breastfeeding and weaning articles

Breastfeeding in Public by Lisa Cole

Breast Club by Lisa Cole

Weaning by Lisa Cole

Baby Led Weaning - The End of Mush Shovelling by Laura Park

Solid Poo by Lisa Cole

If you had told me this time last year that I would find nappies and poo fascinating, I would have peered at you over my huge bloated pregnant stomach and snorted in disdain. Now I have a child who is just about to learn to crawl into things he shouldn't, I am almost nostalgic for his breastmilk-only poos. They came in a variety of colours, from orange through to brown with the occasional green thrown in for good measure. They rarely smelled bad and in my maddest, sleep deprived moments I entertained notions of Dulux colour-matching some of the prettier shades. I was used to the occasional leaking wrap and it was easy to wipe his bum with a bit of damp cotton wool.

Then came solids.

I started on his 6-month birthday and for the next two months tried to get him interested in lovingly prepared organic veg, steamed and squished through a sieve, mixed with breastmilk that I hated expressing, only to have it rejected with clamped lips and windmilling arms after the first spoonful. Occasionally though, he'd mangle a bit of rice cake into his mouth. For the first few weeks I watched his nappies avidly. When was his first solid poo going to arrive? How stinky was it going to be? Could I deal with it? There was a brief real poo celebration in the third week but that turned out to be page 237 of his dad's Maplins catalogue. I no longer got excited about it but kept up the daily routine of offering him tasty morsels.

I stopped the whole 'Where's the duck? Has he got a spoon? Gosh, how did that get into your mouth?' charade for a few days after a tummy bug and the next time I tried he grabbed the spoon and shovelled the banana in. At last! But the poos were still squishy, maybe one spoonful of food just wasn't enough. He liked banana so I mixed it with other things, sweet potatoes, carrots, apples and pears. This did the trick and soon he was eating two tiny meals a day. And the poos? Well, for the first couple of weeks they were a mixed bag. Some dark wholegrain mustard type ones, some a slimy orange wallpaper paste variety, some just the same as before. Gently dabbing his bum with cotton wool was a complete waste of time so I used wet flannels or J-cloths instead. To change the nappy of a wriggly child at this stage you need a large tarpaulin, a change of clothes for the baby, protective clothing for yourself, 3 or 4 trained helpers ideally including a professional children's entertainer and a non squeamish disposition.

But it didn't last long. After a month of eating 3 dinky meals a day he produces a very neat little lump of poo first thing in the morning and maybe one in the afternoon if he is in the mood. Lumps are actually easier to deal with. The nappy liner collects it all, the clean edges of the liner are a handy wipe, you can flush the lump away and compost or bin the liner. If I have my bad mother hat on and leave him for a while the lump is easy to remove but anything he has sat and squished in sets quickly so I try to change him soon, it saves bum scrubbing and arguments. My cotton wool days are over and the dirty J-Cloths just get thrown in the wash with everything else.

And the smell? Well, put it this way; you can tell when he needs changing!

The A-Z of Breastfeeding - written by members of ivillage's Breastfeeding Support Board

A is for:

Antibodies....which are passed from mum to baby through breastmilk.

Allergies, and also for asthma - their incidence is less in breastfed babies.

Alcohol - which you shouldn;t drink when pregnant, but can have (in moderation!) while breastfeeding.

"Awwww"....that lovely snuggly feeling you get...

B is for:

Beautiful smiles I get when she sees the boob coming

Big Bouncing Bazoongas that I have when Breastfeeding (I won't say what they're like when I'm Not lol!)

C is for:

Colostrum - babies perfect first milk

Convenience - breastmilk is ready to serve, any time, anyplace, right temperature, no preparation and no clearing up.

Closeness - that special bond between mum and baby

Counsellors - people who can help if you're finding it hard

Calories - the extra ones you use up whilst feeding

Chocolate - you know every new mum needs it!!

D is for:

Don't give up, during the Difficult times, which we all have in one way or another, or

Dental Development

E is for:

Excitement from baby when they know they are about to be fed delicious mummy milk! Extra benefits that bf gives, and

Extending those benefits into toddlerhood

F is for:

Feeding frenzy - what a bf baby does when you need to increase your supply to support a growth spurt - and don't we wish we'd been warned, rather than (F is also for) fretting that there's something wrong with us or our supply!

