My Picks for Best Breastfeeding Blogs and Posts

It is the time of year where lists are popping up. The past week saw Babble posting its list of Top 50 Mommy Bloggers of 2009 and then Mom 101 posting her laugh out loud top 50 mommybloggers who didn't make the Babble top 50 mommybloggers list and are probably more fun anyway. This gave Bettina from Best for Babes the idea of coming up with a list of the best breastfeeding blogs (blogs that are exclusively about breastfeeding or that have a significant focus on breastfeeding), as well as the top breastfeeding posts (which may or may not be from those blogs). In this post, I've compiled my contributions to that list.

Breastfeeding Blogs

• Attachment Parenting International Blog – API Speaks


• babyREADY


• The Beautiful Letdown


• Best for Babes


• Blacktating


• Breastfeeding Moms Unite


• Breastfeeding Mums


• Breastfeeding 123


• It’s All About the Hat


• Lactivist Leanings


• Lucy & Ethel Have a Baby (she writes a lot of posts on all sorts of parenting topics - to find the breastfeeding specific ones, check out lactivities)


• Mommy News and Views


• Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog


• One of those women


• Stork Stories...Birth & Breastfeeding


• The Verve Path


• Wired for Noise and Mama to Mama Tips (two blogs by Summer)

There are also a few that don't seem to be updating regularly anymore but that are definitely worth a mention:

• The Lactivist


• Breastfeeding is Beautiful (more than 100 breastfeeding photos)

Favourite Breastfeeding Posts by Me

My category menu tells me I've written 110 posts about breastfeeding. There are some that stand out for me more than others though. Ones that I am really proud of and that I like to re-read and share with others. They are:

• Would you, could you nurse in public?


• What does support look like? What to do and not do to support a breastfeeding mother


• When it is not breast


• Breaking it down for facebook


• The Economics of Breastfeeding: A Cost-Benefit Analysis


• When to give up on breastfeeding


• Societal barriers to breastfeeding


• The Scientific Benefits of Breastfeeding


• What gives you the right?


• The Case Against Breastfeeding: Is it Anti-Feminist


• No need to hide


• Blood, milk and profits


• Lactivism and the homelessness problem


• Can breastfeeding promotion learn something from drunk-driving ads?

Favourite Breastfeeding Posts by Others

• Katie Allison Granju on Babble.com - <tongue in cheek> Confessions of a proud breastfeeding zealot </tongue in cheek> Parenting author Katie Allison Granju explores the current societal reaction to perceived breastfeeding zealotry and outlines the importance of breastfeeding advocacy.

• Raising My Boychick - On breastfeeding and things we don't talk about: Arwyn's brutally honest post about why she is a breastfeeding advocate and about the things she loves and hates about breastfeeding her toddler.

• Custom-Made Milk - Babies, Bottles, Daddy Bonding & Breastfeeding: So many moms argue that they need to pump and bottle feed or supplement with formula so that the baby can bond with the father. In this post, Sara eloquently explains why bottles are not what bonding is made of and gives real tips for how dads can bond with their breastfed babies.

• Ruth Moss - Breastfeeding Bingo: Print off this Bingo card and when you're heard all of the typical comments you have a full house!

• Her Bad Mother - Shame And The Mom: A Boob Story: A heartfelt post about all the feelings of shame that surround breastfeeding or not breastfeeding.

• It's All About the Hat - Watch Closely: Heather describes why it is okay when you see her breastfeed in public, even if you see some skin.

• Hoyden About Town - Gone too far?: A fabulous list of all the reasons why breastfeeding advocacy has not gone too far.

• One of those women - The Case Against Reasoning: The rant of all rants against Hanna Rosin's awful Case Against Breastfeeding.

• Breastfeeding Moms Unite - The Princess and the Chick Pea: A great complement to my Would you, could you nurse in public post, this narrative by Melodie is all about support, attempted sabotage, and perseverance during those early days.

• Bits of Myself - Right Down the Middle of Main Street: This mom has battled through several rounds of chemo while fighting cancer. Each time she had to wean her daughter. Rather than giving up on breastfeeding, she kept pumping while going through treatment so that her daughter could keep nursing when she was done. This beautiful pic shows her nursing her daughter, who is all dressed up as Minnie Mouse, on Main Street at Disney World.

What did I miss?

The problem with these lists is that there are always as many great ones left off as there are included, if not more. I did up this list quickly based on what came to mind first, but I'm sure I forgot some great ones. I'm sure I forgot some of my favourites. I'm certain I missed some of your favourites. So go ahead, leave a comment, and tell me about the great ones that I missed. I'll use your suggestions as input to the collaborative effort going on across a number of breastfeeding blogs right now to develop THE list of the best breastfeeding blogs and posts.

Image credit: What nature intended by archangeldeb on flickr

Comments

[Naomi]

I love Nursingbirth's posts. I think she is moving so hasn't posted recently, and most of her stuff is about labor and delivery but she does post on breastfeeding issues. Like http://nursingbirth.com/2009/10/09/why-its-not-irresponsible-to-research-the-hazards-of-formula-feeding/ and http://nursingbirth.com/2009/10/11/why-educating-our-patients-is-a-professional-responsibility-and-not-about-guilt/

[TopHat]

Thanks for this list! Now I need to update my reader with some of these! Happy New Year to you!

[Already dreading the breastpum]

[...] was happily surprised to see that one of my blog posts of the last year was included in the list of Best Breastfeeding Blogs and Blog Posts of 2009 by the blog PhD in [...]

[uberVU - social comments]

Social comments and analytics for this post...

