A resource to inspire, inform and empower parents.

Babywearing is Badass: So Says the Science

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By Neve Spicer

Some people might regard babywearing as a mere fashion statement. Sure, they think, those fancy wraps look hip, but do they really serve any function?

According to the science, yes.

At one time, babywearing was standard practice among mothers everywhere. Its decline, especially in the West, led many to assume it was a dying habit. With International Babywearing Week upon us, however, advocates are standing up to say that wearing our babies is back and it’s here to stay. [Read more…]

What To Do If Your Family or Friends Criticize You For Extended Breastfeeding

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By Wendy Wisner, IBCLC

Every breastfeeding mama is going to receive criticism at some point or another. Whether it’s about breastfeeding in public, how frequently you’re breastfeeding, your reluctance to introduce a bottle or supplement with formula, or whatever else.

BUT, if you end up breastfeeding beyond a certain number of months – or god forbid, a year or more – you are definitely going to get at least a little judgement. Most likely, a whole lotta judgement. [Read more…]

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The Badass Breastfeeding Podcast

Contest Word Raffle Drawing Jackpot Prize

Our BIG news is finally here! THE BADASS BREASTFEEDING PODCAST is hosting the ultimate breastfeeding Photo Contest with a grand prize that will make you squeal! Abby and Dianne, hosts of the podcast, will choose 10 finalists. These 10 photos will be posted on Instagram and Facebook for the badass community to vote on. All of the 10 finalists will win a bundle of Badass Breastfeeder gear (My Mom is a Badass Breastfeeder t-shirt, key chain and pack of empowerment cards.) The photo with the most combined Likes will be the VERY FIRST GUEST ON THE BADASS BREASTFEEDING PODCAST! Yep, an entire episode featuring you and your breastfeeding story!

Excited? We thought so…

To enter:

Send an email titled “Photo Contest” to [email protected] Only photos that are emailed will be entered. Your photo should express what breastfeeding looks like to you. This means anything (EP, tandem, SNS, etc). However breastfeeding looks to you and your nursling!

The 10 finalists will be announced October 10th. The grand prize winner will be announced October 18th!

This contest is not endorsed by Facebook or Instagram.

Disclaimer: If your photo is chosen as a finalist, your photo will be shared publicly!

(With Dianne Cassidy Consulting)

https://www.thebadassbreastfeeder.com/5045-2/

Breastfeeding In A Sea of People

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By Anonymous

Before I had my first, Lennon, I was a mild mannered (boring) tax accountant.  Conservatively dressed working in a stuffy office.  I was never without pantyhose.  But when I got pregnant, I completely changed!  For the better.  I sought out a home-birth midwife and planned to have my baby in the water.
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Traumatic Start To Breastfeeding – An Insider Perspective

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By Autumn Smith

I got pregnant unexpectedly at the age of 21. I was working as a nurse aide in the hospital when I discovered I was pregnant. The hospital actually “let me go” since I couldn’t “meet the job description.” Essentially I had a note from my OB saying I shouldn’t lift over 50lbs. My job involved lifting and transferring patients all day. I was given the opportunity to apply internally for another position within the system. I ended up working as a clinical assistant in the NICU. What an eye opener to an entirely different world. I loved my job there. It gave me the chance to learn the true reality of motherhood in a different light along with breastfeeding. [Read more…]

The Realities of Breastfeeding

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Gina Brocker is a documentary photographer based in Boston. Her photo essay, Latched On, depicts the realities of breastfeeding in our modern culture. It has just been published in Time and Globe and Mail.

Gina Brocker writes, “With my ten-month-old son strapped onto my front and camera in hand, I squeezed into Monica’s SUV. I began to document her feeding her sixteen-month-old daughter following the regular afternoon pick up of her older daughter. Marlin was snug in her lap nursing, while three-year-old Simona climbed to the front of the car to see what other entertainment she could find. Kids songs played on the speakers and the cracked windows let just enough breeze in. They were parked outside the Arnold Arboretum, in Boston, hoping to take advantage of the spring weather.” 
Gine Brocker Lacthed On
“As I sit here multi tasking at afternoon pick up with the older sister occupied and Marlin happily suckling in my lap I realize that breastfeeding isn’t always “beautiful”in the aesthetic sense. What I love about it is the raw immediacy. A procrastinator and unplanner by nature, breastfeeding fits my lifestyle perfectly. Nothing to remember, nothing to clean just my ladies and my baby. It’s not uncommon for me to have Marlin in the wrap or sling feeding while playing with big Sister Simona at a playground or while running errands. Breastfeeding provides me with that sort of freedom and also empowerment. I don’t think it was by mistake that God designed our bodies to be sufficient. When all is stripped away I am still enough for my babies and that is powerful. That feeling of empowerment is what continues to propel me through the unknowns & trials of parenthood with confidence.”
– Monica, Canton, Massachusetts
Gina Brocker Lacthed On
Gina Brocker Lacthed On
Gina Brocker Lacthed On
 
