I would like to apologize to all my readers for my long absence. After my family moved to Utah we experienced quite a few changes. There have been some pretty tough times over the last two years, and when push came to shove I had to let go of my blog for a while. I am thankful to all of the emails and letters of support I have received over the last couple years, and I do apologize for how few I was able to respond to. I have recently moved back to the city of San Francisco, and have resumed my career in child care.
As a quick announcement, I have recently contracted with Day One in San Francisco to teach my Infant Acupressure techniques in their San Francisco location. The first class will be held on January 26th 2012. For more information, or to register, please visit their site.
Thank you all for your continued support and interest. As before, I am interested in any feedback or questions you may have for me. Happy parenting!
- Naomi
Showing posts with label breastfeeding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label breastfeeding. Show all posts
Friday, December 2, 2011
Thursday, August 6, 2009
5 tips for breastfeeding in public.
After your first week home with your baby, you may begin to feel confident enough to try getting out of the house for more than a few hours. However, this means you may be faced with one of the personal struggles that every breastfeeding mother has to confront. Breastfeeding in public. Here are a few options for ways to address the awkward situation.
1. The invisi-boob.
This strategy is great once you master it. Basically, you lift just enough of one section of your shirt to let your baby latch on, Then you hold your little sweet potato over any bare skin on your midriff, and your shirt drapes right down to your baby's mouth, so no one can see a thing, but you don't have to wrestle with a big blanket either. The tricky part of this technique is getting your baby latched on without showing skin. I recommend practicing at home first, and wearing something with a little room in it.
2. Strategic scarf placement.
This is a play on the old "drape the baby blanket" method, but a bit more stylish. In this method, you just drape one end of a nice fashionable scarf you are wearing specifically for this purpose over the most exposed part of your breast to camouflage your baby's lunchtime activity. This strategy is best for moms who are not embarrassed to be breastfeeding in public, but also do not want to be ogled by ignorant folks who may not be able to keep their opinions to themselves.
3. Inside a baby-wrap carrier.
This is a great way to have both a touch of privacy, and a great amount of freedom. Your baby is well supported, and you are completely covered. The difficult part of this method is getting the latch. You will need to have your carrier tied a little more loosely than normal on top so that you can reach in from the sides to both hold your breast in an accessible position, and guide your baby's head to the nipple. Once you have a good latch, make sure your baby's face isn't pressed to tightly against your breast or he may not be able to breath comfortably. Once your little "joey" is suckling away, you will have at least one hand free, and be able to walk around while nursing. I like "Sugar Sweet Baby" baby wraps. They are fashionable, comfortable and made of bamboo cloth which is naturally antibacterial.
4. Under a decorative cover up.
There are many brands of hide-a-boob cover-ups out there. Most do a great job of shielding the outsider's view, and some actually still allow you to have a clear view. Being able to see what is going on with your baby while he is nursing is a very valuable feature, if you do choose to go with one of these, look for one that has good consumer reviews about being able to view the baby.
5. Bold brash and bare.
To try this option you need to be confident of your body, very proud of your roll as a breastfeeding mom and be able to separate your personal sense of modesty from your baby's meal times. Other people will give you looks, some will even make nasty comments, but the more normal people who are out there proudly nursing their babies in public, the less strange and out of place it will become. Besides being a breastfeeding activist, this option is great because you can clearly see your baby, your baby can see you and you don't have to wrestle with any cloth. Obviously, it would be great if all nursing mothers could just whip out a boob like they do at home, without any social backlash or personal embarrassment. But until that day, only the bravest and most secure breastfeeding mothers will probably feel comfortable being this brave. However you decide to go about breastfeeding, the most important part is that you ARE breastfeeding.
Hopefully, if you have been worried or intimidated at the prospect of venturing out into the world because of the difficulty of public nursing, you will now have a couple viable options for things to try. Happy "World Breastfeeding Week"! If you have found these tips to be helpful, please forward them to any new or expecting parents you know. Questions, comments and suggestions are always welcome. Happy parenting!
1. The invisi-boob.
This strategy is great once you master it. Basically, you lift just enough of one section of your shirt to let your baby latch on, Then you hold your little sweet potato over any bare skin on your midriff, and your shirt drapes right down to your baby's mouth, so no one can see a thing, but you don't have to wrestle with a big blanket either. The tricky part of this technique is getting your baby latched on without showing skin. I recommend practicing at home first, and wearing something with a little room in it.
2. Strategic scarf placement.
This is a play on the old "drape the baby blanket" method, but a bit more stylish. In this method, you just drape one end of a nice fashionable scarf you are wearing specifically for this purpose over the most exposed part of your breast to camouflage your baby's lunchtime activity. This strategy is best for moms who are not embarrassed to be breastfeeding in public, but also do not want to be ogled by ignorant folks who may not be able to keep their opinions to themselves.
3. Inside a baby-wrap carrier.
This is a great way to have both a touch of privacy, and a great amount of freedom. Your baby is well supported, and you are completely covered. The difficult part of this method is getting the latch. You will need to have your carrier tied a little more loosely than normal on top so that you can reach in from the sides to both hold your breast in an accessible position, and guide your baby's head to the nipple. Once you have a good latch, make sure your baby's face isn't pressed to tightly against your breast or he may not be able to breath comfortably. Once your little "joey" is suckling away, you will have at least one hand free, and be able to walk around while nursing. I like "Sugar Sweet Baby" baby wraps. They are fashionable, comfortable and made of bamboo cloth which is naturally antibacterial.
4. Under a decorative cover up.
There are many brands of hide-a-boob cover-ups out there. Most do a great job of shielding the outsider's view, and some actually still allow you to have a clear view. Being able to see what is going on with your baby while he is nursing is a very valuable feature, if you do choose to go with one of these, look for one that has good consumer reviews about being able to view the baby.
5. Bold brash and bare.
To try this option you need to be confident of your body, very proud of your roll as a breastfeeding mom and be able to separate your personal sense of modesty from your baby's meal times. Other people will give you looks, some will even make nasty comments, but the more normal people who are out there proudly nursing their babies in public, the less strange and out of place it will become. Besides being a breastfeeding activist, this option is great because you can clearly see your baby, your baby can see you and you don't have to wrestle with any cloth. Obviously, it would be great if all nursing mothers could just whip out a boob like they do at home, without any social backlash or personal embarrassment. But until that day, only the bravest and most secure breastfeeding mothers will probably feel comfortable being this brave. However you decide to go about breastfeeding, the most important part is that you ARE breastfeeding.
