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In this episode, Barbara Robertson and Nancy Mohrbacher review recommendations and outcomes of parental leave policies around the world. Paid parental leave varies by country, but the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) has issued a new position statement for maternity leave guidelines, recommending at least 6 months of paid leave. Nancy and Barbara dive into… The post All Things Breastfeeding Episode 87: Parental Leave appeared first on The Breastfeeding Center of Ann Arbor.
Jaundice and Hypoglycemia Did you know there are new guidelines for diagnosing and treating jaundice and infant hypoglycemia? In this episode, Barbara Robertson and Nancy Mohrbacher discuss updates to the clinical practice guidelines for safe bilirubin levels and when babies might need intervention. Nancy and Barbara review why bilirubin levels are important and some of… The post All Things Breastfeeding Episode 84: Jaundice and Infant Hypoglycemia appeared first on The Breastfeeding Center of Ann Arbor.
Barbara is joined by Nancy Mohrbacher to talk about education, particularly about professional lactation education. In the field of education, the traditional method of lecture and Power Point stills dominates the trainings that are available. Research has show over and over again that this is one of the most non-effective ways to help people learn.… The post All Things Breastfeeding 75: Best Education Principles appeared first on The Breastfeeding Center of Ann Arbor.
Today's home birth story features Jamie Lazzeri, an Ayurvedic Wellness Practitioner, DONA Trained Birth Doula and Holistic Pregnancy Coach. Jamie talks about her obsession with birth before becoming a mother, her doula work and how that all influenced the kind of birth she wanted to have for her and her baby. She also shares a number of great resources that helped her in her journey - including the importance of learning from and sharing birth stories and the benefits of prenatal yoga. Jamie's birth was peaceful and empowering overall. Coming out of the birth, she realized a number of triggers that brought on PPD and activated hidden PTSD, related to past sexual trauma. She realizes that her birth opened up the space to look at the traumas and begin to heal. This is an incredibly courageous and important conversation to have, as many experience this but do not talk about it. From Jamie: “I wish I had heard someone talk about this so I could have gotten the help I needed before going through that for so long and I imagine if I'm able to be on your podcast, there will be birthing people that could benefit from this information and not feel alone.” Things we talk about in this episode: Importance of birth stories Why home birth Prenatal yoga Resources for birth and postpartum planning PPD and PTSD EMDR therapy Links: Resources that Jamie listed: Hypnobirthing Evidence Based Birth Spinning Babies The Birthful Podcast The Informed Pregnancy Podcast Birth Kweens Podcast "The Birth Partner" by Penny Simkin "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth" by Ina May Gaskin "When Survivors Give Birth" by Penny Simkin and Phyllis Klaus "The Mama Natural Week-By-Week Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth" by Genevieve Howland "Birthing From Within" by Pan England and Rob Horowitz "Breastfeeding Made Simple" by Nancy Mohrbacher and Kathleen Kendall-Tackett "The First Forty Days - The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother" by Heng Ou, Amely Greeven and Marisa Belger "This Isn't What I Expected - Overcoming Postpartum Depression" by Karen Kleiman and Valerie Davis Raskin Jamie's Instagram Doing It At Home book on Amazon DIAH website DIAH Instagram DIAH YouTube DIAH Resources DIAH Merch Give Back to DIAH
In 2020 Nancy Mohrbacher published her latest book, Breastfeeding Answers, 2nd Edition. We jokingly call this book BA2 and it is one of the most important books in the field of lactation. I was honored that Nancy was willing to co-host a professional book group with me. I had hosted two other book groups before,… The post All Things Breastfeeding 72: 7 Must Know Changes in the Field of Lactation–A Conversation with Nancy Mohrbacher appeared first on The Breastfeeding Center of Ann Arbor.
