Door County Breastfeeding Support Group Meetings

Door County Breastfeeding Support Meetings

Description:  Moms meet together with infants and older children.  Snack provided. We talk about any breastfeeding issues that we are dealing with at the time, as well as other issues in our family. It is an opportunity to give and receive support, get to know other breastfeeding moms, bounce ideas off of each other. Together we support each other on the journey of parenting and breastfeeding our children.

More information can be found at:  http://doorcountylatch.blogspot.com/

Location:  Meetings are held at the United Methodist Church of Sturgeon Bay
836 Michigan Street; Sturgeon Bay, WI  54235
*The church with the big cross and flame on Michigan Street

Call Teri if you have questions

cell - 920-493-2577

home - 920-746-0047

Meets 2 times per month in Sturgeon Bay, Year Round:

Meets 1st Wednesday of the month 10:30am

Meets 3rd Wednesday of the month 5:00pm

Upcoming Dates:

June 19, 2013, 5pm

July 3, 2013, 10:30am

July 17, 2013, 5pm

August 7, 2013, 10:30am **World Breastfeeding Week Celebration

August 21, 2013, 5pm

September 4, 2013, 10:30am

September 18, 2013, 5pm

October 2, 2013, 10:30am

October 16, 2013, 5pm

November 6, 2013, 10:30am

November 20, 2013, 5pm

December 4, 2013, 10:30am

December 18, 2013, 5pm

January 8, 2013 (changed from 1st, due to holiday), 10:30am

January 22, 2013 (changed from 15th, due to holiday on the 1st), 5pm

Door County Breastfeeding Support Network 2012

Door County Breastfeeding Support Network
Fall 2012 Meeting Dates

held at the United Methodist Church of Sturgeon Bay
836 Michigan Street; Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235
10:30-11:30am

Meets on the first Wednesday of the month year round. The following are upcoming meeting dates in 2012:

October 3 - Breastfeeding & pumping
November 7 - Nutrition & breastfeeding
December 5 - Sleep & breastfeeding

Call Teri if you have questions
cell - 920-493-2577
home - 920-746-0047

Some Links on various topics

A mom-friend of mine was asking about what to say to a mother who was not interested in nursing. Sometimes when a person is resistant to the idea of nursing, it's hard to break through that barrier. The mom in question was expecting twins. So, I compiled a list of links with good information. I thought these were good enough to pass on.

All but one of these articles originates from La Leche League, my first go-to source for questions:

Here's a link about BF after a Cesarean birth:
http://www.llli.org/faq/cesarean.html

An extensive article on colostrum:
http://www.llli.org/llleaderweb/lv/lvdecjan05p123.html

The science of breastmilk as it compares to formula:
http://www.llli.org/nb/nbiss3-09p28.html

Breastfeeding and work, showing the business case for breastfeeding, that nursing is actually good for the employer, too:
http://www.llli.org/law/lawemployment.html

This is a great article written from a nursing mama  who is also  a practicing lawyer. It covers nursing on demand and folowing mother's instincts and baby's cues. After her article there is a note from her husband about what he went through in his evolution as a father:
http://www.naturalchild.org/guest/elizabeth_baldwin.html

An article about breastfeeding twins:
http://www.llli.org/faq/twins.html

Resource page on nursing multiples from LLL:
http://www.llli.org/nb/nbmultiples.html

Flat or Inverted Nipples

I've had a couple of moms come to me so far with concerns about flat or inverted nipples. I haven't had a lot of experience with this. I have not experienced this problem, nor do I have close friends that have. However, I found some good articles from La Leche League and Kelly Mom, both trustworthy sources. Some links from their direction follow:

Here is a great article from La Leche League on Frequently Asked Question, about inverted nipples:

http://www.llli.org/faq/flat.html


　

Here is another article from Kelly Mom--Kelly Flora is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant:

http://www.motherandchildhealth.com/Breastfeeding/Becky/inverted.html

La Leche League talks about nipple shells. I found this link. They don't seem overly expensive. Maybe worth a try, if mom is able to find them:　

http://www.amazon.com/SoftShells-Breast-Shell-Soothers-Inverted/dp/B000058DPM/ref=tag_stp_s2f_edpp_breast13ls

Here is a link on the Evert-it Nipple Enhancer. Again, not overly expensive. Perhaps worth a try:

http://www.amazon.com/Evert-It-Nipple-Enhancer/dp/B0002VPXVI/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