Hopefully, if you have been worried or intimidated at the prospect of venturing out into the world because of the difficulty of public nursing, you will now have a couple viable options for things to try. Happy "World Breastfeeding Week"! If you have found these tips to be helpful, please forward them to any new or expecting parents you know. Questions, comments and suggestions are always welcome. Happy parenting!
Monday, July 27, 2009
5 tips for keeping up your breast milk supply.
Breastfeeding, though it is the natural way to feed your baby, and mothers have been doing it since the dawn of time, can prove difficult for many mothers. Even if you have no problem with painful nipples, the task of maintaining your breast milk supply can seem to be a full time job all by itself. Though one of the best remedies is simply to drink more water, you can only drink so much. Here are a few more things you can try.
1. Indian food and oatmeal.
Indian food is great, it contains many naturally healthy herbs and spices, such as garlic, ginger, fennel and cumin. The most effective one of these specifically for breast milk production is called "fenugreek". You can pick up fenugreek tea at your local health food store, but I have seen it be much more effective when combined with protein and carbohydrate rich meals which feature a range of beneficial ingredients. I would caution that you may want to ask for or prepare "mildly spicy" Indian food, because too much heat can make your breast milk taste funny to your baby. Oatmeal is a well-balanced meal to start your day. It is loaded with carbohydrates and protein, and is also relaxing and soothing. When you have a well stocked supply of protein, carbohydrates to burn while converting the protein to milk, and are relaxed enough that your body is not using the carbohydrates to fuel your activities, it is a perfect recipe for milk production.
2. Pumping the left overs.
After your baby is finished eating, use a pump, or a hand-expressing method, to drain all the excess milk from your milk ducts. Whenever your body has to reabsorb more than a few drops of breast milk, it tries to make less the next time. But when your breasts are continuously drained completely dry, your body tries to produce more for the next feeding. You can save the milk to use at night feedings, if your baby will take breast milk through a bottle, or freeze it to use for things like mixing with cereal when your baby is older. To hand express your milk, place your index or middle finger just outside one side of your areola, and your thumb in a similar position exactly across the nipple from your finger. Press your entire hand close to your body causing your breast to flatten against your rib cage slightly. Now gently bring your thumb and finger closer together, almost as if you were trying to pinch your areola. As you do this, you should see a stream of milk squirt out. Hold a bottle over your nipple to collect the milk, repeat compressions until there is no more milk.
3. Yoga and meditation.
I think it is very helpful for a new mother to take an hour or so for herself each day to drain stress from her body. You may be tempted to just sleep if your baby is giving you a break for a bit, and while there is nothing wrong with sleep, conscious relaxation can be even more beneficial in terms of milk production. While you sleep, you process stresses by replaying parts of them in dreams, and quite often this can be quite stressful in its own right. However, if you take some time to do some deep breathing exercises, and focus on being calm and relaxed, tension can drain away much more efficiently. The sleep you will have after a good yoga routine, or a soothing meditation session is much deeper, and restful than regular sleep. This relaxed, mellow mode is perfect for milk production. Your subconscious doesn't have anything to worry about processing, except for protein, nutrients and carbohydrates into milk.
4. Breast massage.
From just below your collar bones to the bottom of your breast, there are milk ducts. Some times some of these get "lazy" or "forgetful" and begin producing less milk. A quick little massage consisting of small circular rubbing motions by your fingers slowly covering each breast from top to bottom and from one side to the other side (as if you were doing your monthly self exam), is a great way to remind those ducts to get back to work. You can also use tapping motions and brisk full-hand rubbing. Basically, you just want to stimulate the nerves in the deeper tissue of your breast. You might also try draping a warm towel over your breasts between feedings to increase circulation and stimulate production.
5. Family bed.
Having your baby near you is always a great idea for stimulating milk production, but sleeping with your baby is especially effective. There is some conflicting data about the overall safety of sleeping in the same bed with your baby, but the majority of the reliable sources say it is safe, and there is no question that it is great for milk production. The reason is that your baby can eat easily and often throughout the night, but you do not have to rouse fully to feed him. So you get more rest, your baby gets plenty of food, your milk gets drained more efficiently, and you have more energy to produce more! It is a great tactic to give your milk production a real boost.
Do not give up hope if you have to constantly struggle with low milk levels, after a few weeks it usually picks up quite well. If you are still concerned though, talking to a lactation consultant can really help you pinpoint the best way for you personally to increase your milk production. It often may seem like your baby is not getting much to eat at all, when they are really eating plenty. Also, in worst case scenarios, your doctor can prescribe an injection to help stimulate your milk production. There are some nasty side effects to that injection, so I do not recommend that new moms rush out and ask for it, but if all else is not working, it can usually do the trick. If you have found these tips helpful, please forward them to any new or expecting parents you might know. As always questions, comments and suggestions are always welcome. Happy parenting!
There is a NEW post from NAOMI up today (9/5/14)! Check it out HERE.
1. Indian food and oatmeal.
Indian food is great, it contains many naturally healthy herbs and spices, such as garlic, ginger, fennel and cumin. The most effective one of these specifically for breast milk production is called "fenugreek". You can pick up fenugreek tea at your local health food store, but I have seen it be much more effective when combined with protein and carbohydrate rich meals which feature a range of beneficial ingredients. I would caution that you may want to ask for or prepare "mildly spicy" Indian food, because too much heat can make your breast milk taste funny to your baby. Oatmeal is a well-balanced meal to start your day. It is loaded with carbohydrates and protein, and is also relaxing and soothing. When you have a well stocked supply of protein, carbohydrates to burn while converting the protein to milk, and are relaxed enough that your body is not using the carbohydrates to fuel your activities, it is a perfect recipe for milk production.
