EATS ON FEETS

This seems to be sweeping facebook all over the world!

It's a network for mothers who have milk, or mothers who need milk, to find each other.

What they say:
The Eats On Feets GLOBAL is a network that facilitates local woman-to-woman milk sharing via regional chapter pages on Facebook. We assert that women are capable of making informed choices and of sharing human milk with one another in a safe and ethical manner. Eats On Feets GLOBAL does NOT sponsor the selling or corporatism of human breast milk.

Eats On Feets Global was created by a worldwide network of women coming together for a common cause- Feeding babies human breast milk. Spearheaded by activist Emma Kwasnica and inspired by the local action of Shell Walker LM, Eats On Feets is quickly becoming another example of the creative functions available through social networking.

Eats On Feets does NOT: diagnose, delineate, dictate, direct, determine, debate, debit, deal, deputy, deliver, deposit, or otherwise participate in the dogmatic control or outcomes of human breast milk sharing.

Eats On Feets DOES: Provide an online space where families who want human breast milk for their babies can find women who have breast milk to share. We encourage milk-sharers to utilize the principles of Informed Choice when establishing milk-sharing relationships.

The news in Australia even ran a segment on this:

Little Angels : looking for volunteer group leaders!

Looking for volunteers to take over the twice a month mother/baby group Little Angels in Sakura Shinmachi. The volunteer mothers who have been running the group since April now all have walking babies! I would like to thank them for their wonderful efforts to make sure new mothers can meet and chat and make mummy friends in the vast city that is Tokyo!

The role is mainly one of opening up the room, ensuring there are refreshments, liaising with me for dates/times and locking up and returning the key afterwards.

Little Angels is usually on the first and third Friday of each month, but today saw the last one until we get someone else to take over, so please let me know if you are interested!

Listen to Pinky McKay's talk on infant sleep

I was listening to this recording today and reminded again how much babies are biologically programmed to remain in the stone age. And I ask myself, when grown adults (ie. parents) prefer sleeping together rather than alone, because let's face it, most couples DO sleep together....where is the biological sense in leaving a baby to sleep alone?
Of course, every family does what feels right for them, but why does sharing sleep with, or sleeping in close proximity to, your beautiful baby seem wrong to so many people? Is it those prudish Victorian values rearing their ugly head again? Hmm, let's think about that...

and in the meantime, have a listen to Pinky's informative talk by clicking on the PREVIEW for "The Con of Controlled Crying" here.

She also writes some excellent books one of which is 100 ways to Calm the Crying.

Follow me on facebook
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I'm back!! (online anyway!)

The amount of effort (both physical and emotional) required to move countries can never be underestimated! Now having settled into our "life elsewhere", I have returned to my Babycafe Japan blog to let you know where you can find me and how you can continue to access resources useful to all expectant mothers in Japan (and elsewhere!)

First, Little Angels, the mother and baby group I established in 2001, continues to run in my home in Tokyo on the first and third Fridays of the month. The group is staffed by fab volunteer mums who know JUST how much other mums with little babies need support....and somewhere to just hang out together and chat. Click the link above for more details.

Some of the teensy babes-in-arms that I left in Tokyo are now WALKING...I can't believe how fast time flies...so Blue Sky is going to offer a special Go Baby Go! group from mid-October to mid-December, where these tots can enjoy music and movement and fun activities in the playroom at Blue Sky, with their mums of course. My favourite assistant teacher is returning to Tokyo from Canada, and she can't wait to get back to Blue Sky and run Go Baby Go! again! Email me here to register your interest.

Since late 2009, I have been providing online lactation consultations, via skype/webcam/email, which means mothers in Tokyo and various other corners of the globe have been able to continue getting support for breastfeeding.

This means personal breastfeeding and infant sleep assistance wherever you are - and wherever I am! Mums in Tokyo have already been putting the service to good use through the Blue Sky online consultations page.

