We have coslept from the beginning with all of our boys right in our bed. At around 2 yrs old, we move them into our own space in our room, and eventually into their own room. My older 2 sleep together in one of their rooms.
For cosleeping I really like the baby close, to check on them and for ease of nursing. It works for us, b/c our babies always seem to sleep well when they hear our breathing & they don't seem to excessively nurse just b/c its right there.
The logistics: I put a waterproof crib pad down between my dh and I ( we invested in a king size instead of baby furniture) and on top of the pad I put a rec. blanket. Then I put a sleep positioner so I can keep baby safely on his side for nursing & I don't have to wory about him getting loose in the bed. On top of the positioner I put another little blanket or 2, and then one on top of the little guy while he sleeps. My dh and I have our own blankets so there's no chance of big blankets covering up baby. I keep hand towels & more receiving blanket stacked near the bed for all of the leakiness and possible spitting up in the night in the first months. I just put one hand towel under my breast and leave it there & then switch it later on. With the set-up for the baby, its nice because if baby soaks through his diaper, we just switch the receiving blankets & don't have to change the whole bed.
So, that's what works for us and has for 9 years. I know some babies who really seem to prefer their own space right from the start--but I haven't had that experience. Also, instead of swaddling, in the early days I keep the baby skin to skin on my chest. As he gets bigger I put him down beside me and the positioner makes him feel secure to
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Monday, November 24, 2008
Healing from birth
I hope this helps anyone who has ever had an episiotomy or any tearing after birth. I had to heal a bad tear twice, from 2 complicated births.
Today I emailed someone back who asked me how to heal well & here's what I wrote:
I am happy to share what I did. I sat in the tub 3x a day for about 15 minutes each time, sometimes while nursing the baby(wrapped warmly). I also put comfrey powder on the stitches and many people think that doesn't work, but it helped me. I kept my legs together as much as possible, used the spray bottle every time I went to the bathroom & when I thought it felt irritated I added a little betadine to the spray bottle. I took extra omega 3 pills to aid healing & extra vitamin C (1000 mg a day.) Absolutely air it out at night, this is crucial for healing. If you are still bleeding, put a chux pad or a towel under you and no undies, no pants. Just wear a nightgown or long t shirt to bed and nothing else. Sometimes the small tears are tricky to heal. If it still feels bad in another week or 2 you might want to get it looked at, but I think you'll be fine if you keep it clean, soak often & get air to it. Good luck
Today I emailed someone back who asked me how to heal well & here's what I wrote:
I am happy to share what I did. I sat in the tub 3x a day for about 15 minutes each time, sometimes while nursing the baby(wrapped warmly). I also put comfrey powder on the stitches and many people think that doesn't work, but it helped me. I kept my legs together as much as possible, used the spray bottle every time I went to the bathroom & when I thought it felt irritated I added a little betadine to the spray bottle. I took extra omega 3 pills to aid healing & extra vitamin C (1000 mg a day.) Absolutely air it out at night, this is crucial for healing. If you are still bleeding, put a chux pad or a towel under you and no undies, no pants. Just wear a nightgown or long t shirt to bed and nothing else. Sometimes the small tears are tricky to heal. If it still feels bad in another week or 2 you might want to get it looked at, but I think you'll be fine if you keep it clean, soak often & get air to it. Good luck
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Hospitals Do Poorly on Breastfeeding Support
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25124745/
Its true. Every once in awhile there will be great nurses and great LC's, but if you're not very knowledgeable about nursing already, it will be a battle at some point in the hospital. The next battle is with pediatricians. So many OB's and Ped's say they support breastfeeding but then give old (and wrong) information or make it seem harder than it has to be (huge lists of food and drinks to avoid). I see the damage done to breastfeeding relationships by hospitals all the time. The good news is that almost all of the issues can be fixed with the help of a good LC, a good book like "The WOmanly Art" and just taking the time.
Its true. Every once in awhile there will be great nurses and great LC's, but if you're not very knowledgeable about nursing already, it will be a battle at some point in the hospital. The next battle is with pediatricians. So many OB's and Ped's say they support breastfeeding but then give old (and wrong) information or make it seem harder than it has to be (huge lists of food and drinks to avoid). I see the damage done to breastfeeding relationships by hospitals all the time. The good news is that almost all of the issues can be fixed with the help of a good LC, a good book like "The WOmanly Art" and just taking the time.
