We have all heard that breastfeeding is the best way to feed your baby because you can bond with your child and give them the best nutrients and immunity for lifelong health. Besides that, breastfeeding helps moms stay healthy by getting you back to pre-pregnancy weight faster, preventing breast and ovarian cancer, and ensuring heart health. However, sometimes putting baby on the breast is easier said than done – not all moms can breastfeed in the traditional sense of holding your baby to the …
The Baby Blog: breastfeeding
Are you Pregnant (or Breastfeeding) and Affected by a Hurricane?
By Beth Conover, APRN, Beth Kiernan, MPH, and Al Romeo, RN, PhD - MotherToBaby Teratogen Information Specialists From images of buildings destroyed by high wind to families stranded on roof tops by flooding (and the rising death toll), to say that hurricanes can be devastating would be an understatement. At MotherToBaby, we receive questions from moms and moms-to-be in storm-affected areas regarding the potential exposures they may be experiencing as powerful forces of nature wreak havoc on …
Marijuana, Pregnancy & Breastmilk: Getting Closer to Answers
By Sonia Alvarado, MotherToBaby California Teratogen Information Specialist I wrote a blog about marijuana and pregnancy three years ago and it’s become the most visited blog on the MotherToBaby website. No surprise, considering that marijuana is an even hotter topic today than it was previously! Three years ago, two states had laws allowing recreational use. Now, 29 states allow medicinal use, recreational use or both (with limits on amounts varying from state to state). I was recently asked …
Boosting Milk for Baby: The Supply & Demands of Breastfeeding
By Bethany Kotlar, MPH, Teratogen Information Specialist, MotherToBaby Georgia Being a new mom is overwhelming. Trying to figure out this brand new role can seem like climbing Mount Everest! Many new moms have questions about breastfeeding, and of those questions, how to increase or maintain supply is one of the most common. Luckily for all those new moms out there, MotherToBaby has teamed up with a lactation consultant to answer all of your burning supply questions. First, a quick …
Alcohol: Be ‘In The Know’ If Nursing Baby
By Chris Colón, Certified Genetic Counselor at MotherToBaby Arizona During pregnancy, many women make changes in their lives in order to have the best chance to have a healthy baby. I know I did during both of my pregnancies. These changes can involve their diet, exercise habits and other lifestyle factors. After birth, new moms may consider adding back some of the things they cut out over the last 9 months, including drinking alcohol. But is adding it back in that simple? During September’s …