White Privilege – My Story

StorkStories.....

I have a story if you are interested.  My own history lesson and confession I guess. You might ask what this has to do with birth and breastfeeding– and I would tell you that right now – pretty much everything. The population I serve has dramatically increased the numbers of women of color and multiple newer cultural and marginal communities of which I have yet to become familiar.

I have been in this professional arena since I was 19 years old. I am now 65. Back in the 70’s I was taught by my nurse colleagues and doctors as I learned how to care for the mother thruout labor, the birth process and the eventual journey into motherhood. I was so bubbly, energetic happy and LOVED the magic moment of birth. I began to focus on the physiology of what went on just before and right after birth. I looked…

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Yes You Can Breastfeed with COVID19

Credit: NiDerLander

Copyright: NiDerLander

I’ve been approached with many questions about pregnancy and or breastfeeding with this virus. #Covid19

In many cases YES you CAN Breastfeed!

There is still so much unknown about this new #coronavirus .

For that reason, the experts with the most up to date info follow CDC recommended guidances for both protecting yourself thru pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Please review these CDC guidelines and discuss with Your and your babies health care providers for Pregnancy and Breastfeeding !

#LGBTG+ Ally

I wave this flag as an ally of the LGBTG+ community. I see you. I love you. I value you. I admit I am learning. If you or you know of anyone wanting breastfeeding/chestfeeding guidance or questions, I would like to help. I am offering a safe place for questions. Not on social media but privately. PM me for details. If you need a consult, I can refer you. ♥️ (Image from Wikipedia)

Are you afraid to Exclusively Breastfeed? Educate yourself!!!

(image from National Geographic)

As a professional, educating parents and their families about the importance of breastfeeding and human milk for human infants is a priority and a professional responsibility.

It is not about fear or guilt.

It is inappropriate for any of us to imply directly or indirectly to any parent trying to make feeding choices that breastfeeding and formula feeding are equal.

They are not. Human milk is the superior species-specific food for Human infants. The recommended feeding hierarchy from the experts (AAP,CDC, WHO) is Breastfeeding, expressed milk from baby’s birth giving parent, expressed donor milk then properly prepared infant formula.It is also important for health care providers to carefully evaluate each parent baby dyad for feeding adequacy no matter the choice.

The Benefits of Breastfeeding are NOT Overstated as articles currently circling social media would like you to think……

However– There are many parents confused, afraid or unsure. Some parents have developed fear for exclusive breastfeeding due to tragic stories circulating the internet. Those stories are horrible and may not tell the WHOLE story about what happened with that baby. That is important. These tragic stories are heart wrenching. I do not like how the stories are being sensationalized or exploitive of the families. Educate yourselves to learn how to know your baby is getting enough milk always! Learn the babies signals EARLY and listen to the baby. Insist on adequate help and if your baby needs additional milk for some reason of another, GET HELP! Feed your baby. But don’t rule out exclusive breastfeeding. It is the biological norm.We want you to succeed. we want to provide good support. Contact an IBCLC. Find out reasons that may put you at risk for needing additional help. Be informed.

Please do not feel afraid. Please don’t be feeling guilty over your choices. Educate yourself and make feeding choices which are right for you.

I am trying to encourage moms to make informed educated feeding choices and then not feel guilt about their decisions.

REMEMBER – It doesn’t have to be all or nothing! 

It is the recommendation for exclusive breastfeeding during an infants first 6 months. If that doesn’t seem feasible to you, then your baby can still benefit from however much or however long you can breastfeed of provide breastmilk. I think that in today’s world, we give a mother all this education about what she should do and then we don’t have all the right support systems in place to really help her!

 Here’s what I have found

• Today’s parent is connected to the internet, information and friends by phone, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Pinterest, Instagram or YouTube and “checks in” at least 10 or more times per day.
• The education process to a lot of parents needs to be in small doses, sensitive to her unique learning abilities, her cultural beliefs and practices and most importantly, her choices and individual breastfeeding goals.
• With that in mind, try to provide her with the information she needs to make her decision.
• Never overestimate a parent’s desire to breastfeed her infant.
• Never underestimate a parent’s desire to breastfeed her infant.
• Listen to the parent; help them define their true desires and goals.
• Many times, the first question they ask may not be what they really wants to ask.
• The parent’s individual breastfeeding goals, how they defines them, how important they are to them and how they relate them to their actual breastfeeding experience all help define how they measures success.
• Provide professional support to meet these goals.
• Support the parent, support the parent, and support the parent.

