Breastfeeding: Challenges of the First Days to Success

Last week I had the pleasure of hosting my second live Pregnancy Magazine Google Hangout about breastfeeding basics that specifically focused on those first few important days after your baby is born. I was joined by fellow experts Corey Colwell-Lipson, LMFT, ATR-BC Margarita Marasigan, RN, CCE and Leslie Schilling, MA, RD, LDN.

We talked about what challenges can come up during those first few days when you’re waiting for you milk to come in, creating a good environment for breastfeeding, and tools to help make latching easier. We also discussed maintaining your milk supply, how to manage demanding feeding schedules and the importance of family support. See below to watch the full video:

The next topic will cover breastfeeding strategies for going back to work, so you won’t want to miss it! It’s LIVE at 1 p.m. ET on Wednesday May 22!

Keep Checking Back Weekly for More Episodes

You can catch this weekly show on www.PregnancyMagazine.com, as well on Pregnancy’s Google + page, as well as www.YouTube.com/PregnancyMag , where you’ll also find archives of other hangouts related to your pregnancy.

Join Us Wednesday May 22 for Breastfeeding Hangout

The next topic will cover breastfeeding strategies for going back to work, so you won’t want to miss it! It’s LIVE at 1 p.m. ET on Wednesday May 22!

Share Your Story

Leave a comment below and share an experience you had during those early days. What made it easier for you? What did you learn from it?

Healthy Eating With Kids Using MyPlate!

Yesterday, I was fortunate enough to be a part of Panera Bread’s Wellness Day for Fort Foote Elementary School! Fort Foote Elementary School’s mascot is the Bear and suitably, their motto is “Believing in Education and Reaching for Success” (BEARS)! The children that I met this morning were certainly excited to learn and were a fun, outgoing group to teach!

We brought MyPlate to life with an interactive game and an engaging lesson in nutrition. We used our imaginations and helped Andy the Astronaut fly back home to Planet Power, once his plate was balanced so he had enough energy for the trip home! I gave the children an association word for each food group on MyPlate: fruit/energy, vegetables/vitamins, protein/muscles, grains/brains and dairy/strong bones. The children interacted by making gestures (such as making their muscles flex or pretending to peel a banana) and screaming the words out – and seemed to be having a lot of fun! After 5 volunteers picked their favorite food from a specific food group, they handed the food to Andy and watched as his engine fueled up. Finally, it was time for blastoff, and the children helped Andy successfully land on Planet Power.

MyPlate is a great resource, and is more helpful than its predecessor, MyPyramid. The guidelines are clear and easy to understand and apply, such as making half your plate fruits and veggies. Also, the focus on balance and variety, which are key concepts in nutrition. The new guidelines, along with the clear visual, are also kid-friendly so it is easy for your children to understand the basic elements of proper nutrition. The MyPlate logo depicts an applicable visual for anybody to picture their plate and ideal servings of food groups. I think this is a great resource to use in order to plan or track meals – and the MyPlate website offers a ton of cool benefits for free! What are your favorite ways to make half of your plate fruits and veggies?