Having a new little one can be overwhelming and even more so when you think that you are their sole source of food for at least the next six months before they start to eat solids. World Health Organization recommends continuing to breastfeed for 2+ years while American Academy of Pediatrics recommends at least a year+.  Besides your local lactation consultant, I found the following websites to be continually helpful with any questions I had regarding breastfeeding.  And one comment from the Badass Breastfeeder that I love is that no matter how long you breastfed your little one for (one hour, one day, one month, one year, etc), you did it and you breastfed your baby and should be commended for it.  While I will also have an article on formula because not every mother has the ability to breastfeed, one of the things to remember with having a little one - take one day at a time and just love on that little one.  Time goes quickly and soon they will be 6 months, then 12 months, and then a teenager.  Enjoy each minute and opportunity you get with them as there will often be moments that will not be repeated or will go by too quickly.  

Breastfeeding Tips for the Creative Mother

By Michele Thymmons

Of note: I am an Amazon Associate and as such, should you click through any of the Amazon links on this article and purchase something, I will gain a small commission at no cost to you. Please know that I never recommend something I have not or would not use and I have and will continue to buy items from Amazon.

1 - La Leche League (LLL) - www.llli.org - This international organization has a wealth of information focused on breastfeeding as well as providing mother-to-mother support.  You can search and find a LLL leader or group near you for support and advice either over the phone, at a meeting, or through a home visit.

2 - US Breastfeeding Association - breastfeedingusa.org.  This organization is focused on providing “evidence-based breastfeeding information and support, and to promote breastfeeding as the biological and cultural norm.”  The website has a variety of great articles, ability to find local support or to also apply to become local support to other mothers.

3 - Very Well Family has an awesome guide for all things breastfeeding! These are reviewed by board-certified physicians and you will find articles of all types of topics related to breastfeeding. These articles range from information on breastmilk itself, how to take care of it, how you can track which side you have been breastfeeding on, other uses for breastmilk, different ways to make sure your little one is getting the most out of breastfeeding, and so much more!!

4 - Best for Babes - www.bestforbabes.org.  This is the only non-profit organization worldwide focusing on revealing and removing the obstacles to breastfeeding mothers.  Their tagline is “Beating the Booby Traps that prevent Moms from achieving their personal breastfeeding goals!” Focused on making sure that moms have the right information and support wherever they are for however long or short they want or are able to breastfeed.  They also have helped to create the C.A.R.E. Code Alliance which is (as described on their website): “the first-ever alliance of companies, professionals, and organizations to put positive pressure on the Booby Traps to help make the 360-degree world around expecting and new moms safe, supportive and positive.” C.A.R.E. helps mothers to understand and weed out the facts from fiction about breastfeeding as well as helping to provide them support. Great and reliable website to look for information and other resources about breastfeeding as well as companies and groups that support breastfeeding.  Their resources page is full of great information regarding breastfeeding from pre-natal to post-birth and includes articles, groups, other websites focused on breastfeeding.  

5 - International Lactation Consultant Association - ilca.org - You can find a lactation consultant through this website who will be able to help you with all of your questions about breastfeeding and be able to encourage you and help support you in your breastfeeding goals.  

6 - US Lactation Consultant Association - uslca.org - is specifically for those in the U.S. and is very similar to the ILCA just located and focused on those mothers in the U.S.

7 - Infant Risk Center - Infantrisk.com - This center is the leading center for the effects of medicine on pregnancy and lactation.  They have an app called mommymeds that helps when needing to make informed decisions on what medicines to take while pregnant or breastfeeding.  A hotline has also been established by them - 1-806-352-2519 - Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm Central. The website also has a plethora of information about facts, news, and updates regarding pregnancy and breastfeeding as well as what the center is doing with expanding their research and knowledge of drug information and interaction during pregnancy and breastfeeding. 

