Happy World Breastfeeding Week, 2012!

August 1^st marks the beginning of World Breastfeeding Week 2012, which just so happens to be the 20^th anniversary of this breastfeeding celebration.

As a huge advocate for breastfeeding, and having spent over four of my five years of motherhood as a breastfeeding mom, I had never heard of World Breastfeeding Week until last year. And when I did finally hear about it, I had no idea what it was!

World Breastfeeding Week is a celebration of breastfeeding that occurs August 1st-7^th of each year. Over 170 countries join in the celebration which commemorates the Innocenti Declaration, a document drafted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United National Children's Fund (UNICEF) that protects, promotes and supports breastfeeding. For additional information on the purpose and goals of World Breastfeeding Week 2012, be sure to check out www.worldbreastfeedingweek.org. The site contains a wealth of information about why this week is so important.

World Breastfeeding Week 2012 will be celebrated in various ways across the United States over the coming week. This is a great week to stock up on breastfeeding supplies as many breastfeeding stores will celebrate with discounted products and giveaways. There is also a large event, The Great Nurse In 2012, being held in Washington DC. The Great Nurse In is the first event of it's kind, being held on the West Lawn of the Capitol where organizers are hoping to draw at least 500,000 supporters of nursing. The goal of this event is to let law makers know that breastfeeding moms and supporters of breastfeeding would like to see improved breastfeeding laws and policies, including more protection for public breastfeeding.

On a local level, nursing moms are invited to participate in the Big Latch On 2012, a two day event where moms across the world will breastfeed simultaneously in hopes of breaking the world record. Last year, the Big Latch On results tallied in at 5687 mothers nursing in 412 locations in 5 different countries. The events scheduled for this year's Big Latch On already include 567 locations in 23 countries. To participate, go to www.biglatchon.org and find the location nearest you. This event will take place on Friday August 3^rd and Saturday August 4^th at 10:30 in the morning on both days.

For those of us unable to attend either of the events celebrating World Breastfeeding Week 2012, I like to think there are other ways we can celebrate. I know that I for one will be nursing my daughter throughout this week and using the time to reflect on what a blessing my time as a breastfeeding mom has been. I will try to use my knowledge of World Breastfeeding Week to bring up nursing in conversation and educate others on the need for breastfeeding reform. I also plan to brush up on my knowledge of the laws in my area and write letters to government officials urging them to improve the laws to protect the rights of breastfeeding moms and babies everywhere.

MM is celebrating by offering 20% off all nursing pieces until Saturday, August 4th with code "NURSING". Don't miss out on a chance to get one of those nursing pieces you've had your eye on!

Happy World Breastfeeding Week 2012! What are you doing to celebrate?  If you find any great deals on breastfeeding supplies or products, please share!

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It may work for you.

After having my second child, it didn't take long to realize she was having some major gas issues. She would suddenly wake up from a sound sleep crying, only to have some gas. I was worried she was having a problem with me having dairy, since I was nursing her. The thought of that made me impossibly sad because if there's anything I love it's milk, cheese, sour cream, ice cream...you get the picture.

After talking to the pediatrician, she said that some people swear that going off dairy helps with the problem, but she wouldn't recommend it because milk has so many nutrients we need. She did say that if I decided to try, that it would take about a week before there would be a difference if there was an issue.

I decided to do a little experiment and tried out lactose free milk instead of going off dairy completely. It still had all of the nutrients, just not the lactose that can be difficult for some to digest. After about a week, I noticed a huge difference. Then I thought maybe it was all in my head so a I drank regular milk again, and she definitely started having gas issues again. The rest of the time I nursed her I continued to drink lactose free milk, but still had other dairy products and she did just fine. She also does fine drinking regular whole milk now that she's 1.

So if you are having the same problem, that one little change may work for you, too! Just remember to give it a week if you test it out.

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World Breastfeeding Week---and a 20% discount!!

Once again, don't forget about the ITZBEEN Pocket Nanny Giveaway. Click here to enter!

