Watching BBC3s documentary Is breast best?  last night got me thinking.  So many women want to breastfeed but face difficulties in the early weeks which lead to them having to stop.  Many of these women wrongly feel that they have failed. These women have not failed,  but the system and society has failed them!  If we want to see increased breastfeeding rates and a more positive attitude to breastfeeding in this country then we as breastfeeding mothers, health professionals, and activists need to step up and serve women better.  We need to give them the support, information and confidence that they need to succeed.

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Great advice from the Analytical Armadillo on coping with germs when your little one starts nursery...

http://www.analyticalarmadillo.co.uk/2011/04/reducing-infant-illness-when-starting.html

A fantastic poster from Baby friendly showing what exactly is in breastmilk compared to formula.  Amazing how much goodness is in there, it's almost like it was designed for human babies!!

http://www.bcbabyfriendly.ca/whatsinbreastmilkposter.pdf

I didn't become an activist by choice, it just kind of happened.  I entered breastfeeding with a give it a go attitude and all these years later I am so passionate about breastmilk because I have seen it's benefits personally, and the more I read about breastfeeding and formula the more amazed I am by the brilliance of human milk for human babies.  I often get accused of being in the breastfeeding mafia and to be honest I'm proud to be - it was a real achievement for me to breastfeed and I am filled with joy when I hear success stories from other mums who have made it through the emotional and physical exhaustion of the early days of breastfeeding.  I kinow breastfeeding isn't for everyone and for a whole host of reasons lots of women choose to bottlefeed, but for those who want to breastfeed support and information are essential.  I'm glad there are activists about who are getting information out to women who need it.

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As a mum who has lived through 3 frequent night wakers (and survived), there have been many times when exhaustion has left me wondering what I can possibly do to get some more sleep.  Many mums suggested leaving baby to cry it out. However, leaving my baby to cry is something that goes against my every instinct as a mother, I've always wanted to deal with my children's needs quickly and responsively and have always felt that if my baby is crying its because they need something.  This  article by the Analytical Armadillo gives some great insight into CIO and why it may not be the best choice for baby:

http://www.analyticalarmadillo.co.uk/2011/01/cry-it-out-potential-dangers-of-leaving.html

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Another great article from the AA - I've always thought that breastfeeding was not the cause of tooth decay but its good to see a bit of the science behind why it's not a problem:

http://www.analyticalarmadillo.co.uk/2010/12/ask-armadillo-does-breastfeeding-cause.html

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Great artile on mixed feeding from Milk matters:

http://milkmatters.org.uk/2010/11/18/mixing-bottle-and-breast-it-doesnt-have-to-be-all-or-nothing/

For those of you who have no clue about formula feeding here's another great blog from the Analytical Armadillo.   Why making up a bottle of formula correctly is so important:

http://www.analyticalarmadillo.co.uk/2010/08/ask-armadillo-making-up-infant-feeds.html