Hey mamas! You might ask yourself “why in the world would I take an online breastfeeding course?” Many parents do not seek any prenatal education, nonetheless breastfeeding education, because they cannot get out to a hospital or clinic for a class with a set time. So, what other options do they have? Yes, you could YouTube it, but what if it’s not scientific, what if it’s just anecdotal information, what if it scares you, or what if it confuses you further? Yes, you could read books, but if you have the time to actually read a whole book, kudos to you and you may want to think about going to an in-person class! Yes, you could skip it altogether and take your chances, but you’ll probably be grossly underprepared and overwhelmed when your little one arrives. The beauty of online prenatal breastfeeding education is you can do it anywhere and anytime. All you need is an internet connection. You and your partner can literally snuggle on the couch in your pajamas and watch, or if you’re even more strapped for time, start watching on your phone at your lunch break, while you’re sitting at the bus stop, or even if you’re on the toilet (shout out to my dads!). The courses can can either be purchased alone or as a group of three. A single course is $30 and the package is $75. So you don’t have to break the bank to get what you need! Insurance does typically cover some form of breastfeeding education, but this is not guaranteed- even with the hospital or clinic courses. At the finale of each course, you will get an e-mailed certificate that you can submit for reimbursement, if possible. The first online course called “breastfeeding basics 1” covers topics including basic breast anatomy, milk production and hormones, types of milk, nipple flow, alternative feeding methods, getting the best start, partners and breastfeeding and finally gives a nutrition overview. “Breastfeeding basics 2” then covers infant oral anatomy, position, latch, feeding routines, hunger cues, how to know if your baby got enough, challenges, and finally returning to work and talking to employers. The final course of the series is called “pumping, storage, and paced bottle feeding,” which is a comprehensive review of types of breast pumps, how to assemble them, how to clean all of the parts, assessing phalange fit, returning to work while pumping, and finally paced bottle feeding. As as you can see that’s a lot of information to take in, and may be too much for one night. You can start and stop your courses at any time and return when you’re ready. If you’re not sure, you can always ask questions or try my FREE “nutrition and lifestyle during pregnancy” course to see what it’s like. While it’s not exactly the same, it will give an idea of my personal teaching style. The 3 series courses have videos built in to explain some of the items that I discuss. I hope you will will take some time to look them over and let me be the start of your prenatal journey! You got got this mama! (and partners, too!) Visit: www.breastlearningonline.com/online-courses.html
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1/16/2018 0 Comments Sore Nips!![]() On the first few days postpartum, I often hear mothers say, “it’s supposed to hurt” or “my sister said it hurts so bad” or “my friend’s nipples were cracked and bleeding when she breastfed!” While some women do report a level of nipple soreness when they begin breastfeeding, many do not. So, what’s normal? When do you worry and how do you treat it? Let’s look! There is such a thing called “transient nipple soreness,” which is essentially when a women’s nipples feel tender in the first days postpartum. This level of soreness is categorized by:
1/8/2018 0 Comments Bomb Cyclone?![]() If you live in the Northeast or even the Eastern United States, you just experienced, what was described as a “bomb cyclone.” Also known as a far-reaching snow storm. I don’t want to get political or discuss global warming, but I cannot help to highlight that over the recent years, we have seen an increase in these massive storms and weather patterns that are unusual. So, whether you believe in global warming or not, you might ask yourself “what does this have to do with breastfeeding?” Let’s look. Being from a developed nation, we don’t often think of emergencies or natural disasters occurring in our area, and we wholeheartedly believe that in the event of one, our government would provide for us. While this may be true in some cases, the aid will not come on the day of the disaster and you will most likely be facing a rough road for, at minimum, a few weeks even with government aid. Look at what happened in New Orleans, New York, and most recently Puerto Rico. Many people in these areas did not have power for an extended period, and in the case of Puerto Rico, still don’t. What about clean water? How about food? How about toilet paper, shampoo, soap, and the list goes on… All of these items and many, many, many more