Breastfeeding In The News

December 2011 - Who doesn't love Target?

A certain mother in Houston may never return to her Target. She was harrassed by employees for nursing in the store! Ugh! What don't people understand?!?! Read more!

December 2011 - No news since June?!

There's been plenty of news about breastfeeding. It seems that information travels so fast, that facebook and twitter are handling most of that traffic. Check out our facebook page!

June 2011 - Facebook censors breastfeeding picture.

While facebook has many pages devoted to sexy women showing more skin than most see on a beach, they seem to be censoring mother's pictures of breastfeeding babies. One woman gained media attention after having her facebook account taken away from her when she posted a lovely picture of a hippo at an aquarium and she happened to be nurisng in the background. Read the full story here!

May 2011 - Few babies receive breastmilk in daycare centers.

There are so many barriers to breastfeeding success. Returning to work when your baby is 6-12 weeks old makes maintaing breastfeeding difficult. Lack of support in the workplace or even understanding the principles of keeping your milk supply at a high level is important. This latest study shows us that very few mothers are continuing to leave their milk for their babies. Read the full article by clicking here!

January 2011 - The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding

“Many barriers exist for mothers who want to breastfeed,” Dr. Benjamin said. “They shouldn’t have to go it alone. Whether you’re a clinician, a family member, a friend, or an employer, you can play an important part in helping mothers who want to breastfeed.” Read the full report by clicking here!

January 2011 - Study shows that breastfeeding improves leg strength in adolescence!

Who'd have known? And... the longer you breastfed, the stronger the leg strength. It seems that most benefits are dose dependent. The longer you do it, the better the benefit. And that's why the BRC is here to help moms breastfeeding longer!
Click here for a story about this study!

October, 2010 - Parenting Practices

Many of us feel judged as new mothers. We hear advice from everyone under the sun as to how we are suppose to raise our children. We all have to figure out what works for us. Click here to read about some of the best parenting practices that have been proven successful through research!

October, 2010 - Health Now and for the Future

We hear it often... breast is best, breast is best. Most people don't know that the health advantages to breastfeeding not only occur while the baby is nursing, but it actually changes the baby's immune system for life! This development of the immune system has shown to decrease the risk of many chronic diseases as adults. Click here to read a great news story about these studies.

October, 2010 - Regulations on Lactation Support in the Workplace

The department of labor has issued their regulations on lactation support in the workplace. If you or someone you know is struggling with their employer regarding time to pump, the law is now behind her. Click here for more details!

September, 2010 - One More Way to Avoid Diabetes - Breastfeed

New moms know that breastfeeding can be good for babies, providing them with much-needed nutrition as well as a shot of antibodies and other cells that help build immune systems. Now, evidence suggests that the practice may keep the mothers themselves healthier too. Click Here for the Full Article!

August, 2010 - New Campaign to Promote Breastfeeding

Life size posters of breastfeeding mothers and babies will be displayed throughout Racine, Wisconsin. This campaign was developed by the Racine Health Department in an attempt to "normalize" breastfeeding in public and increase awareness of the importance of breastfeeding. Click here for the full story!

June, 2010 - Breastfeeding Mom Gets $175K For Wrongful Arrest
She went to the police for protection but officers arrested her instead. Now the city of Denver is owning up to the mistake, agreeing to a settlement that will cost taxpayers thousands. Amy Shroff thought she had the law on her side when her ex-boyfriend violated a restraining order by blocking her exit from a Denver police station parking lot with his pickup. Instead, Officer Frank Spellman arrested the Denver woman, incorrectly assuming the restraining order barred both Shroff and the ex-boyfriend from going near each other. Shroff ended up spending a night in jail in 2006, despite pleading that her 3-month-old daughter needed breast milk because a medical condition prevented the baby from drinking formula, the lawsuit said. Click here to read more...

June, 2010 - Kourtney Kardashian has a few thoughts about breastfeeding...

Reality star, Kourtney Kardashian gave birth six months ago to her son, Mason. According to her website blog, she loves breastfeeding and has just started offering solid foods to Mason at six months of age. She thinks breastfeeding is an amazingly womanly thing to do, loves the bonding time and the health benefits. She hopes to nurse until a year and encourages mothers to nurse in public. She states the only reason she covers up in public is because she has paparrazi following her! And to think the average woman thinks she has it rough nursing in public!

Breastfeeding Saves Lives and Money, but how can the US increase Their Rates?
Melissa Bartick’s article, The Burden of Suboptimal Breastfeeding in the United States made headlines this month when it was published in Pediatrics. It stated that the US could save 13 billion dollars a year if 90% of women breastfed their babies for the first six months. She’s been asked by US reporters how the US can increase their breastfeeding rates and why this is a problem in our country. This link will take you to Dr. Bartick’s response to the problem. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/melissa-bartick/ipeaceful-revolutioni-mot_b_536659.html?view=screen

Let’s Move!
Have you heard these words recently? The first lady, Michelle Obama is leading a campaign against childhood obesity. Well, according to the chair of the United States Breastfeeding Committee, Joan Younger Meek, MD, Multiple studies have shown that a history of not breastfeeding increases the risk of being overweight or obese in childhood and adolescence. Adolescent obesity often persists into adult life. Breastfeeding plays an important role in obesity prevention and improving overall health outcomes, and therefore is vitally important to public health."

So, what is it that reduces a person’s risk? There are two factors that play a role: satiety factors and the ratio of macronutrients. For years, research has shown that infants will stop nursing when they are full. There are two factors found in human milk, leptin and adiponectin, and each play a part in “telling” the baby they are full. Leptin is a neurotransmitter produced by fat cells and indicates the degree of hunger. It signals that plenty of fat is stored and that no more is needed. Once leptin sends the signal, babies stop eating. Adiponectin is a hormone which affects insulin sensitivity and fatty acid metabolism. It’s believed to have an effect on the body’s regulation of carbohydrates. Formula contains neither of these factors.

The ratio of protein, carbohydrates, and fat in human milk is very different than that of formula. The protein in human milk is, by design, lower than any other mammalian milk. Higher concentrations of protein stimulate the pancreas to produce more insulin, leading to greater fat deposits in the body.

Of course, breastfeeding is just the start to a healthy weight later in life. Continuing healthy eating habits for your child after they are finished breastfeeding and keeping kids active is important! But, education on obesity prevention should begin during a mother’s pregnancy. Once a woman has made the choice to breastfeed, good support is vital. Currently 60% of women are NOT reaching their breastfeeding goals. The BRC is committed to working to change that number in our community to help decrease obesity along with many other health concerns!

Breastfeeding and MS
A new study put out by the American Academy of Neurology, “Breastfeeding May Reduce Multiple Sclerosis Relapses” links the benefits of breastfeeding with a reduction in Multiple Sclerosis relapse rates during the postpartum period. This study calls into question the current practice of having moms resume their MS meds during the postpartum period.

There were 32 women in the study. Fifty-two percent did not exclusively breastfeed sighting the reason being the incompatibility of MS medications with breastfeeding. Within this group, 87% of the women experienced a relapse. Only 36% of the women exclusively breastfeeding experienced a relapse. The researchers hypothesize that the suppression of menses which occurs with breastfeeding mothers may be the reason for the reduction in relapse. More studies will need to be done to in order to determine if the current practices need to be changed.

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