Blog Entries 2008
Insurance Companiesby Barbara Dehn - 31st December 2008 I just re-read the question on the site about insurance companies paying for medically necessary formulas for babies. This is one of those issues that more ... |
Happy Holidaysby Barbara Dehn - 27th December 2008 The holidays are here and if you’re reading this, then you may be elated with the joy that comes from getting up throughout the more ... |
Pediatricians and Breastfeedingby Kate Kahn - 22nd December 2008 It seems that fewer and fewer pediatricians these days are pushing breastfeeding. According to a follow-up study (the original one was done in 1995) more ... |
Mixing Formula and Breast Milkby Barbara Dehn - 18th December 2008 Here’s a question that comes up all the time. Can I mix breastmilk with formula? Yes, yes, yes. If you have pumped milk, but not enough more ... |
A True Story of David and Goliathby Kate Kahn - 15th December 2008 In North Carolina, legislators and the Governor recently signed a bill into law mandating insurance companies to pay for medically-needed formula. It all more ... |
Thanksgiving with Gabrielleby Barbara Dehn - 11th December 2008 This Thanksgiving we had a very special visitor who joined our Thanksgiving feast. A curly haired, doe-eyed, 7-week-old, cute as a button, baby girl. more ... |
Investing in the Timeby Kate Kahn - 09th December 2008 The decision on how to feed your child is a mother's choice. Only she knows what will work best for her and her family. Yes, breast is best. more ... |
Finances and Formulaby Barbara Dehn - 05th December 2008 Recently I read about a mom who found herself in the hospital with her infant because he had been given too much water and not enough calories. more ... |
Good Business Senseby Kate Kahn - 02nd December 2008 It seems like a "no-brainer" as my daughter would say; it makes good business sense for companies to provide space and time for their employees more ... |
Sharing Breastmilk?by Barbara Dehn - 28th November 2008 For many moms, breastfeeding can be a real challenge. For others, there’s more than enough to go around. Recently, a new phenomenon has surfaced more ... |
Behave Yourselvesby Kate Kahn - 25th November 2008 I read a a couple of articles the other day about a new study that shows children who are breastfed are less likely to have behavioral and psychological more ... |
All or Nothing?by Barbara Dehn - 21st November 2008 I had an interesting conversation the other day with a health care provider who said, that she would love it if all of her patients could breastfeed exclusively more ... |
The right way to fix formulaby Kate Kahn - 18th November 2008 We've all heard that you're not supposed to warm up bottles in a microwave for fear of burning their mouths. But did you know that if you don't prepare more ... |
More on Postpartum Depressionby Barbara Dehn - 14th November 2008 I just re read Kate’s post from Karen Kleiman about the negative messaging about exclusive breastfeeding. Boy, that was a risky editorial to write more ... |
A Must Readby Kate Kahn - 11th November 2008 I want you to read something that I think is incredibly powerful and important. It's an editorial written by a woman who founded a center for women more ... |
80:20 Ruleby Barbara Dehn - 07th November 2008 Have you ever noticed the 80 : 20 rule? You know, that 20% of people on a project are doing 80% of the work? Or that when people form impressions more ... |
Election Dayby Kate Kahn - 04th November 2008 Well it's election day and I feel compelled to write about it. I, for one,am excited to vote. I'm a wholehearted political junkie; I cna't more ... |
Your Voice (part 2)by Kate Kahn - 31st October 2008 Once again it's time to publish the results of how you feel on certain issues we've raised in our polls. Remember, your answers help us to take the more ... |
Postpartum Depression-Who's at Risk?by Barbara Dehn - 27th October 2008 3 Simple Questions may predict who's at Risk Recently an article in the Journal more ... |
Introducing Solidsby Barbara Dehn - 24th October 2008 I’m often asked when is the best time to introduce solids. Many parents are eager to give their baby the best start and are ready for the rice more ... |
Risk is a relative termby Kate Kahn - 21st October 2008 Breast is best. Breast is best. Breast is best. That message has been well-drummed into our motherhood psyche. And I'm not disagreeing. more ... |
