Category: Post-Partum Depression and Mental Health

Baby-Friendly USA Acknowledges Their Mistakes; Are They Going To Make Real Changes In The New Year Or Are They Providing Lip Service To Mothers?

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Dear BFUSA,

Thank you for your long-overdue public acknowledgment endorsing what the Fed Is Best Foundation has been fiercely advocating for over the past 3 years. 

According to your recent blog post you now agree with us that:

1. Delayed onset of copious milk production is common. 

BFUSA: “Delayed lactogenesis is actually increasingly common because the risk factors for it are potentially increasing,” Dr. Rosen-Carole says. “When a baby is born into that situation, the goal is to closely monitor what the baby is doing, instead of giving a bottle right away. “If the baby is hungry and they’re not getting enough milk out of the mother’s breast, then they need to be supplemented,” she says. 

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Mothers Describe Their Triple Feeding Experiences and The Impact It had On Their Mental and Physical Health

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Written by Jody Segrave-Daly, RN, IBCLC and Lynnette Hafken, MA, IBCLC

 What is “triple feeding?” 

Mothers who triple feed will feed their babies at the breast, immediately pump and deliver any expressed milk (and/or formula supplement) through a bottle or sometimes even a syringe to the infant.  

Triple feeding originated in the NICU for premature infants who were learning to breastfeed but were unable to empty the breast completely. In order to preserve or increase the milk supply, the breasts were pumped after nursing and the milk was saved for the next supplemental feeding. In this way, the premature baby was nurtured until he or she was strong enough to only nurse from the breast. This was sustainable because the parent has access to nurses and lactation professionals to assist her during the triple feeding cycle.

For full-term babies with ineffective milk removal or moms with low milk supplies, the triple feeding cycle at home is recommended by some lactation consultants.   Continue reading →

Brittany, DMER, Breastfeeding, Formula-Feeding

Fed is Best Real Mom Series: Brittany Littlefield

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Brittany Littlefield is a mom who shares with her experience trying to breastfeed her children. She discusses the challenges she faced breastfeeding and needing to find a community that accepted her experience and ultimately, her decision to stop breastfeeding. She discusses the shame and guilt mothers are subject to based on how they feed their babies and calls for society to support every mother, regardless of how she feeds.

Two Physicians Describe How Their Baby-Friendly Hospital Put Their Newborn in Danger

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John and Kristen are both surgical residents who recently had their first child. This is their story.

By John and Kristen Waters

Let me start by saying we are one of the lucky ones. Our first-born was born at term on July 25th, 2019 at 9:43 p.m., a healthy 7 lb, and 10oz. My wife – a general surgery resident – was planning on beginning to breastfeed right after birth. My wife had undergone a bilateral breast reduction about 15 years ago, so issues with breastfeeding were on our radar. Immediately after birth, we were taken from the delivery room to the postpartum unit, where at 2 a.m. my wife and I were given a pile of paperwork and instructions on breastfeeding practices. All the while both of us were seeing double from the long day and night of laboring and delivery.

Over the course of the next 12-24 hours, our baby attempted to latch and breastfeed, continuing to have issues with falling asleep while on the breast. We spoke with a lactation consultant and multiple nurses who stated that things were going fine and that everything was normal. Over this time the rate of wet diapers continued to decrease and our baby did not have a bowel movement.

As we got into our second night of life, our child began to cry hysterically.

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I Want To Tell Mothers That Bottle Feeding Is Also Beautiful

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Kristen Elise Umunna
Kristen joined the Fed Is Best Foundation’s Mental Health Advocacy Team to be a voice for mothers, especially mothers of color who are struggling to breastfeed and are experiencing shame for feeding their babies formula.
‘ I want to be a voice that tells every mother that bottle feeding is also beautiful and formula is the best nutrition for the babies who are being nourished by it.’

My story:

February 12, 2014. I was just 1 day postpartum after delivering my firstborn and I remember bawling my eyes out. The nurses at the time were assuring me that I was doing everything “wrong” in regards to feeding my daughter. They woke me out of my sleep at least 7 times in one night to feed my baby and they assured me she was getting enough to eat. One nurse told me to stop crying about breastfeeding pain as it is going to hurt! “If you want to build your supply, you have to keep going!” Never has I felt like more of a failure.

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