Do We Need a Rule about Breastfeeding in Shul?

Rabbi Ysoscher Katz (RYK) of Yeshiva Chovevei Torah wrote a psak, or religious ruling, on whether it's permitted to breastfeed in the synagogue. I've addressed this issue several times before, because women have been harassed, and people have spoken out publicly against breastfeeding in the … [Read more...]

Israelis Protest Breastfeeding Harassment

Check out my interview with Tel Aviv Radio by host Amir Mizroch, starting at 30 minutes.  You can see the picture by Amir Schiby that I mention in the interview. Last month, a mother visited a Petach Tikva mall with her two small children. The baby got hungry. While the mother knew of a nursing … [Read more...]

Mothers and Fathers, 2013

The blog post below was written in Hebrew by Esther Pelled, author of the blog Unedited. She is responding in part to a report on Channel Two News last Saturday evening, which claimed that the Israeli health ministry puts too much pressure on women to breastfeed. Thanks to Julie Rosenzweig of … [Read more...]

Rabbi Elgazi on Breastfeeding, Fasting and Yom Kippur

In last week's Matzav Haruach, Rabbi Ben-Zion Elgazi's column is devoted to fasting on Yom Kippur. I liked his approach to breastfeeding so I am translating it here. You can find the original Hebrew text in this article I contributed to the blog of the Israeli Association of Certified Lactation … [Read more...]

Why My Maternity Ward Locks Up Infant Formula

Much ink has been spilled about NYC Mayor Bloomberg's support of breastfeeding. In today's guest post, nurse and lactation consultant Noa Hirsch Choritz explains how keeping formula with medications serves the needs of both breast-fed and bottle-fed babies.   New York City Mayor … [Read more...]

Breastfeeding Preschoolers: Not Sensational at All

The caption on the Time Magazine cover under a mom breastfeeding a large-for-his-age nearly four year old asked, "Are You Mom Enough?" I'm guessing you've already seen it, so I won't link. People who think breastfeeding is weird or should only be done privately were disgusted. Even many who … [Read more...]

When Should Babies Start Solid Foods?

A reader writes: So Tipat Chalav is now advising to give all babies tastes of food beginning at *4* *months*, because if we "wait" until 6 months some babies get more attached to the bottle and might resist integrating solids into their diet.Isn't there some statistic about breastmilk-only for 6 … [Read more...]

Links: Hyper-Tzniut, Childfree, and More

I hope you enjoy today's collection of links. A Mikvah Poem by Anonymous at JewishMoms.Com. Liz researches the costs of buying food in Tel Aviv. Her findings may surprise you. Leora interviews me on blogging, at Websites for Small Biz. I especially enjoyed the comments. Chris Mulford is a … [Read more...]

New Barrier for Mothers: Don’t Feed Baby on the Bus

Update: See clarification below. The head of Beterem, the Israeli organization for child safety, has issued a warning that will strike fear into any young mother who relies on public transportation:  Breastfeeding while riding on a bus puts your baby in danger. And bottle-feeding will likely to … [Read more...]

Whose Babies Are They Anyway? Breastfeeding Twins in an Israeli Hospital

Rachel Gurevich left a comment in response to the proposed law requiring parental consent for feeding formula to newborns. When I wrote to her about publishing it as a new post, she asked to expand it. What follows is quite harrowing. I included a few short comments. Rachel writes: The proposed … [Read more...]