Trying to Cover Up While Breastfeeding

My babies have done this exact same thing whenever I tried to cover up while nursing. I finally gave up on trying to cover up. Watch the video and tell me if you ever catch a glimpse of her breast, areola, nipple, or any "inappropriate" skin. It IS possible to breastfeed discreetly without a cover.

Beautiful Home Birth Video

Born at Home from Kat Small on Vimeo.

101 Reasons to Breastfeed

This video is incredibly informative, and I love the beautiful breastfeeding artwork!

Kangaroo Care

Human Nature

Mother's Touch

by Ashley Montagu

Human kids and kangaroo kids have more in common than you might think. By studying marsupial mothering, researchers are gaining valuable new insights into the needs of vulnerable newborns.

A human body is not a finished product. The newborn elephant and the newborn fallow deer can run with the herd shortly after they are born. A six-week-old seal navigates the seas by itself. Human beings, however, can't even crawl until they are 8 to 10 months old; they can't walk or talk until they're about 14 months old. Why are human beings born more immature and why do they stay immature longer than any other animal?

Like the newborn marsupial that crawls over its mother's damp fur to her pouch, there to spend up to six months completing its development, the human newborn is only half-formed. It could be said that a child's birth is not an end of gestation but a bridge between growth within the womb and growth outside it. The elephant, deer, seal and human all have long gestation periods – ranging from an average period of 630 days for the elephant to about 266 days for humans. Yet only humans are born so immature, their growth divided into a period inside the womb (uterogestation) and a period outside the womb (exterogestation). It appears that if babies weren't born when they are, they couldn't be born at all.

At birth, the brain of the average seven-pound infant weighs roughly 380 grams. To be as talented and capable as a newborn elephant, deer or seal, the human infant would need the 825-gram brain of a one-year old. Clearly, infants can't wait until they've grown a brain that big before being born – their heads would be too large to fit through the mother's birth canal. They must be born with the biggest possible brain that still allows them to get out and then do the rest of their brain-growing after birth.

As Professor John Bostock of the University of Queensland, Australia, suggested, what I call the period of exterogestation is over when a child can crawl on all fours. Amazingly, the average time for this achievement is 266 days – exactly the same length as the average pregnancy.

Two-stage gestation might have been an adaptation to several important changes during the early evolution of the human species. The move from the forest to the open plains demanded an erect posture and a bigger brain. The pelvic outlet grew smaller while the brain grew larger.

If this two-stage theory of gestation is sound, then we are not adequately meeting the needs of infants. We fail to give attention to gestation outside the womb.

The human infant is almost as immature as the infant opossum or kangaroo, but whereas the marsupial infant enjoys the protection of its mother's pouch, the human infant has no such advantage.

The symbiotic relationship maintained by mother and fetus throughout pregnancy should not end at birth; indeed, it is naturally designed to become more intense during exterogestation. The mother who is equipped to give sustenance and shelter inside the womb is equipped to do so outside the womb, at least as efficiently as the marsupial mother.

The warmth with which the mother enfolds her child while breast-feeding is psychologically analogous to the pouch enclosing a suckling marsupial. However, little marsupials, with free access to their mother's breast, suckle when they wish; human infants are generally suckled when their mothers think they should be. Children are therefore in a much more dependent, indeed more hazardous, state than marsupials; they should be nursed on demand, rather than by the clock.

When the human mother breast-feeds her child, the pair make eye contact vital to the psychological development of the child. The mother lovingly coos, talks and sings to the child, cuddling, kissing and caressing it. As important as breast-feeding itself are its associated sensory stimuli – the sights, sounds, smells, taste and warm feelings that comprise the enfolding love that ought to be the birthright of every child.

Several studies show that early deprivation of maternal care leads, in many animals, to failure of both individual and social development. The human infant is in many ways more dependent on such sociopsychological care, not merely because it is born in such an immature state, but because becoming a competent human being is much more complicated than becoming a competent baboon.

What Triggers Spontaneous Labor?

Yet more proof that nature knows best, and why it's generally best to avoid induction and wait for labor to start spontaneously.

