I just read an article in Natural News about Long Term Breastfeeding and it discusses how many women in the United Kingdom and the United States either do not nurse their babies or nurse them for only the first few months.

http://www.naturalnews.com/029331_breasfeeding_babies.htmlI’ve been nursing my children non stop now for over 10 years. Each child is approximately 2.5 years apart. It is considered “natural child spacing” and is best for both the mother and baby. The benefits of nursing for both mom and baby are numerous and it is also created a wonderful bond between myself and my children.

When you first start out nursing, it does take effort and perseverance, but nursing pillows, slings and and breast creme all help. I can’t imagine being without those items. A well made organic nursing pillow and organic sling are a must!

I came out with a nursing pillow with many organic covers in fabrics (some of the designer fabrics and color grown organic fabrics are not on the web site) that will help.  Please take a look at our nursing pillow page:

http://www.mommasbaby.com/item–Organic-Nursing-Pillow-by-Purely-Natural-Baby–cottonpillow.html
The nursing pillow is made in a way that it really supports the baby and is very comfy for the momma!You can also take a look at the beautiful organic slings found on this page:

Slings are definitely essential for a nursing baby!

http://www.mommasbaby.com/cat–Baby-Carriers-Baby-Slings–41.html

Slings are available in over the shoulder or a wrap style sling.
You should also have organic or hemp breast pads.  Both are super comfy and washable!

http://www.mommasbaby.com/cat–Breast-Pads-Nursing-Pads–30.html

These products are also helpful for nursing. Earth Mama Angel Baby Nipple butter, Motherlove herbals are all wonderful products!

http://www.mommasbaby.com/cat–Breastfeeding-Extras–33.html

One thing I treasure is taking a daily nap with my baby whenever possible.  Not only do they sleep better, but it helps the mother also get an extra boost in energy to carry out the remainder of the day.  I also love that cuddle time together.

As a homeschool mother of four and owner of a business, I definitely need that time to relax.  Even if you don’t sleep, it gives you a chance to wind down and rest.

I nurse my baby while lying down with them and if they stir to nurse more, I often find that they sleep for longer lengths of time even when I get up.  It really is wonderful for them and for momma! 

I just received a call and I always love helping moms with breastfeeding questions.  I hope to someday work part time in a hospital helping moms begin nursing.  I know the importance of it and even now as I write, I have a little one nursing.   I’ve nursed non-stop all my children for the past 8 1/2 years and have nursed through every pregnancy and begin tandem nursing when the baby is born.

The question I was asked was how to make more milk when you stop nursing your baby and if the baby will be able to nurse again.  The answer is yes!  You can do both!  If a baby is under 6 months of age, that baby can certainly begin to nurse again and yes, you can absolutely make more milk!

Keep these things in mind:

Nurse as much as possible and wear your baby in a sling.  Also sleep next to your baby.  Close contact will keep your baby nursing.  The more you nurse, the more milk you will make!

Do not use a bottle unless really needed.  If your baby is currently drinking from a bottle, slowly take that away and only use it if really, really needed.  A baby will drink from a bottle much easier than from the breast.  It makes it very easy for him/her and they will refuse the breast if given the choice.

Pump to make more milk in addition to keeping your baby close to you as much as possible.

Remove pacifiers.  This also hinders a baby nursing.   

Breastmilk is the best and nothing compares to it for a baby!  The benefits are too many to even count.  If you need help, please call me or e-mail me and I will gladly help you the best I can.  Support is also important.

Many moms can rebuild their milk supply by taking a few simple steps. 

Use herbs to increase milk supply.  A very good one that we recommend is More Milk by Motherlove: http://www.mommasbaby.com/item–Motherlove-More-Milk-Plus-Capsules–mlmmp.html

Put your baby to your breast to suck at each feeding and as often as you can.  Comfort nursing is also important.  Try to never use a pacifier.  That often takes place of sucking from the breast and will reduce the amount of time your baby will nurse.

If using herbs to increase your milk supply, make certain to nurse frequently.  This will help to avoid breast infections or plugged ducts.

Use a breast pump or try hand expression.  This is especially helpful for times when you must be away from your baby.

Be patient and determine that you will be able to nurse your baby.  Breastmilk is the best thing you can give your baby!

If you need encouragement or help, please call your local La Leche League leader.  They are truly wonderful and a big help!  They helped me many times in the past when I first started nursing my children.   You can find a leader by going to their web site:  www.llli.org

One additional note, if your baby is 6 months old or younger, the baby will often go back to nursing even once they are weaned. They will be able to stimulate the breast enough to make milk.  The baby will need supplemental food until your milk supply has fully come back, but your once weaned baby can begin to nurse again!  I think this is wonderful.

