Infant Formula Study Just a Marketing Gimmick to Push Formula Over Breastfeeding

Infant Formula Study Just a Marketing Gimmick to Push Formula Over Breastfeeding
Friday, January 08, 2010 by: David Gutierrez, staff writer

(NaturalNews) A recent study lauding the benefits of fortified infant formula has been greeted with skepticism by child development specialists, who suspect that the study is only the first part of an attempt to promote formula over breast milk.

"It is clear that the food industry fascination with nutraceuticals (strategically fortified food products) is now spreading into infant formula," said Barbara Moore of Shape Up America! "This is a disturbing new development. We have parents thinking that sticking their tiny infants in front of a Baby Einstein video will improve their child's mental development when the data suggest that parent-child interactions (and plenty of them) are the most critical factor for such development. Now parents will be encouraged to forego breastfeeding -- which is optimal for both mothers and babies -- in favor of a hyped up infant formula."

A recent study concluded that children who consumed infant formula fortified with the omega-3 fatty acid DHA had higher cognitive function than children who consumed unfortified formula. Breastmilk was not included in the study, and the formula used in the study was provided for free by a manufacturer.

Miriam Labbok of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill said she was doubtful about the study's findings.

"It might be reasonable from these industry-funded studies to consider that this would be a good additive to formula if you are forced to stop breastfeeding," she said. "However, 1) none of these studies compare to continued breastfeeding, 2) you could also get these [nutrients] from other sources if you stop breastfeeding, and 3) there are hundreds, if not thousands, of other components in human milk that cannot be replaced."

Pediatrician Lori Feldman-Winter of New Jersey noted that many mothers come to her believing that DHA-fortified milk is healthier for their infants than breastmilk.

"The marketing has actually dissuaded mothers from choosing exclusive breastfeeding, which is preferred from all the outcomes that we understand," she said.

All major health and pediatric associations recommend exclusive breastfeeding for at least the first six months of life, if not longer.

Sources for this story include: abcnews.go.com.

The Woman Told That She Was Too Stupid To Keep Her Baby Boy

The woman told that she was too stupid to keep her baby boy
By Alison Smith Squire
Last updated at 8:10 AM on 28th January 2010

The Moses basket sits beside the bed, its new blankets carefully arranged awaiting its owner's arrival.

Piles of newborn baby clothes - mostly in shades of blue - lie neatly folded on a chair.
Like any new mother, Kerry Robertson spent weeks excitedly preparing for her first child's arrival - and yet 13 days after his birth, all the carefully arranged baby paraphernalia remains unused.
And yet today Kerry and her partner, Mark McDougall, 25, will finally be able to lay their son Ben down to sleep in the basket they bought for him with such hope.
Loving mother: Kerry Robertson, 17, was told she would not be able to bring up her baby son Ben because she has mild learning difficulties
Kerry, who has mild learning difficulties, and Mark went on the run from their home in Fife, Scotland, last November after British social services said she was not clever enough to raise a child.

They hoped that by escaping to Ireland they would be left alone to be a family together. But when Ben was four days old, social workers caught up with them, marching into the maternity ward and forcing them to hand him over.
Only after a court hearing last Friday were the parents told they will get their child back - albeit under supervision.
Today, Kerry will move into a mother and baby unit where the 17-year-old will be under constant surveillance - but that is undoubtedly the lesser of two evils for the couple, given that they feared they might lose custody of the child they fought so hard to keep.

'To say it's been a roller coaster is an understatement,' says Mark. 'Witnessing them take Ben from Kerry made me cry. He was sleeping in her arms after his feed and looked so peaceful.

'I tried to argue with them, but they said no. It's only after they've read medical reports from the hospital, in which the midwives and medical staff said we are loving parents, that it appears they've decided we can have Ben back after all.
'Kerry will be able to care for Ben all day, every day and I'll be allowed to stay at the unit as often as I like.
'Needless to say, we can't wait to be reunited with our beloved son.'
This isn't the only battle the couple have fought to ensure Kerry leads a normal life.

She has been brought up by her grandmother since she was nine months old, with the care overseen by Fife social services.

But she says that, as an adult, there were no signs of the problems to come until social services heard she was pregnant and getting married.
Devoted: Kerry and partner Mark McDougall, 25, pose proudly with their baby son. The couple fled to Ireland after social services said Ben would be taken away
Last September, in an unprecedented step, the couple's white church wedding was halted just 48 hours beforehand, in a row over whether Kerry was intelligent enough to marry.
Shortly after, Fife social services told the couple they believed that, because of Kerry's learning difficulties, her unborn baby would be taken into care.
The claim that Kerry is too stupid to get married or have a baby is something she and Mark, an artist, vehemently refute.

'Social services are ruining my life,' she says. 'First, I was stopped from getting married and then they took my baby.'
Kerry and Mark say she has never even had a formal psychological assessment. And the couple point out that before Kerry became pregnant herself, she worked as a childcare worker with children at a local school - and in fact, with considerable irony, holds a certificate in child care.
Kerry says: 'It's true I didn't get many qualifications at school, but I never had very good teaching.
'I did study for my childcare qualification, I can read and write. I send texts, go on the internet and do everything for myself.
'I usually cook for us. I chose most of the clothes for our baby and sorted out all the piles of nappies, tubs of baby creams and toys. I wanted everything to be ready for him when we brought him home.'



Indeed, upon first meeting, Kerry strikes you as no different to many other young woman. Slim and quirkily dressed, it's clear that, like anyone of her age, she loves to experiment with make-up and clothes.
Nevertheless, she is painfully shy - it is Mark's belief that it is this which gives social workers the impression her learning difficulties are worse than they are.
'Social services are ruining my life. First, I was stopped from getting married and then they took my baby'
But gain her trust and she chats away happily like any other teenager. In fact, I don't believe anyone meeting her in a group of young people would even identify learning difficulties.
As for Mark, he has an impressive clutch of GCSEs under his belt, as well as two As in his Highers - the Scottish equivalent of A levels - in art and English.
He is an accomplished artist who makes a reasonable living selling his sketches and charcoal pictures worldwide - he showed me a picture he drew of newborn Ben, and it is a very accurate likeness.
Mark says: 'Neither Kerry nor me have ever had any conviction for cruelty or violence. I don't understand why the authorities have treated us like this.'

So what is the truth?

The Mail, it must be stressed, is not privy to all the information social services hold on this couple. Kerry admits she is no Einstein, but she seems like any other teenager.

Seeing her with Mark, hand-in-hand on the sofa at their rented house in Ireland, some would say they seem more mature than many young lovers.
Binge-drinking, casual relationships and parties couldn't be further from their minds. Both say they prefer an evening in with friends. If anything, they could be described as somewhat old-fashioned.
Mark says: 'When we discovered Kerry was pregnant we wanted to get married. It was important to us that our baby was born to married parents.'
That wedding was set to take place in a church, organised by Mark's father, who had arranged for the congregation to produce a homemade buffet for their reception.
Although Kerry was brought up in the care of her grandmother, she comes from a close-knit community with a large extended family of aunts and uncles. Her younger brother, who's nine, still lives with her grandmother.
The couple met last January through friends. 'I certainly didn't think Kerry had learning difficulties,' says Mark.

'At first she just seemed quiet, but I soon discovered a quirky sense of humour, and that's what attracted me to her.'
Family: Ben was born on January 15 weighing 7lb 3oz
By March, they were a couple and the following month Kerry moved into Mark's one-bedroom flat. It was shortly after this that Kerry became pregnant.
Kerry says: 'When I told my grandmother I was pregnant, she got a care worker to take me to the GP.

'It was then that the care worker said to me: "You know you won't be able to keep this baby don't you?"'
Mark adds: 'It was only at this stage I realised how seriously social services viewed Kerry's so-called condition.
'It was a very upsetting time, as the care worker suggested to Kerry it might be better if she had a termination.

'But neither of us wanted an abortion. Kerry said she could never do that.'

So the couple pressed on with the pregnancy and, as they heard nothing more from social services, put their worries to the back of their minds.

Mark says: 'When Kerry was three months pregnant, we decided to marry.

'I bought Kerry an engagement ring - a little pink one with a diamond-type stone - and we held a party.'
The pair set the date for the wedding in September. Mark recalls: 'Kerry had bought her dress, the church was booked, a cake made and the reception organised.

'But two days before, there was a frantic knocking at our front door and we were confronted by two social workers who told us our wedding was illegal.

'Kerry and I were devastated, but we had no option but to cancel our big day.'
It later transpired Fife social services had made the extraordinary step of writing a letter of objection to the registrar, claiming Kerry was too dim to understand her vows.

The couple have since attempted to marry again, but have been told that, as an order is still in place, a wedding is forbidden.
But if that weren't enough, in October, when Kerry was five months pregnant, the couple were called into a meeting with social services and told their baby would be taken into care at birth.

Kerry says: 'I couldn't stop crying. By then, I'd already found out I was having a little boy and we had decided to name him Ben. I'd felt him kick inside me.'

Mark adds: 'There was no mention of trying to help Kerry or give her the chance to be a mum.

'At that time, they said Kerry would be allowed only a few hours with him. It seemed then he would go to foster parents, and there was the fear he would be adopted and we would lose him for ever.
'The care worker suggested to Kerry it might be better if she had a termination'
'It didn't seem to matter to social services that we loved one another and wanted to get married.'
The worry was so great that Mark began researching on the internet other cases in which parents had faced losing their babies in this way.
He says: 'I discovered that many couples had been forced to flee the UK and go to other countries where the authorities take a different view and are keen to keep families together.

