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Sweet Pea ​Births
Sweet Pea ​Births
...celebrating every swee​t pea their birth
...celebrating every swee​t pea their birth
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Inside Look: Amorini Silver Nipple Soothers™
| Posted on September 8, 2016 at 9:52 PM |
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Puma and I got to see the Amorini Silver Nipple Soothers™
vendor table when we visited a Club MomMe event in California last year. At the time, we didn’t get to connect with
the rep since the table was unattended the couple of times we stopped by. We get this, though!! I have been a solo rep
at events before and I know how hard it is to be at your booth 100% of the
time. Imagine my delight when we got to meet the founder of
Amorini at our local Arizona La Leche League conference in August!! D’Ana
Marcin is an absolutely lovely person with an equally lovely product to help
breastfeeding mothers…read all about her product and what inspires her in
today’s “Inside Look”. Tell me
about Amorini Silver Nipple Soothers™. Amorini is
a set of two "soothers" made of Silver 925 and designed to help
prevent, protect and heal sore, cracked and bleeding nipples for breastfeeding
mothers. Who would benefit from using Amorini? All expecting and new mothers that intend
to breastfeed and/or pump breastmilk. Although Amorini Silver
Nipple Soothers™ are most often used to protect and promote healing of sore
nipples, they are also an effective preventative measure. When would mothers
want to use Amorini Silver Nipple Soothers? About how long can they
expect to use them? Ideally
mothers would start using the Amorini Silver Nipple Soothers™ before
the birth of their child as a preventative measure and they will continue using
them for as long as the pain persists. Mothers
whose child/children have difficulty latching or have a shallow latch
are more prone to severe nipple pain and cracks. It is highly
recommended the use of Amorini as the family is working with a
Certified Lactation Consultant to correct the latch. Mothers whose
child has been (or not!) diagnosed with tongue-tie are also susceptible to
severe nipple pain. We recommend the use of Amorini Silver Nipple
Soothers™ while working with a specialist to treat the tongue-tie. Amorini are
typically used for the first 3 to 4 weeks of breastfeeding or until any
underlying issues have been corrected. Some babies may try and gently bite the
nipple when they start teething or when teeth start cutting through the gums.
That can irritate the nipple and provoke another wave of painful breast-feeding
session for the mother. Amorini can help in these cases as
well.  What
makes Amorini unique?Amorini harnesses
the antibacterial and healing properties of Silver to help prevent, protect and
promote healing for sore, cracked and bleeding nipples in a natural and safe
way. Silver
Nipple Soothers are the most popular product for nipple care in Italy and have
been proven to be highly effective among new mothers. Amorini is the
only American brand of Silver Nipple protectors, founded by an Italian mother
who has recently relocated to California. They are designed and crafted in
Italy and are made of medical grade Silver. What motivated you
to start Amorini Silver Nipple Soothers™? In
September 2013 I gave birth to my beautiful daughter. I had taken breastfeeding
classes and I was gifted a tube of lanolin cream at my baby shower. I thought I
had everything I needed to be able to breastfeed. Baby girl started
breast-feeding like a champion less than an hour after birth but before I knew
it my nipples became raw and the pain was almost unbearable. The latch seemed
normal according to my lactation consultant and there was plenty of colostrum
for my baby to suckle on, but the pain was only getting worse. I
am very sensitive in the nipple area and that seemed to be the only explanation
for my pain. Three
days later, my longtime friend and NICU nurse from Italy sent me these
"miraculous silver nipple cups" and they were everything she had told
me they would be! Within 24 hours I started feeling significant
relief and by the third day of using them I was almost pain free and all the
cracks were healed. I
wanted to gift them to all my pregnant friends but I wasn't able to find them
in the United States. For months my family mailed me countless Silver Nipple
protectors sets so I could share with all my friends. Until
one day I decided I needed to bring these to the US and make them available to
all mothers and expecting mothers! And so it all began! :) Is there anything
else our readers should know about Amorini? Amorini Silver
Nipple Soothers™ are Nickel free therefore are considered hypoallergenic.