Did you know that this week is World Breastfeeding Week?? And to celebrate Milan Maternity is offering 20% off nursing styles Thursday through Saturday. Use code "NURSING" to get 20% anything in the Nursing section.

Speaking of breastfeeding, I thought I would compile a list of "nursing must-haves". But before I get to that, if you have decided that you will be a nursing mother, I feel like I should tell you this: I was warned that nursing would be hard. I just didn't realize how frustrating it would be!! I wanted to give up so many times, and the only reason I kept trying was because my husband was so supportive (although I'm pretty sure the only reason he was so supportive was because he didn't want to have to buy formula because he's ummm...cheap?) At any rate, the first 2 weeks were tough. I cried, I was in pain, and I didn't know if I could do it. But then after all that practice, we were experts, and I will never regret dealing with the frustrating and painful 2 weeks so that I could continue to nurse my baby. I know nursing isn't for everyone, but if it's what you want to do, be prepared to be determined.

Now on to my list!

You might notice from these first items that I'm a huge fan of Lansinoh products.

The first is their HPA Lanolin. It soothes, heals and protects sore cracked nipples. I used this religiously after I had my babies! It's 100% natural and is safe for both mom and baby.

Next up is Lansinohs Ultra Soft Disposable Nursing Pads. These were the most comfortable I found. And I like that it has 2 adhesive strips to really keep it in place. When I was pregnant with my first baby, I had no idea that nursing pads was something I would need. Don't make the same mistake I did! And I'll just leave it at that.

The third Lansinoh product I'd recommend is something that I haven't actually used, but plan to try out next time around. It's their Reusable Nursing Pads. I realized this time around how much money I spent on disposable pads, and realized it probably would have been better to buy reusable ones. And from what I've read, these are great.

Your doctor/nurse/or other health care provider might not recommend this, but if you are going to nurse, whether you plan to store milk or not, I'd suggest a breast pump. Before I left the hospital the last time I was already mighty uncomfortable because my milk came in. The nurse told me I shouldn't pump to relieve the pain because it would increase milk production, but I had to! For that reason alone, I'd suggest it. And if you do plan to store breast milk, it's obviously easier to have a pump. I would recommend an electric pump. I found manual pumps are less than helpful and not easy to use. I got the Evenflo Dual Electric pump (which was on the cheaper end), but found out after that I would have been fine with the single. But it's worked great for me.

When it comes to nursing bras, it's all a matter of preference. I found that nursing bras with an underwire are super uncomfortable. But it seems to all be a matter of trial and error when it comes to this. I would definitely recommend a nighttime nursing bra. They are much more comfortable and easier to deal with when you are at home. Motherhood Maternity has one (that I can't seem to find online) that has worked great for me.

And last, but certainly not least, you must have some super cute nursing apparel! One of the things that I miss while nursing is being able to wear cute dresses. But of course, Milan Maternity has you covered when it comes to that. I recently got the Vittoria dress and absolutely love it! So great for nursing, but people were none the wiser that it was a nursing dress. And I got several compliments on how cute it was.

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Bravado Nursing Bra Sale

So after my first pregnancy, I didn't know what to expect when it came to breastfeeding. I knew it would be hard, but boy was that an understatement! Finding a good nursing bra didn't make things any easier. I bought a couple from Motherhood, and a couple from Target, and I don't think they lasted more than a few weeks. They were either too uncomfortable or the clasps broke. I vowed that the next time I would do a little more research and spend whatever it took to be as comfortable as possible. I really think getting a comfortable and durable nursing bra can make or break your breastfeeding experience. So after having my second baby, I bought a Bravado nursing bra. They're a little spendy, mind you, but definitely worth it. I'd rather buy two bras that I actually like and end up using, instead of five or six cheaper bras that end up breaking or sitting in the dresser. Bravado doesn't have sales very often, so I thought I'd better pass the word on to those of you that might be in the market for a good bra. Get 20% off your entire purchase with code "SUM-194". The coupon is only valid through Monday. I'd love to hear for my next go around, what nursing bra brands do you LOVE?

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