feedback for "Sager Breastfeeding Dispatch"

1. So, we jump from three weeks and going back to work to weaning? And what a disappointing short section on weaning. As everything this article is lacking indicates, breastfeeding can be long and complicated, so know your resources...check out kellymom.com and find a lactation consultant in the beginning if you need one...find your local La Leche League group. I wish there was some more info in the article about nursing toddlers.

   posted by : milkmade on 2/2/2009 at 2:00 PM Flag For Abuse

2. This is a great idea with goddawful execution. What about moms whose babies will not take bottles? What about moms who nurse longer? Why does it jump so much? This is not at all what it purports to be and is completely inadequate and disappointing. Not sure whether it is the writer or the editor, but I am sad that this topic will not be explored again more fully by a better, more thorough writer.

   posted by : Disappointedandannoyed on 2/2/2009 at 2:13 PM Flag For Abuse

3. I read the first page then skipped to weaning since that's what I'm getting close to as my son approaches his one year birthday, but was disappointed to see there was a short paragraph that really didn't say much at all besides "wean when you're ready." What? I was hoping for some insight on the challenges I might face and advice on best methods for weaning. Grr!

   posted by : committedtoayear on 2/2/2009 at 3:04 PM Flag For Abuse

4. yeah, basically this article bites the big one

   posted by : milkmade on 2/2/2009 at 3:16 PM Flag For Abuse

5. I think this sucks.
   
   i didn't have too many issues with breastfeeding, but i hate to see other moms needing advice and the article dropped the ball.
   
   
   with my kids (i have 6 total), i did boob and breast.
   
   this way, they were okay with the bottle. they are not going to be with me ALL the time, so you have to take that into consideration when giving only boob.
   
   
   i weened them off my breast at about 5 or 6 months (depending on when the first teeth start coming in).since i was alternating between breast and bottle, they made a pretty smooth transition. with my youngest, Slater (now 2.5) i would only nurse at night. eventually...gradually, i only gave her a bottle at night. she was cool.
   
   
   after that, i pumped only. around 10 mos, i would start mixing my milk with formula. by 12 mos, she was drinking cow's milk with a bit of formula (just for the added stuff that i can't pronoun or spell).

   posted by : ZBecks on 2/2/2009 at 3:25 PM Flag For Abuse

6. I think there is more junk you DON'T want in formula than good stuff to warrant adding it to milk...
   
   I never did bottles and still do boob at 19 months
   
   I think our culture over-rates independence from baby and mama at too young an age...by the time it is appropriate for your baby to be away from you for any length of time, she will be able to manage without breastmilk for that period of time...I would say this comes sometime after one year
   
   I understand some women have to work, though, but for me ideal is to just let it flow naturally and be as on-demand as possible til they self-wean

   posted by : milkmade on 2/2/2009 at 5:42 PM Flag For Abuse

7. also...breastfeeding is not a "bandwagon"...it was how we were meant to feed our babies
   
   if you have to use formula, cool, don't feel guilty, whatever, you do what you gotta do to take care of your kid, but to use a phrase like "the breastfeeding bandwagon" is just pure stupidity when breastfeeding is the natural norm

   posted by : milkmade on 2/2/2009 at 6:16 PM Flag For Abuse

8. Wow, I guess I'm the only one who actually liked the article. Yes, it didn't go into every detail, but it said what so many articles on breastfeeding do not - that it can be damn hard. I felt like such a loser when I was first trying to breastfeed. I almost gave up (the lactation consultants I worked with treated me like a complete idiot for not taking to it and not absolutely loving it.) It was really only at about 3 months when it started getting a bit easier. I nursed for 12 months, but I was very relieved when it was over. I believe it was beneficial to my son's health, but I don't think it is this awesome experience for everyone.
   
