Latest news with #breastfeeding
The Guardian
a day ago
- Health
- The Guardian
‘I'm open about how hard it is': Stephanie Case breastfed her baby in 100km race and still won
In Chamonix Stephanie Case is swaying the sway of a new mother. Pepper, her baby, is cocooned in a sling, defying sleep and gurgling politely over the video call. They became viral sensations last month when ultrarunner Stephanie won the women's section of the Snowdonia ultra-trail, a 100km race with 21,000ft of ascent, while stopping to breastfeed Pepper en route. It was an extraordinary achievement six months after giving birth and slots into an extraordinary life – on the one hand, a human rights lawyer, working in warzones around the world; on the other, an ultrarunner, whose charity, Free to Run, empowers young women and girls in areas of conflict. Case is desperate the race is not held up as something to beat new mothers with. 'The response has been so positive, but there has been a negative cohort,' she says. 'Part of those are just misogynists, but the others are exhausted mums who look at this story and think, oh my God, I could never do that. Now there's even more pressure on us to be able to have a baby and work and run races and now breastfeed during races. 'I don't want anyone to feel badly about themselves out of a story like this. I'm quite open about how hard it is and how much support I have, and the messy parts of it. At 95k I was done, dry heaving and peeing all over myself. I ran with devices internally. It's not all rainbows and bunnies and a lot of things have to come together for something like that to happen.' She praises French maternal healthcare – a week in hospital and then 10 sessions with the midwife doing pelvic floor rehab 'which is weird and intimate but so helpful. Luckily, people who are in the health field around Chamonix are used to dealing with athletes so I have lots of tricks to help me.' Case was running six weeks after Pepper's birth, but everything had changed. She now had to fit her schedule around a baby, circling back to slot in a feed. 'When you exercise, lactic acid gets into your breast milk. It doesn't change the nutritional value, but it does change the taste. I think she just got used to it and dealing with me being sweaty. 'It was more learning how to calm myself down and not come in anxious because then she'd pick up on that energy. I had to shut off that I was in the middle of a training block. I had to do the same in the race and just focus on trying to feed her.' Despite the photos from Snowdonia of a beaming Case and a bonny Pepper, the road to conception has been hard. The 42-year-old had two miscarriages, then two egg retrievals and three rounds of IVF. The process confused her relationship with running, something she had come to rely on to cope with the stress of her job. 'It can be very difficult to process some of the things I witness and the stories I hear. I find the best way to deal with those situations is to process it through movement. When I'm out on the trails, I can see black garbage coming out of my head and littering the trails behind me and then it's done.' After the first miscarriage, well-meaning friends questioned whether running could have played a part and it planted a seed of doubt in her head that became impossible to budge. Desperate to become pregnant, she started to pull back from running. 'It was very destabilising because that was a core part of my identity. Not just who I am, but how I lived my life. 'My year was structured around my race calendar and suddenly there was no race calendar. When I got pregnant and miscarried the second time, people questioned whether it was the stress of my job that caused the miscarriage. I used to use running to deal with stress so I felt like I couldn't win.' Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion Before returning to her home in Chamonix for the last trimester of her pregnancy, Case had been based in Jerusalem for the three and a half years, covering Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza. She spent the beginning of 2024 in Gaza as part of the humanitarian response, meeting women who had just given birth on the floor of a shelter and were living in tents without proper nutrition. 'It was quite hard for me to ask my body to produce a life and that's exactly what I was trying to do. It felt impossible.' But, against all odds, the vagaries of IVF worked and Pepper was born in November. Snowdonia was Case's first race in three years. It will not come a surprise to learn that Case is not planning on taking it easy any time soon. As part of the North Face explorer team, she has made a documentary film about fertility and running, due out in the autumn, is running in the Hard Rock 100 in Colorado in July and a return to work beckons. All pretty extraordinary, especially for a self-confessed school nerd who played in the wind band and was so embarrassed after doing well in a cross-country race as a nine-year-old that she went bright red and withdrew from sport for a decade.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
New mother wins 100-kilometre ultra marathon despite breast feeding her six-month-old daughter three times on the way
