All About Breastfeeding Podcast: Breastfeeding|mothering|parenting|pregnancy|postpartum|birth|expert Advice

Bruce Odze is a lead security screener at San Francisco International Airport. He has worked there for 13 years.  He has lived in San Francisco, CA for  40 years & takes pride in having the title  being of one of the earliest Deadheads. Bruce grew up on Massapequa, Long Island and lived there until his early 20's at which time, he headed West to SF and lived there ever since.  He has spent over 20 years in meditation, psychic and healing programs and has license as a minister in the state of CA. He live the life of a self-proclaimed hippie for many years, until he was hired for the Security Officer at the SF Airport.  I invited Bruce on the show today so he can  share with us some valuable tips on traveling through airport security with breastmilk and breastpumps. He begins by telling us about his initial interest in college and why that didn't quite work out for him. read more 

I want you to be empowered.  I want you to know what you need to know, in order to be a partner in your babies healthcare. The early days of breastfeeding are quite time consuming, for many of us a common word we use to describe it is:  overwhelming, extremely tiring and filled with lots of unknowns, which tend to make us feel unprepared and anxious.  It is hard to remove the feelings of being incredibly tired as this is part of new motherhood.  My goal is to everything I possibly can to reduce the feelings of being overwhelmed by familiarizing you with what to expect.  This way you will know when to be a tired new mommy with little to no breastfeeding concerns or a tired new mommy with enough breastfeeding concerns to warrant making an appointment with an IBCLC.   Read More

She runs a weekly breastfeeding and chestfeeding support group, and frequently blogs about breastfeeding and issues that affect nursing parents.  Rachel also volunteers her time with USLCA and Project Licensure, a group committed to providing greater access to IBCLC care for Massachusetts families.  Rachel is happily married and the mother to three fabulous children; in her free time she enjoys knitting, eating Cadbury Mini Eggs, and pretty much anything involving drag queens Read More

Why? don't you typically hear about moms who have hard times BF I think it is because as a society we want mothers to have an enjoyable pregnancy and look forward to the times they will be breastfeeding their baby.  We want them to look forward to snuggling with their baby, holding them skin to skin, and watching them thrive with every breastfeeding they have with their baby. It is a wonderful and beautiful sight to behold.  Believe me, I love nothing better than to see a mom, peacefully, lovingly and joyfully sitting down and relaxing and feeding her baby and getting some of the much needed  pp rest she deserves. Read more

Melanie currently lives in Ontario, Canada. Her and her partner Carole are expecting their second child in November. Melanie holds a PhD in Biomechanics and works as a technical consultant for a company that makes research equipment and as a medical translator. Melanie is also the creator of the modern breast bowl a bowl specifically designed for hand expression of breast milk Mel grew up the eldest of 3 children… born in Germany into a diplomatic family and they  started moving all over the world. When she was 16 went to the University in Netherlands.  Once she finished school, she moved to Canada, met her partner and they soon started family. Mel loves to travel, however, recognizes that it is a lot more work with a little one.  Mel talks about her  early aspirations to become a window washer in NYC and how she made her way to train for the position she is currently working in .   Read More  

Not knowing anyone who breastfed their baby, or never having seen another woman breastfeed her baby, I had no frame of reference , no role models in the breastfeeding arena.  There was 1 book on the library shelf and it was The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, written by a group of woman from La Leche League.  I did not get this book until after my daughter was born.  So, the breastfeeding class was the only place I received information on preparing for breastfeeding and what to expect when my baby was born.  There were many days and nights that were filled with painful breastfeeding and major sleep deprivation.  I learned a lot along the way.  Humor was helpful. My baby getting bigger was helpful. It took us a while, but soon breastfeeding became enjoyable and easy.  Through my experience, I learned to work hard to not judge another mother for the choices she makes.  We are all doing the best we can. I choose to focus on education and support. This is my first breastfeeding experience Read more

