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While poison ivy is around all year long, it really flourishes in the spring and summer months because the plant is growing well and people spend more time outside, increasing the rate of exposure.  Poison ivy can be found not only in wooded areas, but also quite often in your own yard.

The majority of people have some sensitivity or allergy to poison ivy. If you have a history of allergies, you may be even more sensitive.  The rash from poison ivy is caused by oil from the plant.  While simple contact with poison ivy may lead to contamination with this oil, the exposure noticeably increases when the leaves and stems are crushed, for instance when clearing an area of weeds.

This highly irritant oil causes an allergic type of contact dermatitis, and the very itchy rash typically begins about a day after the skin comes into contact with the oil.  If you know you have been exposed to poison ivy, it is important to wash your exposed skin with soap and water – several times – to prevent the oil from starting the allergic reaction.  Also, if you suspect you have touched poison ivy, you should not rub your eyes or other sensitive parts of the body (such as when using the restroom) before you have washed several times.  The oil on your fingers can easily be transferred to another site and start the allergic reaction.  The rash caused by this allergic reaction can take up to 4-6 weeks to subside!

Sometimes, you don’t need to directly handle the poison ivy plant for it to cause an allergic response. First, never burn poison ivy.  While the fire consumes the plant, the oil is carried on the smoke and can contaminate any surface it contacts.  As the oil can be potent for up to five years, you can be exposed to it without ever seeing it!  Smoke laden with poison ivy can also be quite dangerous.  If it is inhaled into the lung in a person who is very allergic, the resulting allergic response can cause very serious respiratory inflammation and distress.  Secondly, if a lawnmower runs over a patch of poison ivy, it will cut up and spew the oil over a wide area – not a good idea!

Once the allergic reaction has been started, the body’s response system takes over and there is nothing you can do to stop it.  The rash will appear and the itching will start.  At that point, treatment is directed toward making sure the oil has been washed off all parts of the body and controlling the itching with over the counter anti-itch medications and lotions.  If the reaction is severe, such as extensive areas of the body covered with rash or swollen eyes, you should seek medical attention.  The doctor may prescribe steroids, which will not stop the allergic reaction, but will reduce its effect.

Charles A. Welborn, MD, MPH, FAAP, FACEP, Medical Director, After Hours Pediatrics Urgent Care

When Megan Webber downloaded family photos off her digital camera, she found the usual problems that need touching up – some were too dark, some were a little grainy, and some needed a little red-eye removal. Some of the pictures of her 5-year-old son, Benjamin, had a golden glow in his left eye.

“Benjamin has always had a freckle in his left eye,” said Megan, “so I thought the flash was just a difference due to the coloring of his eye and ignored it – I even did red-eye correction to remove it from photos.” But when her sister noticed that same glow in some family vacation pictures she had taken, she gave Megan a concerned call.

“She said it was probably nothing. But she had seen on a television show that this could be a sign of a tumor in the eye and recommended I have him seen,” said Megan.

Benjamin’s pediatrician didn’t find anything, but he sent them to a specialist who urged them to come in right away. They were stunned to learn he was legally blind in his left eye.

“He’d never bumped into walls or rubbed his eyes – he’d even just passed the paddle eye test in the doctor’s office,” said Megan. “His left eye could not see a letter E the size of a full computer screen eight feet away.”

Scans of his eye showed a white mass, which had been causing the reflection in the photograph. After testing and a tense few days, they discovered that Benjamin had Coats’ Disease, a life-long disease that can damage the eye to the point where eye removal is necessary.

Fortunately, Benjamin’s problem was caught early enough for treatment.

“While Benjamin has had three eye surgeries, we were very lucky to have caught his disease in time,” said Megan. “Had it been more advanced Ben could have immediately lost his eye. We are so grateful to Dr. Tom Lee and the doctors at The Vision Center at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Without the work that they do so many families would not have access to the quality and caliber of care that is provided there.”

Benjamin is doing well, and is a happy, thriving first-grader. “He wears protective Nike shatterproof glasses which the other kids think are pretty cool,” said Megan. “The glasses are primarily to keep his unaffected eye safe, for without that eye he would be blind.”

A vision to help other children

Megan said that she doesn’t want any more parents to miss the signs of potentially life-threatening eye diseases.

“We are amazed that something so simple, just the glow in a photo, was all that was needed to spot this disease,” she said. “If there is a way through our family’s experience we are able to get the message out about the glow, we are anxious to do so. We’ve created a campaign to raise awareness.” The Know the Glow campaign is combining the efforts of concerned individuals, corporations and physicians who are pioneers in the field of pediatric diseases of the eye.

