Chandler, Arizona
Sweet Pea ​Births
Sweet Pea ​Births
...celebrating every swee​t pea their birth
...celebrating every swee​t pea their birth
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How to Reduce Breastfeeding Inequality
Posted on August 28, 2018 at 12:13 PM |
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I'd like to introduce our readers to Neve Spicer, writer and founder of We The Parents. She is sharing some very important information about breastfeeding disparity. I thought it especially important to share this information during Black Breastfeeding Week, in the hopes that a change-maker sees today's post and can help take action on the steps that Neve outlined in THIS post. You can scroll to the end of today's post to see those steps, although I encourage you to click on the link and read the whole article. I'm Neve, a proud mother of two, breastfeeding advocate, and part-time blogger over at WeTheParents. I'm really happy to be contributing to Sweet Pea Births during this year's Breastfeeding Awareness Month. Now, when I say that I'm a breastfeeding advocate... I'm a pretty easy going one and not so much a die-hard lactivist. I breast fed both of my children and my experiences couldn't have been more different. My first experience was a nightmare; I don't think I did things right, and without a good support network I ended up with a very low milk supply. My daughter pretty much screamed constantly until I began to wean her early at 4-months. With my second, on the other hand, the experience was completely different. I was scared that I’d have the same problem, but actually things worked out beautifully and I breastfed until 18 months. My breastfeeding experiences led me to want to support women and to let them know that, firstly, breastfeeding doesn’t always go according to plan, but also, secondly, it’s important to realize that our self-defeating beliefs, such as “I can’t produce enough milk” can also be wrong. I also realized that breastfeeding success depends so much on the knowledge and support we receive throughout our breastfeeding journey from pregnancy to weaning. Now: I’m a bit of a research geek and while digging into some scientific journals on breastfeeding, I was shocked to learn just how drastically socio-economic forces affect breastfeeding rates. Did you know that only 38% of mothers living below the poverty threshold (in the US) breastfeed at 6-months, while 68% of mothers in top-earning families do. That’s a huge difference, and it’s just the tip of the iceberg. I learned that that in academic and social policy circles people have known about these breastfeeding disparities for a long time. But why, then, was I not reading about it on the popular blogs I followed? Too many heated words and firey tweets are being wasted on the breast vs bottle 'mommy war'. The big problem, however, is not whether a well-educated and well-off mother chooses to breastfeed. The real issue is breastfeeding inequality; too many mothers are NOT getting equal opportunity to breastfeed, even when they want to. After discovering all of this, I wanted to shout about it. It’s time the blogosphere reframed the debate. I think we can all agree that if a mother, from any walk of life, wants to breastfeed, then she should be given the best chance possible. I passionately believe that mothers should unite behind this common goal. Neve FROM WeTheParents: Too few mothers follow the AAP’s optimal breastfeeding recommendations. Were this a result of well-educated, well-informed, and well-off women choosing alternative nutrition options, that would be one thing. Unfortunately, the truth is that many babies are formula fed because their mothers are not sufficiently aware of the health risks or they simply don’t have practical support (at work or home) to make it work.This is unfair and impacts on the health of thousands of US mothers and babies each year. It has been estimated that annual excess deaths attributable to suboptimal breastfeeding total 3,340, 78% (2605) maternal and 22% (735) infant. (Source)But how can we reduce the breastfeeding inequality?While there is no easy fix, there are several strategies that have been highlighted and could use public awareness and support. These are:
Thank you, Neve, for taking the time to research this topic and outlining specific action steps we can take to support our breastfeeding sisters. The material included on this site is for informational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult her or his healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation. Krystyna and Bruss Bowman and Bowman House, LLC accept no liability for the content of this site, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. This blog contains information about our classes available in Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the official website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained on this blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®. Bradley Method® natural childbirth classes offered in Arizona: Chandler, Tempe, Ahwatukee, Gilbert, Mesa, Scottsdale |
Postpartum Wellness Series: Nutrition
Posted on November 16, 2017 at 10:23 AM |
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Postpartum Wellness Series – Nutrition Welcome to our Postpartum Wellness
Series. Each week we will look at one
area you can influence to help the days and weeks after you bring your baby
home be just a little bit smoother. These early days with your sweet pea are the
most precious – they will never be this small again. It is a good and worthy
endeavor to make these first memories as well as they can be made for your
family. My goal with this 8-week series is to offer some practical tips that
you can employ without any extra purchases outside of your normal postpartum
needs. Hopefully all that these tips will require is a little attention and a
slight shift in perspective. It is my intention that you can find at least one
small thing each week that will improve your postpartum experience. Postpartum nutrition is just as important as
prenatal nutrition. We encourage our students to continue following “The Brewer
Diet”. This “diet” was designed by Dr. Tom Brewer to teach his patients to eat
healthy, whole food long before it was the “it” thing to do. You can find a link to The Brewer Diet
website HERE. The holistic approach to postpartum invites
the woman and her family to treat this time as a recovery period from pregnancy
and childbirth. The following five ideas
will help you treat your body gently and ease back into the non-pregnant state. Avoid Sugars and Caffeine Take heart, mamas...not forever...just “for
now”! I am raising my hand over here – I
do enjoy the occasional caramel and mocha coffee.