2. Pumping the left overs.
After your baby is finished eating, use a pump, or a hand-expressing method, to drain all the excess milk from your milk ducts. Whenever your body has to reabsorb more than a few drops of breast milk, it tries to make less the next time. But when your breasts are continuously drained completely dry, your body tries to produce more for the next feeding. You can save the milk to use at night feedings, if your baby will take breast milk through a bottle, or freeze it to use for things like mixing with cereal when your baby is older. To hand express your milk, place your index or middle finger just outside one side of your areola, and your thumb in a similar position exactly across the nipple from your finger. Press your entire hand close to your body causing your breast to flatten against your rib cage slightly. Now gently bring your thumb and finger closer together, almost as if you were trying to pinch your areola. As you do this, you should see a stream of milk squirt out. Hold a bottle over your nipple to collect the milk, repeat compressions until there is no more milk.
3. Yoga and meditation.
I think it is very helpful for a new mother to take an hour or so for herself each day to drain stress from her body. You may be tempted to just sleep if your baby is giving you a break for a bit, and while there is nothing wrong with sleep, conscious relaxation can be even more beneficial in terms of milk production. While you sleep, you process stresses by replaying parts of them in dreams, and quite often this can be quite stressful in its own right. However, if you take some time to do some deep breathing exercises, and focus on being calm and relaxed, tension can drain away much more efficiently. The sleep you will have after a good yoga routine, or a soothing meditation session is much deeper, and restful than regular sleep. This relaxed, mellow mode is perfect for milk production. Your subconscious doesn't have anything to worry about processing, except for protein, nutrients and carbohydrates into milk.
4. Breast massage.
From just below your collar bones to the bottom of your breast, there are milk ducts. Some times some of these get "lazy" or "forgetful" and begin producing less milk. A quick little massage consisting of small circular rubbing motions by your fingers slowly covering each breast from top to bottom and from one side to the other side (as if you were doing your monthly self exam), is a great way to remind those ducts to get back to work. You can also use tapping motions and brisk full-hand rubbing. Basically, you just want to stimulate the nerves in the deeper tissue of your breast. You might also try draping a warm towel over your breasts between feedings to increase circulation and stimulate production.
5. Family bed.
Having your baby near you is always a great idea for stimulating milk production, but sleeping with your baby is especially effective. There is some conflicting data about the overall safety of sleeping in the same bed with your baby, but the majority of the reliable sources say it is safe, and there is no question that it is great for milk production. The reason is that your baby can eat easily and often throughout the night, but you do not have to rouse fully to feed him. So you get more rest, your baby gets plenty of food, your milk gets drained more efficiently, and you have more energy to produce more! It is a great tactic to give your milk production a real boost.
Do not give up hope if you have to constantly struggle with low milk levels, after a few weeks it usually picks up quite well. If you are still concerned though, talking to a lactation consultant can really help you pinpoint the best way for you personally to increase your milk production. It often may seem like your baby is not getting much to eat at all, when they are really eating plenty. Also, in worst case scenarios, your doctor can prescribe an injection to help stimulate your milk production. There are some nasty side effects to that injection, so I do not recommend that new moms rush out and ask for it, but if all else is not working, it can usually do the trick. If you have found these tips helpful, please forward them to any new or expecting parents you might know. As always questions, comments and suggestions are always welcome. Happy parenting!
There is a NEW post from NAOMI up today (9/5/14)! Check it out HERE.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
5 tips for weaning your baby to the bottle.
There are many different perspectives and philosophies about breastfeeding, and how long a mother should continue it if she is able. These tips are not meant to encourage or pressure anyone to extend or shorten the time that they feel it is appropriate to breastfeed. That is a personal choice, one which I think should be made after educating yourself thoroughly about any benefits or potential risks that might result from weaning your baby at various ages. These tips are designed to help parents who, for any reason, need to encourage their baby to switch to the bottle for sustenance. I wholly support breast feeding and breast milk as the first choice for babies health, but I recognise that some parents also have very valid reasons for needing to wean their babies to a bottle, and I know it can be a very difficult task sometimes. These are a few things I know that can help you and your baby get through the transition from breast to bottle more smoothly.
1. Warm the milk & nipple.
Though warming baby bottles has fallen out of fashion, if your little honey-suckle is turning her nose up at the bottle it may well help to try warming it a bit. The milk in your baby's bottle is closest to the temperature of your own breast milk when you drip some on your wrist and you cannot feel a temperature change. If you drip some breast milk or formula on your wrist and it feels cool, you should warm it a bit longer, if the fluid feels warm or hot on your wrist, do not feed it to your baby until it has cooled down. Also, the rubber of the nipple may feel cool and unappetizing to your little one, so I recommend that you cover the tip of the bottle with a finger tip or cap, then turn the bottle upside-down. The warm breast milk or formula in the bottle will warm the nipple to a comfortable level after about a minute.
2. Introduce a nipple shield first.
If you have the luxury of time, try introducing a nipple shield during breast feeding about a week before trying the bottle. The soft, but smooth texture of the nipple shield will be easy to adjust to while everything else in your baby's feeding remains the same. Then, when you try the bottle, if you use a silicone nipple, the texture will be the same as that of the shield, so there will be less for your baby to adjust to all at once.
3. Serve breast milk to start.
Another way to reduce the number of things that your baby has to adjust to is to while weaning is to try to offer fresh (opposed to frozen or refrigerated) breast milk rather than formula in the bottle for as long as you can. If you are able to continue to offer breast milk in the bottle for a long period, this is of course the most healthful type of weaning you could do for your baby, but if you must supplement or transition fully to formula, try to introduce the bottle filled with breast milk before making the switch. Then, using a gradual approach, mix a little more formula with the milk at each feeding, until you run out of breast milk.
4. Try different nipple shapes and flows.
For some babies it is easier to maintain a good bottle-latch on a broad based nipple. For other babies the slender based nipples are easier to adjust to. There are many different shapes and styles of nipple and bottle on the market, if your baby consistently rejects one, try another. For babies that are particularly difficult to wean, you might want to try the Adiri bottle. It's design is unique in it's similarity to the breast. The only real drawback is that it can be a bit pricey. Sometimes the only thing that is keeping a baby from accepting a bottle is a design that she finds uncomfortable. To save money, try borrowing different bottle types from other mothers to try for a feeding or two. If your baby likes a certain design, you can invest in just that one kind of bottle, rather than having 5 or 6 different kinds of rejected bottles sitting around gathering dust.
