want more info about the Breastfeeding Cafe, visit the Utah Breastfeeding Coalition's website (www.utahbreastfeeding.org). We have some fun Mother's Circles and free classes and events throughout the month. Stop by sometime during the month of August!

Climbing down from my soapbox now....

Nutrition--My Way

I am admittedly the worst dietitian ever. I think chocolate is my favorite food group. We rarely eat three servings of vegetables each day. My husband believes that Jolly Ranchers and Starburst count as a fruit serving. My children have super-sonic hearing and always catch me sneaking the Cheetos or cookies in the pantry. All of that aside, I am a registered dietitian. I do make an effort to consume healthy foods along with all the treats and I've tried to expose my kids to a variety of healthy foods, on occasion (today!) I make healthy foods like whole wheat pizza crust, but still, I'm the worst dietitian ever.

I still haven't quite figured out what drew me to the profession, but I somehow managed to get through school, complete the 2,000 internship hours, and pass the exam given by the ADA to get the letters RD behind my name. In order to keep my certification current if I ever decide to go back to work, I need to attend workshops and talks for continuing education hours. Yesterday I was lucky to attend one sponsored by the Dairy Council of Utah. Each year they hold a Breakfast and Briefing at the Grand America hotel--and who wouldn't want to have a yummy breakfast in the name of continuing education? They are great opportunities to learn more and schmooze it up with potential employers so they know my name and face in the event I find myself needing a job.

I was reminded yestereday that one of the things that attracted me to this field was the science of it all and the opportunity to help people make their lives better. Science is exact and can be proven--but often we get lost in its interpretation. There are so many ideas and theories out there when it comes to nutrition, which is a relatively young science and thus still evolving. Many consumers hear conflicting messages about certain foods and diets. Our speaker yesterday reminded us to always question the source of the information. What is their agenda? If they are trying to sell some product or idea with their information (supplement bars, vegan diets, books, etc.) either for your actual money or just to convert you to their cause, they have a strong motive to get you to believe them. It's always good to make sure there is good solid science behind their claims. It's also good to see if reputable, well-known scientific groups endorse or agree with the ideas. Some of these include (but of course aren't limited to): American Dietetic Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, US Breastfeeding Committee, American Medical Association, USDA, World Health Organization, American Academy of Family Physicians, etc.

Even studies and recommendations from them you may need to take with a grain of salt and look at the data and research methods behind them. One example of this is that the AAP and Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends strongly against co-sleeping. Their recommendations are based on studies that included all co-sleeping arrangements, including parents who smoke or were under the influence of alcohol and drugs or were co-sleeping on a couch or water bed. Other studies from reputable sources have shown that mothers who breastfeed their children lower the risk for SIDS by co-sleeping.

Recent buzz about dropping dairy and gluten from your diet to "cure" illnesses from insulin resistance to autism and ADHD are all around--I am often asked about issues such as these, to which I always respond with the disclaimer, "I am the worst dietitian ever" and then I tell them my standard answer. There haven't been any solid studies to prove that it does or does not work. Many parents and patients are looking for alternative therapies to treat their illnesses, but until there is strong, evidence-based research that shows improvement by avoiding certain foods or whole food groups, I am very hesitant to suggest it. You may even find evidence to the contrary, as is the case with dairy foods and insulin resistance--one study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that increased consumption of low-fat dairy products can actually improve insulin resistance.

When it comes down to it, try to eat a good variety of foods in reasonable amounts, move around as much as you can, and think very hard before dropping any food group from your diet because it's sure to be a miracle cure. That, and eat lots and lots of chocolate.