would be troublesome to attain in the event of a natural disaster. So, what is the one thing that women can make, that’s nutritionally complete, clean, and safe during a natural disaster or emergency? Breast milk. I will often hear mom’s say, “my diet is terrible, and I don’t drink enough water, so I can’t possibly breastfeed.” My response is always the same, “while YOU might feel like garbage because your diet stinks and you don’t drink enough water, your body will continue to make the PERFECT food for your baby.” The woman’s body is truly magical, and it will supersede its own needs to meet the needs of its growing child, no matter the age or size. Therefore, during a natural disaster or emergency this is a life-saving substance. It is nutritionally perfect for your child or children, it’s always the right temperature (which helps the child to regulate their own temperature), it contains antibodies which help to protect from diarrhea or other common illnesses that occur, and the act of breastfeeding reduces both maternal and child stress levels. It’s a no-brainer for me! On the contrast, formula fed children may face many difficulties in the event of an emergency. First, you may be unable to find any. The stores will be closed, and if they do have it, it’s probably sold out. Secondly, powdered formula can easily become contaminated if it not prepared correctly, unclean water is used and/or refrigeration is not available. Finally, even though there are many more disadvantages to formula use during an emergency, your child does not receive the protection from disease when they drink formula like they do when they drink breast milk. So, although I do believe formula has a time and place for use, for medical reasons, it should not be the first choice of feeding method during a natural disaster or emergency. Finally, while I sincerely hope you and your family never have to experience such an emergency, know that life is unpredictable. We cannot possibly plan for a hurricane, a snow storm, a tornado, a car accident, a home fire, etc. We can put the best steps in place to make those times easier. Breastfeeding is one. Breastfeeding Facts from the American Academy of Pediatrics on Feeding During an Emergency
http://www.usbreastfeeding.org/emergencies https://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/Children-and-Disasters/Pages/default.aspx ![]() The average cost of savings from non-use of formula is most likely grossly underestimated. For the purposes of this post, we will look at the actual cost of formula and how much it will likely cost to formula feed a baby. So, lets use a 7 pound, normal delivery, healthy baby as our “standard” baby just to make a nice solid number. Commercial formula ranges in anywhere from a generic at about .11 cents/ounce to a brand name at about .17 cents/ounce. Of course, there will be outliers. Sometimes a baby will need a specialized formula, in which case you would pay much more. I looked up “similac advanced with iron” and found that at Target, you can buy a 38.8 oz of powder (282 oz liquid) formula for $32.99, which equates to .17 cents/ounce. Remember, powder formula is not recommended until at least 4 weeks, so that same formula, ready to feed, 1 qt (32 oz liquid), is $6.99, which equates to .22 cents/ounce. Now comes the math: A 7 lb baby on day 1 needs 17.5 oz / day. Day 1: 17.5 oz x .22 = $3.85 We must keep in mind that babies gain about .75-1.00 ounces/day for the first 3-4 months. So ideally, by day 30 this baby would weigh 8.88 pounds. Day 30: 22.2 oz x .22 = $4.88 So lets say the average cost/day is $4.36. That means for the first thirty days it costs you approximately $131.00 to feed your baby. Now, if this baby is still on this formula, but you wanted to switch to the powdered version, you’re looking at .17 cents/ounce, but your baby is bigger, so he or she needs more! Let’s say for the next 11 months, your baby may need between 40-60 ounces of formula/day (this is not a recommendation, but rather for estimation purposes). 1 month = 30 days = 30 x 40 oz/day = 1200 oz/month x .17 = $204.00/month Or 1 month = 30 days = 30 x 60 oz/day = 1920 oz/month x .17 = $326.40/month Therefore, for the next 11 months you would pay $204.0-$326.40 per month for formula. $204.00 x 11 = $2,244.00 - $326.40 x 11 = $3,590.00 Now add in the first month and you’re looking at an average of $2,375.00 - $3,721.00 per year for this formula. You want to know how much breastfeeding costs your family? Nothing. It’s free. Add in the cost benefits of less illness and less missed work days to care for a sick baby and your savings are even higher! Just my two cents. You got this mama! |
DianaMom. Wife. Daughter, Sister. Nurturer. Animal Lover. Archives
February 2019
CategoriesPlease note: Although I do aim to provide only scientific, evidence-based information,
please remember this website is for informational purposes only. Please consult with your medical provider. |