HOWEVER THEY NEED OR WANT
Stay connected

White Privilege – My Story

I have a story if you are interested.  My own history lesson and confession I guess. You might ask what this has to do with birth and breastfeeding– and I would tell you that right now – pretty much everything. The population I serve has dramatically increased the numbers of women of color and multiple […]

Breastfeeding- Yeah- It’s Not Exact or Precise

Cartoon by Neil

The truth of the matter is that doctors, physicians assistants, med students, interns, yes and many midwives plus many nurses working in the mother/baby environment SIMPLY DO NOT have enough education about Lactation and Lactation Management to adequately guide new mothers. It is sad and pathetic. The vast majority of these individuals would rather work with precise numbers and are actually happier if a mom is pumping and feeding her milk in a container to baby.

It is no wonder this has transferred to the vulnerable new mother. WE have done this to her. There is actually a new trend to pump and feed expressed breast milk instead of ever putting baby to breast. I can help you with that.  Please know that a large number of these infants do get some formula until milk supply is established. Make an informed choice. These breastmilk-fed babies are not usually exclusively fed expressed milk thru out the first few months. It is a hard job to pump and feed and pump and feed. It is a damn hard job to build and keep up a full supply long term exclusively pumping!! It has been done. You can do it. Mommas are very powerful and they can do it SO if that’s the choice you make then GO FOR IT!!! Give it all you have got. But CONSIDER putting baby to breast and feeding the way nature designed your body. Work with an IBCLC. We need good lactation programs at EVERY facility that provides childbirth services. We need IBCLC’s in the hospital. We need prenatal education about the benefits of breastfeeding so mothers make a true informed choice.

The more I speak with and counsel new mothers, the more I get asked for exact numbers when it comes to feeding instruction. It is no surprise that the number one question on the mind of a brand new first time breastfeeding mom is “HOW do I know my baby is getting enough milk?”

Babies were born to breastfeed

WATCH the baby, Listen to the baby. Look for feeding cues or little things the baby does which tell you he is getting hungry.

Lets make it EASY with very little “rules”. Think of these as TOOLS– not RULES

First:  Attachment to breast should be DEEP and COMFORTABLE

Second: Baby needs to do the RIGHT JOB of effective drinking

Third: Baby needs to do this OFTEN ENOUGH each 24 hours…. about 8 for most moms – more is very common- feed on cue

Fourth: By the fourth day ( give or take a day), and EACH 24 HOURS thereafter Baby should be having around 6 ”good” wet diapers and about 3 -4 poops that are starting to turn yellow.

Please KEEP your baby with you at a times!! Just.Say.NO.

 

Bottom line– Weight Gain. Baby should be at birth weight by Day 10 (or at least on a proven good upward trend) and be gaining about an ounce every day thereafter.

After the first 4-6 weeks. This little chart comes in handy:

Copyright Nancy Mohrbacher used with permission

If a doctor or  nurses first suggestion is to give formula to your breastfed baby—for whatever reason— ask to see a Lactation Consultant, an IBCLC.

These are the only numbers to remember. TRY to stop stressing out.

This blog post is not a replacement for medical advice should you or your baby have an issue. This is applicable to healthy full term infants.

Copyright 2014 StorkStories RN IBCLC RLC

Breastfeeding or Bottlefeeding–> Millennium Moms Guilty over Infant Feeding Choices?

(image from National Geographic)

As a professional, educating mothers and their family’s about the importance of breastfeeding and human milk for human infants is a priority and a professional responsibility.

It is not about guilt.

It is inappropriate for any of us to imply directly or indirectly to any mother trying to make feeding choices that breastfeeding and formula feeding are equal.

They are not. Human milk is the superior species-specific food for Human infants. The recommended feeding hierarchy from the experts (AAP,CDC, WHO) is Breastfeeding, expressed milk from baby’s mother, expressed donor milk then properly prepared infant formula.

The Benefits of Breastfeeding are NOT Overstated as articles currently circling social media would like you to think……

However– There are many moms confused, afraid or unsure.

Please don’t be feeling guilty. Educate yourself and make feeding choices which are right for you.

All or most of this discussion is NOT directed at any mother who tried to breastfeed under any circumstance and wasn’t able to at all or wasn’t able to fulfill her individual goals. I applaud all your efforts for trying to give your baby the best food you could. I am so sorry that you experienced the difficulties you have. Your situation is not what this discussion is about.

I am trying to encourage moms to make informed educated feeding choices and then not feel guilt about their decisions.

It doesn’t have to be all or nothing! 

It is the recommendation for exclusive breastfeeding during an infants first 6 months. If that doesn’t seem feasible to you, then your baby can still benefit from however much or however long you can breastfeed of provide breastmilk. I think that in today’s world, we give a mother all this education about what she should do and then we don’t have all the right support systems in place to really help her!