Research has shown the link between a mom eating sufficient Omega 3’s during prengnancy and a baby having better problem-solving skills in infancy.  Experts recommend that a pregnant mom get 300 milligrams of DHA daily, but many American women are not meeting this goal according to research out of New York (Reuters).

For the full article, see the following link:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070622/hl_nm/prenatal_omega_dc

During pregnancy, I’ve always used Omega 3 oil.  I’ve taken flax oil and have also taken fish oil as well.  I truly do believe that this helps a baby.

Be careful in eating fish.  Many contain high amounts of mercury today, but a pure fish oil such as Carlson’s is a wonderful source for moms.  

Fat is essential in a baby’s brain development.  Even as a baby begins solid foods, do not hold back on the fat.  It is essential as their brain continues to develop.  As you nurse, also continue to include the Omega 3 essential fatty acids in your diet.

Many moms call or ask me what they can do to increase their milk supply for their baby.  Today I had a customer stop by and I gave her some suggestions and thought that other moms might like to read some of the suggestions I gave to her.  Since I’ve been nursing my children non-stop for nearly 8 years, what I have learned has helped me a great deal.

Nurse your baby on demand.  Do not schedule feedings.  Nurse when your baby is hungry.  This may even mean every 15 minutes to half hour in the beginning!

Co-sleep with your baby.  Night Nursing is very important to keep your milk supply up.  Mothers who work outside the home will find this very beneficial.  If your milk supply drops, keep your baby close to you as much as possible.

Do not use pacifiers. This will keep them from nursing.

Do not use bottles.  Bottles make it easy for a baby to get milk.  They will refuse the breast and prefer the bottle if a bottle is given too early (this is especially true before 6 weeks of age).

Use slings.  A baby in a sling will want to nurse.  Every time I put my baby in the sling, he/she immediately wants to nurse. 

In addition, you might want to use a product that contains Fenugreek.  Motherlove has quite a few products that moms all over have found beneficial.  More Milk Plus and More Milk Plus Capsules are a great help for moms. Please see the following link for further information: http://www.mommasbaby.com/item–Motherlove-More-Milk-Plus-Capsules–mlmmp.html

Lacatation consultants also are a great resource as well as your local La Leche League.

http://www.lalecheleague.org/

You will be able to locate a leader in your area as well as obtain a wealth of information from their site.  They were a great resource for me when I first started breastfeeding my children.

As many of you know, I am certainly not an advocate of infant formula.  Breastmilk is always the best choice  for feeding a newborn baby if possible. Now, in the United Kingdom, they are working on an infant formula that will contain a hormone to supress hunger!

Breastfeeding a baby helps in lowering the incidence of adult obesity.  It contains a hormone called leptin.  Formula does not contain this hormone, but researches want to add it to the formula.  Many advocates are asking if we should be tampering with a baby’s brain.

Read the entire article.  It scares me after I read it. 

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/health_medical/article2474430.ece

An interesting article was posted recently that stated the following: 

Baby milk manufacturers have been ordered to drop nutrition claims which suggest they are a valid alternative to breastfeeding.

Claims such as ‘Closer than ever to breast milk’ and ‘helps growth and the immune system’ have been banned.

This article is posted in full at the following link: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23388554-details/Baby%20milk%20firms%20told:%20′don’t%20claim%20formula%20is%20as%20good%20as%20breast%20milk’/article.do

As I mentioned in my last blog, I get very upset that hospitals are giving out infant formula to moms when leaving the hospital.  Infant formula can never duplicate what God has created.  Breastmilk is and will always be the perfect food for a baby.

Recently we had our fourth baby and I received yet another bag from the hospital when leaving.  I hadn’t opened it up until I returned home.  When I did, I realized there were cans of infant formula in there.  It’s just such ashame that they give this out to many new moms that are just starting out breastfeeding their little ones. 

Many women give up on nursing in the beginning and with formula given out so easily even from the hospitals, it’s no wonder they don’t try nursing their baby longer.

Breastfeeding is always the best for your baby.  The benefits of breast milk for both mom and baby are amazing!  I’ve written an article on my site under resources discussing all the wonderful benefits. 

 http://www.mommasbaby.com/ccp51/cgi-bin/cp-app.cgi?&pg=breastfeeding

 In addition, you can read many wonderful articles found on the La Leche web site:

http://www.lalecheleague.org/

La Leche leaders can be found throughout the country and are a wonderful source of information and help for moms just starting out breastfeeding.  I know they were very helpful to me when I began to first breastfeed my children.

If you know of a mom that is just starting out breastfeeding, a wonderful gift for her would also be the breastfeeding support kit by Earth Mama Angel Baby:

http://www.mommasbaby.com/item–Breastfeeding-Support-Kit-Earth-Mama-Angel-Baby–BreastfeedingSupportKit.html

I love the Earth Mama Angel Baby line and a  gift such as this may provide encouragement and support for her to continue to nurse her baby.