Have you felt intimidated when starting bottles with your breastfed baby?Do you know what paced bottle feeding is?Have you received bad information about bottles (you probably have)?Check out this information about introducing bottles, and get all your questions answered.If you are a new listener, we would love to hear from you. Please consider leaving us a review on itunes or sending us an email with your suggestions and comments to badassbreastfeedingpodcast@gmail.comWE HAVE TRANSCRIPTS!! You can also add your email to our list and have episodes sent right to your inbox! Things we talked about:Abby tells her bottle story [6:04]No one tells you how to do it [8:16]Waiting a couple weeks to pump/bottle feed [10:03]No more than four [11:06]Picking a bottle [13:56]Slow flow nipples and a word from capitalism [15:56]Is bottle feeding harder than breastfeeding? The science behind it [20:08]Feeding is trust [25:17]Paced bottle feeding [27:51] *This Episode is sponsored by Original Sprout and Niki's Natural Wipes Links to information we discussed or episodes you should check out! https://www.diannecassidyconsulting.com/2014/04/19/is-bottle-feeding-really-easier-for-babies-than-breastfeeding/ https://www.diannecassidyconsulting.com/2021/06/08/the-benefits-of-paced-bottle-feeding/ https://badassbreastfeedingpodcast.com/episode/071-overfeeding-paced-bottle-feeding/ https://badassbreastfeedingpodcast.com/episode/bottles-versus-breast/ Set up your consultation with Diannehttps://badassbreastfeedingpodcast.com/consultations/ Check out Dianne's blog here~https://diannecassidyconsulting.com/milklytheblog/Don't Forget!! Dianne and Abby have started the new parenting podcast! Check out Revolution Parenting! https://www.buzzsprout.com/1755123/8400508Follow our Podcast~https://badassbreastfeedingpodcast.comHere is how you can connect with Dianne and Abby~Abby Theuring https://www.thebadassbreastfeeder.comDianne Cassidy http://www.diannecassidyconsulting.com Music we use~Music: "Levels of Greatness" from "We Used to Paint Stars in the Sky (2012)" courtesy of Scott Holmes at freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott Holmes
Have you felt intimidated when starting bottles with your breastfed baby?Do you know what paced bottle feeding is?Have you received bad information about bottles (you probably have)?Check out this information about introducing bottles, and get all your questions answered.If you are a new listener, we would love to hear from you. Please consider leaving us a review on itunes or sending us an email with your suggestions and comments to badassbreastfeedingpodcast@gmail.comWE HAVE TRANSCRIPTS!! You can also add your email to our list and have episodes sent right to your inbox! Things we talked about:Abby tells her bottle story [6:04]No one tells you how to do it [8:16]Waiting a couple weeks to pump/bottle feed [10:03]No more than four [11:06]Picking a bottle [13:56]Slow flow nipples and a word from capitalism [15:56]Is bottle feeding harder than breastfeeding? The science behind it [20:08]Feeding is trust [25:17]Paced bottle feeding [27:51] *This Episode is sponsored by Original Sprout and Niki's Natural Wipes Links to information we discussed or episodes you should check out! https://www.diannecassidyconsulting.com/2014/04/19/is-bottle-feeding-really-easier-for-babies-than-breastfeeding/ https://www.diannecassidyconsulting.com/2021/06/08/the-benefits-of-paced-bottle-feeding/ https://badassbreastfeedingpodcast.com/episode/071-overfeeding-paced-bottle-feeding/ https://badassbreastfeedingpodcast.com/episode/bottles-versus-breast/ Set up your consultation with Diannehttps://badassbreastfeedingpodcast.com/consultations/ Check out Dianne's blog here~https://diannecassidyconsulting.com/milklytheblog/Don't Forget!! Dianne and Abby have started the new parenting podcast! Check out Revolution Parenting! https://www.buzzsprout.com/1755123/8400508 Follow our Podcast~https://badassbreastfeedingpodcast.comHere is how you can connect with Dianne and Abby~Abby Theuring https://www.thebadassbreastfeeder.comDianne Cassidy http://www.diannecassidyconsulting.com Music we use~Music: "Levels of Greatness" from "We Used to Paint Stars in the Sky (2012)" courtesy of Scott Holmes at freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott Holmes