You might believe that what you really need is someone in the room with you to help you attach your baby better, or just to show you what to do. In fact, recent research is suggesting that there is way too much interference by medical staff. Mothers and babies can often get breastfeeding sorted out much better if staff are more "hands off", and mother and babies themselves are more "hands on". So the simple fact I can not be there in the room with you can actually be a great advantage! (Of course, I would love to be there in person, but I would still be "hands off" :-)

I hear too many stories about babies who could only breastfeed in the hospital when the midwife latched them on. What's with that? Shouldn't the midwife be making sure YOU can do it, so that breastfeeding can continue successfully when you get home? Using skype and a webcam, I can see what you and your baby are doing and make suggestions, and ultimately, breastfeeding is not about ME getting baby to latch correctly, it is about YOU being able to do it.

Last but not least, I want to introduce my NEW venture:
FEED BABY SLEEP™
Yep, that is a little ™ mark, because this is actually now a trade mark! Very exciting!

The web site is still under construction, but we also have a facebook page:
Iona's new venture:
FEED BABY SLEEP



and a Twitter page (see the big pink and lime green widget on the right of this page!)

You are welcome to get in touch with me through any of these means...just don't sit in your house in Japan (or anywhere else) and feel like nobody is out there to help you or support you as you try to sort through the tangle of those early sleep-deprived weeks of new motherhood.

I am here, and I can't wait to help!!

Baby sling warning misses the mark

CPSC warning on slings misses the mark

From the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine

New Rochelle, NY, March 19, 2010 — The Consumer Products Safety Commission's warning on baby slings provides vague and misleading information for parents.

The popularity of slings has increased tremendously in recent years, as more and more mothers report that slings facilitate parenting and breastfeeding on demand. "All slings are not created equal," says Arthur Eidelman, MD, vice president of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine. "Unfortunately, however, the CPSC issued a blanket warning about all types of sling carriers."

Ring slings, which carry infants in an upright position snug with the parent's chest, protect the infant's airway. By contrast, the illustrations of "unsafe" slings in the CPSC warning appear to be bag or duffle slings. In bag slings, the infant is carried near the parent's hips. In this position, the infant may be curled up and the neck may be bent, making breathing more difficult.

The CPSC's advice on safe baby carrying is also misleading. The agency recommends positioning infants so "the baby's head is facing up and is clear of the sling and the mother's body." "The face out position they say is correct could be risky with a premature infant, because of the baby's unsupported neck," Eidelman says. "A baby whose face is sideways with cheek against the chest, head slightly extended and body and shoulders and yes, face, snug so that the baby can't move, is secured in a safe position."

In the warning, the CPSC reported 14 deaths associated with sling use in the past 20 years, including 3 in 2009. The agency provided no information on the types or brands of sling involved, nor did they account for the rapid increase in sling use among parents in the US. This stands in contrast with the hundreds of recalls of other juvenile products issued by the CPSC that specify the precise brand and model number involved in adverse outcomes.

"Last month, when the CPSC recalled a crib model associated with 3 infant deaths, they did not issue a blanket warning that cribs can be deadly," Eidelman notes. "Parents deserve the same precise, accountable information when it comes to baby-carrying."

The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine is a worldwide organization of physicians dedicated to the promotion, protection and support of breastfeeding and human lactation through education, research, and advocacy. An independent, self-sustaining, international physician organization and the only organization of its kind, ABM's mission is to unite members of various medical specialties through physician education, expansion of knowledge in breastfeeding science and human lactation, facilitation of optimal breastfeeding practices, and encouragement of the exchange of information among organizations.

BREASTFEEDING IS THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE IN A DISASTER

ILCA UPDATED STATEMENT: January 28, 2010
BREASTFEEDING IS THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE IN A DISASTER

The Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA), United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC), International Lactation Consultant Association/United States Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA/USLCA), and La Leche League International (LLLI) strongly affirm the importance of breastfeeding in emergency situations, and call on relief workers and health care providers serving victims of disasters to protect, promote, and support mothers to breastfeed their babies. During an emergency, breastfeeding mothers provide their infants with safe food and water and disease protection that maximize their chances of survival.