“I can’t tell you how many kids come in with advanced eye diseases; it’s a tragedy,” said Dr. Tom Lee, director of the Retina Institute in The Vision Center at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. “Parents don’t realize they are an important part of the diagnosis. They will see this sign before doctors will. Every child has had this screening process – all it takes is for parents to open up the photo album.”

The website, www.KnowTheGlow.org, has information on the diseases that can be indicated by the glow. “Had I known about the glow earlier, Dr. Lee could have saved more of Ben’s vision,” said Megan. “Knowing what it felt like to possibly face a fatal outcome and knowing that I ignored such a huge red flag that was right there in front of me, I don’t want another parent to have to suffer through that or another child to needlessly lose their sight or their eyes due to a lack of awareness of the glow!” Read More

Flu season is still here and parents tend to respond to this season in two ways.  One is to follow the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control, the American Academy of Pediatrics and many other health care organizations, and have their children vaccinated.  The second is to ignore the recommendations and ‘chance’ their children will not get the flu.

Let’s look at some of the reasons why parents feel they shouldn’t vaccinate their children against the flu.  First, many parents feel the vaccine doesn’t work well – they always know people who get the flu, even though they received the vaccine.  While it is true that the vaccine is not 100% effective, it does protect people the majority of the time.  The vaccine immunizes against three different types of flu, so if you are exposed to a different type of flu than what is in the vaccine, you may still get the flu.  Also, the vaccine is most effective in healthy adults and older children whose immune systems respond well to the vaccination.  In young children, older adults and those with chronic illness, the vaccine still works, but is not effective as in a healthy adolescent or adult.

Second, many parents feel the vaccine is dangerous. While it is true that the rare person may have a serious reaction to the flu vaccine, the overwhelming majority of people receiving the vaccine only experience mild symptoms, such as a low-grade fever and soreness at the injection site.  These symptoms are the result of the body’s immune system responding to the vaccine, and not anything dangerous.  The severe reactions, such as Guillain-Barre Syndrome, are estimated to occur in only one person out of every million doses given.  This rate is actually lower than what occurs naturally in people who do not receive the vaccine.  Parents, read the flu vaccine information sheet so you are fully informed.

Third, many parents think the flu is not a serious illness. While many cases of the flu do resemble a bad cold, the flu can lead to many complications, especially in small children and those with underlying chronic illness such as asthma, heart problems, diabetes, etc.  The death rate in the United States can range from 3,000 to 49,000 people a year, primarily affecting small children, older adults, those with weakened immune systems and those with chronic health issues.

Finally, many parents feel if their child does get the flu, they can get a prescription for an antiviral medication (such as Tamiflu®).  Actually, these medications are only suggested for use in children between the ages of one and two years, as well as for older children with chronic illness such as asthma, diabetes, heart conditions or immune problems.  Therefore, most children do not meet the CDC guidelines for treatment with antiviral medications.

The bottom line is the best way to weather flu season is to get vaccinated.  It is a safe and effective way to prevent the illness in your child and to keep it from spreading to others.

Charles A. Welborn, MD, MPH, FAAP, FACEP, Medical Director, After Hours Pediatrics Urgent Care.

Every year, 1 million U.S. women with high-risk pregnancies are placed on bed rest to protect their developing babies. Despite that, every year, about 500,000 newborns – one of every eight – arrive too early, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Enduring a high-risk pregnancy can be an overwhelming experience of stress, fear and unknowns, leading to more questions than answers. Many of these moms adhere to strict regimes of bed rest; face major changes in lifestyle and relationships; and are subject to dozens of doctor visits and even surgery or medications to protect their unborn children. For them, birth may not be the joy-filled event most families expect.

Knowing those feelings all too well, research scientist Kelly Whitehead wrote “High-Risk Pregnancy: Why Me? Understanding and Managing a Potential Preterm Pregnancy” (www.hrpwhyme.com), which is backed by fetal and maternal medicine specialist Dr. Vincenzo Berghella, a top pre-term birth researcher. Whitehead’s first child died following his premature birth. During her next pregnancy, she spent 4½ months in bed worrying over and trying to protect her daughter.

The book is both a medical reference and provides emotional support for mothers-to-be, with Whitehead providing answers in layman’s terms to the myriad medical questions families have. Whitehead also shares coping strategies she discovered, along with what she’s learned through benefit of hindsight, and insights from other mothers.

