La Leche League of South Bend

Sleep and Fatigue Survey

2008-07-16T10:40:00.000-07:00

Drs. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett and Thomas Hale are researching mothers' sleep and fatigue, and invite mothers with babies under 12 mos. old to take their survey. They would like to include breastfeeding and non-breastfeeding women, and women of all ethnicities and income levels. The survey takes 20-30 min. and is completely confidential. It has been approved by the Institutional Review Board at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, Texas.
The link for the survey is:
http://neonatal.ttuhsc.edu/lact

The researchers hope to document:

Where and how much do babies sleep?
Are mothers who breastfeed and co-sleep more or less tired than mothers who don’t?
Are mothers telling their friends, relatives and health care providers where their babies sleep?
Are there ethnic group differences in where babies sleep?
What is the role of depression, psychological trauma and difficult birth in mothers’ ongoing daytime fatigue?

www.GraniteScientific.com
www.BreastfeedingMadeSimple.com

A Letter from LLLI- Edwina Froehlich

2008-06-08T08:39:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

It is with the deepest sadness that we share with you that Edwina Froehlich, co-Founder of La Leche League International, passed away on June 8, 2008 at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, Illinois, USA, after suffering a stroke on May 25. Edwina is survived by her three sons, three daughters-in-law and nine grandchildren as well as her many friends and the organization she helped found.

Funeral and memorial arrangements are pending. Please visit www.llli.org/edwina.html for more information and to leave a message at the online memorial to Edwina.

As soon as you are able, please share this message with Leaders who may not have email.

Sincerely,

Jane Tuttle, Chairman of the Board

Barbara Emanuel, Executive Director

Nipple Cream Warning

2008-05-26T06:51:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Food and Drug Administration on Friday warned women not to use or purchase Mommy's Bliss Nipple Cream, marketed by MOM Enterprises Inc. of San Rafael, California.

The cream, promoted to nursing mothers to help soothe dry or cracked nipples, contains ingredients that may cause respiratory distress, vomiting and diarrhea in infants, the agency said.

The potentially harmful ingredients in the cream are chlorphenesin and phenoxyethanol.

The full article can be read at http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/05/23/fda.nipple.cream.ap/index.html

Bill SB 219 Has Passed!

2008-02-21T04:56:00.000-08:00

Good News. SB 219 – lactation support in the workplace passed the full House on 3rd (and final) reading by a vote of 90 – 3!! It’s now off to the Governor for his signature and will then become law.

You can find out more about this bill here.

A Call For Milk Donations

2008-01-26T07:00:00.000-08:00

I received an email this morning from an Indianapolis LLL Leader asking for help for a Indy mom who delivered quintuplets last October. She is nursing and pumping as much as she can but she's not able to fully supply all 5 babies alone. She was the first Mother to use banked breast milk at Riley as well! The Milk Bank is hoping to keep them supplied as much as possible but since all 5 babies are now home insurance will not cover it so we are hoping to get some direct donations to keep these babies receiving as much human milk as possible.
If you are interested in helping this family with milk donations please contact Susan Para at HoosierDoula@aol.com or 317-209-8732. Of course any and all donors need to meet the Milk Bank donor requirements. You can find out more about the donor requirements at http://www.clarian.org/portal/IMMilkBank

Tips for Breastfeeding Through the Holidays

2007-12-11T17:08:00.000-08:00

By Sherri Hedberg, IBCLC

The holidays are a joyful time, but they also bring their share of stress. When you add a nursing baby to the list of things to do, especially if this is your first holiday with your new baby, it can bring some special challenges. Below are some tips that may help!

1. Don't forget to nurse the baby. This may sound like a very funny statement, but it is not uncommon. With all the extra activity, both mom and baby may get distracted and miss an occasional nursing. Especially when traveling, you need to be sure that your baby isn't going too long between nursings. The reason that this is important is that it can increase your risk for getting a plugged duct or a breast infection. So, try to stay as close as possible to your regular nursing pattern.

2. Mom, eat well! Those holiday treats may look yummy, but be sure that you eat a meal first! You do not have to follow a strict diet to breastfeed, but you still need good food for energy! Also, be sure that you are drinking plenty of fluids and watch your caffeine intake. If you decide to partake in some holiday cheer, a drink or two will not harm your nursing baby.

3. Rest. . . Make sure that you are getting your sleep! We already know that we can survive on a couple hours sleep from the newborn days - but staying up to wrap presents may not be a good choice. If you can nap with your baby during the day, take advantage of it.

4. Watch your baby's cues. If he becomes fussy, sneak away to a quiet room for some mommy-time. If you are in a new place and your baby is having problems relaxing, consider taking a warm bath or shower together.

5. Plan around your baby's naptimes. Now that you are a mom, your family must take priority when planning holiday events. With a little preparation, you can participate in the fun - and with a happy and rested baby.

6. If you notice any problem with breastfeeding, call for help quickly. If you are away from home, call the La Leche League hotline number. 1-800-LA-LECHE LLL Leaders staff this phone line 24 hours a day - even during the holidays.

7. Have fun and enjoy your baby!

December PM meeting cancelled

2007-12-11T15:29:00.000-08:00

All St. Joseph County Public Library Locations are closed today (Tuesday Dec 11th), due to weather.

The American Center for Cancer Research on Breastfeeding

2007-11-08T05:20:00.000-08:00

The American Center for Cancer Research has just released the new study on diet and cancer and includes specific recommendations to breastfeed--and be breastfed!

The breastfeeding summary:

BREASTFEEDING
Mothers to breastfeed; children to be breastfed!

PUBLIC HEALTH GOAL
The majority of mothers to breastfeed exclusively, for six months

PERSONAL RECOMMENDATION
Aim to breastfeed infants exclusively2 up to six months and continue with complementary feeding thereafter3
1 Breastfeeding protects both mother and child
2 'Exclusively' means human milk only, with no other food or drink, including water
3 In accordance with the UN Global Strategy on Infant and Young Child Feeding

SUMMARY
Justification
The evidence on cancer as well as other diseases shows that sustained, exclusive breastfeeding is protective for the mother as well as the child.
This is the first major report concerned with the prevention of cancer to make a recommendation specifically on breastfeeding, to prevent breast cancer in mothers and to prevent overweight and obesity in children. Further details of evidence and judgments can be found in Chapters 6 and 8.
Other benefits of breastfeeding for mothers and their children are well known. Breastfeeding protects against infections in infancy, protects the development of the immature immune system, protects against other childhood diseases, and is vital for the development of the bond between mother and child. It has many other benefits. Breastfeeding is especially vital in parts of the world where water supplies are not safe and where impoverished families do not readily have the money to buy infant formula and other infant and young child foods. This recommendation has a special significance. While derived from the evidence on being breastfed, it also indicates that policies and actions designed to prevent cancer need to be directed throughout the whole life course, from the beginning of life.

**********
To read the full report (all 500 pages!) go to:
http://www.dietandcancerreport.org
Chapter 6 deals specifically with lactation

Welcome

2007-11-06T14:39:00.000-08:00

After some technical difficulties we have moved the blog to Blogger.com. We hope you all enjoy the added features like the links and reading lists. Please feel free to subcribe to the rss feed so you can keep up-to-date with notices and news.