Have you ever looked at your social media feed and thought “this is stupid” ?Have you ever considered the positives and negatives associated with social media?I bet you can't wait to hear about the stupid shit Dianne and Abby found on social media about breastfeeding!If you are a new listener, we would love to hear from you. Please consider leaving us a review on itunes or sending us an email with your suggestions and comments to badassbreastfeedingpodcast@gmail.comWE HAVE TRANSCRIPTS!! You can also add your email to our list and have episodes sent right to your inbox! Things we talked about:Social media and the positive outcomes [3:21]Some downsides to social media breast / chest feeding information [5:35]Abby's first example of shit social media information [8:51]The one that started it all [11:17]The PURPLE drink [19:04]The meal plan [20:52]The calorie count shit [24:54]Yoga to increase milk supply? [25:47]Pumping [28:41]Getting your body back [31:15]The Gatorade Dilemma [32:09] *This Episode is sponsored by Original Sprout and Fairhaven Health Links to information we discussed or episodes you should check out! https://badassbreastfeedingpodcast.com/episode/024-alcohol-consumption/ https://badassbreastfeedingpodcast.com/episode/alcohol-and-milk-supply/ Set up your consultation with Diannehttps://badassbreastfeedingpodcast.com/consultations/ Check out Dianne's blog here~https://diannecassidyconsulting.com/milklytheblog/Don't Forget!! Dianne and Abby have started the new parenting podcast! Check out Revolution Parenting! https://www.buzzsprout.com/1755123/8400508 Follow our Podcast~https://badassbreastfeedingpodcast.comHere is how you can connect with Dianne and Abby~Abby Theuring https://www.thebadassbreastfeeder.comDianne Cassidy http://www.diannecassidyconsulting.com Music we use~Music: "Levels of Greatness" from "We Used to Paint Stars in the Sky (2012)" courtesy of Scott Holmes at freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott Holmes
Do you know how to tell if your baby is breast/chest feeding well?Are you unsure about supplementing? Did someone tell you to supplement?This episode will give you the tools to determine if your baby is feeding well.If you are a new listener, we would love to hear from you. Please consider leaving us a review on itunes or sending us an email with your suggestions and comments to badassbreastfeedingpodcast@gmail.comWE HAVE TRANSCRIPTS!! You can also add your email to our list and have episodes sent right to your inbox! Things we talked about:We Expect things to go wrong [5:31]Asking Google [7:26]Pain [9:31]Diaper output [12:19]Weight gain [13:49]Feeding on demand [17:21]Supplementing [20:56]Starving babies (or not) [24:48]In summary…[36:03] *This Episode is sponsored by Original Sprout and Fairhaven Health Links to information we discussed or episodes you should check out!https://badassbreastfeedingpodcast.com/episode/nursing-while-pregnant-and-tandem-nursing/ https://badassbreastfeedingpodcast.com/episode/weight-gain-in-the-breastfeeding-baby/ https://badassbreastfeedingpodcast.com/episode/medical-info-to-flush-down-the-toilet/ Set up your consultation with Diannehttps://badassbreastfeedingpodcast.com/consultations/ Check out Dianne's blog here~https://diannecassidyconsulting.com/milklytheblog/Don't Forget!! Dianne and Abby have started the new parenting podcast! Check out Revolution Parenting! https://www.buzzsprout.com/1755123/8400508 Follow our Podcast~https://badassbreastfeedingpodcast.comHere is how you can connect with Dianne and Abby~Abby Theuring https://www.thebadassbreastfeeder.comDianne Cassidy http://www.diannecassidyconsulting.com Music we use~Music: "Levels of Greatness" from "We Used to Paint Stars in the Sky (2012)" courtesy of Scott Holmes at freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott Holmes
Do you know what your baby’s percentile is?Have you ever wondered where it came from or what it means?Are you worried about your baby’s percentile?Once you hear this episode, you won’t worry about it anymore.If you are a new listener, we would love to hear from you. Please consider leaving us a review on itunes or sending us an email with your suggestions and comments to badassbreastfeedingpodcast@gmail.comWE HAVE TRANSCRIPTS!! You can also add your email to our list and have episodes sent right to your inbox! Things we talked about:Why do we need to know percentiles? [4:48]Where it all started. Abby thinks the formula companies [9:23]Abby is part of the statistics – she’s white and born in Ohio [10:16]It wasn’t meant to be the only diagnostic instrument [12:03]Following the growth pattern [15:39]How many babies are born worldwide each year? [17:29]Breastfed babies gain faster in the beginning [22:20]Weight for age [22:38]Birth length [24:00]Head circumference [25:13]Babies should be weighed on the same scale [33:03]Look at all the things [34:54] *This Episode is sponsored by Original Sprout and Sheila Darling Coaching Links to information we discussed or episodes you should check out! https://badassbreastfeedingpodcast.com/episode/045-becoming-a-breastfeeding-advocate/ https://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/2000GrowthChart-US.pdf https://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/background.htm Set up your consultation with Diannehttps://badassbreastfeedingpodcast.com/consultations/ Check out Dianne’s blog here~https://diannecassidyconsulting.com/milklytheblog/Don’t Forget!! Dianne and Abby have started the new parenting podcast! Check out Revolution Parenting! https://www.buzzsprout.com/1755123/8400508 Follow our Podcast~https://badassbreastfeedingpodcast.comHere is how you can connect with Dianne and Abby~Abby Theuring https://www.thebadassbreastfeeder.comDianne Cassidy http://www.diannecassidyconsulting.com Music we use~Music: "Levels of Greatness" from "We Used to Paint Stars in the Sky (2012)" courtesy of Scott Holmes at freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott Holmes