From Sceptic to Toddler Feeding Weirdo! By Fiona

Before I was even married, and certainly before I contemplated having children, I had a lecture on infant feeding from a rather brusque midwife at work one day.

"You'll HAVE to breastfeed of course" she said.

"Well you're a doctor, you've got to do the right thing haven't you?"

Not surprisingly, this didn't really convince me of the benefits of breastfeeding, and I was annoyed by her attitude. My sister was a successful breastfeeder already, but as someone who had never really thought that having children would be important, I'd not really taken any interest.

Years later, on discovering that I was pregnant for the first time, that conversation came back to haunt me, as after reading more about the health benefits of breastfeeding I concluded that yes, I would have to "do the right thing". It didn't hold any appeal for me though. I resolved to feed for 3-6 months, until I went back to work. It would be a chore, but I ought' to. I certainly would never be able to feed in public, and would stop as soon as it was reasonable to do so.

Things didn't quite end up like that though: as it turns out I fed my daughter 'til she self weaned at around 3.5 years, and I've fed her pretty much anywhere you can think of. I'm now feeding my son, and am a passionate advocate of the benefits of breastfeeding. My old friends still find this amazing, and not a little amusing!

So how did this change of heart come about?

Well for a start I had a hideous pregnancy. I had envisaged myself carrying on heroically, as if nothing was happening, probably working until labour was established. In fact I had horrendous hyperemesis (sickness), necessitating repeated hospital admissions and no work after about 16weeks. I then developed pre-eclampsia and Isabel was delivered, just over 2 weeks early, by caesarean section. How on earth did that help me breastfeed, I hear you ask. Well, I'm pretty stubborn at the best of times, but all this disappointment made me even more determined that I was going to get something to work!

Breastfeeding did not come easily either: the pain from my nipples overshadowed the post-section pain in a major way. Despite numerous visits from midwives, health visitors and breastfeeding counsellors, no one could find why I was in so much pain. I cried in pain everyday for 3 months or so. (I'm not encouraging you here am I?) So why did I persist? Well partly that stubborn streak again, partly the encouragement from my b/f support group and especially my sister, and mostly because of my beautiful little girl. She was so obviously thriving on it, and the closeness of the feeding times was marvellous. The look of contentment on her face as she fell asleep at the end of a feed made it all worthwhile. I had never imagined I would feel that way, and if breastfeeding was what she needed, I would carry on. I also loved the convenience; Have baby, will travel'! No need to worry about warming bottles or running out of milk. I love the outdoors and was soon back to sailing and walking with no worries. If she got hungry, I just fed her, wherever I happened to be.

I stayed off work longer than I had anticipated, returning when she was about 8 months old. I had expected to stop feeding her then, but we were both so happy with the arrangement that I carried on. Although leaving her was very hard, the joy of the 'reunion feed' at the end of the day made it a little easier. My husband was an absolute star, bringing her over to work in the evenings when I couldn't get home, so that she could still have her bedtime feed. Breastfeeding had become such an integral part of all our lives, it seemed daft to try and stop.

I didn't ever consciously make the decision to breastfeed for as long as I did, it just kind of happened. My sister fed her 3 children til they were over 2yrs and my sister in law fed her 4 for between 18months and 3 years, so I didn't really see myself as that unusual. Of course with time her feeds got less, but a breastfeed continued to make a lovely end to the day, and it was a godsend on the few occasions when she was ill.

Likewise I never made a conscious decision to stop. She began to ask less often, and I stopped offering. It ended naturally. I don't remember her last feed, or even exactly how old she was. Despite the numerous dire warnings I received, she did stop of her own free will, and she is now as happy and self confident a 6 year old as you will meet, not for ever tied to my apron strings as I was told!

For me, breastfeeding is the healthiest option for a baby, but it's also hugely convenient and a great source of pleasure. With my son, I found the whole business a lot easier and I intend to let him choose the time to wean too. I am not everybody's idea of a 'typical' extended breastfeeder (if there is such a thing) so if you don't think it's for you - give it a go. Like me, you might just be surprised!