The issue with sugars and caffeine in the
immediate postpartum is the way they affect normal body functioning. Sugar can contribute to mood swings at a time
when you are already adjusting to a new normal after pregnancy. Caffeine is a
well-known stimulant that keeps you awake, the opposite of what needs to happen
in the immediate postpartum. Your body
does a lot of work to repair itself while you are sleeping, so find a non-caffeinated
beverage to enjoy for at least six weeks after your sweet pea arrives. THIS article outlines some of the amazing things that happen within your body when
you are not awake. Avoiding sugars and caffeine keeps you on a
fair playing field as you adjust to life with a newborn. And if it makes it
easier, circle a date six weeks out from the birth-day on the calendar when you
can go get your favorite sugary and caffeine-rich treat!! Eat Real Food Circling back to The Brewer Diet…the foundation
of postpartum nutrition is a diet rich in protein, fluids, fruits and
vegetables. You can also continue taking your prenatal vitamin. Believe it or
not, if you are going to breastfeed, you need 500+ calories a day than you
needed when you were pregnant. Protein: for cell growth and repair…all the organs
that have been squished in the last months of pregnancy, the uterus that has to
heal, the vagina and/or cesarean birth scar that have to heal from their part
in the birth journey…all these body parts need protein so that your cells can
do their work to rebuild all that has been bruised and stretched through the
course of pregnancy and birth. Fluids: it never ceases to amaze me that the
human body is about 60% water! So keep that water bottle handy and refill it
often. In addition, breastmilk is a live fluid that is created out of your
bloodstream for your sweet pea. Breastmilk is 88% water (https://kellymom.com/nutrition/starting-solids/baby-water/),
so this is another reason why you may feel thirsty all the time if you are not
paying attention to your water intake. Ample hydration is one of the ways to
ensure you are making enough milk for your sweet pea – give your body what it
needs to make that breastmilk. Fruits and Vegetables: these are the most bioavailable vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants designed by Mother Nature just for you. Not everyone can afford to eat all organic all the time, so we offer the "Dirty Dozen" and "Clean Fifteen" lists from the Environmental Working Group as a resource. It may help you decide how to spend your grocery budget - spend a little more to eat organic and save where you can buying conventional growth foods. They now have easy smart phone apps that you can download and access as you shop. Keep One-handed Snacks Handy However you feed your baby – hands are going
to be occupied. In the early days, both hands. As you get more comfortable, you
will find yourself becoming an expert at one-handed eating (and finding things
on menus that can be eaten with one hand!). My postpartum shopping list included of
apples, carrots, celery, crackers, nut butter, hummus, and hard cheese (sharp
cheddar is my favorite!). Here is a quick list of snacks you can stock
or have someone prepare for you with these seven ingredients:
I specifically avoided ranch dressing and
soft cheeses. Some newborns are sensitive to the large milk protein found in
cows’ milk. The hard cheeses are easier
to digest since the protein is broken-down differently in the preparation
process. And some newborns will not tolerate any dairy…unfortunately, the only
way to find out is through trial and error. We also had lots of yogurt and flax seed, plus
sandwich fixings in the refrigerator. Yogurt is an easy snack to sprinkle with
ground flax seed for a protein and good-fat boost between feedings. Someone can
also make-ahead sandwiches or tortilla wraps for the times you are ravenous and
don’t have time to make a full meal. My
favorite sandwich was hummus and avocado with lettuce between two slices of
whole grain bread. That combination worked equally well as a wrap. Yum!! My last suggestion is to try out all the “Just
A Handful” snack bags that can be purchased at Trader Joe’s. They have several
different varieties that include dried fruits and nuts in a snack pouch. Not so
great for the environment…so after postpartum you can buy the bigger bag and
serve yourself. In the short term, please do the little things that make life
easier and buy these handy packs!! Funny side note: I always kept several snack
size pouches in my diaper bag or my purse…our older kids always knew where to
go to find snacks when we were out and about. They bemoaned the day when I was
no longer breastfeeding around the clock and stopped stocking them, “You never
have good snacks anymore!” Probiotics and fish oils We are learning about the benefits of
probiotics and fish oil as more research is done into postpartum mood and
anxiety disorders. Here is some information from THIS study from the University of Auckland:
Taking probiotics may reduce postnatal depressionwww.auckland.ac.nz A small study that was presented in 2011
found that:
So while you are no longer pregnant in the
postpartum period, the benefit of the omega-3s found in walnuts, flax seed,
fatty fish, and fish oils can still be an advantage.