'It seemed a huge step to take. Neither Kerry nor myself wanted to leave home, where we had family and support. But in the end we felt we had no choice.'
The couple decided to go to Ireland, where they believed their case would be looked on more sympathetically.
So in November, having held a tearful farewell gathering - and with just £200 in their pockets, a suitcase and a bag of sandwiches made by Kerry - the pair stole out of their house in the dead of night.
The couple made it to Belfast, where they stayed for eight weeks.
'Not having social workers knocking on our doors, wanting meetings all the time, was fantastic,' says Mark. 'For the first time in Kerry's pregnancy, we could enjoy it.'


The pair were financed by friends and family - although Mark continued to sell his artwork.

'I missed my grandma, my little brother and my family terribly,' says Kerry. 'It was hard to be away from them at Christmas. But I consoled myself that it would be worth it. I could hold Ben in my arms and not worry he would be taken.'
Kerry and Mark made the final leg of their journey to Waterford in the Republic of Ireland - which is not governed by UK laws - two weeks after Christmas, with the birth of the baby looming.
Accomplished artist: Mark drew a sketch of his son while in hospital
There, with the help of a donation from a secret benefactor, they were able to find a safe house.
Mark recalls: 'We rented a beautiful little house. Waterford is a seaside resort and we decided to make a new life there.'
On Friday, January 15 at 8.41pm, their hopes were realised when, after a natural labour, Ben was finally born.

The happy couple took photos of their 7lb 3oz bundle. And for three days all appeared to be well.
Mark visited the hospital daily, and close friends who knew where they were sent congratulations cards. Meanwhile, Kerry took to breastfeeding and caring for Ben without any problems.
Behind the scenes, however, social workers were gearing up to strike.

Through medical records, the Irish authorities had discovered that social workers in Fife had an interest in Kerry.
'It seems they contacted Fife, who told them they feared because of Kerry's "disability" our baby could suffer physical or emotional neglect,' explains Mark.
The following Monday, the couple were told a social worker would visit them the next day, and at that point they were not unduly concerned.
'We are honest, so we were happy to co-operate fully,' says Mark. 'We would have been pleased to be monitored.

'Even putting Kerry into a home for new mums with babies so she could prove she can be a good mother would have been fine.
'We understood that the Irish social workers needed to make their own inquiries, and were perfectly happy to do whatever it took to keep Ben.'
So they were totally unprepared when, at the 9.15am meeting on the Tuesday, they were forced to hand over their baby. Since then he has been looked after by foster carers.

They have been allowed two-hourly visits with Ben. But even now, as they're about to be reunited with their baby, there is no denying that the episode has been highly distressing.
Kerry says: 'I was so upset when I saw him the first time with the social workers because he had a dummy in his mouth.
'I told them I didn't want him having a dummy. And he is being bottle fed, but I wanted to breastfeed him.
'I'm just so happy that I'll be with my baby. I don't know how long I'll be at the unit. I'll miss Mark if he's not allowed to stay over - but Ben comes first.'

There's no denying that she and Mark sincerely hope today heralds the start of life as a normal, happy family.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1246590/The-woman-told-stupid-baby-boy.html#ixzz0dwRMMoJP

Breastfeeding is the First Line of Defense in a Disaster

January 27, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


UPDATED STATEMENT:
Breastfeeding is the First Line of Defense in a Disaster
Washington, DC--The Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA), United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC), International Lactation Consultant Association/United States Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA/USLCA), and La Leche League International (LLLI) strongly affirm the importance of breastfeeding in emergency situations, and call on relief workers and health care providers serving victims of disasters to protect, promote, and support mothers to breastfeed their babies. During an emergency, breastfeeding mothers provide their infants with safe food and water and disease protection that maximize their chances of survival.

This week, the International Milk Bank Project and Quick International Courier coordinated a shipment of milk from the HMBANA member banks to supplement a mother's own milk for the premature, medically fragile, and orphaned infants aboard the U.S. Navy ship Comfort stationed off the coast of Haiti. This milk will help this small group of infants. In this highly unusual circumstance the infrastructure associated with the Comfort's resources allows U.S. sourced donor milk to help fragile Haitian babies.

Donor milk, however, is not a solution for the large number of infants and young children affected by the earthquake in Haiti. Members of the public who wish to promote the survival of mothers and babies in Haiti can donate money to the following organizations: UNICEF, Save the Children Alliance, World Vision, and Action Against Hunger. These organizations are using best practice to aid both breastfed and non-breastfed infants. Members of the public can be confident that donations to these organizations will support breastfeeding and help save the lives of babies.

Interventions to protect infants include supporting mothers to initiate and continue exclusive breastfeeding, relactation for mothers who have ceased breastfeeding, and finding wet nurses for motherless or separated babies. Every effort should be made to minimize the number of infants and young children who do not have access to breastfeeding. Artificially fed infants require intensive support from aid organizations including infant formula, clean water, soap, a stove, fuel, education, and medical support. This is not an easy endeavor. Formula feeding is extremely risky in emergency conditions and artificially fed infants are vulnerable to the biggest killers of children in emergencies: diarrhea and pneumonia.

As stated by UNICEF and WHO, no donations of infant formula or powdered milk should be sent to the Haiti emergency. Such donations are difficult to manage logistically, actively detract from the aid effort, and put infant's lives at risk. Distribution of infant formula should only occur in a strictly controlled manner. Stress does not prevent women from making milk for their babies, and breastfeeding women should not be given any infant formula or powdered milk.

There are ongoing needs in the U.S. for human milk for premature and other extremely ill infants because of the protection it provides from diseases and infections. If a mother is unable to provide her own milk to her premature or sick infant, donor human milk is often requested from a human milk bank. American mothers can help their compatriots who find themselves in need of breast milk for their sick baby by donating to a milk bank that is a member of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America.

For more information about donating milk to a milk bank, contact HMBANA at www.hmbana.org. Additional information for relief workers and health care professionals can be provided from the United States Breastfeeding Committee at www.usbreastfeeding.org, ILCA/USLCA at www.ilca.org or www.uslca.org, or La Leche League International at www.llli.org. A list of regional milk banks is available on the HMBANA Web site at www.hmbana.org/index/locations.

USBC is an organization of organizations. Opinions expressed by USBC are not necessarily the position of all member organizations and opinions expressed by USBC member organization representatives are not necessarily the position of USBC.

United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC)
The United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) is an independent nonprofit coalition of 41 nationally influential professional, educational, and governmental organizations. Representing over half a million concerned professionals and the families they serve, USBC and its member organizations share a common mission to improve the Nation's health by working collaboratively to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding. For more information about USBC, visit www.usbreastfeeding.org.

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United States Breastfeeding Committee
2025 M Street, NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202/367-1132
Fax: 202/367-2132
E-mail: office@usbreastfeeding.org
Web: www.usbreastfeeding.org

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Breastfeeding State Laws

Breastfeeding Laws
Updated September 2009
Resources

Health professionals and public health officials promote breastfeeding to improve infant health. Both mothers and children benefit from breast milk. Breast milk contains antibodies that protect infants from bacteria and viruses. Breastfed children have fewer ear infections, respiratory infections, urinary tract infections and have diarrhea less often. Infants who are exclusively breastfed tend to need fewer health care visits, prescriptions and hospitalizations resulting in a lower total medical care cost compared to never-breastfed infants. Breastfeeding also provides long-term preventative effects for the mother, including an earlier return to pre-pregnancy weight and a reduced risk of pre-menopausal breast cancer and osteoporosis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 70 percent of mothers start breastfeeding immediately after birth, but less than 20 percent of those moms are breastfeeding exclusively six months later. It is a national goal to increase the proportion of mothers who breastfeed their babies in the early postpartum period to 75 percent by the year 2010.

Forty-three states, the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands have laws with language specifically allowing women to breastfeed in any public or private location (Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wyoming).

Twenty-eight states, the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands exempt breastfeeding from public indecency laws (Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming).

Twenty-four states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have laws related to breastfeeding in the workplace (Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming).

Twelve states and Puerto Rico exempt breastfeeding mothers from jury duty (California, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon and Virginia).

Five states and Puerto Rico have implemented or encouraged the development of a breastfeeding awareness education campaign (California, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri and Vermont).

Several states have unique laws related to breastfeeding. For instance,

The state of Virginia allows women to breastfeed on any land or property owned by the state. Puerto Rico requires shopping malls, airports, public service government centers and other select locations to have accessible areas designed for breastfeeding and diaper changing that are not bathrooms.

At least two states have laws related to child care facilities and breastfeeding. Louisiana prohibits any child care facility from discriminating against breastfed babies. Mississippi requires licensed child care facilities to provide breastfeeding mothers with a sanitary place that is not a toilet stall to breastfeed their children or express milk, to provide a refrigerator to store expressed milk, to train staff in the safe and proper storage and handling of human milk, and to display breastfeeding promotion information to the clients of the facility.

California requires the Department of Public Health to develop a training course of hospital policies and recommendations that promote exclusive breastfeeding and specify staff for whom this model training is appropriate. The recommendation is targeted at hospitals with exclusive patient breastfeeding rates ranked in the lowest twenty-five percent of the state.

