When Should I Call a Lactation Consultant?

For many women, breastfeeding is a breeze. Your baby is born, he is placed on your chest, and soon after he self-attaches to your breast and that is all she wrote. This is how it was for my sister, the second time around. Granted, she had a completely unmedicated home birth, had breastfed her first child for over two years, and her baby was born without any health problems.

Then, there are the rest of us…. 10-hour epidurals, emergency cesarean births, tight frenulums, sleepy babies, etc. With all the right intentions, we get caught in a situation where our nipples feel like they are about to fall off and we cry every time our baby wakes up because we can't imagine having to breastfeed in pain AGAIN! However, there are women out there who can figure out what is going on with you and your baby and possibly improve your breastfeeding situation drastically….. these are the lactation consultants. Plus, the sooner you see a lactation consultant, the sooner you will begin to heal and be able to breastfeed your baby, pain free.

Here is a list of reasons why you would want to call for a lactation consultant:

1. Sore, cracked nipples
   
2. Severe engorgement
   
3. Breast infection
   
4. Your baby was born prematurely
   
5. Your baby has lost more than 7% of his birth weight
   
6. Slow weight gain – your baby has not regained her birth weight by 10-14 days
   
7. Low milk supply
   
8. Painful when feeding, even though your baby looks like she has a good latch
   
9. Your baby has severe jaundice
   
10. Breastfeeding multiples
    
11. History of infertility or PCOS
    

I hope you are all blessed with beautiful, easy breastfeeding experiences. Both my boys took a few weeks to figure it out, but it was definitely worth the wait. And I have my lactation consultant to thank for thatJ

How Do I Know that my Baby is Getting Enough?

As a breastfeeding mom, it is difficult to measure how much your baby is getting at each feeding session. Bottles come with ounces written on the side, breasts do not. A new mom, still learning her baby's cues, might think that every time her baby cries that she/he is hungry, therefore leaving mom with a sense that she must not be making enough milk. This is usually not the case. But, to put your mind at ease, here are a few ways to actually know if your baby is getting enough.

For babies 1-6 weeks old:

• Has regained his birth weight by 10-14 days old
  
• Has 5 or more wet diapers and 3 or more soiled diapers in 24 hours
  
• Gains 4-7oz per week
  
• You can hear swallowing throughout the feed
  

If your baby is meeting the above criteria, trust your body, trust your maternal instincts, and continue what you're doing.

If your baby is not meeting the above criteria, I would recommend seeing your pediatrician or a lactation consultant to assess the situation.

FYI, Babies go through growth spurts around 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months old. During these 2-4 days, your baby will be fussy, want to eat constantly, and want to be held all of the time. This is normal. This is nature's way of increasing your milk supply with extra breast stimulation. During these growth spurts, breastfeed on demand; this will make the growth spurt take less time….pacifiers only make them last longer. Once your baby has successfully increased your milk supply, he/she will go back to feeding on a more regular schedule.

Champion Mom

I have been working with a client for over 6 weeks now and it has definitely been the most challenging case I have had to date. Baby was tongue-tied, mom had severe nipple trauma, and the mom had to supplement the baby so that she could continue to gain weight. I worried about them constantly....I wanted it to work out so badly. My heart was breaking for them every time I got a phone call that things had taken a step backwards. I reached out to colleagues for advice on something I felt I may be missing. We went for a second opinion, just to make sure I had all of the facts correct. Fortunately, the mom was super dedicated to breastfeeding and wanted to succeed so badly. I just was the cheerleader and support system.

Well, after two frenotomies, countless lactation consultations, multiple appointments with a craniosacral therapist, pumping after every feeding session, and a handful of supplements to battle the nipple trauma, mom and baby are now successfully breastfeeding. I was so proud of the duo that I could have cried! I am so in awe of the mom's dedication and how she persevered to achieve what she set out to accomplish. She battled and won! It has been such an incredible learning experience, as well as an amazing confidence booster for me as a lactation consultant. I feel blessed to have met this family!

Obstacles to Breastfeeding

I just found the most amazing web site, called Best for Babes: Giving Breastfeeding a Makeover. What I love about this site is that the authors candidly talk about all of the ways in which women are sabotaged into failing at breastfeeding. The authors, Bettina Forbes and Danielle Rigg, don't point fingers at moms and shame them into guilt, like so many web sites and articles do. Instead, they explain the barriers and lack of support moms receive, which is so much more productive and accurate. For example, why is breastfeeding viewed to be so difficult now? Why are women constantly worried about milk supply? Why are healthy babies given bottles of formula in the hospital for no medical reason? These "booby traps", as the authors cleverly call them, are what cause moms to lose self-confidence, doubt their intuition, and eventually give up feeding their babies the best nutrient possible....breastmilk.


So how does a mom overcome these "booby traps?"

• Become aware of the cultural and institutional "booby traps" and learn how to avoid them.