5. Have a non-lactating support person provide feeds for a while.
When your baby smells you, he will associate your smell almost exclusively with food for the first 2 months. After that, though there will be many other things your little chick associates with you, food will always be a major one as long as you continue lactating. Part of the reason for this is that babies can smell breast milk, and have a very strong mental attachment to it, much stronger than with formula. So, trying to get your baby to take breast milk or formula from a bottle can be very difficult for a lactating mother, because your baby will expect to nurse when he smells your milk. That is why if you can get your spouse, or a good friend to take over a few feedings for you while your baby adjusts to the bottle it will go much more smoothly. By the time you return to feeding your baby, he will be less surprised by the bottle, and your chances of having success will be greatly increased.
Easing your baby through this transition is unquestionably going to be easier on everyone if you take your time and try to let each step along the way gently fall into place as your baby adjusts. However, whether you have all the time in the world or just a few days, I hope these tips will give you a few more ideas to try when you are looking for ways to transition your sweet little jelly belly to the bottle from the breast. If you have found these tips helpful, please forward them to any new or expecting parents you might know. Questions comments and suggestions are always welcome. Happy parenting!
1. Warm the milk & nipple.
Though warming baby bottles has fallen out of fashion, if your little honey-suckle is turning her nose up at the bottle it may well help to try warming it a bit. The milk in your baby's bottle is closest to the temperature of your own breast milk when you drip some on your wrist and you cannot feel a temperature change. If you drip some breast milk or formula on your wrist and it feels cool, you should warm it a bit longer, if the fluid feels warm or hot on your wrist, do not feed it to your baby until it has cooled down. Also, the rubber of the nipple may feel cool and unappetizing to your little one, so I recommend that you cover the tip of the bottle with a finger tip or cap, then turn the bottle upside-down. The warm breast milk or formula in the bottle will warm the nipple to a comfortable level after about a minute.
2. Introduce a nipple shield first.
If you have the luxury of time, try introducing a nipple shield during breast feeding about a week before trying the bottle. The soft, but smooth texture of the nipple shield will be easy to adjust to while everything else in your baby's feeding remains the same. Then, when you try the bottle, if you use a silicone nipple, the texture will be the same as that of the shield, so there will be less for your baby to adjust to all at once.
3. Serve breast milk to start.
Another way to reduce the number of things that your baby has to adjust to is to while weaning is to try to offer fresh (opposed to frozen or refrigerated) breast milk rather than formula in the bottle for as long as you can. If you are able to continue to offer breast milk in the bottle for a long period, this is of course the most healthful type of weaning you could do for your baby, but if you must supplement or transition fully to formula, try to introduce the bottle filled with breast milk before making the switch. Then, using a gradual approach, mix a little more formula with the milk at each feeding, until you run out of breast milk.
4. Try different nipple shapes and flows.
For some babies it is easier to maintain a good bottle-latch on a broad based nipple. For other babies the slender based nipples are easier to adjust to. There are many different shapes and styles of nipple and bottle on the market, if your baby consistently rejects one, try another. For babies that are particularly difficult to wean, you might want to try the Adiri bottle. It's design is unique in it's similarity to the breast. The only real drawback is that it can be a bit pricey. Sometimes the only thing that is keeping a baby from accepting a bottle is a design that she finds uncomfortable. To save money, try borrowing different bottle types from other mothers to try for a feeding or two. If your baby likes a certain design, you can invest in just that one kind of bottle, rather than having 5 or 6 different kinds of rejected bottles sitting around gathering dust.
5. Have a non-lactating support person provide feeds for a while.
When your baby smells you, he will associate your smell almost exclusively with food for the first 2 months. After that, though there will be many other things your little chick associates with you, food will always be a major one as long as you continue lactating. Part of the reason for this is that babies can smell breast milk, and have a very strong mental attachment to it, much stronger than with formula. So, trying to get your baby to take breast milk or formula from a bottle can be very difficult for a lactating mother, because your baby will expect to nurse when he smells your milk. That is why if you can get your spouse, or a good friend to take over a few feedings for you while your baby adjusts to the bottle it will go much more smoothly. By the time you return to feeding your baby, he will be less surprised by the bottle, and your chances of having success will be greatly increased.
Easing your baby through this transition is unquestionably going to be easier on everyone if you take your time and try to let each step along the way gently fall into place as your baby adjusts. However, whether you have all the time in the world or just a few days, I hope these tips will give you a few more ideas to try when you are looking for ways to transition your sweet little jelly belly to the bottle from the breast. If you have found these tips helpful, please forward them to any new or expecting parents you might know. Questions comments and suggestions are always welcome. Happy parenting!
Saturday, June 20, 2009
5 tips for better sleep during baby's 3rd month.
The first two months of a baby's unpredictable sleep routine can really take a toll on a new parent. The wakeful nights, the crying and gas, it is a constant struggle for parents to get enough sleep of their own at night. Though the magical "end of the third month" when sleep is supposed to even out, is just around the corner, there are a few things you can do in the meantime to help prepare your baby to slip naturally into a long and healthy sleep routine.
If you have followed my baby tips for better night sleep during the first two months, hopefully your baby is only getting up to eat 2 or 3 times during the night. The tips from the second month still apply to babies who are in their third month, as a matter of fact, if you have successfully extended the times between your babies feedings by 15 minutes, for the third month I would suggest that you attempt to extend the time further to 25 or 30 minutes. Your goal in doing this should be to have at least 4 hours between the start of each feed. Here are 5 more things you can do to encourage longer periods of night sleep during your baby's third month.
1. Integrate aromatic associations into bedtime routine.
I know I have mentioned in other posts how smell is our most powerful sense tied to memory, and one of the most fully developed senses that our babies have, but this is a different use for that association. As you begin establishing a bedtime routine, if you integrate a special soothing scent into it, your baby will begin to associate that scent with bedtime. As your baby grows, and sleep disruptions occur, when you need to re-establish the bedtime routine, using the scent will help remind your baby that night is a time for sleep. I used a lightly scented lotion to massage my son as a part of his bedtime routine for his first 8 months after coming home from the hospital, so he has that scent associated with relaxation, mommy and sleeping. When he is sick I will rub a little of the scented lotion on the collar of his pajamas, and it soothes him even now at 2 years old.
2. Try different swaddles.
At different stages of development your baby will resist different types of swaddling. For a few weeks you may need to leave one of your baby's arms free, or use a swaddling technique that folds your love-burrito's arms across his chest instead of straight down to his sides. Nearly all babies will insist on having their feet free after the second month, which is fine. You can return to a full swaddle any time if your baby's sleep begins to suffer.