Maryland exempts the sale of tangible personal property that is manufactured for the purpose of initiating, supporting or sustaining breastfeeding from the sales and use tax.

California, New York and Texas have laws related to the procurement, processing, distribution or use of human milk.

New York created a Breastfeeding Mothers Bill of Rights, which is required to be posted in maternal health care facilities.




First Letter of State A C D F G H I K L M N O P R T U V W

States
Summary of Statutes
Alabama
Ala. Code § 21-1-13 (2006) allows a mother to breastfeed her child in any public or private location.

American Samoa


Alaska
Alaska Stat. § 29.25.080 and § 01.10.060 (1998) prohibit a municipality from enacting an ordinance that prohibits or restricts a woman breastfeeding a child in a public or private location where the woman and child are otherwise authorized to be. The law clarifies that lewd conduct, lewd touching, immoral conduct, indecent conduct, and similar terms do not include the act of a woman breastfeeding a child in a public or private location where the woman and child are otherwise authorized to be. (SB 297)

Arizona
Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann § 41-1443 (2006) provides that indecent exposure does not include an act of breastfeeding by a mother and entitles a mother to breastfeed in any public place where the mother is otherwise lawfully present.

Arkansas
Ark. Stat. Ann. § 5-14-112 and § 20-27-2001 (2007) allow a woman to breastfeed in any public or private location where other individuals are present. The law also exempts breastfeeding women from indecent exposure laws.

2009 Ark. Acts, Act 621 requires an employer to provide reasonable unpaid break time each day to an employee who needs to express breast milk for her child and requires an employer to make a reasonable effort to provide a private, secure and sanitary room or other location other than a toilet stall where an employee can express her breast milk. (HB 1552)

California
Cal. Civil Code § 43.3 (1997) allows a mother to breastfeed her child in any location, public or private, except the private home or residence of another, where the mother and the child are otherwise authorized to be present. (AB 157)

Cal. Civil Code § 210.5 (2000) allows the mother of a breastfed child to postpone jury duty for one year and specifically eliminates the need for the mother to appear in court to request the postponement. The law also provides that the one-year period may be extended upon written request of the mother. (Chap. 266; AB 1814)

Cal. Health and Safety Code § 1647 (1999) declares that the procurement, processing, distribution or use of human milk for the purpose of human consumption is considered to be a rendition of service rather than a sale of human milk. (Chap. 87; AB 532)

Cal. Health and Safety Code § 123360 and § 1257.9 require that the Department of Public Health include in its public service campaign the promotion of mothers breastfeeding their infants. The department shall also develop a training course of hospital policies and recommendations that promote exclusive breastfeeding and specify staff for whom this model training is appropriate. The recommendation is targeted at hospitals with exclusive patient breastfeeding rates ranked in the lowest twenty-five percent of the state. (2007 Chapter 460, SB 22)

Cal. Labor Code § 1030 et seq. (2001) provides that employers need to allow a break and provide a room for a mother who desires to express milk in private.

Cal. Assembly Concurrent Resolution 155 (1998) encourages the state and employers to support and encourage the practice of breastfeeding by striving to accommodate the needs of employees, and by ensuring that employees are provided with adequate facilities for breastfeeding and expressing milk for their children. The resolution memorializes the governor to declare by executive order that all state employees be provided with adequate facilities for breast feeding and expressing milk.

Colorado
Colo. Rev. Stat. § 25-6-301 and § 25-6-302 (2004) recognize the benefits of breastfeeding and encourage mothers to breastfeed. The law also allows a mother to breastfeed in any place she has a right to be. (SB 88)

2008 Colo., Sess. Laws, Chap. 106 requires that an employer shall provide reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for her nursing child for up to two years after the child's birth. The employer shall make reasonable efforts to provide a place, other than a toilet stall, for the employee to express breast milk in privacy. The law also requires the Department of Labor and Employment to provide, on its website, information and links to other websites where employers can access information regarding methods to accommodate nursing mothers in the workplace. (HB 1276)

Connecticut
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-40w (2001) requires employers to provide a reasonable amount of time each day to an employee who needs to express breast milk for her infant child and to provide accommodations where an employee can express her milk in private. (HF 5656)

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46a-64 (1997) prohibits places of public accommodation, resort or amusement from restricting or limiting the right of a mother to breastfeed her child. (1997 Conn. Acts, P.A. 210)

Conn. Gen. Stat. Ann. § 53-34b provides that no person may restrict or limit the right of a mother to breastfeed her child.

Delaware
Del. Code Ann. tit. 31 § 310 (1997) entitles a mother to breastfeed her child in any location of a place of public accommodation wherein the mother is otherwise permitted. (71 Del. Laws, c. 10)

District of Columbia
D.C. Code Ann. § 2-1402.81 et seq. amends the Human Rights Act of 1977 to include breastfeeding as part of the definition of discrimination on the basis of sex, to ensure a woman's right to breastfeed her child in any location, public or private, where she has the right to be with her child. The law provides that breastfeeding is not a violation of indecent exposure laws. The law also specifies that an employer shall provide reasonable daily unpaid break periods, as required by the employee, so that the employee may express breast milk for her child. These break periods shall run concurrently with any break periods that may already be provided to the employee. Requires that an employer make reasonable efforts to provide a sanitary room or other location, other than a bathroom or toilet stall, where an employee can express her breast milk in privacy and security. The location may include a childcare facility in close proximity to the employee's work location. (2007 D.C. Stat., Chap. 17-58; B 133)

Florida
Fla. Stat. § 383.015 (1993) allows a mother to breastfeed in any public or private location. (HB 231)

Fla. Stat. § 383.016 (1994) authorizes a facility lawfully providing maternity services or newborn infant care to use the designation "baby-friendly" on its promotional materials. The facility must be in compliance with at least eighty percent of the requirements developed by the Department of Health in accordance with UNICEF and World Health Organization baby-friendly hospital initiatives. (SB 1668)

Fla. Stat. § 800.02 et seq. and § 827.071 exclude breastfeeding from various sexual offenses, such as lewdness, indecent exposure and sexual conduct.

2008 Fla. Laws, Chap. 172 excludes a mother breastfeeding her baby from the offense of lewd or lascivious exhibition using a computer. (SB 1442)

Georgia
Ga. Code § 31-1-9 (1999) states that the breastfeeding of a baby is an important and basic act of nurture which should be encouraged in the interests of maternal and child health and allows a mother to breastfeed her baby in any location where the mother and baby are otherwise authorized to be. (1999 SB 29, Act 304; 2002 SB 221)

Ga. Code § 34-1-6 (1999) allows employers to provide daily unpaid break time for a mother to express breast milk for her infant child. Employers are also required to make a reasonable effort to provide a private location, other than a toilet stall, in close proximity to the workplace for this activity. The employer is not required to provide break time if to do so would unduly disrupt the workplace operations.

Guam


Hawaii
Hawaii Rev. Stat. § 367-3 (1999) requires the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission to collect, assemble and publish data concerning instances of discrimination involving breastfeeding or expressing breast milk in the workplace. The law prohibits employers to forbid an employee from expressing breast milk during any meal period or other break period. (HB 266)

Hawaii Rev. Stat. § 378-2 (1999) provides that it is unlawful discriminatory practice for any employer or labor organization to refuse to hire or employ, to bar or discharge from employment, or withhold pay, demote or penalize a lactating employee because an employee breastfeeds or expresses milk at the workplace. (HB 2774)

Hawaii Rev. Stat. § 489.21 and § 489-22 provide that it is a discriminatory practice to deny, or attempt to deny, the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, priviledge, advantages, and accommodation of a place of public accommodations to a woman because she is breastfeeding a child.

Idaho
Idaho Code § 2-212 provides that a person who is not disqualified for jury service under § 2-209 may have jury service postponed by the court or the jury commissioner only upon a showing of undue hardship, extreme inconvenience, or public necessity, or upon a showing that the juror is a mother breastfeeding her child. (2002 HB 497)

Illinois
Ill. Rev. Stat. ch. 20 § 2310/55.84 (1997) allows the Department of Public Health to conduct an information campaign for the general public to promote breastfeeding of infants by their mothers. The law allows the department to include the information in a brochure for free distribution to the general public. (Ill. Laws, P.A. 90-244)

Ill. Rev. Stat. ch. 705 § 305/10.3 (2005) amends the Jury Act. Provides that any mother nursing her child shall, upon her request, be excused from jury duty. (Ill. Laws, P.A. 094-0391, SB 517)

Ill. Rev. Stat. ch. 720 § 5/11-9 (1995) clarifies that breastfeeding of infants is not an act of public indecency. (SB 190)

Ill. Rev. Stat. ch. 740 § 137 (2004) creates the Right to Breastfeed Act. The law provides that a mother may breastfeed her baby in any location, public or private, where the mother is otherwise authorized to be; a mother who breastfeeds in a place of worship shall follow the appropriate norms within that place of worship. (SB 3211)

Ill. Rev. Stat. ch. 820 § 260 (2001) creates the Nursing Mothers in the Workplace Act. Requires that employers provide reasonable unpaid break time each day to employees who need to express breast milk. The law also requires employers to make reasonable efforts to provide a room or other location, other than a toilet stall, where an employee can express her milk in privacy. (SB 542)

Indiana
Ind. Code § 16-35-6 allows a woman to breastfeed her child anywhere the law allows her to be. (HB 1510)

2008 Ind. Acts, P.L. 13 provides that state and political subdivisions shall provide for reasonable paid breaks for an employee to express breast milk for her infant, make reasonable efforts to provide a room or other location, other than a toilet stall, where the employee can express breast milk in private and make reasonable efforts to provide for a refrigerator to keep breast milk that has been expressed. The law also provides that employers with more than 25 employees must provide a private location, other than a toilet stall, where an employee can express the employee's breast milk in private and if possible to provide a refrigerator for storing breast milk that has been expressed. (2008 SB 219)

Iowa
Iowa Code § 135.30A (2002) a woman may breastfeed the woman's own child in any public place where the woman's presence is otherwise authorized.

