You may have heard in the news that mothers’ milk is contaminated with toxic chemicals. It is true. It is also true that everyone agrees that breastmilk is the first choice food for babies. All major public health organizations promote breastfeeding. Even though we live in a world where harmful chemicals are in our environment…
Category: Safe breastfeeding
Positive story in USA Today about milk banking
I thought it was pretty cool that a story about banked mothers’ milk made a media source as mainstream as USA Today – and not as a story about donating milk to mothers in disaster areas. It is a story about something that could (and does) happen in Madison. Keely Shaw, 30, feeds her 5-month-old…
Safety – pesticide exposure
The bad news is that babies get exposed to pesticides and other harmful chemicals during pregnancy and through their mothers’ milk. The good news is that all the research we have shows that mothers’ milk is best for babies despite this exposure. But I suspect most mothers would be happy to minimize that exposure if…
Safety – nipple ointments
There are all kinds of things for sale to put on sore nipples. Most breastfeeding helpers agree that usually the best way to help sore nipples is to get good latch and treat any problems like infection or vasospasm. Many women that I talk with, though, say that ointments feel good to them. So it’s…
Where can I learn more about taking medications when I’m breastfeeding?
Many package inserts say “Do not take this while pregnant or breastfeeding.” despite the fact that there is good evidence that a lot of medications are generally compatible with breastfeeding. So where can women go to learn about how taking a particular medicine could affect their milk supply or their baby? Here’s a few options:…
H1N1 and breastfeeding
Are you wondering what breastfeeding mothers should do to keep themselves and their babies healthy during the flu season? I’ve been wondering too as I read the recommendations from different health organizations as they try to figure out what makes sense with the swine flu. General consensus: wash your hands, take care of yourself, and…
Bedsharing and breastfeeding — video
I thought you might enjoy this short video clip about the benefits of bedsharing to breastfeeding babies. It’s a really short clip and doesn’t talk about guidelines for safe bedsharing. For more about safety, check out Dr. James McKenna’s website.
Madison Breastfeeding Help 