Have you ever heard of foremilk and hindmilk? Are you worried your baby won’t get hind milk if they don’t feed a specific way?Are you confused by this whole concept of different milks?You aren’t alone. And we are about to squash this whole idea of fancy milk.If you are a new listener, we would love to hear from you. Please consider leaving us a review on itunes or sending us an email with your suggestions and comments to badassbreastfeedingpodcast@gmail.comWE HAVE TRANSCRIPTS!! You can also add your email to our list and have episodes sent right to your inbox!Things we talked about:Revolution Parenting is here!! [4:13]What is fore milk and hind milk [7:38]Time is obsolete [9:21]The fore milk / hind milk questions [11:22]There are not 2 kinds of milk [12:50]Hind milk and weight gain [14:43]Parent blame [19:45]Timed feeds [21:08]Total volume of milk consumed [27:35]What the baby is doing at the breast/chest is more important than the time spent there [32:44]*This Episode is sponsored by Original Sprout and Sheila Darling Coaching Links to information we discussed or episodes you should check out! http://www.nancymohrbacher.com/articles/2010/6/27/worries-about-foremilk-and-hindmilk.html Set up your consultation with Diannehttps://badassbreastfeedingpodcast.com/consultations/ Check out Dianne’s blog here~https://diannecassidyconsulting.com/milklytheblog/ Follow our Podcast~https://badassbreastfeedingpodcast.comHere is how you can connect with Dianne and Abby~Abby Theuring https://www.thebadassbreastfeeder.comDianne Cassidy http://www.diannecassidyconsulting.com Music we use~Music: "Levels of Greatness" from "We Used to Paint Stars in the Sky (2012)" courtesy of Scott Holmes at freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott Holmes
Barbara Robertson chats with Nancy Mohrbacher about her new edition of Breastfeeding Answers, 2nd Edition and their upcoming project. Do you want to unlock the secrets of Breastfeeding Answers, 2nd Edition? Barbara D. Robertson will be joined by Nancy Mohrbacher, the author of the book, to discuss their upcoming venture and break this down for… The post Episode 65: Interview with Nancy Mohrbacher- New book group! appeared first on The Breastfeeding Center of Ann Arbor.
This episode includes different aspects of breastfeeding.1. Mom's nutrition and hydration to support breastfeeding2. Clothing for mom when breastfeeding baby3. Baby hunger cues4. Timing of nursing baby5 Positioning of mom and baby and baby's latchBonus Encouragement Section at the end of the episode!Books mentioned in the episode:Breastfeeding Made Simple: Seven Natural Laws of Nursing Mothers by Nancy Mohrbacher and Kathleen Kendall-TackettNew Mother's Guide to Breastfeeding by Joan Younger and Sherill TippinsThe Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby from Birth to Age Two by William Sears, Martha Sears, Robert Sears, and James SearsThe Mother of All Baby Books: The Ultimate Guide to Your Baby's First Year by Ann DouglasConnect with the host:Sarah Bednar, MEd, PCD(DONA)Owner of The Modern Day Tribe, LLCWebsite: TheModernDayTribe.comInstagram: @dallasdoulasarahFacebook: The Modern Day TribeMusic from this episode is by John Bartmann at: https://johnbartmann.comThank you for listening! Please subscribe, rate, review and share this podcast! These help this podcast get found by other listeners too.
Connect with the guest:Name: Stephanie Brown, RN, IBCLCWebsite: www.nnlactation.comInstagram: @nnlactationFacebook: Nourish and Nurture Lactation ConsultingMentioned in the podcast:BooksThe Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by Diane Wiessinger, Diana West, Teresa PitmanBreastfeeding Made Simple: Seven Natural Laws for Nursing Mothers by Nancy Mohrbacher, Kathleen Kendall-Tackettwww.PlanoBirthPlace.comConnect with the host:Sarah Bednar, MEd, PCD(DONA)Owner of The Modern Day Tribe, LLCWebsite: TheModernDayTribe.comInstagram: @dallasdoulasarahFacebook: The Modern Day TribeMusic from this episode is by John Bartmann at: https://johnbartmann.comThank you for listening! Please subscribe, rate, review and share this podcast! These help this podcast get found by other listeners too.