3. Establish a bedtime routine.
Now is the time to start creating the a routine that will signal to your little snuggle-bug that it is time to bid farewell to the conscious world for awhile. The exact elements of your routine don't particularly matter, as long as they are calming and consistent. Since you will need to perform the exact same routine every night from now on you will probably want to choose elements that are easy and flexible, like reading a story, "brushing teeth", baby massage, singing a song and rocking together. If you want to include a bath in your bedtime routine, try to have it earlier. Baths can be more stimulating than relaxing for babies, and are hard to remain consistent with especially while traveling. Feeding will most likely be a part of the bedtime routine, but I do encourage parents to try NOT to have it be the very last part. It is a good idea to wipe out your babies mouth after eating especially before night sleep to reduce the risk of thrush, and eventually that mouth-wiping out part of the bedtime routine can be replaced with teeth-brushing. Whatever routine you develop be sure that everyone who puts the babies to bed for night sleep maintains a very similar version, since consistency is the real key here. You do not need to use this same routine for naps because of the amount of time involved, but if you find that it works for you, then there is nothing wrong with it either.
4. Reduce your baby's night feeding amount.
Your baby still needs a large amount of food spread over full 24 hour periods. However, in order to begin reducing subliminal expected feedings, try to offer your baby about half an ounce less than you would normally offer at night feedings(for breastfeeding mothers this would translate into reducing the time spent breastfeeding by about 3 or 4 minutes, though you should probably pump afterward to completely empty your breast, in order to preserve your milk production). This will most likely be difficult at first, and if your baby insists that she is still hungry after about 15 minutes of after-meal soothing, bouncing and burping, go ahead and give her a little top-off. In time your wee wiggly giggler will be satisfied with less at night and will instead bulk up by eating more during the days.
Though it may seem like the third month will never end, if you have some things to focus on in the meantime it will help time to pass while laying a useful frame work for any kind of sleep training that you might want to do in the future. Whether you think that a no-cry solution will work best for your family, or if you are leaning toward a quick-but-painful cry-it-out method, the process will be easier and faster overall if your baby has some of the skills she will need to adapt. I do not recommend that parents plan on implementing any sleep-training on the eve of their baby's third month "birthday", it is rare that any baby will develop so exactly as to actually change over night from an infant who needs on-demand-feedings to a baby that is ready to adjust to a whole new sleep schedule. If you watch your baby's schedule closely you will see a subtle shift over the fourth month, and at some point it will be apparent that your baby does not need to wake for food, but is waking more out of habit. This is when you will want to be ready with your sleep training plan already decided upon. What ever your parenting philosophy is, it will be easier once you start being able to get a decent amount of sleep at night again. Chin up, keep your eye on the ball, and keep telling yourself: "It DOES get easier" (for another tip that might help when laying your baby down to sleep check here). Happy parenting!
If you have followed my baby tips for better night sleep during the first two months, hopefully your baby is only getting up to eat 2 or 3 times during the night. The tips from the second month still apply to babies who are in their third month, as a matter of fact, if you have successfully extended the times between your babies feedings by 15 minutes, for the third month I would suggest that you attempt to extend the time further to 25 or 30 minutes. Your goal in doing this should be to have at least 4 hours between the start of each feed. Here are 5 more things you can do to encourage longer periods of night sleep during your baby's third month.
1. Integrate aromatic associations into bedtime routine.
I know I have mentioned in other posts how smell is our most powerful sense tied to memory, and one of the most fully developed senses that our babies have, but this is a different use for that association. As you begin establishing a bedtime routine, if you integrate a special soothing scent into it, your baby will begin to associate that scent with bedtime. As your baby grows, and sleep disruptions occur, when you need to re-establish the bedtime routine, using the scent will help remind your baby that night is a time for sleep. I used a lightly scented lotion to massage my son as a part of his bedtime routine for his first 8 months after coming home from the hospital, so he has that scent associated with relaxation, mommy and sleeping. When he is sick I will rub a little of the scented lotion on the collar of his pajamas, and it soothes him even now at 2 years old.
2. Try different swaddles.
At different stages of development your baby will resist different types of swaddling. For a few weeks you may need to leave one of your baby's arms free, or use a swaddling technique that folds your love-burrito's arms across his chest instead of straight down to his sides. Nearly all babies will insist on having their feet free after the second month, which is fine. You can return to a full swaddle any time if your baby's sleep begins to suffer.
3. Establish a bedtime routine.
Now is the time to start creating the a routine that will signal to your little snuggle-bug that it is time to bid farewell to the conscious world for awhile. The exact elements of your routine don't particularly matter, as long as they are calming and consistent. Since you will need to perform the exact same routine every night from now on you will probably want to choose elements that are easy and flexible, like reading a story, "brushing teeth", baby massage, singing a song and rocking together. If you want to include a bath in your bedtime routine, try to have it earlier. Baths can be more stimulating than relaxing for babies, and are hard to remain consistent with especially while traveling. Feeding will most likely be a part of the bedtime routine, but I do encourage parents to try NOT to have it be the very last part. It is a good idea to wipe out your babies mouth after eating especially before night sleep to reduce the risk of thrush, and eventually that mouth-wiping out part of the bedtime routine can be replaced with teeth-brushing. Whatever routine you develop be sure that everyone who puts the babies to bed for night sleep maintains a very similar version, since consistency is the real key here. You do not need to use this same routine for naps because of the amount of time involved, but if you find that it works for you, then there is nothing wrong with it either.
4. Reduce your baby's night feeding amount.
Your baby still needs a large amount of food spread over full 24 hour periods. However, in order to begin reducing subliminal expected feedings, try to offer your baby about half an ounce less than you would normally offer at night feedings(for breastfeeding mothers this would translate into reducing the time spent breastfeeding by about 3 or 4 minutes, though you should probably pump afterward to completely empty your breast, in order to preserve your milk production). This will most likely be difficult at first, and if your baby insists that she is still hungry after about 15 minutes of after-meal soothing, bouncing and burping, go ahead and give her a little top-off. In time your wee wiggly giggler will be satisfied with less at night and will instead bulk up by eating more during the days.
