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Q.
What foods should I eat that are good for my diet and my baby's diet?
Are
there foods I should avoid for his comfort? He and I both seem to
struggle with
gas pains but I am not sure if this is just a fact of life or
something that can
be avoided.
A. Some foods affect some babies but not always. I would
experiment with
yourself and your baby. Generally what you eat will peak in your
milk 4 hours
after you ingest it - but the tricky one is milk as it takes 16 hours
to peak
and it causes the most problems. I usually have my clients
totally eliminate
milk products for 7-10 days to begin - if you get a new baby, that was
it (about
70% of the cases this happens!). If not try something else. It
is a fun puzzle
and just as soon as you figure it out they will probably out grow it
but it is
worth trying to look! Dr.
Chistopher's Kid-E-Col works great on the symptoms
while you are figuring out the cause!
P.J. Jacobsen, IBCLC
Q.
What is the difference between MD's and Midwives (MW)?
A.
My general response is that MD's are taught to treat disease, which
causes them to treat pregnancy as a disease. MW's are taught that
pregnancy is a normal function of the female body so they will not
"treat" a woman for pregnancy, just help her to have a safe
healthy
birth.
Now that I have generalized both midwives and doctors I'll say that if
a
woman becomes sick during her pregnancy or if she has a disease and
then
becomes pregnant she needs to be seen by a doctor, who are best
trained
for difficult and sick women / pregnancies. There are some MD's who
will
allow a MW to co-manage a pregnancy while helping control the disease.
This approach is helpful for both the woman and the doctor. The woman
should have a hospital birth unless the MD approves an out of hospital
birth.
If a woman is healthy and normal, a midwife can care for her during
her
entire pregnancy and she will not need to be seen by an MD. All her
prenatal care can be taken care of by the midwife. Midwives are taught
what is normal and they usually know when to refer a sick woman to an
MD
for care, only about 5% of women will need referral to an MD.
Keep in mind that in some countries a breech presentation or twins are
not difficult or considered a high risk pregnancy. They have normal
vaginal births with little to no complication. It is considered lower
risk to vaginally birth twins or a breech than to undergo a C-section.
The infection rate is higher for C-sections in third world countries
than
here so it is safer to have a vaginal birth. Interestingly that only
in
the US and Canada are doctors considered the experts in birth.
Midwives
are always the expert in all other countries for normal birth.
Because some states view birth as a disease MW's are accused of
practicing medicine without a license and are put in jail by the
medical
community. Other states know that midwives are a needed part of
prenatal
care for pregnant women. There are different "types" of
midwives with
each state having their own classifications. I will go into detail
next
time on the "different" types of midwives and training for
them.
Happy birthing,
Charlene Jenkins, LM
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Preparing
to Breastfeed
-
Read,
learn and listen
-
Make
a birth plan
-
Nipple
Preparation
-
Bra
Selection
Read, Learn and Listen
Successful breastfeeding is a skill (some would say art) that does
not just come naturally. There
are many good
books on breastfeeding. Read
several so you get a feel for different approaches.
When you have to make choices later you will have a solid
informed foundation for your decisions.
Start attending La
Leche League meetings before baby comes so you can establish a
support network and learn from the experiences of other breastfeeding
moms. Fostering a relationship with your local leader may be very
helpful for basic information and problem solving.
Some communities offer breastfeeding classes, or you can take a
free online course here.
Plan your Baby’s Birth
Make sure your birth attendant is supportive of breastfeeding.
Remember that most physicians get very little training in
breastfeeding in medical school but their attitude toward it can make
a big difference. It is a
good idea to establish a relationship with an IBCLC certified
lactation consultant who can help you prepare and get off on the right
foot (breast?). It is
important to have the baby latch on at least within the first hour
after birth – 20 to 30 minutes is optimal.
Your support person (husband or Doula) should make sure this
happens. Few moms call
the LC before she is needed but it is a good idea to find one you feel
comfortable with and can be there for you when you need her.