Bottle Introductionby Barbara Dehn - 17th October 2008 I had a question the other day about how to introduce a bottle of pumped milk or formula to a baby. This mom will be returning to work, has already seen more ... |
How do you stack up?by Kate Kahn - 14th October 2008 Did you stop nursing in the first two months? If so, why? Were you ever taught how to prorperly prepare formula? Did your baby sleep more ... |
The NICUby Barbara Dehn - 10th October 2008 The other day, Kate blogged about breast milk in ice cream. Wow, just when you think you’ve heard it all, there is a surprise around the corner. more ... |
Breast Milk in Ice Cream!by Kate Kahn - 07th October 2008 Ok....I've heard it all now! Listen to this: The animal rights group, Peta, is calling on ice cream makers, Ben & Jerry to use breast milk more ... |
Diaper Bagsby Barbara Dehn - 03rd October 2008 Diaper bags have changed a lot in the last 20 years. I remember shocking sherbet colors pressed onto thick crenulated plastic with tumbling bears, bunnies more ... |
No Need for Alarmby Kate Kahn - 29th September 2008 In recent weeks we've seen news story after news story about Chinese milk products contaminated with melamine---a chemical used in plastics. Tens more ... |
Postpartum is no Picnicby Barbara Dehn - 25th September 2008 In early August, Childbirth Connection, a leading national not-for-profit organization released the findings from "New Mothers Speak Out, National more ... |
Breastfeed-Ed 101by Kate Kahn - 22nd September 2008 Here's some food for thought, no pun intended. The New York State Health Department has put together a Breastfeeding Education Activity package for more ... |
Top Breastfeeding hospital in Californiaby Barbara Dehn - 19th September 2008 For the second year in a row, El Camino Hospital in Mountain View, California had the highest rate of breastfeeding moms, a whopping 95%. This is more ... |
Emotional Harrassmentby Kate Kahn - 16th September 2008 If I read one more article that says that babies who are breastfed are more likely to have higher IQs than those who are formula fed, I'm going to scream. more ... |
We're Doing The Best We Canby Barbara Dehn - 12th September 2008 Moms are asked to wear many different hats, sometimes two or three at the same time. One of the biggest challenges that most moms face is how to find the more ... |
A Dangerous Juggling Actby Kate Kahn - 09th September 2008 A recent study out by the Childbirth Connection (a non-profit organization with more ... |
Labor of Loveby - 05th September 2008 It's a labor of love, having a baby, no matter how you become a parent. Labor, a C-Section, a surrogate, adoption. Each has their own path more ... |
Taking the choice awayby Kate Kahn - 02nd September 2008 Four hospitals in Fresno, California have become the latest to eliminate the goodie bags given to new moms when they leave the hospital all in a misguided more ... |
Well Waterby Barbara Dehn - 29th August 2008 A friend called to talk about how she was doing since delivering her third child a few months ago. She had made the switch to formula when her milk more ... |
What's "reasonable"?by Kate Kahn - 26th August 2008 More and more states are enacting laws mandating companies to provide time at work for new mothers to be able to pump. The language states that workplaces more ... |
Twins----Managing the time!by Barbara Dehn - 22nd August 2008 I saw a new mom with her two beautiful babies recently for her postpartum check up. She was radiant and happy despite sleep deprivation. We more ... |
Forward Thinkingby Kate Kahn - 19th August 2008 Sometimes we have to look overseas for good examples. Case in point: Brazil. That country's congress recently approved tax incentives for companies more ... |
Eating in Shiftsby Barbara Dehn - 15th August 2008 How many times have you re-heated the same cup of tea or coffee because you were too busy to finish your drink before your child or new baby needed something? more ... |
Momnesiaby Kate Kahn - 12th August 2008 For years I've been forgetting things. I've forgotten appointments, social committments, and I'm sure other things too, if I could just remember more ... |
Scare Tactics Aren't the Answerby Kate Kahn - 07th August 2008 A couple of hospitals in North Carolina received awards recentlly for not handing out baby bags with free samples of formula in them to new moms leaving more ... |
