©iStockphoto.com/yhloon

It’s a common milestone we all assume happens when your child turns 1: Happy first birthday, have some milk with your cake. Non-human milk replaces human milk, and the weaning journey continues apace.

After all, the prevailing wisdom is to let cow’s milk replace breast milk (or formula) after your child reaches his first birthday. While it is true cow’s milk should not be introduced into a baby’s diet before the age of 1, the question is, does it really need to be introduced at all—ever?

Cow’s milk is safely used as a substitute for human milk (and a replacement to formula) because it is…

read more

©iStockphoto.com/LiciaR

As parents of a 14-month-old, my wife and I know that eating at a restaurant with a baby can be quite an adventure. Usually, our fine dining experience ends with us apologizing profusely to the waitstaff, leaving a generous tip, and walking away with a “blast zone” of food surrounding our baby’s highchair.

Of course eating out with a baby is a challenge when it comes to etiquette; but it’s also a challenge when it comes to choosing foods. Let’s face it: It can be hard to find healthy choices at many restaurants, even for adults, much less babies.

Still, many experts…

read more

©iStockphoto.com/jfmdesign

It is such a simple solution—the fact that it works may surprise many—a five-minute conversation between a health care provider and a parent during their baby’s 9-month checkup increases the likelihood of bottle-weaning. Why is this important? Because prolonged bottle-feeding (beyond 15 to 18 months) has been shown to increase a child’s risk for iron deficiency—a condition that is common in children whose diet is primarily milk rather than a wide variety of healthy foods. And bedtime bottle use also increases the risk of tooth decay—another reason for why the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends complete bottle weaning around 12…

read more

©iStockphoto.com/nicolesy

It’s that time of year! Many parents are getting ready to send their children back to school. But clothes and shoes, backpacks and notebooks probably aren’t the only things they’re thinking about. School safety tops the list of worries for many parents. Will my child get to school safely? Will he get sick? Will she eat a healthy lunch? Will she fall during recess and scrape her knee? While accidents do happen, there are ways to talk to your children about staying safe at school. Here are 10 tips to share with your family:

1. Know the numbers. Make sure your…

read more

Maybe I’m doing this backwards.

Recently I shared my experience of weaning my son. But let me back up and tell you why I decided to breastfeed my son for three years in the first place.

For starters, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends breastfeeding until a child is at least 2 years old and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends women breastfeed for at least one year and beyond, as breast milk protects infants and young children against infectious diseases and boosts their neurodevelopment. It also provides many health benefits for mothers. I knew this and I took their advice. But…

read more

©iStockphoto.com/snapphoto

When Stephanie Adams, the toddler lead teacher at the Baylor University child care center, takes visitors into her classroom, they swear her students act, react, and behave more like 10-year-olds than 2-year-olds. And though she can’t prove it, Adams believes that the sign language she has taught them since the age of six months might have something to do with it.

“I think it helps them not only communicate, but also develop faster emotionally,” says Adams. “We taught them signs for feelings, like ‘happy,’ ’sad,’ and ‘frustrated.’ Before they could talk, instead of throwing a tantrum, the kids could just let…

read more

©iStockphoto.com/cisale

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Income and Program Participation, there are more than 11 million U.S. children under the age of 5 who are in some sort of child care arrangement. The majority of those not being cared for by a relative are in settings where, unfortunately, germs do run rampant. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the risk of spreading infectious diseases exists in child care settings, especially among infants and toddlers who are most likely to share germs through putting toys in their mouths. In fact, most children in child care and school settings…

read more

©iStockphoto.com/GalinaPhoto

For low-income families who need help providing food for their babies, the support of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is invaluable. But at times, the organization has come under fire for giving new moms and their babies infant formula rather than promoting and supporting breastfeeding.

Rev. Douglas Greenaway, the President and CEO of the National WIC Association (NWA), says that his organization has reversed course and made significant strides in promoting breastfeeding in recent years. In fact, he wants new mothers to see the NWA and WIC as the “go-to sources for breastfeeding support…

read more

©iStockphoto.com/najin

It’s been described by some as “funny and awesome,” and by others as “weird and kinky.” But at that end of the day, it succeeds where countless other public service announcements (PSAs) have failed by sparking conversation around a subject that deserves everyone’s attention—breastfeeding.

This 28-second PSA featuring celebrity moms, courtesy of the bump, invites viewers to “join the boob-olution” and breastfeed. It comes on the heels of a PSA sponsored by Best for Babes featuring a silhouette of the female body with the words, “Life-saving devices” written across the woman’s breasts.

Boob-olution was one of many PSAs launched during World Breastfeeding Week 2010 celebrations.…

read more

©iStockphoto.com/AK2

In January 2010, the breastfeeding community lost a visionary—Mary Rose Tully. But like all remarkable woman, Mary Rose left an indelible mark, one that is reflected in the Mary Rose Tully Training Initiative (MRTTI)—a joint effort of Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute and the University of North Carolina Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

A lifelong dream, Mary Rose was able to see the inaugural class complete the first of two academic semesters. Each of the six students went on to graduate in 2010 and recently sat for the certification exam. These students will join the ranks of IBCLCs, health professionals dedicated to providing breastfeeding…

read more

©iStockphoto.com/AjayShrivastava

In celebration of World Breastfeeding Week 2010, we asked mothers to talk about their breastfeeding experiences—the hard parts, the best parts, surprising parts, even what it’s like to breastfeed in public. We discovered some universal truths.

How did you overcome any breastfeeding difficulties?
“One of the things that I found really helpful was a video. I was in the hospital at the time and they suggested I watch it before going home. It was pretty naff but it had a good mix of people talking, demonstrating, and graphics that showed how the nipple fits into the baby’s mouth…The second thing that…

read more

My daughter Katie sprained her ankle today. While she gave up breastfeeding long ago, her cries reminded me of something I appreciated with each of my children: Breastfeeding was soothing. It was comforting. It had a powerful ability to calm a child in pain or discomfort. One friend calls breastfeeding a “magic ability;” another calls it a “super power.”

I have used this super power many times over the years, breastfeeding each of my babies during and after their vaccinations. Sadly, for my firstborn, Ben, our first pediatrician didn’t allow breastfeeding during the actual needle stick. Comparing my son’s reaction during…

read more