5. Soothe your baby while laying down.
Wherever your baby sleeps at night, when he begins to fuss, try to sooth him back to sleep while he is still in bed. If it is obvious that he needs to be picked up, try to pick him up when he is not crying. Of course, this is not always possible, so if your baby is beginning to get really worked up, pick him up immediately. If you can soothe your fluffy little nightingale back to sleep at night, or at least into a calm state before being picked up, it will help to create the expectation in your baby that comfort can be found without being swept up into your arms every few hours or so. This change in expectation lends itself very well to the development of natural self-soothing habits. Quiet long-sleep periods at night are reliant on your baby's ability to develop healthy self-soothing techniques.Though it may seem like the third month will never end, if you have some things to focus on in the meantime it will help time to pass while laying a useful frame work for any kind of sleep training that you might want to do in the future. Whether you think that a no-cry solution will work best for your family, or if you are leaning toward a quick-but-painful cry-it-out method, the process will be easier and faster overall if your baby has some of the skills she will need to adapt. I do not recommend that parents plan on implementing any sleep-training on the eve of their baby's third month "birthday", it is rare that any baby will develop so exactly as to actually change over night from an infant who needs on-demand-feedings to a baby that is ready to adjust to a whole new sleep schedule. If you watch your baby's schedule closely you will see a subtle shift over the fourth month, and at some point it will be apparent that your baby does not need to wake for food, but is waking more out of habit. This is when you will want to be ready with your sleep training plan already decided upon. What ever your parenting philosophy is, it will be easier once you start being able to get a decent amount of sleep at night again. Chin up, keep your eye on the ball, and keep telling yourself: "It DOES get easier" (for another tip that might help when laying your baby down to sleep check here). Happy parenting!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
5 tips for pain-free breastfeeding.
Imagine that you had a personal chef who could make you the perfect food, specifically formulated to your own chemical balance and physical needs. Breastfeeding is like this for your baby. The milk you naturally produce is the perfect food for your yummy little gummy worm. The vast majority of mothers are physically able to breastfeed their babies, yet some find it extraordinarily difficult and painful. Quite often the task of breastfeeding can be eased with just one or two basic techniques. Though milk production is often one of the most basic concerns a breastfeeding mother has, in this collection of tips I am focusing more directly on ways to make breastfeeding easier and more comfortable over all. These 5 tips are designed to be most helpful to breastfeeding mothers who are having a hard time with chapped nipples, getting a good latch, releasing a good latch and making the overall experience of breastfeeding more enjoyable.
1. Make your baby a nice breast sandwich.
If your nipples are getting chapped, it is most likely a latching issue. Getting enough of your breast into your baby's mouth so that they can form a good latch is a tricky maneuver. The best way I found was to compress (or pinch, really) my breast between my first two fingers just outside my areola, while pressing my entire breast in toward my chest. This made my nipple and areola somewhat flatter, like a sandwich, and it was easier for me to get more breast into my son's mouth, which made it easier for him to latch on. This tip is especially helpful for mothers who have been overly compensated with volume in the chest area.2. Give your baby a little cheek tickle.
Of course it doesn't matter how compact and accessible your breast is if your baby doesn't open her mouth wide enough to get more than a nibble. Luckily nature has given babies an instinct to help them open their mouths nice and wide. If you touch your baby's cheek lightly with your nipple, your baby should turn her head toward your breast with her mouth wide open. This opening will only last a second, so be quick about shoving your breast as far in there as you can get it. Don't worry about filling your baby's mouth too full with nature's bounty, she can always self correct after she finds a good latch.3. Try different nursing positions.
Most of us have burned on our brain one specific visual image of breastfeeding. The mother holding her baby in her arms across her chest in a horizontal position with the baby's belly button facing up, and the head turned into the breast, rests in the crook of the mothers elbow. This is commonly referred to as the "Cradle Hold" and is the image most mothers reflect on when they first imagine breastfeeding. However, what this image doesn't reflect is that for babies with reflux this position would be difficult, and probably painful. For babies with gas, this position is less than ideal, and that mother's arm is gonna fall off if she holds her baby like that for every feeding. There are several different styles of nursing position, and most rely on some sort of nursing-pillow support. The most similar variation is the "Cradle Crossover Hold" in which the mother holds her breast with the hand and arm that she had been using to "cradle" the baby, and uses the other arm to hold the baby belly-to-belly with her hand supporting the head while nursing. There is also the "Football Hold" which is most commonly used to tandem feed twins, but which some single babies find more comfortable as well, where the baby is tucked next to the mother under her arm and she uses the same arm to hold the baby's head to the breast. There are several official positions like these that are easy to find illustrated online, but you should not feel restricted to these exact positions. My son's favorite nursing position as he got larger was vertically belly-to-belly while straddling my thigh. I supported his head and neck from behind though he was pretty good at holding his head up by the time we found this position. I don't think this is an "official" nursing position, but I like to refer to it as the "Koala Hold".4. Use your little finger to help release a good latch.
Another source of nipple chaffing comes from improper latch-release techniques. Once your darling little rose bud gets a good latch, it can feel like he is vacuum-sealed to your breast. If you need to interrupt a feeding for some reason (like running to the restroom or answering the door), if you need to disengage your baby after you know that your milk is gone or if your baby has fallen asleep at the breast, it can be hard to figure out how to remove him gently. If you simply pull him away until the latch is broken, it will be traumatic to your nipple, and perhaps to your baby's delicate mucus membranes as well. I've seen some mothers even try to pry their baby's jaws apart by pulling on their forehead and chin, it did not look comfortable for the baby and I do not recommend it. Instead, try inserting your littlest finger into the corner of your baby's mouth and pressing into your nipple just enough to let air in. This gently breaks the seal without causing either of you any undue stress or discomfort. It seems simple, but it can really help reduce nipple irritation and pain.
Another source of nipple chaffing comes from improper latch-release techniques. Once your darling little rose bud gets a good latch, it can feel like he is vacuum-sealed to your breast. If you need to interrupt a feeding for some reason (like running to the restroom or answering the door), if you need to disengage your baby after you know that your milk is gone or if your baby has fallen asleep at the breast, it can be hard to figure out how to remove him gently. If you simply pull him away until the latch is broken, it will be traumatic to your nipple, and perhaps to your baby's delicate mucus membranes as well. I've seen some mothers even try to pry their baby's jaws apart by pulling on their forehead and chin, it did not look comfortable for the baby and I do not recommend it. Instead, try inserting your littlest finger into the corner of your baby's mouth and pressing into your nipple just enough to let air in. This gently breaks the seal without causing either of you any undue stress or discomfort. It seems simple, but it can really help reduce nipple irritation and pain.
