References for the lactating mom

I've been nursing my son for almost a year now.  It's really helped to create a wonderful relationship between the two of us.  I've been fortunate in that I haven't run into any major issues with breastfeeding, but they do exist.  I'm going to post a list of websites that I've found as helpful guides on different topics involving lactation.

1. Safe Medications During Lactation - There are a number of sites dedicated to helping women understand what OTCs and prescription medications are safe to take while nursing. This has been helpful to me during allergy season, but a number of women have more serious medical issues that they encounter and need to understand, for instance, whether they can take certain antibiotics, etc.
   
   • LACTMED is run by the NIH and is very comprehensive. It's not as user-friendly as some of the other databases, but I have to say that I trust the NIH more than all other resources.
   • Breastfeeding and medications by the Mayo Clinic has a quick list of symptoms and lists a couple of safe medications you can take if you're experiencing them.
   
   
   
2. Kelly Mom is an evidence-based guide to breastfeeding and parenting. The website is very comprehensive. Some of my favorite articles are as follows:
   
   • Average weight gain for breastfed babies and Growth Charts teaches you that healthy breastfed babies gain weight the quickest during the first couple months of their lives, then slow down. This is basically the opposite of what formula-fed babies do.
   • How does milk production work - I found this to be very interesting and answered a lot of the biological questions I had.
   • Reusing expressed breastmilk talks about whether it's okay to reuse expressed breastmilk if baby doesn't drink all of it in the first sitting. Short answer is yes, but read the logic of why.
   • I'm not pumping enough milk. What can I do? - This is an in-depth look at milk production (and there are some other articles about it around the website) that then talks about some things to check in on if you feel you're not pumping enough for baby.
   • There are so many more great articles around the website. I highly suggest reading it and asking questions as you're reading about topics that then bring you to other great topics.
   
   
   
3. La Leche League International is a great resource that every lactating mother should know about. There are organized groups all over the world, and likely one that is close to you. In my area, there are monthly drop-in meetings at a local hospital where women can bring their babies to nurse and ask questions to their trained LLL leader.
   
    There is also a toll free number you can call to ask questions and get breastfeeding suppoty.  Within the USA it is 877-4-LALECHE.

LLL also has a few books they've published that discuss breastfeeding topics and offer support. I highly suggest going to your local library to read the book The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, and, if you have time, Sweet Sleep.

I'm sure there are many more wonderful resources, but these are the few that I've found to be absolutely comprehensive.  Within these resources, you can find information on bigger issues like mastitis and blebs and other such issues of the breast.  Remember, your local hospital also will have an on-call lactation consultant who can advise you through situations.  And, also, if you have incredibly brilliant breastfeeding mama girlfriends like I do, you can also use them as references for any issues you have.