Please refer
to our Q&A page on our website or contact Amorini with
any questions or concerns. What inspires you? My
beautiful, joyful, fearless daughter is my biggest inspiration! Helping
mothers achieve their breastfeeding goals is my purpose and my motivation. Do you want to see something amazing? Watch D’Ana share her
hobby and her business in this fun YouTube video!! video: https://youtu.be/AdDT5v94xzM For more reading on how
silver can help treat sore nipples check out these links: From Fact Based Health: From California Healthy
Living Magazine: Disclaimer: The material included in this blog 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®. Bradley Method® natural childbirth classes offered in
Arizona: convenient to Chandler, Tempe, Ahwatukee, Gilbert, Mesa, Scottsdale,
Payson |
In Their Own Words: Courtney
| Posted on August 26, 2016 at 7:08 AM |
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"In Their Own
Words" is a blog series we share to bring you "real life"
experiences from other mothers and their families. Would you like to
share your story? Please email me at krystyna{at}sweetpeabirths{dot}com to get
started.  Today we are featuring a Q&A we did with one of our pumping and working-out-of-the-home mothers. She shares her insight gained from pumping for both of her sweet peas, for a combined total of 34 months...and counting. What was your vision of what pumping at work was going to entail? I thought I knew what pumping at work was going to be like. I thought it would be a nice break in my day to sit and think about my baby. It was inconvenient and awkward to constantly explain myself. I had read all these books about breastfeeding, gone to support groups, talked to a Lactation consultant, talked to friends, and when it came down to it, I still had to find my own way. All the knowledge helped, but each relationship and situation is unique. I knew it was going to be work, and I knew that I could do it. I didn't realize how long I would be doing it. 2 years. I pumped at work for nearly 2 years. I think that the most important step of the journey was making the commitment and educating myself. The most important part of making that successful was being surrounded by people that supported that commitment, and talking about it. What was the reality? At first, I was lucky. I worked with a group of women who were extremely supportive, including my best friend, who was still pumping for her son, 7 months older than my daughter. We brought in a couch, and ate lunch one handed, pumping side by side, while chatting with our colleagues, who breastfed their children. This gave me confidence that I didn't realize I would need later. Everything was normal. What I didn't count on was leaving that job and starting over at a new school. I knew that I would pump when I went back to work, but I never really thought about how long I would do it. My daughter was 9 months old when I started at my new school. Though still supportive, there was no couch and no camaraderie. I was isolated and lonely. At about 12 months, I was starting to hate it. I would pump in my car, but hooking up with the stupid hands-free bra in a car that had been sitting in the sun all day while trying not to expose myself to passers-by. What a sweaty, frustrating ordeal. But! I kept doing it until she was nearly 2, sometimes cursing about it, but I did it. Who did you have to talk to to make it happen? Empowered by the ease of my first experience with pumping at work, in my new school, I knew what I was entitled too, but most of all, I was open about talking to people about pumping and breastfeeding, especially the”extended” relationship. I wrote a very professional, informed, and informative email that sent to the entire Administrative team at the high school where I teach. My principal thanked me for the information that I provided and we even chatted for awhile about the inequity of motherhood in the workplace and how we both hope to see it change in our lifetime. As a single guy, he had never thought about it. I developed a view of myself as an advocate and found ways to normalize and remove the stigma of breastfeeding and pumping at work for an extended time. The more I talked about it frankly with those around me, the less I got a reaction; which I think is awesome! That's normalizing, right? Now that I am pumping for my 2nd child, my co-workers don’t bat an eyelash when I say, “I'll be back in 20. Going to make lunch for my son.” What kind of provision did your employer make; and was it easy, or did you have to push hard? I took the lead on advocating for myself in the workplace. I took the attitude of, “If I walk in like I own the place, no one will question me.” When I wrote my email to my administrators and had follow up conversations, I made sure to be informed and provide links to state and federal information, guidelines, and statutes that supported me. I