• Try to enjoy being pregnant. Don’t miss out on this experience because you’re high-risk. Do the normal prego things, even if you have to modify them: Shop online, get a belly cast, shoot expanding-belly photos, and savor those kicks and body changes. Don’t forget or stop dreaming about the actual birth and your desires for what it will be like. I regretted missing out on so much while carrying my daughter. Rather than enjoying the pregnancy, I kept focused on the end and my hope she would survive.

• Don’t let your emotions become your enemy. Say goodbye to guilt – this is not your fault! It’s okay to be bitter, angry and upset at the world, and to hate “normal” pregnant women, but it isn’t going to change anything. So go get mad, yell, and cry, and then move on.

• Pelvic rest sounds easy, but it isn’t. It’s not fun being forced to become a nun, so don’t. There are still ways to enjoy intimacy; you just need to get creative. Think high school – remember how much fun necking was? Try body oil, a massage? Sexy lingerie is still hot, even if you’re pregnant. Flaunt your new assets – they surely went up a cup size or two.

• Educate yourself about your situation. Don’t go reading about every other possible scenario out there; you don’t need to worry about problems that aren’t a likely issue for you.

• Ask and you shall receive. It may sometimes feel as though people have forgotten about you, but the reality is they’re busy and they have no idea what’s it’s like for you. If you want company, reach out and invite someone over.

“I know it’s tough to be going through a high-risk pregnancy and living in fear every day,” Whitehead says. “Though this will be the toughest time of your life, many of us have been through it and now have our children. You can, too.

“Keep your chin up and keep hoping. Healthy babies are born every day to families who’ve walked the same path.”

Kelly Whitehead is a scientist-mom, who lost a preemie son and went on to have two high-risk pregnancies. She wrote “High-Risk Pregnancy: Why Me? Understanding and Managing a Potential Preterm Pregnancy” as an educational tool and emotional guide for those experiencing a difficult pregnancy and the providers who work with them. She is also a trained doula, birth advocate and spokesperson for Sidelines National High Risk Pregnancy Support Network. For more information, check out www.hrpwhyme.com.

I was reading a recent article on the subject of “helicopter parenting” and how cell phones and the internet have changed parents’ ability to hover over their children. The parents that supposedly hover the most are moms and dads of the “Millennials;” children of baby boomers, born between the early 1980s and 2000. As I read it, I could not help but think of my own childhood. I was the sixth of nine kids and I can safely say my parents most likely didn’t know where I was 70% of the time. It wasn’t that long ago, and I was raised in a small town, prior to cell phones, internet, and the idea that something catastrophic could happen to me if my parents lost sight of me.

My parents weren’t neglectful any more than my neighbors and friends parents. We didn’t have the technology and we also didn’t have the angst that comes with the technology.  There wasn’t the feeling that if I wasn’t constantly busy with piano, soccer or tutoring I would fall behind. My parents saw their role as providing a secure home life, plenty of sleep, good food, and help with homework.

Times have changed. Parents talk to their child every day via texts, emails, Facebook, and web sites. Even when the child goes to college mom and dad are still instrumental in guiding their courses, career, and social life. The kids cannot escape and what’s more is many of them don’t want to. Colleges hire additional staff to answer parents’ phone calls and emails just as summer camps do.  Research supports that when parents become involved in their children’s activities the children do better. They seem to enjoy the activity more whether it is college or an after school event, but there is a fine line, and the positive effects diminish when parents take over and try to control the activity the child is in.

Being there as a guide to support your child may be helpful, but if your guidance becomes you telling your child what to do, think and how to respond, your child begins feeling incompetent to handle the situations they are involved with. Soon, your child cannot make a decision without asking mom or dad.

From the time your child is born there is a process of learning to let go of them. The key to being a fantastic parent is watching your child and understanding when and how much to let go. Just as children have developmental milestones to attain, parents do too.  Hanging on too tightly to your child begins to produce several of these behaviors listed below:

1. Your child becomes less confident in their own ability to take care of themselves in situations at school or play.

2. Your child becomes fearful and withdraws from novel activities.

3. Your child will develop more anxieties and school phobias may develop.

4. Your child may become less interested in things around them unless you take an interest. A parent should be supportive of a child’s interest, but not responsible for it.

5. Parents who are over protective actually suffer more from sadness and poor self image. When you have all of your needs invested in your child to be a success there is little left for you.