Have you spent time worrying about milk supply?Did you question your milk supply when your baby was feeding every 2 hours but your best friends baby feeds every 4 hours?Are you freaked out because you only pump an ounce of milk?Well stay put and listen and learn all about storage capacity. You will be amazed.If you are a new listener, we would love to hear from you. Please consider leaving us a review on itunes or sending us an email with your suggestions and comments to badassbreastfeedingpodcast@gmail.comThings we talked about:What is breast/storage capacity anyway? [4:04]Storage capacity does not equal milk supply [5:44]Description of ‘breastfeeding management’ from Kellymom [6:37]Best explanation of storage capacity EVER [7:20]Feedings vary by time of day, etc [12:45]Dianne’s friend Claire that she had permission to talk about [13:30]Words of wisdom from Nancy Mohrbacher and her storage capacity explanation [15:27]Breastfeeding as a bad habit? When do bad habits really start anyway? [16:37]How do you minimize bad habits? [17:50]Pumping and storage capacity [26:52]Be cautious of bad information! [27:45]Everyone has a different journey [29:27]Newborn behaviors to blame! Blame the baby :) [33:47]Don’t forget to check out the infographic on the website! [34:50]Tip of the Week! From sewhappy dolan3 [24:00]This episode is sponsored by Fairhaven HealthOther episodes we mentioned this week or we just think you should check them outhttps://badassbreastfeedingpodcast.com/episode/120-is-your-baby-using-you-as-a-pacifier/https://badassbreastfeedingpodcast.com/episode/081-not-signs-of-low-milk-supply/Other things we mentioned that we wanted to sharehttps://kellymom.com/hot-topics/milkproduction/Follow our Podcast~https://badassbreastfeedingpodcast.comHere is how you can connect with Dianne and Abby~Abby Theuring https://www.thebadassbreastfeeder.comDianne Cassidy http://www.diannecassidyconsulting.comMusic we use~Music: "Levels of Greatness" from "We Used to Paint Stars in the Sky (2012)" courtesy of Scott Holmes at freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott Holmes
Certified Lactation Counselor Mandy Katz and new mom Thu Huynh (both In-Store Nutritionists) offer tips for breastfeeding moms and where to go when you need more information. Resources La Leche League International: https://www.llli.org/ Can find resources and local support contact information LactMed (drug interactions): https://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/newtoxnet/lactmed.htm Womanly Art of Breastfeeding (Book) by La Leche League International Breastfeeding Made Simple (Book) by Nancy Mohrbacher CDC Milk storage Guidelines https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/recommendations/handling_breastmilk.htm https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/InfantandToddlerNutrition/breastfeeding/index.html
You have to go back to work at 6 weeks and you are a breastfeeding mom...what now? Plus all the other rights you have as a new parent. Resources: Feeding baby in the first 2 weeks: https://www.facebook.com/scvbirthcenter/videos/2112059365478419/ Our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SCVBirthFriends EDD: http://www.edd.ca.gov/ Nancy Mohrbacher, IBCLC, FILCA: http://www.nancymohrbacher.com/
AP: Welcome to Growing Healthy, today we are speaking with Di, a lactation consultant about what are the common issues that come up in the beginning of the breastfeeding journey, and how can you manage them. We will get to them right after this little reminder. The Growing Healthy Podcast and website is meant for general medical information only. this does not apply to every situation. If you have questions, or if you have received different advice please contact your health care provider. The views expressed by growing healthy and our guests are not representative of any institution with which we are affiliated. Di, welcome! Tell us a little bit about yourself…. AP: So lets talk about engoregment…what is it? and why does it happen? Di: Engorgement sure can be a surprise, the breasts can become quite a bit larger, firmer and feel uncomfortably swollen. The body is preparing for feeding the newborn throughout pregnancy and breast changes are usually noted as birth nears. Colostrum (the early milk) is present at time of baby's birth, but full milk production is waiting for the signal that babe is born. This is a hormonal signal to the brain. The placenta releases progesterone, which tells the brain that the baby is still in utero - "not born yet, don't start the full milk production yet". So the body is all set, but waiting for the delivery of the baby and the placenta and the drop in progesterone.The best analogy that I've heard from a recent course, is thinking of the placenta like the e-brake on a car...the car can be revving up, but it's not until the e-brake is released that the car can then drive on. So, baby is born, the placenta is delivered and it's a GO - the body now starts the full-on milk production. Over the next few days the volume starts to increase, the milk ducts fill and the breasts become full. This is also combined with extra fluid and therefore some swelling can happen. Thus, engorgement! Moms can help this process and try to reduce the extent of breast engorgement by feeding their babies "early and often". If we can keep up with the production of milk and the emptying of the breasts with shorter intervals in the early days, then the milk ducts hopefully won't become painfully full. AP: Are there any tips and tricks you can offer to women and their partners to help manage engoregement? If engorgement occurs, continuing to feed baby every 2 hours, cold cloths following feeds