Iowa Code § 607A.5 (1994) allows a woman to be excused from jury service if she submits written documentation verifying, to the court's satisfaction, that she is the mother of a breastfed child and is responsible for the daily care of the child.

Kansas
Kan. Stat. Ann. § 43-158 and § 65-1,248 provide that it is the public policy of Kansas that a mother's choice to breastfeed should be supported and encouraged to the greatest extent possible and that a mother may breastfeed in any place she has a right to be. The law was amended in 2006 to excuse nursing mothers from jury duty (2006 HB 2284).

Kentucky
Ky. Rev. Stat. § 29A.100 (2007) directs judges at all levels of the court to excuse women who are breastfeeding or expressing breast milk from jury service until the child is no longer nursing. (SB 111)

Ky. Rev. Stat. § 211-755 (2006) permits a mother to breastfeed her baby or express breast milk in any public or private location. Requires that breastfeeding may not be considered an act of public indecency, indecent exposure, sexual conduct, lewd touching or obscenity. Prohibits a municipality from enacting an ordinance that prohibits or restricts breastfeeding in a public or private place. (SB 106)

Louisiana
La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 46. 1409 B 5 prohibits any child care facility from discriminating against breastfed babies. (HB 233)

La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 51. 2247.1 (2001) states that a mother may breastfeed her baby in any place of public accommodation, resort, or amusement, and clarifies that breastfeeding is not a violation of law, including obscenity laws. (2001 HB 377)

La. House Concurrent Resolution 35 (2002) establishes a joint study of requiring insurance coverage for outpatient lactation support for new mothers.

2008 La. Senate Resolution 110 requests the Department of Health & Hospitals to study and/or consider a provision of providing non-emergency transportation for new mothers to allow them to visit the hospital and bring their breast milk for their babies.

Maine
Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 5, § 4634 (2001) amends the Maine Human Rights Act to declare that a mother has the right to breastfeed her baby in any location, whether public or private, as long as she is otherwise authorized to be in that location. (Me. Laws, Chap. 206; LD 1396)

2009 Me. Laws, Chap. 84 (HB 280) requires an employer to provide adequate unpaid or paid break time to express breast milk for up to 3 years following childbirth. The employer must make reasonable efforts to provide a clean place, other than a bathroom, where an employee may express breast milk in privacy. The employer may not discriminate against an employee who chooses to express breast milk in the workplace.

Maryland
Md. Health-General Code Ann. § 20-801 (2003) permits a woman to breastfeed her infant in any public or private place and prohibits anyone from restricting or limiting this right. (SB 223)

Md. Tax-General Code Ann. § 11-211 exempts the sale of tangible personal property that is manufactured for the purpose of initiating, supporting or sustaining breastfeeding from the sales and use tax.

Massachusetts
2008 Mass. Acts, Chap. 466 allows a mother to breastfeed her child in any public place or establishment or place which is open to and accepts or solicits the patronage of the general public and where the mother and her child may otherwise lawfully be present; specifies that the act of a mother breastfeeding her child shall not be considered lewd, indecent, immoral, or unlawful conduct; provides for a civil action by a mother subjected to a violation of this law. (SB 2438)

Michigan
Mich. Comp. Laws § 41.181,67.1aa and § 117.4i et seq. (1994) state that public nudity laws do not apply to a woman breastfeeding a child.

Minnesota
Minn. Stat. Ann. § 145.894 directs the state commissioner of health to develop and implement a public education program promoting the provisions of the Maternal and Child Nutrition Act. The education programs must include a campaign to promote breastfeeding.

Minn. Stat. § 145.905 provides that a mother may breastfeed in any location, public or private, where the mother and child are authorized to be, irrespective of whether the nipple of the mother's breast is uncovered during or incidental to the breastfeeding.

Minn. Stat. § 181.939 (1998) requires employers to provide daily unpaid break time for a mother to express breast milk for her infant child. Employers are also required to make a reasonable effort to provide a private location, other than a toilet stall, in close proximity to the workplace for this activity. (SB 2751)

Minn. Stat. Ann. § 617.23 specifies that breastfeeding does not constitute indecent exposure.

Mississippi
Miss. Code Ann. § 13-5-23 (2006) provides that breastfeeding mothers may be excused from serving as jurors. (SB 2419)

Miss. Code Ann. § 17-25-7/9 (2006) prohibits any ordinance restricting a woman's right to breastfeed and provides that a mother may breastfeed her child in any location she is otherwise authorized to be. (SB 2419)

Miss. Code Ann. § 43-20-31 (2006) requires licensed child care facilities to provide breastfeeding mothers with a sanitary place that is not a toilet stall to breastfeed their children or express milk, to provide a refrigerator to store expressed milk, to train staff in the safe and proper storage and handling of human milk, and to display breastfeeding promotion information to the clients of the facility.

Miss. Code Ann. Ch. 1 § 71-1-55 (2006) prohibits against discrimination towards breastfeeding mothers who use lawful break time to express milk.

Miss. Code Ann. § 97-29-31 and § 97-35-7et seq. (2006) specifies that a woman breastfeeding may not be considered an act of indecent exposure, disorderly conduct, or disturbance of the public space.

Missouri
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 191.915 (1999) requires hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers to provide new mothers with a breastfeeding consultation or information on breastfeeding, the benefits to the child and information on local breastfeeding support groups. The law requires physicians who provide obstetrical or gynecological consultation to inform patients about the postnatal benefits of breastfeeding. The law requires the Department of Health to provide and distribute written information on breastfeeding and the health benefits to the child. (SB 8)

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 191.918 (1999) allows a mother, with as much discretion as possible, to breastfeed her child in any public or private location.

Montana
Mont. Code Ann. § 39-2-215 et seq. specifies that employers must not discriminate against breastfeeding mothers and must encourage and accommodate breastfeeding. Requires employers to provide daily unpaid break time for a mother to express breast milk for her infant child. Employers are also required to make a reasonable effort to provide a private location, other than a toilet stall, in close proximity to the work place for this activity.

Mont. Code Ann. § 50-19-501 (1999) states that the breastfeeding of a child in any location, public or private, where the mother otherwise has a right to be is legal and cannot be considered a nuisance, indecent exposure, sexual conduct, or obscenity. (SB 398)

2009 Mont. Laws, Chap. 167 (HB 372) specifies that the court may excuse a person from jury service upon finding that it would entail undue hardship for the person; an excuse may be granted if the prospective juror is a breastfeeding mother.

Nebraska
Neb. Rev. Stat. §25-1601-4 (2003) states that a nursing mother is excused from jury duty until she is no longer breastfeeding and that the nursing mother must file a qualification form supported by a certificate from her physician requesting exemption. (LB 19)

Nevada
Nev. Rev. Stat. § 201.232, § 201.210, and § 201.220 (1995) state that the breastfeeding of a child in any location, public or private, is not considered a violation of indecent exposure laws. (SB 317)

New Hampshire
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 132:10-d and § 121:1 et seq. (1999) state that breastfeeding does not constitute indecent exposure and that limiting or restricting a mother's right to breastfeed is discriminatory. (HB 441)

New Jersey
N.J. Rev. Stat. § 26:4B-4/5 (1997) entitles a mother to breastfeed her baby in any location of a place of public accommodation, resort or amusement wherein the mother is otherwise permitted. Failure to comply with the law may result in a fine.

New Mexico
N.M. Stat. Ann. § 28-20-1 (1999) permits a mother to breastfeed her child in any public or private location where she is otherwise authorized to be. (SB 545)

N.M. Stat. Ann. § 28-20-2 (2007) requires employers to provide a clean, private place, not a bathroom, for employees who are breastfeeding to pump. Also requires that the employee be given breaks to express milk, but does not require that she be paid for this time.

2009 N.M. House Memorial 58 requests the governor's women's health advisory council to convene a task force to study the needs of breastfeeding student-mothers and make recommendations for breastfeeding accommodations in school environments.

New York
N.Y. Civil Rights Law § 79-e (1994) permits a mother to breastfeed her child in any public or private location. (SB 3999)

N.Y. Labor Law § 206-c (2007) states that employers must allow breastfeeding mothers reasonable, unpaid break times to express milk and make a reasonable attempt to provide a private location for her to do so. Prohibits discrimination against breastfeeding mothers.

N.Y. Penal Law § 245.01 et seq. excludes breastfeeding of infants from exposure offenses.

N.Y. Public Health Law § 2505 provides that the Maternal and Child Health commissioner has the power to adopt regulations and guidelines including, but not limited to donor standards, methods of collection, and standards for storage and distribution of human breast milk.

