Breastfeeding

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Lactation Cookies Mean Nothing If …

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Photo by Tamara Novak – who lovingly baked and brought Lactation Cookies to our LLL meetings on a few occasions and we *loved* them. Cookies are good. But a good latch is better!

YOUR LATCH STINKS!!

You know what I’m talking about, we’ve all had them, and they’re mmmmm, mmmmm, good! How many wonderful cookie recipes are out there? Those mouth-watering images of ooozing, warm from the oven, melted chocolate, cookies. With crisp toasted coconut even! You can smell the nutty oats and cinnamon as your read, right? Sign me up! Pass the recipe! Where can I get a bunch!

We love a good cookie! Heck, we’re postpartum doulas *and* lactation consultants. So it’s in our maternal and professional instincts to nourish you and bring you wholesome food and cookies to fuel you up as a new mom. We even have our own recipe for them on our FB page!

But ladies, cut it out, will you? Can you promise us that before you buy any brewers yeast, chia or flax you’ll make sure that your latch is correct, and that baby’s oral anatomy is working? You could eat a thousand cookies a week, and you will see zero difference in your milk supply if you have a poor latch, and are not effectively emptying the breast.

The number one way to increase milk supply is to empty the breast … frequently, regularly, effectively. Either with baby or a good pump. If that’s not happening seek advice and wisdom to guide you toward fixing that problem. It’s so easy as a new mom to be seduced by marketing, especially if it’s yummy food …. with chocolate. But words of wisdom: as an IBCLC I don’t issue any recommendation for galactagogues until I’ve assessed and confirmed what the issue is that is preventing a good milk supply. Please take this advice with you as you travel your mommy groups and FB pages, where the minute a mom mentions low supply people start throwing oatmeal and blue Gatorade at her.

Low milk supply happens, but it doesn’t “just” happen. There’s a reason. And as much as we’d love for the answer to be a cookie, that’s usually not going to do the job. But if you want to make cookies, because cookies are awesome and they should be enjoyed, go for it! Just save us some.

 

Deirdre & Kim

 

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Breastfeeding, Alcohol and Peppermint

A merry, festive, happy, joyous12314611_552904074875488_5425735290987625725_o season to you all. It’s that time of year where breastfeeding moms worry about two things: alcohol and peppermint! As lactation experts and IBCLCs, we at MommaArts thought we’d dispel a little myth and mystery so that your season may be brighter.

Too often we’ve heard tales of “pump and dump” or of a nosy frenemy wagging their finger in judgement that we’re wrong to indulge with the occasional glass of wine or drink. The nay-sayers are simply wrong. Science and research rejects the notion of “pump and dump”. No longer do you have to toss perfectly good breastmilk because you had a glass of champagne or two. No matter when you drink – a glass of wine several times a week, or more seasonally when the holiday champagne toasts come – rest easy that following some simple, logical guidelines will help you enjoy your holiday, and keep nursing that baby.

The General Rule of Alcohol: if you’re sober enough to drive, you can breastfeed. If you’d drive home from a party, you can breastfeed. Less than 2% of the alcohol consumed reaches your blood and milk. It peaks in your blood and milk stream approximately 1/2-1 hour after drinking (with obvious variations from woman to woman). So if you time your feeding and your celebrations well, you can raise that glass of good cheer and be home in time to put your little one down for their last night-time nursing.

On to peppermint. Peppermint bark, mint hot cocoa, chocolate mints on every coffee table. We’ve all heard stories of peppermint drying up milk. In large amounts, the fresh herb and strong mints (like altoids) have been used and associated with weaning. That is true. Google any list on “how to wean” and mint will be mentioned. For the most part mint is recommended for weaning by using in large, frequent quantities – like a box of altoids a day, several cups of natural herbal mint tea regularly through out the day, etc. Frequency and potency matter! Putting a small amount of peppermint in hot chocolate, or a dark chocolate candy will hardly be enough to create much of a change in supply. To be on the safe side, if you’re a new mom, with baby still only a few weeks old and are working on building a strong supply, you might want to stay away from a lot of strong peppermint. But for a mom whose baby is a few months old, and who has a strong and regular supply – having a bit of peppermint bark or a peppermint stick in your martini won’t hurt you.

Bottom line: let’s pay attention to our bodies! Enjoy yourself by paying attention to how you feel and how milk flows during the holidays. Indulge in the yummy treats out there, but keep a sensible eye to how your body reacts. Don’t stress it – just use common sense. There is so much to overwhelm and stress about during the holiday season – schedules change, routines get messed up, family boundaries, travel, food changes – all the regular routines of motherhood take a hit! So taking time to enjoy a little treat, while sitting in the glow of a holiday candle, Christmas tree or New Years fire-place – well, damn it, you’ve earned that moment, momma!

Enjoy the season this year with common sense and good cheer!