to reduce swelling and expressing the milk can be helpful. We need to be cautious with pumping or manual expression, however, that it is just to move the milk for mom's comfort and not to signal to the body to make even MORE milk. Interestingly, cabbage leaves can help alleviate engorgement. So, you peel off the leaves of a green cabbage, crush it a bit with a rolling pin and place in your bra a couple of times a day. As the cabbage wilts the components help to reduce engorgement. Use with a bit of caution, however, as it can also reduce milk supply if used more than twice a day. As with any challenges with breastfeeding, please seek help early if you're having trouble latching your baby. Sometimes, when the breasts are very full and firm, the baby may have difficulty staying latched or may slide down on the the nipple and cause pain. AP: Yes! So important to get help when you need it! and you are right about the nipple pain. Lets chat a bit more about that! For sure there is some adjustment to having a babe (or two or three) at your breast feeding frequently! Likely the number one reason that we see moms for BF help is nipple pain, and thankfully is usually is the BF challenge that we can most quickly resolve with a latch assessment. I once overheard a conversation between two women that it was advised to 'toughen up' the nipples by scrubbing them with a toothbrush ahead of time! Please do not think that there is any need to toughen up your nipples. Yes, to a certain extent it takes some 'getting use to', having your baby nurse for many hours in the day, but your nipples should not be bearing the brunt of this. Remember: babies Breastfeed, not "Nipplefeed" as they might with a bottle. Maybe we can talk more about achieving a deep latch in a moment. If you have pain with latching your baby, please seek a latch assessment by a skilled breastfeeding support person- whether that's your Doctor, Public Health Nurse or Lactation Consultant. We are all more than happy to help alleviate that pain on latching. You do not need to 'just push through and get used to it', generally if there's pain there's an issue we can help resolve. AP: Now it’s not just a latch issue that can cause nipple pain…what are some of the other reasons that this can happen? There also might be other causes for nipple pain: if it's not just a latch correction, it might be something else going on with the nipple. For instance, there might be an overgrowth in yeast. We all have yeast, or candida, on our bodies and given the right environment it can have rapid overgrowth and cause discomfort. Symptoms of yeast overgrowth, or thrush, can include a burning discomfort on the nipples and areola, shiny, red skin on the areola and even some shooting pain following feeds. Anyone who has baked bread would know that yeast loves warmth, moisture, sugar and darkness-- all of these are present with soaked nipple pads, so change them out frequently and seek treatment options from your medical care provider. Thrush is generally easy to treat in the early stages. I have often heard that yeast pain described as like someone is stabbing you with a knife through your nipple into your back….not a pleasant experience! Definitely ask for help early! Sometimes, vasospasm may occur with the nipple either by the nipple being compressed during a feed and coming out looking blanched or occurring immediately after the feed. When vasospasm occurs after the feed it is generally a result of a latching challenge or a damaged nipple. Sometimes there are other conditions present like Reynaud's phenomenon. A woman may be aware that they have Reynaud's that shows up as vasoconstriction on fingers and toes and then it is exacerbated by breastfeeding. Keeping the nipples warm following a feed is key, either by immediate covering with a warm cloth or with your baby held to the breast. If this is not enough, speak to your doctor for other treatment options. AP: Raynaud’s of the nipple is often worse in the colder months, and you are right ….warmth is very helpful. sometimes I even suggested hand warmers behind the nipple pads to provide some extra warmth! AP: Can we talk a little more about latch? Especially in those first few days it is soooooooo important to really focus on getting the best latch you can with your baby….. Absolutely, I agree that often we meet moms who have been so excited that their baby has latched on that they will endure any pain they might feel just to keep their precious babe feeding. As we've talked about, latch is key to successful breastfeeding. Over the last couple of decades we have realized that culturally we have been trying to breastfeed babies in a bottle-feeding position (as in, cradled in our arms on their back) and often we imagine that a mom's nipple should look like a bottle nipple. But, in fact, nipples can look very different and babies are born seeking to feed in a way that doesn't look like the classic 'bundled in your arms bottling position'. Babies are instinctively driven to seek out the breast by way of using all of their senses and all of their body. It's pretty cool to watch the videos on babes crawling up to latch onto the breast themselves, and although we might not have this exact experience, it is also very cool to watch your own baby seek out the breast by bobbing their heads around at the breast and batting their little hands around to initiate the letdown reflex. AP: It is great watching these videos! Lets post some in our show notes! What we know is that babies are 'ventral feeders' meaning that they are sort of 'hard-wired' to have their chests touching mom, ideally skin to skin. They tend to feel calmer, more regulated and focused on