Seen in Taloda …Hirkani Kaksha (Breastfeeding Room)

A friend sent me a poster seen in a bus stop in Taloda. Indicating the location of the”Hirkani Kaksha” or “Breastfeeding Room” was a colorful poster with a picture of none other than yours truly. At first I was worried that it was some kind of advertisement. When I learned that this was a room at a bus stop to allow mothers a private place for breastfeeding I worried that breastfeeding was being pushed out of the public space. I have always defended the right of babies to breastfeed wherever they are allowed to be. As long as breastfeeding in public is still welcome, however, I can see the value of also having the option to get out of the crowd, esp if baby is easily distracted. And I am particularly pleased with the choice of the photo, showing a mother who is calmly looking ahead while baby – toddler, in fact – nurses.

Salient features of the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017

Thanks to the Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India for summarizing the salient features of the 2017 Amendment to the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017. Here is an information sheet that they have released during World Breastfeeding Week, Aug 1-7, 2017.

You may also access the BPNI information sheet on Salient features of the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017 here or read the text below. The full  Government Order, “Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017″ is available here.

And yes, we persisted!

Chetana Amma’s latest despatch!

Source: And yes, we persisted!

Amma Dudhu: A Farewell Poem

The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding for at least two years and beyond for as long as mother and baby wish.  The benefits of breastfeeding do not disappear at a specific age, but rather continuously prepare children physically, intellectually and emotionally to digest what the world has to offer, literally and figuratively.  Curiosity, experimentation, illness, growth spurts and adaptations to circumstances will prompt children to modulate breastfeeding and eventually outgrow it.

And how do you say goodbye?  In this guest post, Divya Singh, Amma to 3½ year-old Navya in Portland. shares her story along with a poem. 

Last week, my 3½ year-old and I said bye-bye to our breastfeeding relationship on a very happy note…wanted to share this for Ask Amma.

Here’s how it worked out-

The hills were alive with the sound of Tamia….

Tamia Naira Chetana.  Some would say its quite a long name for someone that small. Not quite five months yet, Tamia has gone through quite a bit in this time, justifying the name. “Tamia” is a hill station  in Central Madhya Pradesh surrounded by the lush forests of the Gondwana region. In all likelihood, our second daughter was born there… “Naira” is her birth name, given by her caregivers in Shishu Greh, Chhindwara. Lastly, “Chetana,” breaking away from the patriarchal naming norms.

Our first family selfie!

While our roller coaster of a ride lasted less than 2 months, it was a lot longer for her, going from a small hospital in Tamia where she was first treated, to the District Hospital in Chhindwara where she finally started getting some much needed nourishment. Tamia came home with us on the 21st of March.

Weaning and Acne

I am 33 and nursing my daughter.  I stopped pumping at work a couple of months ago.  I have noticed that lately, I am experiencing a lot of acne on face, around jaw line and neck.   I haven’t changed my diet drastically and was wondering if the nursing schedules or drop in pumping may be causing the acne.  Is there any natural stuff that I could use to control the crazy breakouts?

Mama of two in Austin

You are not the only one to experience an outbreak of acne following a sudden drop in nursing frequency.  It seems like any time we go through hormonal changes we are prone to acne.   You may already be aware that breast milk is a popular treatment for acne.  Once the hormones settle down so should the acne.   Some home remedies that might help include reducing intake of dairy and animal products, which come loaded with hormones, getting regular exercise, and the usual good dietary habits.

Acne apart, if you are nursing less during the day you can expect your daughter to make up for it at night and early in the morning.  Be sure to eat well and get enough rest and night-nursing will be boon to you as well as your daughter.

How can I help my baby sleep at night?

My baby wakes up 10 times at night, nursing even when she is not hungry.  How can I peacefully help her sleep at night?

Mother of a 10 month old in Chandigarh

As they say with every phase of breastfeeding, این نیز بگذرد‎, or “this too shall pass.” 

Often it is just when we have figured out how to handle a given situation that it passes, leaving us wondering if it would have passed anyway or our efforts made any difference at all.  Sometimes what we thought was a problem was actually a solution to some other problem we did not recognize.  Once solved, it passes.

New La Leche League Leader in Town

Please join AskAmma in congratulating Chetana Amma for completing the training to become a certified La Leche League Leader.

La Leche League, an organization founded more than 50 years ago when breastfeeding rates had dropped close to 20% in the United States, has helped many millions of families get adequate information, technical, emotional, social and political support to defend the time, space, nourishment and respect for women’s bodies that improve our confidence and enhance our ability to breastfeed.   My mother was a member and I saw the difference it made for her and for my sister.   I too benefitted from the personal support of a La Leche League leader when I experienced difficulty with latch-on in the first days of my daughter’s life.

In India there are communities where women have been breastfeeding for generations, with plenty of support from their families and neighbours. Increasingly however, women are finding themselves without critical support for breastfeeding in the time of need.  Breastfeeding rates are dropping in urban as well as rural parts of India.

Baby-led Weaning

“What do you think of baby-led weaning?”

I was calmly chopping vegetables with Radhika, a friend and member of Ask Amma today when she asked me this question.  What is baby-led weaning?  I thought.

“What are the possible thoughts about this?”  I asked.

“I mean, should you purée the food?  What about the baby food they sell in the store?”

Hmm … As someone who never bought baby food from the store, and who did not purée food that is not normally puréed, I had to take a few steps back to answer this question.

Nursing Kurtas – Special

Nurse without lifting or opening anything.

Exclusive to AskAmma readers are beautiful Nursing Kurtas that make it a breeze to nurse anytime, anywhere, in style!

Available at the AID Conference in Boulder Colorado and by post.   Contact Askamma.

Green yellow and maroon stripe Khadi

Purple floral block print

Green vine block print

Maroon with white flecks Khadi

Black and white with grey double block print

Green with red and yellow Sambalpuri