This week, the International Milk Bank Project and Quick International Courier coordinated a shipment of milk from the HMBANA member banks to supplement a mother’s own milk for the premature, medically fragile, and orphaned infants aboard the U.S. Navy ship Comfort stationed off the coast of Haiti. This milk will help this small group of infants. In this highly unusual circumstance the infrastructure associated with the Comfort’s resources allows U.S. sourced donor milk to help fragile Haitian babies.

Donor milk, however, is not a solution for the large number of infants and young children affected by the earthquake in Haiti. Members of the public who wish to promote the survival of mothers and babies in Haiti can donate money to the following organizations: UNICEF, Save the Children Alliance, World Vision, and Action Against Hunger. These organizations are using best practice to aid both breastfed and non-breastfed infants. Members of the public can be confident that donations to these organizations will support breastfeeding and help save the lives of babies.

Interventions to protect infants include supporting mothers to initiate and continue exclusive breastfeeding, relactation for mothers who have ceased breastfeeding, and finding wet nurses for motherless or separated babies. Every effort should be made to minimize the number of infants and young children who do not have access to breastfeeding. Artificially fed infants require intensive support from aid organizations including infant formula, clean water, soap, a stove, fuel, education, and medical support. This is not an easy endeavor. Formula feeding is extremely risky in emergency conditions and artificially fed infants are vulnerable to the biggest killers of children in emergencies: diarrhea and pneumonia.

As stated by UNICEF and WHO, no donations of infant formula or powdered milk should be sent to the Haiti emergency. Such donations are difficult to manage logistically, actively detract from the aid effort, and put infant’s lives at risk. Distribution of infant formula should only occur in a strictly controlled manner. Stress does not prevent women from making milk for their babies, and breastfeeding women should not be given any infant formula or powdered milk.

There are ongoing needs in the U.S. for human milk for premature and other extremely ill infants because of the protection it provides from diseases and infections. If a mother is unable to provide her own milk to her premature or sick infant, donor human milk is often requested from a human milk bank. American mothers can help their compatriots who find themselves in need of breast milk for their sick baby by donating to a milk bank that is a member of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America.

For more information about donating milk to a milk bank, contact HMBANA at www.hmbana.org. Additional information for relief workers and health care professionals can be provided from the United States Breastfeeding Committee at www.usbreastfeeding.org, ILCA/USLCA at www.ilca.org or www.uslca.org, or La Leche League International at www.llli.org. A list of regional milk banks is available on the HMBANA Web site at www.hmbana.org/index/locations.
Sincerely,
Angela Smith, President
ILCA Board of Directors

HAITI: URGENT APPEAL FOR HUMAN MILK DONATIONS

URGENT CALL FOR HUMAN MILK DONATIONS FOR HAITI INFANTS

The Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA), United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC), International Lactation Consultant Association/United States Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA/USLCA), and La Leche League International (LLLI) are jointly issuing an urgent call for human milk donations for premature infants in Haiti, as well as sick and premature infants in the United States.

This week the first shipment of human milk from mothers in the United States will be shipped to the U.S. Navy Ship “Comfort” stationed outside Haiti. “Comfort” is currently set up with a neonatal intensive care unit and medical personnel to provide urgent care to victims of the earthquake. An International Board Certified Lactation Consultant stationed at the U.S. Navy base in Bethesda, MD is assisting with providing breast pump equipment and supplies to the “Comfort.” Dr. Erika Beard-Irvine, pediatric neonatologist, is on board the “Comfort” to coordinate distribution of the milk to infants in need. HMBANA, USBC, ILCA/USLCA, and LLL are responding to requests to provide milk for both premature infants and at-risk mothers who have recently delivered babies on board the U.S.N.S. Comfort, but an urgent need exists for additional donations.

