Fenugreek: Myth or Miracle??

I have to admit, up until very recently I was staunchly against use of herbal supplements to increase milk production. Then a trifecta of change hit: I wasn't able to pump as often, I got sick and my son decided he didn't want to eat solids as much. The net result? A hit on my milk supply and lowered production. It was bad, and I became extremely concerned I was drying up and the end was near. 


SO ... I decided to reconsider Fenugreek. After much belabored research, I took a chance on the maple-syrupy herbal supplement, and held my breath.


The result? A noticeable increase in my milk production. Yes - noticeable! Dramatic, no, but it brought me back up to normal (where I had been down by nearly 50%). Of course, I have to mention this was MY experience and yours may differ, but I can say with confidence it is worth the effort if you are desperate.


Side effects include maple syrup smelling BO. Seriously, not to get too personal (though I think we crossed that line long ago), but my armpits smelled like maple syrup. It's crazy. That's it though ... no aftertaste or burping, no weirdness. There are blood-sugar level effects, but nothing that I noticed. Then again, I'm not diabetic, so be sure to do the proper research before taking the plunge.


Some links as you start your research:


Fenugreek - An Herb to Increase Milk Supply 
What is the most important information I should know about fenugreek?
All About Fenugreek
Fenugreek: One Remedy for Low Milk Production
Fenugreek: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions and Warnings


Good luck, moms.

What's the Big Deal with Breastfeeding?

Curious why the big hype about breastfeeding? After all, formula-feeding has been the norm for many years and we're all just fine, aren't we?


There are countless benefits to breastfeeding - both to you and your baby. My personal favorites include:

• formula feeding is fine (gasp!) and you're baby will grow to be a beautiful and healthy child. But breastmilk offers an incredible immunity-boost that no man-made formula can deliver. Nothing compares to mommy's antibodies.
• breastfeeding is cheaper, even if you are an Expressive Mom! See the real numbers in this post
• it's the easiest way to get back to pre-baby weight (breastfeeding burns 500 calories per day!). I've actually dropped a dress size from my pre-baby size - I eat like pig and haven't bothered with dieting or exercising, so it's definitely the breastfeeding.
• you may benefit from a reduced risk of breast cancer among at-risk women.  To be sure, there are MANY correlations for causes / prevention of breast cancer. Click to CNN Article
• you may also benefit from a reduced risk for uterine and ovarian cancers 

Plenty of articles out there on the benefits of breastfeeding ... some for the sampling:

7 Ways Breastfeeding Benefits Mothers - Ask Dr. Sears
Why Breastfeeding is Important - WomensHealth.gov
Benefits of Breastfeeding - Natural Resources Defense Council 
Your Guide to Breastfeeding - WebMD

Why breast milk could hold the key to beating Alzheimer's

Why breast milk could hold the key to beating Alzheimer's

Embryonic stem cells could revolutionise treatment of cancer, blindness, diabetes, Parkinson’s and paralysis

Breast milk cells can turn into cells of the bone, cartilage, fat, brain, liver and pancreas

By FIONA MACRAE

The milk, intended by Mother Nature to give babies the best start in life, is rich in stem cells, which have the chameleon-like properties found in those taken from embryos.Breast milk contains stem cells that could potentially beat diseases from Alzheimer’s to cancer, according to scientists.

The milk could provide a ready and ethical source of stem cells, which are widely seen as a ‘repair kit’ due to their potential to turn into any cell type in the body. Cancer, blindness, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases and paralysis could all potentially be healed by the power of ‘master cells’.

The use of embryonic stem cells is mired in controversy because harvesting them from an embryo leads to its death. But the New Scientist reported that breast milk stem cells can turn into bone cells, cartilage, fat, brain, liver and pancreas, a breastfeeding conference will hear next year.

Researcher Foteini Hassiotou, of the University of Western Australia, said: ‘Breast milk offers a new exciting opportunity for stem cell therapies.’