2009 N.Y. Laws, Chap. 292 Creates the Breastfeeding Mothers Bill of Rights and requires it to be posted in a public place in each maternal health care facility. The commissioner must also make the Breastfeeding Mothers Bill of Rights available on the health department's website so that health care facilities and providers may include such rights in a maternity information leaflet. (2009 AB 789)

North Carolina
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-190.9 (1993) states that a woman is allowed to breastfeed in any public or private location, and that she is not in violation of indecent exposure laws. (HB 1143)

North Dakota
2009 N.D. Senate Bill 2344 specifies that the act of a woman discreetly breastfeeding her child is not in violation of indecent exposure laws. The law allows a woman to breastfeed her child in any public or private location where the woman and child are otherwise authorized to be. The law allows an employer to use the designation "infant friendly" on its promotional materials if they adopt a workplace breastfeeding policy that includes a flexible work schedule that provides time for expression of breast milk; a convenient, sanitary, safe and private location other than a restroom to allow privacy for breastfeeding or expressing breast milk; and other policies.

Ohio
Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3781.55 (2005) provides that a mother is entitled to breastfeed her baby in any location of a place of public accommodation wherein the mother is otherwise permitted. (SB 41)

Oklahoma
Okla. Stat. tit. 38 § 28 (2004) exempts mothers who are breastfeeding a baby from jury duty, upon their request. (2004 HB 2102)

Okla. Stat. tit. 40 § 435 (2006) requires that an employer provide reasonable unpaid break time each day to an employee who needs to breastfeed or express breast milk for her child. The law requires the Department of Health to issue periodic reports on breastfeeding rates, complaints received and benefits reported by both working breastfeeding mothers and employers. (HB 2358)

Okla. Stat. tit. 38, § 28 and tit. 63, § 1-234 (2004) allow a mother to breastfeed her child in any location that she is authorized to be and exempts her from the crimes and punishments listed in the penal code of the state of Oklahoma. (HB 2102)

Oregon
Or. Rev. Stat. § 109.001 (1999) allows a woman to breastfeed in a public place. (SB 744)

Or. Rev. Stat. § 10.050 (1999) excuses a woman from acting as a juror if the woman is breastfeeding a child. A request from the woman must be made in writing. (SB 1304)

Or. Rev. Stat. § 653.075, § 653.077 and § 653.256 (2007) allow women to have unpaid 30-minute breaks during each four-hour shift to breastfeed or pump. Allows certain exemptions for employers. (HB 2372)

Pennsylvania
Pa. Cons. Stat. tit. 35 § 636.1 et seq. (2007) allows mothers to breastfeed in public without penalty. Breastfeeding may not be considered a nuisance, obscenity or indecent exposure under this law. (SB 34)

Puerto Rico
1 L.P.R.A. § 5165 declares August as "Breastfeeding Awareness Month" and the first week of August as "World Breastfeeding Week" in Puerto Rico.

3 L.P.R.A. § 1466 and 29 L.P.R.A. § 478a et seq. provide that breastfeeding mothers have the opportunity to breastfeed their babies for half an hour within the full-time working day for a maximum duration of 12 months.

23 L.P.R.A. § 43-1 directs the Regulations and Permits Administration to adopt regulations, which shall provide that in shopping malls, airports, ports and public service government centers there shall be accessible areas designed for breastfeeding and diaper changing that are not bathrooms.

34 L.P.R.A. § 1735h states that any woman breastfeeding her child under 24 months old and who presents a medical attestation to such fact is exempt from serving as a juror. (2003 SB 397)

Rhode Island
R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-45-2 (1998) specifies that indecent exposure-disorderly conduct laws do not apply to breastfeeding in public. (1998 HB 8103, SB 2319; 2008 R.I. Pub Laws, Chap. 183, SB 2616)

R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-13.2-1 (2003) specifies that an employer may provide reasonable unpaid break time each day to an employee who needs to breastfeed or express breast milk for her infant child. The law requires the department of health to issue periodic reports on breastfeeding rates, complaints received and benefits reported by both working breastfeeding mothers and employers, and provides definitions. (2003 HB 5507, SB 151; 2008 R.I. Pub. Laws, Chap. 475, HB 7906)

2008 R. I. Pub. Laws, Chap. 223 and Chap. 308 allow a woman to feed her child by bottle or breast in any place open to the public and would allow her a private cause of action for denial of this right. (HB 7467, SB 2283)

South Carolina
S.C. Code Ann. § 63-5-40 (2005) provides that a woman may breastfeed her child in any location where the mother is authorized to be and that the act of breastfeeding is not considered indecent exposure. (2008 HB 4747)

South Dakota
S.D. Codified Laws Ann. § 22-22-24.1 and § 22-24A-2 (2002) exempt mothers who are breastfeeding from indecency laws.

Tennessee
Tenn. Code Ann. § 68-58-101 et seq. (2006) permits a mother to breastfeed an infant 12 months or younger in any location, public or private, that the mother is authorized to be, and prohibits local governments from criminalizing or restricting breastfeeding. Specifies that the act of breastfeeding shall not be considered public indecency as defined by § 39-13-511; or nudity, obscene, or sexual conduct as defined in § 39-17-901. (HB 3582)

Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-1-305 (1999) requires employers to provide daily unpaid break time for a mother to express breast milk for her infant child. Employers are also required to make a reasonable effort to provide a private location, other than a toilet stall, in close proximity to the workplace for this activity. (SB 1856)

Texas
Tex. Health Code Ann. § 161.071 (2001) requires the Department of Health to establish minimum guidelines for the procurement, processing, distribution, or use of human milk by donor milk banks. (HB 391)

Tex. Health Code Ann. § 165.001 et seq. and § 165.031 et seq. (1995) authorize a woman to breastfeed her child in any location and provides for the use of a "mother-friendly" designation for employers who have policies supporting worksite breastfeeding. (HB 340, HB 359)

U.S. Virgin Islands
14 V.I.C. § 1022 specifies that a woman breastfeeding a child in any public or private location where the woman's presence is otherwise authorized does not under any circumstance constitute obscene or indecent conduct.

Utah
Utah Code Ann. § 17-15-25 (1995) states that city and county governing bodies may not inhibit a woman's right to breastfeed in public.

Utah Code Ann. § 76-10-1229.5 (1995) states that a breastfeeding woman is not in violation of any obscene or indecent exposure laws. (HB 262)

Vermont
Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 9 § 4502 (2002) and 2002 Vt. Acts, Act 117 state that breastfeeding should be encouraged in the interest of enhancing maternal, child and family health. The law provides that a mother may breastfeed her child in any place of public accommodation in which the mother and child would otherwise have a legal right to be. The law directs the human rights commission to develop and distribute materials that provide information regarding a woman's legal right to breastfeed her child in a place of public accommodation. (SB 156)

2008 Vt. Acts, Act 144 requires employers to provide reasonable time throughout the day for nursing mothers to express breast milk for three years after the birth of a child. Also requires employers to make a reasonable accommodation to provide appropriate private space that is not a bathroom stall, and prohibits discrimination against an employee who exercises rights provided under this act. (HB 641)

2008 Vt. Acts, Act 203 directs the commissioner of health to convene a work group to identify priorities and develop recommendations to enhance collaborative learning and interactive sharing of best practices in worksite wellness and employee health management. The work group shall examine best practices in Vermont and other states, including strategies to spread the adoption of workplace policies and practices that support breastfeeding for mothers (HB 887).

Virginia
Va. Code § 2.2-1147.1 (2002) guarantees a woman the right to breastfeed her child on any property owned, leased or controlled by the state. The bill also stipulates that childbirth and related medical conditions specified in the Virginia Human Rights Act include activities of lactation, including breastfeeding and expression of milk by a mother for her child. (HB 1264)

Va. Code Ann. § 8.01-341.1 (2005) provides that a mother who is breastfeeding a child may be exempted from jury duty upon her request. The mother need not be "necessarily and personally responsible for a child or children 16 years of age or younger requiring continuous care during normal court hours." (2005 Chap. 195, HB 2708)

Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-387 (1994) exempts mothers engaged in breastfeeding from indecent exposure laws.

Va. House Joint Resolution 145 (2002) encourages employers to recognize the benefits of breastfeeding and to provide unpaid break time and appropriate space for employees to breastfeed or express milk.

Washington
Wash. Rev. Code § 9A.88.010 (2001) states that the act of breastfeeding or expressing breast milk is not indecent exposure. (HB 1590)

Wash. Rev. Code § 43.70.640 (2001) allows any employer, governmental and private, to use the designation of "infant-friendly" on its promotional materials if the employer follows certain requirements. (2001 Wash. Laws, Chap. 88)

2009 Wash. Laws, Chap. 164 (HB 1596) provides that it is the right of a mother to breastfeed her child in any place of public resort, accommodations, assemblage, or amusement.

West Virginia


Wisconsin
Wis. Stat. § 944.17(3), § 944.20(2) and § 948.10(2) (1995) provide that breastfeeding mothers are not in violation of criminal statutes of indecent or obscene exposure. (AB 154)

Wyoming
Wyo. House Joint Resolution 5 (2003) encourages breastfeeding and recognizes the importance of breastfeeding to maternal and child health. The resolution also commends employers, both in the public and private sectors, who provide accommodations for breastfeeding mothers.

Wyo. Stat. § 6-4-201 (2007) exempts breastfeeding mothers from public indecency laws and gives breastfeeding women the right to nurse anyplace that they otherwise have a right to be. (HB 105)

Sources: National Conference of State Legislatures and StateNet
Note: List may not be comprehensive, but is representative of state laws that exist. NCSL appreciates additions and corrections.