• Assemble, what the authors term, your A-Team - breastfeeding-supportive OBGYN/Midwife, pediatrician, Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), Hospital/Birth Center.


• Prepare yourself - Create a birth plan that is conducive to breastfeeding, practice skin-to-skin once the baby is born, plan to feed on demand, know who to ask for help.


• Find your local and cyberspace resources - Have a list of breastfeeding support groups, lactation consultant referrals, and non-sabotaging web sites that can offer assistance and support, without the "booby traps."


• Check out all of the other articles and blog entries on Best for Babes.

The only way we, as women, will be able to overcome the institutional, cultural, and familial obstacles to breastfeeding is by supporting one another and educating those who sabotage our goals. Rock on, Best for Babes! I am so happy you exist!

Breastfeeding 101 Classes

I am so excited! I finally have a place to teach my Breastfeeding 101 classes. I have been volunteering, teaching my class at Best Start Birth Center, for over 4 months. Now, I finally will be teaching there and at the Whole Family Wellness Center on a regular basis.

I have always loved teaching, which is one of the reasons that I got into this profession. I love sharing knowledge, brainstorming best practices, and collaborating with others. While teaching elementary school-aged children was a blast, now that I have my own kids, I prefer to teach adults, particularly new moms. Also, thanks to my brother and sisters who have been passionate about holistic medicine for over 15 years (one sister is an herbalist, another has celiac disease, and my brother is a vegetarian, mountain-man), I have been exposed to more natural, traditional ways to eat, treat illness, and live a healthy life. I am still learning everyday, not just to improve my quality of life, but for my husband and my two young children.

In Breastfeeding 101, I combine western philosophies with traditional naturopathic beliefs to make breastfeeding natural and easy for each and every mother and family. This class covers the benefits of breastfeeding, what to expect in the first 2 weeks of breastfeeding, breastfeeding positions, and common misconceptions about breastfeeding. I also discuss baby self-attachment, ways to build a healthy milk supply, and holistic methods for treating common breastfeeding concerns.

Breastfeeding 101 will be offered at the Best Start Birth Center and the Whole Family Wellness Center, at least once a month. Please see my calendar for dates and times at http://www.sdbfc.com/calendar.html
To register for one of these classes, please see http://www.sandiegohypnobirth.com/Breastfeeding_Classes.html and fill out the registration form.

Please pass this information on to all of your pregnant friends:)

Best chili recipe EVER

My friend, Bree, is an absolutely amazing cook. She is also the queen of easy dinners that can be made super fast with no fuss. This chili is outstanding and can be made around lunch time, so by dinner time your house has a wonderful aroma and all you have to do is set the table. Enjoy!

Bree's Awesome Chili

1 yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 lbs ground beef (although I love to use bison meat....super low in fat and delectable!)
28oz canned diced tomatoes
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp dried parsley
chili powder (to taste)
1/2 jar of favorite bar b q sauce
1/4 cup instant coffee
honey (taste)
Salt and pepper (to taste)

Saute onions, garlic, and olive oil over medium high heat until onions are soft. Add the meat and cook until browned. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer over low heat for 1-5 hours. Taste the chili 1/2 way through and adjust seasonings, bar b q sauce, coffee, and honey to taste.

Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream (or greek yogurt), and chips (or corn bread.)
Freeze and left overs for up to a month.

Why is my baby so fussy in the early evening?

The "witching hour" is what my mom calls it.....that span from 4pm-7pm when babies just fuss and complain and want to be held nonstop.

Why does this happen?
During the first few months of life, babies can be very fussy right around dinner time. Some studies say that this is because young infants become overstimulated very easily and that by the late afternoon they are just completely exhausted from the day. Others hypothesize that this is one of the most energy-filled times of the day. Partners are coming home from work, siblings are home from school, dinner is being made, the TV might be on....that is a lot of commotion for a baby to process. For breastfeeding moms, excess breast milk that accumulated while "sleeping" at night has dwindled and now the baby is removing the milk as it is being made, which may slow down the flow of milk. Lastly, babies are fussy during these hours because they want to eat....they are trying to load up on calories, so that they can sleep for a longer chunk of time at night.

What can I do to get through it and still keep my sanity?
1. Breastfeed often. Lots of small meals during these hours may equal one large feed, which will allow your baby to hopefully sleep a little bit longer.
2. Wear your baby. My son hung out in a baby carrier from 4-8pm every night from 6 weeks until 3 1/2 months. This way, I could bounce him, sing to him, soothe him, and feed him while still preparing dinner, eating dinner, and bathing my older son.
3. Prepare dinner in the morning. Babies are usually calmer in the morning before overstimulation sets in. Use your crockpot, make casseroles and chili, make larger portions and freeze the left-overs. This way, dinner is one less thing you have to think about during your baby's fussy time.
4. Take a breath. Your baby's late afternoon fussiness should subside between three and four months of age. Then she/he will begin to enjoy attention and engagement during these hours.