As published on Science Blog

Fetal lungs provide a signal initiating labor, UT Southwestern researchers find

Dr. Carole Mendelson, Dr. Jennifer Condon and Dr. Pancharatnam Jeyasuria have found evidence that a substance secreted by the lungs of a developing fetus contains the key signal that initiates labor.

DALLAS – March 22, 2004 – A protein released from the lungs of a developing mouse fetus initiates a cascade of chemical events leading to the mother's initiation of labor, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas have found.

The research, which has implications for humans, marks the first time a link between a specific fetal lung protein and labor has been identified, said Dr. Carole Mendelson, professor of biochemistry and obstetrics and gynecology and senior author of the study. The paper appears in an upcoming issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and is currently available online.

The initiation of term labor is carefully timed to begin only after the embryo is sufficiently mature to survive outside the womb. Previous studies suggested that the signal for labor in humans may arise from the fetus, but the nature of the signal and actual mechanism was unclear, Dr. Mendelson said.

In their study, UT Southwestern researchers found evidence that a substance secreted by the lungs of a developing fetus contains the key signal that initiates labor. The substance, called surfactant, is essential for normal breathing outside the womb.

"We found that a protein within lung surfactant serves as a hormone of labor that signals to the mother's uterus when the fetal lungs are sufficiently mature to withstand the critical transition to air breathing," Dr. Mendelson said.

"No one really understands what causes normal or preterm labor. There may be several chemical pathways that lead to labor, but we think that this surfactant protein, which is also produced by the fetal lung in humans, may be the first hormonal signal for labor," said Dr. Mendelson, who is co-director of the North Texas March of Dimes Birth Defects Center at UT Southwestern.

In humans the signaling protein, called surfactant protein A, or SP-A, also helps immune cells, called macrophages, fight off infections in the lungs of children and adults by gobbling up bacteria, viruses and fungi that infiltrate the lung airway.

"Women who go into preterm labor frequently have an infection of the membranes that surround the fetus, and the number of macrophages in the wall of the uterus increases with the initiation of preterm labor. When women go into labor at term, they also have an increase in macrophages in the uterus," Dr. Mendelson said.

This led the researchers to investigate whether there was a connection between what happens during normal labor at term and in infected mothers who go into early labor.

"This also raised the question: If bacterial infection can cause increased macrophage infiltration of the uterus in preterm labor, what is the signal for the enhanced macrophage migration to the uterus at term?" Dr. Mendelson said.

In mice, the developing fetal lung starts producing SP-A at 17 days gestation; full-term delivery occurs at 19 days. The developing human fetus starts producing SP-A in increasing amounts after 30 to 32 weeks of a 40-week normal gestation, at which time the baby's lungs are essentially developed. As the fetus "breathes" amniotic fluid in the womb, the protein is released into the fluid.

"The SP-A protein binds to macrophages in the amniotic fluid, macrophages that come from the fetus itself," said Dr. Jennifer Condon, a postdoctoral researcher in biochemistry and the study's lead author.

The macrophages, "activated" by the protein, make their way through the amniotic fluid to the wall of the uterus. Once embedded there, they produce a chemical that stimulates an inflammatory response in the uterus, ultimately leading to labor.

The researchers also found that injecting a pregnant mouse with SP-A before day 17 of the pregnancy caused the mouse to deliver early. Injection of pregnant mice with an antibody that blocks SP-A function caused them to deliver late.

Identifying the receptors on the macrophages to which the SP-A protein binds will be the next step, Dr. Mendelson said.

"We think that bacteria may be binding to the same receptor on the macrophages to cause preterm labor in women. The bacteria mimic the function of SP-A, initiating the chemical reactions that lead to premature labor. If we knew more about this receptor on amniotic fluid macrophages, we may be able to design therapies or inhibitors to block preterm labor," she said.

Other researchers participating in the study were Dr. Pancharatnam Jeyasuria, a research fellow in internal medicine and former fellow Julie Faust, now a medical student at Texas A&M University.

The research was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Postpartum Depression Quiz

I'm a fan of About Pregnancy/Birth on facebook, and I'm always impressed by the really good information posted.