And remember, any breastfeeding questions about what you can and can not eat or drink, give us a shout. We’re so happy to bust through the “booby-traps” and myths that set women in the wrong direction when it comes to enjoying and sustaining a good breastfeeding relationship.

Merry, Merry
Deirdre & Kim

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Beat The Heat & Breastfeeding

On more than one occasion I remember sitting down to nurse my babies during a heat wave and found the calm moment to just be still a very welcome one indeed, especially if I remembered to have a cool drink near by and was lucky enough to find breezy shade or even better, air-conditioning.

Summertime BreastfeedingThe worst feeling, when you’re already tired from motherhood, is to feel slippery and slimy and dripping with sweat as you go to nurse your baby. These common sense ideas will probably make you go, “oh, of course” but believe me – as a new mother, I needed someone to tell me exactly how to brush my teeth, my brain was in such a perpetual fog.

The problem with very hot days is that we tend to want to stay in our on air-conditioned space. But that can be isolating to a new mom. We encourage you to get out in the beauty of the day and enjoy the sunshine at least for a little bit if you can. Getting out into the world is a huge part of healing and growing strong after childbirth. And as long as you are prepared for the heat, you can sail through the hot months without issue.

One: Despite what relatives and well meaning friends may suggest, water is not necessary for a breastfed baby, especially in the first 6 months. Breastmilk is over 80% water. Offering water will fill a baby tummy with empty calories at a time where every calorie is critical. That small bottle/cup of water may actually backfire, as baby may show less signs in being interested in breastfeeding come the next feeding due to a false sense of “full” from the water.

The best way to nurse a summer baby is to continue with on demand feedings. If it is a true heat wave, you can always offer more, and your breasts will adjust to the supply and demand economics. That’s the magic of breastmilk and feeding on demand – it adjusts to your baby’s needs!

COOL TIP: if you’re both very sweaty when sitting down to nurse, and skin to skin seems like it’s going to be a hot mess, grab a gauze (aden + anais stle) blanket. Putting a light natural fiber blanket between you and baby will absorb sweat, and keep you from sticking to one another. For sweaty heads resting on your arm – the same, use a light washcloth or folded blanket to absorb the sweat and keep baby from slip-sliding during your hold.

Two: Some, but not all, babies do become irritable in the heat. This does not mean your milk supply isn’t meeting their needs. Like any older child or adult, they are just looking for a way to chill out … so read your baby’s cues and take measures to help them through the heat. Dress them in light colors & natural fibers, keep them in the shade and air conditioning, dress in layers and have a light blanket handy for when you do enter a cool air-conditioned place. Use a damp, cool washcloth to gently wipe & soothe away the sweat when necessary. And be mindful of chubby neck, leg and arm rolls that may get rashy due to extra sweat.

Three: Know your neighborhood! What air-conditioned coffee shops, stores, libraries, restaurants, new mommy classes welcome a mom to take a break from the heat? Are you comfortable nursing in public? If not, come to a mommy group meeting with us and we’ll get you ready for summer nursing in public. Also, remember the hours when the sun beats down the hottest – noon to 3pm. This is especially good if you’re looking to get out for exercise or with an older sibling. Stick to morning hours or late afternoon.

Four: What is your body telling you? Look to breastfeeding as not only be a time for your sweaty summer baby to nourish, but as a reminder to you to cool down too. Don’t over do it in the heat. Breastfeeding will burn on average about 200 – 500 calories a day. You’re busy enough trying to keep nourished, balanced and even chase a toddler or two … without throwing in the stresses of a heat wave! Take it easy in the summer heat.

COOL TIP: Always carry a small, pretty umbrella in your diaper bag that you can take out and use as a parasol if the sun is really driving down on you. And of course, it’ll come in hand if there’s a sudden summer rainstorm.

Five: Have available in abundance hydrating, water filled foods & drink in your kitchen. “Water foods” help with postpartum water retention and edema, so if you just had your baby, these are great for those still swollen feet and fingers …

photo (28)watermelon
cucumbers
celery
grapes (frozen grapes are a great, refreshing treat!)
fresh dandelion greens
corn on the cob (warm or cold)
peaches
blueberries
asparagus salad (cold)
cold soups – gazpacho, cucumber
herbal iced teas
water with chunks of melon, berries, lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit and cucumber cut up in it

Six: If you don’t know where to go and what to do with yourself on a hot day, find a good local breastfeeding group. La Leche League, Breastfeeding USA and MeetUp all likely have local groups monthly, if not weekly, near you. We at MommaArts have several great breastfeeding group options throughout the month. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for updates, times and details.

COOL TIP: Make frozen maxi pads and bandannas . If you’re newly postpartum, you’re probably not going out much. But a great cooling and soothing tip is to take maxi pads that bring relief where you want and need it more. Take some pads (remove from individual wrapping), put them in a gallon zip lock, pour witch hazel over them, add a soothing essential oil like lavender or even aloe vera, and toss in freezer. Instant soothing pads for your first days postpartum.  Or, if you’re ready to really go out for strolls and walks – do the same with a few colorful, fun bandannas, rolling them a bit like a classic neckerchief, wet with water and essential oils, toss them in the freezer and use when you need.

