Masochistic Mommy

About 10 per cent of women have inverted nipples. Mothers often cite inverted nipples as a reason to abandon breastfeeding. However the reality is that such mothers could still breastfeed; Babies feed on areolas, not nipples. Inverted nipples can however, make latching more problematic. The areola of women with inverted nipples tends to be very firm. If this breast tissue doesn’t flex when baby attempts to latch, the baby can find it difficult to get a large enough mouthful to latch properly. How can mothers overcome this dilemma? After enduring much heartache, Brianna, a mother of two, finally found the solution. “Breastfeeding the first time around was a one of the toughest things I had ever experienced. My son was born early and experienced some complications. He was not breathing well and his blood oxygen saturation level (meaning how well oxygen was being absorbed into his blood) was low. Due to these complications I was not able to nurse him right after delivery and had to wait s

A little while ago I posted an article titled, ‘ It’s Just Baby Fat ’, in which I ridiculed a grotesque toy doll that came armed with a toy bottle. I linked the baby’s obese frame with the suggestion that it was formula fed.  The response to this post was overwhelmingly one of contemptuous anger (really? One of my posts?! Never!) Likewise, this mock health advertisement which I posted on The Alpha Parent Facebook page was greeted with similar disdain: So I’d like to add some facts and stats to support my ‘formula fed babies as fatties’ stance: Here's the deal: during the first 6 to 8 weeks of life there is little difference in growth (gain in weight and length) between breast- and formula-fed babies. However, from about 2 months of age formula-fed infants gain weight and length more rapidly than breast-fed infants ( Ziegler 2006 ;  Singhal 2007 ; Rebhan 2009 ;  Larnkjaer et al 2009 ;  Durmuş et al 2011 ;  Rose et al 2012 ). Numerous studies have shown that by the end of the first

Once commonplace, an experienced breastfeeding mother is now a rare commodity. This is a great shame as there is much we can learn from the veteran breastfeeder. Contrary to common assumption, most experienced breastfeeding mothers have not had it ‘lucky’. Rather, their success is a product of persistence, dedication, bravery and stamina. This week’s triumphant mom had three babies, all exclusively breastfed, all self-weaned. She endured traumatic births, judgemental relatives, formula pushing medical staff, mastitis, having to pump during office meetings, a jaundiced baby, a dairy intolerant baby, and a lip-tied baby. She is now a lactation consultant. This is her story. “ I had my first son when I was 21. It was a traumatic birth (all natural, just a little stuck and in stress) and he ended up in the NICU for 3 days. Being a young, first time mom, I had said I would "try" to breastfeed. The NICU staff only let me in every 3 hours to feed my baby and provided me with a pum

Breast milk is a complex living, morphing, dynamic substance. It contains live cells that protect babies from infection, and these are are even more important for premature babies. Preemies  have a lower immune function than term babies. Also ironically, the very interventions used to save the lives of prem babies make them even more vulnerable to infection, such as intravenous lines, blood tests and intubation tubes. With these concerns in mind, it would seem feasible to assume that medical professionals, families and communities would encourage and facilitate the breastfeeding of premature babies. However this is sadly not the case, as Megan's story illustrates. “ My son Liam was born  prematurely  at 29 weeks due to my water breaking.  He weighed 1330 grams at birth and was not stable enough to be held for more than a minute at a time.   He was too little to be directly breastfed but the nurses and doctors encouraged me to pump.   On death's door 7 days after he was born, Li

Here's another ten liberating children's books to tickle your feminist fancy (First, catch up on part one here ). Pippi Longstocking Astrid Lindgren Pippi is spunky adventurous nine-year-old girl with freckles, pigtails and trademark ‘longstockings’. Some may refer to her as a tomboy. I prefer to describe her as daring and playful with a hint of smartarse. What’s more, she’s random in an intriguing and entertaining sense - she lives with a horse, a monkey, and a big suitcase of gold coins. This book is a treasury of her various antics, which include, organising an expedition, ‘dancing with burglars’, and ‘playing tag with the police’. Her cheeky enthusiasm is contagious. One can’t help but smile when reading of her adventures. Her witty remarks are simple yet sarcastic, the kind only a child can make unscathed. For instance, when the police say she must go to school otherwise she won’t know what the capital of Portugal is, Pippi replies, “If you’re so desperately anxious to kno