   I wish I would have seen an article like this when I was starting. I think what the article does is let you know it can be difficult. I don't know why people think we have to be convinced it is so much fun to actually do it.

   posted by : Lisa 0668 on 2/2/2009 at 7:12 PM Flag For Abuse

9. The intention was good, the execution sucked. Hey, I just described my breastfeeding experience, as well as this article! I bf my son for 13 months but the first 6 weeks were an absolute nightmare. My milk didn't come in for SIX days and by that point he was starving and addicted to formula. Hired a great lac consultant who helped us get back on track with a supplemental nursing system. But still, those first 6 weeks were a living hell of low supply, cracked/bleeding nipples and never, never getting sleep (which probably lowered my supply).
   
   And yet I hung in there for over a year.
   
   I'd like to say it was worth it - and in many ways it was - but in honesty I am still somewhat ambivalent. I think I put us both through a lot of unnecessary torture and it definitely made it harder for me to enjoy the first months of his life with us.

   posted by : The Bonz on 2/2/2009 at 8:45 PM Flag For Abuse

10. I think if you will go back to the very beginning of the article, you'll see that the author's intent is only to discuss "how you can make it past the most common hurdles." It was never intended to be a comprehensive anything--guide, article, etc. If you're looking for that, she's pointing the reader to the book by Andi Silverman, "Mama Knows Breast: A Beginner's Guide to Breastfeeding." Read an article twice the next time you want to criticize it.

    posted by : HeathL on 2/2/2009 at 9:19 PM Flag For Abuse

11. I think HeathL clarifies the writer's intent for the article. I had the privilege of speaking with the writer (Jeanne Sager) directly when she gathered information for her article. In my communications, I felt Jeanne had great compassion for women. She wanted to touch on a lot of the very real challenges moms face when breastfeeding, but could not possibly say all there is to say. Of course, I wanted to say so much more to women who would be reading this article, but understood that was simply not possible. Jeanne was quite ambitious, and what I think is great is that this article has been a springboard for many women to share their personal experiences with each other here in this forum. After all, moms are the real experts. Although I have not read Andi Silverman's book, it does sound like a good place to go to hear a mom's wisdom gained through her own experience and research. Jeanne Sager also quoted me in her article and graciously linked the reader to my new book release: Breastfeeding with Comfort and Joy: A Photographic Guide for Mom and Those Who Help Her (www.TheBreastfeedingBook.com). My mission is to bring breastfeeding back to humanity with a new comfort zone promoting both peace and health. Breastfeeding with Comfort and Joy does this by being extremely practical for the mom who wants help preventing problems, making things easier and problem solving; while sharing beautiful pictures of moms and their families.
    
    In celebration of new life,
    Laura Keegan

    posted by : Laura Keegan on 2/2/2009 at 11:13 PM Flag For Abuse

12. This is so stupid. I get it is not supposed to be a guide to breastfeeding, but this does more to minimize the challenges women face when breastfeeding, then to highlight them. I've been breastfeeding for 2 years and I don't care what the experts says; it hurts. It hurts for the first few days as your nipples get used to it. It hurts when you get your period back. It hurts when you baby gets some fine motor skills and starts pinching your opposite nipple to get the milk to flow. I would go as far as to say this article is very dangerous. It says nipple pain during the first day is wrong, but breast pain during engorgement is, which is completely false. Pain can mean a clogged milk duct which can be really serious. Pain during the first day can mean the latch is wrong, but it can also mean you have flat nipples or a very hungry baby. It all depends on the degree of pain and the woman's individual body. Which is true with every woman who nurses her child. Every mom and every baby are different. Some moms start lactating before their child is even born, others a few days afterwards. Just like pregnancy, it is different every time.
    
    The end of this article really pissed me off. The your not alone speech doesn't help women who attempted to breastfeed but did not find the support they needed. Many moms who see me breastfeeding my child express regret and guilt for not being able to do it as long as I have or at all. Almost all women can breastfeed, but our society needs to get real about it and start offering women honest, accurate advice.

    posted by : dhsredhead on 2/3/2009 at 12:42 AM Flag For Abuse

13. I read a couple of books and lots of articles about breastfeeding before I started. I think that really helped me. It helped me to know what to expect. I also took the breastfeeding class at the hospital. Of course, you never really know until you actually experience it.
    
