15 May 2009
Breastfeeding: natural and normal
Watch Your Language! by Diane Wiessinger, MS, IBCLC (Reprinted from the Journal of Human Lactation, Vol. 12, No. 1, 1996)
Taking Down the Almighty Bottle by Stephanie Ondrack (Mothering, Issue 137, July/August 2006)
10-16th May 2009 is National Breastfeeding Awareness Week in the UK. This week new growth charts are being introduced in England, which provide accurate guidance on child growth and will replace current charts that were based on predominately formula fed babies.
*The inspiration for Conscious Friday comes from Se'Lah at Necessary Room.
I am a staunch advocate of breastfeeding. Thank you so much for raising awareness on this topic. How wonderful that the charts are being adjusted!
ReplyDeleteHave a Conscious Friday and a divine weekend.
Thank God for new growth charts. I wish the US would catch up.
ReplyDeleteI've nursed all my children exclusively and my children it am a strong advocate for child led weaning. Anything else is so unnatural.
I'm loving your blog. & thank you for your sweet comment on mine. :)
Thanks for the links. I remember being impressed by all of the info available in the UK during breastfeeding awareness week, I feel like we don't have anywhere near the same level of breastfeeding promotion in the US.
ReplyDeleteGreat stuff there sunnymama. thanks again for such a great post. xx
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing with us. I really enjoy your blog :)
ReplyDeleteI don't have children yet found your post really interesting. I'm not aware of a National Breastfeeding Awareness Week here in Australia, but that doesn't mean to say there isn't one. There's much I'm not aware of ;D A great idea for a Conscious Friday theme.
ReplyDeleteAt our recent attachment parenting meeting, we mothers discussed how the charts were never intended to be used the way that pediatricians here in the U.S. do (apparently a mother attended a dinner with a doctor who helped create these charts and he explained how the charts had gone all wrong).
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is that I so feel for new mothers who listen to advice based on these charts and feel discouraged about breastfeeding their baby because of the baby's size (whether on the small or large side). I wonder what a good alternative might be.
Green Mamma, that's really interesting. How are the charts used in the US and how were they intended to be used?
ReplyDeleteI'm sure even with the new charts here in the UK many new mothers will continue to get 'bad' advice from lots of the health professionals using the charts. I certainly received incorrect advice from them when sunnyboy was a newborn and after. I went to a drop-in breastfeeding clinic when he was about 14 months and they were short staffed that week so the person I saw was filling in and didn't have any knowledge about breastfeeding a baby over one year. She seemed completely thrown by my being there and somewhat disapproving. Her advice was on how to get him to drink cows milk even though I had gone there seeking advice on breastfeeding!
Needless to say I ignored any bad advice I was given, but seeing charts based on normal baby growth would have been useful to me. I can't imagine though that all the professionals who have been giving misinformed breastfeeding advice until now are suddenly going to give helpful advice simply because they have the new charts. So I can certainly see what you're saying.