8 - Badass Breastfeeder - thebadassbreastfeeder.com - a blog devoted to inspiring, informing, and empowering parents through advocating breastfeeding.  She has accounts on Facebook and other social media accounts where she continually seeks to support those mothers that are breastfeeding, no matter if it’s for 10 mins or several years.  Her website and social media are full of encouragement and women who support each other in breastfeeding - when and where your little one needs it no matter if it’s in public or at home or the reaction others have.

9 - Breastfeeding in Combat Boots - breastfeedingincombatboots.com - is a non-profit who’s main mission is to support those mothers who are breastfeeding while being in the military.  She has a website full of resources and tips and encouragement for how to meet your breastfeeding goals while serving our great nation in uniform.  The site itself is very easy to navigate and the author has much information and resources on the first page to help new mothers and those deploying, traveling, or seeking more information about resources for pumping and traveling while in the military.  

I highly recommend the Medela Breastpump as it is one that I have used throughout my breastfeeding journey, specifically the In Style version seen above. I loved it as it was professional looking and had everything i needed in one awesome package. It was used for several years and I never had any issues with it but instead would gladly recommend it to anyone as well as would get it again should I have need of it.

10 - Kelly Mom - Kellymom.com - developed to provide evidence-based information on breastfeeding and parenting.  The author is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and mother who focuses on breastfeeding on this website but also looks at several other topics that affect the breastfeeding relationship - health, nutrition, and parenting. She writes articles, discusses various products throughout her website, and runs two support Facebook Support Groups (Breastfeeding and Pregnancy Support Groups).   

11 - The Boob Geek - theboobgeek.com - written and maintained by an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) lady who seeks to provide evidence based support for breastfeeding and families.  She’s in the Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, metro area.  One unique item on her website is her services to families in her area with private breastfeeding classes and to professionals by lending her substantive editing and subject-matter expertise for books, articles, presentations, etc., on topics regarding birth, breastfeeding, and the baby world.  

12 - Work and Pump - WorkandPump.com - this website specifically focuses on the working mother and is a great resource for your rights, how to enlist your employer’s support, pumping tips, and more.  There are plenty of resources and information here regarding the first day back, daycare issues, how to choose the best pump, etc., that will enable any mother to be prepared for her first day back to work while nursing.  

13 - Nancy Mohrbacher - NancyMohrbacher.com - this blog has a huge amount of information on breastfeeding, and she also has an app - Breastfeeding Solutions App.  She is an IBCLC who uses her story to help others, to meet them where they are and encourage them.  There are also several conferences and other resources on her website, all focused on breastfeeding and ensuring her readers have the most reliable, pertinent information available.

14 - Office of Women’s Health - WomansHealth.gov - The Office of Women’s Health has a helpline for questions about breastfeeding - 1-800-994-9662, Monday through Friday, 9am to 6pm, Eastern. Their website also has a number of great resources and answers various questions about breastfeeding.

15 - US Breastfeeding Committee - usbreastfeeding.org - is a committee of over 50 nationally influential professional, educational, and governmental organizations to drive collaborative efforts for policy and practices supporting breastfeeding across the U.S. This website is a great resource to find all the various policies and practices in the U.S. and what future ones are being sought regarding various issues on breastfeeding to include: mothers and families (support mothers, fathers and grandmothers), communities (peer counseling, community organizations, promotion campaigns, formula marketing), health care (maternity care, continuity of care, donor milk, access to professional care, standard of care, health professional training), employment (paid leave, workplace support, babies at work, child care), research and surveillance (research funding, research capacity, national monitoring system), and public health infrastructure (national leadership).

16 - World Health Organization - www.who.int - Specific information on breastfeeding can be found at www.who.int/nutrition/topics/exclusive_breastfeeding/en/

17 - American Academy of Pediatrics - aap.org - This website has all of the AAP’s views on a number of different topics to include breastfeeding and other resources all focused on health of children.

Thank you for joining us on this article about breastfeeding resources. If you have any recommendations, please leave a comment or send an email to me at vamicreations17@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you and have a great day!