THIS article makes sense of the alphabet soup and may help you decide what you want
to eat or how to supplement going forward. Placenta encapsulation I included placenta encapsulation in the nutrition
portion of this series because however you may consume it, the placenta is
being processed by the digestive tract. Observation of other mammals indicates
that placenta consumption is common and “natural” in the animal kingdom. Anecdotal information from a placenta encapsulation
website:
HERE and HERE are some blog posts I have done
on placenta encapsulation if you want to learn more about our experience and
the different methods of preparing the placenta for consumption. That Basket Again… As I mentioned in the first post, the “breastfeeding
basket” was a time and sanity saver in the postpartum period. I would keep some
“just a handful” treats from Trader Joe’s in it at all times. If you missed the sleep installment, here is “the
basket”: Gather the most-used items that you need when you sit down to
feed your baby so that you don’t have to get up and find them, or have someone
bring them to you. This is what I kept
in my basket: water, one-hand snacks that do not need to be refrigerated (bars,
nut packs, fruit leather, etc.), diapers, wipes, change of clothes for the
baby, burp cloths, bottom cream and nipple cream. I hope that out of these 5+1 tips, there is at least one that
you can embrace whole-heartedly. I
invite you to jot down or type yourself a note of one small thing you can do to
make that tip happen for you this postpartum. Try to start one journal page or
virtual note that you can add to as we progress through this 8-week series for
a better postpartum experience. Previous Installments: Coming up next week: Exercise And check back for the rest of the series: Physical recovery Social Support Practical Support Emotional Support Medical Intervention Please leave us a comment - it will be moderated and posted. References: Probiotics and Postpartum Depression Study
from The University of Auckland New Zealand https://goo.gl/dYQKgo Time Health: “Study: Fish Oil May Prevent
Symptoms of Postpartum Depression” http://healthland.time.com/2011/04/12/study-fish-oil-may-prevent-symptoms-of-postpartum-depression/ WebMD: “Omega-3s May Cut Risk of Postpartum
Depression” https://www.webmd.com/baby/news/20110412/omega-3s-may-cut-risk-of-postpartum-depression#1 Dietary omega-3 fatty acids aid in the
modulation of inflammation and metabolic health https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4030645/ Placenta Benefits Info: http://placentabenefits.info/articles/ Steamed, Dehydrated or Raw: Placentas May
Help Moms’ Post-Partum Health https://www.unlv.edu/news/article/steamed-dehydrated-or-raw-placentas-may-help-moms%E2%80%99-post-partum-health UNLV Study Finds No Iron Benefit from Eating
Placenta https://www.unlv.edu/news/article/unlv-study-finds-no-iron-benefit-eating-placenta It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult her or his healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation. Krystyna and Bruss Bowman and Bowman House, LLC accept no liability for the content of this site, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. This blog contains information about our classes available in Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the official website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained on this blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®. Bradley Method® natural childbirth classes offered in Arizona: Chandler, Tempe, Ahwatukee, Gilbert, Mesa, Scottsdale |
World Kindness Day 2017
Posted on November 13, 2017 at 1:58 PM |
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Thank you to FTD Florist for providing today's guest blog post - wishing you a joyful day today as you spread kindness in your corner of the world. ~Krystyna There is a lot to be thankful for this year. Friends, family and the memorable times that you spend together are just a few. This World Kindness Day (November 13th) show those you love just how much you appreciate them. To help you get in the mood and brainstorm ideas on ways you can be kind this World Kindness Day, FTD has rounded up 30 of the best kindness quotes around to help inspire you. From waving to a stranger on the street, to sending an old friend an email, we hope these kindness quotes help inspire you to spread a little love. They even included a free printable card that you can write your own message on. Enjoy! Please leave us a comment - it will be moderated and
