5 Picture Books that Celebrate Breastfeeding

worldbreastfeedingweek.org

Happy World Breastfeeding Week!  The week's theme this year is Breastfeeding: A Winning Goal for Life!  

We've shared before about our passion for normalizing breastfeeding.  One of the best ways we can achieve this is by helping kids understand what breasts are for and how breastfeeding is a natural part of life for humans and many animals.  Very young children are exposed to a wide range of salacious images on billboards, magazine covers, television, and more.  It is overwhelming to say the least.  My goal in my home is to make a proactive effort to combat these confusing messages.  One way to do this is with picture books.

Look at those sweet pups!  Photo courtesy of Animal Baby ABCs, link is located below.

I've made a few trips to the library and come up with some titles that support or celebrate breastfeeding.  During my search I found books that explicitly instructed the reader about breastfeeding.  I also found books where breastfeeding simply happened in the words or pictures and was more implicit in its quiet presence in the book.  Just as with any other topic of instruction, both of these kinds of books are important and useful.

1. Mama's Milk

 by Michael Elsohn Ross

illustrated by Ashley Wolff

This story pays homage to the sweet cuddles and nourishment babies receive when they drink their mama's milk.  Both animals and humans are pictured throughout, and multiple skin tones are portrayed. The rhyming story ends with a two page spread featuring many different mamas and babies accompanied by a short, factual caption about the way they breastfeed (did you know platypus babies drink milk from patches on their mama's fur?).

2. Dolphin Baby!

by Nicola Davies

illustrated by Brita Grandstrom

I love Nicola Davies' non-fiction picture books.  This literary non-fiction lets the reader get to know the animals in the story while providing smaller snippets of factual supplementary information on each page. As you get to know this dolphin baby, you will learn about how he practices suckling until he is efficient at nursing and that he doesn't eat fish like his mom right away because her milk is enough.  The illustrations show baby dolphin and his mama on each page in vibrant watercolors.  There are pictures of him nursing, as well as being birthed (it is a small picture though, and in silhouette so as to not be too graphic for concerned parents).

3. You're Getting a Baby Sister!

by Sheila Sweeny Higginson

illustrated by Sam Williams

My daughter loved reading this board book with me.  Some Amazon reviewers complained about the negative tone of the book.  I wasn't put off by that at all.  There are a few pages that specify some of

the worries or frustrations a new older sibling might have, whether it's about getting hit by baby or having to share mom and dad with her.  But the story reminds the reader that s/he is a big kid who will teach the baby how to grow up smart, loving, and strong!  There is one implicit nod to breastfeeding pictured in the book.  I also love that this is another title that shows many skin tones in the illustrations.

4. Animal Babies ABC: An Alphabet Book of Animal Offspring

by Barbara Knox

Your child will love looking at the adorable animal baby photographs in this book.  Many of them zoom right in on the animal's face and "cute" just doesn't even begin to describe it.  Each new page has a large full page photo of an animal baby.  On the opposite page is the letter of the alphabet followed by the animal's name and a short factual sentence or two about it.  The simple text would be great for early readers and the subject matter is high-interest for reluctant readers.  This is another title with some subtle nods at breastfeeding on a couple of the ABC pages, as well as a photograph at the very end of the book next to resources for more information about animal babies.

 5. How Do Animal Babies Live?

by Faith Hickman Brynie

This last title is another animal non-fiction book that shares a few facts about mammals who nurse their young.  Again, any subtle appearance of how babies eat is a great teaching opportunity.  It also helps young children to understand that the world is filled with mamas and babies who nurse.  

 

Each page tells about an animal baby: where it lives, how it behaves, etc.  Readers are introduced to non-fiction text features like a table of contents, glossary, and sidebar photos with paragraphs explaining more. This would be a fun book for a first or second grader to read, either with you or alone.

I hope that this gives you a solid place to start in your endeavors to portray nursing relationships in a positive light.  Check your local library or click over to my Amazon affiliate links listed above.  You can also find other book lists here and here.  I truly believe that the best way to make breastfeeding a "winning goal for life" is to start young. No matter who you are - a breastfeeding mom, formula feeding mom, e-pumper, dad, teacher, aunt, uncle - you can help our culture make positive movement forward by sharing books like these with the next generation.