Don’t be afraid to change your birth attendant if you don’t
like her attitude. Avoid
drugs in childbirth. The
drugs suppress the baby’s suckling reflexes, often delays the first
latch, causes sleepy babies and the amount of fluids administered
during an epidural causes edema in the breast tissue, may reducing the
flow and makes the nipple difficult to latch on to.
It takes about a month for the drugs to clear from the baby.
Nipple Preparation
Some
Common Myths:
-
Women
who have flat or inverted nipples cannot breastfeed... False.
Babies "breastfeed" not "nipple feed".
With correct positioning and wide latch most types of flat or
inverted nipples will not be a problem.
-
Women
need to "toughen" their nipples by brushing them with a
toothbrush or rubbing them with a rough, dry towel...False.
This
removes the protective oil and skin cells around the nipple. This
oil keeps your nipple supple and discourages the growth of
bacteria. Nipples do
not callous or toughen and do not need to be toughened.
-
Blondes
and/or Redheads have more nipple soreness than other women...False.
Hair color or skin type does not cause nipple soreness. The
amount of time the baby nurses is also not a cause of sore
nipples. Improper
"positioning" or "latching" is the most common
cause of sore nipples. Looking
at a latch from the outside may not always reveal an internal
problem – the experience of an LC can help when there seems to
be no apparent reason for trouble.
Nipple Types:
To
determine what kind of nipple you have, try the pinch test. Place your
thumb and forefinger at the base of the nipple and gently pinch about
one inch of breast tissue.
Normal - Nipple sticks out (protrudes) when pinched.
Flat - Nipple sticks out (protrudes) slightly or remains
flat when pinched.
Inverted - Nipple remains inverted or dimples in when
pinched.
Prenatal Nipple Care:
-
To
protect the natural oils, wash the nipples with warm water only.
Do not use soap, it dries the skin.
-
Nipple
creams are not needed. Many contain alcohol that dries the skin.
There are healthy
breast creams that help prevent stretch marks.
-
If
you have inverted nipples, you could try wearing "breast
shells". These are hard plastic shells, worn inside your
bra to help draw out the nipples. Use them the last 4 to 6 weeks
of pregnancy.
Caution:
Prenatal nipple rolling, expressing colostrum or rubbing
nipples with a towel are not recommended. These actions may cause
uterine contractions, especially for women with history of
premature labor.
This
information on nipple preparation was adapted from: Breastfeeding
Guidelines for Health Care Providers. Canadian Institute of Child
Health, 1993 and the Postpartum Parent Support Program, Health &
Welfare Canada, Revised Edition, 1993.
Selecting a Nursing Bra
Some women may find their bra getting snug just a few
months into pregnancy. My advice for women who experience such growing
pains in pregnancy is to NOT buy a maternity bra. Here is why: The
maternity bras made by most companies are exactly the same as their
nursing bras, except for the opening cups of the nursing style.
Breastfeeding mothers who buy maternity bras will have to buy,
essentially, the same bra again. Maternity bras are a marketing idea.
You don't need one. Consider purchasing a nursing bra even if you are
undecided about breastfeeding, or intend to use an artificial baby
milk. Many women decide to breastfeed late in pregnancy as they become
better informed about the benefits of breastfeeding. Even though your
first size change may not be the final size you wear for nursing your
newborn, you will probably find that after several months of
breastfeeding you may return to that size. So unless you like to
collect extra bras, stick to the nursing styles!
The
last fitting should be in the last month of pregnancy.
You should have a minimum of 2 nursing bras - but 4 or more can
be very handy, especially if your husband doesn’t do the wash very
often. Carefully follow
the instructions in the Family Resources fitting
room. A proper fit
can make a world of difference, and 75% of women wear the wrong size.
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Family
Resources (BirthandBaby) offers the information in this newsletter for
general educational and informational purposes only. This information
is not intended as a substitute for advice, treatment, or
recommendations from health care professionals. It is important to
follow the advice of your health care professional regarding your
individual medical and health care needs. Please consult with your
Lactation Consultant or other health care professional before using
any product or practice discussed within this Web site. The
information contained in this web site is educational only and should
not be construed as offering medical advice. Family Resources is
not engaged in rendering medical advice or services.
Copyright
2001, Family Resources. All
rights reserved.
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