5. Give your baby a little mouth-wash.
Though some nipple irritation is caused by improper latching and releasing, less commonly it could be a sign of thrush (a yeast infection). A yeast infection of your nipple is caused by the growth of yeast in your baby's mouth, due to high sugar content and an imbalance of healthy bacteria. The most important thing you can do to help prevent this from happening is to take a clean, damp baby washcloth and wrap it tightly around your finger and rub it over your baby's cheeks, gums and tongue after every breastfeeding session. Keeping a spray-bottle filled with very weak chamomile tea and a pile of clean wash clothes near where you usually breastfeed will make it easier to remember to do this after every time you nurse. If your adorable little smoochy-face develops an infection in spite your best efforts, some things you can try to help resolve the infection quickly are: eating some unsweetened yogurt ever day for a few days, cutting sugar out of your diet for a few days and replacing the weak chamomile tea in the spray bottle with a very weak mixture of baking soda and water (1/4 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1 & 1/2 cup warm water). I also would wash your baby's mouth out before naps and before night-time sleep as well as after breast feeding.
Though some nipple irritation is caused by improper latching and releasing, less commonly it could be a sign of thrush (a yeast infection). A yeast infection of your nipple is caused by the growth of yeast in your baby's mouth, due to high sugar content and an imbalance of healthy bacteria. The most important thing you can do to help prevent this from happening is to take a clean, damp baby washcloth and wrap it tightly around your finger and rub it over your baby's cheeks, gums and tongue after every breastfeeding session. Keeping a spray-bottle filled with very weak chamomile tea and a pile of clean wash clothes near where you usually breastfeed will make it easier to remember to do this after every time you nurse. If your adorable little smoochy-face develops an infection in spite your best efforts, some things you can try to help resolve the infection quickly are: eating some unsweetened yogurt ever day for a few days, cutting sugar out of your diet for a few days and replacing the weak chamomile tea in the spray bottle with a very weak mixture of baking soda and water (1/4 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1 & 1/2 cup warm water). I also would wash your baby's mouth out before naps and before night-time sleep as well as after breast feeding.
Trick: Vary your diet while tracking your baby's gas.
This trick doesn't have so much to do with your comfort while breastfeeding as it does with your baby's long-term potential to resist becoming a picky eater. The flavors of the food you eat while breastfeeding come through your breast milk in a very diluted form. Fostering a familiarity with many different flavor profiles while your baby is experiencing her first relationship with food fosters a flavour flexibility which can come in very handy later in life. I especially recommend eating as many different types of vegetables as possible, because they are traditionally the most resisted food group for children. You should be sure to keep a log of the foods you eat each day, and the times that your baby expresses discomfort and excess gas, because this will help you eliminate foods that are causing your baby discomfort more quickly.
Trick: For Chapped nipples use bag balm.
Your baby cannot eat this substance, so you might want to take some time off of the breast for one or two feedings. Pump enough milk to keep your baby fed for about 24 hours, and slather on the bag balm. It is sticky and can be staining, so I recommend for mothers to use breast pads to shield the balm-covered nipples while they heal, and wear a soft sleeping-bra to keep the pads in place. In about 12-18 hours you should see a significant decrease in the irritation, and you may be able to begin breastfeeding again. Be sure to thoroughly clean your nipples before returning to breastfeeding with your baby. Many mothers also recommend lanolin, since it is something your baby could ingest small amounts of with no ill effects. I did not find that it was effective for me, but it is another remedy you might want to try.
Breast feeding is a special and magical bonding time for mothers and babies, especially if there is less discomfort and anxiety involved in the experience. Hopefully these tips will help keep your nipples pain-free and your breastfeeding experience a positive one (for one more great tip for better breastfeeding look here). If you have found these tips to be helpful, please forward them to any new or expecting parents you might know. I also love, and respond quickly to, questions and comments. Happy parenting!
This trick doesn't have so much to do with your comfort while breastfeeding as it does with your baby's long-term potential to resist becoming a picky eater. The flavors of the food you eat while breastfeeding come through your breast milk in a very diluted form. Fostering a familiarity with many different flavor profiles while your baby is experiencing her first relationship with food fosters a flavour flexibility which can come in very handy later in life. I especially recommend eating as many different types of vegetables as possible, because they are traditionally the most resisted food group for children. You should be sure to keep a log of the foods you eat each day, and the times that your baby expresses discomfort and excess gas, because this will help you eliminate foods that are causing your baby discomfort more quickly.
Trick: For Chapped nipples use bag balm.
Your baby cannot eat this substance, so you might want to take some time off of the breast for one or two feedings. Pump enough milk to keep your baby fed for about 24 hours, and slather on the bag balm. It is sticky and can be staining, so I recommend for mothers to use breast pads to shield the balm-covered nipples while they heal, and wear a soft sleeping-bra to keep the pads in place. In about 12-18 hours you should see a significant decrease in the irritation, and you may be able to begin breastfeeding again. Be sure to thoroughly clean your nipples before returning to breastfeeding with your baby. Many mothers also recommend lanolin, since it is something your baby could ingest small amounts of with no ill effects. I did not find that it was effective for me, but it is another remedy you might want to try.
Breast feeding is a special and magical bonding time for mothers and babies, especially if there is less discomfort and anxiety involved in the experience. Hopefully these tips will help keep your nipples pain-free and your breastfeeding experience a positive one (for one more great tip for better breastfeeding look here). If you have found these tips to be helpful, please forward them to any new or expecting parents you might know. I also love, and respond quickly to, questions and comments. Happy parenting!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
5 tips for reintroducing the breast to your baby.
Introducing your baby to the breast can be a deceptively difficult thing for many mothers. Whether you have been experiencing a low flow, your milk seems to disagree with you baby or due to prematurity your baby was introduced to the bottle before the breast, some mothers have a difficult time convincing their little one to give breastfeeding a try. There are a few little tips I have for moms to help babies overcome their mammary shyness. Of course there are times when nothing can convince a baby to take to the breast, (or the breast to produce milk) but thanks to all of the wonderful advances in formula, babies who are not breast fed are still able to grow and develop just fine. For those moms who want to, and are able to, breast feed but are hitting a rough spot at the very beginning, I wish you luck and I hope my tips can help.