It is scary being a parent. We hear stories of abductions, kids getting harmed physically and sexually, and we feel a need to protect our children. If you feel you hold on too tightly though, or if your child seems embarrassed by your unwanted overprotection, there is a way you can loosen your grip without putting your child at risk. Rather than thinking about protecting your child think about empowering them. This will help you raise confident children while allowing you to be engaged:

1. When your child is small you can allow them more freedom to explore, climb and be independent if you provide a safe environment. Look over the playground or park in advance, and find the park that provides security from traffic, while still offering a fun atmosphere for your child to experience.

2. Make mistakes a good thing to experience. Kids who grow up anticipating mistakes take more risks, are less fearful and feel more confident about themselves. We all make mistakes; children have so much to learn in a relatively short period of time. Make sure they can experience their mistakes while being protected in their family. The outside world will never be as forgiving as your own family.

3. If you have a lot of fears from the way you were raised in your family of origin, make sure you deal with those with professional help. Fears are given/taught to children. This is demonstrated by children being terrified of people, things, or events with which they have no experience. The parents often instilled leftover unresolved fears of their past. Being afraid of life and all it has to offer is something you do not want to pass on to future generations.

No one will ever love your child the way you will. Protect their childhood, love them, and offer them new experiences so they can grow and learn. When a child tries something new, it is clear that they look at the new adventure and look back at you. If they see a loving parent who embraces the new while having confidence in their child’s ability to master it, they will be empowered to soar.

Mary Jo Rapini, MEd, LPC, is a licensed psychotherapist and co-author with Janine J. Sherman, of “Start Talking: A Girl’s Guide for You and Your Mom About Health, Sex or Whatever.” Read more about the book at www.StartTalkingBook.com and more about Rapini at www.maryjorapini.com.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are nearly 12 million single parents in America. This nation’s almost 10 million single mothers and nearly 2 million single fathers face financial challenges and decisions that most dual-parent families don’t have to consider, or that may not impact them on such a large scale. After all, single parents often have no other person or income source that they can fall back on, which can create challenges. Single parents should have a plan in place for these possible issues.

Single parents can benefit from a wide variety of financial tips and professional advice. Whether it is tax breaks they qualify for or ways to save for childcare, there are things they can do to help make their financial situation more stable and comfortable.

Here are 5 financial tips for every single parent:

Budget. It’s a good idea for everyone to budget their money and expenses, but this is especially true for those who are single parents. Create a realistic budget and discuss it openly with the children, so they understand why they can’t get money for everything they want.

Save. This may seem obvious, but there are a variety of things that single parents need to save for, such as retirement, an emergency fund, and their child’s college education. Many parents don’t know which goal to save up for first, so after talking with an advisor, automatically saving a small portion each month can come in handy and add up over time.

Insure. It is crucial that single parents have the right insurance policies in place. The two most important types are life insurance; so that there is financial support for the care of their children if something happens to them, and disability insurance; in case something happens and they are unable to work.

Plan. Estate planning is a task that many people want to put off or not think about at all, but it’s critical to make sure that single parents have created a will detailing exactly what should be done for the children if something happens to them. A power of attorney and medical directive are important as well.

Consult. It can be helpful for a single parent to seek out the services of a professional financial planner to help them get all their financial plans in order. A planner will be able to help determine what is needed and give you options on how to allocate funds that can help make it happen. They can help create the roadmap that a single-parent striving for financial success can follow.

One of the most important things that single parents can do is to take charge of their finances. Often times, one parent paid the bills, while the other made the money. Single parents must do all they can to get educated regarding their finances and develop a plan that can help create a safety net for both them and their children.

There are many single parents today, so it’s also a good idea to find a local support group or group blog where you can share info and bounce ideas off one another. Single parents can achieve financial success, too. They simply need to be pro-active in mapping and carrying out the plan.

Samantha Fraelich, Certified Financial Planner professional and Vice-President of Bernard R. Wolfe & Associates, Inc., a company specializing in offering wealth management strategies.

Bernard R. Wolfe & Associates, Inc., has provided financial management strategies and investment services since 1981. They assist a wide range of private and corporate clients with everything from estate planning and investment to divorce planning. The company also offers professional women’s financial planning services, led by Samantha Fraelich, a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Practitioner. Visit the website at www.bernardwolfe.com.

Securities and Investment Advisory Services offered through NFP Securities, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC.

Healthy teeth and a healthy mouth give children more than just a beautiful smile. A healthy mouth supports overall health, and it can help children perform better in school. But far too many children have preventable oral health problems far too young.