One of the recent posts I found helpful is this Postpartum Depression Quiz.

"Postpartum depression (PPD) has gotten a lot of attention in recent years. While the numbers may appear to be rising, it may also be more likely that it is simply becoming more socially acceptable to admit to needing help and having difficulties in the postpartum period.

"Most women will suffer a mild bout of something called the baby blues which occurs in the first days childbirth. A smaller fraction of women will suffer from an extreme form of depression called postpartum psychosis. Postpartum depression falls in a category on its own.

"In taking this quiz you are looking at some of the most common symptoms for postpartum depression. Certain symptoms, like feeling like you may harm yourself or your baby warrant urgent attention, even if that is the only symptom you experience. The more symtoms you experience, the sooner you need to seek help. Always seek help if you desire help, even if others tell you that you are okay - you are the best judge of how you are feeling."

Click here to take the quiz and assess whether you may have PPD

Articles About Breastfeeding

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding for all infants. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) similarly recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life, continuing at least through the infant’s first birthday, and as long thereafter as is mutually desired. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends at least 2 years of breastfeeding for all infants.

The Risks of Not Breastfeeding for Mothers and Infants

"Health outcomes differ substantially for mothers and infants who formula feed compared with those who breastfeed, even in developed countries such as the United States. A recent meta-analysis by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality reviewed this evidence in detail:

• For infants, not being breastfed is associated with an increased incidence of infectious morbidity, including otitis media, gastroenteritis, and pneumonia, as well as elevated risks of childhood obesity, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, leukemia, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
• Among premature infants, not receiving breast milk is associated with an increased risk of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).
• For mothers, failure to breastfeed is associated with an increased incidence of premenopausal breast cancer, ovarian cancer, retained gestational weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and the metabolic syndrome."

Low Breastfeeding Rates and Public Health in the United States - This is an excellent article which provides an overview of the history of breastfeeding as a public health issue in the last century. It's chock full of information and explains very effectively the need for more mothers to initiate breastfeeding and continue breastfeeding as long as possible. It opened my eyes to some of the real issues in the ongoing debate of breast milk versus formula.

TLC's A Baby Story Features Planned Home Births

This week TLC will air five new episodes of its show A Baby Story, all featuring planned home births. A new episode airs each day this week (starting today) at 11am MDT.

I've noticed they've been showing more unmedicated births and home births on A Baby Story this season, and so far I'm enjoying this trend. I'm anxious to see how the show will portray home birth overall.

Here's a list of the episodes:

Monday: #725, Baby Eisenberg

Tuesday: #726, Baby Malak

Wednesday: #699, Baby Sheehan

Thursday: #700, Baby Breen

Friday: #727, Baby Millers

I also discovered an excellent episode from 2008 that showed a home birth: #597, Baby LaRocco

I'm not sure if the episodes are available online.

Please let me know if you have an online source for them!

Infant Massage May Help Prevent SIDS

"Parents have a therapy at their fingertips that may offer their baby protection against Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), an Australian pediatrician says."

"Reducing a newborn's SIDS risk could be as simple as massaging them, said Associate Professor Graham Reynolds, as the practice was known to naturally boost a baby's serotonin levels."

"'Scientists have known for a long time that touch and skin-to-skin contact play a major role in the development of serotonin pathways in babies brains,' said Dr Reynolds, who is Director of Paediatric Research at The Canberra Hospital and also patron of the International Association of Infant Massage (IAIM)."

"As well as playing a role in mood and behaviour, serotonin acts as a regulator of the body's basic life-sustaining functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, sleep cycles and respiration."

Parents Urged to Get Hands-On to Prevent SIDS

Study: Babies; low serotonin levels cause SIDS

Healthy Baby Bounty Bag Winners

And the winners of a Healthy Baby Bounty Bag are:

Brittany

and

Sara B.

Congratulations!

I'm contacting the winners to get their physical address. If I don't hear back within 5 days (by Thursday, March 18), I'll draw more names until we have 2 winners.

Breastfeeding on Children's Television

What do you think?