Resources
The Economic Benefits of Breastfeeding
NCSL LegisBrief, January 2010

The Benefits of Breastfeeding
This article appeared in the April 2005 edition of NCSL's magazine, State Legislatures.

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) : Breastfeeding

AAP: New Mother's Guide to Breastfeeding

American Academy of Family Physicians: Promoting and Supporting Breastfeeding

Center for Disease Control and Prevention: Breastfeeding Topics

Breastfeeding Report Card, 2009

Online Data from the Infant Feeding Practices Study II

Guide to Breastfeeding Interventions, 2005

Food and Nutrition Information Center: Breastfeeding

Le Leche League International

March of Dimes: Breastfeeding

Investing in Workplace Breastfeeding Programs and Policies: An Employer's Toolkit
National Business Group on Health, June 2009.

Office on Women's Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Breastfeeding

HHS Blueprint for Action on Breastfeeding

Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): Breastfeeding

This site is made possible by project, MCU 1 H03 MC 00017, from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (Title V, Social Security Act), Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.















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Don't Shake the Milk!

Linda J. Smith, IBCLC Founder of BFLRC Ltd.
6540 Cedarview Court, Dayton, Ohio 45459 Fhone (937) 438-9458 Lindaj@bflrc.com


Don't Shake the Milk
Linda J. Smith, BSE, FACCE, IBCLC

Why not?

Because shaking expressed mothers' milk (or boiling or freezing it) denatures the shaped molecules of the protective proteins, leaving only the pieces - the amino acids - the parts. Lactoferrin, lysozyme, and other protective components work their protection magic when they are in their original shaped molecular structure. Some components remain intact, even during freezing, shaking or heating. They not only protect the gut from many kinds of infection, but also prevent inflammation of the gut lining. Even broken up, the separate amino acids are still really good stuff and are digested by the baby as nutrients.

Imagine a set of pop-beads assembled into a necklace or bracelet. When the beads are acting as a bracelet or necklace, they are doing their job as protective elements. When you break apart the beads, you have in your hand many individual chunks of amino acids which are then digested.

Cellular components are also susceptible to damage by physical stress. After all, they are living cells.

With mother's milk, you get at least two functions for the price of one. With manufactured formula, you only get the individual beads, never the necklace or bracelet. And never the living cells.

So, please handle human milk gently, respectfully and kindly. It's far more than perfect food for babies - it's a living tissue and protective shield too.

© 1998 Linda J. Smith, BSE, FACCE, IBCLC

Tesco Update

http://www.tesco.com/superstore/xpi/8/xpi51478468.htm

Using product information
While every care has been taken to ensure this information is correct, food products are constantly being reformulated and nutrition content may change. We would therefore recommend that you do not rely solely on this information and always check products labels.

Where further dietary information is important to you, for example because you have an allergy or specific dietary requirement, you should contact Tesco Customer Services if the product is Tesco branded or the product manufacturer if the product is not Tesco branded.

Nutritional and guideline daily amounts (GDA) information is based on the typical composition of the product. Guideline daily amounts are those for a typical adult (men and women).

GDA information for non Tesco products is calculated by Tesco based on information provided to Tesco. Tesco has no control over the recipe or nutritional content of such products and information on this site may differ from that given on the product label. We would therefore recommend that you do not rely solely on this information and always check products labels.

Although this information is regularly updated, Tesco are unable to accept liability for any incorrect information.

This does not affect your statutory rights.

This information is supplied for personal use only. It may not be reproduced in any way whatsoever without the prior consent of Tesco Stores Limited nor without due acknowledgement.

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ENGLISH TRANSLATION : "Why you don't send formula to Haiti"

ENGLISH TRANSLATION : "Why you don't send formula to Haiti" - Dr. Carlos Gonzalez, Spanish pediatricianShare
Today at 11:18am
English translation very kindly prepared by Jeanette Panchula, IBCLC in California.

*************************

The donations of formula for bottle feeding in times of catastrophe such as war, earthquake and floods, are very dangerous. In fact, they are not donations, but instead free samples - it is the means by which formula companies compete to create new markets. If you pay attention to the news, you will frequently hear how an airplane has departed loaded with FORMULA-rarely will you hear of a plane loaded with beans or noodles. That is because the companies that sell noodles and beans, unless they have an especially generous director, have no commercial interest in making donations. While the country in question is in ruins, it is unable to pay for food; when they overcome the catastrophe they will eat their own beans grown in their own country, or their own noodles made in by local enterprises. On the other hand, if in a third world country you can take over lactation, you get millions of women to abandon breastfeeding and millions of doctors and nurses will learn the advantages of bottle feeding, which without a doubt is wonderful because Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) “X” gave it to us as a gift, then you have a captive market that will be worth millions because that milk is not manufactured in the country and it must be imported, and if used to brand Z, they will probably continue to buy brand Z.

Las donaciones de leche para el biberón en casos de catástrofe (guerra,
terremoto, inundación...) son sumamente peligrosas. En realidad no son
donaciones, sino muestras gratuitas: es el medio por el que las empresas
lácteas compiten para hacerse con nuevos mercados. Si estás atento a las
noticias, muchas veces habrás oído cómo ha salido un avión cargado de
leche... raramente oirás de un avión cargado de macarrones o lentejas.
Porque las empresas que venden macarrones o lentejas, fuera de que alguna
en concreto tenga un director especialmente generoso o solidario, no tienen
un interés comercial en hacer una donación. Mientras el país en cuestión esté
en ruinas, no pagarán por la comida; cuando superen la catástrofe, se
comerán sus propias lentejas cultivadas en su país, o sus propios macarrones
fabricados por empresas locales. En cambio, si en un país del tercer mundo
consigues cargarte la lactancia, consigues que millones de madres abandonen
la lactancia y millones de médicos y enfermeras aprendan las ventajas del
biberón, que sin duda es buenísimo porque la asociación X nos lo regalaba
para ayudarnos, luego tendrás un mercado cautivo que valdrá millones,
porque esa leche no se fabrica en el país y la tendrán que importar, y
acostumbrados a la marca Z probablemente seguirán comprando la marca Z.

- Years ago a request was made that donations be given with just a white label stating "milk for babies" with no brand, but of course the manufacturers refused. In addition, the manufacturer saves on transport by giving the free samples to an NGO – SERIOUS NGOs no longer accept them, but at times one will - or a government accepts them and THEY pay for the transport. And the real market, let us not fool ourselves, is in the third world. In Spain only 500,000 babies are born a year. In Indonesia, more than 5 million and in India 25 million. There are many more clients, although some will die on the way, and will only buy their milk for a week, and dilute it so that it will last...


Hace años pidieron que los donativos fueran con una etiqueta blanca,
"leche para bebés", sin marca, y los fabricantes, claro, no quisieron. Además,
muchas veces la empresa fabricante se ahorra el transporte: se limita a
entregarle las muestras gratuitas a una ONG (por suerte las ONG serias ya
no las aceptan, pero a veces encuentras a un primo), o a un gobierno, y estos
pagan los portes. Y el mercado de la lactancia, no nos engañemos, está en
el tercer mundo. En España sólo nacen menos de 500.000 niños al año; en
Indonesia más de 5 millones, en la India más de 25 millones... Son muchos
más clientes, aunque algunos se mueran por el camino, aunque sólo se
compren una lata de leche por semana y la diluyan para que dure...

- Some years ago, at the end of the war in Sarajevo, I met a Bosnian pediatrician in a meeting. He had suffered real hunger and was very thin, and during the meals he would pick up the smallest piece of bread that would fall on the tablecloth and eat it. He explained to us how at the beginning of the war, infant mortality rose horribly, as they were flooded with free samples. Of course, not all the professionals are knowledgeable about breastfeeding, as happens here. Many began to recommend "a little help" thinking the mothers, "stressed" by the war, would have NO milk, or wanted to help the poorly-nourished mothers by reducing the "load" of having to breastfeed. With no drinking water nor gas to boil it (as occurs also in Gaza today), when the explosions destroyed the water system and feces floods the lower floors....the death rate was enormous. It fell upon the more knowledgeable pediatricians who went to UNICEF and called a meeting of the NGO's in the area, getting them to agree to not distribute any more free donations, and also provided their personnel with education on breastfeeding in emergencies...[which is available on-line from UNICEF now] in a few months, while the war continued, they were able to have a higher rate of breastfeeding and a lower infant mortality than prior to the war.


Hace unos años, acababa de terminar la guerra de Sarajevo, conocí a unpediatra bosnio en un congreso. Había pasado hambre, estaba delgadísimo, y en las comidas recogía hasta la más minúscula miga de pan que cayera en el mantel y se la comía. Nos explicó como al principio de la guerra la mortalidad infantil aumentó espectacularmente, porque fueron inundados con muestras gratuitas. Claro, no todos los profesionales tienen buena formación sobre lactancia, igual que pasa aquí. Muchos empezaron a recomendar "ayuditas", pensaban que las madres, "estresadas" por la guerra, no tendrían leche, o que al quitarle a una madre mal alimentada la pesada "carga" de tener que dar el pecho le hacías un favor. Sin agua potable ni gas para hervirla (lo mismo que ocurre ahora en Gaza), cuando las explosiones destruyen las alcantarillas y la mierda inunda las plantas bajas... la mortalidad fue enorme. Tuvieron que ser los pediatras más concienciados los que fueran a quejarse a UNICEF, que convocó una reunión de todas las ONG sobre el terreno, acordaron no distribuir más donaciones, realizaron cursos para el personal... en pocos meses, mientras la guerra continuaba, habían conseguido tasas de lactancia materna más altas y una mortalidad infantil más baja que antes de la guerra.

