Nursing instead of pumping sure would have made my packing list for the trip we're about to take a lot shorter. The downside of pumping has always been a lot of part hauling and washing, but on the road will be even more of a pain. Not to mention all the milk handling questions. (Will it stay fresh in a cooler? Is using someone else's fridge for breast milk kosher?) I had to make a spreadsheet to track all of the stuff! Here's just the "baby" portion of the list. Am I going overboard?
stroller
booster seat
toys
blankie & stuffed elephant
detergent for washing diapers
big ziploc for dirties
trash bags for dirties
fuzzibunz diapers
disposable diapers
diaper liners
onesies, pants, jammies, socks, sweatshirts
hat
blankets (fleece & swaddle)
baby wash
wipies
baby outfit to wear to the wedding
travel crib
sheets for travel crib (2x)
baby bjorn
backpack carrier
shoes
sunscreen
hairbrush
bibs
baby tylenol
monitor
sling
nail clipper
Pump
Parts,bottles & ziplocs
milk storage bags
wee cooler for breast milk
bottle brush
dish detergent
kitchen towels for part washing
plastic bins for part washing
bottles, nipples, & plastic inserts
ice packs and cooler
cheerios
fresh fruit
snacks
fruit cups/applesauce
water bottles & cups
utensils incl sharp knife for fruit
paper towels
Monday, May 24, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Mechanics of breastfeeding
New ultrasound video (above) shows that infants create a vacuum to suck our the milk rather than pressing or squeezing the milk out. It also may show why breastfeeding is so painful for some women, like me. "They're strong suckers," said Donna Geddes, Research Assistant Professor, School of Biomedical, Biomolecular and Chemical Sciences. Some babies also crunch too hard on the nipple. This information could lead to design of new aids to help new moms with this problem.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Supply
The second biggest reason moms choose to formula-feed is not being able to tell if the baby is getting enough milk, according to the same article (Arora, 2000) that cited fathers' feelings as the biggest reason (see February's post on Dads). "Mothers should be educated about assessing the adequacy of milk supply by listening for an audible swallow, noting urine production by the number of diapers changed per day, and by recording weight gain at well-child visits." Easy enough? Not really, even if you're informed.
Imagine: you are in your first week of trying to breastfeed your new baby. Of course, you can't see the milk, and you have yet to learn your baby's feeding cues. Your newborn, like many, is very sleepy, and often falls asleep at the breast, leaving you wondering whether he is full or just got tired of trying to extract nonexistent milk. You are counting pee diapers; but premium diapers feel so dry--does that really count as a pee? He screams for food 45 minutes after a feeding, causing you to question whether he got enough at the last feeding. At his well-baby visit, he comes in at the 30th percentile for weight (based on averages of both breastfed AND formula-fed babies). The pediatrician says it's fine, but you are definitely concerned now that he isn't getting enough milk. In a moment of panic, you feed him some formula. The formula brings you a sense of relief because now you are certain your baby is getting the calories he needs. It's comforting to view and measure the feeds. Formula supplementing becomes part of your routine. Meanwhile, your body is adjusting its supply to the milk demanded by the baby. Since the baby, sated by formula, demands less, your body makes less. Concerned still, you supplement a little more. Eventually, it begins to feel like nursing is just for comfort, and maybe, you stop.
It's a vicious cycle. And maybe you never had a supply problem at all! It is easy to understand how this can happen, given how powerful the need is for a new mother to nourish her baby. Of course, supply problems can be and are real in many cases, but the treatment for low supply is more nursing, not less. In yet another situation, the combo of support and information is the key: knowing the signs of a well-fed baby AND having someone there to coach you along saying, "He's eating well, and you're doing great."
Arora, S.; McJunkin, C.; Wehrer, J.; Kuhn, P. “Major Factors Influencing Breastfeeding Rates: Mother’s Perception of Father’s Attitude and Milk Supply.” From the Family Medicine Department and the Research Center, Hamot Medical Center, Erie, Pennsylvania. 2000.
