Skin to win!

I LOVE the reminder from askthelactationconsultant.com about Kangaroo Care. What is Kangaroo Care you ask? It is another name for skin to skin contact with newborns. I had never heard this term, but apparently it originated from the ways Kangaroos carry their babies in a pouch (makes sense).

I do know that right after I gave birth to my son the nurse rapidly ripped down my gown (oh, yes she did) and put my son on my chest. I had read it was important to do but I found it interesting that the nurse did not ask, she just went ahead and did. Of course I am grateful, as I know the importance of the contact. In the first few days my husband also spent a lot of time having some Kangaroo time with our son and we all loved it as we felt it strengthened our bond!

Here is some more information about the benefits, which I did not know at the time:

The use of this technique has helped babies especially a premature baby to thrive. This simple action benefits the baby in many ways. To mention a few: helps to regulate blood sugars, temperatures and breathing.

The impact of chest to chest contact has on babies outcomes has been remarkable. Askthelactationconsultant has personally witnessed "a reduction in the "need" for formula supplementation due to low blood sugars, in my hospital setting, since we implemented this practice after birth."

Askthelactationconsultant urges moms (and Nicole says why not dads too! Heck even grandma or grandpa can right?!) to have a newborn placed on your chest as often as possible the 1st 24 hours. The benefits are many not to mention it is so precious.

Tip: Baby is stripped down to diaper, placed against the chest, blanket over both of you. Moms you may feel really warm while doing this, your body temperature will rise naturally to keep the baby warm. It is an amazing thing.

Profound new results that show excersizing helps strenghthen babys heart in-utero

I think the findings of this article are great! One more reason, and many of us need them, to stay active during pregnancy! I hope you are enlighted as I was...

EXCERSIZING FOR TWO

By GRETCHEN REYNOLDS

Almost anyone who’s been pregnant remembers the profound link that can develop between a mother-to-be and her unborn child. You feel that life inside you, both physically independent and braided with your own.

Now, new research suggests that the bond may be stronger than had been suspected. When you exercise during pregnancy, your baby is not, as most of us would have thought, a passive, floating passenger (and ballast on the bladder). Instead, he or she may be actively joining in the workout, with the fetal cardiac system growing stronger and healthier as a result of the workouts.

This training response lingers apparently even after birth, the new science shows. Babies born to mothers who exercised while pregnant were found to have healthier hearts than other infants a full month after delivery.

Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences revisited a group of 61 healthy women, ages 20 to 35, who’d been part of a pilot study of exercise, pregnancy and fetal heart health. About half of the women had exercised regularly during their pregnancies, jogging, power-walking or otherwise working out at a moderate pace at least three times a week. Some also had lifted light weights or practiced yoga. But their primary activity had been aerobic. The other half of the mothers-to-be “were normally active but did not engage in formal exercise,” said Linda E. May, an exercise physiologist who led the study.

When Dr. May examined the fetal cardiac readings, in an earlier report published last year, she found that fetuses whose mothers had exercised showed lower heart rates and greater heart-rate variability than those whose mothers had not worked out.
For her most recent presentation, Dr. May asked the women to return to the lab again, this time a month after giving birth. The newborns, healthy and no doubt squalling, underwent another cardiac exam.

The previous results held, Dr. May reported at the Experimental Biology meeting. The babies born to exercising mothers continued to have lower heart rates and greater heart-rate variability four weeks after delivery than the babies born to the other women. The effect was especially robust in the children whose mothers had exercised the most, Dr. May said; they had the slowest heart rates and presumably the strongest hearts.

“It’s exciting research,” Dr. May said, though it is also preliminary and incomplete. Just how a pregnant woman’s jogging or power-walking remakes her unborn child’s heart remains unknown, she said. Mother and fetus have, after all, completely separate cardiac systems and blood circulations. But certain hormones released during exercise do cross the placenta, Dr. May said, and could be stimulating changes in the developing fetus’s heart.

Read the full article here: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/13/exercising-for-two/

Does it matter what material my bra is made of?

I am sure many of us have never thought twice about the importance and differences between the fabrics for our undergarments. But, it really can make a difference, especially in a nursing bra. Here is some information to shed some light on the topic!

First, materials for nursing bras should be stretchy. Quite simply, this is because elasticity helps to fulfill the function of support and comfort with breasts that might vary in size from hour to hour!