World Breastfeeding Weekby Kate Kahn - 04th August 2008 We're in the middle of World Breastfeeding Week--- an international effort to encourage moms to breastfeed. It's a worthy cause for sure. Afterall, more ... |
Soy formulas get insurance coverage in Marylandby Barbara Dehn - 01st August 2008 Kudos to the great state of Maryland, who just decided to provide insurance coverage for soy-based formulas for infants who have milk allergies. more ... |
I'm tired of the GUILT factorby Kate Kahn - 29th July 2008 I'm so tired of hearing about yet another thing I did wrong apparently when it comes to raising my children. There's a study more ... |
Metabolic disorders and other rare eventsby Barbara Dehn - 25th July 2008 I’ve cared for many babies in the ICU with various metabolic disorders and conditions that cause malabsorbtion in the intestines. Simply put, they more ... |
When Parents Split Upby Kate Kahn - 22nd July 2008 I read a story the other day that was very unsettling. It was about a couple getting divorced. They have two daughters. One is 18 months more ... |
Zen and the art of Motherhoodby Barbara Dehn - 18th July 2008 I was talking to a friend, who is the mother of 3 children, about motherhood and what her experience with feeding her children was like. She breastfed more ... |
A Forrnula for Successby Kate Kahn - 15th July 2008 There's some good news for moms who can't breastfeed but whose babies might be genetically susceptible to allergies. A new study in The more ... |
If they Could, They Wouldby Barbara Dehn - 11th July 2008 I’ve read some new statistics that breastfeeding rates in some areas decline at 4 and 6 months, reaching as low as 14%. Why does this occur? more ... |
Taxing Choicesby Kate Kahn - 08th July 2008 San Joaquin County in California is putting its money where its mouth is. Literally! In an effort to better its breastfeeding rate (which more ... |
Mixing Breastmilk and Formula?by Barbara Dehn - 04th July 2008 I have a patient who is pumping 4-5 times each day, and producing about 1 ½ ounces each time. Her 9 week old baby is drinking 3-4 ounces more ... |
Oh Canada!by Kate Kahn - 01st July 2008 I love what our neighbors to the north are doing. Starting last week, restaurants in Toronto ( that country's largest city) began displaying decals more ... |
The Broom Closetby Barbara Dehn - 27th June 2008 I heard from a friend that she used to pump in the broom closet at work. She was working in a major corporation as a middle manager and there was no place more ... |
Walking the Walkby Kate Kahn - 24th June 2008 Hats off to California Labor Commissioner Angela Bradstreet. Yesterday Ms. Bradstreet dished out a citation to a California company for not complying more ... |
Easing Back to Workby Barbara Dehn - 20th June 2008 As maternity leaves come to an end, moms who must return to work outside the home must try to prepare for every scenario and contingency. One of more ... |
Bordering on the absurdby Kate Kahn - 17th June 2008 File this under the "scare tactic" category. I read an article in The St. Petersburg Times yesterday that, I think, bordered on the absurd. more ... |
Midwife Takes a Standby Barbara Dehn - 13th June 2008 I recently read about Clare Byam-Cook, a retired midwife from the UK, who spent the past 20 years helping thousands of women, including celebrities such more ... |
The Sunshine Vitaminby Kate Kahn - 10th June 2008 A new study done by researchers at Children's Hospital Boston finds that s many as 12 percent of infants and toddlers are deficient in Vitamin D and a more ... |
Depression, Postpartum and Breastfeedingby Barbara Dehn - 06th June 2008 My friend Pec Indman, who co-wrote the book, Beyond the Blues, has helped me better understand many of the triggers that can lead to postpartum depression. more ... |
Sobering Realityby Kate Kahn - 03rd June 2008 Here's a frightening tidbit: a new study found that some bibles of obstetrics, routinely used for medical students, are less than informative and more ... |
Help, I can't Pumpby Barbara Dehn - 30th May 2008 I saw a mom the other day, who delivered her second healthy baby 8 weeks ago. She was in the office to follow up on some postpartum issues and naturally more ... |
Your Voiceby Kate Kahn - 27th May 2008 Every week we pose a new Question concerning issues around feeding your baby. Your answers help us to take the pulse of what's important to you and what more ... |