At the current time, the infrastructure to deliver human milk on land to Haiti infants has not yet been established. As soon as that infrastructure is in place, additional donations will be provided to older infants.
Mothers who are willing to donate human milk should contact their regional Mothers’ Milk Bank of HMBANA. A list of regional milk banks is available at the HMBANA website at http://www.hmbana.org.

Currently milk banks are already low on donor milk. New milk donations will be used for both Haiti victims as well as to replenish donor supplies to continue to serve sick and premature infants in the U.S. Donor milk provides unique protection for fragile preterm infants. Financial donations are also strongly encouraged to allow HMBANA, a nonprofit organization, to continue serving infants in need.

UNICEF, the World Health Organization, the Emergency Nutrition Network, and medical professionals all recommend that breastfeeding and human milk be used for infants in disasters or emergencies. Human milk is life-saving due to its disease prevention properties. It is safe, clean, and does not depend on water which is often unavailable or contaminated in an emergency. Relief workers, health care providers, and other volunteers are urged to provide support for breastfeeding mothers to enable them to continue breastfeeding, and to assist pregnant and postpartum women in initiating and sustaining breastfeeding.

For more information, contact HMBANA at 408-998-4550 or www.hmbana.org . Additional information can be provided from the United States Breastfeeding Committee at 202-367-1132 (www.usbreastfeeding.org), ILCA/USLCA at 1-800-452-2478 (www.ilca.org or www.uslca.org ), or La Leche League at 847-519-7730 (www.llli.org).

Sincerely,

Angela Smith, President
ILCA Board of Directors

Should I stop breastfeeding my baby if I think I have come in contact with the flu?

From the Center for Disease control http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/infantfeeding.htm#d

No. Because mothers make antibodies to fight diseases they come in contact with, their milk is custom-made to fight the diseases their babies are exposed to as well. This is really important in young babies when their immune system is still developing. It is OK to take medicines to prevent the flu while you are breastfeeding. You should make sure you wash your hands often and take everyday precautions (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/habits.htm). However, if you develop symptoms of the flu such as fever, cough, or sore throat, you should ask someone who is not sick to care for your baby. If you become sick, someone who is not sick can give your baby your expressed milk.

Protecting your baby against flu

Information sheet for parents from the International Lactation Consultants Association (ILCA)

