Annie (@phdinparenting) compiled an extremely helpful list of go-to references for nursing moms and moms-to-be. She has been blogging about the art and science of parenting at the PhD in Parenting Blog since May 2008.
Nursing mom picture via flickr christyscherrer
Here are Annie’s top six resources:
- Kellymom: Kellymom is the one of the most popular and comprehensive resources on breastfeeding on the Internet. Run by International Board Certified Lactation Consultant Kelly Bonyata, the website offers articles on breastfeeding problems, pumping, pregnancy/tandem nursing, starting solids, postpartum depression, medications and herbs, and more. Kellymom also offers the kellymom breastfeeding and parenting forums, which are moderated by a group of very knowledgeable volunteers, and also a directory of lactation consultants in case you need local help.
- La Leche League (LLL): A worldwide organization dedicated to helping mothers breastfeed through mother-to-mother support, encouragement, information and education. LLL groups, which are led by experienced breastfeeding moms who are educated on breastfeeding support, meet in cities around the world. Attending a meeting while you are pregnant is a great way to familiarize yourself with breastfeeding issues, learn about the support LLL can offer, meet other breastfeeding moms and see other moms breastfeeding. LLL leaders in your community can help you with challenges you might be facing. LLL also has forums, informative articles on breastfeeding topics, and an online store where they sell their numerous books (most available on Amazon too) and other products.
- Jack Newman: Dr Jack Newman is one of the leading experts on breastfeeding in the world. The website for his clinic contains numerous handouts on breastfeeding problems that are used by lactation consultants and breastfeeding clinics around the world. His breastfeeding videos, especially on how to latch, are constantly referred to when trying to demonstrate to mothers how their baby should be latching on. Dr. Newman is also the author of The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers, one of the best breastfeeding books available
- Best for Babes: This non-profit organization is dedicated to helping moms beat the “Booby Traps“, i.e. the cultural and institutional barriers that prevent moms from achieving their personal breastfeeding goals. Best for Babes wants to inspire, prepare and empower moms, give breastfeeding a makeover, and give moms the solutions they need to make it work. On their blog, facebook page, on twitter, at breastfeeding conferences, and more, they are working hard to change the world so that moms can have a positive breastfeeding experience.
- Breastfeeding.com: This website, recently acquired by The Bump, includes articles and videos on numerous breastfeeding topics. They have online forums, directories of lactation consultants and other professionals, live breastfeeding Q&A sessions, information on breastfeeding celebrities, and more.
- Nursing Freedom: Many new moms have never seen anyone breastfeeding and feel nervous about breastfeeding in front of others. This website and blog was founded by two breastfeeding bloggers who wanted a space for moms to learn about their rights with regards to breastfeeding in public and also to feel empowered to breastfeed in public through the stories and pictures of other moms doing so.
I hope these sources are useful to you.
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And now for some inspiration (and levity), we shared this video once before, but I found what looked like the extended remix version on Annie’s site:
Big thanks to Annie for lending her time and knowledge to help our readers. She is a social, political and consumer advocate on issues of importance to parents, women and children. We met her in person for the first time at BlogHer ’10 but have respected her and her activist voice for years.
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The Australian Breastfeeding Association is the first point of call for those of us Down Under (and many up top too!) – they are Australia’s leading BF advocacy, promotion and support network and their website is chock full of BF information and advocacy with free email counselling available. (http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/)
Thank you for sharing this! I’ve been hoping for something like this to have to refer to after my baby girl is born (=
Thanks for sharing! One of the blogs that I regularly read and am also a regular contributor for, had a similar post earlier this summer. You’ve included some websites that I didn’t know about and I’m looking forward to reading them.
http://bloomingtonbirth.org/blog/2010/08/06/finding-good-breastfeeding-information-on-the-web/
There’s so much information out there, we need to be discerning about what we read. I was fortunate enough to have a community of support when I was breastfeeding and love to see posts that help get real breastfeeding advice out there.
When I ran into troubles — ones that are very blog-worthy — I turned to my local support group, friends who were breastfeeding and the book The Nursing Mother’s Companion.
I would also recommend http://www.lowmilksupply.org and http://www.bfar.org (breastfeeding after breast surgery). I’ve nursed four children, including a set of twins, with low supply issues, and I wouldn’t have been able to stick with it without the info I found on these sites.
A great resource not only for timely breastfeeding information but also for the latest on child health, nutrition, and safety is baby gooroo: http://www.babygooroo.com
I am also a big fan of Kellymom, Best for Babes, and PhD in Parenting!
These are great sites — as are those that have been suggested in the comments. Moms seeking the assistance of a professional can find an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), searching by zip or city/state/country, at the “Find a Lactation Consultant” button at http://www.ilca.org.
Great list! I would add the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine to this list – They are “a worldwide organization of physicians dedicated to the promotion, protection and support of breastfeeding and human lactation.” Their list of protocols is particularly helpful for best practices guidelines.
http://www.bfmed.org/
Yes, breast is best! How about we support each other rather than tear each other down…
http://babyminding.com/2010/08/26/breastfeeding-versus-bottle-feeding-why-all-the-hate/