Moms on the Goby Barbara Dehn - 23rd May 2008 Last week, I was interviewed by Willow Bay on ABC’s Good Morning America NOW, the on-line 3rd hour of the show. We were talking about lots more ... |
Birthing Mythsby Kate Kahn - 20th May 2008 Giving birth is often overwhelming for a new mom. There's so much to learn both before and after you deliver your child. It can be hard to more ... |
Feeding Our Babies While Out and Aboutby Barbara Dehn - 16th May 2008 This issue absolutely stops me in my tracks. I’m astounded that we have to create legislation that allows women the right to feed their children more ... |
Numbers can be deceivingby Kate Kahn - 13th May 2008 The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently released statistics on breastfeeding. On the surface, they're encouraging. 77 percent of new more ... |
J Lo Feeds Her Babiesby Kate Kahn - 09th May 2008 When you work, it’s hard to keep up with the tabloids. I have to rely on the regular visit to the hair salon to catch up on what’s happening more ... |
Nerve Attack!by Kate Kahn - 06th May 2008 There's a new study out which, if you take it on the surface, says something that can really strike a nerve about your mothering skills, but if you dig more ... |
The Epidural Questionby Barbara Dehn - 02nd May 2008 I was having dinner with a lactation consultant, who’s been working in the field for over ten years. We got to talking about how many more more ... |
Confucious says....by Kate Kahn - 29th April 2008 The great Chinese philosopher, Confucious, said "He who learns but does not think, is lost! He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger." more ... |
Medication and Feeding your Babyby Barbara Dehn - 25th April 2008 I saw a new mom recently who needed to stop some of her medications while pregnant. Her medical condition required medications that were unsafe for her more ... |
Baby in the Cubicleby Kate Kahn - 21st April 2008 Remember those triangular "Baby on Board" signs people hung in their cars a few years back? Well the current sign might read "Baby more ... |
Help at Homeby Barbara Dehn - 18th April 2008 New parents in some communities of New York are enjoying an experience that their moms or grandmothers might have taken for granted, but our generation more ... |
Common Courtesy, Common Senseby Kate Kahn - 14th April 2008 Recently a Vermont Human Rights Commission found that an airline had discriminated against a woman by removing her form the flight because she wanted to more ... |
How Do You Know?by Barbara Dehn - 09th April 2008 When my patients ask me what’s the number one thing that they can do to increase the chances that they’ll be able to breastfeed their baby, more ... |
Psychological Nutritionby Kate Kahn - 08th April 2008 I heard an interesting piece on NPR the other day. It was an interview with a pediatrician named Dr. Sydney Spiesel. He's a pediatrician who more ... |
Comfort Zonesby Barbara Dehn - 04th April 2008 I saw a friend of mine, Alison, this week, who, in addition to being a 1st grade teacher, has two small children. They were running around the park more ... |
Congratulations Barb!by Kate Kahn - 01st April 2008 Barb won't do it so I'll boast about her a little. You should know that Barb was recently chosen as the Nurse Practitioner of Distinction for California more ... |
She's Over Itby Barbara Dehn - 30th March 2008 “Don’t ask me if I’m breastfeeding, because I’m not, and I just can’t,” said a very together 38-year-old mom more ... |
Personal Perceptionsby Kate Kahn - 27th March 2008 I read a blog the other day in The New York Times more ... |
Returning To Workby Barbara Dehn - 21st March 2008 When it’s time to start thinking about returning to work a little preparation a few weeks ahead will smooth this transition. There are so many more ... |
No One Said It Would Be Easy.....oh wait, yes they did!by Kate Kahn - 18th March 2008 I read a column the other day in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that made a lot of sense. The writer's main point was that if everyone was made aware of the more ... |
Middle of the nightby Barbara Dehn - 13th March 2008 What do you do when you hear the cry in the middle of the night? You’re exhausted, too exhausted to think clearly, and you crave one thing, and that more ... |
