Scottsdale Community College hosted a fabulous conference this weekend.  It was all to celebrate women in our community.  You did not need to belong to a specific organization or be employed at a particular place, own your own business or be a person in a high powered position.  I am fortunate enough to be a member of Networking Phoenix and as one of the perks of my membership, I can attend many seminars and workshops and networking groups, all for FREE.  When I read the line-up of speakers and saw that it included lunch and door prizes, I was definitely in.

I learned a long time ago that you never know what to expect when you attend a conference, even if it is not your first time.  Knowing that this was my first time though, I came prepared to deal with temperature fluctuations, writing utensils, light breakfast beforehand and snacks in case the lunch was not so great.  What i did not come prepared with was tissues.  Who knew the day was going to start out with a speaker who would make me laugh and cry throughout her speech.  As I looked around and heard lots of sniffling and saw people trying to keep the tears from ruining their makeup, I could tell that noone else was prepared to hear what our keynote speaker had to share with us.

Julie Erfle, is the creator of PoliticsUNCUFFED, which is a political blog.  She has been an outspoken advocate for immigration reform since the death of her husband, Phoenix Police Officer Nick Erfle, at the hands of an undocumented immigrant. While it might have been enough for Julie to share with us the impact her husbands death had on her family, her speech was so much more than that.  If you ever have an opportunity to hear Julie speak, grab a friend and be prepared to be inspired and motivated.

The roster of workshops and speakers were varied and plentiful and this, of course, made it difficult for me to choose.  A few minutes into the first workshop, I patted myself on the back as I realized my first choice was an excellent one.  Michelle Cromer, a bestselling author and speaker was motivating as well as very entertaining as she discussed some of her life experiences and how they have helped her to evolve into the person she is today.  She engaged all of us in a lively discusssion about  how to tap into a deep well of spirituality, serenity, and purpose.  Michelle was extremely generous by sharing her time and talent, as well as giving each participant a copy of her current book, Where Am I Going?  Moving From Religious Tourist to Spiritual Explorer. Thank you Michelle.

Halfway through the day, we were treated to a boxed lunch from Jason’s Deli.  I scooped up the salad and the veggie wrap and chose a table  in the school cafeteria to relax and enjoy lunch.  The conversation was light-hearted and I had fun getting to know some of the other participants. While some networking did happen, it was not the focus and this was actually a welcome relief as we could get to know each other on a friendlier basis without pressure to “sell ourselves.”

We were treated to a guest appearance by Lilly Ledbetter, author of “Grace and Grit.”  Ledbetter is a pioneer who fought for equal pay for women in the workplace and inspired the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act. Her new book “Grace and Grit,” recounts her fight for equal rights in the workplace. Please check out her video:Lilly Ledbetter.

Even as good as conferences can be, there does come a time where you are nearing the end of the day and the energy level is beginning to wane. Well, my last speaker, Vicki Sandler would just not allow that to happen. She started out with a huge smile and a bundle of internal energy that shined through the stories she shared with us. Her new book, Find Your Scream, Live Your Dream: Discover Your Inner Leader, is packed with simple and practical techniques to help you learn how you can have a life of your dreams.  This workshop was interactive as Vicki had us stepping out of our comfort zone and participate in some of her simple exercises. She offers some valuable  insight to help  face the fear of change fearlessly in your personal and professional life to transform it to one of your dreams!

Speaking of getting to the end of a conference and feeling your energy is tanking, ohhhh no, the wise women who put on this conference were not about to let this happen.  Get this!  We all met in the cafeteria and were treated to Zumba lessons given by 3 very cool ladies from Zumba Fitness. They did an excellent job of getting us all on our feet dancing the salsa and getting in some good cardio at the end of the day.  That would have been a fine end to my day, however, there was more to come.  Ever hear of OMG!  Well they had a lovely display of brownies on a stick with the Arizona Women’s Conference Logo on the front and it was all edible.

I would like to personally thank all the wonderful ladies who put together their time, talent and energy to provide such a great conference.  I will definitely plan on attending next years conference and will certainly share the registration info to all my friends and business contacts.

