Getting off to the right start.

Your birth experience can definitely play into your breastfeeding experience. Sure, in a perfect world, every woman would have her ideal birthing experience, leading to the perfect nursing journey, but we know that this is not always the case! So how can we encourage a strong breastfeeding relationship right from the start?

* Request skin to skin contact immediately after birth. Decline bathing and routine newborn screening until after the baby has nursed successfully for the first time.

* Try to nurse as soon as you can. Not only does it help the bonding process, but the oxytocin that your body releases while breastfeeding will help contract the uterus and expel the placenta.

* Keep baby close by. If you’re birthing in a hospital setting, insist on rooming in. If at home, climb into bed as a family and get some rest.

* Nurse your baby whenever you feel that s/he’s hungry. Newborns need to nurse every 1.5 – 2 hours, normally, but anything from once an hour to every three is within the realm of normal. Don’t hesitate to wake up a sleeping baby for a nursing session.

* Decline pacifiers and artificial nipples. All nursing – whether for comfort or nourishment – needs to be on the breast to help bring in your milk and start establishing supply. Your baby will not use you as a pacifier – any ‘extraneous’ breastfeeding is being done by a biological urge. It’s normal!

* Get plenty of rest, drink lots of water and eat well. A breastfeeding Mama should be consuming an extra 300-500 calories a day. When you sit down to nurse, have a snack – granola, cheese, fruit – close by and a big glass of water. Staying hydrated and nourished is very, very important!

* Take a little time every day to take a shower and eat a meal with both hands. Twenty minutes alone can be a lifesaver – don’t be ashamed to ask for help. Breastfeeding burns a lot of calories and is pretty time-consuming in the beginning, so being able to clear your head is a must. If you’re experiencing pain, have bloody/cracked/blistered nipples, or baby’s not having adequate wet/dirty diapers, talk to a local lactation professional. International Board Certified Lactation Consultants can be found all over the world and are specifically trained to help you, the nursing Mama. The La Leche League offers 24-hour phone support, as well. Nursing a new baby can be overwhelming, so make sure that your needs are met so you are able to meet those of your baby.

Cheers!
- Katie
katie@milksmartmama.com
@MilkSmartMama (Twitter)

Today’s Nursing News!

This week in the nursing news…

Remember Obama’s healthcare reform?  Women’s health advocates are positive that this will bring positive change in the nation’s breastfeeding rates.  We can hope!

Australian singer Dannii Minogue loves nursing her baby.  We love to hear about celebrities that truly embrace breastfeeding – what a great way to use one’s fame.

I think that Making Thyme Kitchen in Grand Rapids, Michigan, has the right idea with their milkeez cookies.

“The relationship may be explained by the fact that nutrients in breast milk — especially long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids — are essential for optimum brain growth, including cell membranes and neurons.”

In New Zealand?  You have until January 10th to get your entry in for the Breastfeeding T-Off.

If you take medication for epilepsy and have been told you can not breastfeed safely, you may want to read this article.

Healthy People 2020 has released some great, attainable goals for the United States.  Think we can get the initiation rate up to 82% from our current 75%?

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or email me katie@milksmartmama.com

Breastfeeding Prep: What You Need to Know.

Click for Source.

Before I gave birth to my first son, I spent my pregnancy focused on one thing: labor & birth.  Would it hurt?  Will my epidural work?  Will I have to have a c-section?  Am I going to poop while I’m pushing?  (Please no, please no, please no!)  I went to a popular Mom’s site and spent my days reading the posts, reading birth stories, trying to learn everything I could about it.  I read What To Expect When You’re Expecting and The Girlfriend’s Guide to Pregnancy.  I knew that I wanted to nurse my baby when he was born, but I was so worried about the pain of labor and birth that I didn’t take the time to really learn about nursing.  I only nursed him for a few months, falling into typical ‘booby traps’ along the way.  Right after he turned one, I found myself pregnant again, and I vowed that it would be different.  And it has been – my little dude is a little over 13 months old and we’re still nursing!  How did I do it?  How did I set myself up for success?