posted. The material included on this site is for informational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult her or his healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation. Krystyna and Bruss Bowman and Bowman House, LLC accept no liability for the content of this site, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. This blog contains information about our classes available in Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the official website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained on this blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®. Bradley Method® natural childbirth classes offered in Arizona: Chandler, Tempe, Ahwatukee, Gilbert, Mesa, Scottsdale |
Postpartum Wellness Series: SLEEP
Posted on November 5, 2017 at 9:17 PM |
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Postpartum Wellness Series Welcome to our Postpartum Wellness Series. Each week we will look at one area you can
influence to help the days and weeks after you bring your baby home be just a
little bit smoother. These early days with your sweet pea are the most precious –
they will never be this small again. It is a good and worthy endeavor to make
these first memories as well as they can be made for your family. My goal with
this 8-week series is to offer some practical tips that you can employ without
any extra purchases outside of your normal postpartum needs. Hopefully all that
these tips will require is a little attention and a slight shift in
perspective. It is my intention that you can find at least one small thing each
week that will improve your postpartum experience. Week 1: Sleep The ever-elusive sleep.
The “good” baby that sleeps. What if we shift that focus? How about
this: Good healthy babies wake up
several times throughout the day and night to ensure their big people know they
are there. Good healthy babies demand
attention to ensure they stay alive when they are the most vulnerable. Waking is protective and desirable, so if
your baby is not sleeping, then they are a GOOD baby!! The favorite resource we share with our students is a series
by Psychology Today that share the evidence about infants and what “normal” is
for infants. HERE
(https://goo.gl/kzl64G) is a summary in case you don’t want to click on the
link:
Speaking of breastfed babies, their sleep patterns differ
from formula-fed babies. If your friends are formula-feeding, you will be
having different sleep experiences. What are some practical tips to help you sleep when your
baby is sleeping? Here are some ideas for you to consider... Set clear boundaries Ideally, the MotherBaby should spend the first 1000 minutes
together so that they can get to know each other and get breastfeeding
established. Yes, really! Click HERE (http://ninobirth.org/nino-overview/) for
the evidence. Have you done the math
yet? That’s 16 hours and 40 minutes.
What do we do in our culture? As soon as the baby is born, people feel
like it’s time to come over and hold the baby.
Just say WAIT. It’s not NO forever, it’s just wait for now. That continues to the time you have at home. Visitors should be kept to a minimum. The more the mother is apart from her baby, the harder it is for both to get organized and do the work of adjusting to postpartum. If people come over, they come over with a purpose – to bring food or other supplies that you need, and then go home so that everyone with the new baby can rest and recover and find the new normal. Wear a bathrobe …Or go topless the first few days. The point is, you are
recovering from birth. This is not the
time to learn how to entertain with a newborn.
If the people in your life haven’t gotten the hint when you asked nicely
for them to wait to visit, then the bathrobe (or your bare chest) sends a clear
visual message that you are all about resting right now. Avoid caffeine This is a no-brainer…if you want to sleep, avoid stimulants.
So where are the hidden places you might be getting caffeine without realizing
it? Not all teas are caffeine-free – be
sure to read the labels. HERE (https://goo.gl/mCki2N) are some other foods to
consider: decaf coffee, chocolate, ice cream and yogurt that have coffee or
chocolate in them, protein bars, non-soda colas, candy bars and so called
“fancy water”. Turn off the screens Turn off your screens at least one hour before bed, and even
two hours before you are planning to go to bed. Did you know that the light
from the screens changes your brain chemistry and actually makes it harder to
sleep?
