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 hello, i am almost 5 months into my breastfeeding my son and have had an
oversupply problem from the start. i have had 3 mastitis and fear another. i
have been draining in the morning and block feeding during the day -
sometimes 10 hours on the left side - 6 on the right. i have been eating
parsley and just started taking sage (as tincture) this morning. my son is
growing well but does not seem to want to eat as much as the other babies
we know. he wants to comfort suck at night but has gone for long stretches
(7:30pm - 6:30am) he is also teething heavily. do you have have any other
suggestions as i am really at my wits end. thanks so much for your help.
Answer Dear Emily,
First, congratulations for giving your son the best start in life by breastfeeding him. I'm so sorry to hear of the problems you have been having.
You don't say anything about pumping your milk, especially during those long stretches at night when your son does not want to nurse. Pumping might help you.
Also, I'm wondering whether you have been in touch with a lactation consultant (LC). If not, I would urge you to see someone who is experienced with this situation and can give you one-on-one help. To find an LC in your community, you can go to info@ilca.org.
Meanwhile, I am attaching an excerpt from my book (see below), in hopes that some of the following suggestions may help, in addition to or instead of the block feeding you're already doing.
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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If You Have “Too Much” Milk
Abundance is wonderful, but too abundant milk production can cause two different kinds of problems.
One can be seen when a woman’s let-down is so forceful that her milk flows too quickly into her baby’s mouth. The baby will gulp noisily, gasp, choke, gag, and sputter during the feeding. He may stop nursing after only a few minutes, only to burst into loud wails of hunger and frustration. A baby forced to drink too quickly in this kind of situation will swallow air, have uncomfortable air bubbles, hiccup, spit up, and be unable to satisfy sucking needs.
The other problem can result when a mother has more of the high-lactose foremilk, the milk a baby gets when she first latches on, than is typical. A baby who drinks too much foremilk and does not get enough of the higher-calorie, more satisfying hind milk may become gassy and have loose green bowel movements. To remedy this situation, try offering only one breast at a feeding and let your baby suckle at that breast until she seems satisfied. At every feeding, then, your baby will drain your breast enough to take in the hind milk.
Oversupply can be corrected in one or more of the following ways:
• Express the first torrents of milk until it starts to come in a steady drip.
• Try lying on your back or leaning back in a recliner, with your baby lying on top of you. This allows the force of gravity to reduce the flow of milk from your breast and lets your baby control her intake more easily.
* Try holding your baby upright, with his face slightly above your nipple. This may help him control how much milk he’s getting.
• If your baby starts to choke or spit up during a feeding, remove him from the breast, express a little milk, and after he has calmed down, bring him back to the breast.
• Be sure your baby is latched on and properly positioned. Some babies slide down a firm full breast and clamp down on the nipple, resulting in sore nipples for the mother.
• Offer just one breast at a feeding. If your other breast becomes uncomfortably full, express or pump just enough to relieve your soreness and save it for relief bottles. This will signal your body to make less milk. Over the next few days, your milk supply should decrease to a level your baby can handle more easily.
