Dr. Jack Newman needs YOU!

Good afternoon everyone- Happy Friday!  I just received this email from Edith Kernerman from the Newman Breastfeeding Clinic & Institute and she has asked me to pass it along to all of you.

International Breastfeeding Centre

Hi All

We are emailing you to ask if you would consider volunteering your precious time with us (or know of someone who might) to help us in our new endeavours; to help secure funding for our organization, and to help develop our organization. 

As you may know:

At the Newman Breastfeeding Clinic (NBC), we help thousands of families each year with their breastfeeding issues.  Our clinical team is comprised of International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) and physicians who offer one-on-one counselling for mothers experiencing breastfeeding challenges.  We provide highly skilled support for all mother and/or baby difficulties that may lead to the premature discontinuation of breastfeeding.  The clinic also offers preventive care for anticipated breastfeeding challenges and presents prenatal breastfeeding classes for expectant families.    

What you may not know:

We recently incorporated as a not-for-profit Ontario organization:  The International Breastfeeding Centre (IBC).  IBC is one of the few organizations in Canada that is fully dedicated to providing care and resources for breastfeeding families.  Our mission is to empower mothers to achieve their own breastfeeding goals.  IBC sees mothers and their babies at our Newman Breastfeeding Clinic, teaches students in our Centre for Breastfeeding Education, and organizes and conducts studies and clinical trials at our Centre for Breastfeeding Research. 

The Centre for Breastfeeding Education (CBE) offers our Lactation Medicine Programme, which is unique in that it provides both onsite theoretical and hands-on practical training for multi-disciplinary health care professionals and non-health care professionals from all over the world.  It is also the only programme in Canada which has been granted the International designation of AARC Approval (www.aarclactation.org).  Through our Centre’s rigorous programme, which also encourages community awareness and evidence-based practice, our students are trained to become pioneering leaders in lactation medicine and active and integral members of the health care community and team. 

The research projects conducted at the Centre for Breastfeeding Studies (CBS) are driven by our students and faculty who are dedicated to advancing our understanding of lactation medicine.  We are investigating a wide range of topics, which address various aspects of breastfeeding including but not limited to the efficacy of clinical practices, creating various diagnostic and treatment protocols, and psychosocial aspects of breastfeeding management.   

Why does IBC need funding?

As our physicians are funded by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP—Ontario’s universal  health care system) and these physicians pay a locum fee to our clinic, those fees along with our patient fees, and to a lesser extent, our student fees,  comprise the majority of IBC’s income.  Due to the fact that lactation consultants and their services are not covered by OHIP, we ask a nominal suggested fee for our clinical services to those patients who are able to pay it; of course we will reduce or waive that fee entirely upon request.  As a result, the expenses for the clinic are not covered by patient fees and we are in need of external funding sources in order to continue to do our work.  In addition, NBC has a broad reach of patients who reside in various parts of Ontario and neighbouring provinces and beyond.  However, the number of patients we can see is restricted by the limited number of staff we are able to pay and the limited space we can afford to rent---both challenges leading to extensive wait times for our patients who often need immediate help.  Furthermore, these limitations directly affect the number of students we can train, and the amount of research we can conduct.

Where do you come in?

As someone who is familiar with what we do and who shares our values about breastfeeding and our concerns about the lack of breastfeeding support, we are appealing to your sense of wanting to help the world, to do good in your own backyard, to wanting to make a difference, and to your ability to facilitate change. 

What’s involved?

We are looking for a team of individuals who have anywhere from a few hours/week to a few hours/month.  We are looking for those able (or eager to learn!) to help in a variety of areas:  fundraising, computer, advertising, PR, grant writing, lobbying, soliciting donations, event planning. 

Now that we have piqued your interest, what’s next?

We are calling an information meeting of potential volunteers for Monday February 28^th at 12 noon-2:00 pm or Friday March 4^th,  from 12 noon till 2:00pm.  A light lunch will be served. 

How to RSVP?

