Our regular monthly meeting will be held at 10 AM on Thursday, September 1st at the Panera in North Fayette (by Walmart).
*NOTE FOR OCTOBER MEETING: Our meetings are normally held the first Thursday of each month but due to Leader availability October’s meeting will be held on Thursday, October 13th.
If you have any questions, please contact us!
You can also find more information about our monthly meetings here.
We look forward to seeing you and your little ones!
Read more here on KellyMom: Vitamin D and Breastfeeding: An interview with Bruce Hollis, PhD
This article by Ed Yong is an edited excerpt from his new book “I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life,” which will be published on August 9th. It is a fascinating look at how breastmilk helps babies obtain their unique gut health. Below is an illustration showing how breastfed babies have different microbes than formula-fed babies.
From The New Yorker: “BREAST-FEEDING THE MICROBIOME“
This is an excerpt from the New Beginnings blog by Jean Merrill, published by LLL USA. Read the full article here: Breastfeeding: More than Milk.
You’ve probably heard the words “breast is best” many times. That phrase barely touches the surface when describing the miraculous properties your milk can give your baby. Every single body system thrives on the unique baby-growing properties of your milk. Your milk is amazing, custom-made constantly to meet the exact needs of your baby at any given point in time.
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Breastfed babies are less likely to have problems with:
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Not only are these health benefits to babies (including more than I’ve listed) mind-boggling, but also the health benefits for you are equally profound. It is well known that breastfeeding is a protective factor against reproductive cancers, including breast, uterine, and cervical cancer. The longer the breastfeeding relationship continues, the greater these protections. Did you know that breastfeeding also provides protection against:
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Breastfeeding is physically healthy for mothers and babies, but feeding your baby at the breast also nurtures much more than your baby’s body. By watching your baby for early signs of being ready to nurse, you also learn about his or her personality. Whether impatient, intense, playful, or passive, they are communicating with you, giving you clues about the type of person he or she is, and the mothering response they will need from you.
Nobody is more of an expert on your baby than you. These early interactions set you up to mother perfectly. You are learning how to be a mother to this particular, unique, and wonderful human being. Mothering is a hard job. Becoming an expert on the subject matter is a crucial part of mothering success.
This article was recently published on the LLL USA New Beginnings Blog.
Looking Back: When Baby Cries
Jan Wojcik, Plantation, Florida
Originally published in January/February 1970 issue of La Leche League News
Editor’s Note: The first issue of La Leche League News, the bimonthly publication for members, was published in 1958. The name changed to New Beginnings in 1985. New Beginnings continued to be published until 2014 when it transitioned to its current blog format at http://www.lllusa.org/blog/.
We League Leaders try so very hard not to color motherhood with only shades of rosy pink. And yet—somehow—new mothers are a little surprised to discover that babies do cry and get upset and can create some very real pandemonium.
The picture of a little baby being always, and instantly, soothed by its mother’s breast is a lovely portrait indeed. “Don’t let your tiny baby cry,” we say, and we mean it. And then we get a phone call. “My baby cries a lot, no matter what I do!” There is a feeling of failing at motherhood if a mother can’t keep her baby happy.
Why does a baby get so upset that nothing (nursing, rocking, walking, music—nothing) calms him and restores serenity to the household? Immature nervous system? Immature digestive system? Tenseness in the home? Only occasionally can we pinpoint the cause. Most often we just have to accept the fact that the baby is upset, and work from there.
Naturally, a mother becomes upset when her baby cannot be comforted. She feels rejected. She feels angry, at the baby because he isn’t cooperating, and at herself because she cannot find the cause and eliminate it. She feels she has failed her baby and herself.
How many times have you heard a friend say, “That baby just cried and cried. I did everything a mother could do, and he still was not comforted. So I just put him in the crib to cry it out.” This is the temptation. What difference does it make whether the baby cries in mother’s arms or in the crib?
A lot.
Think how overwhelmed the baby must feel. Something is wrong. Probably the baby doesn’t even know what it is. All of us would be frightened if we were crying uncontrollably and didn’t even know why! Wouldn’t we feel better if someone were around to reassure us? To care that we were upset? Wouldn’t we feel rejected if our partner were to say, “Go in the bedroom. I don’t want to be around you until you regain control of yourself.” Don’t we want to be loved in times of stress as well as in times of happiness?
You may have heard that drinking a beer can be good for your milk supply. But is it really?
According to this article by Emily Farris, posted in the New York Times: Is Drinking Beer Really Good for Breastfeeding? Or is that an Old Wives Tale? most benefits are outweighed by the alcohol, which can inhibit let-down. To read more click on the link above.
Alcohol can be compatible with nursing as long as it’s done safely. Generally, if you are safe to drive, it is safe to nurse. According to KellyMom “Alcohol does not accumulate in breastmilk, but leaves the milk as it leaves the blood; so when your blood alcohol levels are back down, so are your milk alcohol levels.” Alcohol peaks in the blood in a half to an hour later, so if you plan accordingly you can enjoy a drink and go right back to nursing. Keep in mind that every woman metabolizes alcohol different and it can depend on a number of factors such as how much you’ve eaten and your weight. Read more on KellyMom.
