Category Archives: Booby Traps
Booby Traps Series: “If we lived on an island where nobody else cared what we did…” How stigma hinders nursing past infancy.
In Mothering Your Nursing Toddler, author Norma Jane Bumgarner describes the reasons why mothers feel they can’t breastfeed past infancy,* even though they (and presumably their children) would like to: “What other people think bothers me too much.” “Nursing is … Continue reading
Last revised on 07/08/2013
Booby Traps Series: “Is your baby eating real food yet?” and other Booby Traps when starting solids.
The transition to feeding your baby foods other than breastmilk should be a pretty simple one. But there are many Booby Traps that can complicate that transition: Pressure to start too early. Many breastfeeding mothers face pressure to start solids … Continue reading
Last revised on 07/01/2013
Booby Traps Series: Did you experience any of these tandem nursing Booby Traps?
Nursing in pregnancy and beyond can be, in the words of Hilary Flower, author of a book on the topic, “an adventure.”* It’s also something that may draw the concern or disapproval of health care providers. This in spite of … Continue reading
Last revised on 06/26/2013
Booby Traps Series: Obstetrical practices are making late milk-coming-in the new normal.
A little while back, when I was writing this post about delayed onset of mature milk (“milk coming in”), I ran across this statistic: Nearly one in four mothers experience their milk coming in late - defined as after 72 … Continue reading
Last revised on 06/19/2013
Booby Traps Series: VBAC is a breastfeeding issue. Lack of access to VBAC is a Booby Trap for millions of moms.
The Listening to Mothers III survey, published by Childbirth Connection this month, contained a set of sobering statistics. This survey found that, while moms’ interest in VBAC is increasing (from 45% to 48%), “the proportion of women with a prior … Continue reading
Last revised on 05/28/2013
Booby Traps Series: Moms who have breast surgery face specific Booby Traps
Moms who have had breast reduction, breast implants, and other breast surgeries face some specific Booby Traps. To develop a good list of these barriers, I spoke with Diana West, IBCLC, author many books on breastfeeding, including Defining Your Own … Continue reading
Last revised on 05/20/2013
Booby Traps Series: Finding your tribe online, with Lara Audelo, author of The Virtual Breastfeeding Culture
We’re very excited to share this interview with Lara Audelo, Best for Babes team member, owner of Mama Pear Designs, and author of the new book The Virtual Breastfeeding Culture: Seeking Mother-to-Mother Support in the Digital Age (with an introduction … Continue reading
Last revised on 05/14/2013
Booby Traps Series: Babies with special needs face special Booby Traps
Moms of babies with special needs often face extra challenges to meet their breastfeeding goals. But in addition to these challenges, they may also encounter a number of Booby Traps. Any barrier to breastfeeding is a shame, but it’s particularly … Continue reading
Last revised on 05/09/2013
Booby Traps Series: Why don’t we get better breastfeeding care from our nurses?
At a conference last year, I heard a nurse speaking about the importance of helping mothers with breastfeeding. “If you were a nurse,” she said, “and you knew for a fact that 80% of your patients were going to have … Continue reading
Last revised on 04/30/2013
From Karo Syrup to Goat Milk - The Formulas Change, but the Booby Traps Remain the Same
Scaring mothers into see themselves as risks to their babies is nothing new. It starts from the moment you are pregnant, with everyone from your Great Aunt Tilda to the gentleman sitting across the restaurant from you preaching about how … Continue reading
Last revised on 04/02/2013
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