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

20% off workshops!

Blue Sky is offering a new week-day breastfeeding workshop from 2009. This is in addition to the Sunday workshop for couples, which continues to be available each month.

Host a workshop at your home for you and 3 friends or more between January 15th and March 1st 2009 and receive 20% off the registration fee for you AND your friends.

Choice of workshops:
Wednesday afternoons 1pm - 4pm
Thursday mornings 10am - 1pm

Research shows that women who receive prenatal education, postpartum hospital and home visits, and telephone calls from a lactation consultant are more likely to breastfeed through week 20 and at a higher breastfeeding intensity than women who do not receive assistance from a lactation consultant.*

If you would like to get breastfeeding off to a great start, this is the workshop for you!

# Workshop requires the use of a DVD player
# Discount can also be applied to couples' Sunday workshops if you arrange a group of 4 couples or more at your home.
# Full payment for all your group's attendees (minimum 4 people) must be completed 7 days before workshop.

For more details of the workshops see Blue Sky's web site.

* Bonuck, K., et al. 2005. Randomized controlled trial of a prenatal and postnatal lactation consultant intervention on duration and intensity of breastfeeding up to 12 months. Pediatrics. 116:6, 1413-26.

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Mention TPG to take advantage of this special discount!

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Breastfeeding Does Not Create Sagging Breasts

Breastfeeding Does Not Create Sagging Breasts; Study Throws Out Old Wives' Tale
Myth Dispelled at American Society of Plastic Surgeons Annual Meeting

For Immediate Release: October 28, 2007

BALTIMORE – While the benefits of breastfeeding are unquestionable, many new mothers choose not to for fear of sagging breasts. However, breastfeeding alone has no impact on a woman’s breast shape, according to a first-of-its-kind study presented today at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) Plastic Surgery 2007 conference in Baltimore.

“Many women who come in for breast surgery tell us their breasts are sagging, drooping or are less full because they breastfed,” said Brian Rinker, MD, ASPS Member Surgeon and study author. “Although the amount of sagging in the breasts appears to increase with each pregnancy, we’ve found that breastfeeding does not worsen the effect.”

The study examined 93 women who were pregnant one or more times prior to having cosmetic breast surgery. Fifty-eight percent of patients reported breastfeeding one or more of their children. The duration of breastfeeding ranged from 2 to 25 months, with an average of nine months. Fifty-five percent of respondents reported an adverse change in the shape of their breasts following pregnancy.

As the first study to examine what impacts breast shape in connection to pregnancy, plastic surgeons found that a history of breastfeeding, the number of children breastfed, the duration of each child’s breastfeeding, or the amount of weight gained during pregnancy were not significant predictors for losing breast shape. However, body mass index (BMI), the number of pregnancies, a larger pre-pregnancy bra size, smoking history, and age were significant risk factors for an increased degree of breast sagging.

Nearly 104,000 women had breast lifts in 2006, up 96 percent since 2000, according to the ASPS. In addition, more than 329,000 women had breast augmentation, making it the top surgical cosmetic procedure in 2006.

“Women may be reluctant to breastfeed because of this unfounded myth that doing so means the end of youthful breasts,” said Dr. Rinker. “Now, expectant mothers can relax knowing breastfeeding does not change the appearance of their breasts.”

Breast milk provides indisputable health benefits to infants. Research has shown breastfed infants have improved general health, growth and development as well as a lower risk of many acute and chronic illnesses than bottle-fed infants.

Tokyo Pregnancy group

What a nice bunch of ladies I spoke to today at TPG! Thankyou for having me, as you can tell I always enjoy chatting about breastfeeding!

You might be interested in the results of my small survey. I received 16 completed forms back.
100% said you wanted to breastfeed
The expected duration ranged from 3m to "as long as I can", with more 50% saying 6 months or more.
100% of you had spoken to your partners about breastfeeding
94% had spoken to your mothers about breastfeeding.
75% of you were breastfed

You all had experience seeing other mothers feed

Nobody said their breasts had been checked during pregnancy, but because of the way that question was worded, it also looked like nobody had discussed breastfeeding with you. (i.e. 0%)

What worries you most about breastfeeding (multiple answers given by some people):
43% worried about not being successful
25% worried about poor latch
only 18% of you worried about pain.
6% each for:
worries about your own patience level,
not enough milk,
tiredness,
engorgement,
combining breastfeeding with medications,
baby being too demanding.

93% of you had heard of La Leche League, and almost all of you knew it was a breastfeeding support group with resources for mothers. This is particularly pleasing, as a major survey was carried out by LLL to see what the recognition level was for their name and purpose, and we did better than them!