- Of course some children need artificial milk in times of war; but for these few formula can be found without enormous loads of free samples. And those children, in those conditions, have such a high death rate that we can no longer think "the mother is free to decide if she wants to breastfeed or formula-feed." In these conditions we must do everything we can to promote relactation even if it has been months since the mother breastfed, or find a wet-nurse. And sadly, it is not difficult to find them...because babies are weaker than adults - and in any catastrophe there are more mothers without babies than there are babies without mothers...

Por supuesto algunos niños necesitan leche artificial en las guerras; pero
para esos pocos ya se consigue leche sin necesidad de espectaculares
cargamentos de muestras. Y esos niños, en esas condiciones, tienen un
riesgo de muerte tan alto que ya no vale aquello de "la madre es libre para
decidir, y si ha elegido la lactancia artificial...".En esas condiciones
hay que hacer todo lo posible para que la madre relacte, aunque lleve meses
sin dar el pecho, o para encontrar una nodriza. Y tristemente eso no es muy
difícil, porque los bebés son más frágiles que los adultos: en cualquier
catástrofe hay más madres sin bebé que bebés sin madre.


Greetings…

Dr. Carlos González Rodríguez

Pediatrician, Barcelona, Spain
Founder of the Asociación Catalana Pro Lactancia Materna.
Member of the La Leche League International Advisory Board
Evaluator for the UNICEF Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative.
Since 1992 he has taught more than 100 breastfeeding courses to health care providers.

Publications:
• Mi niño no me come (1999)
• Bésame mucho, cómo criar a tus hijos con amor (2003)
• Manual práctico de lactancia materna (2004)
• Un regalo para toda la vida, guía de la lactancia materna (2006)



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Any donated artificial milk (and even donated breastmilk...) to Haitian babies ultimately prevents them from getting breastmilk at their own mothers' breast, the impact of which is NOT benign. Breastfeeding is the single most effective way to ensure the health and survival of babies in any disaster zone. Please don't send milk. Send your money to an aid agency with experience in supporting lactation/re-lactation/cross-nursing on the ground (AFASS-type relief efforts).

?????????

I just have nothing to say about this.

Tommee Tippee Vows To Stop The Mom-Xiety

Tommee Tippee Vows To Stop The Mom-Xiety

As New Products Hit U.S. Shelves at Babies"R"Us, Tommee Tippee Helps Eliminate Moms' Common Worries, from Combining Bottles with Breastfeeding to Which Sippy Cup to Use

Download image WESTPORT, Conn., Jan. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Tommee Tippee®, the number-one brand of infant and toddler feeding products in Great Britain, today announced that its Closer to Nature® baby bottles, nipples, pacifiers and feeding accessories, as well as its Explora® toddler cups and feeding products, are now available exclusively in all Babies"R"Us stores in the United States and online at Babiesrus.com/tommeetippee. In April, the assortment will be available in Toys"R"Us stores nationwide. Both Closer to Nature and Explora are designed to help relieve common feeding anxieties, with simply intuitive designs and features that address the needs and alleviate the common worries of today's busy moms.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100125/NE42808 )

In a newly released study by Harris Interactive of more than 300 recent and expectant mothers across the United States, Tommee Tippee explored the worries about being a mom and raising children that are keeping moms up at night and found some common and not so common themes.

Feeding is one of the biggest sources of mom-xiety, according to Tommee Tippee. While experts agree that breastfeeding is best, for many moms (about 20%), breastfeeding isn't possible or practical because they can't always be there to feed their baby. But breastfeeding isn't the only cause for concern:

Almost four in 10 moms (39%) are worried that introducing a bottle will cause their baby to reject breastfeeding;
Forty-four percent (44%) of moms don't quite know when to transition from bottle or breastfeeding to drinking from a cup; and,
When moms do transition from bottle or breastfeeding to a cup, 43% are confused about which type of sippy cup spout to use, and when.


"Moms in the United States are going to simply love our products, because they address many of mom's concerns. Early feedback has been exceptionally strong, especially with the positive responses garnered already through social media," said Brenda Liistro, General Manager of Mayborn USA. "From baby bottles designed to let moms switch from breast to bottle and back again, to a line of sippy cups that are designed to meet the specific developmental ages and stages of every child, to a retail shopping experience that makes finding the right product easy, Tommee Tippee is going to make being a mom easier."

Real-world input and experience drive new Tommee Tippee products and innovations. The company's Closer to Nature line of baby bottles, for example, was inspired by nature, and developed in conjunction with midwives, breastfeeding mothers and babies throughout Great Britain to provide easier and more natural feeding.

The resulting dome-shaped baby bottle and ultra-soft, ultra-wide and supple nipple closely resemble the size and shape of the breast, allowing the same flex, and movement as breastfeeding. Those attributes make feeding a more comfortable and intuitive bonding experience for parent and child and support easy switching from breast to bottle and back again, an important consideration for parents who want to breastfeed but need the convenience of a bottle.

The Closer to Nature line of baby bottles, nipples, pacifiers and accessories includes ingeniously clever and intuitively functional sterilizers, a bottle and food warmer, bottle and nipple cleaner, spillproof weaning cups, portable powder formula dispensers and bibs for children up to 18 months. All Closer to Nature bottles are Bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalate free.

The Tommee Tippee Explora line includes BPA-free toddler drinking and feeding products to help children and their parents through the weaning process – from first sips and nibbles to toddler independence and self-feeding – by easing transitions along the way and helping to reduce stress and mess at mealtime.

Explora products feature advance-flo™ valves, designed by a physicist to require almost no force to drink from thereby easing the transition to a cup, while still remaining truly spill and leakproof. Each Explora cup is progressively staged with a specific spout and grip to meet the needs of every age while supporting natural oral development. Bright colors, designs and coordinating mealtime products reflect the individual styles of moms and their children, while making drinking and eating fun.

ABOUT TOMMEE TIPPEE

Tommee Tippee, from the UK-based Mayborn Group Limited, the #1 brand of infant and toddler feeding products in Great Britain, is loved by parents and children alike and is one of the top brands of infant products and accessories in the global market. Tommee Tippee has received numerous brand accolades in Great Britain, including top ranks in the prestigious Mother and Baby Gold Awards – a head-to-head assessment of competitive products voted on by moms themselves. The Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature line of baby bottles has been chosen as Great Britain's best baby bottle by The Mother and Baby Gold Awards: winning the category in 2006/7, 2008/9 and again in 2009/10. In 2009, Tommee Tippee was the first and only children's feeding brand to be selected as a UK Superbrand in a nationwide poll of consumers, putting it on par with brands such as Microsoft®, Coca-Cola®, Nike®, Lego® and Google®.

For more information on Tommee Tippee and its products, please visit www.tommeetippee.com, or find us on Twitter @TommeeTippeeUS and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/tommeetippeeus.


SOURCE Tommee Tippee

RELATED LINKS
http://www.tommeetippee.com

Breastfeeding Tips from 'Medical Abortion Clinic'???

Breastfeeding Do's and Don'ts


A lot of people say that breastfeeding is one of the most natural means to express love between mother and child. Yet despite the consideration that breastfeeding is next to natural, many women still practice breastfeeding in a manner that is not what the process was envisioned to be. In this aspect, it is important for one to be aware of the proper and improper ways of breastfeeding.

Proper Breastfeeding methods

1)During the first week of pregnancy, a woman must feed her baby at least 15 times in a day. This is because the mother’s milk is the only source of nutrition for the baby. As a result, there is a need to frequently feed the baby. However, after the first week of the baby’s life, a woman need not feed her baby that frequent: six to eight feedings in a day is usually enough.

2)Another trademark of proper breastfeeding is to feed the baby whenever the baby demands to be feed. This way, one will avoid the baby becoming hungry. One should not be conscious about the spacing of each feeding time; when pregnant, it is impossible to keep a routine. This is the reason why a mother must be prepared anytime to feed her baby.

3)During each breastfeeding session, the breasts must feel empty. This means that the breasts used to breastfeed is emptied of all its milk, thus making sure that the next time that the baby demands to be feed, only fresh milk will be given. As a sign that the baby is properly feed, the bay must urinate frequently. It is common to have the baby wetting at least eight times in a day.

4)Another sign of proper breastfeeding is cradling the baby with both arms very close to one’s chest with the baby’s mouth directly on the breast used for feeding. This way, the baby will be at a very comfortable position during breastfeeding while preventing the mother from experiencing too much strain.

5)Another sign of proper breastfeeding is to alternate between breasts. It is not considered wise to focus only on one breast for the entire feeding session. This will cause a strain on the affected breast and may cause an imbalance between the breasts.

Improper Breastfeeding methods

1)One of the most common mistakes that mothers make when breastfeeding is feeding the baby while the bay is lying in bed. According to experts, this situation creates the possibility that the milk may not go down immediately and may cause choking.

2)Another mistake that women do when breastfeeding is to stick to a routine. This is rather a danger because it poses the risk of the baby going hungry if the mother religiously sticks to the routine.

3)As a manifestation of improper breastfeeding, one must look for things like the color of the infant’s bowel. If it is dark in color or if there is an irregular bowel movement, then there is a good chance that the baby is not properly or regularly fed.

