iBreastfeed - Get Over It!

Medicated Labor Impacts Breastfeeding

I recently came across this video which compares babies who were born without medication and those whose mothers were medicated during labor, and how well they instinctively latch on to breastfeed.

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.

Newborn Breast Crawl

Video: Latching on a Newborn

This is from Rixa at Stand and Deliver

She took this video when her son was 10 days old. I think it's very helpful and beautiful. It made me wistful for the days when I breastfed my tiny babies.

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Pampers Articles Covering a Wide Array of Birth Topics

I've gotten a little behind posting the links to my articles that have been published on Pampers. Here are the articles that have been published since my last update:

A Baby's Date of Birth: Not Always When you Expect it - About due dates and my preference of waiting for spontaneous labor.

A Birth Ball is a Wonderful Labor Tool - Why I love my birth ball!

My Fetal Monitor Journey - My experiences with fetal monitoring and why I choose not to be constantly monitored during labor.

What Can I Expect After Birth? - Many women don't think about postpartum when they're preparing for childbirth. This article talks about some of the things I wish I'd been more prepared for.

Childbirth Preparation: Being Prepared Makes all the Difference - This article outlines my personal childbirth experiences, emphasizing the need for good birth preparation.

Natural Birth Stories: Essential to my Childbirth Preparation - How natural birth stories can be instrumental in preparing one for labor and birth.

Breastfeeding: Not a Matter of Success or Failure - Similar to a blog post I wrote on here, this discusses my widening view of infant feeding and the importance of loving support and understanding.

Can You Succeed or Fail at Breastfeeding?

I recently read a blog post in which the author wrote about her plans to bring formula with her to the hospital when she went to have her baby. She talked about her plans to breastfeed partially and supplement with formula. It was her second baby and she planned to bring a good quality breast pump along with the formula.

I was surprised, and I couldn't understand why someone would make such a decision. I've always thought of breastfeeding as an all or nothing kind of thing.

It's not that I think that a woman struggling with breastfeeding has to quit and rely completely on artificial milk to feed her baby. I've done research about breastfeeding, and I understand that when an alternative feeding method is introduced it can jeopardize the breastfeeding relationship. Introducing another food, particularly shortly after birth, can cause the woman's body to not produce as much milk as her baby needs. Even if she breastfeeds partially her milk supply may come in later than it would if she were to nurse her baby full time, and it may not be sufficient to meet the demands of her baby. 

I've also had experiences with my own babies reacting badly to formula when a well-meaning person tried to feed them. One of my babies had diarrhea and stomach pains for weeks after one small formula feeding. For me the best option was to breastfeed my babies exclusively. It was the easiest and least expensive choice, and it worked well.

I felt that by planning from the get-go to bring formula to the hospital this woman was seting herself up for failure with breastfeeding. I'll make an analogy, if you will.

When I was pregnant with my first baby I wanted a natural birth but I wasn't prepared for it. I told myself that I would try to have a natural labor without medication, but that if it got too hard I might get the epidural. Guess what happened? The circumstances of my labor included Pitocin, and it was the first time I'd ever experienced labor contractions. I didn't have the support I needed or the preparation, and it got too hard for me. I got the epidural. It wasn't what I wanted, but I felt I had no other option at the time.

When I was expecting my second child I was resigned to the idea that I needed medication in order to give birth. I decided to take control of the situation and I went ahead and scheduled an induction and simply planned on getting the epidural. Why try for a natural birth if I was incapable of it?

During my third pregnancy I met my wonderful doula and confided in her about my wishes for a natural birth experience. I realized that with the information, preparation, and support from my doula I felt capable of attaining my goal. I also realized that in order for me to be able to do it, I had to take the option of an epidural completely off the table. That also meant avoiding Pitocin at all costs. I couldn't even give myself a back-up plan that included medication. My birth plan specified that the hospital staff were NOT to offer me any form of medication. It was through these changes that I finally reached my goal, and it was an incredibly empowering and rewarding experience.