A new mother won an 100km ultra marathon despite breast feeding her six-month-old daughter along the way. Stephanie Case, 42, is no stranger to long-distance running but this mammoth undertaking along the 62-mile Ultra-Trail in Snowdonia was a little different to her usual challenges. The human rights lawyer had her new baby Pepper with her and rather than gobbling down some pizza and gulping a Coca-Cola in one of the pit stop stations, Ms Case instead focused her attention and energy on feeding her newborn. And the breaks to breast-feed didn't stop Ms Case from achieving victory and indeed Pepper proved to be her lucky charm. Not only did the new mother cross the finish line, but she did so in her fastest time yet - despite starting 30 minutes behind her competitors. After factoring in her longer breaks, the lawyer crossed the line in a final time of 16 hours, 53 minutes and 22 seconds. After crossing the line, her husband John and Pepper were shocked to find out that she had won a few minutes ahead of the runner-up and Ms Case described the race as 'the best time'. She told The Times: 'I was just so relieved that I didn't know that because it would have put a lot of pressure and stress on my race. And I just had the best time. I had the best time out there, just running completely ignorant of where I was and just going by how my body felt.' She added that she hopes one day she can show Pepper what she was part of and take her through the photos from the monumental day. 'I knew it was past Pepper's bedtime, but it was great. I can't wait until she grows up and I can show her the photos of what we did together'.,' she added. Ms Case's run was a cause for celebration not only for her impressive time but also because it was her first run after struggling with multiple miscarriages and three rounds of IVF before the joyful birth of her daughter. The chief of protection for UNRWA in Jerusalem was forced to scale back her running after a miscarriage three years ago. The Canadian lawyer, who now lives in Chamonix, France, revealed that she discovered she was pregnant after coming second in the over southern Colorado's San Juan Range. Despite her joy, the pregnancy sadly resulted in a miscarriage and Ms Case said that while there was no medical evidence to suggest that running had contributed to it, she decided to stop for a short while. After a second miscarriage Ms Chase discovered she was pregnant for a third time with her daughter Pepper who she welcomed in November. Six weeks after welcoming Pepper, the Canadian re-connected with running and started up again with the help of her midwife and her running coach Megan Roche. Ms Case said: 'Being able to just get back outside and reconnect with that running identity part of me was so important for my physical and mental health in this very vulnerable postpartum period.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Protest planned at Arvada bistro after breast feeding controversy
DENVER (KDVR) — A nursing mothers' protest is planned outside of a popular Arvada bistro, in light of a recent breastfeeding controversy. Melanie Kiernan said she was recently approached by staff at the Stone Cellar Bistro in Olde Town Arvada and told to stop breastfeeding her young son. Colorado Parks and Wildlife kills grey wolf in Pitkin County after attacks on livestock Kiernan said her family posted two different reviews of the experience, and the incident soon took off on social media. The Arvada native said the bistro had been slow to apologize, until doing so earlier this week, on social media. The owners have also expressed an interest in apologizing in person. Saturday's protest, which Kiernan said she didn't organize, is slated to begin at 3 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CTV News
2 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
New lactation station open at University of Alberta
A new lactation pod was opened at the University of Alberta on May 30, 2025. (Cameron Wiebe/CTV News Edmonton) The University of Alberta has unveiled a new initiative aimed at helping parents on campus. A new lactation pod opened on Friday at the Students' Union Building. The Mamava pod, which is unlocked using a mobile app, is a private room where students and staff can breastfeed or pump comfortably in private. 'This really represents an opportunity for us to ensure that we are demonstrating that we have spaces available for all members of our community,' said Kevin Friese, assistant dean of student health and wellness. 'We recognize the diversity of our campus population, and that diversity includes students with dependents and students who parent.' Friese said the average student age has risen over the past 15 years, and many mature and many graduate students have families. University of Alberta lactation station Parents visit the new lactation pod at the University of Alberta on May 30, 2025. (Cameron Wiebe/CTV News Edmonton) Students and staff are able to breastfeed or pump anywhere on campus, he said, but the pod is available for those who want to do so in private. The pod was paid for by donations, and the university said it adds to other family-friendly campus features, such as the Rutherford Library Family Corner, where students can study while their children play, and other breastfeeding, lactation and changing table locations on campus. 'Small actions like this, we know are so important to making sure that our student parents feel welcome and that we can accommodate not just them, but also their kiddos,' Friese said.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Why some women dey chop dia placenta afta childbirth?