informed my administrators of what was legally expected of them and what I was entitled to. I also provided them with my pumping schedule, and the location that I planned to pump. It was more like, “this is what I’m doing, and this is why you have to let me.” It wasn’t that I expected backlash. I wanted to be clear and straightforward. My department head was very accommodating in scheduling my prep period for a time that was best for me to space out my pumping. I believe that all of this seemed “easy” because I was well informed and took the role of educating and informing my workplace, advocating for myself, and for other mothers in the future. I didn’t expect them to know what to do, and I didn’t expect anyone to change they way they went about their day to accommodate my needs. My commitment to my child would come first if there were any issues, but there were not. What kind of support did your partner provide that was helpful? My partner is extremely supportive, but didn’t quite get why I feel dejected when he would tell me “just pump” when I was trying to schedule my life around feeding my baby. We talked about it, and I explained rather than getting frustrated and shutting down. I would describe how frustrating it was to try to hook up to my pump in the car, in the heat, with a hands-free bra, and a nursing cover, or how I couldn’t do “x” because it was too close to feeding time, or wouldn’t allow me time to feed... and then I ran across an ad for the Freemie on Facebook! He bought me a set. I loved it. Then I complained that I had to wash them every day, and he bought me a second set, so I didn’t have to wash them every day. Best. Husband. Ever. How much time should a mom plan for each pumping session? Any tips for better/easier letdown? I usually pump for about 15 minutes. If I reflect on how I got to that, I started by pumping until I wasn’t ejecting any more milk. That would usually take about 20-25 minutes, which was about the length of my commute to work. I discovered that I was pumping more than the baby was eating, I would end up engorged on the weekends. I cut down to 15 minutes and now I end up about even with what baby consumes while I am gone. To trigger letdown, at first I would just talk about my baby with my colleagues. Especially pumping side-by-side with another momma, let down was not difficult to achieve. Now, I start to let down a few minutes before I start pumping. When I changed schools, it was a little more difficult. I didn’t have that camaraderie any more. On more stressful days, it would take a little longer to trigger letdown. On these days, I sit quietly, turn off distractions, and breathe. Looking at pictures hasn’t worked for me in the past, but closing my eyes and visualizing nursing my baby has helped. How long did you make the pumping commitment work - how did that match your expectations? When we decided to breastfeed my husband and I talked about it. I wanted to do at least a year, but thought about continuing the more I learned about extended breastfeeding. Hubby was super supportive of extended breastfeeding, so I made the commitment to nurse as long as my daughter wanted to. I ended up weaning her when I became pregnant. She and I made it 22 months. I am now on month 12 of nursing and pumping for my son. I know that I probably sound like an ad for Freemie, but with Freemie, I don’t see myself stopping until he’s not nursing during the day anymore. What words of advice would you give to someone who is ready to go back to work and wants to pump for their baby? Be informed. Inform others. Have a plan. Have a backup plan. Keep perspective. This is for your baby, everybody else can take a number. You are legally protected. Get comfortable saying things like “expressing milk” and “breastfeeding” to complete strangers. They don’t understand euphemisms. I’ve pumped in many places that weren’t schools and I’ve never been told that they couldn’t help me. I hope it was because I was confident and informed. If I were being completely truthful, I smiled inside when I saw someone squirm. I thought to myself, “I’m making them change. This is good.” This is your right and my right to provide for our children. The more we make people uncomfortable, the more comfortable they become and the more “normal” feeding babies breastmilk will be for future generations. As for the bottle, ask friends to borrow different types of bottles before you spend a fortune. Both of our kids like the Dr. Browns bottles, but that isn’t what we had a full set of. . . I took twelve weeks off with both of my kids. With my daughter (first born) we tried a bottle with her the week before I went back. This was not soon enough because she wouldn’t take a bottle and I went to my first day back thinking, “my baby isn’t going to eat.” She did, and everything was fine, but I was stressed, which made it harder to pump and made it harder for me to do my job. I think even two weeks out would have been good. Don’t be the one to give baby the bottle. Have a partner, friend, or family member do it so the baby will actually try. I had to leave the house to get my daughter to even attempt a bottle. From our experience, don’t wait until they are starving. Giving a crying baby a bottle for the first time didn’t work out for us. Bottom line? Be confident. Be informed. Inform others. Find your path. Ask for help. Be an advocate. Thank you to