I approach breastfeeding in much the same way. I never gave myself the option of giving my baby formula or anything else for that matter. I knew that my body was capable of producing what my baby needed. I'd seen my own mother breastfeed my siblings, and it was the only way I intended to feed my child. Anything short of that would have felt like failure.

This is where that blog post really made me think. I posted a comment to the author expressing my opinion that she was setting herself up for failure, and offering advice on what she could do to better ensure a successful breastfeeding experience with her baby. Her response surprised me. She expressed her opinion that breastfeeding is not something a woman succeeds or fails at, and that a mother should do her best to take care of herself and her baby. In her eyes, formula was an option that gave her some lenience in allowing others to help care for her infant and take some of the pressure off of her. She made it clear that she intended to both breastfeed and supplement with formula on a regular basis, and that she had no intention of trying to breastfeed exclusively. She didn't want her body to have to supply every feeding for her baby, and didn't mind that the formula feedings would keep it from being able to. This is what she wanted and what she felt was best.

How could I argue with that? Honestly, it's her decision and she has the full right to make choices for her child's care and upbringing. I couldn't fault her for doing what she honestly felt was best for her and her baby.

Then I got thinking. Is breastfeeding something that a woman either succeeds or fails at, or can there be a middle road? I've known countless women who have used a combination of nursing and supplementing, and although it's not the choice I would make personally, it's within their right to feed their baby as they see fit.

I can make argument after argument about why formula is not good for babies, and why exclusive breastfeeding is truly what every baby needs, but I can't expect everyone to agree with my point of view. We each have our own journey to travel, and we must make the choices we feel are best.

It took me two failures at natural birth to finally reach my goal. Does that make me a failure at birth? Does it mean I made bad choices?

It only means it was the path I was on. I made the choices I felt were best at the time, and all the knowledge I gained later couldn't change anything about any of it. I had to come to accept my past in order to fully look forward to the future.

Perhaps the particular blogger I spoke of will find “success” with breastfeeding, but who is to measure her success and what does that actually mean? Does a woman have to breastfeed her baby exclusively to be considered successful at feeding her infant? I think that would be placing a heavy burden on women all over the world. I think as long as she and her family are happy and healthy that's what really matters.

What do you think? Do you really succeed or fail at breastfeeding?

Favorite Recent Pregnancy/Birth Links

I post a lot of web links on my Mamas and Babies facebook fan page, but I often forget to pass the information on here. I think it's important to share as much information as possible, so I'm bringing you some of my recent favorite web links related to pregnancy and birth.

These are in no particular order:

• The Unnecesarean: U.S. Cesaren Rate Reaches Record High, Rises for 13th Consecutive Year - The Cesarean rate for 2009 was 32.9%, up from 32.3% in 2008. The rate continues to climb despite cesarean birth carrying greater risks to mothers and babies in comparison to vaginal birth.
• As early elective births increase so do health risks for mother, child - Babies are being born earlier than they were 10 years ago, thanks to elective inductions and scheduled c-sections. This carries multiple serious risks to mothers and babies. Do you know what the risks of delivering even a week early could be?
• Motherhood: Induced and Seduced: The Dangers of Cytotec - A drug commonly used for labor induction which hasn't even been approved for such use by the FDA, and it carries great risks with it. Why is it used so often? It's cheap.
• C-sections up, overall births down in 2008 - As the cesarean rate increases, the overall birth rate drops? Why do you think this is?
• Pre-Holiday Induction of Labor Without Medical Indication - Some striking statistics about labor patterns through the major holidays of the year. Some food for thought when your doctor or midwife suggests scheduling your child's birth.
• Early skin-to-skin contact after birth: the more the better - A post from Stand and Deliver covering a recent study proving the increased effectiveness of early skin-to-skin contact within the first 3 hours of birth. The more contact, the better the results. 
• A proactive approach to breastfeeding - Another post from Stand and Deliver, about approaching breastfeeding prepared. Taking a proactive stance rather than reactive. Especially good information for first-time mothers or those planning to breastfeed for the first time.
• Everything you ever wondered about breastfeeding during pregnancy, but didn't want to ask... - A straight-forward FAQ style blog post about breastfeeding while pregnant and tandem nursing, from a mom who's been doing it for years.