Monday, June 9, 2008
American Attachment Parenting vs. The Old Stuff
For thousands of years the Continuum Concept http://www.continuum-concept.org/cc_defined.html was just the way babies were treated. They were never out of sight of the caregiver, usually the mother, and their needs were met quickly and without a big fuss. The baby joined the parents world and fit into their scene. Its classic Attachment Parenting, the crucial first 3 years and more with minimal separation, close contact and quick response to baby.
These days if you say that Attachment Parenting is your parenting style people often think you might be a lunchbox, one of "those" parents whose kids are all over everybody and everything with no self control. I've seen those kids too, I've seen little kids hitting other kids, knocking them down, and parents saying sweetly "Oh, lovie, I'm sure you didn't mean that?" True AP out in the world outside of here is kind of pre-modern parenting that's most often done in places where breastmilk is the only option and babies have to be on mama's back for her to get all of her work done. In the US both stay at home moms and working moms that practice AP (American style) are in a unique position of enjoying the ease of the older stuff, like babywearing (making life easier) or breastfeeding, when its going well, keeping things simple. But its easy to let the child become the center of the AP parent's revolution. In outside world AP, the parents are adding a baby to their revolution that's already going--not revolving around the baby. Putting baby in the center of the scene is not good for anyone.
There's so much more to say about this, and I'll come back to it..its really an overall attitude of responding to babies and not expecting things that they are not ready for in a developmental or evolutionary sense. Its not a checklist or an exact science, just going back to basics and keeping it simple.
These days if you say that Attachment Parenting is your parenting style people often think you might be a lunchbox, one of "those" parents whose kids are all over everybody and everything with no self control. I've seen those kids too, I've seen little kids hitting other kids, knocking them down, and parents saying sweetly "Oh, lovie, I'm sure you didn't mean that?" True AP out in the world outside of here is kind of pre-modern parenting that's most often done in places where breastmilk is the only option and babies have to be on mama's back for her to get all of her work done. In the US both stay at home moms and working moms that practice AP (American style) are in a unique position of enjoying the ease of the older stuff, like babywearing (making life easier) or breastfeeding, when its going well, keeping things simple. But its easy to let the child become the center of the AP parent's revolution. In outside world AP, the parents are adding a baby to their revolution that's already going--not revolving around the baby. Putting baby in the center of the scene is not good for anyone.
There's so much more to say about this, and I'll come back to it..its really an overall attitude of responding to babies and not expecting things that they are not ready for in a developmental or evolutionary sense. Its not a checklist or an exact science, just going back to basics and keeping it simple.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Great news!
My brother and his lovely lady friend both work at WGAL TV in Lancaster Pa & they just posted this bit of happy news on their site, http://www.wgal.com/health/16084890/detail.html
The numbers of breastfeeding new moms are going up for the first time in a very long time and I'm so happy about it!
The numbers of breastfeeding new moms are going up for the first time in a very long time and I'm so happy about it!
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Getting off to a good start...
Here are the tips we share with new moms at my breastffeding support group.
Breastfeeding is natural but it doesn’t always come easily to a new mother and her newborn. The first few weeks can be challenging. Breastfeeding is nature’s way of ensuring that the new mother can rest after childbirth and bond with her new baby. You may have spent the last weeks of your pregnancy rushing around getting ready for baby, so it may be hard to then switch into a lower gear to adjust to breastfeeding. It will become clear to you that it really is a learned art. Don’t worry, it will get easier. It could also be easy for you right from the start! The first weeks your milk supply is still being established, your hormones are still all over the place, you are recovering from childbirth and adjusting to life as a new mother. Resting as much as possible during the first month is one of the best things you can do to help ease your way back into your (new) normal life. Soon enough your baby will grow, feedings will be farther apart as he becomes more efficient at nursing and the two of you will be out and about.
• Your milk can take up to 5 days to come in. Until that happens you will have colostrum. This is all your baby needs until the milk comes in. Nursing early (as soon as possible after delivery) and often will help keep your baby full, move out the meconium and bring your milk in sooner.