I heard about an episode on Mr. Roger's Neighborhood that showed different ways that babies eat, including breastfeeding. Unfortunately the video has been removed from youtube due to copyright issues, but here is a short snippet of a video of it:

Thinking Out Loud Re: Breech Babies

This topic has become very important to me since giving birth to a breech baby last year, and I'd like to share some of my thoughts on the subject with anyone who cares to read.

Laws in many states require that mothers whose babies are in a breech or transverse position be under the care of a physician and give birth in the hospital. In cases in which the mother is planning a vaginal birth, this usually means a change in plans and a scheduled c-section. If the mother is planning a home birth with a midwife, this means changing her care to an OB and planning a hospital birth (again, most likely a cesarean section).

Why?

This blog post explains in detail about breech babies: Breech Presentation: Risks and Options.

There are ways to try to turn a breech baby into a favorable position before birth. My blog post above describes some of these, and there is also an excellent online resource called Spinning Babies that gives great information about breech babies and how to attempt to encourage a fetus to turn into a vertex (head-down) position. Sometimes the baby moves on its own or with help and the mother is able to plan a normal vaginal birth. Sometimes however, the baby stays breech, and the mother must seriously consider her birthing options at that point.

A recent study was done which found that the risks of c-section outweigh the risks of vaginal breech delivery: C-Section Not Best For Breech Birth. The study states that vaginal breech delivery is the preferable option of birthing breech babies, and that doctors should be trained to support women in this option.

The sad truth is that doctors are no longer trained in vaginal breech delivery. With cesarean section becoming more widely used, it has become the common method of delivering a breech baby. Unless you have an older doctor who has had experience with vaginal breech births, your doctor is likely unqualified to support you in birthing your breech baby if you want a vaginal birth. With many midwives, however, the skill of vaginal breech birth is still being taught and passed down.

The laws however, do not support the evidence. Automatic transfer of care of breech babies, in my opinion, should NOT be required. I feel the laws should allow for the care provider and the expectant parents to make an informed choice in how to birth their baby.

As explained in my blog post above, there are different types of breech presentation and some are more risky than others. For example, a full-term baby in frank breech position is the best candidate for a vaginal breech birth, and a woman with a baby in this position should be given the option of vaginal birth with a provider who is skilled to support her. This could be a midwife or a doctor, as long as he or she has the proper training, and depending on the woman's preferences and choice of birth place. If the baby is a stargazer (looking upward) there is a great risk to the spinal cord if a vaginal delivery is attempted, and experts agree that a c-section is warranted. These are just two examples of breech presentations.

Transfer of care should be a case-by-case decision based on the precise presentation of the baby. A woman should be informed of her options of attempting to turn the baby, as well as the risks and options associated with her infant's presentation and all proposed methods of birth.

This may not be a realistic expectation with current trends, but I hope that in time changes can be made. If doctors are not trained in their regular curriculum about breech birth, then perhaps additional training should be made available to those who are interested in learning and offering the service to their patients. This training should be evidence-based and consistent, and available to midwives as well. Perhaps a certificate could be given, such as with CPR and NRP (neonatal resuscitation) training. Ideally, it would be a requirement for all birth care providers, as basic as any other training they receive.

Baby Mamas (Put a Sling On 'Em)

More about baby wearing and slings

wrapyourbaby.com

Honoring Our Cycles: Using Fertility Awareness to Achieve or Avoid Pregnancy

"Like the earth's surface, a woman of childbearing age moves through cycles of heating and cooling, which in turn create moistening and drying, which in turn provide a fertile environment for life to evolve. Rocks, glaciers, plants, and animals (including humans) all evolve in concert with these processes. Just as a meteorologist can observe and measure cycles in the earth's surface to determine weather patterns, a woman can observe her daily waking temperature, cervical fluid, and the cervix's changes to gauge her gynecological health and to determine when she can and cannot conceive. According to Leah Morton, an MD with a family practice in Santa Fe, New Mexico, 'The first step in being healthy is knowing about yourself and respecting nature. Fertility Awareness provides a way to learn these things.'"

"With Fertility Awareness, a woman can be in sync with her own cycles, and couples often experience enhanced communication and intimacy."

