I Am A Lactivist
I am a lactivist. It's not because I think women should be forced to breastfeed. It's because I think women ought to have choice and support.
“Overselling Breast-Feeding” Misses the Mark
Are we "overselling" breastfeeding? Are advocates trying to force women to breastfeed? Or are we looking for changes to a system that have only ever provided the illusion of choice?
Breastfeeding and IQ: No, Breast Milk Is Not a Magical Elixir (But It’s Still Amazing!)
New headlines suggest that there is no link between breastfeeding and IQ, but a closer look at the research suggests this isn't what can be said. It seems we're no further along in answering this question than before.
The Big, Bad Lactivist
There is a myth out there that most people who support breastfeeding are bad, bad people out to shame you. Here I examine this in a bit more detail with women's stories and experiences as a backdrop.
“Fed Is Best”
"Fed is Best"... Somewhere along the line, people have decided that simply showing up and doing the very bare minimum is enough to celebrate. I say, "Fuck that."
Chemicals Found in Breast Milk: Is It Enough to Negate the “Benefits”?
More backlash against breastfeeding hits the news with a study looking at contaminants in breast milk. Should we really reconsider promoting breastfeeding? Could formula be superior?
Guest Post: A Baker’s Dozen of Gentle Sleep Aid Attempts & Our Partial Weaning Story
"I am writing this at a pivotal moment in our nursing, sleep, and general parenting relationship with our 20 month old daughter. I always thought I would wait until the story was complete to write this down (when is that really though?), but I find myself hearing the story being written in my head right now at this turning point."
Elimination Diets: Food Sensitivities in the Breastfed Baby
The idea of an "elimination diet" scares many women and prevents them from making changes that can make their and their baby's lives much easier. However, it doesn't have to be forever or all bad and here is some advice on how to approach it and what you may get out of it.
New Research Supports Including Evolutionary Breastfeeding in Health Comparisons
Two new pieces of research support the idea that we need to be including evolutionary breastfeeding when looking at feeding outcomes. Without that, we fail to get the whole picture.
Guest Post: Learning To Trust Our Children Through Sleep Struggles
"In some ways, I wish I didn’t have the story to even share, but the fact that it happened can’t be changed and I hope that by sharing, I’ll encourage other families to listen to their instincts and to their babies."