All new mothers have many questions and worries about raising their new baby and being a good mother. If you are a breastfeeding mother then you have another topic to worry about. Are you producing enough milk? Is your baby eating enough? What should you so if your baby sleeps through a feeding? What should you do if your baby decides to bite you while breastfeeding? These are just a few of the questions that many new breastfeeding mothers will worry about from time to time. So in this day and age where is a new mother to find the answers to all of her breastfeeding questions? The internet, of course. Here are a few of my favorite and very useful websites for any and all breastfeeding information.
Breastfeeding.com – This is my all-time favorite breastfeeding website. It is filled to the gills with useful information about everything breastfeeding related. You have information regarding what type of breast pump to buy and all the way up to nursing your toddler and/or tandem nursing. There is even a wonderfully huge gallery full of hundreds of photos of breastfed and breastfeeding babies. Don’t miss the instructional videos that are also available on this site. They are very helpful if you need to actually see a nursing position instead of just reading about it in a book. There is even a great questions and answers section that covers many of the frequently asked breastfeeding questions from moms just like you.
LaLecheLeague.org – When most people think of breastfeeding information they think of the La Leche League. This organization has been around since the 1950’s and has been an advocate for breastfeeding mothers everywhere. On their website you can find out the history of their organization, the laws regarding breastfeeding in public in the state you live in and even find other women in your area that can help you with many breastfeeding problems that you may be experiencing. You can even support their organization with a donation or you can shop in their online store.
Mothering.com – Mothering.com is a website that goes along with their family magazine. On this website you can find out about nearly any breastfeeding topic that you can think of. You can also find information on pregnancy, babies, raising children and just being a mom. The best part about this website are their message boards. In the forums you can talk to other mothers in the same situation as you. There are sections for breastfeeding, being a stay at home mom, try to conceive, postpartum depression and even a section for the dads. There are more sections on those forums than I can list here. This can be a great place to go for support when you need it.
KellyMom.com – This website is similar to the breastfeeding.com website above. It is full of useful information and tips on things that you may want to purchase to assit you in successful breastfeeding. This site has printable breastfeeding handouts, forums, links to help you find breastfeeding help and even tips on proper nutrition.
SafeFetus.com – This website is a great resource when you are sick. It lists any and all medications that are safe for a pregnant and/or breastfeeding mother to take. SafeFetus.com lists medications and their possible effects on your unborn baby and/or your breastfeeding infant. You simply do a search of the drug you are looking for (name brand or generic) and it will bring up a page that explains what the drug is used for, how it may pass on to your fetus or infant and a risk category grade. For example, Tylenol has a grade of B and can be excreted into breastmilk in small amounts. This site is a must-have for all pregnant and/or breastfeeding mothers.
While these are some of the best websites on the web for breastfeeding information, be forwarned that there are many, many people out there who are very judgemental about breastfeeding. They are very pushy and on occassion will put people down who do not breastfeed or even who do not breastfeed on a full time basis. So if you are just there for information, watch out for those who may want to attack your choices. Other than the occassional lactivist, these websites are fantastic sources for all breasstfeeding mothers. I hope that they help answer any questions that you may have.