This post was mentioned on Twitter by phdinparenting: New posts: My picks for best #breastfeeding blogs and posts http://is.gd/5HHob @BestforBabes #bfing...

[Melodie]

When Bettina sent me the email I was a complete blank on other people's posts. This brings them all back. Thank you! One breastfeeding blog that often gets overlooked, I think, is Chronicles of a Nursing Mom. http://fabnaima.blogspot.com/ Jenny is a force to be reckoned with in The Philippines where she does some amazing breastfeeding advocacy work. She's a great writer and full of well-researched information that is always eye-opening and somehow refreshing in its startling difference to North American breastfeeding blogs in that it comes from the country with the world's second lowest breastfeeding rates.

[Amanda]

What a fantastic resource! Thanks for taking the time to compile this post!

[Naomi]

I like Chronicles too Melodie!

[desmoinesdem]

My blog is primarily about politics and environmental issues, but I do write about parenting occasionally and am proud of http://www.bleedingheartland.com/diary/2579/" rel="nofollow">my case against Hanna Rosin's case against breastfeeding.

http://www.bleedingheartland.com/diary/2579/

[Suzanne]

Although I don't write a breastfeeding blog, I sure do talk about it A LOT (Hard not to when you're still really really really exclusively nursing at 9 months). I'm going to go ahead and do some shameless self promotion here and suggest my own silly breastfeeding poem (http://bebehblog.com/?p=1428) my angry rant (http://bebehblog.com/?p=1605) and my friend Erin's guest post about her breastfeeding struggles (http://bebehblog.com/?p=1753).

[Mom101]

Wow, this is so comprehensive and I bet will be an amazing resource for so many women for a long time. What a mitzvah you've done, as my people would say.

[Christina]

Thanks for the list! I'd like to add mine: I started a blog a few months ago dedicated to breastfeeding at http://themilkmama.com/

[Lauren @ Hobo Mama]

I will have to catch all the ones I've missed. The good news is I know I've already enjoyed a lot of them! Thanks for compiling this list.

[Elizabeth]

This is a great list, and I've been checking out the best posts - thank you! One more blog that is new, so a little untested, is The Long Term Breastfeeding Project:

http://blog.longtermbreastfeeding.org/

Not too much there at the moment, but it's a topic I'd like to see more blogging on, so I hope it takes off.

[Glenni Lorick]

This is a great list. Thanks so much for taking the time to compile it. In Conservative Granola Mommies we regularly address breastfeeding. I think the response to Hannah Rosin by desmoinsdem is excellent. I also posted a response in my blog and published it in Valley Babies http://valleybabies.com/magazine/2009/04/atlantic-magazine-meets-researchand-comes-up-short/, as well.

[Sam]

Thank you for tipping your hat in our direction. We have had a VERY busy few months but hope to be back on the writing path in the new year! Am proud to tell people they should be checking out your site! Thank you for doing the same.

HAPPY NEW YEAR from babyREADY to YOU!!

[Marla Morgan]

What a great list and resource!!

I love this one:

http://www.raisingarrows.net/2009/11/breastfeeding-memory-of-emily.html

[I need to read to write: a goo]

[...] My Picks for Best Breastfeeding Blogs at PhD in Parenting (I swear I’m not including this just because she linked to me; it really is a great list of blogs and posts) [...]

[Mary @ Parenthood]

My favourite breastfeeding post is http://drmomma.blogspot.com/2009/07/breastfeeding-in-land-of-genghis-khan.html. I have never read anything else that helped me understand how much our culture shapes our thinking about breastfeeding as well!

[Birth_Lactation]

Annie, Thanks for including my little contributions to this awesome list of powerful advocates! I have hardly been reading or writing lately and just saw this.... I also loved this list...all those I've read and look forward to reading the rest....and more from you!

[Kevin Kuybus]

This is a nice blog post where one can get all types of detailed website list related to parenting, breastfeeding, new moms etc; Nice contribution mam

[Dr Sarah]

Ooops, meant to remind you about this one: http://obnurse35yrs.wordpress.com/2009/05/08/breastfeeding-bottle-feeding-and-somewhere-in-between/. I tracked it down for my Breastfeeding Carnival post last month and realised it had been a 2009 post, but forgot to add it to your list till now.

[bits of myself]

thought you might enjoy this year's version, too! xo

http://bitsofmyself.com/2010/03/10/what-if-no-ones-watching/

[Tanya Roberts]

Here is another great breastfeeding blog:
http://lactconnect.blogspot.com/

[Rina]

Hi everyone,

I thought people might be interested in this, it's a series of comics about a nursing mom who is kicked out of her shopping mall:

http://www.bencomicstrip.com/archives/breastisbest01.html

These were made over 10 years ago and yet it is still happening all over the world. Sadly, plus ça change...

[Rachel]

Along with nursing bras, I have discovered something that saved my life after I gave birth and began breastfeeding. Intimia, a breast pillow, helped me with the sensitivity and swelling of my breasts. I am now able to sleep more comfortably and soundly throughout the night. An added bonus with the Intimia pillow is that it reduced the appearance of, as well as the creation of, wrinkles in my breast area. I just had to share this because it really helped me out alot and I hope it can help you guys too!
-Rachel

[Parenting Tidbits: How I Am an]

[...] thought I’d be done breastfeeding (check out blogs on why it’s so important to keep going as long as possible) them by now. I don’t know why or how I got it in my head that I’d be done by 6 months. [...]

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[Hanna Bronsen]

Thank You for this list, it has been most helpful. I will pass it on.

[Shiene L]

There's a lot of breastfeeding section in some malls in the Philippines and I really like that. Thanks for the great read on your blog. :)