feeding when they are 'belly to belly, skin to skin' especially with the early feeds. We also know that the depth of the latch is important for both the comfort of mom's nipples and for the best transfer of milk. So, using gravity to babe's advantage, lying back and allowing baby to fall onto the breast during a feed is more productive than sitting straight up and having babe fall AWAY from the breast and onto the nipple during a feed. This is a little hard to describe without visuals, but we encourage moms to go with their intuitive, right-brain thinking when feeding their babies. One of the most impressionable talks I've attended over the last few years was from Nancy Mohrbacher (who has written several great breastfeeding books). She says something along the lines of, "just get comfortable and feed your baby, like in a TV watching position" to her breastfeeding patients. It is both mom and baby who need to 'learn' to acheive the best latch. Mom's can go with the comfort piece: if it hurts, is pinching or they're uncomfortable, then take babe off and try again. Babies learn by the best transfer of milk: the deeper on the breast they are, the more of a reward of milk they will get. Sometimes there can be difficulties with the latch due to baby's tongue shape, mom's breast shape (particularly with engorgement) or other barriers to achieving a deep and comfortable latch- again, please seek help, ideally in person. AP: Great! Some great tips…now we talked earlier about feeding often, especially in those first few days….Part of the reason babies need to do that is to help mom’s milk come in and to signal to mom how much milk they need! One of the most common concerns that moms have is that they won't know exactly how much milk their baby is getting when breastfeeding. They may feel anxious about not feeding their baby enough, particularly when babies want to feed VERY often in the early weeks. It is completely normal for newborns to feed every 2hours, and sometimes clusterfeed in a way that feels like 'non-stop' for a few hours in a row. This does not mean that you don't have enough milk, it's just how newborns behave. We can determine if babies are getting enough milk at the breast by both their diaper output and weight gain. So, you will be given guidelines on what to watch for with both of these. For instance, we want to see that babies are peeing frequently (6-8 times/day by the time they are a week old) and that they are gaining appropriately. Your care provider will go over what healthy weight gain should look like for your baby. If your baby is sleepy, because of jaundice, for instance, you may need to wake your baby to feed. Human milk is designed for frequent feeds, and human babies are born needing to feed on cue. Another point that Nancy Mohrbacher makes is, remember that we are CARRY Mammals. Like chimpanzees and gorillas we are meant to carry our newborns and feed them often. We are not Follow Mammals like horses where the newborn needs to walk straight away and catch-up to their mom for a feed a few times a day, or Den Mammals that leave their newborns and return a few times to offer feeds in the den. We sometimes, collectively, like to think of ourselves as den mammals with creating lovely nurseries and cribs thinking that our newborns will politely sleep there and feed by the clock every 4 hours, (LOL) but our milk and our babies are not designed this way...so, know that it is completely normal when your newborn wakes up after an hour and a half to feed again. AP: Really glad you mentioned this….I think we all want to have a predictable schedule, including feeding times, and sometimes it gets there…but certainly not at the beginning….I asked a group of women once what they wish they knew in the first few days after giving birth…and one said…that if your baby seems hungry…feed it! don’t try to stick to a 3 hour schedule! So for those parents who are struggling..what can we do to support them? Di: So glad you mention the importance of support! In regard to breastfeeding, specifically, moms can check-in with their care providers for BF assessment, book an appointment with a community professional for a BF consult (with public health or a lactation consultant). You can also connect with your local La Leche League group. Having adequate support in the early weeks is so important in general for new parents. It means, perhaps, the difference of a mom being able to spend quiet skin-skin time with their newborn, instead of needing to shop or cook. Or, being able to catch up on a bit of sleep to allow them recovery time from birth. Or, even just to be able to talk about how you are feeling and feel heard and not alone in your new parent struggles can make moms feel validated and supported. We encourage you to reach out to who you would identify as a support person. There are many community baby groups that you can attend to meet other moms, whether through Public Health, the rec centres, libraries or the monthly groups here at Grow Health. Connecting with your doctor or nurse about how you are coping is often the best way to start identifying your best supports. We are not meant to do this alone! AP: Great advice Di! It is hard to ask for help sometimes….but trust me you will not regret that you did! A little help early on in the journey can make a huge difference in your infant feeding experience, and our hope is that it makes it more enjoyable for both you and your wee one….We will put some links to resources in and around Victoria BC, so check them out….and in the meantime…..Keep on growing healthy! Victoria Public Health Units La Leche League Victoria Nursing pads Milkies milk savers Haakaa Milk saver
