3 Doulas

Newborn Sleepy-Time Tip

By: Mandy Schutt

 

Before having their own babies, many moms imagine staying at home with their newborns to be a relatively easy gig. The imaginary mothering scenario goes something like this:

1. Nurse baby.

2. Baby falls asleep.

3. Put baby in bassinet.

4. Have a couple hours of time to sleep/make dinner/work from home/email/etc.

Many moms instead find the first few months after giving birth to be anything but easy. The realistic mothering scenario can often go like this:

1. Nurse baby

2. Baby falls asleep

3. Put baby in bassinet

4. Baby wakes up crying.

5. Nurse baby again

6. Baby falls asleep

7. Baby wakes up crying.

Repeat from step one and then add in step 4b: "Mom joins baby in crying" 

As a postpartum doula, I’ve seen this scene time and again. As the hours, days, weeks, drag on mom’s exhaustion escalates creating for a rough postpartum experience.

There are some times when the baby’s crying is caused by a larger problem ranging from colic to gas bubbles to rash. But most of the time when I am with a mom on the verge of tears, I am able to help her solve the problem by a few pretty simple techniques that which recreate the womb environment. We must remember that newborns are called newborns for a reason; they are newly born and used to being inside warm, calm, bouncy tight-quarters (aka “the womb”).  Recreating this familiar environment for an infant can be most comforting.

A snug swaddle can work wonders with a fussy infant. Be sure that Baby is in a clean diaper, is not over or under dressed (sometimes in hot CA days, a baby may benefit from being almost naked under the swaddle), and then swaddling the little one in a proper-and I repeat, PROPER- swaddle. A swaddle is not just a quick burrito wrap in a blanket. Many moms think they are swaddling but in fact are wrapping the blanket just tight enough to annoy the baby and create a sort of tactile over-stimulation, which is exactly opposite of what a good swaddle should do.

Here’s a helpful video of a dad (I find dad’s are usually pretty awesome at swaddling once they learn technique) swaddling a 5 day old…and don’t get me started on how deliciously gorgeous the baby model is in this video. A. DOR.A. BLE. In the video, the dad mentioned “The Happiest Baby On The Block”. Personally, I’m a fan of most aspects of this program and use it often while working with new parents.

Most of the time babes are not crazy about the swaddling process so I tell parents to take a deep breath right before doing it, to continue talking to their baby, explaining what they are doing, “Mommy is just making you all cozy in this swaddle, it’s just going to be a little longer and then we can cuddle again…”and NOT rushing through the process. If swaddling is a new skill, this is especially important to remember. While it may seem that you need to move fast to get through the steps faster, this usually results in a sloppy swaddle and in the end is much more frustrating.

Once baby is swaddled, bouncing is helpful. To do this easily, parents can hold baby while sitting and bouncing on an exercise ball or jauntily walking. Bouncing is often much more effective than rocking.

Keep in mind that it usually takes time for an infant to fall asleep. Most babies need at least twenty minutes of comforting and lulling before they are in a deep sleep. This can seem like forever to an exhausted parent, but hang in there. Once Baby is no longer twitching, and their eyes have stopped fluttering, they are in a deep state of sleep and can usually manage to be put down for a snooze…parents should follow suit if at all possible.

For more information on how to perfect the swaddle as well as other baby-calming techniques, check out The Happiest Baby on the Block program. If you are interested in a Happiest Baby class or consult, contact Mandy Schutt.

 

Nursing after breast Reduction

By Aimee Oswald, CD (DONA), HCHI

www.sweetpeabirth.com

 
Breasts are now one of my new obsessions! I've had them since I was about 12 years old and to be honest for a large portion of my life they were in my way, more of a hindrance than an asset. They were great for attracting men and once in a while I was able to get something at a discount, but beyond that they were not of much use to me...then I got pregnant.  For the first time in my life my tummy stuck out farther than the girls! I need to back track a little now. When I was 18 years old the doctor discovered a substantial lump in my left breast. It was determined to be benign but only after two surgeries which required that my left nipple be practically removed and then re-attached.  After the birth of my first daughter no milk flowed from this breast, not even a tiny drop.  The right one was not much better at producing and after many hours, countless sleepless nights, and pumping only bloody "milk" into bottles I labeled my breasts failures and picked up a bottle. 

About 8 years after the birth of my second daughter my girls had gotten totally out of control; I was now wearing a 36 I Bra, I as in after H!! The weight, headaches and constant strain of trying to find tops was enough and I decided to have a breast reduction.  I had no idea how very common this surgery was.  I knew lots of ladies that went up in size but since my surgery I've met many more who have chosen to down-size. Several of these woman are now venturing into mommyhood and have questions about how to be a successful nurser.  Here is what I've found out: 

Breast reduction surgery almost always compromises lactation potential to some extent, the good news is a woman can still breastfeed her baby. The question becomes not whether she can or can't breastfeed, but rather how much milk she will make.