Another important concern is that the fabric should also be breathable in order to keep moisture and possibly yeast infections down. How long a nursing bra lasts and how comfortable it is, will depend upon the fabric it is made from. Here are some of the most popular nursing bra materials:  

Cotton nursing bras are not what they used to be. Today they are considered the best choice by many, and recommended by professionals over any other nursing bra material. Cotton is lightweight, durable, and allows air to flow, which keeps breasts dryer. It also can be woven to have a moderate amount of elasticity. The drawback to cotton is that it lacks the elasticity of synthetic fabrics and is only moderately expandable and is not as absorbent as other materials so nursing pads should be worn.

Spandex nursing bras tend to be the most flexible and sizable of nursing bra materials. They shrink and expand to fit best of all. On the other hand, they are not usually very breathable and don’t allow the airflow to your skin that cotton does. They also are not as comfortable for many women as cotton or cotton blends.

Microfiber (Cotton/Spandex blend) nursing bras seem to combine the best of both worlds. This nursing bra material has the ability to stretch beyond that of cotton, and provide a nice firm support. The microfiber nursing bra material is also a lot more breathable than spandex and increased airflow which keeps the breasts drier and can enhance skin and breast health. Some microfiber nursing bras can be lined with bamboo. Bamboo provides a natural antibiotic effect that is eco friendly and can help prevent infections. It also has excellent absorbency and will wick water away from skin and can be luxuriously soft. On the negative side of the coin is that Microfiber nursing bra materials are usually synthetics, which is not a choice for those who prefer organic nursing bra materials. Many women hold the opinion that synthetic materials don’t last as long as organic materials.

We hope this helps you navigate the wonderful world of bras! Let us know what you think.

Reflections from a breastfeeding mom

My friend Lisa, wonderful mom of 4, recently sent me her reflection/thoughts on breastfeeding. She summed it up so nicely that I wanted to share with all of you. I'm sure many of you have had similar reflections. What is the weirdest place you breastfed or weirdest thing you did while breastfeeding? Mine was either on the Subway in DC (wierd for me as I had never ridden the subway before) or possibly in the backseat of the car as my husband drove. It is amazing how stretchy breasts are :)- I was not very risque. Thanks for sharing your thoughts Lisa. You are an amazing inspiration! "As a mother of 4 children, I've spent a lot of time breastfeeding. I've learned to preform many tasks in a few dire situations. I've played board games, cooked, gone to the bathroom and even walked through a park with my older two children while pushing the empty stroller - all while my baby nurses. My infant now is almost 2 months old. With three older siblings he's had to experience a lot "on the fly." But every now and then, when I give myself the opportunity to actually watch him nurse, it melts my heart. He is so calm, so peaceful. I love the feeling of being able to give him the gift of comfort so naturally!" Lisa

What to expect the first 2 weeks of breastfeeding

I found this great article on what to expect during the first 2 weeks of breastfeeding on askthelactationconsultant.com. She consistently gives great advice on breastfeeding topics most people do not talk about. I love this article because there are links to find out more if you want to know it. I hope this helps shed some light for those of you wondering... Pass it on to those it may help. I wish I knew this BEFORE I had my son! :) Nicole Days 2-10: Your milk will come in sometime between day 2-5. Your mode of delivery will impact when the milk comes in. As well as factors like illness, excessive blood loss, hormone levels, exhaustion and emotional state. Click here to learn how vaginal vs. c-section deliveries will impact your milk. The time your milk comes in can be affected by several factors. Your birth experience, health status, medications you are taking and exhaustion. Milk production is considered an "extra" function so if your body needs to concentrate on something more important, like keeping you alive due to excessive blood loss, milk production may have to wait until you are better. But lets now assume your milk is in. How do you know? Most women will experience engorgement. Click here to learn more about engorgement. If you do not experience engorgement (WHAT? Seriously, there are people who do not experience engorgement?!), then your first indication could be that you are now hearing your baby gulp with every suck. Or that your breasts are leaking. If you do not experience any of these signs by day 7 I highly encourage you to see a lactation consultant. When your milk comes in another sign can be LETDOWN . The letdown response can be uncomfortable at the beginning. For me it was. It felt like it feels when your hand or foot falls asleep and the blood is returning- that strong tingling sensation only on your nipple areola area. It was pretty intense. The good news is that it only lasts for 10-15 seconds. Not all experience this but most do. After your milk is in, you can change your feeding pattern up a little now to better empty the breasts by: Feed on one side per feeding instead of both sides at each feed. A simple way to do this is to feed for 10-15 minutes, take baby off to burp and put them back on the SAME breast until they fall asleep. Then for the next feed go to the other breast. Why change the pattern? We suggest changing the pattern because of the foremilk/hindmilk that you have once your milk is in. Once you have milk volume, the milk in is catagorized as fore and hind milk. Foremilk is a thinner/watery type milk that can be obtained at the beginning of a feeding. HIND milk is a fattier milk that can only be obtained toward the end of a feeding. The idea is that if you offer BOTH breasts for 10 min and 10 min your baby may not get to the hind milk thus causing them to feed more frequently and possibly be gassy because the of the foremilk. Learn more about ForeMilk and HindMilk here For the next week, you will have these days: Feeding every 2-3 hours, changing diapers, sleeping when the baby does, eating whenever possible, showering daily if possible, visiting with people that you will not remember visiting with, and repeating it over and over. Sounds crazy but it is pure bliss getting to know your child. Cherish it, the time is over before you know it. Go from days 2 to 10 to first 2 weeks main page Go from days 2 to 10 to askthelactationconsultant.com