Imagine: you are in your first week of trying to breastfeed your new baby. Of course, you can't see the milk, and you have yet to learn your baby's feeding cues. Your newborn, like many, is very sleepy, and often falls asleep at the breast, leaving you wondering whether he is full or just got tired of trying to extract nonexistent milk. You are counting pee diapers; but premium diapers feel so dry--does that really count as a pee? He screams for food 45 minutes after a feeding, causing you to question whether he got enough at the last feeding. At his well-baby visit, he comes in at the 30th percentile for weight (based on averages of both breastfed AND formula-fed babies). The pediatrician says it's fine, but you are definitely concerned now that he isn't getting enough milk. In a moment of panic, you feed him some formula. The formula brings you a sense of relief because now you are certain your baby is getting the calories he needs. It's comforting to view and measure the feeds. Formula supplementing becomes part of your routine. Meanwhile, your body is adjusting its supply to the milk demanded by the baby. Since the baby, sated by formula, demands less, your body makes less. Concerned still, you supplement a little more. Eventually, it begins to feel like nursing is just for comfort, and maybe, you stop.
It's a vicious cycle. And maybe you never had a supply problem at all! It is easy to understand how this can happen, given how powerful the need is for a new mother to nourish her baby. Of course, supply problems can be and are real in many cases, but the treatment for low supply is more nursing, not less. In yet another situation, the combo of support and information is the key: knowing the signs of a well-fed baby AND having someone there to coach you along saying, "He's eating well, and you're doing great."
Arora, S.; McJunkin, C.; Wehrer, J.; Kuhn, P. “Major Factors Influencing Breastfeeding Rates: Mother’s Perception of Father’s Attitude and Milk Supply.” From the Family Medicine Department and the Research Center, Hamot Medical Center, Erie, Pennsylvania. 2000.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Guilt
Many mothers I talk with about baby feeding mention the guilt they felt when they could not, did not, or had to stop breastfeeding. (One or two of my regular readers will say they did not feel guilty, but sadly, they are in the minority.) It makes sense: most moms understand breast milk is the healthiest choice, so we set our hearts on it, and if it doesn't work, we feel like we've failed our babies.
We are told that "breast is best," but we aren't all able to do what's "best," for reasons I've already talked about--first, the problems that can occur with breastfeeding, and second, the lack of help to solve them. To me, this is like to telling someone to build a house without providing blueprints, skilled help, or materials.
Maybe the message "breast is best" is in itself flawed, as this article points out. It suggests that "breast is normal" might be better. But for this to be true, breastfeeding would have to become the new norm--and the only way that can happen is through the information and support that will set new moms up for success. (This article also points out that, interestingly, formula-fed babies, rather than breastfed babies, are the control groups in most studies.)
Meanwhile, we should remind ourselves that none of this is easy, and that a mother's love isn't diminished by what she feeds her baby.
We are told that "breast is best," but we aren't all able to do what's "best," for reasons I've already talked about--first, the problems that can occur with breastfeeding, and second, the lack of help to solve them. To me, this is like to telling someone to build a house without providing blueprints, skilled help, or materials.
Maybe the message "breast is best" is in itself flawed, as this article points out. It suggests that "breast is normal" might be better. But for this to be true, breastfeeding would have to become the new norm--and the only way that can happen is through the information and support that will set new moms up for success. (This article also points out that, interestingly, formula-fed babies, rather than breastfed babies, are the control groups in most studies.)