Relax and Enjoy the Journey

I'm a very Type A personality. Some might say I'm a bit high strung at times. I prefer intensely passionate. As a first time mom, I wanted to be sure I did everything right. Or at least what I considered to be the "right" way of doing things. Breastfeeding was especially important to me and I got a little overwhelmed with worry. Worry about feeding her enough. Worry about my supply. Worry about enough wet and dirty diapers. Worry about how long it had been since I fed her. I used a tracking app religiously for almost her entire first year of life. I needed to know (down to the minute) how long she nursed, on what side, at what time. In hindsight, it was over the top.

As time went on, I stopped worrying about some things, but my old worries were replaced by new worries. Now I worried that my supply might be slipping since my breasts didn't feel as firm, especially as she went longer between feedings. I worried that she would never learn to sleep on her own without nursing to sleep. I worried that she would hate solid food and want to nurse forever. Okay, some days I still worry about that one.

As I talk with new moms about their breastfeeding concerns and worries, I see that so many moms worry about common things that are usually just sapping our already low supply of energy. With all the Booby Traps out there, it's easy to get caught up in a cycle of self-doubt and worry. After nursing for 17 months (and still going strong!), I've learned many things. One of the most important things I've learned is that most of the time, the fears are unfounded and a waste of time and precious energy. Are there some women who will legitimately have struggles with low supply or baby gaining "enough" weight? Sure. But these tend to be the exception, not the rule.

For most women, we can breastfeed our nurslings knowing that we are giving them everything they need. Instead of worrying about potential problems, enjoy the journey of breastfeeding. Each and every day is special, and we never know which one will be the last. So enjoy every aspect of your breastfeeding journey. Your hurdle might be the success story that another mama needs to get past the same thing. And remember...

Source

You can't eat that...

At just a few weeks Exclusively Breastfeeding I got the dreaded suggestion from my pediatrician...

"Try to go Dairy Free"! My friends- this was the worst news, as I am addicted to CHEESE & Chocolate!
 
Beckett had a HORRIBLE acid rash on his hiney that we could not get rid of after 2 weeks of trying everything (It was bleeding,peeling, & bright red) plus he was extremely colicky, had a terrible belly ache every evening, and had acid reflux.  I felt like the worst mommy ever and I was willing to try anything to make it go away even if that meant giving up the most wonderful food on earth.

Here is Beckett in his Cloth Diaper we tried first to get rid of the rash. Now we always cloth! 

 
She said try it for 2 weeks if symptoms don't improve then we know it wasn't the dairy. Well just 3 days into it his rash started getting better and there was my answer. I was officially Dairy Free! Everyone I told just said "Quit breastfeeding so you can eat what you want" that was in no way an option for me, I would give up anything to make my baby boy happy & healthy! 

I quickly learned there are a lot of replacements for things that are just as yummy! Most restuarants have an allergen menu online so I would just look up what I would eat prior to our visit to the restaurant, you can also usually ask the manager to prepare your food without butter etc. if you cant find an allergen menu! Caution some people do not understand food allergies/intolerance; I could not tell you the number of times I would get "all we can do is give you the gluten free option"... UGGHHHH- I just sighed everytime, said "bring me a water", & prayed for our uneducated society! Also note- fries are not usually an option because all fried foods go in the same oil!

About 1 month later some of his belly aches returned. His Pediatrician  asked me to keep a food diary for a week. I consumed an ungodly amount of peanut butter (what can I say I love it! & I don't eat a lot of meat so its great protein). She said again 'cut it out & see what happens'... again success; I was now a dairy free & peanut free mommy. Repeat after me *** ANYTHING FOR MY BABY***  This process repeated yet again a few weeks later and I was asked to also lose ALL CAFFEINE! (Thats no cheese, no chocolate, no peanut butter, & no diet Dr Pepper!) At that moment in life I thought all things delicious were done for in my diet but the positive note was that I could lose weight by only eating spinach & celery right?!?! HAHA!  