Guest: Nancy Mohrbacher is a board-certified lactation consultant and author of Breastfeeding Made Simple and Breastfeeding Solutions and its companion App for Android and iPhone. In this episode, we will cover: the most common reasons why so many women have difficulty breastfeeding in the first couple weeks how knowing about the instinctive reflexes that newborns are born with can make it easier for you to breastfeed your baby 6 simple and effective changes you can make in your breastfeeding positioning that can improve latching, decrease pain and nipple damage Resources mentioned in the conversation: Nancy’s website: www.NancyMohrbacher.com Her Youtube channel - https://www.youtube.com/NancyMohrbacher Nancy's 38 min video on Breastfeeding positions: http://www.naturalbreastfeeding.com/ link to the Natural Breastfeeding Infographic PDF mentioned in the episode About Nancy Mohrbacher Nancy Mohrbacher was born in the Chicago area, where she lives today. Nancy is a board-certified lactation consultant who has been helping nursing mothers since 1982. Her breastfeeding books for parents and professionals include Breastfeeding Made Simple (with Kathleen Kendall-Tackett) Working and Breastfeeding Made Simple Breastfeeding Solutions and its companion app for Android and iPhone. Nancy currently contracts with hospitals to improve breastfeeding practices, writes for many publications, and speaks at events around the world. Nancy was in the first group of 16 to be honored for her contributions to breastfeeding with the designation FILCA, Fellow of the International Lactation Consultant Association.
What should you look for in a breast pump? Is it ever too early to pump? What’s the easiest way to build your breastmilk stash? What about if you need to increase milk production or are exclusively pumping? How can you make your pumping sessions more effective? Nancy Mohrbacher answers these questions and many more. Check it out! Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the “show-notes” page at: birthful.com/podcastpumping If you enjoy what you hear, make sure to leave your rating or review. It really helps! And if you want to connect with Adriana, reach out at: facebook.com/birthful twitter.com/birthful instagram.com/adrianika Title music: “Vibe Ace” by Kevin MacLeod, at freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/ (©CC BY) Sponsorship music: “Air Hockey Saloon” by Chris Zabriskie, at freemusicarchive.org/music/Chris_Zabriskie/ (©CC BY)
Lori tells Nancy that she is a huge fan of her, why she loves her books and that she really enjoys her approach to breastfeeding and the breastfeeding mother. Nancy gives us a little info about herself and what life was like in the family she grew up in. She was the oldest child and the only girl, with two younger brothers. Grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, right on the cusp of a very large societal change in the 60s and 70s. Her goal was to become an elementary school teacher. In those days womens lib was beginning to heat up and prior to this most women were going to be a mother who stayed home or a school teacher or a nurse. Nancy arrived at college right around the time that protests were happening and it just felt like everything exploded and changed overnight. My first year in the dorms was the last year they had curfews. I came to school ready to wear my matching outfits only to find that suddenly everyone was wearing jeans. Her major was elementary education. Nancy dropped out after 2 years of college, which was actually the thing to do in those days. It took her a while to try and figure out what she wanted to do and it only came to her after she had her first child when she was 29 years old. She states that all of a sudden she knew what her mission in life was going to be and of course it related to breastfeeding. She became a LLLL in 1982 as a volunteer. It did become my passion and it did become my career.Nancy became Board Certified in 1991 and worked hard building her private lactation consulting practice in Chicago. Since that time, she has worked for a major breast pump company and has become an International Speaker, sharing her love and knowledge of breastfeeding to professionals in the field as well as the every day mother. During this interview, Nancy takes us on a journey as she talks about her own early experiences with breastfeeding, having a breast implant when she was 20 and discovering something very interesting years later, about what happened to that implant. Nancy talks about the changing world we live in with mothers returning to work much earlier than they did 20 years ago, with more returning to work before there baby is 6 weeks old. This brings with it quite a bit of challenges as the mom struggles to figure out how to pump and store enough milk for her baby and how to maintain a good supply while she is working. Nancy gives some great information on breastmilk storage capacity and the mothers "magic number." She also talks about the importance of building a relationship, bonding with your baby. We talked about the mindset of mothers if they are struggling to make enough milk for their baby. Nancy tells us why it is so important to have a different mindset then thinking that if you can't make enough milk for your baby, then why bother at all. There is a lot to listen to and much to learn from this interview.
Going back to work while breastfeeding can be a tricky situation. When should you start preparing and what do you do? What can help maintain your milk production? Will your baby start waking up more at night? What do you need to know about your pump? What about if things start going south? I talk to Nancy Mohrbacher to find out.