• Colostrum Facts: Colostrum and the mature milk that follows, nourish and protect the baby much as the placenta did during pregnancy. Colostrum is low in fat and carbohydrates and high in protein, which is precisely the nutrient balance that the baby requires in the first days. Colostrum is easy to digest and contains living cells that serve to protect the newborn against bacteria, viruses, and allergens. Colostrum actually coats the intestinal lining and prevents the absorption of substances that trigger allergies. The immune factors IgG and IgA are more concentrated in colostrum than in mature milk. These factors also serve to stimulate and enhance the baby's own immune system, and research suggests the benefits may last his entire life. Furthermore, colostrum acts as an effective laxative, flushing meconium from the intestines, taking bilirubin, the substance that causes jaundice, along with it. And colostrum does not suddenly disappear when the mature milk comes in; rather, the transition to mature milk takes place over the first two weeks.
• As much as possible, keep baby close to you, in your nightgown and next to your skin. Any newborn exams can be done in your room if baby is healthy and if you pre-selected a pediatrician before delivery. Avoid procedures that are not necessary or are painful to your baby that can affect the early days of breastfeeding. Keeping the baby close will help stimulate milk production and will be soothing for both of you.
• Skin-to-skin contact actually helps to stimulate prolactin, your milk-making hormone (Hurst 1997). As recommended in the 2005 policy issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), being together is good for both of you and will allow you to begin nursing on demand as soon as possible, which is most beneficial to your milk supply.
• There are unfortunately, still medical professionals who may recommend you nurse your baby every 2 hours or less. This type of scheduling feedings is based on formula feeding. Breastmilk is very different and digests faster than formula so breastfed babies feed more often. As you know, you will need to nurse your baby as often as he is interested in feeding. At the very least, this should be every two to three hours during the day and every four to five hours at night for a total of eight to 12 feedings every 24 hours. Most feedings usually last 20 to 40 minutes, but do not watch the clock during the feeding. When your baby is a newborn, especially during the first week, nursing sessions can sometimes seem to last so long that you barely have any time to get anything done before the next session begins. Before the mature milk comes in, some babies will nurse quite voraciously because they are hungry.
• There may be times in the early days of nursing where you feel like all you do is nurse, this is normal. Some babies may miss the umbilical cord! They may be nursing partly for comfort in the beginning and that’s OK, a newborn has been through birth and needs comfort to adjust to life. Helping a baby feel safe in the world is one of the biggest responsibilities we have as mothers, and it pays off, research shows that plenty of closeness and quick response to crying in the beginning of life leads to a more secure and independent child and adult.
• Even though it can seem like it at first, you will not always spend all of your time nursing. Remember that you are recovering from giving birth at this point and you need to rest. Breastfeeding is nature's way of ensuring that you do so.
• This is a very sensitive time in your life. You are physically and emotionally vulnerable. The last thing you need as you begin breastfeeding is to be near anyone who undermines your efforts by expressing doubts or criticism. Breastfeeding may be the biological norm, but in our society there are still people who are not comfortable being around a breastfeeding mother and baby, and these people may be even more likely to be critical if there are any questions about your milk supply. This lack of ease with breastfeeding stems from a lack of understanding and sometimes a mistaken view of the breast as only sexual. You deserve to have only positive support and encouragement now. You do not need any negativity that would undermine your confidence.
• During the first weeks of breastfeeding, nurturing your child, breastfeeding, and caring for yourself will be your most important responsibilities. Other obligations do not matter nearly as much. If you have older children, you will certainly need to focus on them, too, but your new baby's needs and your own needs are paramount right now. Your partner or another caregiver can help you tend to your older children's basic needs during this time.
• Staying in bed for the first few days is actually one of the best things you can do to get breastfeeding off to a good start. You can bring books and magazines or even a television set into your room, have drinks and snacks near the bed, and get up only to go to the bathroom and bathe. Spending concentrated time snuggling and nursing your baby whenever he wants will ensure the greatest possible milk supply. Tell everyone it is "doctor's orders" if you feel you need justification; many doctors instruct their postpartum patients to do just this, because even though you may feel happy and exhilarated, your body has just been through a great deal of physical exertion and it needs time to recuperate. If you do not take the time to rest and recuperate now, the next few months will be much harder for you, which could impact your milk supply.