Courtney for sharing her breastfeeding journey today <3 I hope it has touched
you and inspired you in some way, and that you will take heart and courage in
your own breastfeeding journey. UPCOMING EVENTS: Phoenix La Leche League: Live, Latch, Love As part of the LLL area conference August 26th, 5-7 PM Embassy Suites Biltmore La Leche League Conference August 26-28, 2016 Embassy Suites Biltmore Register Here: www.lllofaz.org/area-conference  Disclaimer: The material included in this blog 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 Birthing From Within or The Bradley Method®. The
views contained in this video and on our blog do not necessarily reflect those
of Birthing From Within, The Bradley Method® or the American Academy of
Husband-Coached Childbirth®. |
In Their Own Words: Tanya...Part 1
| Posted on August 15, 2016 at 12:39 PM |
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"In Their Own
Words" is a blog series we share to bring you "real life"
experiences from other mothers and their families. Would you like to
share your story? Please email me at [email protected] to get
started.  .As a mother to two girls I feel even more of a responsibility to normalize breastfeeding. My amazing mother did that for me and I am forever grateful. I grew up knowing that breastfeeding was a wonderful way to nourish and bond with your baby. From the moment I knew I wanted to be a mom, I knew I would breastfeed. So imagine my surprise when I have my first daughter and suddenly I felt an overwhelming embarrassment to nurse in public…WITH A NURSING COVER even. There was many a time I went to nurse her in my car or even nursed her in a store bathroom (not my finest hour)!!! To this day I am not even sure where this feeling came from because I was never the victim of shaming from another person while breastfeeding. I imagine it all comes from society’s perception of breastfeeding. Thankfully, I had joined Mercy Gilbert’s breastfeeding group and slowly my embarrassment began to turn into pride. By the time I finished Krystyna and Bruss’ Bradley Class in the Spring of 2013, I felt like a superhero of sorts for all the amazing benefits I had provided for my daughter and was going to give my new baby.  I went from not wanting anyone to see me breastfeed with my first daughter (the only picture I have is from the hospital), to embracing the wonderful bond breastfeeding brings and doing so in pictures.
Today I have been breastfeeding or pregnant (or breastfeeding while pregnant) for 5 ½ years. My greatest accomplishment so far is seeing my daughters “nurse” their babies. It shows me that I have been that role model for them to show them that breastfeeding is normal and beautiful and even difficult at times. When my 5-year-old daughter tells me how she needs to nurse her 2-year-old doll or my 3-year-old daughter says “I nurse my baby, mama!” that is simply music to my ears. I started out my nursing journey hoping I could make it to one year and hoping I wouldn’t offend anybody if I had to nurse in public. Now, I have proudly nursed one child to 22 months, another to 3 years and am currently nursing my almost 15-month old son until our nursing journey comes to an end. Furthermore, I nurse in public wherever I need to, sometimes with a cover, sometimes without; and sometimes while baby-wearing. My hope is that I not only provide my daughters and son with a positive view of breastfeeding, but also inspire a new mom to feel like she is a superhero of sorts when breastfeeding; because it is hard, it is exhausting, it is amazing, it is powerful, it is rewarding, it is blissful, it is depressing, it is courageous, it is painful, it is empowering, but most importantly, it requires a village in order to be successful. Whether it be family members (I am so lucky that my parents and in-laws where both a tremendous help), a group or class (both life savers for me), a friend, relative, doctor….it takes a village to make breastfeeding successful. And I am forever grateful for the confidence my village gave me.   Thank you to Tanya for sharing her breastfeeding journey today <3 I hope it has touched you and inspired you in some way, and that you will take heart and courage in your own breastfeeding journey. UPCOMING EVENTS Phoenix La Leche League: Live, Latch, Love As part of the LLL area conference August 26th, 5-7 PM Embassy Suites Biltmore La Leche League Conference August 26-28, 2016 Embassy Suites Biltmore Register Here: www.lllofaz.org/area-conference  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®. |