Chris Mason, professor of regenerative medicine at University College London, said more proof is needed that the cells are as versatile as billed, but added: ‘If they are truly embryonic, this will be another way of getting stem cells that would not raise ethical concerns.’

Even if they do not turn out to be as versatile as hoped, said Newcastle University stem cell scientist Lyle Armstrong, a woman could still bank stem cells from her milk and use them to help in the treatment of a disease such as diabetes later in life.

Embryonic stem cell research suffered a major set-back earlier this week when the first company to test them in people withdrew from the field.For instance, a woman could bank the stem cells from her milk and then use them  to help in the treatment of a disease such as diabetes later in life.

Californian biotech company Geron hoped the revolutionary therapy would help  the paralysed walk again.

The trial on men and women with spinal cord injuries caused by car crashes and  sporting accidents was hailed as 'the beginning of a new chapter in medical  therapeutics'.

But after treating just four patients, Geron shelved the work, blaming the high costs and red tape of stem cell research as well as 'uncertain economic conditions'.

However, others questioned whether it would have given up on the treatment if  it really was going to produce the miracles promised.

Geron, which now intends to focus on cancer drugs, has not released any  information about how well the treatment worked.

Europe's first embryonic stem cell trial is due to start later this year when a jab to cure blindness is tested at London's Moorfields Eye Hospital.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2062922/Scientists-use-breast-milk-embryonic-stem-cells-row.html#ixzz1e8GlSXDL 

The Perfect Latch

Just as with breastfeeding, the perfect latch is critical to success.


When you pump, you need to be sure you have a proper latch in order to maximize your production, minimize your time investment and avoid roughing up your delicate nips.


Some pointers:

• be sure you have the right flange size - yes! they can vary in size! Your nipple should fit comfortably in the neck of the flange; it should not be squeezed and it should not have space around it (see below, courtesy Medela):

• when you start pumping, make sure your nipple is parallel to the neck of the flange, as depicted above. If it is sideways or crooked, you will have decreased efficiency
• start on a lower speed and increase once your milk has let down to a comfortable level. you do not need to pump at maximum speed / strength - this can make for some very tender nipples!!
• you should feel "tugging" on your nipples, but under no circumstances should you feel pain. consider a lower setting if you experience discomfort during or after pumping

If you have the perfect latch, but your nipples are only being slightly stimulated, check that your pump is attached properly:

• is the flange airtight to your breast?
• is your nipple properly centered in the flange?
• are the pump membranes in place?
• are you missing any pieces
• are the hoses airtight?
• is every piece snapped in place properly?

Do the Math: A Cost Analysis of Expressing v. Formula-Feeding

I don't think anyone would disagree that breastfeeding from the breast is cheaper than formula-feeding.

But what about us Expressive Moms who bottle-feed breastmilk? Is there still a cost-advantage?

I did a cost analysis (what? I am a business-woman and an MBA candidate) focusing strictly on financial figures and found the following:

Cost to be an Expressive Mom:

• 100% expressing: $423
• Expressing + 1x Bottle per day Supplement: $608

Cost to formula feed for one year:

• Generic brand formula: $749
• Brand name formula: $1,258

If you continue to feed your baby breastmilk until age two (as recommended by most health organizations other than the US government), you can save an additional $178 by not buying whole milk.

Notes and assumptions:

• Calculations were made on average feedings, based on this chart (which have been quite accurate, according to my experience).
• I assumed ZERO waste ... as in every drop of every bottle is consumed. Remember, formula goes bad after an hour, so this is likely a VERY conservative estimate.
• Growth spurts were not accounted for - and it's been my experience that consumption can increase by as much as 20% during growth spurts!
• I used the largest containers of powder formula for this analysis - they are the cheapest - so the figures inflate for different sizes, pre-made, portable variations.
• Included in 100% expressive figure are Medela brand hands-free breast pump, storage containers, cleaning wipes, and freezer bags. These are definitely some of the more expensive items, so costs can be cut further by using cheaper brands (ie. Lansinoh, Simplisse, etc)
• Supplementing 1x bottle per day uses generic powder formula costs
• Assume feeding 16 oz of whole milk from age one to two per day, with a cost of $3.89 per gallon
• Cost for bottles, nipples, bottle cleaners, and anything else related to bottle-use are the same for expressing and formula-feeding, so they are not reflected in these figures.

