LilSugar

8 Hospital Bag Essentials For Nursing Mamas

Rebecca M Gruber — Mon, 14 May 2012 13:51:16 PDT

When you throw your clothes in a bag to head to the hospital, don't forget the goods that will aid in breastfeeding your new babe. Ease into the motherly duty with a few of these items that may ensure nursing success.

Who's the Mama?

Kate Stahl — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 03:16:55 PDT

For some reason, celebrities breastfeeding in public continues to fascinate the world (hello, it's natural!), but which recent mom is not afraid to bare it all for her baby - no matter where she is? She said: "We all have nipples. I don’t care who I offend; my baby wants to eat. If I can’t get a cover over me quick enough, so be it."

10 Things to Know Before Giving Birth

Rebecca M Gruber — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 15:03:28 PDT

Get ready to meet your lil one! In the final days of pregnancy, expectant mamas have a lot on their minds. But as the nesting instinct sets in, take advantage of the downtime to read up on what lies ahead. Before heading to the hospital, check out our guide of things every mom-to-be should know.

Is Six Months of Breastfeeding Unrealisitic?

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 12:56:40 PDT

Breast is best, but is it realistic? The World Health Organization recommends six months of exclusive breastfeeding to ensure a healthy start for newborns and infants. And while some mamas treat that 6-month mark as a goal, a new study suggests it is simply unattainable for many.

According to the small Scottish study - which included 220 face-to-face interviews - nursing is harder than most health care professionals lead new parents to believe, and the current culture of "pressuring" parents to put baby to breast is backfiring. Some women felt that the bonding experience wasn't as strong as they had hoped, while others didn't feel supported once they left the hospital, ultimately leading them to stop nursing sooner. The US breastfeeding rate is up to 14.8 percent - far lower than the 25.5 percent the Centers for Disease Control set as a target, but up 4 percentage points over the past four years. That said, are we unrealistic about our goals for new moms?

Source: Flickr User Raphael Goetter

Did Your Diet Change For Your Breastfeeding Baby?

BabyCenter — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 09:32:37 PDT

Here is another great post from our partners at BabyCenter - Kate Marsh Lord's article about breastfeeding diets.

I’ve been very lucky to successfully breastfeed my kids with very little complication. For example, I nursed my first two for a total of 32 months and never had to give up foods to pacify a sensitive baby belly. However, not even two weeks in with baby Max and I’m concerned that my food choices are aggravating his little tummy.

So far breastfeeding has been a relatively smooth experience with Max. My milk came in a day after he was born and he took to nursing right away. He barely lost any weight and at only six days old weighed 5 ounces more than his birth weight. However, the past couple days I’ve noticed that he seems to be uncomfortable and the only thing I can figure is that his belly is upset.

At least a couple times a day, Max fusses and grunts and pulls his little legs to his belly. He seems to struggle a bit and then passes gas or goes poop. He has several (or a million) dirty diapers a day and not all of them seem to cause him pain. And, thankfully, he doesn’t seem uncomfortable while feeding or even shortly afterwards. The only connection I can find with his discomfort is to occasional gas or bowel movements.

I hate to think that something I’m eating is causing him pain, so I’ll certainly make a sacrifice if it will help him to feel better. But the idea of vetting my entire diet is a little overwhelming. I’m hoping that this is just a little phase and that his baby belly will adjust.

Does Max’s belly ache sound like anything your little one has experienced? Did you have to give up certain foods while breastfeeding?

More great reads from BabyCenter:
Woman endures labor for 75 days
Is pink slime on your kid's lunch tray?
10 St. Patrick's Day treats
Judge awards $3 million in wrongful birth suit
7 best choices for baby's first utensils

Source: Flickr User c r z

10 Celebrity Moms Who Breastfeed In Public

Celebrity Baby Scoop — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 12:13:39 PST

This week Beyoncé joins the ranks of celebrity moms who breastfeed in public, so we're excited to share this post from our friends at Celebrity Baby Scoop! Every week, we bring you the best celebrity baby stories from Celebrity Baby Scoop, including this post from Jenny Schafer about celeb moms who nurse out in the open.