Happy surfing!

Summary of Articles for November and December

Each month I'd like to post the links to all of my articles that were published. Since I didn't do this for November I'll include both November and December in this summary of articles. If you like any of my articles, please share the links with your friends. I'd also love some feedback in the comments if you have something you'd like to say about what I've written.


For your reading pleasure and in no particular order, here they are:

My Water Childbirth Experience


Breastfeeding While Pregnant


Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC) 


Using Pregnancy Calendars


Finding the Right Breastfeeding Support


Considering Home Childbirth?


Sorting Through Childbirth Information


What Are Doulas and What Do They Do?


Ectopic Pregnancy Signs and Symptoms


Considering Natural and Epidural Childbirth


The Role of a Postpartum Doula


Adjusting to Life With a Breastfeeding Infant


Breast Pumps: Different Options for Different Situations


Thinking About Stopping Breastfeeding?


Ways to Support Prenatal Development

Articles About Breastfeeding and VBAC

Here are my four latest articles published on Pampers:

Breastfeeding While Pregnant - My personal struggle with this, and what I learned.

Thinking About Stopping Breastfeeding? - Common breastfeeding pitfalls and how I got through them.

Breast Pumps: Different Options for Different Situations - Personal observations about breast pumps.

Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC) - The beautiful option that many aren't aware of.

Finding the Right Breast Feeding Support

Please check out my latest article on the Pamper Pregnancy website:

Finding the Right Breast Feeding Support

101 Reasons to Breastfeed

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

Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex

Have you heard of D-MER?

That's okay, until recently I hadn't either.

"Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex is a newly recognized condition affecting lactating women that is characterized by an abrupt dysphoria, or negative emotions that occur just before milk release and continuing not more then a few minutes."

Many women experience this, but are unaware there is an explanation and treatment available.  They may feel embarrassed and afraid to tell others what they're going through.

D-MER is thought to be caused by a dopamine drop that happens just before milk let down.  If dopamine levels drop too much, it can cause these strange negative emotions.

There is treatment available through both prescription and natural methods, including diet, homeopathy, massage therapy, supplements, herbs, and other treatment options.  All of these treatments are meant to help increase dopamine levels and stabilize a breastfeeding woman's emotions.  Even taking encapsulated placenta is thought to help ease D-MER.  Some treatments may work better than others, and some women may respond better to certain treatments compared to others.  I would personally recommend prescription medication as a last resort after other methods have been tried.

Please help spread the word!  If you or someone you know is experiencing this troubling problem, please seek treatment!

Breast Cancer Awareness and Prevention

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

You've likely seen people, cars, and websites sporting pink ribbons and advertising fundraisers.  Maybe you've sent pink foil yogurt lids in the mail.  If you're on facebook you've probably noticed mysterious status updates about where women like to keep their purses.  Oops, did I spoil the mystery?  Last year it was about the colors of our bras.

While it may be cute and garner attention, are we really raising the right issues about breast cancer?

Rather than focusing on raising awareness, perhaps we should be spreading positive information about prevention?

"Breastfeeding is associated with a lower risk (a whopping 59%!!) of breast cancer in women who have a family history of the disease and at least a 28% reduction for those without one (me). And it lowers your breastfed baby girl’s lifetime risk getting breast cancer by 25%!"

My Breast Cancer: Why I Won't Race for the Cure

"It seems it's about time there was a focus on breast cancer prevention rather than just breast cancer awareness."

Should Breast Cancer Awareness Turn to Prevention?

For information about promoting breast cancer prevention and THRIVING rather than just SURVIVING, please check out the Best for Babies organization.