TPG true or false answers

Answers to the Tokyo Pregnancy group True or False quiz.

TRUE or FALSE

Babies don’t need any other food or drink apart from breastmilk until at least 6 months of age because breastmilk has all the nutrients a baby needs in the right amounts for optimum health and growth.

TRUE

Breastfeeding means you won’t get any periods until your baby is weaned (ends breastfeeding).

FALSE Your menstrual cycle generally returns after baby starts solid foods, or starts to sleep through the night. Some people have periods returning as early as 2 months after birth and some much later, like 18 or more months after birth.

Rooming-in with my baby in the hospital/clinic will make it easier for me to learn my baby’s signals and respond to him more quickly

TRUE

I will probably be especially tired if I breastfeed only.

FALSE Being a new parent can be tiring, no matter how you feed your baby. Breastfeeding is much less hassle than bottles and sterilizing equipment and looking after a child who could be more prone to illness.

Baby’s heart rate, oxygen levels and body temperature are better regulated when baby is placed in skin to skin contact with mother’s bare chest

TRUE Skin to skin contact on mother's chest is great for all babies, and can often help solve many breastfeeding problems! Not just 5 minutes a day, lots and lots of skin to skin….you are your baby’s natural habitat!

An occasional bottle of formula in the hospital or at night is nothing to worry about

FALSE Babies can quickly develop a preference for the rapid flow or hard teat of the bottle, and may not go back to breastfeeding easily. Formula also changes the way the baby’s body works, and can allow the entry of pathogens and allergens into the baby’s gut, which can increase the risk of allergies and illness later on. Even just one bottle does that.

Breastfeeding on demand develops bad habits and a clingy child.

FALSE Breastfeeding on demand allows a baby to self-regulate his own intake. If his needs are met at the breast (food, warmth, comfort) he will grow up feeling very secure and loved. Some babies take longer to become confident in their surroundings than others, and breastfeeding can help ease them through transitions and feel more secure in new places. The breastfeeding relationship is about so much more than just the milk.

It is difficult to satisfy a baby with breastmilk alone

FALSE Breasts make milk according to the degree of breast fullness. So if baby takes milk out, your breast is emptier, so you make milk faster again. If baby has unrestricted access to the breast, and you can hear him swallowing when he nurses, you should be able to make as much milk as your baby needs. (Refer also to the "use it or lose it" label in the right-hand column for more information)

Breastfeeding helps to lower a mother’s risk of osteoporosis (losing bone density)

TRUE

I need to introduce a bottle as soon as possible so that baby learns to take one from my husband or a babysitter

FALSE Be careful introducing bottles before breastfeeding is well established, as baby may prefer the bottle and reject your breast. Babies can learn at any age to take a bottle from a caregiver if mother is not available for breastfeeding.

Baby needs additional water in hot weather

FALSE Babies need only breastmilk for the first six months of life (unrestricted access) In hot weather your milk has a higher water content. (Amazing stuff!) Baby may need to drink more frequently.

At each feed in the first few days after birth, my baby needs only half to one teaspoon of colostrum (the first milk in your breasts, full of antibodies and immunities).

TRUE but baby needs to feed very frequently, about 10 or more times day.

A new breastfed baby’s bowel movements are liquid.

TRUE (they look like yellow yoghurt!)

A healthy breastfed baby might do 5 poos a day

TRUE In fact they may do more than that, and that is OK too. Minimum 2 poos a day after the third day. Less than that means you need more help with breastfeeding.

If the hospital staff check my positioning during breastfeeding and it looks fine, but I am still having pain, it is possible there is something wrong with my breasts.

FALSE More likely you need some fine-tuning of your positioning and latch. Just because it looks fine to the staff doesn’t mean it is fine. If you have pain, it is not fine, but it doesn't mean something is wrong with your breasts. Call LLL or me.

It is hard to know how much milk baby is drinking at the breast, so pumping my milk is a good way to know how much I have available.

FALSE. Babies are much better at removing milk than pumps or hands. You might have a fantastic milk supply but not be able to express very much at all. Pumping puts another piece of technology between you and your baby. All feeds should be at the breast, and watch baby’s diaper output to know he is getting enough. After the first couple of days, you will see about 5-6 very wet diapers, and between 2 and 5 stools a day. If you are really worried about milk supply and baby’s weight gain, call or email LLL or me, and in the meantime, go to bed with your baby and feed, feed, feed! It's called a "babymoon"!