Dr.Jack Newman was born in a small city near Tel Aviv. His family immigrated to Canada when he was 15 months old and he grew up as an only child in Toronto. He has 3 children, ages 32, 35 and 40 years old. Dr. Newman has worked as a pediatrician for many years in the Emergency Department until 1992, when he went full time to the Breastfeeding Clinic. He has done a fair bit of traveling. He was just in China in December for 3 weeks and has spoken in every state in United States and in every Province in Canada. read more

A few weeks ago, I was sitting with my family and trying to coordinate calendars and trying to figure out what days we could schedule to celebrate the separate occasions. her birthday and our anniversary.  My daughter Alisha , who has a birthday 1 day before my wedding anniversary ..... She said to me:  Mommy, I am okay to share my birthday dinner with your anniversary dinner.    We could celebrate it on the same night. I looked at my daughter, who is Usually all about having her own day, sometimes even a whole birthday weekend, where  just all the attention on  just her and said:  Are you sure?  And she said: of course!  I was like:  of course?    When did my baby grow up? How did I miss this?  I guess that is what happens when they grow up, graduate college  get a real job, get married and have a life away from Mommy and Daddy.  It goes fast people.. it truly does… so in the midst of your sleep deprivation and any parenting challenges.. try and remember, there will come a day when they are fully independent

Tori grew up in Harrisburg with her Mom and Dad until she was 3  years old.  They were divorced at that time and she primarily lived with her mother and visited her father every few weeks.   She enjoyed her life as a part time single child and part time member of a larger family with a  half brother and a step brother and step sister at her Dads house.    So, she feels  she had the best of both worlds.  She enjoyed very different enriching experiences with each parent. Her mother took her to NYC and spend the weekend and see shows and with her Dad she would go to step sister who was in Croatian Folk music band and she knows she never would have experienced that world had she not been part of a larger family.    Read More

I hope that you have enjoyed listening to the Going Back to Work Series. There have been 4 parts so far and they have been chock full of great info for you. I am going to review some of the information that has received the most popular feedback with AAB listeners saying was most helpful and then I am going to answer some of the questions that I have received. Doing a podcast is quite interesting and very different than when I am teaching a breastfeeding class or working one on one with a mom. I get asked questions and I am able to answer them right away. Once I answer your question, it is easy for you to follow that up with another question. This is how the learning happens when I work with you that closely. I also can gauge where the greatest interest lies and what, if anything might be the most confusing and I am able to respond to that right away. Read More

Tu-Hien grew up in Florida.  After she graduated college she worked in the high pressure, high paced jobs in the Financial Industry.  She worked in New York City and San Francisco and a few years in Hong Kong.  She eventually made her way back home to Florida, where she now lives with her husband Chris and her daughter Ariana.  She tells us that while it sounds so cliche, the biggest change in her life happened when she gave birth to her daughter Ariana.     Read More

I am recording this on Thursday, June 16th, 2016   Father's Day is this weekend and I am quite sentimental about this day of celebration. I love my Daddy.  He passed away a few years ago and I am  sad that this will be another year that I can't give him a big hug and wish Him a Happy Father's Day.  Another year has passed and I think of all that he  has missed.  All the great things his kids and grandkids have accomplished this year. I know that he is proud for that I am sure.  But I do miss seeing his face, beaming with pride with love for his kids and grandkids.  I hold him close during my everyday life and he travels with us to all the important life events, and yet, it is still not the same as getting a big Bear Hug from my Daddy.  I wish I knew the day that he was going to die, I would have made it a point to say:  I love you, just one more time!  And yet, I know he knew that I loved him and I know for sure that he loved me unconditionally, and from this point on, that will always have to be good enough.

