Sexual reaction to breastfeeding: Nobody likes to talk about this perfectly normal reaction. No medical professional has ever discussed it with us. We've even heard of one poor woman who called a radio station to ask about it - and wound up having to fight to get her child back. Absolutely ridiculous.

When a child breastfeeds, the body responds by contracting the uterus (this is why it's so helpful to the mother to breastfeed after birth), and by producing hormones that stimulate production of the milk and that soothe the mother and child. If you find yourself becoming sexually stimulated while breastfeeding, don't panic. You are NOT a pervert or a bad mother. You are normal. You may even find this reaction helpful in sexual relations with your husband or partner. Regardless of how you see it, don't think such a reaction means you must stop breastfeeding. This reaction has nothing to do with sex. It's about your body working to make milk for your child. It's normal, it's helpful, it doesn't harm your child (who doesn't know about it) and it won't last forever.

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Breast pumps: We found the cheaper models of breast pumps to be painful and ineffective. We wound up with a more expensive breast pump that worked like a charm and kept us pumping for a year. In our case, the extra expense was worth it. We were also able to resell the main body of the pump for half of what we paid for it. So, whether you use a Playtex pump, a Medela, Avent or Ameda - or some other brand - make sure the pump is comfortable and efficient, or it will be harder to stick with breastfeeding. Pumping - in our opinion - is essential for long-term breastfeeding. It allows you to get out of the house by yourself or with your husband -- and perhaps allows you to be a working mom who breastfeeds. Check with your health-insurance company -- you might be able to get partial or total reimbursement for the cost of your pump.

Exercise and breastfeeding: Some people will warn you against exercising before breastfeeding. They will say that exercising produces lactic acid in your milk that will upset your baby's stomach. We didn't find that to be the case, and our experience is supported by research published in the April 2002 issue of Pediatrics, which found that breastfeeding a baby one hour after exercising did not appear to bother the baby or to prevent the baby from accepting the breast milk.

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Environmental Contaminants: Take steps to keep your breast milk free of contaminants such as mercury, lead, PCBs, DDT and dioxins. Don't smoke or drink while breastfeeding. Avoid using pesticides in your garden or in your home. Avoid the fumes released by gas stations and dry cleaners. Have your home tested for lead paint before you become pregnant, and if your home tests positive, avoid the premises entirely while the house is being cleaned and repainted. Avoid painting. Finally, avoid fish from contaminated waterways. While pregnant or breastfeeding, avoid eating shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish, which can sufficient mercury to cause harm. In the past, perch, bass, catfish, trout and walleye have been contaminated with toxic levels of PCBs, lead, cadmium and pesticides. And virulent bacterium and natural toxins can thrive in raw oysters, clams and mussels. If you're pregnant, you might want to avoid fish and raw shellfish. But the Environmental Working Group offers a startling suggestion that several other commonly sold fish should be avoided entirely if pregnant, and that you should eat still others on a limited basis only. This list includes tuna, halibut, sea bass, cod, pollock, and mahi mahi. See a 2002 CNN report on possible effects of too much tuna on developing fetuses. Additionally, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency offers guidance on which states have a mercury advisory on freshwater fish. And the Center for Science in the Public Interest says that raw oysters harvested from the Gulf of Mexico are contaminated with a bacterium that could kill anyone with a compromised immune system.

Sagging breasts: Don't let fears of sagging breasts keep you from breastfeeding or from breastfeeding for the long-term. There's little question that pregnancy and breastfeeding causes a woman's breasts to change, but women have the ability to lift and firm their breasts by making strength training a regular part of their exercise program -- even before they stop breastfeeding. Pushups, military presses, shoulder flys and other chest, back and shoulder workouts (done with weights that gradually work up to 5 or 8-pound dumbbells) will tighten chest muscles and firm breast tissue. You're liable to find that strength training, done in conjunction with a proper diet and aerobic program, will have your chest (and the rest of your body) looking better and feeling firmer than it did before you breastfed your baby.

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Sore nipples: Breastfeeding does hurt at first, but the pain will pass if you're doing it effectively. We solved the sore nipple problem by alternating holds between cradle and football style (tucking child alongside the waist). This put the pressure on different sides of the nipple and gave some relief. Another thing to do is make sure the child is fully latched on. If the baby is catching only the nipple, you will get very sore very fast. And when your child develops teeth, there may be some biting. But this should be a temporary problem. Remember - your baby isn't trying to hurt you. She (or he) has no idea whatsoever that her teeth are causing you pain.

Cutting feeding time: At about three months, our child completely threw us by suddenly cutting her feeding time in half. We were worried until we realized that she'd just become better at breastfeeding and didn't need to take as long to do it. If your child does the same thing, make sure that he or she is still gaining weight, still soiling enough diapers, still happy and content. If so, relax and enjoy the extra time. If not, check with your doctor to make sure the baby isn't ill, and consult a lactation consultant to see if some change in your routine is bothering the baby.

Child's growing awareness of environment: You may find, as we did, that at a certain point your child will start looking up suddenly to see what's happening, and take your nipple with him. We banned other bodies from the room - more in deference to our skin than to the child. You may be able to breastfeed in another room (we don't recommend the bathroom), or go outside. But remember - your child has no idea he's hurting you. He's simply responding to a growing awareness of the world.