This is not really a story directly related to breastfeeding. But I think I have a legitimate reason for writing about this in my breastfeeding blog. Wonder how I am making the connection?   Well, IF the story that I am going to tell, DID happen during the many years I spent breastfeeding, I am sure I would have lost my milk supply, albeit temporary, over the stress of it all.

I just found some jewelry – 4 pair of earrings and 2 rings, to be exact – that I have been searching for. Someone else I know and love, has been searching for a special piece of jewelry also. And guess what? She just found her necklace also!  Love you Mommy!

 

How is it that both of us lost jewelry, about 9 months ago and now both of us found what we thought we had lost.. 9 months later?

I was looking for some foot lotion and getting waaay back in the under the sink bathroom cabinets and there was this plastic bag, looking so non-threatening, I was about to throw it out. But than I noticed it was stuffed with some paper and I became curious. And right there, wrapped in individual pieces of tissue like paper was the jewelry I thought I lost.

My mother happened to be looking through some of her jewelry she has not used in so many months and right there.. walllah.. looking right up at her, was the necklace she had been searching for.

Now also interesting to note is that the timeline for both of the losses and founds is about 9 months.. the same time it takes to grow a healthy full term baby! The irony is not lost on me.

Another interesting thing to note is that while the findings of such jewelry came about for different reasons, the losing of such jewelery both happened for the same – ughhh… reasons.

And the reason it happened, is that whole – Like mother, like daughter thing:    I have been raised with the mindset that makes you hide things before you leave town.

Let me put this jewelry away, in a hiding place, where noone will be able to find it! Not evennnn ME!

You can laugh, but Be honest! Have you every hid your jewelry or money  in such a great hiding place that even YOU cannot find it when you are looking for it?

IBCLC  Day is an annual event sponsored by the International Lactation Consultant Association and the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners.

WHEREAS, children are vital to the future of  our community and their health and well-being affects all the community; and

WHEREAS, IBCLCs are healthcare professionals dedicated to helping pregnant women, parents and the wider community to recognize the importance of mother’s milk and the care that goes with providing it; and WHEREAS IBCLCs provide expertise in breastfeeding management, advocate for services that support breastfeeding, and educate families and healthcare workers using evidence-based knowledge; and

WHEREAS, IBCLCs assist mothers to provide a healthy foundation for their infants and young children; and

WHEREAS, IBCLCs improve breastfeeding outcomes, reduce health care costs and improve satisfaction with health services; and

WHEREAS, our citizens value the contribution of IBCLCs to the future of our community;

Here we go again.  Another mom being told that she could not breastfeed her baby.

Stripper or a breastfeeding  mom.

Feel free to add your comments.

Breastfeeding backlash starts movement.

Take a few minutes out of your busy day.  Sit and relax and enjoy this visually pleasing video which highlights all the wonderful reasons to breastfeed your baby.

101 Reasons to Breastfeed your Baby

Kathleen Kendall-Tackett,PhD, IBCLC, FAPA, is a health psychologist and board-certified lactation consultant. She is clinical associate professor of pediatrics at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Amarillo, Texas. She is owner and editor-in-chief of Praeclarus Press, a small press specializing in women’s health. She can be contacted at www.KathleenKendall-Tackett.com.

Kathleen has a study that shows that breastfeeding mothers actually get more sleep than mothers who supplement or formula feed their babies.  Follow the link below for more detailed information on the study.

http://www.scienceandsensibility.org/?tag=breastfeeding-and-depression&mid=5099756

Heather Joy Clawson has been writing a blog about her experiences with her two beautiful children. Soliz is 4 and Camila is almost 2 1/2 years old.  They were both born with a rare chromosomal syndrome called Wolf Hirschhorn Syndrome ( or 4p-).

Heather Joy is currently blogging about her vegetable garden.  The pictures and the smiles on her face when she holds her first watermelon from  her garden, almost trump out the beautiful smiles of her kids in the photos.  Take a look and you decide!

http://www.tubefoodwithlove.blogspot.com/

Today I sold a few more Sleepy Wraps and based on the comments I have heard, I thought it might be nice to write about them in a post. While I have known about baby carriers/wraps for quite a few years, I imagine it is because I am in the BIZ. I have to keep reminding myself that for new parents, baby carriers may be new to them. See last paragraph for savings on Sleepy Wraps!