• To have enough energy for nursing and baby care, you need nutritious meals, sufficient fluids, and a lot of sleep. Never skip a meal. In fact, try to have several nutritious snacks throughout the day in addition to regular meals. In general, the quantity and quality of your diet is more important for you than it is for your milk supply. Your body will make good milk for your baby even if your diet is less than ideal.
• It is not necessary to drink cow's milk. Some babies are sensitive to the proteins in cow's milk that may be present in their mother's milk and it is not at all essential for adults to drink milk. Mothers have sometimes been told that they must drink milk to make milk. This is not true; milk is made from the nutrients we take in from many sources, not from drinking the milk of another species. Adult cows certainly do not drink milk and are able to lactate quite sufficiently.
• When you are in doubt as to why your baby is fussing, try offering the breast. He won’t eat if he’s not hungry and you can’t overfeed with breast milk. Building your supply in the beginning makes it important to nurse very often.
• If your nipples are sore from nursing often, try to let them air out and apply lanolin at every other feeding. Please call your local La Leche Leader for suggestions if you experience pain or have any questions in the first weeks of breastfeeding.
Source: La Leche League International
Breastfeeding is natural but it doesn’t always come easily to a new mother and her newborn. The first few weeks can be challenging. Breastfeeding is nature’s way of ensuring that the new mother can rest after childbirth and bond with her new baby. You may have spent the last weeks of your pregnancy rushing around getting ready for baby, so it may be hard to then switch into a lower gear to adjust to breastfeeding. It will become clear to you that it really is a learned art. Don’t worry, it will get easier. It could also be easy for you right from the start! The first weeks your milk supply is still being established, your hormones are still all over the place, you are recovering from childbirth and adjusting to life as a new mother. Resting as much as possible during the first month is one of the best things you can do to help ease your way back into your (new) normal life. Soon enough your baby will grow, feedings will be farther apart as he becomes more efficient at nursing and the two of you will be out and about.
• Your milk can take up to 5 days to come in. Until that happens you will have colostrum. This is all your baby needs until the milk comes in. Nursing early (as soon as possible after delivery) and often will help keep your baby full, move out the meconium and bring your milk in sooner.
• Colostrum Facts: Colostrum and the mature milk that follows, nourish and protect the baby much as the placenta did during pregnancy. Colostrum is low in fat and carbohydrates and high in protein, which is precisely the nutrient balance that the baby requires in the first days. Colostrum is easy to digest and contains living cells that serve to protect the newborn against bacteria, viruses, and allergens. Colostrum actually coats the intestinal lining and prevents the absorption of substances that trigger allergies. The immune factors IgG and IgA are more concentrated in colostrum than in mature milk. These factors also serve to stimulate and enhance the baby's own immune system, and research suggests the benefits may last his entire life. Furthermore, colostrum acts as an effective laxative, flushing meconium from the intestines, taking bilirubin, the substance that causes jaundice, along with it. And colostrum does not suddenly disappear when the mature milk comes in; rather, the transition to mature milk takes place over the first two weeks.
• As much as possible, keep baby close to you, in your nightgown and next to your skin. Any newborn exams can be done in your room if baby is healthy and if you pre-selected a pediatrician before delivery. Avoid procedures that are not necessary or are painful to your baby that can affect the early days of breastfeeding. Keeping the baby close will help stimulate milk production and will be soothing for both of you.
• Skin-to-skin contact actually helps to stimulate prolactin, your milk-making hormone (Hurst 1997). As recommended in the 2005 policy issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), being together is good for both of you and will allow you to begin nursing on demand as soon as possible, which is most beneficial to your milk supply.
• There are unfortunately, still medical professionals who may recommend you nurse your baby every 2 hours or less. This type of scheduling feedings is based on formula feeding. Breastmilk is very different and digests faster than formula so breastfed babies feed more often. As you know, you will need to nurse your baby as often as he is interested in feeding. At the very least, this should be every two to three hours during the day and every four to five hours at night for a total of eight to 12 feedings every 24 hours. Most feedings usually last 20 to 40 minutes, but do not watch the clock during the feeding. When your baby is a newborn, especially during the first week, nursing sessions can sometimes seem to last so long that you barely have any time to get anything done before the next session begins. Before the mature milk comes in, some babies will nurse quite voraciously because they are hungry.