Influenza (flu) can be very serious, especially in young babies. Luckily, there are many things mothers and other family members can do to help keep babies from getting sick, and to help babies recover more quickly if they do get sick.
Get Vaccinated!
Everyone who helps take care of your baby needs to be vaccinated against influenza. Make sure everyone gets the seasonal flu vaccine now and the H1N1 vaccine as soon as it is available.
• Pregnant women should be vaccinated as soon as possible, no matter what trimester of pregnancy they are in.
• Pregnant women and caregivers of infants less than 6 months old are priority groups for influenza vaccination, so they should be able to get these vaccines even if they are hard to find.
• Millions of pregnant and breastfeeding women have safely used seasonal influenza vaccines for many decades. Although the H1N1 vaccine is new, it was developed using the same process and is also expected to be safe.
• Recent studies have shown:
- Babies are better protected from influenza when they are born when their mothers were vaccinated during pregnancy.
Breastfeed!
Your milk is custom-made to protect your baby from infection and to fight germs that are around you, even if they are brand new germs, like the new H1N1 influenza virus.
• Breastfeeding is critically important during the first 6 months, when babies are too young to get the flu vaccine, because it is the only way to improve babies’ ability to fight flu infection. As babies get older and explore their world, they are exposed to many more germs. This is why breastfeeding continues to be an important way to protect babies’ health even after they are vaccinated.
• Avoid exposing baby to formula and items that can spread germs. When your baby gets formula, it’s harder for your milk to protect your baby’s health. This makes your baby more likely to get sick, and for sicknesses to be much more serious. Baby bottles and pacifiers are extremely hard to keep clean; they pick up all kinds of germs from hands, bags, and furniture. .
• Get Help. Ask an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) any questions or concerns you have about breastfeeding.
- Before your baby is born, take a breastfeeding class.
- When your baby is born, ask for help if you have pain or other any problems getting started breastfeeding, and ask about getting help from a lactation consultant after you go home.
- When you go home, ask your family and friends for help so you and your baby can get lots of practice as you learn how to breastfeed.
- Talk to your pediatrician about breastfeeding.
Keep Baby Close!
As soon as your baby is born, snuggle with your baby skin-to-skin. Keep baby close after you go home, too. Make sure family and friends know this snuggling time with mom is a prescription for keeping baby healthy.
• Immediate skin-to-skin contact with mom makes your new baby’s immune system stronger and helps stabilize your baby’s heartbeat and breathing. Welcoming your baby this way also lets your baby latch onto your breast for the first time just right, all by himself. This makes breastfeeding much easier later on.
• Close contact with mom is important throughout infancy.
- Babies’ immune systems and brains grow better when they are held by their mothers.
- Being close helps you breastfeed as often as baby needs. This protects your baby against feeding supplements that make it harder for your baby to fight infection.
• Hold your baby in your arms, a sling, or other carrier, especially when you’re out and about. Keeping your baby close protects against exposure to germs and other people who may be sick, especially if you and your baby are around other children.
Ask Visitors to Wait
Ask family and friends to help you keep your baby healthy by staying away while they have a cough, fever, or other flu symptoms.
Get Rid of Germs
• Use a tissue – When you cough or sneeze, cover your nose and mouth with a tissue and throw the tissue in the trash after using it.
• In a pinch, an elbow will do – If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into the crook of your elbow – avoid coughing or sneezing into your bare hands.
• Wash your hands often with soap and warm water or alcohol-based hand rubs.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Wash your hands after you do.
• Avoid giving baby things that cannot be properly cleaned and can easily spread germs.
• Wash your baby’s hands with mild soap and warm water after being exposed to germs.
What To Do If…
YOUR BABY Becomes Ill with Flu
• Keep breastfeeding!! Your baby needs the infection-fighting antibodies in your milk now more than ever!
• Sick babies need to breastfeed even more often. Keep baby close and feed any time your baby gives you a feeding cue.
• Even if your baby has diarrhea or is vomiting, human milk is more easily and quickly absorbed than infant formula or electrolyte solutions.
• Always call your baby’s doctor if your baby becomes ill.
SOMEONE IN YOUR FAMILY Becomes Ill with Flu
• Call your doctor if you have been exposed to someone with flu symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headaches, chills and fatigue, diarrhea, or vomiting).
- Your doctor may prescribe an antiviral medication such as Tamiflu© or Relenza© to help you get well faster. These same medications are also used to protect you from getting the flu if you’ve been exposed to it.
- Antiviral flu medications work best when you begin them right after symptoms begin.
- Oseltamivir (Tamiflu©) and Zanamivir (Relenza©) are safe to take while breastfeeding. Do not stop breastfeeding in order to take these medications.
• Keep your baby at least 6 feet away from someone who is sick until the sick person’s fever has been gone (without fever-reducing medication) for 24 hours.
• Learn more at the website of the CDC at: www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance_homecare.htm
YOU Become Ill with Flu
• Get lots of rest and drink lots of fluids
• Ask a friend or family member who is not ill to help you take care of your baby so you can get better faster.
- If you are breastfeeding – keep breastfeeding. Flu is spread in the droplets that come from coughs and sneezes, not through breast milk. In fact, the antibodies your body makes to help you fight the flu are also in your milk, so breastfeeding can help keep your baby from getting sick!
• Wash your hands with soap and warm water before holding your baby and breastfeeding; wear a surgical mask while you are breastfeeding.
• Contact a lactation consultant for help if you are too sick to breastfeed.
- If you are not breastfeeding – ask a friend or family member to feed your baby.

International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) are health professionals with special knowledge and experience helping breastfeeding families. They can help you know how breastfeeding is going, answer your questions, and help you find solutions.

Peace Baby

(photo courtesy of Ellen: this is one of her identical twins, doing the typical Japanese photo pose...PEACE!!!)