Breastfeeding Amid Chaos!! by Kate Pryde

When I had the first of my four children, I was determined to breastfeed. And I did. It was wonderful, beautiful, and it ended all too soon. She was just three months old when I returned to work and breastfeeding came to a premature end.

Exactly three years on from that point, her baby sister was born. She suffered some injuries at birth and, if it were at all possible, those problems made me even more determined to breastfeed her, and for much longer than I had her sister. What I did not realise at the time, but can appreciate with hindsight, is how much easier life was as a result of that determination. Whilst her elder sister was a gentle and easy child, which obviously helped, my new baby was difficult, demanding and disturbed. Breastfeeding offered me the only means to comfort her when she became distraught, and meant that, without the stress and hassle of having to sterilise and make up bottles, I had more time than I would otherwise have had with her elder sister, to make sure that the older child did not suffer any neglect.

But I still had to return to work, and, when I did, she came to prefer the bottles she was given at nursery and she rebelled against breastfeeding. It then became clear how much breastfeeding had helped maintain the status quo. Having to work and yet still having to get up to make her a bottle at night time was soul-destroyingly exhausting and I went through a really bad patch, during which I felt so overwhelmed and overrun I could barely function. Had I been able to continue breastfeeding, my nights would have been far less disturbed and life could have gone on in a more even manner.

Just 22 months later my third daughter arrived. I then had a five-year-old, a toddler and a new baby. For a while, I doubted my ability to cope, but breastfeeding was still of paramount importance. It had become second nature to me to breastfeed, there was no way I was going to complicate my life with a steriliser, bottles and assorted feeding paraphernalia. I had two babies in nappies and a busy, intelligent and interesting schoolchild; it was mad!! Add to the confusion by bottlefeeding? No way!! I think that this period represented one of the most chaotic of my life. I took a new full-time job when my third daughter was nine months old and I'd never intended to go back to work and, like her sister, she came to prefer her bottles. So breastfeeding finished when she was ten months and wanted no more of me. I was heartbroken, and, although I did not sterilise her bottles at that time, I still used formula milk for her and still found a sharp increase in my stress levels when the convenience of breastfeeding, its soothing capabilities, and the protection it offers against illness were gone. Trying to juggle the two older girls, a demanding job as a teacher, and a baby who came down with every bug the world in general had to offer (and could not, therefore, always go to nursery) was not easy. I'm not sure, even now, that it was actually possible, but we somehow scraped by!!

As the youngest daughter grew up, I found myself longing to do it all once more. I didn't particularly want a baby boy, but I did want another baby. Badly. Told by my doctors that it was unlikely at best, I continued to hope and to pray, and found myself pregnant for the fourth time in August 2001. But I got rather more than I bargained for. Desperately ill, and with psychological issues regarding my second birth still unresolved, I suffered devastating depression and was almost admitted to the local psychiatric unit. I was in a very, very bad way, but the one thing I held fast to was that I was going to breastfeed my baby. Given the information (which I refused for some time to actually believe) that I was carrying a boy, I feared that the likely connection, between his sex and how ill he made me, would lead me not to love him. At this point, I can hear everyone who knows how I adore my son laughing, but, at the time, I had serious fears and genuine worries about whether or not he and I would do that mystical bonding thing. And so did those caring for me.

There were two things that I needed. I needed to feel that special closeness with my baby, and I needed to keep my life as simple as possible after he arrived. By now, I knew that only breastfeeding was going to work for us. And I held on to that throughout everything, researching the effect of the drugs I needed to take on my breastmilk and building my determination to breastfeed no matter what.

There were, however, bigger blows to come. And, when I say bigger, I mean bigger . His birth was slightly complicated by shoulder dystocia and, though wonderful and triumphant, it was a little shocking and bewildering. And then, when he was weighed, it transpired that he was a whopping 12lbs 2ozs!!