1. Offer your baby breast milk in a bottle if they initially reject the breast.
If your newborn rejects the breast on your first try, don't automatically give up and substitute formula. Pump every 2 hours for 15 minutes at minimum, holding your baby skin-to-skin to stimulate flow, and add as much of your own milk to the feeds as possible. Having your baby on you while pumping helps associate the smell of milk with you, an association that is important to have in place if you want to avoid future rejections.
2. Moisten a small clean cloth with breast milk and wipe out your baby's mouth after feeds.
Even if your baby is being supplemented with formula, you want the lingering taste in their mouth to be your breast milk. Leaving the cloth near your baby between feeds will also familiarize your baby with the smell, and reinforce a positive association.
3. Experiment with different nursing positions.
For many babies, especially premature babies, the problem of reflux is very real, but undiagnosed. The most common nursing holds for babies are completely horizontal, this can cause a great deal of discomfort in a baby with reflux, the signs of which (arching of the back, tightly closing the mouth, crying out in short high pitched cries and gagging) can look very much like breast rejection to a new mother. Bottle feeding naturally lends itself to an incline, and when new mothers see that their baby willingly takes the bottle, they can easily come to the conclusion that their baby would rather have it than the breast. Sometimes this is in fact the case, but just to be sure, I recommend that moms do try an inclined nursing position before deciding on primarily using the bottle.
4. Use a nipple-shield to reintroduce the breast to your baby.
If your baby has had a few feedings by bottle because they just weren't taking to the breast right away, or because your milk supply took a little longer to kick in, don't just try to give them your breast without the plastic barrier. The nipple shield helps regulate your milk flow to more closely resemble a bottles, and the texture is consistent with a bottle nipple, these elements, along with the fact that a nipple shield makes extracting the milk from your breast a little bit easier, makes the nipple shield a great way to gradually reintroduce the breast. After your baby is consistently nursing with the nipple shield in place, you can start removing it toward the end of the nursing, and letting your baby try recreational bare skin nursing for a while. As soon as your baby takes the nipple bare with no resistance, you can begin trying the feedings without the nipple shield at all.
5. Use your pinkie as a pacifier until your baby is using the breast for feeds.
The warm real feel of skin is just not able to be completely duplicated by pacifier producers, and the comfort provided by pacifier use can cause resistance to the texture of your nipple. Using your finger both will trigger your own chemistry to produce more milk, and give your baby a realistic association of texture with comfort. Make sure your fingernails and any hang nails are trimmed off as far as they'll go, and use an emery board to round off any hard edges for safety. Keep your finger very clean, wash it between every use. Place the pad of your pinkie (or larger finger if your baby seems unsatisfied with the pinkie), on the roof of your baby's mouth, nail-side down, against the tongue. Every baby I've tried this with over the years has found it very soothing, and I recommend it often. Since you may want your baby to be soothed without your needing to stand there with your finger in their mouth eventually, as soon as your baby is taking all feeds from the breast feel free to substitute an actual pacifier for your finger.
For "Tripi's Trick of the Day" visit me at http://www.everythingmom.com/blogs/naomitripi/
1. Offer your baby breast milk in a bottle if they initially reject the breast.
If your newborn rejects the breast on your first try, don't automatically give up and substitute formula. Pump every 2 hours for 15 minutes at minimum, holding your baby skin-to-skin to stimulate flow, and add as much of your own milk to the feeds as possible. Having your baby on you while pumping helps associate the smell of milk with you, an association that is important to have in place if you want to avoid future rejections.
2. Moisten a small clean cloth with breast milk and wipe out your baby's mouth after feeds.
Even if your baby is being supplemented with formula, you want the lingering taste in their mouth to be your breast milk. Leaving the cloth near your baby between feeds will also familiarize your baby with the smell, and reinforce a positive association.
3. Experiment with different nursing positions.
For many babies, especially premature babies, the problem of reflux is very real, but undiagnosed. The most common nursing holds for babies are completely horizontal, this can cause a great deal of discomfort in a baby with reflux, the signs of which (arching of the back, tightly closing the mouth, crying out in short high pitched cries and gagging) can look very much like breast rejection to a new mother. Bottle feeding naturally lends itself to an incline, and when new mothers see that their baby willingly takes the bottle, they can easily come to the conclusion that their baby would rather have it than the breast. Sometimes this is in fact the case, but just to be sure, I recommend that moms do try an inclined nursing position before deciding on primarily using the bottle.
4. Use a nipple-shield to reintroduce the breast to your baby.
If your baby has had a few feedings by bottle because they just weren't taking to the breast right away, or because your milk supply took a little longer to kick in, don't just try to give them your breast without the plastic barrier. The nipple shield helps regulate your milk flow to more closely resemble a bottles, and the texture is consistent with a bottle nipple, these elements, along with the fact that a nipple shield makes extracting the milk from your breast a little bit easier, makes the nipple shield a great way to gradually reintroduce the breast. After your baby is consistently nursing with the nipple shield in place, you can start removing it toward the end of the nursing, and letting your baby try recreational bare skin nursing for a while. As soon as your baby takes the nipple bare with no resistance, you can begin trying the feedings without the nipple shield at all.
5. Use your pinkie as a pacifier until your baby is using the breast for feeds.
The warm real feel of skin is just not able to be completely duplicated by pacifier producers, and the comfort provided by pacifier use can cause resistance to the texture of your nipple. Using your finger both will trigger your own chemistry to produce more milk, and give your baby a realistic association of texture with comfort. Make sure your fingernails and any hang nails are trimmed off as far as they'll go, and use an emery board to round off any hard edges for safety. Keep your finger very clean, wash it between every use. Place the pad of your pinkie (or larger finger if your baby seems unsatisfied with the pinkie), on the roof of your baby's mouth, nail-side down, against the tongue. Every baby I've tried this with over the years has found it very soothing, and I recommend it often. Since you may want your baby to be soothed without your needing to stand there with your finger in their mouth eventually, as soon as your baby is taking all feeds from the breast feel free to substitute an actual pacifier for your finger.
For "Tripi's Trick of the Day" visit me at http://www.everythingmom.com/blogs/naomitripi/
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