    I thought this article did a good job giving an overview of the challenges to sucessful breastfeeding. Did we really expect an exhaustive list of all challenges? That's what books are for...buy one.
    
    I think the biggest threat to sucessful breastfeeding is not knowing what to expect in the beginning. A lot of people quit because it's painful in the first few days or weeks. Weaning is a different subject and it means you've already been successful at breastfeeding.

    posted by : lilmissyny on 2/3/2009 at 10:27 AM Flag For Abuse

14. to those nursing newborns...press on! it will hurt at first no matter what anyone tells you...unless you are used to etting your titties sucked on 12 hours or more a day
    
    just wait til you are breastfeeding a very strong and robust 20 month old...strong and robust from all the good nutrition...and she practically tackles you for the milk, won't take no for an answer, does wild acrobatics while nursing...will not stop pinching the boob she's not sucking...
    
    this is my life...but I love it and would never ever change or wean earlier...the aggravation is worth knowing my kid is super healthy and extra smart and that we have an extremely close bond...she is a tough little cookie who is going to grow into a woman who gets what she wants!

    posted by : milkitforallitsworth on 2/3/2009 at 11:12 AM Flag For Abuse

15. Thank you all for the feedback! This article was meant to prepare women for the different challenges that they might encounter over the course of breastfeeding; we found that most articles we've seen tackle breastfeeding as something that's challenging only at first, whereas we found that the challenges simply change over time. We'll be expanding our breastfeeding resources on Babble over the next few months, so keep checking back, and feel free to send suggestions to editors@babble.com. -- Gwynne, Senior Editor

    posted by : editors on 2/3/2009 at 11:34 AM Flag For Abuse

16. I liked this article b/c it addresses how little knowledge most of us have in the beginning. But I just wanted to reiterate some of the other feedback - and I tell all of my pregnant friends - that my nipples were painful and sore for a full six weeks and I wasn't technically doing anything "wrong". I had lactation consultants, etc, telling me that her latch looked great but I think that the reality is that it takes some women just that long for their nipples to get used to all of that sucking... but maybe I just got bad advice? Thankfully my babe and I are experts now and are going strong at 8 months.

    posted by : keep_it_up on 2/3/2009 at 2:46 PM Flag For Abuse

17. A few recommendations to help with the early days:
    1. Take a breastfeeding class and/or read various books so you have some idea of what to expect. There's much more than this article even mentioned (mastisis, plugged ducts, just to name a couple).
    2. Find your own lactation consultant (believe me, even if insurance doesn't cover the $100 or so, it's well worth it, and much less than a year's worth of formula) and have her available at the birth. Do NOT rely on the hospital's - mine had too many patients and couldn't even see me until the day I left. Guess what my baby drank in the meantime.
    3. Attend La Leche League meetings prior to birth so you can speak with and observe experienced nursing moms. You may even be able to find a lactation consultant there.

    posted by : Princess Ariel on 2/5/2009 at 1:46 AM Flag For Abuse

18. Whoa Nellie! Three weeks and next we're reading about going "back to work"? That's quite a jump. Also
    surprising to to see the assumption that we're all popping out babies and then we're "off to to the office". I'm writing this from home where I take care of my seventh month old and five year old and breastfeed the youngest whenever she's hungry. I am her mama so I'll do whatever I need to do to keep her healthy and well-nourished. This means we made the decision to pay out of pocket and hightailed it to a lactation specialist when I experienced great pain (to the point of tears) due to a bad latch and perhaps baby's high pallet. Since that visit (and a week of using nipple shields while I healed) it's been great, easy and very enjoyable nursing babycakes. Of course I know sometimes it's harder than that. The point is there is help out there (free help too) and there is almost always a way to get over the bumps in the road on the breastfeeding journey. With a positive attitude and a keen awareness of why we are doing what we are doing most of us find breastfeeding (like motherhood itself) to be not without challenges but totally worthwhile! When the time comes that my baby self-weans I know I won't be thinking about those painful early days but the amazing start for baby and the closeness and sweetness that breastfeeding has provided for both of us.

    posted by : Iamhermama on 2/8/2009 at 5:03 PM Flag For Abuse