La Leche League Leaders around the world are all volunteers. And we love what we do!!
And check out
Hathor the Cow Goddess, it's a site you will all enjoy.

BLUE SKY UPDATE Summer 2009

Last weekend I attended an excellent conference in Nagoya run by the Japanese Association of Lactation Consultants (JALC). They are working so hard to educate and inform Japanese doctors, midwives and health professionals about breastfeeding developments and changes in our understanding of how breastfeeding works.

Speakers included Jan Riordan, who wrote the definitive textbook for all students of lactation called Breastfeeding and Human Lactation, and Dr Christina Smillie whose DVD on Baby-led breastfeeding has significantly changed the way I (and many other IBCLCs) work with mothers and babies, with HUGE success. You may have seen it at one of my workshops.

I was also lucky enough to have dinner with Dr. Smillie in Tokyo, where she shared lots more of her clinical experiences, and emphasised that so much of breastfeeding success is about KEEPING MOTHERS & BABIES TOGETHER.
Evidence is mounting that everything goes better for mothers and babies where they spend lots of skin-to-skin time together, with baby snuggled on mum's chest, whether baby is awake or asleep. The release of oxytocin in both mother and baby provides numerous benefits for both, but especially, babies seem to be able to breastfeed better, and mothers produce more milk. I will post more about the benefits of oxytocin soon.

My new group, Heart 2 <3 (heart to heart), for parents of babies up to 2 months old has just started this year, and although each session has been small so far, we have enjoyed ourselves and the babies immensely. It is an opportunity to come and ask questions, without having a full-on lactation consultation, and you can ask questions or compare notes with other parents, share stories, and discuss any topic that is relevant to you and your little baby. Older babies are not excluded...just drop me a note first. Next session is tomorrow afternoon, and August and September sessions are in the works.

The first Blue Sky CPR/AED course is being held in Shibuya tomorrow morning (busy day!!) We have a whopping 23 parents registered! There will be a section at the end focusing on infant CPR, which I believe every parent should know. Our next CPR course will probably be in September or October. The waiting list is already open. This course is run in association with the Tokyo Fire Department and Dave Paddock from English Adventure.

Little Angels playgroup has its last session before the summer next Friday, July 17th. It will be a pot luck lunch, so please bring a plate of food to share. Our potlucks are always popular so please let me know if you plan to join us, as places are limited.

My breastfeeding workshops for expectant have been flooded with people this year, which has been fantastic! Upcoming dates are July 18th, September 13th, October 18th, November 15th and December 13th.

In other news:
La Leche League has a toddler meeting on Friday July 31st. The next regular meeting will be September 11th.
I will be talking at Tokyo Pregnancy group on Thursday August 27th.

I will be here throughout the summer, and apart from a couple of days in Nasu, I am available for lactation consultations and phone and email help as usual.
Have a wonderful summer, and if you are in Tokyo, keep cool!!

Keeping the cord intact a little longer....

We Can Be Much Kinder - Birth Matters Video Contest

H1N1 INFLUENZA & breastfeeding (Japan)

Due to the recent cases of H1N1 (swine) influenza in Japan, LLL Japan has issued a press release in Japanese :
http://llljapan.org/binfo/flu.html
and also the Japanese Association of Lactation Consultants:
http://www.jalc-net.jp/FAQ_ans/influ2009.html
These may be useful to share with your doctor in case you have flu symptoms and are breastfeeding.