Honoring Our Cycles: Using Fertility Awareness to Achieve or Avoid Pregnancy

This article gives an introduction to Fertility Awareness and how it can be a benefit to couples. For more information about Fertility Awareness, please read the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility: The Definitive Guide to Natural Birth Control, by Toni Weschler.

The Fight Against Iatrogenic Prematurity

November is Prematurity Awareness Month

"Iatrogenic prematurity refers to the birth of a physiologically immature and/or low-weight infant who is delivered prematurely as a result of medical intervention."

The United States recently received a "D" on the March of Dimes 2009 Premature Birth Report Card. This is alarming, and raises some serious concerns. Much needed research is being done on the causes and possible prevention of preterm labor.

March of Dimes: Fight for Preemies

The Unnecesarean.com: The March of Dimes Fights Iatrogenic Prematurity

This is why I do this

The other day I was writing posts for my blog and I noticed the post count on the right side of the page. The number struck me, and I realized that I've been blogging for over a year now. Wow. I do this for myself, as an outlet, because I can't talk with just anyone about the things I'm passionate about. Sadly, a lot of my neighbors and close friends don't want to hear about natural approaches to pregnancy, birth and beyond. It can get pretty lonely at times when I feel like I have no one who understands how I feel or why I do the things I do.

I have a lot of friends and family members who don't understand why anyone would want to go through labor without pain medication, or in any setting other than a hospital. I'm guessing they haven't experienced the beauty of the ups and downs of labor with the intense focus through the strong waves of pressure, followed by a respite filled with both calm and excitement at the same time, all building toward the miraculous birth of a new life! For me, the experience was much more powerful and incredible when I didn't have pain medication compared to when I did. There is nothing in life that compares to the experiences I've had through embracing my body and everything it's made to do and learning how to work with it to achieve something truly amazing. It's something that simply cannot be accurately described in words. It's beautiful, miraculous, spiritual, empowering, and simple.

I also blog because I hope to spread the good word about things that are important to me. I hope to somehow reach others who could benefit from some of the information I've found as I've been on this amazing journey. I don't expect to convert everyone to home birth or even to unmedicated birth, but I do want every woman in the world to know that birth is an uplifting and wonderful experience. If you don't experience it that way, then find out what you can do to have that experience. I didn't have a blissful, peaceful experience with the birth of my first baby, but that experience was a catalyst that helped push me into action in finding a better way for me to give birth. I feel I've found that, and I want to share it with anyone who will listen.

I was on the phone with our family pediatrician's office recently, and the receptionist asked me about my home birth. She told me that her son and his wife want to have a water birth at home and she (the grandma) didn't know anything about water birth and how it's handled, or what precautions are taken to help ensure a positive outcome. She asked me if I would do it again, and I told her I absolutely would. She wanted to know about things like having a backup plan in case a transfer to the hospital is needed. It was so neat to talk with her and share some of my feelings about my home birth and some information to help put her mind at ease. I love those moments, and I'm so grateful for those times. This is why I do this!

Study on Health of Mothers and Newborns Throughout H1N1 and Cold/Flu Season

My friend Rachel, author of The Beginning of Motherhood blog and Labor and Delivery Nurse, is conducting a survey about the outcomes resulting from current CDC recommendations regarding H1N1 and new mothers and babies. She needs study participants from three groups of women:

1. Those who have symptoms and have been isolated from their baby but continue to feed breast milk,
   
2. Those who have had no symptoms, were given baby within 2 hours after birth and breastfed,
   
3. Those who have no symptoms, but were not with baby within 2 hours after birth and breastfed or expressed milk for infants.
   

All of these should be full terms infants (37-42 weeks) . They can be born at the hospital, or alternative birthing area. She is hoping to follow these babies for six months to see who is getting sick.

For more information, please see Rachel's blog: The Beginning of Motherhood

Father's Role in Breastfeeding

A friend of mine referred me to this wonderful blog post about the role of fathers in breastfeeding.

Fathers play a vital role in supporting the mother in breastfeeding. I know that my husband has been instrumental in helping me breastfeed our 5 babies successfully. His conviction that breastfeeding is best, along with the support he's given me to allow me to nurse our babies has made a huge impact for me.

