Dr. Strumba Is Now an IBCLC

Hurray! I have achieved a certification and a title of an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). My full name became a bit longer: Anna Strumba MD, FAAP, IBCLC.

One may wonder, “why would a doctor want to become a lactation consultant?” In my work as a pediatrician I frequently have to take care of the babies that are breastfed. In fact, in most situations that means to take care of both: baby and mother. For the baby to be growing and thriving, the mother has to know how to latch and nurse in [Continue reading…]

Breastfeeding: Unveiling the Truth

While meeting parents before their baby is born or speaking to the mother of a newborn at the hospital, I am amazed at how many mothers have a totally distorted view on breastfeeding. From “I was fed formula, so I will feed my babies the same” to “I do not want to do it because it hurts”. These mothers do not realize that they are the victims of the culture, formula-feeding culture that is. Our country is probably unique: the formula industry totally changed the approach to feeding the baby, and breastfeeding is often viewed as an anachronism or inconvenience. We have lost the community/family knowledge about this process because for many generations babies were fed formula only. Where will the [Continue reading…]

Breastfeeding Clinic to Open at Providence Park Hospital in Novi

I recently had a pleasure to speak at the pediatric department meeting where I announced the opening of a Breastfeeding Clinic at Providence Park Hospital. I will start seeing patients there in July 2010.

The clinic will be Michigan’s second pediatrician-led breastfeeding clinic. The big advantage of such an arrangement over the private lactation consultations is not only the evaluation will be provided by a doctor, but also the fact that the services will be covered by most insurance plans.

Each mother-baby couple will be given 45 to 60 min appointment with a team consisting of a pediatrician and a lactation consultant. Our intentions are to help mothers to achieve their goals, whether it is exclusive breastfeeding or partial breastfeeding, to [Continue reading…]

The Miracle of Breastfeeding

Human milk is a miracle. Multiple studies proved already that formula doesn’t even get close to mother’s milk in the number of benefits it provides. More and more mothers realize it now and attempt to breastfeed their babies.

However, most of those mothers fail to nurse beyond two or three months. You may ask why? Isn’t breastfeeding a natural process? Yes, it is, but a nursing mother often finds herself surprisingly in pain and in doubts about her milk supply. Did she make the right decision starting to breastfeed? A new mother needs a lot of support to continue nursing; instead, friends and family may not understand why it is so bad to give a baby a bottle of formula. After [Continue reading…]