A resource to inspire, inform and empower parents.

We Need Breastfeeding Support

Right now insurance companies don’t recognize IBCLCs in PA and this makes accessing quality lactation and breastfeeding help even more challenging. It’s yet another hole in women’s health that needs correcting.

We are looking for signatures for the petition, but more importantly STORIES (the comment section is at the bottom of the petition). We want YOU to share with legislators why IBCLC care is important and to do that we need to hear from moms. We need to hear how access to an IBCLC helped a mother reach her goals or how a lack of access to an IBCLC care hindered her breastfeeding goals. Signatures and stories can come from those outside of PA, the more the merrier.

Here’s the link to the petition:
http://bit.ly/2HcbKtQ

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Crappy Breastfeeding Advice That’s Ruining Your Breastfeeding Journey

If you’ve ever heard anything about breastfeeding chances are it’s wrong. Most of the information on the internet and being spread by the medical community is flat out untrue. I decided to compile a list of myths and bust them here, but it turns out there is so much terrible information out there that I would have to write this post for the rest of my life to address it all. So I picked a few to give more information on, complied a large list of other myths and started a podcast called The Badass Breastfeeding Podcast with Dianne Cassidy, IBCLC. The podcast is dedicated to correcting the bad information. So check out some common myths here and head to the podcast for more information to help you reach your breastfeeding goals.

Podcast for Apple / Podcast for Android [Read more…]

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Breastfeeding Through the Night

Abby Theuring, The Badass Breastfeeder, breastfeeding through the night

Does your baby nurse all night? Have you tried co-sleeping?
Many people think there is something wrong when their baby nurses all night long. It’s totally normal! Your baby is normal! But it’s really tiring, I’ve been there. Co-sleeping helped us get so much more sleep. And it can be done completely safely. Check out The Badass Breastfeeding Podcast for episodes on night nursing, co-sleeping and so much more! Search for it wherever you listen to podcasts!

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There’s No Such Thing As a “Former” Breastfeeder

I see this a lot. A mom finishes breastfeeding and then she posts on our wall or in a breastfeeding support group that she is leaving because she no longer belongs.

NO.

That is not true. Actually if you are totally done breastfeeding then you are the expert! You have so much valuable information to pass on to others. You have done it from beginning to end! No matter what happened during your journey you are sitting on some seriously helpful information for another mom. Please stay and connect with other moms. Pick your favorite breastfeeding group and stay! Be the mom that’s been there through it all. 

My Mom on the right nursing my sister. Her sister (my aunt) on the left nursing my cousin. Both woman are deceased. The babies are 42 now. Pic from 1976. Photo shared by Virginia. 

[Read more…]

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My Weaning Story

Abby Theuring, The Badass Breastfeeder, weaning story

My blog is 6 years old this week. Exley was hanging out on my lap today while Jack was playing video games when I realized that by the blog’s 7th birthday I won’t be breastfeeding anymore. Jack is on his second week of not nursing. And this guy asked to nurse today, but only because I was about to post this! He goes days between asking. It won’t be long now. When he nursed he asked why there was no milk. I said he can still nurse, but that the milk is gone. I explained that as kids gets bigger and eat more food they nurse less and eventually there is no more milk. This is all part of the journey. Whether you’ve followed from the beginning or are just joining us you’re witnessing my weaning story.

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5 Breastfeeding Tips to Help You Get Through the Night

Nothing prepares you for being a parent. While the first few weeks and months are unforgettable they are also incredibly exhausting.

Amongst all the excitement and the attention given to the newborn, something often gets forgotten, that’s the health of one very important person, you – the mom. And as you have a little one to care for now, nothing is as essential as sustaining your own physical and mental health. [Read more…]

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Breastfeeding on Demand

Abby Theuring, The Badass Breastfeeder, breastfeeding on demand

Breastfeeding on demand means initiating breastfeeding whenever your baby gives hunger cues. An even easier way to think about this is to initiate breastfeeding whenever you can and often and allowing your baby to breastfeed for as long as they want. There is no need to watch the clock or breastfeed on any kind of schedule. Simply breastfeed as often as you can, whenever your baby asks for it and for as long as your baby wants. This is the best way to establish milk supply and the best way to make sure your baby is getting plenty of milk. You might be told to breastfeed every 2 hours or something like that, but there is no need to do thus and this could actually lead to milk supply issues. Simply breastfeed on demand.

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Breastfeeding: You Never Know When It’s the Last Time

“I feel like Jack is going to be one of those kids that breastfeeds until 7 years old,” I said to my husband one day when Jack was around 1 year old. I had been learning a lot about breastfeeding, mostly through the moms at The Badass Breastfeeder Facebook community. I learned that kids who are not weaned early can breastfeed anywhere from 2.5 to 7 years old. Before kids it would have completely freaked me out. Now that I had celebrated my very first nursiversary, after fighting tooth and nail to save what seemed like a doomed breastfeeding relationship, I couldn’t imagine why on earth I would ever wean him. My husband took a bit longer to adjust to the idea of coloring so outside the box, but ultimately we both felt that what helps Jack is much more important than anyone else’s opinion.

Abby Theuring, The Badass Breastfeeder, breastfeeding Jack. [Read more…]

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Breastfeeding is Normal

Abby Theuring, The Badass Breastfeeder, breastfeeding in public, nursing in public

So here, let me explain something.

I think feet are gross. Like I really don’t like to look at feet. Summer comes and I’m all, “UGH, everyone is going to in sandals. Gross!” I really don’t care if you get pedicures or paint your toe nails a pretty color. I don’t like feet and I don’t want to see them.

So guess what? I look away. I simply turn my head and look away. I shut my mouth and don’t look.

I don’t say, “Hey! All you people need to wear boots all year long so that I don’t have to see your feet!” I don’t tell people that they can’t come outside with sandals on. I don’t tell people that they should hang out in dirty places and leave the clean places for only boot-wearing folks.

Get it? Breastfeeding is as normal as feet. If you don’t like it look away. You have no right to tell me to cover up or hide myself away. Shut your mouth and look away.

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Breastfeeding, Breasts and Rules

Abby Theuring, The Badass Breastfeeder, tandem nursing

Rules. Man, I hate rules. Most rules are arbitrary; anchored in control and profit. Traffic rules that keep cars flowing and not hitting each other, fine, I get that. But there are some rules that we never question that are simply there to oppress and control people. Some of them are loved so dearly that we made them LAWS. Like laws regarding my nipples. In most places I can get a ticket or even arrested if my nipples are exposed! The “I” in this sentence is important because I am a female and if I were not I would not be able to write that sentence. If I were a male I would not have any laws regarding my nipples. I would not be able to find ANY laws regarding the control of my body. Well, you can piss off with your rules about my body! And what about these other rules that aren’t laws, but they are so ingrained in our culture that we don’t even need them to be laws because the citizens keep them alive through social norms? Like I need to wean my child at a certain age or I need to cover when breastfeeding in public. You can piss off with those too!

Photo by Ivette Ivens

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