To Look or Not to Look
| Posted on August 4, 2016 at 1:52 PM |
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 Image credit: Erin Rudd Photography Belabumbum Nightgown provided by Modern Mommy Boutique Human breasts have been used to nourish human infants since time immemorial. There was a time when the nursing madonna was one of the cherished subjects for artists worldwide. Here is an insight from artelisa's blog, Art history, symbolism, and legends:
As it turns out, the Middle Age philosophers were intuitively correct...breastmilk is created when the hormone prolactin causes alveoli to take nutrients, like proteins and sugars, from the blood supply, and then turns them into breast milk. (Source: Sutter Health) So let's look at a few example of breastfeeding, the divine: Click on images to go to the source page Jesus as an infant:  Virgin and Child, by Bernard van Orley Jesus as an older baby:  Madonna with Child, detail from Our Lady of Graces with Saints Francis of Assisi, Dominic de Guzman and the person who commissioned the art work, oil on canvas by Fabrizio Santafede (about 1560-1634), Church of San Domenico, Ruvo di Puglia (Bari), Apulia, Italy, 17th century.Jesus as a toddler??  Madonna che allatta Bernardino Luini - olio  The Nursing Madonna by unknown master from Bruges, 16th century. Museu de Aveiro, Portugal. Another one with "the nip"!!  Gerard David, Nursing Madonna
And we think it's a big deal if someone is nursing outside of the home past a year, or when a baby starts to "ask" for it...I would say that the "normal" for many of the artists depicting the Madonna and Child would be older nurslings, since that is what is portrayed in such a huge number of images. I also want to name my bias in today's post. I specifically sought the Madonna and Child because that is my reference point. As I was searching, I saw Hindu art, Egyptian art, sculptures and woodcarvings...all depicting breastfeeding (many of older children nursing, too...no coincidence there, I think). So I am going to leave you with this encouragement today. Breastfeeding is part of nature's design. It isn't always easy. It isn't always pretty. It is always worth it. Whether you feed your baby drops a day or ounces a day, whether you feed your baby a day, a week, months, or years...every time you take the time to feed your baby, they are receiving a benefit from your body to theirs. Embrace your choice. Feed your baby. Nurse in public. It's so 600 years ago. Need some tips on NIP? Search our blog archive on Nursing In Public 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®.     |
Just Hold the Baby
| Posted on April 1, 2016 at 10:57 AM |
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I had the pleasure of seeing Dr. Nils Bergman speak last summer. He is the director of NINO Birth, which stands for "Neuroscience for Improved Neonatal Outcomes." He is doing research and connecting the dots between other researchers' work that confirms a mother's instinctual need to keep her baby with her. Based on his observations of birthing mammals, Dr. Bradley came to the same conclusion: the best things for baby is to be skin-to-skin on the mother's chest, and the best food for infants is breastmilk. Since we are fascinated with science and some doctors can't be convinced without it, it is awesome to have Dr. Nils out there spreading his message. Thanks to his research, he can be even more specific about the benefits to both mother and baby. You can find his website with his research and advice to new parents HERE. There are also pages dedicated specifically to parents of preemies. (IMO the whole website should be required reading for parents and care-providers alike!!) The foundation of his message is that after a birth (even of a premature baby), the mother and the infant should have 1000 minutes of uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact. YES - that's 16 hours and 40 minutes of a mother and her infant snuggled together, without interruption. Now, practically speaking, the first hour should be skin-to-skin with the mother. After that, if mom has to use the restroom or wants a quick shower, then the other parent can do skin-to-skin with baby, reuniting the MotherBaby as soon as possible. In a nutshell, the benefits of continuous skin-to-skin contact for the MotherBaby are that bonding and breastfeeding get off to a good start. For the infant, sleep cycling starts to get organized, temperature is regulated, and blood sugars are stabilized. All this just when the MotherBaby is supported in staying in continuous contact. For me, the most startling thing that Dr. Nils stated when he shared his research is the profound effect continuous contact also has on the mother. He says that she becomes "brain-wired for ferocity", the natural