Their mission is "To help moms beat the “Booby Traps”–the cultural & institutional barriers that prevent moms from achieving their personal breastfeeding goals. To inspire, prepare & empower™ moms. To give breastfeeding a makeover and give moms the solutions they need to make it work!"

That's a cause I can get behind!

Another thing I found interesting, is where the money from certain fundraising groups is actually going.

For instance, of the money raised for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, only 25% goes to the Susan G. Komen organization.  Up to 75% goes to fund Planned Parenthood clinics, whose primary function is to perform abortions.  Whether or not you support abortion, I think you would agree that money raise in the name of breast cancer diagnosis should go to just that.

For a list of breast cancer fundraising groups that don't fund abortion clinics, click here.

I think it's important when we're spreading awareness and information to strive to make that information relevant, supportive, and positive.  It's also a good idea to do your homework and know which groups you're lending support to and where that support is actually going.

HIV From Mother to Child

HIV can spread from mother to child during pregnancy and through breastfeeding.  We have the ability to stop that from happening, and everyone should know about this.

ONE is a grassroots organization working to prevent the spread of HIV from mother to child, with the goal of no child born with HIV by the year 2015.  Please watch their video below and visit their website for more information.

Please also watch the second video to learn how mothers can pasteurize their own breast milk to kill the HIV virus and protect their infants while still providing the best nutrition.

Please help protect babies everywhere by sharing this information!

Alternative Infant Feeding, In Honor of World Breastfeeding Week

World Breastfeeding Week has begun!  It goes from August 1-7.  It's a great chance to support breastfeeding moms all over the world.

In honor of World Breastfeeding Week, I want to share my very favorite breastfeeding resource: The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers, by Jack Newman, MD, and Teresa Pitman.

This book taught me so much about breastfeeding.  I had already breastfed four babies by the time I read it, and there was still so much that I didn't know.  

For instance, when breastfeeding isn't possible Dr. Newman provides at least 3 other feeding options including cup, tube, and finger feeding expressed breast milk before turning to formula. He also teaches how to improve breastfeeding while using these alternatives.  His book is full of detailed information and advice to help every woman find success in breastfeeding.

I posted this on my facebook fan page yesterday and I got some great comments from moms who were unable to breastfeed for a time and used alternative feeding methods to ensure their babies got the best nutrition (breast milk).  Here are some of their experiences:

Brandi said: "I fingerfed my baby for 8 weeks while I was trying to get him to latch. He never did, so I ended up exclusively pumping (been at it for 7 months!). I think a lot of women don't know about alternate ways to feed their baby. Before I ran into all our breastfeeding issues, I always assumed that if you can't breastfeed then you formula feed. I didn't realize there were any alternatives, because you don't hear them talked about a whole lot."

From Brooke: "We did syringe feeding with my colostrum for the first three days. I didn't get to try and actually latch him on until after my milk had come in. (He had under developed lungs and couldn't eat and breathe at once.) But because he'd gotten the colostrum he was familiar with and eager for it."

Nicole commented: "We did tube feeding with donated breastmilk for 6 months with my youngest. It's a great way to keep babies interested in staying at the breast; bottle feeding is so much less work for them and can lead to breasts refusal."

Using these alternative feeding methods instead of a bottle can help avoid nipple confusion and help the mother continue breastfeeding efforts.  Breastfeeding is natural and normal, but it's not always easy.  Moms need love and support to have the best chance at making it work.  Even if you aren't currently breastfeeding you can be a source of strength and support by providing information and encouragement to expectant and breastfeeding moms everywhere, even by simply recommending Dr. Newman's book.

Eileen said: "I love Newman's book and website. The videos were really helpful and the concept of using compression has been a godsend and make a big difference in my ability to breastfeed."

From Chelsea: "Love this book...I pumped for nearly a year with my daughter because of latching issues. She never has had more than 2 canisters worth of formula total, in her life. I want to buy this book for every expecting and new mom!!!"

“While breastfeeding may not seem the right choice for every parent, it is the best choice for every baby.” - Amy Spangler

If you want more information and support for breastfeeding, please see Dr. Jack Newman's website.

