Boobs, Boobies, The Girls, Tatas. Whatever You Name 'Em, They're Kinda Incredible.

    
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When it comes to breastfeeding, these women don't mess around.

Boobs, Boobies, The Girls, Tatas. Whatever You Name 'Em, They're Kinda Incredible.

Whoa! Is this too good to be true?

By breastfeeding, your knockers can help save the U.S. $13 BILLION a year in health care.

That's right. Breasts play a huge role in our national budget. If 90% of babies were breastfed, the savings from pediatric diseases like sudden infant death syndrome, childhood asthma, childhood leukemia, type 1 diabetes mellitus, and childhood obesity would be $13 billion. No kidding. It's all here: Breastfeeding and the U.S. economy.

It's free!

Well, OK, not totally. You have to eat more in order to accommodate those extra up to 500 calories a day you need to produce milk. Oh, darn.

Breastfeeding is healthy for the mom, as well as the baby.

There's a lot of data on the health benefits of breastfeeding. The World Health Organization says breastfeeding can also increase your child's IQ.

But, hey, if it's so great, why aren't more babies breastfed?

Globally, less than 40% of babies get the breast. In the U.S. 80% of newborns are breastfed, but three months later, only 40% of babies are.

As anyone knows who's tried it, breastfeeding may be natural, but it's not easy. Moms need ongoing support.

Lots of moms need help learning how to breastfeed — and they need community acceptance and support to keep on doing it. Also, not every mom is able to breastfeed; there are a lot of things that can get in the way and go wrong.

But, there's another great big challenge for breastfeeding moms — GOING TO WORK.

Compared to most other developed countries, the U.S. government does almost nothing to support new moms so they have the time and flexibility to do important, money-saving activities like breastfeeding. Here's a chart of countries ranked by the number of weeks the federal government funds and protects maternity and paternity leave. Can you find the U.S.?

So maybe this is why U.S. breastfeeding rates are highest among the white and the wealthy. Women with low-income jobs often have to return to the workforce more quickly, and those jobs are less likely to offer paid or even protected maternity leave.

Know your rights, working moms!

Federally supported family leave would be a great thing for babies and their families. But at least we have " break time for nursing mothers," a federal law requiring employers to provide a "reasonable" amount of time and a private space (other than a bathroom) for hourly paid workers to express breast milk at work. They have to provide this until the employee's baby turns 1 year old.

Breastfeeding: It's in the national interest! These gals tell it like it is:

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This family’s journey to adoption demonstrates the transformative power of love

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We're redefining what normal means in these uncertain times, and although this is different for all of us, love continues to transform us for the better.

Love is what united Marie-Claire and David Archbold, who met while taking a photography class. "We went into the darkroom to see what developed," they joke—and after a decade of marriage, they know firsthand the deep commitment and connection romantic love requires.

All photos courtesy of Marie-Claire and David Archbold

However, their relationship became even sweeter when they adopted James: a little boy with a huge heart.

In the United States alone, there are roughly 122,000 children awaiting adoption according to the latest report from the U.S Department of Health and Human Services. While the goal is always for a child to be parented by and stay with their biological family, that is not always a possibility. This is where adoption offers hope—not only does it create new families, it gives birth parents an avenue through which to see their child flourish when they are not able to parent. For the right families, it's a beautiful thing.

The Archbolds knew early on that adoption was an option for them. David has three daughters from a previous marriage, but knowing their family was not yet complete, the couple embarked on a two-year journey to find their match. When the adoption agency called and told them about James, they were elated. From the moment they met him, the Archbolds knew he was meant to be part of their family. David locked eyes with the brown-eyed baby and they stared at each other in quiet wonder for such a long time that the whole room fell silent. "He still looks at me like that," said David.

The connection was mutual and instantaneous—love at first sight. The Archbolds knew that James was meant to be a part of their family. However, they faced significant challenges requiring an even deeper level of commitment due to James' medical condition.

James was born with congenital hyperinsulinism, a rare condition that causes his body to overproduce insulin, and within 2 months of his birth, he had to have surgery to remove 90% of his pancreas. There was a steep learning curve for the Archbolds, but they were already in love, and knew they were committed to the ongoing care that'd be required of bringing James into their lives. After lots of research and encouragement from James' medical team, they finally brought their son home.

Today, three-year-old James is thriving, filled with infectious joy that bubbles over and touches every person who comes in contact with him. "Part of love is when people recognize that they need to be with each other," said his adoptive grandfather. And because the Archbolds opted for an open adoption, there are even more people to love and support James as he grows.

This sweet story is brought to you by Sumo Citrus®. This oversized mandarin is celebrated for its incredible taste and distinct looks. Sumo Citrus is super-sweet, enormous, easy-to-peel, seedless, and juicy without the mess. Fans of the fruit are obsessive, stocking up from January to April when Sumo Citrus is in stores. To learn more, visit sumocitrus.com and @sumocitrus.

From Your Site Articles

This family’s journey to adoption demonstrates the transformative power of love

True

We're redefining what normal means in these uncertain times, and although this is different for all of us, love continues to transform us for the better.

All photos courtesy of Marie-Claire and David Archbold

However, their relationship became even sweeter when they adopted James: a little boy with a huge heart.

From Your Site Articles

A college student who was fed up with his classmate has gone viral for calling out his own ignorance

You know that feeling you get when you walk into a classroom and see someone else's stuff on your desk?

OK, sure, there are no assigned seats, but you've been sitting at the same desk since the first day and everyone knows it.

So why does the guy who sits next to you put his phone, his book, his charger, his lunch, and his laptop in the space that's rightfully yours? It's annoying!

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Raw new ad shows the reality of early breastfeeding in all its messy, exhausting glory

Frida Mom/YouTube

Over my own 20+ years of motherhood, I've written a lot about breastfeeding. My mom was a lactation consultant, I breastfed all three of my children through toddlerhood, and I've engaged in many lengthy debates about breastfeeding in public.

But in all that time, I've never seen a video that encapsulates the reality of the early days of breastfeeding like the Frida Mom ad that aired on NBC during the Golden Globes. And I've never seen a more perfect depiction of the full, raw reality of it than the uncensored version that bares too much full breast to be aired on network television.

The 30-second for-TV version is great and can be seen in this clip from ET Canada. The commentary that accompanies it is refreshing as well. We do need to normalize breastfeeding. We do need to see breasts in a context other than a sexualized one that caters to the male gaze. We do need to let new moms know they are not the only ones feeling the way they feel.

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