Turn down the lights Electricity is one of the worst things that happened to our
sleep patterns. Change that by trying to mimic the light of sun rising and
setting. Open your shades and curtains in the morning when the sun comes up,
and start turning off lights around the house when the sun sets. This will help
teach your baby their circadian rhythm. Establish routines The evidence shows that babies who are “sleep-trained” and
babies whose parents do nothing in the sleep department are all sleeping the
same way at six months. The Wait-It-Out (WIO) Method WIO
means not implementing any sleep training. At 6-month follow up, there were no
significant differences in babies’ sleep improvement between CIO group and WIO
group. (Durham University Parent-Infant Sleep Lab) So instead of fretting over a baby who is or isn’t sleeping,
think about what will work for your family in the long run. What is something that you can do with this
child, and with future children to let them know it’s time for bed? Common elements of a bedtime routine are things story time, a rhyme like Teddy Bear (https://goo.gl/EMh1uR), bath time, infant massage, bedtime songs. You can add in lavender at any point along the way…lavender soap for the bath, lavender massage oil or lotion after the bath, a lavender pillow or toy for bedtime, or lavender essential oil in a diffuser if you use one in your home. Ask for help Identify the people in your life who can respect your
boundaries, and know how to make a good quick visit. Some things that you might want to ask for
help with in the immediate postpartum: housework, homemade meals, adult
conversation when your partner goes back to work, someone to hold the baby so
you can sleep for an hour, help with driving and/or running errands. Now with
many grocery chains offering order pick-up, you can make your list, order and
pay, and then arrange for someone to pick it up for you. If you have older children at home, maybe arrange for
someone to run any errands with them so they get some special big kid
attention, and maybe also someone who will keep them on their “regular”
schedule so that their routine isn’t thrown off. Also think about people who
can respect your space and your needs and who would be happy to visit and
entertain the older children so that you and baby can get special bonding time
and your older children get to feel like the center of attention. Or maybe
switch roles – someone to come hold the baby so that you can be the one giving
the big kids dedicated time and attention. We are in an era where many families are spread apart and a
grandparent or aunt or uncle isn’t available to help with any of this
list. Consider asking your friends. Or is there someone in your faith community
who is also in their childbearing years who you can connect with? When you
identify that person or two who you would be comfortable inviting into your
postpartum space, ask to trade help. They would help you during your
postpartum, and you will return the help when they welcome their next Sweet
Pea. Baskets for the win This tip is especially helpful if you have a two-story house
– we had an upstairs basket and a downstairs basket that we reloaded every
morning before Coach Bruss went to work.
Gather the most-used items that you need when you sit down to feed your
baby so that you don’t have to get up and find them, or have someone bring them
to you. This is what I kept in my
basket: water, one-hand snacks that do not need to be refrigerated (bars, nut
packs, fruit leather, etc.), diapers, wipes, change of clothes for the baby,
burp cloths, bottom cream and nipple cream.
I hope that out of these 8 tips, there is at least one that
you can embrace whole-heartedly. I
invite you to jot down or type yourself a note of one small thing you can do to
make that tip happen for you this postpartum. Try to start one journal page or
virtual note that you can add to as we progress through this 8-week series for
a better postpartum experience. Coming up next week: Nutrition And check back for the rest of the series: Exercise Physical recovery Social Support Practical Support Emotional Support Medical Intervention The material included on this site is for informational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult her or his healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation. Krystyna and Bruss Bowman and Bowman House, LLC accept no liability for the content of this site, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. This blog contains information about our classes available in Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the official website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained on this blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®. Bradley Method® natural childbirth classes offered in Arizona: Chandler, Tempe, Ahwatukee, Gilbert, Mesa, Scottsdale |
In Their Own Words: Erica ~ Part 2
Posted on August 31, 2017 at 9:53 PM |
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For Part I of Erica and Scarlett's breastfeeding journey, click HERE PART II: Making Breastfeeding Work at Work, and Beyond We had opted to co-sleep/bed-share from the beginning
for a variety of reasons (I couldn’t stand the thought of her crying and
needing me, I didn’t want to- and couldn’t at the beginning- get out of bed and
walk down the hall to her room, I had spent her first 5 days without her there
and I would never do that again…). Co-sleeping kept us close, and gave her the
freedom to nurse when she needed to. However, the regular pumping and all-night
nursing were causing me to produce a ton of milk, and she wasn’t using it all
at daycare. I couldn’t miss a single pumping session at school because I was so