Please email Kerrian at clinic@nbci.ca with your preferred date.  If you can potentially make either date please let us know—we will likely only hold one meeting date unless there is an even split amongst respondents.  For more information please email Edith Kernerman at edith@nbci.ca .

Thank you so much for considering our request.  Mothers and babies everywhere thank you too!!

Eileen Park, MSc, IBCLC               Jack Newman, MD, IBCLC                        Edith Kernerman, IBCLC

Executive Director                             Executive Director                                         Executive Director

institute@nbci.ca                              jack@nbci.ca                                                 edith@nbci.ca

International Breastfeeding Centre

1255 Sheppard Avenue East

Toronto, ON, Canada, M2K 1E2

416-498-0002, phone

416-498-0012, fax

www.nbci.ca

Help the Newman Breastfeeding Clinic Contest!!!!!!!

Help Newman Breastfeeding Clinic & Institute! Pass along this e-mail to spread the word in our $10,000 Holiday Video Contest Grand Prize: $1,000 to the winning video's cause $250 Amazon gift card to the iGive member who entered it Plus $50 each for the first 100 videos submitted and 18 other cash prizes!
			Help More: Shoot A Video Create a short, fun video (2 minutes or less) about Newman Breastfeeding Clinic & Institute, and how iGive helps support it. Get the kids and pets involved! Think Halloween, Thanksgiving, and holiday themes. The top 18 videos (by votes) win cash prizes for their causes!
			Early Bird Prizes Put your video on YouTube, and starting November 1, 2010, submit it to iGive.com. Early Bird Winners: The first 100 videos entered (which get at least 10 votes) will win $50 for their cause!
			Tell The World Rally friends and family to become iGive members (free, of course!) and vote for Newman Breastfeeding Clinic & Institute's video every day. Share this e-mail so that they can join early. We'll send you more info on easy sharing when you submit a video. Voting begins November 1, 2010 and ends November 30, 2010.
			Vote Every Day Get an early start toward that $1,000 Grand Prize, because the most votes wins. It's really easy, you don't have to be a pro to make a cute video, and you'll have fun making a video, or even just voting for your favorite.

Breastfeeding a Toddler: Why on Earth!?

This past Monday I was at the Newman Breastfeeding Clinic & Institute (NBCI) for an appointment (which I'll be writing all about next week some time).  While the LC (Lactation Consultant) was taking down our history I chatted with Edith Kernerman, (Director of NBCI), and Jack (who appeared and disappeared continuously).  One of the questions on the History sheets is "How long do you plan on breastfeeding for?" .  Jack made some joke about college and Edith chimed in that I'd probably be ready to quite once Kael turned 12 (years, not months, lol), and we all had a good giggle.

You know, there aren't that many places in the world, let alone medical establishments, where you can comfortably talk about nursing your daughter when she was 4 years old, while tandem nursing her 18 month old brother. Yet at NBCI, Jack and Edith and the staff of well trained IBCLC's wouldn't bat an eyelash, and would most likely cheer you on!  Nursing toddlers are a wonderful thing in their books.

Since I was thinking about that conversation (and giggle fest) this evening, I decided to post one of my fav Handouts by the good doctor.  Enjoy!

Breastfeed a Toddler: Why on Earth?!