Genetically Modified Cows Produce "Human" Milk

I just read this article titled Genetically Modified Cows Produce "Human" Milk. As I read the first few paragraphs I could not believe China had pulled off genetically altering cows milk and more importantly I could not understand why. But once I got through the genetic make-up mumbo jumbo, I understood it and I dare say it is brilliant (if they actually pulled it off) but is something so complicated necessary?

I did not realize that 90% of the adults in China are lactose intolerant and that they recently had a sickening of nearly 300,000 infants fed the tainted milk powder, which is what inspired this 10 year genetic project. Could a simpler solution be found by increasing support for and awareness of the benefits of breast-feeding itself and increasing enforcement of food safety laws?

This is very interesting, informative and had me saying "really" throughout the entire article so I thought I would share it and possibly spark some conversation. Share your thoughts!

FUN FACT: In ancient China, only the emperor and the empress could drink human milk throughout their lives, which was believed to be the height of opulence.

Click on the link to read the full article http://paper.li/60secondparent/breastfeeding

Top 7 must-haves in your postpartum kit

I was recently asked what I would have in my postpartum kit. That is one thing I wish I knew before I had my son so I thought I would share my insight. If you have a different item we'd love to hear it! Please share...

What would be in my postpartum kit?
*2-3 quality nursing bras: A quality bra is essential to maintain breast health. You should typically have one sleep bra and one soft cup to start with. Why 2-3? Because darn it, you will probably not be as on top of the laundry as you would like to be.
*reusable hot/cold packs: heat to help encourage your let down when you first start nursing(don’t worry, this will happen on its own once you become established. You will become so good at this that your boobs may respond to any crying baby, which is why you want the next item on my list) and for the cool relief on your tender nipples who are wondering what the heck is going on.
*soft, absorbent, reusable nursing pads-the key here is SOFT and ABSORBENT! The last thing you are going to want to place on your sore nipples is a scratchy nursing pad. Super absorbency is essential to prevent bacteria from forming on your breasts from a moist environment. I was not much of a leaker, but I liked to have the pad for the softness and the barrier for the cream so my nursing bras did not get gunked up. (softest I've seen is made by Willow Sprouts).
*nipple cream-make sure it is all natural and safe because inevitably baby will be coming in contact with it. This can rapidly improve healing if you should need that. (I like Mother Love nipple cream).
*phone number of a knowledgeable support person who makes house calls- because more than likely it is a factor of when you need her, not if you need her. I thought I was prepared since I had the phone number of the hospital lactation consultant, but really, this breastfeeding thing will be a piece of cake right? Boy was I wrong! Sure it is a simple process but it can be complex and sometimes painful. Having your support person come to you can be the single reason you decide to stick it out through the discomfort (and figure out what the real problem is) or quit. My breastfeeding support angel had helped hundreds of women and she took one look at my nipple (yes, there is no more dignity at this point) and gave me a nipple shield and instructions on how to prevent my son from continuing to cause me to crack and bleed (the tip of his tongue was flicking my nipple. from the outside, he looked like he had the perfect latch).
*reusable water bottle-and keep it filled because the minute you sit down you will think, darn I am SO thirsty! And believe me, the last thing you are going to think of when your baby is screaming to be fed is, “oh, hang on honey…mommy’s going to need some water”
*perineum bottle-no explanation needed here.
*good book on tape-this worked wonders to keep me awake for those middle of the night feedings. I learned early on that turning on a light to read an actual book was confusing my son to think that it was time to wake up! Bad.