Tooth decay affects more than 25 percent of American children 2 to 5 years old, and half of children 12 to 15 years old – that’s more than any other chronic infectious disease, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Left untreated, tooth decay causes pain and infection, which can lead to problems in eating, speaking, playing, and even learning.

There is plenty that parents and caregivers can do to help prevent tooth decay and other oral diseases.

First Things First – The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) says that children should have their first visit to a pediatric dentist no later than their first birthday. The first tooth usually comes in between 6 and 12 months of age – schedule an appointment and get started on good oral health care from the beginning. The AAPD says that, in one study, children that saw a dentist before their first birthday had dental costs that were 40 percent lower in the first five years than costs for children who had not seen a dentist by their first birthday.

Establish Good Habits – Kids need help establishing good dental care habits. Make sure they brush twice a day, floss every day, follow a healthy diet and visit the dentist every six months for checkups and cleanings.

•  Using a soft-bristled brush, kids should brush for at least two minutes. Some power toothbrushes have a built-in timer. Before teeth appear, clean baby’s gums twice a day with a soft cloth or baby toothbrush and water.

•  Parents should floss young children’s teeth once a day, until they can do a good job themselves, at least until age 7 or 8.

• Make sure they eat foods with vitamin C, which helps gum tissue stay healthy, and calcium, for strong teeth.

Be Alert – Watch for signs of oral health problems. Talk to your dentist if you see warning signs such as:

• Changes in performance at school – listening, concentrating and learning.

• Sucking on cheeks or lips.

• Reluctance to smile.

• Problems chewing foods.

• Problems sleeping.

• Aching teeth or gums.

You can also talk to your dentist about sealants, which can be applied to the chewing surfaces of teeth. Sealants are one more way you can help prevent cavities and keep your kids’ smiles healthy and beautiful. For more information about kids’ dental health, visit http://ameritasinsight.com/tag/children/.

This year, we’ll be paying more than ever for dinner. Food prices jumped a whopping 4 to 5 percent in 2011 and are expected to continue rising in 2012, says the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

But you can have your chocolate cake and eat it, too, without breaking the bank. It takes savvy shopping. You can have great everyday meals and special-occasion feasts and trim the household budget with planning, patience and grocery shopping ‘guardrails’ to keep your cart in line.

Follow these tips:

• Be patient – wait for good deals. Save pricier purchases for double coupon days. If you’re planning for a special occasion or celebration, save now so you can splurge a bit later. The more you rush, the less you save.

• Be detail-oriented – There is a lot of fine print involved in being a savvy shopper, from expiration dates to special offers to asterisks. Know exactly when a coupon expires, how much it’s for, how much more it will be worth on double coupon days and whether or not it’s worth the price in the first place.

• Plan ahead – Plan a menu for at least three meals in advance; combined with leftovers; that should give you five days or more of meals, depending on the meal. This puts you in control of your shopping list; and not the other way around. Instead of always playing catch-up, replacing what you’ve run out of, you buy only when it’s on the menu. Same goes for cereal, yogurt, bananas, fresh herbs and spices, etc.

• Instead of making expensive foods (meat) the centerpiece of each meal, design menus that use the most expensive foods less often. For instance, from now on at least twice a week, try using meat as more of a filler than a main dish. Instead of making spaghetti with meatballs, or sausage, or chicken breasts, make spaghetti with a meat sauce of ground turkey, ground sausage, ground chicken or breakfast sausage.

• At the grocery store, buy ONLY what you can eat. That means no paper plates, toilet paper, plastic cups, Army men, toothbrushes, jar candles, greeting cards. Grocery store prices for non-food items are higher than you’ll pay almost anywhere else, so make a hard-and-fast rule and stick to it.

• Do use coupons, but only for products you actually need. Let’s say you just bought twice as many hot dog buns as you needed last week and now you’ve run across a two-for-one coupon for…more hot dog buns? Do you really have room in your freezer for all those buns?

Our $85-a-week budget does require tossing out some pricey products your family may have grown accustomed to (brand-name cereals, pre-packaged snack cakes) and changing the way you plan meals. But there are plenty of delicious, often healthier, and less expensive substitutes

You are the leader of your family unit, not just at home but at the grocery store. Your new quest to become a savvy shopper might meet with some…resistance… at first. Take the bull by the horns and lead the family in the right direction.

