AboutSally Wendkos Olds Expertise What do you want to know about breastfeeding? I can tell you what`s good
for the baby, what`s good for the mother -- and the father, how it`s
related to a woman`s sexuality, how working moms can nurse, how to
overcome obstacles, and lots more. As the author of THE COMPLETE BOOK OF
BREASTFEEDING and author or coauthor of 8 other books and more than 200
articles about child and adult development, I can offer sound, sensible
advice on breastfeeding, child care and family issues.
Experience I nursed my 3 daughters and am the grandmother of 5 breastfed children. My book THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING (written in consultation with pediatrician Marvin S. Eiger, M.D.) was first published in 1972, and in 1999 came out in an updated 3rd Edition by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books. It is now a classic, with over 2 million copies in print. I am now revising this book for a fourth edition, consulting with pediatrician Laura M. Marks, M.D. This new edition will be published September 2009. I welcome any and all suggestions for the new edition.
I coauthored college textbooks A CHILD'S WORLD: INFANCY THROUGH ADOLESCENCE, and HUMAN DEVELOPMENT; both are leading texts in their fields and have been read by 2 million students. I am the coauthor of HELPING YOUR CHILD FIND VALUES TO LIVE BY and RAISING A HYPERACTIVE CHILD, and author of THE WORKING PARENTS' SURVIVAL GUIDE & THE ETERNAL GARDEN: SEASONS OF OUR SEXUALITY. My newest book, A BALCONY IN NEPAL: GLIMPSES OF A HIMALAYAN VILLAGE, published in 2002, tells the story of the way of life in a remote village in Nepal, where all the women breastfeed! My book, SUPER GRANNY: COOL PROJECTS, ACTIVITIES, AND OTHER GREAT STUFF TO DO WITH YOUR GRANDKIDS, will be published March 2009.
I speak often to professional, parent and general audiences and make many radio and TV appearances.
Credentials
I received my B.A. in English Literature from the University of Pennsylvania, where I minored in Psychology, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and graduated summa cum laude.
Other points of interest
I have received national awards for my writing, and am a former president of the American Society of Journalists & Authors. I am listed in the World Who's Who of Women, International Authors & Writers Who's Who, and Contemporary Authors, and am a member of several professional and civic organizations. I believe: that all parents are working parents; that parents employed outside the home need special support; that mothers' well-being is crucial to their children's welfare; and that the family is the best institution in the world and the one for which we are least prepared. My thrills come when parents or kids tell me they were helped by my writing or speaking or just understanding.
To find out more about me, go to
Question Hi. I am a mother of five. You'd think I'd be a pro with breastfeeding by now with all the experience but have not encountered what I'm facing today. I only breastfed my first three children until 8 weeks and quit because either my nipples were sore or I thought I wasn't producing enough milk. Baby number 4, I breastfed till she was almost three years old. I didn't use any bottles or formula and she gained plenty of weight. Woo hoo!! I'm now on child number five and breastfeeding is not going well at all. My child is 4.5 months old and was just weighed in at 9.6 pounds. He is below 3%! He's not gaining, and he's been nursing around the clock since birth.
The doctor suggested pumping and adding formula to the breastmilk for additional calories. Pumping is not easy for me. I can pump for 10-20 minutes (using Madela pump) and only get an ounce, 2-2.5 oz if i am really lucky. I cannot get a milk let down using a pump. (This was a problem with my last child so I just made myself available around the clock for nursing---and I had plenty of milk she was in the upper % for weight).
My son just started getting some bottles (four days ago) with formula in it and he CHUGS the bottles down. He's increasing his intake daily as if he's on this growth spurt now (YAY!) but it's with the bottle and formula and not breastmilk. I've tried 4-5x a day to pump, not much luck in attaining what he needs. My son seems to be screaming for the bottle and now turning away from the breast.
I am DEVESTATED! I want to nurse him so badly and have done everything I think I can to provide milk for him but it's looking pretty bleak.
Last night he screamed for a bottle and was irate angry when I tried putting him on the breast. I insisted he take the breast as I was not giving in to the bottle. He cried and cried and finally took the breast and fell asleep on it. He awoke an hour or so later and was on the breast for the next 4-5 hours acting as if he was super hungry though not getting much satisfaction. I did have a couple milk let downs and he drank merrily but never did act satisfied.
I've been taking Fenugreek herb for four days now but that doesn't seem to be helping an increase in my milk.
I just want to throw away the bottles and pump and nurse my little guy, but I don't think that's in his best interest as he desperately needs to gain weight!!
What oh what do I do?? Any suggestions?
Answer Dear Suzanne,
First, congratulations on giving your children the best starts in life by breastfeeding them! I'm sorry to hear of the problems you're having with #5. As you have learned, every baby is different. You're right that since he's not gaining weight he does need to be supplemented unless, and until, you can build up your milk supply and get him back on the breast. One technique that is used successfully by pediatrician Christina Smillie is to give the baby his bottle first -- and then when he's not frantically hungry, to put him to the breast. As you most likely know, the best way to increase your milk supply is frequent breast stimulation from a vigorously nursing baby.
Another approach you might take is to use a nursing supplementer, available from Medela (www.medela.com) and Lact-Aid International (www.Lact-Aid.com). This is a gadget that lets you feed your baby formula at the same time she is suckling from your breast (see Chapter 15 and the Resource Appendix of my book -- see below). This ensures your baby of adequate nutrition while providing stimulation to your nipples. Many women who considered their experience highly successful continued to use a supplementer throughout the course of breastfeeding.
Good luck!
Sally
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Sally Wendkos Olds
Author, THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING: Eiger & Olds, 3rd edition 1999, published by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books, and available in most public libraries, bookstores & La Leche League chapters. Now in revision for a fourth edition, with Laura M. Marks, M.D.