Now that more and more women are breastfeeding their babies, more and more are also finding that they enjoy breastfeeding enough to want to continue longer than the usual few months they initially thought they would. UNICEF has long encouraged breastfeeding for two years and longer, and the American Academy of Pediatrics is now on record as encouraging mothers to breastfeed at least one year and then for as long after as the mother and baby desire. Even the Canadian Paediatric Society, in its latest feeding statement acknowledges that women may want to breastfeed for two years or longer and Health Canada has put out a statement similar to UNICEF’s. Breastfeeding to 3 and 4 years of age has been common in much of the world until recently in human history, and it is still common in many societies for toddlers to breastfeed. Why should breastfeeding continue past six months? Because mothers and babies often enjoy breastfeeding a lot. Why stop an enjoyable relationship? And continued breastfeeding is good for the health and welfare of both the mother and child. But it is said that breastmilk has no value after six months. Perhaps this is said, but it is patently wrong. That anyone (including paediatricians) can say such a thing only shows how ill-informed so many people in our society are about breastfeeding. Breastmilk is, after all, milk. Even after six months, it still contains protein, fat, and other nutritionally important and appropriate elements which babies and children need. Breastmilk still contains immunologic factors that help protect the child even if he is 2 or older. In fact, some immune factors in breastmilk that protect the baby against infection are present in greater amounts in the second year of life than in the first. This is, of course as it should be, since children older than a year are generally exposed to more infections than young babies. Breastmilk still contains special growth factors that help the immune system to mature, and which help the brain, gut, and other organs to develop and mature. It has been well shown that children in daycare who are still breastfeeding have far fewer and less severe infections than the children who are not breastfeeding. The mother thus loses less work time if she continues breastfeeding her baby once she is back at her paid work. It is interesting that formula company marketing pushes the use of formula (a very poor copy of breastmilk) for a year, yet implies that breastmilk (which formula tries unsuccessfully to copy) is only worthwhile for 6 months or even less (“the best nutrition for newborns”). Too many health professionals have taken up the refrain. I have heard that the immunologic factors in breastmilk prevent the baby from developing his own immunity if I breastfeed past six months. This is untrue; in fact, this is absurd. It is unbelievable how so many people in our society twist around the advantages of breastfeeding and turn them into disadvantages. We give babies immunizations so that they are able to defend themselves against the real infection. Breastmilk also helps the baby to fight off infections. When the baby fights off these infections, he becomes immune. Naturally. But I want my baby to become independent And breastfeeding makes the toddler dependent? Don’t believe it. The child who breastfeeds until he weans himself (usually from 2 to 4 years), is usually more independent, and, perhaps, more importantly, more secure in his independence. He has received comfort and security from the breast, until he is ready to make the step himself to stop. And when a child makes that step himself, he knows he has achieved something, he knows he has moved ahead. It is a milestone in his life of which he is proud. Often we push children to become ‘independent” too quickly. To sleep alone too soon, to wean from the breast too soon, to do without their parents too soon, to do everything too soon. Don’t push and the child will become independent soon enough. What’s the rush? Soon they will be leaving home. You want them to leave home at 14? If a need is met, it goes away. If a need is unmet (such as the need to breastfeed and be close to his mother), it remains a need well into childhood and even the teenage years. Of course, breastfeeding can, in some situations, be used to foster an over-dependent relationship. But so can food or toilet training. The problem is not the breastfeeding. This is another issue. What else? Possibly the most important aspect of breastfeeding a toddler is not the nutritional or immunologic benefits, important as they are. I believe the most important aspect of breastfeeding a toddler is the special relationship between child and his mother. Breastfeeding is a life-affirming act of love that repeats itself every time the child goes to the breast. This continues when the baby becomes a toddler. Anyone without prejudices, who has ever observed an older baby or toddler breastfeeding can testify that there is something special, something far beyond food, going on. A toddler will sometimes spontaneously, for no obvious reason, break into laughter while he is breastfeeding. His delight in the breast goes far beyond a source of food. And if the mother allows herself, breastfeeding becomes a source of delight for her as well, far beyond the pleasure of providing food. Of course, it’s not always great, but what is? And when it is, it makes it all so worthwhile. And if the child does become ill or gets hurt (and they do as they meet other children and become more daring), what easier way to comfort the child than breastfeeding? I remember nights in the emergency department when mothers would walk their ill, non-breastfeeding babies or toddlers up and down the halls trying, often unsuccessfully, to console them, while the breastfeeding mothers were sitting quietly with their comforted, if not necessarily happy, babies at the breast. The mother comforts the sick child with breastfeeding and the child comforts the mother by breastfeeding.

NBCI no longer receives government funding for the clinic and they are in real danger of having to close.  If you value this service, please consider a donation to the Canadian Breastfeeding Foundation (registered charity) and earmark the donation for the Newman Breastfeeding Clinic and Institute.  You can donate through their website http://www.canadianbreastfeedingfoundation.org/

See also the article at:

http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_26992.aspx