Placenta na waste product from childbirth, so why anyone go choose to eat raw human placenta? E dey sustain life inside womb and don fulfil im primary purpose once e comot from di mama body afta childbirth. Di human placenta den become somtin wey dem suppose trowey - but no be evribodi dey see am dat way. Some pipo believe say di nutrients wey don pass from mama to pikin over months of pregnancy still dey inside di organ and no suppose waste. Dem believe say di raw placenta fit provide just wetin di mama need as she dey recover from childbirth and begin to breastfeed. Some women prefer to drink di placenta in a fruit smoothie hours afta dem give birth, some prefer to keep am cool and dry am so dem go use am make capsules. Dem dey convinced say di magic bullet fit give dem energy boost, fit encourage breastmilk production, and even prevent post-natal depression. Charlie Poulter from Reading, Berkshire, England, believe say ingesting a palm-sized piece of placenta within a cocktail of red berries and banana bin give her energy afta her labour. "I drink am quickly becos I no want think about am," she tok. "But I bin just push a baby out, I bin get lots of pipo dey look at me. I bin insignificant compared to wetin I just go through. "I bin think 'if dis go stop post-natal depression and give me some energy, den I fit drink three-quarters of a pint of liquid. Man up and drink am'," she tok. Di woman motivation bin dey clear. She bin dey receive therapy for depression for 18 months wen she get belle and she bin dey concerned say she fit develop post-natal depression. "I bin neva hear of placenta encapsulation bifor but find out say e fit help wit di baby blues. "I bin dey willing to try anytin and my husband say even if e get placebo effect, e no mata, e no go harm you." She say she bin no develop post-natal depression and "swear say na di placenta". Humans dey for minority over placentophagy, wey mean to eat di placenta. Wit di exception of marine mammals and some domesticated ones, all oda mammals dey eat di afta birth - possibly to help wit di bonding process. Dem dey use dried placenta for some traditional Chinese medicine and dem believe say e dey restorative, but di practice of placentophagy na trend in western culture and e dey controversial. Eating placenta 'no benefit health' Scientific evidence no support claim say to dey eat di placenta afta childbirth fit protect women against depression and boost energy, US research suggest. Claims wey tok say di placenta contains vitamins wey fit benefit a woman health don increased interest for di practice in recent years. But one review by Northwestern University no find proven benefits and research on di potential risks. Di Royal College of Midwives say make e be di woman choice. Di researchers tok say di popularity of eating placentas don rise but dis fit be sake of media reports, blogs and websites wey dey influence women. Review wey dem publish for Archives of Women's Mental Health, bin look at 10 published studies wey dey related to eating placenta. But e no find any data to support di claims say to dey eat di placenta raw, cooked or in pill form get any health benefits. Di review also say studies no dey wey look at di risks of eating di placenta. Di organ dey act as filter to absorb and protect di developing foetus from toxins and pollutants. As a result, di scientists say, bacteria or viruses fit remain within di placenta tissues afta birth. Lead study author Cynthia Coyle, wey be clinical psychologist for Northwestern University, say: "Our sense be say women wey dey choose placentophagy, wey fit otherwise dey veri careful about wetin dem dey put into dia bodies during pregnancy and nursing, dey willing to ingest somtin without evidence of im benefits and, more importantly, of im potential risks to demsefs and dia nursing infants. "Regulations no dey on how dem dey store and prepare di placenta, and di dosing no dey consistent. "Women really no know wetin dem dey ingest." Louise Silverton, of di Royal College of Midwives, say enough evidence no dey for dem to dey able to advise women about eating dia placenta. "E gatz be di woman choice if she choose to do am. "Women gatz dey aware sat like any foodstuff, placentas fit go off, so care go dey needed about how dem dey stored." She add: "If woman dey intend to do dis, dem gatz am wit dia midwife ahead of di birth so arrangements fit dey to ensure she get her placenta." Dr Daghni Rajasingam, wey be consultant obstetrician, say although di placenta dey veri rich in blood flow, to ingest am get potential risks. "Wetin women do wit dia placenta dey up to dem - but I no go recommend make dem eat am."