Here are some tidbits from the post:

"Babies benefit just as well from close, personal and warm shirtless affection from dad too! This can be a crucial aid in helping babies "connect" so to speak, with their dads and learn to recognize him quicker than just by his voice"

"Many times, mothers and fathers underestimate the essential role of the partner. As the aforementioned demonstrated, a father's presence and support is one of the biggest determining factor on whether mom continues to breastfeed. What I find so lovely is when I do house visits by mothers experiencing breastfeeding problems, I sometimes hear "the baby's father said I must persevere with breastfeeding". This is not a harsh, domineering stand, rather it is a much needed "pillar of support" that comes from the man's side. These moms experience relief of having their partners back them up and may give them added determination when problems threaten the breastfeeding relationship."

How Do You Feel About Hospital Policies Regarding H1N1 (Swine Flu)?

The policy at some hospitals right now is to take the baby away from mom after they are born if the mom is showing symptoms of H1N1 (swine flu). They get the baby back if they have been on Tamiflu for 48 hours or if they get test results back that they are negative. They are allowing quarantined breastfeeding mothers to pump colostrum for the hospital staff to feed to the baby. I want to know what you think. Would you be mad, understanding, frustrated?

I would love to see what people think about this policy. I've posted a poll on the right side of this page where you can cast your vote anonymously, or please feel free to post your opinion in a comment on this post.

Thanks!

Baby Wearing, Kangaroo Care, Baby Carriers, Wraps and Slings

When I started having kids almost 10 years ago I bought a baby carrier with buckles and straps that can hold the baby either in front or on the back. It worked pretty well, but it wasn't very comfortable with the stiffness of the harness, and I didn't like how my baby's legs always stuck out of the leg holes at the bottom and often got cold (especially in the winter) even if they were covered up.

When I was pregnant with my daughter, my fourth child, some friends threw me a baby shower because it was my first baby girl. My favorite gift of all was my Maya Wrap baby sling! Compared to the carrier with the buckles and straps, this baby sling is so easy to use and very comfortable! I can carry my baby in a variety of positions and use it until my child weighs 35 pounds. I like to go on walks with my kids often, and it was so easy to just slip my little girl into the sling and go! She was always the most content when she was in the sling, and would often simply fall asleep as I walked. I used the sling until I was too big with my next pregnancy (when my daughter was about a year old) and couldn't comfortably wear it anymore. Now that I have a new baby, I am using my wonderful baby sling again, and loving it! My favorite thing about using the sling is that it saves my arms from fatigue and keeps the baby snug and secure against me. It's also machine washable and takes up very little space to store it.

I recently started looking up more websites about slings and wraps and refreshing my memory on how to use it, and I decided to share some of these sites with you.

• The Baby Wearer - This is a fantastic site with all kinds of information about every kind of baby carrier out there, including product reviews, instructions, and more! Whether you are new to baby wearing, or an expert, this is a great resource.
• Baby Sling Sewing Instructions - This shows how to make a Maya Wrap baby sling.
  
• Sewing and Improvising Baby Carriers - This is on The Baby Wearer. If you are handy at sewing, or would like to make even a no-sew baby sling, this has a whole list of links to helpful websites.
• No Sew Ring Sling - This has simple instructions on how to make a ring sling that requires no sewing!

My Maya Wrap is a ring sling that incorporates metal rings with fabric threaded through for a secure sling with no bulk. I can fold up my sling and fit it into a purse or diaper bag. There are lots of other types of wraps and slings available to choose from. I would recommend checking out The Baby Wearer if you want to see what types there are and which one would best fit your needs. Since I got my baby sling I have not gone back to using my old baby carrier, not even once!

This photo to the right is of the first time I put my daughter in the sling, and I soon learned that it was much too low to wear comfortably. I learned how to cinch up the fabric to wear her higher so we were both much more comfortable.

If you have a favorite baby carrier, please let me know, and I would be happy to post about it!

For more information about baby wearing:
Mothering Magazine: Hold Me Close: The Many Advantages to Wearing Your Baby