Breastfeeding: A National Health Priority
Although we often think of breastfeeding as a one-on-one experience, breastfeeding has gained attention as a public health imperative. The United States ranks approximately 35th in infant mortality,...
View ArticleABCs of Breastfeeding After Cesarean
Women can breastfeed successfully after cesarean section delivery—and many do. (In truly stellar hospitals, some mothers can even breastfeed before leaving the OR.) However, mothers getting started...
View ArticleBig Breasts Can Breastfeed
It’s a fact of life: breasts change their shape during pregnancy. As a woman’s body expands to hold the growing life within, so too do her breasts typically expand to accommodate what it takes to feed...
View ArticleBaby Needs It, Mom's Got It: Getting Milk from Breast to Baby
Mammary glands--a.k.a. breasts--are so important to the survival of the species that biologist Carolus Linnaeus put them front and center in choosing the name mammals for our class of animals long ago....
View ArticleTop Seven Strategies for Succeeding at Breastfeeding
As an expectant parent waiting for your baby's arrival, it can be hard to imagine what parenting a newborn will be like. You want to be prepared to meet your baby's needs. But what will it be like day...
View ArticleBreastfeeding Twins, Triplets—or More!
If breastfeeding one newborn seems a challenge, think about the mother with two newborns, three newborns—or more! Juggling the babies, positioning them at the breast, pumping to meet their needs, and...
View ArticleWas It Something I Ate?
We’ve all heard it said that “you are what you eat.” The food we take in affects our health and our well-being, our sense of energy and how we feel. For the breastfeeding mother, it can sometimes seem...
View ArticleBreastfeeding through the Holiday Season
From Thanksgiving through the New Year, the holidays seem to come with a host of demands that clamor for our attention. From the cooking and baking to shopping and visiting … the parties that can’t be...
View ArticleWelcome Home, Mom and Baby! The First Three Days
During pregnancy, you’re focused on your baby’s arrival. There’s little time to think about afterwards, about your first days as a mother with a new baby in your arms, relying on you. What will your...
View ArticleCounting to Ten: The First Ten Days
After the first few days, you begin to settle into new parenthood. Between feedings and diaper changes, you’ve had some time to get used to the new baby in your family, to figure out his needs, and to...
View ArticleMission Possible: Breastfeeding After Reduction Surgery
Past breast and/or nipple surgery can pose particular challenges to breastfeeding, but most mothers are still able to breastfeed. It’s important, though, to be prepared. Surgery may have an impact the...
View ArticleBreastfeeding: A Gift Like No Other
From moments after birth, a newborn baby searches the strange new environment for his mother’s breast. There, he will gain nutrition—essential, but not the whole story. He also receives comfort,...
View ArticleDoula Support Good for Mom and Baby
The birth of your baby is a rare experience, and one that should be exciting, energizing, and peaceful. For too many modern mothers, it is a busy time involving a host of nurses, doctors, and others...
View ArticleBirth Practices and Breastfeeding
Today, the vast majority of U.S. births occur in hospitals, under the vigilant care of nurses, doctors, and other health care providers. In this setting, a host of interventions are often used,...
View ArticleSetting Goals for Breastfeeding Success
It’s been almost two weeks since we turned the pages of our calendar to the new year. Some of us have already abandoned our newly-made resolutions, while others are starting to question whether they...
View ArticleTen Myths about Feeding Your Preemie
Caring for a baby can be a daunting task for any parents, but it can be especially so for parents whose babies arrive a bit earlier, a bit smaller, a bit more vulnerable than expected. Medical...
View ArticleThe Milk Makers: How Breasts Work
Did you ever wonder how your body makes milk? What are the stages of mammary development, and how do they prepare your body for feeding the baby in your arms? What has happened over the course of your...
View ArticleLook Good, Feel Good, Breastfeed
For better or worse, our feelings are linked to appearance. When you think you look good, you feel better: more confident, more satisfied, and happier. What are some aspects of a mother’s appearance...
View ArticleTen Myths about Why You Can't Breastfeed
Meeting your baby's nutritional needs from your own body may seem intimidating and even demanding. Maybe that's why, although nearly 77% of babies are ever breastfed, only about 49% are still breastfed...
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