Generic formula used for analysis was CVS Milk-Based Powder Infant Formula 0-12 Months (cost: $15.49 // 23.4 oz). Brand name formula used for analysis was Similac Advance EarlyShield Powder with Iron (cost: $25.79 // 23.2 oz). 

... and, remember if you have more than one baby the costs decrease with each child, since pumps and containers are reusable!

Free Nursing Cover-Up & Washable Breast Pads!

If you enter the code "breastfeeding" or "WTE" you can get a free nursing cover-up and free washable breast pads (4x packs - 10 pair!). You have to pay shipping and handling, but it's a fraction of what these would cost at retail.


https://www.uddercovers.com


I got the cover-up that I use from here ... I balked at having to spend nearly $40 USD on the thing, so I simply couldn't resist this offer. It works just fine, covers what it needs to and isn't too heavy or bulky. This is the one I have:

The breast pads are on back order, but I'll be doing a full review of disposable v. washable in a later post.

Break Time for Nursing Mothers under the FLSA

Did you know you have rights protected by the federal government as a nursing mother?? Check our Fact Sheet #73 from the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division: 


Fact Sheet #73:  Break Time for Nursing Mothers under the FLSA  
This fact sheet provides general information on the break time requirement for nursing mothers in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“PPACA”), which took effect when the PPACA was signed into law on March 23, 2010 (P.L. 111-148).  This law amended Section 7 of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). 

General Requirements  
Employers are required to provide “reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for her nursing child for 1 year after the child’s birth each time such employee has need to express the milk.” Employers are also required to provide “a place, other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from coworkers and the public, which may be used by an employee to express breast milk.” The FLSA requirement of break time for nursing mothers to express breast milk does not preempt State laws that provide greater protections to employees (for example, providing compensated break time, providing break time for exempt employees, or providing break time beyond 1 year after the child’s birth).

Time and Location of Breaks 
Employers are required to provide a reasonable amount break time to express milk as frequently as needed by the nursing mother.  The frequency of breaks needed to express milk as well as the duration of each break will likely vary. A bathroom, even if private, is not a permissible location under the Act.  The location provided must be functional as a space for expressing breast milk.  If the space is not dedicated to the nursing mother’s use, it must be available when needed in order to meet the statutory requirement.  A space temporarily created or converted into a space for expressing milk or made available when needed by the nursing mother is sufficient provided that the space is shielded from view, and free from any intrusion from co-workers and the public.   

Coverage and Compensation 
Only employees who are not exempt from section 7, which includes the FLSA’s overtime pay requirements, are entitled to breaks to express milk.  While employers are not required under the FLSA to provide breaks to nursing mothers who are exempt from the requirements of Section 7, they may be obligated to provide such breaks under State laws. 
Employers with fewer than 50 employees are not subject to the FLSA break time requirement if compliance with the provision would impose an undue hardship.  Whether compliance would be an undue hardship is determined by looking at the difficulty or expense of compliance for a specific employer in comparison to the size, financial resources, nature, and structure of the employer’s business.  All employees who work for the covered employer, regardless of work site, are counted when determining whether this exemption may apply. 
     
Employers are not required under the FLSA to compensate nursing mothers for breaks taken for the purpose of expressing milk.  However, where employers already provide compensated breaks, an employee who uses that break time to express milk must be compensated in the same way that other employees are compensated for break time.  In addition, the FLSA’s general requirement that the employee must be completely relieved from duty or else the time must be compensated as work time applies.


http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs73.pdf