Soon enough, the cool breeze of summer’s end will be here and you’ll be looking for Halloween costumes for your little one … so hang in there, stay cool & healthy, and nurse your baby with love and frequency!


Deirdre & Kim

 

 

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When Power Fails and You Have Breastmilk in the Freezer

I’ve gotten panicked calls a few times from moms who have frozen breastmilk stored, and their power goes out …. and yikes! Moms will kick into action faster than a hummingbird’s wings when they fear their hard earned frozen milk supply may be compromised!

These three simple points will help you to know that you are handling your milk correctly if power ever goes out on you for an extended period of time.

1. If 50% (or more) remains frozen you’re golden. The milk can be refrozen.

2. If the frozen ice crystals are still present in the milk, it can be refrozen, even if partially thawed. Frozen ice crystals = good!

3. If more than 50% is thawed (and no ice crystals) then you have the 24 hour rule to use it (for baby, donated, or into solid food it goes).

frozen breastmilk memeAdditionally, a study from 2006 in The Journal of Breastfeeding Medicine failed to show any growth in bacteria after repeated thawing and refreezing of donor breastmilk. How great of someone to actually study this for us!! The milk showed that none of the milk in their trial developed unacceptable bacterial counts, which is the main concern about refreezing milk. The milk was first stored at -4°F  and for two months was thawed and refrozen. It was a pretty cool study where the result aimed to help mothers use more and discard less milk, resulting in better health outcomes for their babies. The article went on to say,

“Based on these data, it appears that unpasteurized milk that has been thawed in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours may be safely refrozen .. This should allow for .. the salvage of milk that mothers might otherwise have been told to discard.”

Snowstorm Obvious Logic: it should go without saying that if snow took your power out and you’ve got a foot of snow out in your yard (if you have one) – get packing! Put that golden elixir out in a homemade cooler of snow and pack it in well (safe from critters) until you can figure out your power situation.

We hope this information is useful to you. Crazy storm weather comes and goes, and it is always good to have information on hand before you’re ever in a situation where you wrongly throw out ounces and ounces of expressed milk (believe me – women have done it and we cringe when we hear it!)  We hope that it doesn’t happen to you, and that everyone one remains safe and happy when a storm passes through. And if it ever happens and you live local – call us! If our freezers are working, we’d be happy to store your milk for you.

Deirdre McLary
Co-owner, MommaArts
IBCLC, CD, Newborn Specialist

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3 Simple Questions To Advocate For Your Birth

Childbirth is not a journey of straight line. It has curve balls and winding roads that may take you in a direction you never thought you’d head. You had plans and goals for one kind of birth, and then there you are, discussing with your caregiver a totally different scenario or option. Your intuition may tell you these suggestions and recommendations make sense, and you’re grateful for healthcare that provides options and choice to help move you along the winding road of labor.

Sometimes though, those curve balls and recommendations leave you unsure of how best to advocate for your birth process. A red flag or inner voice is telling you it doesn’t feel right, to ask more questions, seek more options, or just say no. Advocating for yourself during the throes of active labor is not easy. Loving partners often find it difficult to ask care givers to give them more time or to take a different action. Your contractions are coming every three minutes and the last thing you want to think about is a recommendation you weren’t ready for, and to be put in an adversarial position or confrontation.

Even the best of doulas have trouble being an advocate in a scenario where a doctor recommends something the parents feel strongly against. It is beyond a doula’s scope of practice to recommend medical procedures, so her role continues to be that of providing emotional and physical support, to nod, hold your hand, and help the family work through their choices and birth plan. What is certain in these moments though is that often managed care wins out over your one very unique birth process.

Image-1 (18)These three simple questions may help you.

They allow for direct and simple dialog that is non confrontational. Is mom alright? If the answer is “yes” – great, no urgency there. Is baby alright? Still yes? Excellent – no urgency there. Can we have more time? Again, if they say yes, the pressure is off and you have time to think and discuss privately.

Use this! Take the time to ask these questions. Doctors are just like you and me, we all get into a groove at work. But YOU are anything but routine. These simple questions provide an opportunity for everyone to pause and breath, and for the birthing couple – do so privately. Very likely what will be revealed is the true necessity of the recommendation: was it based upon a real emergency, opinion, routine, managed care, timing?

If you don’t take a childbirth class (and we really, really hope you do) at least bookmark and remember these questions! We happen to love our six-hour “Not Your Regular Old Childbirth Ed” class, a fast pace class for busy fast paced families. We take the time to go over advocacy and birth plans. Check us out, so that when your birth comes -you have a strong voice to navigate with when those curve balls come.