Welcome to The Breastfeeding Cafe Carnival!
This post was written as part of The Breastfeeding Cafe’s Carnival. For more info on the Breastfeeding Cafe, go to www.breastfeedingcafe.wordpress.com. For more info on the Carnival or if you want to participate, contact Claire at clindstrom2 {at} gmail {dot} com. Today’s post is about reliable breastfeeding resources. Please read the other blogs in today’s carnival listed below and check back for more posts July 18th through the 31st!
The world wide web is filled to bursting with information about breastfeeding. Some of it is up to date, accurate and complete but much of it is outdated, incorrect or influenced by myth, fear and misunderstanding. In order to find accurate and complete information there are three tools that can help you find the proverbial needle in the internet haystack. Evidence based information, online communities and your own instincts are all you need to navigate through the overwhelming amounts of information of the online world.
First off, find sources that offer evidence based advice and information. What is evidence based medicine/practice/information?
“Evidence-based medicine is the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients. The practice of evidence-based medicine means integrating individual clinical expertise with the best available external clinical evidence from systematic research.” — Dr. David Sackett
This variety of information bases its advice on utilizing randomized controlled trial data, risk benefit analysis, statistics and other forms of data to come to conclusions about various practices. This kind of information can be used to make informed decisions about many health and quality of life decisions that we all will be faced with in our lifetimes. Becoming acquainted with this variety of information as well as how to read and understand it is a skill that will prove valuable over and over again.
Secondly, find online breastfeeding advocates and communities that subscribe to a similar parenting style as you subscribe to. Find communities that contain people that you like, trust and enjoy their company (even if their company is only virtual). These communities can be found on FaceBook, Blogger, LiveJournal and many many other online blogging and social networking websites. Take your time in selecting which communities you would like to join. Spend time reading posts and getting a feel for the culture of each community. When you find a community that fits you, engage and enjoy them. Be consistent in your participation. Offer encouragement and kind words of experience and advice where applicable. Be gracious when receiving support and advice. Be a friend, be kind, be respectful and keep your sense of humor. One of the greatest gift you can give yourself is a safe place to feel supported and heard through your hardships and your triumphs!
Lastly and most important is that you must use your heart when deciding what advice will work for you. Regardless of what research, pediatricians or kindly old ladies might tell you, you are the best judge of what is best for you and your family. In the short seventeen months I have been a mother I have found this to be the greatest and most powerful insight. You have the instincts and innate knowledge to know what is right for you and your child. Trust your “mommy heart” and you will be just fine.
Though the copious amounts of information out there can seem daunting to work through, by using your knowledge of evidence based information, your online community connections and your gut instincts you can make quick work of finding the information and support you seek.
Today’s guest post is from Kate Landfair. Kate is a wife, mother and web designer/developer who always has these wise words in her head “The way we talk to our children becomes their inner voice ” -Peggy O’Mara.
Here are more post by the Breastfeeding Cafe Carnival participants! Check back because more will be added throughout the day.
- Claire @ The Adventures of Lactating Girl-My Reliable Breastfeeding Soures
- Stacy @ A Delightful Home-The one item that relieved my breastfeeding pain (and three favorite online resources)
- Laura @ Day by Day in our World-Sorting Good from Bad Breastfeeding Information Online
- And of course the guest poster on the Breastfeeding Cafe’s blog today is Kate Landfair, MPH-Reliable Online Breastfeeding Resources
the BREASTFEEDING CAFE 
What resources online do you find most helpful? Share your online wisdom with us!
Kate, fabulous break down of good ways to find resources, I especially LOVE that the most important way to find resources is to measure them to your own parenting compass! Way to remind mamas to ALWAYS go with their heart, even when they are reading something that makes them feel like they are headed in the wrong direction! A reminder to dig deeper.