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 I am still breastfeeding for my ten month old baby.I have planned to stop after my baby is one year old.my breast size look so bulky now with out any shape.when my breast will be back to normal with proper size and shape?
Answer Dear Vetri,
First, congratulations for giving your baby the best start in life by breastfeeding!
Your breasts will probably go back to normal within a couple of months after you have stopped nursing. They may not be exactly the way they were before you got pregnant, since many women's breasts do change with the weight gains of pregnancy -- even if they don't breastfeed. But some women do regain their perky breasts. Basically, each of us is different.
I am attaching an advance peek at an excerpt from the new edition of my book in which I answer this basic question.
Meanwhile, 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.
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Q: Will nursing make my breasts sag?
A: No, it will not. A 2007 study by a plastic surgeon found that the shape of a woman’s breasts bears no relation to whether she has breastfed or the length of time she nursed a child or children. The more children a woman bears, the more likely she’ll notice some droop – and here’s a good reason for healthy living: women who smoke are more likely to sag.
Some women notice little or no change even after bearing and nursing several children; others develop a definite droop after only one. Most women do find that their breasts become less firm and less erect after childbirth, but these changes are caused by pregnancy, not lactation. How much your breasts change will be determined by your genes, how old you are, how much weight you gained during pregnancy, and the size of your breasts before pregnancy. The larger they were then, the more they’ll droop later. Many pregnant and nursing mothers feel that wearing a good, well-fitting nursing bra, even during the night, not only makes them more comfortable, but helps to maintain breast shape.
Your breasts will be larger during lactation, but if you’re like most women, your breasts will return to their former size after you wean your baby. Some women feel their breasts are smaller after nursing, some feel they are larger, but most find no change at all. In any case, the die is cast by the time your first child is born; the change occurs as a result of pregnancy, and whether you nurse this child or not will have no permanent effect on the size and shape of your breasts. One small-breasted woman told us with a grin, “My figure never looked so good as when I was nursing—I felt as if I were wearing a WonderBra!” And fuller-bosomed women can also feel and look good during this time, with the help of a supportive bra and flattering clothing.
Q: Will I gain weight if I nurse?
A: No—on the contrary. Breastfeeding will help you return more quickly to your prepregnancy size. Many women have breastfed several children and ended up just as slim as they were before they became pregnant. Proper diet during pregnancy and lactation, combined with moderate exercise, will keep you slender. In fact, there’s some evidence that nursing helps women to regain their figures, since the fat stores developed during pregnancy are laid down specifically for lactation. Women who do not nurse may have a harder time working off this fat. Just think of it—you’re burning about 500 calories a day through lactation, as many calories as you’d burn on a five-mile run.
