October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Naturally, that brings us to the connection between breastfeeding and breast cancer. There is a long list of reasons why breastfeeding is best for baby. But, the list of reasons why breastfeeding is best for the mother is also long. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Read more…
My recent podcast interview with Rachel Marie Martin inspired me to think deeply. When I asked her how she had overcome so many adversities, she gave some interesting answers and tips. But I realized she had overcome her adversities by avoiding what I call the BED syndrome. When we place Read more…
I admit, I learned much from my recent podcast interview with Lois Wattis, RN, CM, IBCLC, FACM. Author of New Baby 101, A Midwife’s Guide for New Parents, Lois has attended hundreds of waterbirths. Waterbirth is often seen as a dangerous fad that serves no purpose. Before you buy into Read more…
In my recent podcast, Dawn Thompson addressed traumatic birth. One issue she mentioned was the commonly-performed episiotomy. For sure, the lack of evidence for such a barbaric procedure is a problem. But for breastfeeding mothers, two central questions arise. First, how does an episiotomy affect the breastfeeding experience? Tissue Read more…
I have read a big pile of research studies related to breastfeeding after sexual abuse. But my recent interview with Elizabeth Johnson helped me to better understand how to actually help women in this situation. I’d like to share with you some ideas I would consider priorities for helping women Read more…
I was astonished to learn how many women struggle with postpartum anxiety (PPA). So I asked Sandra Reich, host of StraightTalk and a therapist specializing in anxiety and depression, to be my guest on Born to be Breastfed. She proposed several nonpharmacologic modalities, including music to help new mothers overcome Read more…
Maybe you already know the common signs and symptoms of mastitis. But you’ll be better off if you know more—including these 29 often overlooked facts. Know who gets mastitis? Anyone can get mastitis. And some women are at higher risk than others. Be aware that women who are most likely Read more…
It’s common, at least in U.S. hospitals, for physicians to order lanolin cream for breastfeeding mothers “as needed” (in hospital lingo, “prn”). Throughout my years of nursing, I’ve wondered: when exactly do they need lanolin cream? Because it is ordered “prn,” many nurses give lanolin freely, distributing it with the Read more…
I’ve been working with breastfeeding mothers and health care providers for years, and I thought I’d heard it all. Nope. Check out this question: “Marie, is it true that green Gatorade increases milk supply?” Within the last week, I’ve heard it from parents and professionals alike. Before I answer, let Read more…
Here’s a sentence I saw today and which—with small variations—I have seen or heard many times throughout my career: “The mother saw a breast surgeon, who did not have a vast knowledge of the lactating breast, but…” OK, the writer is entitled to call a spade a spade and state Read more…