engorged. But I was also paranoid of cutting back my pumping, losing my supply
and not being able to do the one thing that I ‘got’ after my birth. After
a couple of months of that, I was losing my mind. Not from breastfeeding; it was a compilation of everything else. I could barely function from exhaustion,
postpartum depression and anxiety, birth trauma resurfacing, not having enough
prep time at work (because of pumping) and feeling like I couldn’t do my job
well enough. The only times I felt calm and happy were when I would pick her up
from daycare and go home and sit on the couch and nurse. Nursing my baby kept
my sanity, and allowed us to check-in with each other. It helped bring me the
clarity to realize I needed to make a career transition so I could be the mom I
wanted to be. I found a job where I could work from home, got a long-term sub,
and didn’t go back to work after spring break. It was the best decision I ever
made. While
I was dealing with the career transition, Scarlett turned 6 months old, that “magic”
starting-solids age, per many different “experts”. I dipped my toes in those
waters, but I didn’t want to. I was scared it would affect our breastfeeding
relationship and it seemed like we’d just gotten good at it. I didn’t want it
to change. So, I didn’t really take “solids” seriously until she was a little
over 7 months old. By then I had an end-date with my job and I knew I would be
home soon. Also, she started giving me all the signs of being ready. She could
sit, she reached for my food, she didn’t do that tongue-sticking-out thing, she
could grab with her fingers (including other kids’ food at daycare). By the
time I was home and she was 8 months, she was eating a little food whenever we
did put some in front of her. It turned out I was worried for nothing. She
loved food, but still loved to nurse as well. Also, she didn’t nurse 3 times a
night anymore; it was only 2—yay for more sleep! Being
home with her allowed me to go back to nursing on demand, which felt so much
more natural! It also gave me the opportunity to donate the thousands of ounces
of milk that I had stockpiled in my deep freezer. I had always wanted to donate
since she had received donor milk in the NICU, but I was apprehensive about
letting any go before then because of the anxiety about losing my supply and
her needing it. Scarlett wasn’t using my frozen milk nearly as fast as I had
been producing it, so we could help three other babies around that time, and we
continue to regularly donate to her friend who is a few months younger than
her. Now that
she’s eating more at each meal, we have started nursing a little less. We nurse
when we wake up, after breakfast/before morning nap, after lunch/before
afternoon nap, at bedtime, and whenever else she may need a pick-me-up.
Occasionally she will still wake up once (or more) during the night if she
needs me, and I’m there for her when she does. I don’t pump regularly anymore,
which is a great relief! I still have quite a stockpile that we are donating
and it feels nice to be able to help others. A few
people have asked me if I’m going to keep nursing Scarlett now that she’s 1
(that “magic” number again). I tell them that I’ll nurse her until she doesn’t
need it. I also tell them that I won’t have any more kids, in large part
because of how everything happened last year. So, since she is my only baby and
nursing is our special thing that we got after we missed out on so much and
endured so much trauma, we will ride it out until it doesn’t feel right. Maybe
another year? Maybe another 2 years? I’m very okay with not knowing when the
journey will end. This has been the greatest gift of our birth experience, and
I’m happy seeing and feeling the continued joy it brings us. For others who
want to breastfeed longer than is typical, I say to go for it! You will never
regret being the one who can be your baby’s everything. For Part I of Erica and Scarlett's breastfeeding journey, click HERE Disclaimer: The material
included in this video is for informational purposes only. It is not intended
nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader
should always consult her or his healthcare provider to determine the
appropriateness of the information for their own situation. Krystyna and
Bruss Bowman and Bowman House, LLC accept no liability for the content of this
site, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the
information provided. This blog and related videos contain information
about our classes available in Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the
official website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained on our blog and
videos do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American
Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®. Birthing From
Within and Bradley Method® natural childbirth classes offered in Arizona:
convenient to Chandler, Tempe, Ahwatukee, Gilbert, Mesa, Scottsdale |
In Their Own Words: Erica ~ Part 1
Posted on August 25, 2017 at 11:54 AM |
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PART 1: My
Breastfeeding Journey: The Greatest Gift of My Birth Experience I didn’t go into motherhood thinking I would be an “extended
breastfeeder.” For those of you who have seen the HBO show Game of Thrones
and saw the scene of Robin Arryn nursing well into childhood… that’s kind of
what I thought of as “extended breastfeeding.” I initially figured I’d
give it a year and see how and where it went. Now that we’ve made it to 13
months and it’s going so well, it seems silly to even consider stopping. It is
still a large part of her nourishment, an effective way to soothe and comfort