 Here’s what I have found

• Today’s mom is connected to the internet, information and friends by phone, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram or YouTube and “checks in” at least 5 or more times per day.
• The education process to a lot of mothers needs to be in small doses (140 characters of less), sensitive to her unique learning abilities, her cultural beliefs and practices and most importantly, her choices and individual breastfeeding goals.
• With that in mind, try to provide her with the information she needs to make her decision.
• Never overestimate a mother’s desire to breastfeed her infant.
• Never underestimate a mother’s desire to breastfeed her infant.
• Listen to the mother; help her define her true desires and goals.
• Many times, the first question she asks may not be what she really wants to ask.
• The mother’s individual breastfeeding goals, how she defines them, how important they are to her and how she relates them to her actual breastfeeding experience all help define how she measures success.
• Support the mother, support the mother, and support the mother.

HOWEVER SHE NEEDS OR WANTS
Stay connected

PEER Counseling is Unparalleled Breastfeeding Support–> Do You Have a Great Story?

PELVIC REST

WHAT IS PELVIC REST and why would we say to do that?
Prenatal care is designed to watch moms closely during pregnancy. Sometimes there is the need to see a perinatologist or Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) doctor. When a pregnant momma has obvious signs of trouble like bleeding long before her due date or has shown signs of effacing early on… or dilating early… when she has had symptoms of preterm labor or runs of preterm labor with or without cervical changes– they often will tell her to have Pelvic Rest. This isn’t bed rest—- this is PELVIC REST to avoid introducing bacteria, stimulating contractions or start labor early.

Right now as I write this–> we have a full NICU of 26 to 33 weekers. You don’t want your baby born that early– you really don’t…….. After a rash of moms who didn’t realize their activity may cause preterm labor even though they “felt OK at the time” and engaged in the activity after being placed on pelvic rest…. I felt like- WELL—>

Maybe somebody just really has to say it ALL !
This is supposed to be a little bit funny!

Sometimes there is a partner who pushes for a little intimacy and well— maybe you feel bad for him or her and/or maybe you want t0…… We know it’s difficult. You may want the intimacy or the connection.  If this partner is not also on pelvic rest–> you could be creative to get the connection so long as you adhere to the list below.

I am so sorry to have to really spell it out but……

This Means:

• NOTHING in the vagina……..    Not a penis, Not a finger or thumb, Not a toe, Not a tongue, Not a lip, Not a dildo, Not a sex toy, Not anything in the house you can make into a dildo or sex toy, Not anything in the house that can FIT into the vagina, Not anything you may purchase or get outside your home that can fit into the vagina EVEN if the package does say “Sterile” on the outside!
• No Crotch/Genital Stimulation or Rubbing   with or without your partner…. (or with anyone who isn’t your partner). This includes but not limited to: No rubbing of your genitals with those of another, No rubbing with hand, No licking, No labia sucking or hickeys, No clitoral sucking, No blowing of air into the vagina
• No Orgasm.     I’m sorry- that is not good news. I know- but an orgasm can cause powerful uterine contractions. This means no orgasm brought on intentionally by any type of activity including nipple stimulation.
• No Anal Sex of Any Kind.    Unless you are applying hemorrhoid ointments or inserting a suppository…. everything listed for genitals above includes the anus.
• No new Piercings.     You will need to keep your current piercings clean.
• No Prostitution activity.  Yep- I really said that. It happens.
• No Swimming or Tub Baths as directed by your provider. We encourage regular hygiene of course.
• No Heavy Lifting —ask your provider for amt of weight safe for you.
• No Exerting Exercise activity — again— ask your provider for amt of exercise safe for you… it is usually limited to gentle stretching exercise or gentle stretching yoga.

I say all those above because I have seen ALL of them and more and the momma has claimed … “but you didn’t say that“!

Sorry 😦

Did I forget anything???

JUST. SAY. NO. –> You can’t take my baby……

JUST. SAY. NO.

You CAN’T Take MY Baby to the Newborn Nursery!

All too often, we~ as hospital staff in Labor and Delivery- Mother Baby units or the Newborn Nursery, want to take YOUR baby away for this test or that exam saying we’ll be right back.  Well it isn’t always that quick- in fact it is RARELY that quick. One thing leads to another and before you know it, it is 1 to 2 hours before you have your baby back.

This is beyond wrong.

We are horrible for doing this.

We need to be a better support system for you.

I am working on getting all staff involved in increasing our exclusive breastfeeding rates. This begins with the first feeding. (well- it really begins with birth interventions but of course that is a totally different post)…….

Your baby should stay with you until he latches and feeds.

Stay.

Skin to Skin is the best way for him to get accustomed to his new habitat and learn where he will be feeding.

STAY WITH YOU

We can do virtually everything~ all routine newborn exams, procedures and tests at the bedside, with you right there.

Speak up and tell us NO

Thank You