Breastfeeding Advertising and Public Image

There's a new ad campaign by Best for Babies which describes breastfeeding as a miracle. "According to the ad, the real miracle isn’t the bra, but mothers, and their ability to make milk for their own and others’ babies."

The Best for Babes Foundation was established in 2007 to fight the barriers to breastfeeding, and to give breastfeeding a makeover by using mainstream marketing and branding.

I think this is much needed, and I'm really glad that breastfeeding advertising has had a makeover. The "Breast is Best" campaign wasn't able to really shift infant feeding mentality in the United States.

However, while I love the depiction of breastfeeding as a miracle, I can't help but wonder if it will have the desired impact in shifting views of breastfeeding. One potential problem I see is that it doesn't necessarily normalize breastfeeding. Afterall, if we want all mothers to breastfeed their babies, doesn't this mean we need to normalize breastfeeding for the public? If we tout breast as being best or being a miracle, are we successfully normalizing this amazing, beautiful, natural, NORMAL process?

What do you think? Does the new ad campaign portray the right image of breastfeeding? Do you think it will help normalize breastfeeding and shift public images about infant feeding? Is there anything that can be done to counteract the mass advertising by formula companies?

Do you know why breastfeeding is essential and formula is bad for babies? The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers by Dr. Jack Newman is an excellent resource. Dr. Newman explains why formula is bad, but the bulk of the book is dedicated to helping mothers overcome breastfeeding challenges and successfully nourish their babies the way their bodies were designed to.

There are real dangers of using infant formula, and this is something I think we should be advertising. Expose the risk of NOT breastfeeding, and then maybe we'll get the message across of how normal and essential breastfeeding really is. It may be controversial to come straight at formula as being bad for babies, but should we be walking on egg shells worrying about offending people, or should we be exposing the lies the formula companies have perpetuated?

Here is a video on the subject that I really like. What are your thoughts?

Infant Feeding Survey - Have Your Voice Heard About Formula

The Center for Science in the Public Interest is interested in learning about your experience with infant formula marketing. Please take this survey if you have had a baby or adopted an infant in the last four years:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/infantformulamarketing

You can take this survey regardless of how your infant was fed.

Skin to Skin Contact in the OR: Speaking Up and Making it Happen

I've found more really good information on this subject:

Skin to Skin Minutes After C/S in the OR… Speaking Up and Making it Happen

This blog post by a Labor and Delivery nurse gives some excellent advice on how to speak up and ask for skin to skin contact immediately after a cesarean birth. This can be done while the mother's incision is still being closed, and it provides an important bonding time between mom and baby to establish breastfeeding and a healthier, happier newborn.

Here is a wonderful video that shows an example of skin to skin in the operating room:

Breastfed Babies Make Better Teens

As reported on ABC News, Jan 28, 2010

Breastfed babies make better teens

By Gina Marich

Researchers are urging mothers to breastfeed their babies until they are at least six months old after carrying out a study which they say has found a link between breastfeeding and child mental health.

The 14-year study published in the Journal of Paediatrics followed almost 3,000 women in Western Australia and tracked the development of their babies through to early adolescence.

The women who took part in the study breastfed their babies for different lengths of time, with some women not breastfeeding their babies at all.

One of the study's authors, Professor Sven Silburn from the Menzies School of Health Research in Darwin, says it is further evidence of the importance of breastfeeding in a child's development.

"What we found was that for each additional month that a child was breastfed [the] behaviour in teenagers improved," he said.

"We can say clearly that breastfeeding for six months or longer is positively associated with mental health and wellbeing in children and adolescents."

Professor Silburn says it is essential for everyone, especially mothers, to be aware of the importance of breastfeeding.

"Changes in the workplace, the increased casualisation of employment, that is making it very difficult for some mothers to be able to breastfeed as they should," he said.

"Being able to organise work and to have public acceptance of the importance of breastfeeding is something that we want to continually support."