Breastfeeding

The COVID Vaccine, Pregnancy and Breastfeeding: An expert shares what you need to know

If you are one of the many women who are currently pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or breastfeeding during the COVID pandemic, it can be challenging to know the best ways to care for yourself and your baby. Luckily new information is coming out every day to help guide new parents in making healthy decisions for their growing families. What are the experts currently saying about the COVID vaccine for pregnant or breastfeeding women? For pregnant women, the CDC is currently stating that the COVID vaccine is recommended. Although research is limited, the CDC states that the vaccine is unlikely to pose a risk to pregnant women or their infants. Reports have shown that moms who receive the COVID vaccine while pregnant will pass on antibodies to their infants. For breastfeeding women, the C...

Human Milk is the Gift that Gives for a Lifetime

August is World Breastfeeding Awareness Month.   Around the world, people will be celebrating the amazing benefits of breastfeeding with efforts that will protect, promote, and support breastfeeding by empowering parents.  A mother’s milk is her baby’s best first food, providing essential nutrients and protections that can last a lifetime.   Science has proven that breast milk can help protect against ear infections, respiratory ailments, allergies, diabetes and certain cancers.  The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for at least the first six months of a baby’s life to maximize these benefits.  Human milk is magic – did you know the makeup of the milk changes as the baby grows and development needs change?  There are ...

Breast Express comes to Mothers’ Milk Bank

 pumpspotting and Mothers’ Milk Bank are bringing women together to nurse, pump, nourish and connect. The Breast Express RV, a 40-foot nursing and pumping suite, touring the country to help unite communities in lactation conversation, celebrate moms and breastfeeding advocates, and share breastfeeding stories.   The RV, “a luxury lactation lounge on wheels” will roll up at 10 a.m., August 5, at Mothers’ Milk Bank. The RV is fully equipped with pumping equipment, relaxing nursing chairs, water and snacks to make mothers feel comfortable.  From 10 a.m. – 12 noon, pumpspotting and Mothers’ Milk Bank will be hosting a mini-milk drive for approved donors, offering free activities, tours of the milk bank and Baby Café, giveaways including free yoga and Barre class a...

We’re not perfect but we’re brave

Have you ever been judged for something on this list? Parenting is hard. Good thing we have friends who support our choices and remind us that parenting is a spectator sport.  “Mother Judger” is a new series by Scary Mommy and really hits home.

It Takes a Village to Offset the Load: My Journey with Breastfeeding & Anxiety

As a parent, do you ever have days where you feel as if the load you’re carrying is just too heavy to move forward? You’re not alone. I’ve been there. And for me, much of my pregnancy-related anxiety stemmed from my experience with breastfeeding. If I learned anything through my breastfeeding journey, it’s that it takes a village to offset the load – it’s not something we can, or have to do by ourselves as moms. Breastfeeding comes with so many benefits for you and your baby. Yet anyone who has gone through the experience knows it may not be easy and can come with a rollercoaster of joys and challenges. When anyone asked me what I was most excited for before I gave birth, my answer was always breastfeeding. I couldn’t wait to experience that special bond and provide valuable nourishment fo...

Never wake a sleeping baby…is it true? Ask an Expert!

At Tinyhood, our mission is simple: to provide new parents with a place to get on-demand answers about their most pressing parenting questions from trusted, certified experts. That’s why we keep a range of experts on hand who can advise on everything from sleep training to breastfeeding to early childhood development and more. Since our inception, our experts have been asked a lot of wide-ranging questions—but we’ve noticed some patterns that have come up. So we’ve put together a lot of the questions new parents ask the most frequently on our site—along with the tried-and-true advice of our experts. Read on for our most sought-after advice. “How do I get my baby on a normal sleep schedule?” Early risings and frequent night wakings are often a result, counterintuitively, of over-tiredness a...

Is Marijuana Safe When Pregnant or Breastfeeding? What the Experts Say

I recently attended a conference where the presenter referenced a vintage Blatz Beer advertisement extolling the benefits of drinking beer…for mom and baby.  This, of course, seems far-fetched in today’s world. Research has proven the harmful effects of moms drinking alcohol while pregnant and nursing. I have a dear friend whose adoptive teenage daughter will likely suffer from the effects of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) for the rest of her life. Fifty years ago, many people assumed that using alcohol or tobacco while pregnant or breastfeeding was more or less safe because these drugs were legal. Today, many people believe the same about marijuana. According to a recent blog by Children’s Hospital Colorado, Maya Bunik, MD, MPH, PSPH, medical director of the Primary Ca...

Guys Experience Breastfeeding for the First Time

Breastfeeding isn’t for the faint of heart…or breast.  For one long, long day, two men got to experience what it’s like to be a breastfeeding woman. Not the part of attaching a real baby, unfortunately, but the bit about carrying two ever-filling jugs about town. The experience was made possible with help from MamaBreast, a breastfeeding simulator made by Laerdal. The wearable simulator “allows highly realistic simulation of breastfeeding and breast milk expression.” While typically an educational tool, the $60 device can also be used to foster understanding and empathy with the opposite sex. Ready to see how the men did? Spoiler alert: They found it tough.

[Funny] reasons why women should never breastfeed in public

Energetic, funny, and obsessed with creativity, Kristina Kuzmic has an in-your-face perspective on issues of parenting and life in general. As for breasts? Turns out, they’re not just for gawking.

Momsense Launches Revolutionary Smart Breastfeeding Meter for Nursing Mothers

Momsense has developed a unique, wearable technology that will transform breastfeeding for nursing mothers: a groundbreaking Smart Meter designed to monitor and measure, in real time, their baby’s milk intake while breastfeeding. This innovation will provide knowledge that will result in vital peace of mind and confidence for mothers in those precious first months of their baby’s life. Research shows that although 80% of new mothers choose to breastfeed their newborn baby, 50% of these women stop once their baby reaches 4-6 weeks old, predominantly because they believe that they aren’t providing sufficient milk to feed their baby. The cutting-edge solution, will support breastfeeding mothers and empower them with enhanced intuition and knowledge. Dr. Osnat Emanuel, Momsen...

What pregnant and breastfeeding moms need to know about marijuana use

Colorado’s legalization of retail marijuana for adults 21 and older still continues to be a divisive issue and as well it should be. But one thing that most of us can agree upon is that it is important to know about the laws and health effects that pertain to retail marijuana in Colorado. Over the next year, Mile High Mamas is teaming up with Good to Know Colorado to help pregnant and breastfeeding mothers learn the facts about retail marijuana so they can make informed and educated decisions for themselves and their babies. Good to Know is the nation’s first public education campaign regarding the legal, safe and responsible use of retail marijuana through the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). It’s not about scare tact...

Humor: Are You My Mama?

I was very proud of myself. That should have been the first hint that things would go terribly wrong. My son took to nursing fairly easily. Something that I was super wary about turned into this lovely bonding time for us. You know, the sort of softly-lit, angelically-smiling, inspirational post you’d see on Facebook. There’d be some sort of saying at the bottom of the post … Mamas are their first comfort or some such crap. Around ten months (I think? That first year is all very blurry and fever-dream-esque) my son said his first word: Mama. And I was proud. So proud. We’d formed a real bond, he and I! Being there for him to nurse every three hours around the clock really meant something. I was, in a word, amazing. A wonderful mother, perhaps the best mother ever. I ate a million donuts in...