 Another good note was that at 4 months I could try to reintroduce one thing at a time to see if he could tolerate it yet! I prayed every day that Becks would not grow up to be allergic to all these things!

Quickly I learned more yummy things to eat here are some options besides meat & veggies:

Oreos

Bunny Brand Bread (toasted with Almond butter)

Almond butter

Minute Maid Honey Graham Crackers

Pumpkin & Flax seed Kashi Bars

Oatmeal Clif bars

Enjoy Life brand chocolate chips (in lactation cookies)

Little Caesars pizza can be ordered with toppings minus the cheese!

Special K cereal with soy milk or coconut milk

Parkay brand squeeze butter (only the squeeze kind)

Wheat Thins

Homemade desserts (sub butter with coconut oil)

 

 There is so much more I could name! I joined a facebook group (Dairy free mommies), researched online, read labels on EVERYTHING, and searched pintrest for recipes! *(note- many recipes online are lactose free not dairy free so be cautious)*

Breastfeeding is the most difficult but rewarding part of motherhood and cutting out all those yummy processed foods is extremely difficult but the health & comfort of my baby boy is all I need to make it worth it!

What did you give up to continue to breastfeed? What other food could you add to my list of allergy friendly yummies?

FAQ: How can I increase my supply so I can stop supplementing?

Of all the questions we hear from new mothers, this is one of the most common. There are a number of reasons that a mommy may end up supplementing her breastfed baby's intake with formula, but many mothers and pediatricians prefer babies to be exclusively breastfed, if possible. Here are some key pieces of information and basic steps you can take to help achieve exclusive breastfeeding for your child.

1) Call a lactation consultant. Every situation, every family, every mother, and every baby is unique. There is no one-size-fits-all fix, so if you're having any difficulty with breastfeeding or your milk supply, the first thing you should do is set up an appointment with a lactation consultant as early as you can. Lactation Consultants are trained to recognize latch and positioning problems, tongue and lip ties, and many other problems that can hinder your breastfeeding relationship. Don't balk at the cost: it often takes only one visit to point you in the right direction, and in the long run, it's much cheaper than buying formula!

2) Breastfeeding is a supply-and-demand system. Particularly at the beginning, as you establish your supply, the only thing that will regulate how much you make is the frequency with which you completely drain the breast. A baby (even a newborn with a wonky latch) will always drain the breast more effectively and efficiently than a pump, which means that a nursing baby will stimulate your supply more than the pump will. If you've been relying mostly on pumping so far, that could be one reason why your supply hasn't caught up yet. Limiting feed times or adhering to a strict schedule instead of feeding on demand can also cause supply to lag.

3) An additional problem that might be going on if you're supplementing is a bottle preference. It's less work for a baby's mouth to get milk/formula from a bottle than it is to get it from the breast (literally, the tongue has to make a completely different motion), so many babies who are bottle-fed develop a bottle preference and become frustrated at the slower flow of the breast. A problem that comes with that is that they can drink more fluid in less time from the bottle, meaning their stomachs (which are TINY and usually can only hold an ounce or two as newborns) expand faster than they would were they drinking from the breast. And finally, breastmilk is metabolized much faster than formula, meaning a breastfed baby is hungry more often than a formula-fed baby.

As long as your baby can get his food from somewhere other than your breast, he won't be stimulating your production enough to increase your supply.

4) As long as your baby can get his food from somewhere other than your breast, he won't be stimulating your production enough to increase your supply. The most effective solution is also the most upsetting: Stop giving baby formula and offer the breast as often as possible. If he still wants to nurse after 40min, let him! If he wants to nurse again only a few minutes later, let him! If he wants to nurse 3 times in 2 hours, let him! Even if you think you have no milk left, you usually do, and better, if he really does manage to suck you dry, that means he's getting the fat-rich hindmilk, which is great for his weight gain! AND having him nurse you completely empty will send your supply into overdrive..... odds are you'll be engorged within 24 hours!