• There may be times in the early days of nursing where you feel like all you do is nurse, this is normal. Some babies may miss the umbilical cord! They may be nursing partly for comfort in the beginning and that’s OK, a newborn has been through birth and needs comfort to adjust to life. Helping a baby feel safe in the world is one of the biggest responsibilities we have as mothers, and it pays off, research shows that plenty of closeness and quick response to crying in the beginning of life leads to a more secure and independent child and adult.
• Even though it can seem like it at first, you will not always spend all of your time nursing. Remember that you are recovering from giving birth at this point and you need to rest. Breastfeeding is nature's way of ensuring that you do so.
• This is a very sensitive time in your life. You are physically and emotionally vulnerable. The last thing you need as you begin breastfeeding is to be near anyone who undermines your efforts by expressing doubts or criticism. Breastfeeding may be the biological norm, but in our society there are still people who are not comfortable being around a breastfeeding mother and baby, and these people may be even more likely to be critical if there are any questions about your milk supply. This lack of ease with breastfeeding stems from a lack of understanding and sometimes a mistaken view of the breast as only sexual. You deserve to have only positive support and encouragement now. You do not need any negativity that would undermine your confidence.
• During the first weeks of breastfeeding, nurturing your child, breastfeeding, and caring for yourself will be your most important responsibilities. Other obligations do not matter nearly as much. If you have older children, you will certainly need to focus on them, too, but your new baby's needs and your own needs are paramount right now. Your partner or another caregiver can help you tend to your older children's basic needs during this time.
• Staying in bed for the first few days is actually one of the best things you can do to get breastfeeding off to a good start. You can bring books and magazines or even a television set into your room, have drinks and snacks near the bed, and get up only to go to the bathroom and bathe. Spending concentrated time snuggling and nursing your baby whenever he wants will ensure the greatest possible milk supply. Tell everyone it is "doctor's orders" if you feel you need justification; many doctors instruct their postpartum patients to do just this, because even though you may feel happy and exhilarated, your body has just been through a great deal of physical exertion and it needs time to recuperate. If you do not take the time to rest and recuperate now, the next few months will be much harder for you, which could impact your milk supply.
• To have enough energy for nursing and baby care, you need nutritious meals, sufficient fluids, and a lot of sleep. Never skip a meal. In fact, try to have several nutritious snacks throughout the day in addition to regular meals. In general, the quantity and quality of your diet is more important for you than it is for your milk supply. Your body will make good milk for your baby even if your diet is less than ideal.
• It is not necessary to drink cow's milk. Some babies are sensitive to the proteins in cow's milk that may be present in their mother's milk and it is not at all essential for adults to drink milk. Mothers have sometimes been told that they must drink milk to make milk. This is not true; milk is made from the nutrients we take in from many sources, not from drinking the milk of another species. Adult cows certainly do not drink milk and are able to lactate quite sufficiently.
• When you are in doubt as to why your baby is fussing, try offering the breast. He won’t eat if he’s not hungry and you can’t overfeed with breast milk. Building your supply in the beginning makes it important to nurse very often.
• If your nipples are sore from nursing often, try to let them air out and apply lanolin at every other feeding. Please call your local La Leche Leader for suggestions if you experience pain or have any questions in the first weeks of breastfeeding.
Source: La Leche League International
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Skin to skin
Hospitals these days really push the swaddling thing. They bring the baby burrito to you after every check and they show you how to do it so you can master your own little bundle at home. I think it makes a lot of sense in the hospital, especially if there's any separation from mom. Baby is looked at, vitals checked, dipe changed & now baby is pissed! So, put baby back in the burrito and he calms down on the way back to the room. So a new mom is like, "yes, I must master the baby burrito!" But at home, when working hard to get baby fed and the milk supply established, nothin works as well as skin to skin contact. Don't be afraid to set baby free and bring him close to cuddle and in his own time, he will cozy up and latch. As my favorite LC says, "Skin to skin is like control, alt, delete to a baby." It really does bring them back to basics, reminds them of their most recent home and helps them settle down and eat. And if nursing problems develop or the supply seems to drop, baby can be brought right back to the beginning, with only a diaper (or not if you EC), on mama's bosom.
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