instinct to protect and provide for her baby, when she and baby stay together. It is small wonder then that mothers who are separated from their infants for any period of time have a harder time making milk for those infants, and sometimes feel a huge disconnect between themselves and their children. So, YES, this means that all a mother should do after the birth of her baby is stay in bed with the baby. YES this means that it is okay to delay making an announcement on social media until the day after the baby is born to allow the MotherBaby to get organized. YES, anyone who tells you otherwise can be ignored. As long as mother is okay and baby is okay, there is no reason for anyone else other than the mother and the other parent to be touching and holding the baby. Baths, newborn procedures, and any other pokes and prods can be delayed until the first 1000 minutes have passed. As cute as your Sweet Pea is, and as much as some visitors may long to hold them when they have that precious, just-out-of-the-womb smell, just say no. There is plenty of time for friends and family to come hold the baby after you get home, when you will want help with meals and laundry. They can hold the baby then, while you grab a nice, hot shower. Until then, claim your inner MamaBear and hold your baby. Disclaimer: The material included in this blog 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 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 in this video and on our
blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American
Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®.  |
The Right to Breastfeed
| Posted on August 30, 2015 at 6:03 PM |
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Styling by Modern Mommy Boutique Photo by Erin Rudd Photography As more and more women gain knowledge
about the benefits of breastfeeding for both mom and baby, more women are
understanding that when the baby wants/needs to eat, the baby needs to be fed,
no matter where the MotherBaby happens to be at the time. The Pope has
famously implored mothers to feed their babies (link HERE)...it's
time for the rest of the world to catch up. In part due to
the hypersexualization of the female body, breastfeeding in public became
taboo. Women of the 21st century are reclaiming the right to feed their Sweet Peas according to nature’s
design. Nursing in Public (“NIP”) is
becoming more and more common as more women refuse to succumb to the pressure that
breastfeeding is a home activity. We are gradually normalizing NIP when we respond to our children's hunger cues or emotional cues that breastfeeding can fix, even if we happen to be out of the house or car at the time we are reading these cues. (Yes, I'm guilty of sitting in a hot car to feed my Sweet Pea so I don't offend someone else's sensitivities. By Sweet Pea#2, that little concern went away as I gained more confidence to feed wherever we happened to be at the time). It’s not about flaunting our breasts,
or being disrespectful to religious beliefs.
It is all about basic mammal biology: after pregnancy, birth mothers
lactate; after birth, babies are fed from mammary glands. The MotherBaby dyad remains intact when they
are responding to each other, and one of those signals is the hunger cue. I have written several posts about breastfeeding in public – here
are some links for you to explore if you want to read more:
I hope that one of these posts speaks to you and lends you the confidence to respond to your Sweet Pea the next time they need to breastfeed and you are out of your comfort zone. Your Sweet Pea will thank you :) 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®. |
Birth Story: Marathon Labor
| Posted on January 23, 2015 at 9:45 AM |
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Christine & BJ Bollier Bradley Method© Birth Story  Our goal is to prepare families to have a natural birth by
teaching a mom and her loving coach to labor together. The reality is
that even with the best preparation, birth is unique, fluid and unpredictable.
Our experience as natural childbirth educators is that even if your birth
does not go according to your plan, a comprehensive education like The
Bradley Method® will pave the way for you to have your best possible birth
with a Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby outcome.This story is a great example of making your wishes known,
persevering through a long labor that stalled (The Bradley Method® calls “the stall”, aka
“failure to progress”, a “Natural Alignment Plateau” or "NAP"), and making decisions as the labor progressed for a Healthy Mom,
Healthy Baby birth experience. Even with
an intervention they did not initially want or anticipate, they were able to have the vaginal,
unmedicated birth they had prepared for. One of my favorite quotes from the video is Christine’s
statement, “I was tired, but I was never scared, because I knew what to
expect.”