5) Some mothers who have been in this situation often recommend going into a quiet, dark room and just nursing for hours, some recommend trying skin-to-skin, some recommend co-sleeping, and so on: you'll find what works for you. And keep in mind that fussiness is not always hunger..... if she cries after eating, it could be gas, a wet diaper, tiredness, the desire to be held or swaddled, or just frustration. Keep in mind that your baby is likely to be upset and crying the first few days that you withhold the bottle, but as long as she's having regular wet and dirty diapers, she is healthy and there's no need for concern.

Make sure you are in communication and agreement with a pediatrician you trust at all times while transitioning your baby's diet, both for your child's safety and for your own peace of mind.

Keep calm and nurse on, mamas!

Traveling with a Breastfed Toddler

Last month my husband and I traveled with our daughter across the country for a wedding. Since we knew about the trip far in advance I had plenty of time to research/freak out about what it would be like to fly with a 14 month old child.

Now, I'm sure there are those who would disagree, but I think that's probably the hardest age to travel with. These days Boo is eager to walk/run/tumble around so she's less satisfied staying put than a baby would be.  But her attention span is probably about 3 minutes so she's not as easy to keep entertained as an older toddler would be.  With these things in mind I began my quest to plan our trip.  The strategies below are what worked for us on a plane, though I'm sure some of the ideas could be relevant for road trips, too, as well as for any toddler regardless of how they are fed. If you're planning to travel for the upcoming holiday weekend I'm hoping these tips help you out!

Planning the Trip

Consider whether you need a passport for your tot. We decided to go ahead and get one rather than take her birth certificate with us. The best way to do this is to take terrible, out-of-focus pictures then wait until exactly the six week deadline to send them in. This way your anxiety will grow as you wait for the passport to arrive two days before you leave for the trip.

Um...child, can you please sit still?

Experts say the best time to get airline tickets is 6-7 weeks before your departure. I use Kayak to look for tickets and I like their graph thingy (that's the technical term for it) that advises you whether to buy or wait.

Some parents have shared they prefer short layovers to long, but hear this: schlepping your early walker and all their stuff through the airport is no small thing. Better safe than sorry with layover time in my opinion. An hour or more is ideal.

The next big decision is whether or not to purchase a seat for your bug or hold him in your lap.  This was a no-brainer for us: there was absolutely no way Boo would sit in my lap for a 6 hour flight. She's not in love with her car seat, either, but when she was in it I could focus my energy on entertainment rather than restraining her from grabbing the passenger's hair in front of her. 

In terms of timing, there truly is no perfect time of day to drive an hour to the airport, spend an hour or more checking in and going through security, sit on the plane for x hours (for us it was two legs, 1.5 hours and 5.5 hours), then spend several more hours to disembark, get your crap, and find your way to your destination. If you have a long leg like we did, you could consider taking a gamble and booking a red-eye. We were fortunate in that Boo slept for about half our red-eye, which meant we got to sleep, too (or at the very least simply sit instead of making funny faces, singing songs, reading books, etc.). In the end we were glad we did it even though it interrupted all of our sleep patterns. Not only was the flight cheaper, but it also gave us an extra day of vacation to see some fun sights in the city without needing to pay for another night in a hotel. Take heed: there were a few screaming kiddos on board so it is possible that your child will refuse to sleep and act like the world is coming to an end. Honestly it probably upset the parents more than those around them. Fortunately the engine noise dulled the sound of the cries.  We also brought a tub of cheap earplugs to offer to those sitting in the rows around us (no adorable pinterest baggies here....we weren't aiming for cuteness, just for people to hate us less).

Packing for the Trip

Goodness gracious. I must have combed the internet a gajillion times making sure I had every magic

bullet to keep Boo happy on our long flight. I found some helpful advice here and here.  We ended up checking two bags (our pack and play was in one of them along with Boo's clothes and stuff) and carrying three on (though we condensed it to two on the way home).

One carry-on had diapers, wipes, a change of shirt for me as well as a change of clothes for Boo, and miscellaneous other necessities. This carry-on was used more during the day so we stashed it overhead during the flight.