Medical Abortion Clinic, was established by Dr. James Pendergraft. Our Abortion Clinics Offering the latest, safest and most advanced techniques for providing non-surgical, medical and surgical abortion methods including abortion pill in Orlando. For further information including family planning, please visit our premiere website. www.womenscenter.com

Once again, I must post the comments in a response from Lactivist Helen Schwalme:

Did anyone even read this article before they posted it?... See More
1. How can a mother breastfeed 15 times in her first week of pregnancy???
2.There is no set number of times a baby needs to be fed in a day whether in the first week of life or thereafter. A baby should be allowed access to the breast on demand. A baby can also be at the breast for 15 times a day but if he is not drinking he could be there 100 times and still get nothing. The same infant, drinking well could be at the breast only 7 times…numbers are not relevant or appropriate
3.Breasts are never empty even after the baby has fed well. Some women with good milk supply never feel their breasts are full so how can they know that their breasts are empty?? Research shows that after a baby has “emptied” the breast it still contains 25-35% milk.
4.Your point number 5 does not make any sense at all.
5.Lying down to nurse is not only completely safe and appropriate but very helpful to new mothers who are sleep deprived. There is no more risk of choking than in a baby in cradle hold.
6.Bowel movements of otherwise healthy exclusively breastfed infants can vary dramatically in colour and frequency and can not be used as an indicator of sufficient intake of breastmilk.

And last but not least, why on earth is an Abortion clinic offering advice on Breastfeeding??? If I wanted advice on abortion I would not consider going to a Lactation Consultant!!! Please stick to your are of expertise and do not add to the plethora of inconsistent, inaccurate information on breastfeeding on the internet."

Eyeful of breast-feeding mom sparks outrage

Eyeful of breast-feeding mom sparks outrage
Magazine cover blasted by public squeamish over sight of nursing breast

AP
Editors at Babytalk magazine were surprised that their August cover, which features a nursing baby, offended readers. The free publication is distributed at doctor's offices and maternity stores.

Updated 8:33 p.m. ET July 27, 2006
NEW YORK - "I was SHOCKED to see a giant breast on the cover of your magazine," one person wrote. "I immediately turned the magazine face down," wrote another. "Gross," said a third.

These readers weren't complaining about a sexually explicit cover, but rather one of a baby nursing, on a wholesome parenting magazine — yet another sign that Americans are squeamish over the sight of a nursing breast, even as breast-feeding itself gains greater support from the government and medical community.

Babytalk is a free magazine whose readership is overwhelmingly mothers of babies. Yet in a poll of more than 4,000 readers, a quarter of responses to the cover were negative, calling the photo — a baby and part of a woman's breast, in profile — inappropriate.

One mother who didn't like the cover explains she was concerned about her 13-year-old son seeing it.

"I shredded it," said Gayle Ash, of Belton, Texas, in a telephone interview. "A breast is a breast — it's a sexual thing. He didn't need to see that."

It's the same reason that Ash, 41, who nursed all three of her children, is cautious about breast-feeding in public — a subject of enormous debate among women, which has even spawned a new term: "lactivists," meaning those who advocate for a woman's right to nurse wherever she needs to.

"I'm totally supportive of it — I just don't like the flashing," she says. "I don't want my son or husband to accidentally see a breast they didn't want to see."

Another mother, Kelly Wheatley, wrote Babytalk to applaud the cover, precisely because, she says, it helps educate people that breasts are more than sex objects. And yet Wheatley, 40, who's still nursing her 3-year-old daughter, rarely breast-feeds in public, partly because it's more comfortable in the car, and partly because her husband is uncomfortable with other men seeing her breast.

"Men are very visual," says Wheatley, 40, of Amarillo, Texas. "When they see a woman's breast, they see a breast — regardless of what it's being used for."

Babytalk editor Susan Kane says the mixed response to the cover clearly echoes the larger debate over breast-feeding in public. "There's a huge Puritanical streak in Americans," she says, "and there's a squeamishness about seeing a body part — even part of a body part."

"It's not like women are whipping them out with tassels on them!" she adds. "Mostly, they are trying to be discreet."

‘It's not like women are whipping them out with tassels on them!’


— Susan Kane
Babytalk editor

Kane says that since the August issue came out last week, the magazine has received more than 700 letters — more than for any article in years.

"Gross, I am sick of seeing a baby attached to a boob," wrote Lauren, a mother of a 4-month-old.

The evidence of public discomfort isn't just anecdotal. In a survey published in 2004 by the American Dietetic Association, less than half — 43 percent — of 3,719 respondents said women should have the right to breast-feed in public places.

The debate rages at a time when the celebrity-mom phenomenon has made breast-feeding perhaps more public than ever. Gwyneth Paltrow, Brooke Shields, Kate Hudson and Kate Beckinsale are only a few of the stars who've talked openly about their nursing experiences.

The celeb factor has even brought a measure of chic to that unsexiest of garments: the nursing bra. Gwen Stefani can be seen on babyrazzi.com — a site with a self-explanatory name — sporting a leopard-print version from lingerie line Agent Provocateur. And none other than Angelina Jolie wore one proudly on the cover of People. (Katie Holmes, meanwhile, suffered a maternity wardrobe malfunction when cameras caught her, nursing bra open and peeking out of her shirt, while on the town with husband Tom Cruise.)

More seriously, the social and medical debate has intensified. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently concluded a two-year breast-feeding awareness campaign including a TV ad — criticized as over-the-top even by some breast-feeding advocates — in which NOT breast-feeding was equated with the recklessness of a pregnant woman riding a mechanical bull.

There have been other measures to promote breast-feeding: in December, for example, Massachusetts banned hospitals from giving new mothers gift bags with free infant formula, a practice opponents said swayed some women away from nursing.
Most states now have laws guaranteeing the right to breast-feed where one chooses, and when a store or restaurant employee denies a woman that right, it has often resulted in public protests known as "nurse-ins": at a Starbucks in Miami, at Victoria's Secret stores in Racine, Wis. and Boston, and, last year, outside ABC headquarters in New York, when Barbara Walters made comments on "The View" seen by some women to denigrate breast-feeding in public.

"It's a new age," says Melinda Johnson, a registered dietician and spokesperson for ADA. "With the government really getting behind breast-feeding, it's been a jumping-off point for mothers to be politically active. Mommies are organizing. It's a new trend to be a mommy activist."

Ultimately, it seems to be a highly personal matter. Caly Wood says she's "all for breast-feeding in public." She recalls with a shudder the time she sat nursing in a restaurant booth, and another woman walked by, glanced over and said, "Ugh, gross."

"My kid needed to eat," says the 29-year-old from South Abingdon, Mass. And she wasn't going to go hide in a not-so-clean restroom: "I don't send people to the bathroom when THEY want to eat," she says.

But Rebekah Kreutz thinks differently. One of six women who author SisterhoodSix, a blog on mothering issues, Kreutz didn't nurse her two daughters in public, and doesn't really feel comfortable seeing others do it.

"I respect it and think women have the right," says Kreutz, 34, of Bozeman, Mont. "But personally, it makes me really uncomfortable."

"I just think it's one of those moments that should stay between a mother and her child."

7 Ways Dads Can Bond With Their Baby That Don't Involve A Bottle

7 Ways Dads Can Bond With Their Baby That Don’t Involve A Bottle

One of the arguments I hear from so many moms as to why they have to give up breastfeeding, is that Dad feels left out. As my other half mentioned in another post, the one thing that Dads have no real place in, is breastfeeding. There are so many other ways to bond with your baby, that feeding is a moot point. And really Mom’s job

1. Bath your baby. Better still, bath with your baby. Co-Bathing and showering saves water, and gives you some lovely skin to skin bonding time.

2. Massage your baby. You can learn infant massage from a certified instructor, or from a DVD. Massaging your baby is soothing for both of you, and really beneficial for your tot.

3. Wear your baby – Baby wearing isn’t just for moms. Babies like the sound of Dad’s heartbeat too. Invest in a good quality baby carrier (Such as an Ergo) and enjoy the benefits as your baby sleeps, observes, and snuggles in nice and close.

4. Read to your baby – you can start this inutero One of the most beautiful moments after my son’s birth was watching him turn his head to his daddy’s voice, he recognised it from all the chatting and reading to him that was done while he was gestating!

5. Sing to your baby. Your baby doesn’t care if you’re a soprano or a bullfrog. Singing to your baby is a bit of fun, and can soothe them. There are lots of sites with nursery rhyme tunes, and words you can try out with your baby. Or you can do what my husband does, and make up silly songs.

6. Walk your baby. Get the pram (or sling) and get out there and enjoy the big wide world. Explain things to him, chat to him along the way. Babies take in and store everything, so you’re not just talkin to yourself.

7. Play with your baby – it might seem obvious, but just getting down on the the floor, and showing them toys, chatting about things, and simply “being” with your baby is wonderful. As I said, your baby takes in everything, and is constantly learning and developing. Newborns don’t “do” a great deal, but they are still learning all about the world, and their place in it – so show them!

You don’t need to feed your baby to be connected – there are a million and one things that go on during a baby’s day, and you can be a part of all of them. It gives Mom a break, and you can bond with your amazing little creature.

Enjoy!

The author's webiste is:

http://www.naturalparentingtips.com/attached-dads/7-ways-dads-bond-baby-involve-bottle/