Well, everyone had something to say about that!! No-one believed that such a big baby could be sustained by breastmilk alone, but, of course, he was. He and I share a marvellous bond and he is still breastfed at 23 months of age. With his three older sisters also to contend with, there was no way I was taking the chance that he would come to prefer bottles so I never gave them to him. The only formula he has ever had has been on his breakfast cereal. He is unbelievably healthy, has followed his growth pattern off the charts, eats a variety of foods and has quite adult tastes.

So my philosophy is that breastfeeding a baby when you have older children to occupy you can only make things easier on you. Breastfeeding was simpler and quicker, so I had more time for the other children, whether there was one or whether there were three. Breastfeeding keeps a baby healthy, boosting his or her immunity against the bigs that older children inevitably contract and bring home for you all to share. That can only be an immense boon to any harassed mother. Breastfeeding bonds you closely to your child, and when there are others to consider, that time to generate a close bond with your youngest can go by the board. It's true that, a first child has it's parents fitting around it, whereas subsequent children tend to have to fit in with the existing family. So many times I have nursed my son on the sofa with one of my daughters next to me, getting my help with her homework or reading whilst he fed. Breastfeeding makes for easeir nights, especially if you combine it with co-sleeping, which means you can cope better with the demands of your family because you are not so exhausted. Breastfeeding gets your child accustomed to a variety of flavours (as the flavour of the things you eat comes through in your milk) and that means that weaning is far less traumatic for the mother of many, who has little space in her life for complications in the form of fussy eaters.

Oh, and the best thing of all? If you breastfeed, you never get to a stage where a baby can hold the bottle itself. You just have to sit down!!!!!

My Breastfeeding Story by Mhairu Hamilton

Pink Ribbon Days: A Personal Journey through Breast Cancer by Carole Baas

On October 15, 2004, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was 43 years old, had no family history of the disease, and no lump or symptoms. I was also tandem nursing my two young children.

The cancer was discovered during my first routine mammogram. Mammograms (a procedure that uses low-dose x-rays to examine the breasts) are recommended annually for women over the age of 40. Although I was over 40, I had delayed this initial mammogram because I was pregnant, and delayed it again because I was breastfeeding, a potentially life-threatening mistake. When the radiologist examined my mammogram, he noted a small cluster of microcalcifications in my left breast, a half-dozen white flecks that looked like grains of salt sprinkled over the image. These microcalcifications were an indicator of Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS) - a non-invasive breast cancer where the malignant cells in the milk ducts have not yet invaded the surrounding tissue. The next day I had a core biopsy, where a section of breast tissue was removed to determine if the cells were indeed cancerous. Two days later the radiologist called with bad news: the tissue removed confirmed the presence of DCIS. My next step was to see a surgeon.

The first surgeon I saw began by discussing mastectomy, the surgical removal of the breast. Although DCIS is non-invasive, it is considered a risk factor for developing invasive breast cancer and is therefore usually treated aggressively. I sought a second opinion and consulted a breast surgeon at a different hospital. She recommended immediate weaning from both breasts prior to surgery, advising that it would be impossible for me to stop nursing only on the affected side. I knew this to be incorrect: women can (and do) breastfeed on only one side. A third opinion from the surgical oncologist who had supervised my original biopsy recommended a partial mastectomy (essentially a lumpectomy, where only the affected area and a small margin of healthy tissue is removed, except that I had no lump) without weaning, followed by radiation to make sure that all of the cancer cells were destroyed. Removal of lymph nodes and chemotherapy were not necessary as the cancer was not invasive and therefore there was virtually no possibility of its spread to any other part of my body.

In November I had a partial mastectomy of the left breast. As I had after the biopsy, and with my doctors blessing, I was able to nurse my 22-month-old son within 12 hours after surgery. Six weeks later I began Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), an advanced mode of high-precision radiation therapy that uses computer-controlled x-ray accelerators to deliver precise radiation doses to specific areas. My treatments were scheduled five days a week for 6-1/2 weeks. Although the IMRT itself was painless, I suffered some common side effects: extreme fatigue and sunburned patches of skin. But with the approval of my radiation oncologist, and the help of friends and family, I continued caring for my children and breastfeeding until radiation burns to my nipple forced me to wean on the treated side. I have continued nursing on my right breast.