　

ABC's of Nursing

I will develop this further at a later date. I have been thinking of ways to streamline the teaching of breastfeeding into 3-7 major pieces. According to brain research in teaching and learning, the brain only can take in so many pieces of information at a time, 3-7 pieces for adolescents through adults. So, this is what I came up at first brush:

The A B Cs of Nursing:

• A - Allow
  Allow baby to nurse when s/he is hungry. This is called Nursing on Demand. Research shows it is best to follow baby's cues and allow them to nurse when they are hungry, for as long or as short as they need. Let them detach from the breast on their own.
• B - Breast
  Nurse baby at the breast when possible. There are a variety of reasons why sometimes it is necessary for a mother to pump milk and have it fed through a bottle or feeding tube. Latch issues, at first, are a common reason. Other reasons may include cleft palate or premature birth. However, a baby will be infinitely better at draining the breast and stimulating milk production than any pump will ever be. Some women do not let down easily for a pump. It takes longer to drain a breast from a pump, even when letdown is happening. On average, pumping needs to take place more often than a 'normal' nursing schedule to keep up with a baby's needs. For this reason, baby should be nursed at the breast whenever possible. If latch issues are occurring, they should be resolved quickly, as milk supply usually diminishes with prolonged use of a pump for exclusive draining of the breast.
• C - Continue following Cues
  Follow baby's cues in continuing of nursing. Nursing patterns will change with the age and development of the baby. It is best to follow his/her hunger cues (rooting, smacking of lips, fussiness). According to the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization, the 'ideal' length of the nursing relationship is as follows:
   - to exclusively breastfeed with no other supplements or other food sources for 6 months
   - after the 6 month mark, to supplement breastfeeding with the gradual introduction of solid foods
   - to continue to supplement the introduction of solid foods with breast milk for at least the 1st
        year of life
   - beyond the 1 year mark, breastfeeding continues to provide benefits for both mother and child
       it can and should continue for as long as mother and child are comfortable doing so.

Pumping and Feeding

Sometimes situations come up where nursing from the breast is difficult. These may include, but are not limited to the following: latch issues (baby won't latch well on the breast), cracked and sore nipples (resulting from poor latch), mother discomfort with nursing (physical pain or emotional discomfort with using her breasts for feeding). Any or all of these can contribute to moms resorting to pumping milk from the breast and feeding it through a bottle.

　

Pumping and feeding is certainly an adequate way to nurse a baby, when nursing from the breast is not possible. However, moms should be informed that exclusively pumping, without baby nursing at all from the breast, can result in a diminished milk supply. Milk supply is created through supply and demand. As more milk is drained from the breast, the body in turn makes more milk to ‘keep up’. The body will generally not let down as well or as completely from an artificial pump as it will from a baby on the breast. For that reason, supply will eventually diminish if baby is not put back to breast, or if pumping is not increased adequately to reflect baby’s needs. Pumps can help maintain supply for finite time periods, when skin to skin nursing is not possible; however, it rarely makes a complete substitute. Babies are much better at draining a breast than any pump will be, hospital grade or otherwise. Therefore, if pumping and feeding is your only means of breastfeeding, be aware that supply can diminish if not carefully monitored. Pump more often to increase supply. Pump for longer periods. And If at all possible, re-introduce the breast to baby, as it is the BEST way to stimulate milk production and adequately drain the breast. The more often baby is put to breast, the more likely milk supply will fall into the right place.

　

Below are some good articles and resources on pumping and feeding from KellyMom.com (the author is an International BoardCertified Lactation Consultant):

• For more information on pumping and feeding, what to expect in terms of output when pumping, and ways to increase milk supply while pumping, read the following article:http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/pumping_decrease.html
  
• For more information on establishing and maintaining a good milk supply when baby is not nursing directly from the breast, read the following article:
  http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/maintainsupply-pump.html
  
• For a complete list of articles on pumping and milk supply, look to the following:
  http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/

Breastfeeding and the Law

Wisconsin has state laws on the books to protect the rights of breastfeeding mothers. Basically, a woman can breastfeed anywhere where she and her baby are permitted to be together. We have federal law that requires empolers to allow breastfeeding mothers the opportunity to express milk for their child for the first year after birth. They must also provide a place to pump, other than a bathroom.

http://www.ncsl.org/default.aspx?tabid=14389