Going too Farby Kate Kahn - 11th March 2008 I’m all for people being passionate about their jobs. It’s what makes most people successful at what they do. To be truly successful one has more ... |
Not Enough Educationby Barbara Dehn - 07th March 2008 Just when I think that things have changed, and that pregnant moms have access to plenty of health information, I realize that we still have lots of work more ... |
Legislating Sensitivityby Kate Kahn - 06th March 2008 There was an editorial in the Boston Herald that's simply too good to pass up so I’m cutting and pasting it here for you to see. On Tuesday, I blogged more ... |
Marsha Walker and Me...we agree...at least on one thing!by Kate Kahn - 04th March 2008 There’s a bill up for consideration today in the Massachusetts legislature that would allow, indeed, give women the right, to breastfeed in public more ... |
Working It Outby Barbara Dehn - 01st March 2008 One seasoned mom that I know was describing her hectic life to me the other day. She has three children, one of whom is a brand new six-week-old infant. more ... |
Family Values?by Kate Kahn - 27th February 2008 I read an article in The Washington Post the other more ... |
I understand, but I deal with the repercussions.by Barbara Dehn - 24th February 2008 I understand that it helps to draw distinctions between two choices to help prove your case. I know that making dramatic statements grabs attention, so more ... |
Privacy Pleaseby Kate Kahn - 19th February 2008 I read something in the online magazine Slate that got my blood boiling. It was from a new mom more ... |
Some Perspectiveby Barbara Dehn - 15th February 2008 I saw a mom last week, who has an adorable one-year-old son. She and her husband are elated to finally be parents. Their journey to parenthood was not more ... |
A Good Exampleby Kate Kahn - 13th February 2008 As you know by now I'm incredibly tired of people (read that lactivists) who insist that the small sample of formula handed out in goodie bags at hospitals more ... |
I Don't Know What I Would Have Done Without Itby Barbara Dehn - 09th February 2008 “I don’t know what I would have done without it.” Those are the words I heard from a mom who told me about her experience with more ... |
Cross-Nursingby Kate Kahn - 04th February 2008 I came across an article recently that blew mind and sent my brain into wild imagination. It was about a woman who breastfed her friend's child and her more ... |
Each Situation is Uniqueby Barbara Dehn - 31st January 2008 Just this week I met with a young woman who is expecting her first baby. She brought her mom to her visit and we all enjoyed listening to the baby’s more ... |
A Class Divide and a Moral Divideby Kate Kahn - 28th January 2008 In England, it's illegal to advertise formula milk for babies under the age of six months. And if lactation activists,or lactivists, get their way, it more ... |
Calling All Candidates!by Kate Kahn - 22nd January 2008 It's political season and this one is one of the best in recent memory! With the races so tight public interest is at its highest in years. And because more ... |
A Little one-on-one goes a Long Way!by Barbara Dehn - 17th January 2008 There's a new pilot program in Scotland that would be a great model for us to follow here in the U.S. The program trains volunteer mothers to help teach more ... |
Baby-Friendly or Mom-Unfriendly? You decide.by Kate Kahn - 14th January 2008 There's alot of press these days on a movement that people are calling “Baby-Friendly" hospitals and I have to say I’m completely insulted more ... |
Postpartum Depressionby Barbara Dehn - 10th January 2008 Ok, the holidays are over! Whew, there’s a lot to do this time of year and some of us never get caught up or are able to send out holiday cards. more ... |
You are what your Mother Eats....or are you?by Kate Kahn - 06th January 2008 A new mom has so much to think about when caring for a baby. The fear that your child might have significant allergies just provides an added dimension more ... |
Over-reacting in Oregonby Kate Kahn - 03rd January 2008 Several hospitals in Oregon—and all in Portland-- have stopped handing out “gift packs” that include formula samples to new mothers leaving more ... |
Past Entries
This Week's
Question
Sign the Petition
Do moms know best? We believe they do, but the government may not..
Your freedom to choose between breast and bottle-feeding could be in jeopardy.