Breastfeeding is a choice and commitment. With its many rewards, comes challenges and sacrifices. Physical pain, being constantly on call and the unbalanced caregiving between you and your partner to name a few. Battling outside criticism and judgment is often another hurdle families have to face. Often mothers feel pressured from their own families to stop breastfeeding once their baby gets to a certain age. Partners have suggested that it’s inappropriate to nurse in certain public settings. One mother had laughing teenage boys photograph her while breastfeeding on public transportation. 
Gina Brocker Lacthed On
Gina Brocker Latched On
Gina Brocker Latched On
 
According to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, in the US, 81.1% percent of babies are breastfeed and 51.8% of them make it to six months. Of this 51.8%, roughly one-fourth are exclusively breastfed, meaning no formula was used. Throughout the rest of the world, an average of 43% of babies are exclusively breasted until sixth months of age. This past Spring, the US opposed a resolution to encourage breastfeeding in Geneva for the United Nations-affiliated World Health Assembly. A stark contrast to the Obama administration which supported the World Health Organization’s longstanding policy of encouraging breastfeeding. A 2016 study in The Lancet found that universal breastfeeding would prevent 800,000 child deaths a year globally, save $300 billion in health care cost and improve economic outcomes for those raised on breast milk.  
Gina Brocker Latch On
Gina Brocker Latched On
Gina Brocker Latched On
After personally navigating uncomfortable and challenging situations, the need to share the realities of breastfeeding led me to begin this project. Usually worn in a wrap, and often nursing, my son, and later, daughter, and I ventured into over 50 Boston-based families’ homes and lives to document their typical breastfeeding routines. Hearing from the various caregivers reaffirmed how crucial sharing their experience is. Knowing the realities of breastfeeding empowers families and normalizes this very natural and beneficial part of life. You can follow Gina Brocker’s entire project at her website. 

What To Do If You Feel “Touched Out” While Breastfeeding

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By Wendy Wisner, IBCLC

When my nurslings were older babies—and especially when they were toddlers—I remember feeling at times like the physical closeness of breastfeeding was just about the last thing I could tolerate. After a long day of mothering, breastfeeding even made me want to jump out of my skin at times. I felt restless, irritated, and like if my babe stayed latched on for one more second, I was going to lose it. [Read more…]

This Is How Co-Sleeping Can Support Breastfeeding – And How You Can Do It Safely

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By Wendy Wisner, IBCLC

One of the things that surprised me most about breastfeeding was just how frequently my baby wanted to do it. I was told that babies needed to nurse every 2-3 hours, and would sleep a longer stretch at night. But that was not my experience at all.

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Exclusive Pumping Part 3 – Perspectives

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Like everyone, when I had a baby, my life completely changed. And because I had spent two hours a day tied to a breast pump since my baby’s birth, being a mother and an exclusive pumper became very intertwined for me. Exclusive pumping was a big part of my identity. Because of this, it was really important to me that I was successful. This meant (after my supply snafu early on, when I would skip pumping sessions more than I should have) being a bit obsessive about getting my pumping sessions in.

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Exclusive Pumping Part 2 – The First Year

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The Routine Early On

When I started exclusively pumping, I pumped whenever my baby ate. My routine was that I would bottle feed him, and then I’d put him on my lap and hook myself up to pump. He would fall asleep there with the pump motor apparently functioning as a lullaby. (Maybe the Medela Freestyle sounds like the inside of a uterus. Who knows?) When I was finished pumping, he’d be conked out enough that I could move him to his bassinet for the rest of his nap. [Read more…]

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