While there are many baby carriers available, I do not claim to know about all of them. I do know about the Sleepy Wraps that I carry and I can tell you why I love to sell them and why they have been such a huge hit.

The main reason I carry Sleepy Wraps is the material, the price and the beautiful colors. I also love the softness and the versatility. The same wrap can be used by mom and dad and grandparents…. and believe me, the wraps do get passed around!

What is one of the most comment sentiments that new parents make? Probably the most common one I hear is: ” I just don’t know why, but she likes to be held all the time.” This is usually followed by mom saying, “now don’t get me wrong, I love holding my baby, it is just that sometimes I would like to put her down so I can get just a few things done.”

So, yes, even when babies have been fed well and are dry and comfortable, they still really like to be held close. It is one of the easiest ways to calm a fussy baby. After all, they have been use to being “rocked and rolled” inside mom for a better part of 9 months. Babywearing makes parenting easier because it allows you to respond to your baby quickly before crying escalates and stresses you out.

Social conditioning has led parents to believe that if a baby is held or carried too frequently they will be spoilt, clingy or demanding. Research aside, just ask a babywearing parent if they feel that carrying their baby has created a clingy, dependent child. More than likely you will hear parents agree with what we know to be true. The physical and psychological benefits associated with baby wearing encourage children to feel secure and content and build a solid sense of self-esteem.

Babies worn in slings are less clingy and tend to initiate separation much earlier than babies less frequently held. It allows them to be AT the centre of activity not THE centre of attention, which is a wonderful environment proven to stimulate brain development and cognitive learning.

Here is a link to the sleepy wraps on All About Breastfeedings website. There is lots more info on the benefits of sleepy wraps. They come in all different colors. In stock currently:  black, brown, red, orange, dark green, royal blue, lime green and pink. If your first choice is sold out, you will probably have a second color that you would enjoy just as much.   Sleepy Wraps make excellent baby shower gifts for any new mother or father.

Breastfeeding is an unequalled way of providing ideal food for the healthy growth and development of infants; it is also an integral part of the reproductive process with important implications for the health of mothers. Review of evidence has shown that, on a population basis, exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months is the optimal way of feeding infants. Thereafter infants should receive complementary foods with continued breastfeeding up to 2 years of age or beyond.

The WHO says it.  World Health Organization

The AAP says it.  American Academy of Pediatrics

UNICEF says it:  United Nations Childrens Fund

The APHA says it:  American Public Health Association

SO does the American College of Nurse-Midwives, the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine and the American College of Gynecologists.

The Surgeon General says it.

Nancy Mohrbacher agrees with it.  Nancy Mohrbacher also says that there are some barriers that can make exclusive breastfeeding a difficult goal for mothers.  Read her thoughts:

http://www.nancymohrbacher.com/blog/2011/10/2/no-such-thing-as-a-free-lunch.html

When I began teaching breastfeeding classes over 20 years ago, one of my favorite ways to begin talking about the convenience and benefits of breastfeeding was to say:

It is easily available… in the right container, at the right temperature, nothing to heat up, no container to throw away and it is easy to get to!

We have  learned so much more about the detailed benefits of breastfeeding to mothers and babies, however, the above line still is true.  And after all these years, nothing, has ever been proven to be any better for our own human babies, other than human milk.  Twenty years ago, the term “going green” was not widely used and just a very small percentage of families in the United States were taking their own reusable bags to the grocery store.  Breastfeeding was green than, and it is green now.  Some more food for thought when you think about different ways to be green with your family or to support other families in their efforts to be kinder to our environment.

• Breastfeeding is delivered to the consumer without any pollution,  unnecessary packaging or waste.
• Breastfeeding reduces the amount of plastic packaging that needs to be produced, transported and than piled into  landfills.
• Breastfeeding creates no pollution.