Welcome to AAB The place where the girls  hang out.  This is Episode # 68 Where I will share tips and tricks to help you navigate pumping in the Workplace or School.  This show is filled with lots of great tips on getting yourself ready for leaving your baby for that first day of work and school.  I know from working with lots of moms, that what makes this transition easiest is to be incredibly organized and this planning takes place a few weeks before you go back to work and the next most important time is the night before.  Putting all your stuff together and being organized.  It can seem like a lot when I start going through all this, however, I give you lots of little tips and tricks that you just don't find in the books.  And to make this even easier, I have given you 3 fabulous checklists... 3... that will help you get and stay organized.  There will be links to these checklists in the show notes.  Read More

Margery grew up in Southern Indiana in a small town.   Margery was 1 of 4 girls and was number 2 in the line.  She describes a very typical childhood with a mom that stayed home and a Dad that worked outside the home. The family moved to Toledo, Ohio as a teenager, which was not fun because she left all her friends and "the boyfriend."   She knew that from the time she was a very young girl she wanted to become a nurse. Margery attended a Liberal Arts College and majored in biology because she knew she wanted to do something in the medical field.  She first considered becoming a Dr., then thought perhaps a midwife.  So, she started with nursing school, but did not go on to pursue midwifery.  She is very happy with how things turned out.   Read more 

A  majority of babies are not going to drink 9 oz of milk, so there is  no reason whatsoever to purchase bottles that are 9 oz.  Buying smaller bottles will save you a lot of room and money.   2.  There is no one BEST bottle or nipple for breastfeeding babies.  The marketing companies sell us       stories that we think sound reasonable and we buy into it.  Think about this.  If there truly were a bottle that most babies       preferred, they would be flying off the shelves and all the other companies would go bankrupt.   Read more

   Background family history:  The oldest of 4 kids and grew up the first quarter of her life in Queens NY and then moved to Long Island. She has a  younger sister and 2 younger brothers.  She  feels like she had an idyllic childhood.  Her parents were creative and always encouraged creativity  and imagination in her kids. Melanie said she definitely fits the older child profile.  She is bossy and controlling and if you ask her siblings they will still say she is the one in charge.    Read more

Human milk is a fresh, living substance—not just a ready-to-use food. When you make the effort to provide expressed milk for your baby, you are ensuring that your baby continues to receive ideal nourishment and protection against many diseases. Human milk’s anti-bacterial properties actually help it stay fresh. The live cells and antibodies in the milk that discourage the growth of bad bacteria in your baby’s intestines also guard against bacterial growth when the milk is stored in a container. The interpretation of research on human milk storage varies widely which is why when you ask 10 different people about storage guidelines - What are safe methods and temperatures for storing and defrosting and warming, you may get 5 different responses.  Let's not get too hung up on the storage temperature information yet.

Aromatherapy:  Shannon talks about medical issues she had with anxiety and  chronic pain.  Along with medical physicians, she researched on what else she could do to help herself.  She learned a lot about aromatherapy and herbal remedies.  She felt at home with the aromatherapy and began making a lot of blends for herself.  She decided to take her training further and attended Aromatherapy Institute. She discussed in detail the thoroughness of her training.  When working with a client this includes a very thorough questionnaire and a full consultation and follow up care.  She did several case studies and wrote a research paper on the cooperation of lavender and citrus oils in treating chronic anxiety and situational anxiety.  This published paper can be found on her website.  Read more

If you are like most new mothers, the transition from work to full time new motherhood is going to be pretty intense. It feels like just yesterday that you gave birth and your world was turned upside down and inside out. You have gone through this rite of passage that had this huge learning curve and the subject was new motherhood and breastfeeding. Now that you feel like you finally have your bearings, you take a look at the calendar and realize that it is getting close to your returning to work. Well, not exactly next week, but close enough that you are starting to think about pumping and storing your milk. Yes, another transition is going to be coming down the pike for you. read more

I met Shannon online: When I first met Shannon online, I was intrigued I know she has a back in aromatherapy as well as Essential Oils (EO) because I wanted to hearr from her perceptive, in laymen’s terms, the difference in some of the EO and the different companies. I have a huge interest in learning about the safety about Essential Oils ( EO) as they have become quite mainstream. I have learned that some are not safe. for some populations and that some dilutions are not safe. We are going to be talking about pregnant and breastfeeding moms, their newborns and their children and looking for her to help me under EO better and their safety and use. Read more