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Storing breast milk: Experts suggest storing breast milk in the refrigerator for no more than 48 hours (don't save milk left over from a feeding -- bacteria in the baby's saliva can contaminate it). There is some disagreement about how long to store frozen breast milk -- some say 6 months, others say three. We found that freezing breast milk changed its smell and consistency, and the longer it was stored, the worse it got. Three months was the maximum we could go before it was too distasteful to use. We double-bagged the milk, and this helped prevent odor (it also helped prevent burst bags), but we used fresh as often as possible. It kept the supply up, for one thing. For another, we always found that our child - who didn't seem to mind the frozen breast milk too much - still preferred milk straight from the breast. Additionally, we secretly worried that previously frozen breast milk wasn't quite as nutritional as the fresh stuff. (Remember: Never heat breast milk in the microwave. Besides possibly causing hot spots in the milk that could burn your baby, it definitely destroys nutrients).

When to start using a bottle with breast milk in it? Experts suggest waiting several weeks; they feel a baby may develop "nipple confusion" if you use a bottle too soon. The sucking is different for a rubber nipple than for the nipple on a breast. We waited about five weeks before trying breast milk in a bottle (we used the disposable bag kind), and we didn't have a problem.

Special chair: We had a special chair set up with pillows, footstool, reading material, cordless phone and water. That way, we didn't have to gather everything each time we sat down to breastfeed. We also found that a gliding rocking chair made it easier to get up and sit down with the baby in our arms -- and we frequently spent the substantial breastfeeding time reading parenting books and magazines that we propped open on the footstool.

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Breastfeeding in bed: Go ahead and feed your baby in bed if it's easier for you, but we highly recommend you not feed your baby while laying flat. Studies have shown that even breastfed babies are much less inclined to get ear infections if they drink at a slight upward incline. (That's one reason why it's such a bad idea to put the baby to sleep with a bottle.) We were also afraid we'd go to sleep on the baby. It's a common misconception that babies know when they can't breathe, but actually, babies aren't physiologically capable of knowing they can't breathe (and then repositioning their head and body or moving the obstruction) until they're about a year old. We recommend you err on the side of caution and feed the baby while sitting -- either in a chair or propped up in the bed.

Thirst and hunger: We found we were always thirsty, so we had to drink much more than usual. Drinking a lot of water (not dehydrating beverages like coffee, soft drinks or tea) also helps keep the breast milk supply up. Of course, drinking a lot of water is annoying -- we had to use the bathroom before we sat down to breastfeed, and then again after we finished. It seemed we spent most of our life in the breastfeeding chair or the bathroom. But drinking water is essential to long-term breastfeeding. And don't wait until you're thirsty. By the time you're thirsty, you're already partially dehydrated and your milk supply may suffer. See Safer Child Dehydration page for more.

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Breastfeeding and Schedules: Some experts say babies must feed on demand for many months after they're born. Others say babies can learn to feed on a schedule within a few months. We suspect all babies are different, but here's what we did: Our child was a very sleepy girl, and we had to jog her awake constantly to feed her. Consequently, we never knew how much she was getting. So we developed a schedule as a way to ensure that she got enough to eat. We were not fanatics about it, but we did keep a fairly tight schedule. We set it at 2-1/2 to 3 hours apart for the first several weeks. After about 3 months, she was sleeping about six hours each night.

In our case - and this may not work for your child if he or she is a heavy or light eater, premature, colicky or otherwise ill - our schedule helped us. We knew what and when she was eating, and she never had to cry to get fed. Because we always changed her diapers before and after feedings, she never had to cry for a diaper change. Our child has continued to grow up as a remarkably content child - secure that she will get what she needs (albeit not always what she wants) before she has to cry for it.

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If you plan to breastfeed long-term, be wary of supplementing with formula: We can't tell you how many women we've known who've been advised by their doctors to supplement breastfeeding with formula. But supplementing is counterproductive. Breastfeeding is strictly a supply and demand proposition. If you supplement, your breasts will "think" you don't need as much milk, and they'll stop producing as much milk. It's a self-defeating spiral. Not only that, but your baby may have problems switching back and forth from breast milk to formula - formula is much harder for the baby to digest and doesn't contain the same nutrients - but it is less work for the baby to get it out of the bottle. Some research does indicate, however, that some exclusively breastfed babies might require vitamin D supplements. Check with your pediatrician.

Old weight charts: If your doctor is concerned about your baby's weight, do find out if your doctor is basing her advice on old weight charts that were developed in the '50s, and that are based on formula-fed infants who often tended to be heavier. Take a good look at your child. Is your child gaining weight? Is your child healthy and content? Is your child wetting and soiling enough diapers? You may want to enlist support from a lactation consultant before supplementing with formula. See the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the new pediatric growth charts.

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Find a Support Group: We had many people we could call for help with breastfeeding. La Leche League International is nationally known for helping. Your local hospitals probably have lactation consultants on staff. And there are also support groups on the Web. Remember, some doctors may be impatient or unknowledgeable about breastfeeding, and they may give you well-meaning, but nevertheless poor or counterproductive advice. Acquaintances and family members may also be unknowledgeable -- or may even seek (perhaps unknowingly) to justify their own decision to not breastfeed. Find someone who knows what she's talking about. Also, the National Women's Health Information Center provides information on breastfeeding.

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