Considering their lack of anonymity with paparazzi lurking on every street corner, we salute celebrity moms who breastfeed their babies while out and about!

Although it's still considered taboo in some circles, there's no shame in nursing your baby in public . . . or on the cover of a magazine for that matter! And we're so glad that celebrity moms such as Gwen Stefani, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Miranda Kerr are on board. And not to mention Salma Hayek's experience with wet-nursing a starving infant in Africa!

Take a look through our pictures and read about 10 celebrity moms who have breastfed in public.

Do You Share Your Breastfeeding Photos?

Rebecca M Gruber — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 08:32:18 PST

A picture's worth a thousand words, but mama may have more than 1,000 words to say if her breastfeeding pictures are used inappropriately. The intimate act is one that many new families like to record for posterity - in fact, 57 percent of LilSugar readers have taken breastfeeding photos of themselves. It's what they do with them afterward that may be cause for concern.

We all know about the controversy surrounding breastfeeding pictures on Facebook, but with the popularity of photo-sharing sites like Instagram and Pinterest, there are new concerns about the use of photos that depict nursing babies. A new post on the site of Best For Babes - the nonprofit breastfeeding advocacy group - interviews a mom whose instructional breastfeeding video was stolen by pornographers and spliced in with sex-act scenes. To make matters worse, the filmmakers used both the mom's and baby's names in their "movies." It has taken her more than two years to have the videos removed from various sites.

Though this case is extreme, it certainly isn't the only one out there.

Source: Flickr User christyscherrer

Georgia Woman Compared to a Stripper For Breastfeeding in Church

LilSugar — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 10:04:15 PST

When a Georgia woman was told to get up and relocate to the bathroom to nurse her baby during a church service, she was stunned. When her actions were compared to that of a stripper, she knew she had to take a stand. According to WSAV, Nirvana Jennette was told to "go nurse in the bathroom" during a recent service. "I was going to church - it was a biker church of all places, and I thought we would be accepted," she said.

According to Georgia Code 31-1-9, "A mother may breastfeed her baby in any location where she and the baby are otherwise authorized to be." However, there is currently no existing policy for enforcing the law.

"Do they realize the germs that are in there? Would someone else want to eat in a bathroom?" Jennette asked. "If I say, 'Here is a sandwich, go on into the bathroom to eat,' that person would be disgusted! But it's OK to treat a mother and baby like that? That's sad."

5 Nursing Bras to Add to Your New Mama Wardrobe

Kate Stahl — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 04:20:42 PST

Your breasts definitely feel the effects of pregnancy and mommyhood. Almost from conception, they begin to swell, and before you know it, not one of your bras will fit. And just when you think they couldn't get any bigger, your baby is born, your milk comes in, and the fun really begins. I woke up from a nap in the hospital three days after my daughter was born, and my boobs had literally grown three cup sizes in less than an hour. Ouch!

While some new moms walk around topless because of the uncomfortable feeling of engorgement and the irritation of having to undress so often with a seemingly constantly hungry newborn, eventually you're going to want to cover your boobs (or, as my hubby so delicately calls them, "milkers"). A great nursing bra can be your "breast" friend (couldn't resist). Here are five that will round out your bra wardrobe during breastfeeding.

Is This Breastfeeding Ad Cute or Creepy?

Rebecca M Gruber — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:36:02 PST

Has Louisville, KY, stolen the E*Trade baby? In a new series of public service ads encouraging breastfeeding, a Louisville public health organization digitally enhanced a baby's mouth with a full set of teeth and a big-girl voice to tout nursing's benefits. The Mayor's Healthy Hometown Movement uses the talking tot to dismiss some of the reasons new moms often turn to the bottle, including statements like, "Some people think breastfeeding in public is nasty, but it’s not," and "with Hooter Hiders, slings, and the old baby blanket over the shoulder technique, Mom can feed me anywhere." The three videos are gaining the attention of the local community and beyond as viewers do double takes at the talking tot.

Take a look at one of the messages and tell us what you think!