Best for Babes

By Elita of Blacktating.com for the Best for Babes Foundation ©2010

Great news this week, coming from the Centers for Disease Control. The CDC is finally recommending that pediatricians use the WHO Code growth charts, which are based on the growth patterns of breastfed babies. The growth charts your doctor is probably currently using are based on a small group of formula-fed Caucasian babies who were born between 1929and 1975. Many lactivists have been advocating this for years, so it’s great to have the CDC get on board. This is a big deal because an endorsement from the CDC means many doctors offices are likely to make the switch. This has the potential to curb one of the biggest booby traps: unnecessary supplementation.  Read Motherwear.com’s blog post for more info.

The Stir blog has really stepped their breastfeeding game up lately and we loved this post listing the top 5 breastfeeding myths many people still believe. We love the way the author broke down how much an infant really needs to eat in the early days, and why it’s virtually unheard of for a baby to be allergic to breast milk. We also loved their take on aggressive formula marketing, and why Similac isn’t really trying to help you breastfeed. We wish the formula companies would keep their hands off our breasts, too!

Another hospital, Woodland Healthcare Center, in Woodland, CA, has been certified as Baby Friendly by the World Health Organization. While this is a fantastic thing for the families served by Woodland, there are still only a paltry 97 Baby Friendly hospitals in the US.

Congratulations to Missoula County, Montana. County health officials have been pushing exclusive breastfeeding at the hospitals for years and a recent study shows their efforts have worked: their breastfeeding rates are much higher than the national average, with 84% of moms initiating breastfeeding.

This week on our Facebook fan page, we asked, “My baby is nursing _____” and you were overheard saying…

Gretchen Jenereaux: while slapping and pinching my other boob with his foot and toes!

Carol Lynn Morgan: like it’s going out of style!

Laura Hilehoffer: until he feels like stopping (hopefully for at least two years).