her, and our special bonding time, among many other benefits. Also, there is
this huge emotional component for me: I think of our breastfeeding relationship
as the greatest gift of my birth experience. I had a traumatic birth in July
2016. I planned a homebirth and ended up transferring to a hospital for an
excruciating 52-hour induction that ended in a Cesarean birth. My daughter was
10 days past her anticipated due date and didn’t move enough on an ultrasound,
which is what caused us to need the induction. After 2 more days of every
horrible step of the induction process, and trying to hold out for an
un-medicated birth, I became a statistic in the chain of interventions and one
of the 1 in 3 American women whose babies are surgically delivered. To
make matters worse, Scarlett aspirated meconium at some point in our labor, and
was whisked away to the NICU as soon as she was out. I didn’t get to hold her
for 18 hours. I didn’t get to attempt to breastfeed until her third day of
life. After having everything on my birth
plan derail to the horrific experience I endured, I was determined to feed my
child the way that I had planned to; determined not to have breastfeeding taken
from me as well. I couldn’t see her during those first 18 hours, but I pumped
every 2 hours like a fiend. I was told not to try to get her to latch initially
because of her difficulties breathing, but I brought her all of my colostrum,
requested donor milk instead of formula until my milk came in, and continued to
pump and pump and pump. Finally, on the third day of her life, I made milk, and
her breathing improved, and I got to learn how to nurse my baby. We needed help at first. We met with
a lactation consultant, we used a nipple shield, and we used the football hold…
I drank my weight in water and ate everything in sight for a while. On day 3
when I finally got to start nursing, the hospital had rules for me: I could
only nurse her for 15 minutes, then I had to go and pump and she was given a
bottle of expressed milk to finish her feed so they could determine exactly how
much she ate. They had their reasons I’m sure, but the effect to me was
oversupply. I was nursing a hungry baby, and then pumping directly after. When
we were finally released on day 5, I was sent home with about 7 bottles of
extra milk I had made. I didn’t know then that wasn’t typical. When we got home, my husband soon
grew tired of hearing, “Babe, I need my water bottle!” However, he and Scarlett
were troopers. He kept me fed and hydrated, propped up, etc. She had a good
latch and was always hungry. Within a few days we stopped using the nipple
shield. Within a few weeks I could move a little better after the surgery and
stopped doing the football hold. Things were going more smoothly, until I began
to put together the effects my oversupply was having on Scarlett. My milk came
spraying out with such force that she would sometimes gag and sputter. She
would occasionally throw up all over us during or directly after eating. It was
frustrating to feed her when she seemed overwhelmed by my milk. It was not fun
to get vomited on. Repeatedly. And feel like I was smothering my baby with my
giant, milk-tastic boobs. I asked the doctor about it. He said
spit up is normal. I said it’s a lot more than spit up… he said all kids throw
up and not to worry about it. He was useless. I asked my Bradley teacher and La
Leche League ladies and they gave me actual things to try: laid-back nursing,
let gravity work for you, put baby on top of you, side-lying nursing, block
nursing, burp her more frequently, stop pumping so much… all of which helped
immensely. After a few months we finally got the hang of it. I’m glad I was
able to make some adaptations to help us, and had the willpower and resources
not to give up when it was hard. I honestly think my awful birth was
instrumental in my steadfastness when it came to breastfeeding. Click HERE for PART II of Erica and Scarlett’s story: Making It Work Disclaimer: The material
included in this video is for informational purposes only. It is not intended
nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader
should always consult her or his healthcare provider to determine the
appropriateness of the information for their own situation. Krystyna and
Bruss Bowman and Bowman House, LLC accept no liability for the content of this
site, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the
information provided. This blog and related videos contain information
about our classes available in Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the
official website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained on our blog and
videos do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American
Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®. Birthing From
Within and Bradley Method® natural childbirth classes offered in Arizona:
convenient to Chandler, Tempe, Ahwatukee, Gilbert, Mesa, Scottsdale |
In Their Own Words: Katie
Posted on August 17, 2017 at 3:57 PM |