I used a 31 tote bag for our other carry-on. I put it on the floor in front of Boo's seat and loved how easy it was to access stuff because of the open top. I also liked all the outer pockets for things like binkies, her sippy, lovey, etc.  As I was pondering what to bring I contemplated Boo's obsessions. Things she truly loves. Number one: touching. Touch and feel books are her jam. We raided the library for some new, never-before-seen-by-her titles and kept them top secret until plane time.

Touch and Feel Farm     Biscuit's Pet and Play Easter
I Like Fruit     Little Feet Love

 Number two thing Boo loves: turning pages. On the flight she wanted to read these over and over again (which was fortunate since she only slept for 30 minutes the entire first travel day).

These titles have twice as many pages as most board books.
Hippopposites       Up Close

Boo also loves food. We tried to pack food that was mess free or would at least take a long time to eat, like blueberries, string cheese, clementines, and of course, pouches. Love #4 would be pushing buttons, hence the old cell phone and calculator we stashed in the tote pockets. The 3 Little Pigs toy you see in her bag was recommended by a friend. It has 3 houses, 3 pigs, and a wolf. All the parts can nest inside the big house, which has a handle for carrying. It was a lot of play potential for the small space it took up in the bag. (Boo didn't end up loving it, but now that she's 15 months and in the "put in take out" phase it's a bigger hit.)

One thing I didn't do that probably would have been a huge success was raid the dollar store for little knick-knacks like a spiky ball or other novel thingamabob.

It's tough not to pack an entire arsenal of toys and necessities, but remember that you and your mate are the only ones who will be lugging all this stuff around (and retrieving it from beneath seats on the plane). Try to be choosy about the toys/books/snacks you take and know that last minute purchases in the airport or at your destination can help you out if you end up forgetting anything.

Travel Day

We knew we were renting a car during our trip so we took our car seat which Boo also rode in during our flights.  To get everything through the airport we used our stroller. It isn't light, but that didn't matter to us. We were able to toss our car seat on top (it didn't click in but stayed nestled in the seat just enough to stay put). We put the tote on top of the car seat and stuck the other carry-on in the bottom basket of the stroller. I wore Boo so I had hands free to pull our checked luggage into the airport. (Wearing her was also handy when she needed to shut out the stimuli of the airport and nap on me.)

I was intentional about my duds. I wore comfy jeans, comfy flats (oh my word they are my obsession), and layers comprised of a nursing tank, thinner tank on top, cardigan, and infinity scarf. That way I wouldn't have to suffer through feeling hot, but I could still feel covered when I was NIP.

After checking our bags and heading to the gate, we let Boo race around like a banshee. She was very friendly and it gave us time to show passengers at our gate how adorable this little pumpkin was before she might blow out their eardrums on the plane.

I was hesitant about utilizing the family pre-boarding that Delta offered, but we did it and were so
glad. It gave us plenty of room to secure her car seat in the plane and time to get situated. Plus she loved watching everyone board. It was worth losing the running around time in my opinion.

I'd heard a lot about nursing during takeoff and landing to help with ears popping. However Boo never seemed bothered by that, plus she was too interested in everything going on outside the window anyway. Nursing did come in handy when she was over-stimulated in the airport and needed to wind down. Her favorite position is to sit upright on my knee and nurse like that. She loved playing with my scarf while she nursed and it was a helpful way to block out the world so she wasn't too distracted while she was breastfeeding.

I had packed TSA's guidelines for traveling with an infant as well as our airline's breastfeeding policy because of recent BF mishaps in the news, but I didn't need them. From security to boarding to the flight itself, it was the best travel experience we've had. I guess having an adorable tiny person with you tends to charm everyone in your path.

Well, that's it for my probably way-too-detailed account of our recent travel adventures. Just FYI, I wasn't paid to include any products in this post, though some of the links to the items I used are affiliate links. I hope the vacation you're planning goes as smoothly as ours did! It was definitely the most exhausting trip I've ever experienced, but it was immeasurably better than I anticipated.

Bon voyage!