I completed radiation therapy around Valentines Day, 2005. Since I am now considered at higher risk of developing another breast cancer, I see my surgical oncologist for a breast exam every three months and have a mammogram every six months. I also see a medical oncologist, who will continue to monitor my health for the rest of my life. Because my cancer was ER+ (estrogen receptor positive), after we stop breastfeeding I will take tamoxifen, a medication that blocks the estrogen receptors on the breast cells and deprives the potentially malignant cells of the estrogen they need for growth. Tamoxifen, a pill which is usually taken for 5 years, decreases the incidence of subsequent breast cancer in both breasts, and can be used both before and after menopause.

Although I was aware of breast cancer before my diagnosis, I never thought it would happen to me. I was healthy, active, never smoked, rarely drank, and had breastfed for four years all things I knew reduced the risk of cancer. But breast cancer is mysterious: most women with the disease have no family history and no obvious cause. Yet increasing numbers of women are being diagnosed with breast cancer due to a combination of having children later in life (a known risk factor), reduced rates of breastfeeding, and improved screening techniques (such as digital mammography). Women can protect themselves by having regular breast exams by a healthcare professional and by having mammograms according to the recommended schedule - even while lactating. You can also decrease your chances of developing breast cancer by continuing to breastfeed: although the exact mechanism of protection is unclear, studies have shown that the longer a woman breastfeeds throughout her lifetime, the greater the protective effect.

I am fortunate in that my breast cancer was detected very early and that I have an excellent prognosis. I have continued to breastfeed and sought physicians who were sensitive to my desire to preserve the function, as well as the form, of my breasts. Breastfeeding through this turbulent time brought a sense of normalcy to my life and that of my children, and in doing so I have also served as an example to my healthcare team. They now know that the ability to breastfeed, something with enormous health and psychological benefits for both mother and child, can be preserved and continued for many women with early stage breast cancer.

copyright Carole Baas, Ph.D.

Carole is a medical researcher, writer, and lecturer, specializing in health and parenting issues. An active member of LLLI for five years, Carole is also a breastfeeding mother of two young children. Following her breast cancer diagnosis, she began researching the relationships between pregnancy, breastfeeding and breast cancer. Carole is currently spearheading efforts to write the first book on this subject, Battle for the Breast, a cooperative effort between internationally renowned researchers and clinicians in breast cancer, infertility, and lactation.

Dr. Seuss for Nursing Moms

If anyone knows who wrote this I'd love to credit them!

Would you nurse her in the park?

Would you nurse him in the dark?

Would you nurse him with a Boppy?

And when your boobs are feeling floppy?

I would nurse him in the park,

I would nurse her in the dark.

I'd nurse with or without a Boppy.

Floppy boobs will never stop me.

Can you nurse with your seat belt on?

Can you nurse from dusk till dawn?

Though she may pinch me, bite me, pull,

I will nurse her `till she's full!

Can you nurse and make some soup?

Can you nurse and feed the group?

It makes her healthy strong and smart,

Mommy's milk is the best start!

Would you nurse him at the game?

Would you nurse her in the rain?

In front of those who dare complain?

I would nurse him at the game.

I would nurse her in the rain.

As for those who protest lactation,

I have the perfect explanation.

Mommy's milk is tailor made

It's the perfect food, you need no aid.

Some may scoff and some may wriggle,

Avert their eyes or even giggle.

To those who can be cruel and rude,

Remind them breast's the perfect food!

I would never scoff or giggle,

Roll my eyes or even wiggle!

I would not be so crass or crude,

I KNOW that this milk's the perfect food!

We make the amount we need

The perfect temp for every feed.

There's no compare to milk from breast-

The perfect food, above the rest.

Those sweet nursing smiles are oh so sweet,

Mommy's milk is such a treat.

Human milk just can't be beat.

I will nurse, in any case,

On the street or in your face.

I will not let my baby cry,

I'll meet her needs, I'll always try.

It's not about what's good for you,

It's best for babies, through and through.

I will nurse her in my home,

I will nurse her when I roam.

Leave me be lads and ma'am.

I will nurse her, Mom I am