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If you haven't read my previous posts, you're missing stories of my struggles with breastfeeding, but that's okay. For purposes of this update, you only really need what I wrote last year about tandem breastfeeding. You can find that HERE (2016) and one of my newborn stories is HERE (2012). Nothing much has changed in the last year. My nurslings are now 2 years old and 5.5 years old. The 2-year-old no longer trolls his big sister. Instead he beats on her if he's feeling feisty. It's fun. But seriously, I still love it. Even though I tend to insist they only nurse one at a time in the evening because I'm so tired and touched out (and they fight), it's still nice to be able to easily comfort two children to sleep. Son's arm resting on big sister's arm <3 My 5-year-old goes back and forth between being okay with waiting and very much *not* being okay with waiting. It's exhausting. The 2-year-old can be perfectly content doing anything but nursing until the 5-year-old gets anywhere near me. Then he has to nurse and tries to find out how to use both sides at the same time so he doesn't have to share the thing he was perfectly content not having a few minutes ago. My 5-year-old has a weird sense of awareness in the middle of the night. She knows the moment I've gotten her brother to sleep and comes into our room asking to nurse. I used to direct her to my bed, but she's gotten insistent that she nurse first. Thankfully, she came up with the "just one minute" compromise, so I let her nurse for a few minutes and then tell her her minute is up, and she gets up willingly. Likewise, in bed, she wakes up in the moment he stops nursing and asks to nurse. I don't know what sorcery this is. But there are times they nurse side-by-side and stroke each other's hair or hold each other's hands. There are times they both run up to me, excitedly divvying up right side and left. There are times they are both finished nursing and they just sleep on me or next to me, and I feel their warmth and their breathing. Disclaimer: The material included in this video is for informational
purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for
professional medical advice. The viewer should always consult her or his
healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for
their own situation. Krystyna and Bruss
Bowman and Bowman House, LLC accept no liability for the content of this site,
or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. This blog and video contain information about
our classes available in Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the official
website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained in this video and on our
blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American
Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®.
Birthing From Within and Bradley
Method® natural childbirth classes offered in Arizona: convenient to Chandler,
Tempe, Ahwatukee, Gilbert, Mesa, Scottsdale |
Monday Mantra: Wonder Woman SuperPower
Posted on August 14, 2017 at 1:27 PM |
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In Their Own Words: Amy
Posted on August 9, 2017 at 8:27 PM |
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Image: Erin Rudd Photography I never thought I'd be breastfeeding my toddler. I certainly
never thought I would be doing so while pregnant! Here I am, 30 weeks pregnant,
writing this while my toddler who just nursed down for a nap, is sleeping. When Ollie was a baby he nursed on demand; now he nurses before nap time, if we're together, and at bedtime, if mommy is home. Ollie's first Birthday came and went, and we were still nursing. When I got pregnant, Ollie was about 18-months, we contemplated weaning. My nipples were sensitive and, as much as I don't like to admit, I felt frustrated sometimes, when he nursed. We could tell Ollie was not ready. Deep down, I didn't really feel ready either. So we decided to try to cut back the nursing sessions. Over the course of a few weeks, I eliminated some of our typical nursing times. For example, we used to come home after work/daycare and sit together, cuddle, nurse and talk about our day. This was a difficult one for me to give up, because I LOVED this time with him. So we found something else that we both loved. We bought a porch swing and instead, we'd get a quick snack and go out front on the porch swing. The weather was just right, thank goodness, and he loved being outside. We'd listen to and talk about the sounds, play with rocks, and have our snack. This quickly became a special treasured time, as well. It hasn't all been easy. We've had our share of challenges. Just like any family, we had to find what works for us. Right now, this works for us. With the summer ending, I'll be going back to the classroom to teach, and Ollie will go off to our wonderful in-home-daycare provider. The days when we're not together, Ollie nurses at bedtime only. I don't know what the future holds for our breastfeeding relationship, and I'm not worried about it. I'll forever be grateful for this special time I've had with Ollie, the support of my loving husband (despite the uncertainties and naysayers), and for the breastfeeding community. Amy's Story about breastfeeding Ollie as a newborn HERE Disclaimer: The material included in this blog post is for informational
purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for
professional medical advice. The viewer should always consult her or his
healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for
their own situation. Krystyna and Bruss
Bowman and Bowman House, LLC accept no liability for the content of this site,
or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. This blog and related videos contain information about
our classes available in Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the official
website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained in this video and on our
blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American
Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®.
Birthing From Within and Bradley
Method® natural childbirth classes offered in Arizona: convenient to Chandler,
Tempe, Ahwatukee, Gilbert, Mesa, Scottsdale, |
Monday Mantra - Letting Go
Posted on July 31, 2017 at 1:11 PM |
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