I read books that focused on nursing like The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding and Ina May’s Guide to Breastfeeding.  I spent time with Mama friends that were actively nursing their children and asked every question that I possibly could.  I asked my OB and pediatrician to help and support me.  I made a list of IBCLCs in my area that could help me and saved a few La Leche League leaders’ numbers in my phone.  I never made it to a LLL meeting during my pregnancy, or a breastfeeding class, but if you’re able to?  GO.

The keys to preparing yourself to nurse are simple: education and support.  If you don’t have a solid support system readily available to you, find one online.  The Breast Idea, KellyMom, Best For Babes Foundation, La Leche League, even our Milk Smart Mama Facebook page – full of women to help and encourage you along the way.  Go into it with the confidence that you will succeed and have the basic knowledge to recognize any problems you may be experiencing and you’re golden.  Welcome to the Sisterhood – we’re excited that you’ve joined us!

Cheers!
- Katie
katie@milksmartmama.com
@MilkSmartMama (Twitter)

Nursing News!

Here’s a taste of what’s been going on the news lately…

Beth Hale of the UK’s Daily Mail wrote this piece a few days ago, prompting this reply from Christie Haskell of Cafemom’s The Stir.

A UK midwife is planning on releasing a different, er, type of nursing video.

Working Mamas in West Virginia: The West Virginia Breastfeeding Alliance has some good news for you!

And if you’re near Utica, New York, you may want to check out the Breastfeeding Cafe.

These birthing, breastfeeding dolls have been garnering a lot of talk lately, too!

Have something to share?
Find us on Facebook or Twitter!
or email me katie@milksmartmama.com

Breastfeeding: Is it right for me?

As pregnant women, we’re bombarded with information: things we’re not allowed to eat, activities we can’t participate in, optional prenatal testing, choices about birth, health care providers, newborn care and safety…the list is forever long. Somewhere along the line, someone always asks, “Are you going to breastfeed?”

There is no doubt that breast milk is the optimal source of nutrition for an infant. In a perfect world, all women would nurse their babies for the first year of life. Every major health organization in the world, from the American Academy of Pediatrics to the United Nations Children’s Fund, recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months (when many babies start eating solid foods, which takes the ‘exclusive’ part out). Even though we know this, making the decision to nurse a baby is a very personal one.

My personal general rule of thumb? If you are a healthy woman with boobies, you should give it a shot. Even if your boobies have been enhanced (or…de-hanced?), it doesn’t automatically mean that you can’t nurse your baby. The benefits of nursing for any amount of time, whether it’s 2 days or 4 years, are so incredible. Breastfed babies are less likely to develop asthma, diabetes, SIDS, and breastfeeding mothers lower their risk of breast and reproductive cancers just by making that choice. Add in the convenience factor (it’s always the right temperature, always available, no bottles to clean, FREE!) and it’s hard to find a reason NOT to breastfeed.

The immediate physical and emotional benefits of breastfeeding are there, too: it helps the uterus return to its normal size, encourages bonding, reminds us to slow down and relax during the postpartum period, and helps with postpartum depression. So while we’re providing so many great things for our babies by nursing, we’re actually helping ourselves.

If you’re still on the fence, check out a local breastfeeding support group (like the La Leche League) in your area. Seek out an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) prior to giving birth and schedule a meeting to ask questions and ease any fears that you have. Hop on the Internet and visit us at The Breast Idea for encouragement. There are people all over the world that are willing and able to help you succeed, but only you can make the choice to take that step. We (the collective we: all breastfeeding Mamas) hope that you join us in this amazing journey!

Cheers!
- Katie
katie@milksmartmama.com
@MilkSmartMama (Twitter)

(Want to know who Katie is?  Head over here!)