For information on the H1N1 influenza in English see:
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/breastfeeding.htm (breastfeeding)
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance/pregnant.htm (pregnant mothers)

Breastfeeding / H1N1 (Swine) Flu Recommendations for Physicians

Breastfeeding / Swine Flu Recommendations for Physicians from the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine
New Rochelle, NY, May 12, 2009—Breastfeeding can limit the severity of respiratory infections in infants and is particularly important for minimizing the risk and effects of infection during an influenza outbreak, such as the current H1N1 influenza virus (also known as the “swine flu”) outbreak, according to recommendations released by the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM). The Academy’s complete recommendations are available online at www.bfmed.org
The new guidelines presented by ABM urge physicians to support continued breastfeeding even if the mother is suspected of having the H1N1 influenza virus, since the infant would likely have been exposed to the virus before the mother’s symptoms appeared. Continued breastfeeding may help limit the severity of respiratory symptoms in infants that become infected.
Other key recommendations encourage continued breastfeeding even if the mother is taking either of the two antiviral medications prescribed to treat or prevent influenza infection (oseltamivir or zanamivir). Breastfeeding should also continue if an infant becomes ill with suspected H1N1 flu. Furthermore, if breast milk is only part of an infant’s diet, it would be wise to increase the amount of breast milk the infant receives during an influenza outbreak, perhaps supplementing breastfeeding with expressed or pumped milk.
Good hygiene, including regular hand washing around the baby, can help minimize exposure to respiratory droplets that may carry the flu virus. Limiting close contact by non-caretakers, use of a mask if a caretaker has flu-like or other respiratory symptoms, and avoiding crowds are other recommended actions to reduce risk of infant exposure. According to ABM President, Caroline J. Chantry, MD, "It is timely for physicians to be reminded that breast milk contains a myriad of antiviral and immune boosting components beyond specific antibodies that will help protect the infant even when a mother does not have preexisting immunity to a particular illness."

La Leche League in Tokyo

We have a wonderful resource in Tokyo in La Leche League,a volunteer organization which offers up-to-date resources and information on breastfeeding, with trained Leaders (experienced breastfeeding mothers themselves) who hold monthly discussion meetings and offer free individual breastfeeding assistance via email and telephone. We have meetings in English, Japanese and French available for women in Tokyo in several different locations each month.

La Leche League has been very active in Tokyo for almost 30 years, and each group has a library for members of fantastic and up-to-date books on birth, breastfeeding, parenting in general, fertility, losing weight after baby, starting solid foods, mothering twins, premature babies, sleep solutions, fussy babies and much more! We have access to breastfeeding information in many languages, and one Tokyo group even has materials in Hebrew!
To find your nearest group, please see http://www.llli.org/Japan.html

Many wonder why anyone would have a meeting about breastfeeding. They may ask, "Who goes to these meetings and what do they talk about?"
At Group meetings La Leche League Leaders and other mothers share experiences, give suggestions and offer support and encouragement. LLL meetings are ideal for learning from and making friends with other mothers. These meetings provide time for mother-to-mother sharing in a friendly and accepting atmosphere. The informal meetings are attended by expectant, new and experienced mothers and their babies. Most Groups rotate through a series of breastfeeding topics, however every meeting is different and the questions of the attendees are always given top priority.

Why LLL meetings? In generations past, many mothers had plenty of support for breastfeeding their babies because their mothers, grandmothers and sisters had breastfed. Now many of us live far away from our families and most likely, they didn't breastfed. Breastfeeding is natural, but it is a learned art. Attending an LLL meeting and seeing other mothers breastfeed their babies helps new and expectant mothers learn how to nurture their babies too.

Who attends LLL meetings? Women interested in breastfeeding are welcome to attend LLL meetings. Women are encouraged to begin attending meetings as soon as they know they are pregnant or before, if they are interested! Attending early in a pregnancy gives mothers plenty of time to learn as much as possible about the womanly art of breastfeeding. Most Groups have an extensive lending library of books especially for breastfeeding families on the topics of breastfeeding, nutrition, parenting and childbirth. The LLL comprehensive guidebook, THE WOMANLY ART OF BREASTFEEDING is offered for sale by most Groups. More here: http://www.llli.org/FAQ/LLL.html
Or contact one of the Leaders in Tokyo listed here http://www.llli.org/Japan.html

Birth Documentary Contest: $1000 Prize

Birth Matters Virginia (an organization that works to promote an evidence-based model of maternity care) is soliciting 4-7 minute educational videos about birth. The first-place winner will receive a cash prize of $1000. Second place $500 and an "honorable mention" prize of $100 will also be awarded. The deadline for entering the contest is Mother's Day, May 10, 2009.

