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 was having trouble breast feeding because my milk supply has always been low even from my last baby, so i ended up breast feeding only at night until now, because of that my milk supply has stopped . I really want to keep breast feeding, is there any way i can get my milk back so i can keep on breast feeding? please help!!!
Answer Dear Cecilia,
First, congratulations for persisting at breast feeding even though you have been having difficulty. As far as getting your milk supply back, what you are talking about is called relactation. I am attaching an excerpt from my book (see below)about that. I hope it helps.
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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RELACTATION AND NURSING AN ADOPTED BABY
Sometimes a woman decides, or is advised, not to breastfeed her newborn infant; or she begins to nurse and then stops for one reason or another. Then, as soon as one week or as late as several months later, she wants to nurse -- either because her baby has grown stronger and is now able to nurse, because he has a digestive or allergic problem that makes it difficult for him to take formula, or for some other reason. In such a case, it is often possible to initiate breastfeeding. This process is known as relactation.
In other cases, women who have adopted babies have been able to lactate, even if they have never been pregnant or have not been pregnant for years. This process is called induced lactation.
Neither of these endeavors is easy; both call for a great deal of time, effort, and dedication. Both also require very close observation of the baby to be sure he is gaining weight properly. Many women who have made the effort, however, have been happy with their decision, especially if they look at it not for its value as a feeding method, but for how it can enhance the mother-baby relationship. This is the most important aspect of this kind of nursing. If you hold up quantifiable measures like the amount of milk you produce, the ability to provide all of your baby's milk, or the length of time you nurse your baby, you may be disappointed and frustrated. Based on several studies of women who have done this, the guidelines given in Box 16-2 should help you and your baby to achieve a happy nursing relationship.
BOX 16-2 SUCCEEDING AT INDUCED LACTATION OR RELACTATION
* Ask yourself why you want to do this. If you'll be happy with the experience of nurturing your baby at your breast, and not necessarily nourishing him from your breast, you're likely to have a more positive experience than if you have your heart set on providing a set amount of milk. It's very rare for all of a baby's nutritional needs to be met with induced lactation and may even be difficult with relactation.
* Be prepared for a stressful first few weeks, during which time your baby may resist suckling at the breast, your milk may be slow in coming in, and you'll be nursing almost constantly around the clock and supplementing your baby's diet with formula.
* Find a support system, consisting of people who will encourage and help you through the difficult days. These people can include your husband, doctor, lactation consultant, La Leche League leader, and, most important, another woman who has done what you want to do, either relactated or nursed an adopted baby.
* You'll find it easiest to relactate if your baby is under three months old.
* Expect initial resistance from your baby, who is used to getting milk some other way. It may take ten days or longer for him to nurse well, but after that he is very likely to become an avid nurser. Don't give up too soon.
* Nipple stimulation is the most important mechanism for bringing in your milk. The best kind of stimulation is your baby's suckling. Other techniques include breast massage, nipple rolling, and hand expression or breast pumps. (Expressed milk can be fed through a nursing supplementer.)
* Nurse your baby frequently, whenever she shows any signs of hunger, such as increased alertness or activity, smacking her lips, making sucking motions, or moving her head around in search of the breast. Do not wait until your baby begins to cry, which is a late sign of hunger. In one study, most of the relactating babies nursed eight times a day, at intervals of two to three hours, with two night feedings. (This is an average; some babies need to nurse more often than this at the beginning.) The average duration of each feeding was about 20 to 25 minutes.
* The most popular form of supplementing the baby's diet is the use of a nursing supplementer. 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). 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.
* It is extremely important to have your doctor follow your baby carefully for adequate weight gain. The suggestions given in Box 6-4 in Chapter 6 will help you and the doctor assess whether your baby is being well enough nourished for healthy development.
TECHNIQUES THAT ARE HELPFUL INCLUDE:
* Increasing your fluid intake and the amount of protein in your diet;
* Resting as much as possible, and lying down to nurse when you can;
* Asking your doctor to prescribe some other drug, like chlorpromazine or theophylline for the first week or so;
* Stroking your baby while she's nursing to help you relax and let down your milk.
* Providing as much skin contact as possible between you and your baby. (See the description of "kangaroo care" earlier in this chapter.)
* Also see the suggestions given in Chapter 15 for encouraging a baby who's gone "on strike" to nurse.
TECHNIQUES THAT ARE NOT HELPFUL INCLUDE:
* Keeping the baby hungry to try to encourage him to nurse;
* Using nipple shields;
* For adoptive mothers, trying to stimulate the breasts with the nursing infants of friends (the babies usually refuse to suckle at a breast that's not producing milk).
For some of the situations in this chapter -- the ones that require separation from your baby -- you will want to collect your milk to give to her. The next chapter describes the different ways you can do this and offers suggestions for making it easier to give your baby the benefits of breast milk even during those times when she cannot nurse directly.
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCE:
An excellent book, “Breastfeeding an Adopted Baby and Relactation” by Elizabeth Hormann is sold by La Leche League International (www.lalecheleague.org).