If you would like to receive LLL's meeting reminder notice each month, please send an email here and let us know who you are and your due date. If you would like further clarification for anything in this post, please post a comment at the link below or email me and I am happy to provide further resources.

Iron for babies

Expectant parents might like to know there is a study published in The Lancet in 2006 that shows that waiting 2 minutes before clamping the umbilical cord provided the infants with more body iron at 6 months of age without causing any harm at birth.
Delayed cord clamping increases infants' iron stores.

One session with a lactation consultant improves your chances of success!

January 8, 2007 — A single antenatal counseling session with educational materials improved breastfeeding practices up to 3 months after delivery, according to the results of a randomized trial reported in the January issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
More here.

"Both the World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend exclusive breast-feeding for the first 6 months, followed by the introduction of suitable complementary foods and continued breastfeeding up to 2 years of age. Despite increasing clinician awareness of the many advantages of breastfeeding, many mothers in the United States and worldwide do not maintain exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months."

A US survey in 2001 revealed that at 6 months' postpartum, only 27% of mothers were still breastfeeding, and only 7.9% were exclusively breastfeeding, which means without any additional formula or food or drink. In Singapore, the National Breastfeeding Survey 2001 showed that only 21.1% of mothers continued to breastfeed at 6 months, and that fewer than 5% were breast-feeding exclusively.

"The challenge therefore remains to implement programs that can effectively improve rates of exclusive and predominant breastfeeding both in the short and long term. In these surveys, significant factors affecting the decision not to breastfeed included a lack of support from healthcare professionals (reported by more than 10% of Singapore mothers) and a lack of knowledge about breastfeeding.

Although programs aimed at promoting breastfeeding through patient education and caregiver encouragement have yielded mixed results, systematic reviews conclude that educational programs are more effective at improving breastfeeding practice than are informative pamphlets dispensed without accompanying educational intervention. Seeing a lactation counselor before delivery establishes contact with someone who can continue to provide postnatal care and support. Breastfeeding counseling should be part of a broader program aimed at educating pregnant women for motherhood."

If you are in Tokyo, once a month classes with a Lactation Consultant are available here.

Private consultations are also available on request.

Once a month La Leche League meetings are held in Tokyo at 2 locations. Meeting the group Leaders and the other mothers can also help you establish the network of support you need.

What is La Leche League?

La Leche League (LLL) groups around the world run discussion meetings for mothers, generally once a month, which cover all aspects of breastfeeding, from getting started right through until weaning. At LLL meetings, you can bring your babies, your stories and experiences, and also your questions. You can make friends with other like-minded mothers, and get heaps of up-to-date and relevant information on breastfeeding whatever the stage of your baby.

LLL was founded 50 years ago by a group of seven mothers who were breastfeeding at a time when few people were supportive of it. They quickly found that there were many other mothers like them, who knew breastfeeding was best for them and their babies but no one had much information on it. So the network of mothers supporting other mothers grew and grew, and now LLL groups are in over 60 countries of the world!

The Leaders at the meetings are all volunteers, experienced breastfeeding mothers themselves who have completed the training required to become accredited and run a group. Groups are supported entirely by the memberships they sell. You don't have to be a member to attend a meeting or to call a Leader for support, but by joining, you help to keep the library stocked, to ensure that LLL is here for future mothers, and that the Leaders can receive further education and materials to offer the best help they can to mothers.

In Japan we have the following English speaking groups.
Tokyo: Tokyo Central and Tokyo West
There are English speaking Leaders available to help mothers in Sendai, Wakkanai (northern Hokkaido), Atsugi, Yokota and Okinawa.
Japanese groups and Leaders can be found through their website.

If you are a breastfeeding mother and would like to learn more about how to become a LLL Leader and start groups in your area, LLL International has a website where you can get that information. Of course it also carries heaps of breastfeeding and parenting resources, and there are interactive discussion forums where parents can ask breastfeeding questions too.

getting started

Choosing a doctor, hospital, clinic or midwife who is supportive of breastfeeding is important. As Dr Jack Newman points out, they all say they are supportive, but his article tells you what to look out for. The challenge for mothers like you in Japan is to find somewhere that truly values breastfeeding, does not separate mothers and babies after birth, and does not suggest bottles of glucose water or infant formula as a quick fix at the first sign of a breastfeeding problem. Discuss breastfeeding and hospital policies with your caregiver during pregnancy, and find out if they are willing to be flexible, and perhaps "bend the rules" for you. Asking the tricky questions now might save a lot of heartache later.

This list of 10 questions for all pregnant mothers is very useful, so you have some idea about the right questions to ask about your birth and breastfeeding!