Here is a quick summary of their labor: She started with contractions around 15 minutes
apart on a Thursday morning. They went
to their doctor’s appointment that afternoon and decided to go home and let their
labor progress. On Friday, they were timing contractions throughout the
day. When they got to five minutes apart,
they decided to go to the hospital because of the impending blizzard (they live
in Payson, AZ). By the time they were
all checked into their room, it was 2:30 am on Saturday. By Saturday evening at 6:00 pm, they hit a NAP
at around 8 cm dilation. They made the
decision to accept an amniotomy (breaking the bag of waters) at 10:00 pm. Their son was born on Sunday morning at 3:30
am. When the Bollier's time their labor, they call it 36 hours from the
contractions that were 6 minute apart on Friday afternoon to the time when he was born on Sunday morning. They both stayed awake for the whole of that time, save a few cat naps that happened between contractions when they were both exhausted. It is good to note that they did sleep on Thursday night when contractions were still in the "putsy-putsy" stage. I am so glad she talks about how she experienced contractions
– that’s a big question mark for first-time moms. Christine says she felt them as rhythmic and
internalized them – she says she could have painted you a picture of the
contractions. I love that perspective! HIGHLIGHTS Birth plan
Changing the Plan
Christine’s Insight: Q: What did BJ do as a Coach that helped you the most? A: He kept me from freaking out when it had gone on for so
long. As she explains, he kept her on track through the
exhaustion. BJ kept her calm with reassurance; he also pointed out the progress they had made. Loosely paraphrasing: [The hard part] wasn’t the pain – it was the exhaustion. I knew the pain was purposeful because
I was getting a baby. [Contractions] came in bursts and they were
not constant - it wasn’t miserable pain or constant pain from an injury that hurts all the time. Looking back a year later, [a contraction] was such a short period of time. BJ’s nuggets of wisdom Education & knowledge quell fear – having notes at
my fingertips kept me from getting scatterbrained while I was watching
(coaching) my wife through labor. Postpartum advice for the husbands: Don’t be proud – just say
yes. Don’t be too proud to accept help –
it’s a gift. On the lighter side, you’ll hear the inauguration of the
term “The Splash Zone” – now that we know our student’s perception of watching
all the birth videos from the first row of chairs, it’s what we call that front
line when we show birth videos in class - lol. QUESTIONS FROM THE CLASS: Q: Were you both awake the whole [36 hours of progressive
labor]? A: Yes…If I had it to do over again – we would rest throughout
labor. You’ll hear it in class that you
should rest. Seriously – REST. After the baby is born, you are playing
catch-up with sleep. Q: What can you tell us about breastfeeding a newborn? A: Get your hands on reading material, borrow books, have phone
numbers of support people you can call, have a good structure around you to
encourage, inspire, and inform you. Invest in good bras – wear a tank top with shirt underneath
at this age (son is about 11 months old in this video), after the infant stage
the nursing cover is not staying on! Did you have a long labor?
What labor management tips would you share with first-time parents? 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®. |
Wordless Wednesday: Breastfeeding Awareness Month
| Posted on August 20, 2014 at 6:29 PM |
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The theme for this month was Nature's Best...what better way to start our #wordlesswednesday than with these pictures of a statue my mom saw on her Peru trip??   For more information on how you can help raise breastfeeding awareness this month, please click HERE for more information from the US Breastfeeding Committee. Here are some other images from our readers...and the evolution I have gone through as a breastfeeding mama...from uncovered only at home, to covered, to posting selfies on Instagram and Twitter as my confidence in my choice to breastfeed has grown.          Please tag us @sweetpeabirths on Twitter or on Instagram so that we can see your #beautifulbfing #normalizebfing #NBM14 images <3 More posts about Breastfeeding: Breastfeeding Cafe Blog Carnival Breastfeeding Awareness Month Black Breastfeeding Week |
Top 5 Breastfeeding Products
| Posted on August 19, 2014 at 2:15 PM |
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 I really enjoyed making these videos with Talisha from Modern Mommy Boutique last year. Since it is Breastfeeding Awareness Month 2014, here is a look at her recommendation for the Top 5 products you need as a new nursing mama. If you are in or near Chandler, Arizona, you can pick these up at her store in front of the Chandler Fashion Mall. If you are out of state, she ships or you can of course, choose your favorite on-line retailer. Scroll down to see my 2014 update on food-safe nipple cream. Enjoy! For today's video, I asked her to highlight her Top 5 picks for breastfeeding, and we ended up with a bonus in there. It's a quick video (under 5 minutes)...also did a little picture gallery. Enjoy!