Toni House has a bachelor’s in accounting and a master’s in business administration and was most recently the senior consultant and owner of an accounting firm. “How to Reduce Your Grocery Bill” is her second “Savvy Shopping” book. Her first was “Save Your Money, Save Your Family.” Find her money-saving blog tips at www.saveyourmoneysaveyourfamily.com.

Playtime and interactive toys are important for parents looking to give their children a head start in life. But these products aren’t the only way to help stimulate a baby’s brain and eye development – nutrition is important, too.

A baby’s brain and eyes depend critically on nutrition and there are specific nutrients, which have been shown to play a role in brain and eye development.

A Closer Look at Lutein

During the critical time of brain and eye development, Lutein and DHA are important nutrients, yet Lutein has gone virtually unnoticed by parents.

Lutein is found in foods such as leafy greens, certain fruits and eggs. Emerging science demonstrates that Lutein helps protect important cells in the eye. Now, new research from Tufts University demonstrates – for the first time – that Lutein is not only present in the eyes, but it is also present in the infant brain. The regions of the brain where Lutein is found are associated with memory and learning.

“Moms should be aware of the emerging research on Lutein,” said Dr. Alanna Levine, a pediatrician and mother of two children. “Moms in my practice ask me every day about ways to promote development in their children. Many focus on products, games, and toys and sometimes overlook nutrition.”

Sources of Lutein

Prior to the introduction of solid foods, babies can get Lutein from a few sources, including breast milk and Similac. “Expecting and breastfeeding mothers alike should eat a well-balanced diet that includes foods with Lutein like leafy green vegetables and eggs,” added Levine. “And parents who formula feed should look for an infant formula that contains Lutein, as well as DHA.”

For Breastfeeding Mothers and Infants Transitioned to Solid Food

(Not an exhaustive list. Foods listed in descending order of Lutein content.)

• Spinach

• Kale

• Zucchini Squash

• Yellow Squash

• Green Beans

• Corn

• Kiwi

• Eggs

• Apples

For Infants

(Prior to the introduction of solid foods.)

• Breast milk

• Infant formula supplemented with Lutein, such as Similac Advance

I See, I Learn

“In addition to the right nutrients, playing together does encourage brain and eye development,” said Levine. “Rather than focusing on the latest toy, parents can do simple things like spending time with their children in front of a mirror, playing peek-a-boo or tracking the objects on a mobile.”

To learn more about Lutein and brain and eye development, visit www.similac.com/lutein. Or, using a mobile phone, scan the code below to visit the mobile site for Similac infant formula.

Going back to work after having a baby can be a challenging transition for new moms – especially for those who want to breastfeed. While the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding for at least 12 months, only 35 percent of babies are exclusively breastfed at three months, and not quite 15 percent at six months, according to the Centers for Disease Control 2011 Breastfeeding Report Card.

Research suggests there are many challenges that moms face that prevent them from reaching this breastfeeding goal. Some of these obstacles include lack of breastfeeding information or supportive health care resources; lack of support at home; or challenges with finding time and privacy to express breastmilk in the workplace.

As a working mother of five who breastfed all her children, including twin boys, Amy O’Malley, RN, MSN, Director of Education and Clinical Services for Medela, understands both the importance of breastfeeding, and the challenges women face in doing so.

“The longer a baby is breastfed, the greater the health benefits for both mom and baby. Yet at three months, we see the most significant drop-off in breastfeeding which is around the same time most nursing moms return to work,” O’Malley said. “Fortunately today, there are many tools that can help mom continue to breastfeed and provide breastmilk to their babies even when they cannot be there. Breastpumps, for example, allow moms to keep that connection while providing optimal nutrition for their babies. It also allows dads and other caregivers to bond with babies when mom is away.”

And many moms agree. In fact, a recent survey of 1,000 women with infants, commissioned by Medela, found that 78 percent of breastfeeding moms use a breastpump.

O’Malley shares some tips and useful information for breastfeeding mothers returning to work:

• Plan in advance with your employer/human resources about your breastpumping needs. If your employer is unaware, let them know how breastfeeding will benefit all. Not only will you and your baby be healthier – research has shown that there are fewer missed work days and shorter absences for mothers who breastfeed.
• Familiarize yourself with the Protection and Affordable Care Act, which now requires certain employers to help support breastfeeding by providing working mothers a private place and time to pump, so that they can express breastmilk and maintain their supply. In addition, a new provision will require health plans to include breastfeeding support, supplies, and counseling without cost sharing for insurance policies with plan years beginning on or after August 1, 2012. Read More