Guest judges include: Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein, acclaimed producers of The Business of Being Born and Sarah J. Buckley., MD , international birth expert and author of Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering. Ricki, Abby, and Sarah will join a consumer-based panel of judges who will be evaluating the tone, educational content, creativity and more. You don't have to be a professional to enter and you don't have to be from Virginia . We'd love to get videos from mothers, fathers, filmmakers, film students, birth advocates, and anyone else who is interested in birth or film or wants to win $1000.

As the national rate of c-sections surpasses 30% and the U.S. ranks 41st in terms of maternal mortality, it is more important than ever for women and their partners to be educated about the options they have during pregnancy and birth. Birth Matters Virginia advocates "evidence-based" maternity care, which simply means using the best available research on the safety and effectiveness of specific practices to help guide maternity care decisions and to facilitate optimal outcomes in mothers and newborns. There are a lot of ways to approach that topic, and we're looking forward to the variety of entries.

For rules and to see how to enter, please visit www.birthmattersva.org/videocontest.html>

You can also join our Facebook group to get updates about the contest and exchange ideas with other participants
And if you have questions, email Sarah at mailto:Richmond@birthmattersva.org

Hospitals should eliminate supplementation of healthy newborns

Hospital Practices and Women's Likelihood of Fulfilling Their Intention to Exclusively Breastfeed See link to article here
Eugene Declercq, PhD, Miriam H. Labbok, MD, MPH, Carol Sakala, PhD, MPH and MaryAnn O'Hara, MD, MPH

Objectives. We sought to assess whether breastfeeding-related hospital practices reported by mothers were associated with achievement of their intentions to exclusively breastfeed.

Methods. We used data from Listening to Mothers II, a nationally representative survey of 1573 mothers who had given birth in a hospital to a singleton in 2005. Mothers were asked retrospectively about their breastfeeding intention, infant feeding at 1 week, and 7 hospital practices.

Results. Primiparas reported a substantial difference between their intention to exclusively breastfeed (70%) and this practice at 1 week (50%). They also reported hospital practices that conflicted with the Baby-Friendly Ten Steps, including supplementation (49%) and pacifier use (45%). Primiparas who delivered in hospitals that practiced 6 or 7 of the steps were 6 times more likely to achieve their intention to exclusively breastfeed than were those in hospitals that practiced none or 1 of the steps. Mothers who reported supplemental feedings to their infant were less likely to achieve their intention to exclusively breastfeed: primiparas (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 4.4; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.1, 9.3); multiparas (AOR = 8.8; 95% CI = 4.4, 17.6).

Conclusions. Hospitals should implement policies that support breastfeeding with particular attention to eliminating supplementation of healthy newborns.

If you would like to read the full text, email me and I can send it to you as a pdf.
blue.sky[at]gol.com

WHO's Infant and young child feeding model chapter for textbooks

Infant and young child feeding: Model Chapter for textbooks for medical students and allied health professionals

The Model Chapter on Infant and Young Child Feeding is intended for use in basic training of health professionals. It describes essential knowledge and basic skills that every health professional who works with mothers and young children should master. The Model Chapter can be used by teachers and students as a complement to textbooks or as a concise reference manual.

http://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/infantfeeding/9789241597494.pdf

Does Breastfeeding Reduce the Risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome?

Breastfeeding is beneficial for infants and their mothers. Breastfeeding reduces the risk of gastrointestinal and respiratory infections. In some, but not all, countries SIDS prevention campaigns include breastfeeding.

This study shows that breastfeeding reduced the risk of sudden infant death syndrome by ~50% at all ages throughout infancy. We recommend including the advice to breastfeed through 6 months of age in sudden infant death syndrome risk-reduction messages.

PEDIATRICS Vol. 123 No. 3 March 2009, pp. e406-e410