A note on food-safe nipple cream: One of our students is studying to be an aesthetician. She heard a presentation on lanolin. Besides being marketed as a breast nipple cream, it is also a common ingredient in beauty products. She learned in the lecture that depending on how the sheep is fed, the lanolin may have carcinogens in it *because* the grass that is fed to the sheep is not guaranteed to be free of pesticides and carcinogens. And the chemicals that cannot be digested by the sheep is stored in the fat. A little more on lanolin from PBS:
So between the carcinogen in the fats and the pesticides in the wool, research your lanolin-based nipple creams before you buy! Or just go with something else, like the Motherlove cream that Talisha has on her Top 5 list. What would be on your Top 5 List? Please leave us a comment - it will be moderated and
posted. More posts about Breastfeeding: Breastfeeding Cafe Blog Carnival Breastfeeding Awareness Month Black Breastfeeding Week Disclaimer: 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®. The Bradley Method® for New Parents: December 5, 2014 through February 20, 2015 Classes meet at 6:30 pm Bradley™ “Next” – full series plus focus on sibling preparation - for returning students only By request - please contact us for more information For more information or to register, please call us at
602-684-6567 or email us at [email protected] |
Inside Look: CoverMyHeart
| Posted on August 7, 2014 at 9:52 AM |
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Here is
another Inside Look just in time to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week. The
creator of the CoverMyHeart nursing covers, was kind enough to do a virtual
interview with us. I met April
Marcial (“AM”) at the Club MomMe Spring Family Fest in June. We had a chance to visit between interested
mamas stopping at her booth. Her journey
as a mother and entrepreneur is incredible – a link to her story is at the
bottom of this blog post. It is an honor
to cross paths in life with people who are really making a difference in the
world – she is one of them. As with Tuesday's feature, April’s product is designed for nursing mothers who want
to cover when they nurse in public (“NIP”).
As she says, this is a product where function meets fashion. If you are a scarf aficionado like I am, I
think you will agree. Here is
the CoverMyHeart interview – enjoy! SPB: What motivated you to start CoverMyHeart? AM: I
launched CoverMyHeart in 2011 after being on unemployment for two years. I
decided to take my future into my own hands. Because of personal reasons
originating in childhood trauma, I had a passion to change the way women
breastfeed by adding “fashion to function”. I pursued and obtained a
patent for my idea and hit the ground running.  SPB: How did you come up with design for the breastfeeding
scarf? AM: I
wanted a product that solves a problem for breastfeeding moms and promote the
bond between mother and baby. With the help of a local breastfeeding café, the
Women wanted pieces that can keep up with their busy lives, make them feel
beautiful and confident even when breastfeeding, have a high design quality and
durability, but still a good value. After a multitude of prototypes, I
patented the design they all fell in love with.  SPB: How many ways can you wear the “function meets fashion”
nursing accessory? AM: This
breastfeeding scarf does it all, offering 17 ways to wear; we have launched a
video showing 11 of them. These pieces add a trend-setting flair to any
ensemble. SPB: What inspired your choices of fabrics for the nursing
scarf? AM: I
have a designer that picks out my fabric choices. Pantone sets the trend
and Chiffon fabric is for comfort. The fabric choice is designed for
success! SPB: Do you have a favorite pattern in my collection? AM: I
love every pattern and I wear them all but, the one I wear most is Jewell, it
goes with so many of my outfits.  SPB: What makes your product unique? AM: Our
A-line design adds a fashion flair and elegance. One side opens so mom
can easily latch and allows an open arm so she can multi task. Its size is
designed to go through toddler stage and when mom is done breastfeeding, it
becomes an accessory for her everyday fashion.
Stylish options with or without a nursling :) Thank
you, April, for taking the time to answer our questions. A quick perusal of your site this morning
shows that many patterns are already sold-out, and some are on back order! If you are a fashion-conscious nursing mama,
head on over to her on-line store before more of your favorites are gone for
good! Where
to find CoverMyHeart online: Instagram
@CoverMyHeart713
What is your favorite NIP accessory? Please leave us a comment - it will be moderated and posted. More posts about Breastfeeding: Breastfeeding Cafe Blog Carnival Breastfeeding Awareness Month Black Breastfeeding Week 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®. |