Meanwhile, we should remind ourselves that none of this is easy, and that a mother's love isn't diminished by what she feeds her baby.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Donating breast milk: update
Moments ago, Fedex arrived at my house and picked up two 20-lb boxes of milk (around 400 oz.), headed for the Mothers' Milk Bank at Austin, TX. It took almost two months from the inquiry into donating to actually delivering the milk, but it's all been worth it! What an amazing feeling! Big thanks to all the staff at Mothers' Milk for making it possible.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Study: Breast-feeding would save lives, money
Last week, the journal Pediatrics published a study that concluded that "the lives of nearly 900 babies would be saved each year...if 90 percent of U.S. women breast-fed their babies for the first six months of life..." It attributes these potential lifesaving benefits to the prevention of diseases that breastfeeding offers, like ear infections, diabetes, asthma, and others.
But how can we get to 90% (WITHOUT making new mothers feel guilty or pressured)? It probably starts with support and positive influence in the birthplace. Many hospitals still offer newborns bottles even when mothers intend to breastfeed, and some do not offer the level of support and education on breastfeeding needed to set new moms up for success. Then, many other changes would be required at home, such as a higher rate of support from dads and other family members, as well as acceptance in the workplace and of breastfeeding in public. Essentially, a 90% breastfeeding rate would require a huge shift in cultural norms. (And, by the way, wouldn't it just be nice if women's bodies were respected as much for their life-supporting abilities as their sexual attractiveness?) Maybe the best we can do is to keep talking about it.
But how can we get to 90% (WITHOUT making new mothers feel guilty or pressured)? It probably starts with support and positive influence in the birthplace. Many hospitals still offer newborns bottles even when mothers intend to breastfeed, and some do not offer the level of support and education on breastfeeding needed to set new moms up for success. Then, many other changes would be required at home, such as a higher rate of support from dads and other family members, as well as acceptance in the workplace and of breastfeeding in public. Essentially, a 90% breastfeeding rate would require a huge shift in cultural norms. (And, by the way, wouldn't it just be nice if women's bodies were respected as much for their life-supporting abilities as their sexual attractiveness?) Maybe the best we can do is to keep talking about it.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Starting solids
Ever since Sam emerged from the "newborn" phase, people have been asking me when we were going to start feeding him solid food. As with other questions, I turned to books. Your Baby's First Year Week by Week by Glade B. Curtis, M.D. and Judith Schuler, M.S. suggests starting at 4-5 months, and says that by 6 1/2 months (his age now) babies can enjoy a variety of solid foods. Child of Mine: Feeding with Love and Good Sense by Ellyn Satter recommends basing starting solids on what your child can do (such as sitting up on his own). Family members suggested starting even earlier by putting cereal in his bottle.
We started offering cereal by spoon at around 5 months. "Cereal" refers to a mashed, cooked, single grain, such as rice, blended with breast milk or formula. We tried making our own, but found boxed baby cereal preferable as it's quick and there's less waste. Some days he seemed to really enjoy it, opening wide for the spoon; others, he just played with the food, or the spoon, or the whole bowl; still others, he cried to get out of his high chair. It wasn't going great, but we decided to let him go at his own pace.
Then, just last night, Sam's first tooth emerged, peeking out of his bottom gum. I had this thought: wouldn't it make sense that babies are biologically ready for food beyond milk when they grow teeth rather than by some arbitrary time line or unrelated skill development? I haven't found any research on this so far, but my mommy intuition tells me he'll be more ready for solid food soon.
We started offering cereal by spoon at around 5 months. "Cereal" refers to a mashed, cooked, single grain, such as rice, blended with breast milk or formula. We tried making our own, but found boxed baby cereal preferable as it's quick and there's less waste. Some days he seemed to really enjoy it, opening wide for the spoon; others, he just played with the food, or the spoon, or the whole bowl; still others, he cried to get out of his high chair. It wasn't going great, but we decided to let him go at his own pace.
Then, just last night, Sam's first tooth emerged, peeking out of his bottom gum. I had this thought: wouldn't it make sense that babies are biologically ready for food beyond milk when they grow teeth rather than by some arbitrary time line or unrelated skill development? I haven't found any research on this so far, but my mommy intuition tells me he'll be more ready for solid food soon.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