Almost all post-breast reduction moms will produce some amount of milk, though some types of surgeries are less damaging to the mammary system than others. Some mothers will still have a full supply of milk after surgery, especially if their surgeon took care to preserve their mammary tissue, vital nerves, and ducts. Some women will find that even though they do produce milk they may need to add some supplemental milk supply.  There are options for this as well, one option is to use an at-breast supplementer such as the Medela SNS or the Lact-aid Nursing Trainer. These apparatus are basically a pouch or container filled with supplement that hangs around the mother's neck with a thin tube that is positioned alongside the nipple. When the baby takes the nipple and areola into his mouth, the tube goes in too, and the supplement flows along with any mother's milk that is being extracted from the breast at the same time. You can use expressed milk in the system. There are also several places to purchase donated breast milk that you can use in the supplementer. 

Whether you have or have not had a reduction surgery I strongly recommend that you attend a breastfeeding class prior to your birth. Not only will you learn about nursing but you will learn about the anatomy of the breast and this is very beneficial when trying to work your way to nursing your baby.  I also urge you to meet with the hospital or birth center provided lactation consultant, even if you are off to a wonderful start this highly trained professional can save you hours of crying (both you and the baby!) and sore nipples by just making simple adjustments to holds. If you get home and then discover you have run into a snag your doula, doctor,nurse, or childbirth educator can refer you to a home lactation consultant who will visit you or you can go to your local nursing support center and the amazing volunteers from La Leche League are always eager to assist.

Okay say you've done all of the above, took a class, pumped worked with a professional but for one reason or another you choose not to nurse. Are you a terrible parent? Will you have no bond with your baby?  Absolutely not!  You can still have wonderful bonding time with your baby during feedings and here are some hints to help with that:

First explore the possibility of either using your own pumped breast milk or donated milk in the bottle. Breast milk really is the perfect food for baby and should be used whenever possible.

Second when you bottle feed your baby go ahead and take off your shirt, hold baby skin to skin  and right next to your breast. This is the perfect distance for baby to see you and the closeness you both feel will be pleasing to both of you.

Lastly do not blame or become angry with yourself. Your baby loves you and just wants to spend loving quite time with you.

Slings Are Getting a "Bad Wrap"- Are They Really Dangerous?

By Mandy Schutt

My husband and I were walking through IKEA yesterday when a stranger came up to us with a frantic look on his face, pointed to the sling I was carrying my daughter in, then stopped dead in his tracks and said, “Did you guys hear about the safety warning for those things!?”

My husband and I eeked out a smile and thanked him for his concern but assured him that making a baby safe in a sling simply involved engaging the ol’ cerebellum- something we do on a daily basis- and thus, do not fear for our baby’s life.

Later that day…

We got home from IKEA and my husband got a phone call from a family member who let him know that she was sending us a newspaper article on the dangers of slings. She was deeply concerned, knowing that we often carry our baby in a sling.

 

Here’s the scoop on slings:

In Canada, there have been nine “incidents” involving soft infant carriers since 1995- two of these incidents were deaths. That’s soft carriers- not just slings. A soft carrier can be anything from a Baby Bjorn to an Ergo Baby to a piece of fabric wrapped around a child and any other back or front baby carrier- NOT just slings. 

There have been 14 suffocation deaths in the U.S. in the past two decades that have been related to soft carriers- again that’s ALL soft carriers.

 

Here's the scoop on cars:

According to the US Department of Transportation, during 2005, 1,335 children ages 14 years and younger died as occupants in motor vehicle crashes, and approximately 184,000 were injured. That’s an average of 4 deaths and 504 injuries each day.

I find it funny that no one has ever stopped me in a parking lot as I was putting my baby in the car, and said, “Did you hear about the safety warning for those things?” Additionally, not a single family member has shown the slightest tinge of concern that I drive with my child on LA freeways on a daily basis.

 

My point:

Babies have been worn by billions of mothers for millions of years. Let’s put all the figures into perspective here instead of sounding off an alarm that makes new moms nervous and paranoid about carrying their babies. Yes, babies could suffocate while being carried in a sling so when we wear slings, we need to be aware of how we are using them- in the same way we would be cautious laying our babies on a bed by moving fluffy blankets and pillows away from their faces.

 

The slings that have caused most of the problems have been the less popular, “bag slings”. Bag slings are the westernized version of a standard cloth sling. They are typically made from thick, synthetic material and have a bungee-like draw sting along the rim. These slings are deep and the wearer is not able to easily tighten or loosen the material to create a shallower “cradle area” for the baby to lie in. Additionally, the infants that have died in slings have primarily been a low-birth weight twin, premature, or had a cold. While babywearing can greatly benefit premature and lower weight babies, these little people require special needs while being worn. Kangaroo Mother Care includes  a special method of babywearing that is appropriate for these situations.

There are dangers lurking around every corner for our babies and it is really, really sad when babies die. I’m not lessoning the devastating deaths of the infants involved but I am hoping that we don’t all rise up against the ancient and ever-useful art of baby wearing. The media is having a hay day with this topic and is doing a poor job at informing the public. How so? By: a) not giving all the facts and statistics in their reports b) clumping all “soft carriers” into the same category c) over exaggerating the danger and not taking into account any of the benefits slings provide.

In my opinion, there are far more important issues for the government and media to cause a frenzy over; issues that take the lives of significantly more children on a daily basis. For example, the use of fire retardants (chemicals) in baby mattresses and clothing has the government’s stamp of approval despite its links to SIDS and poor brain development. How about addressing the drastic increase of premature births in this country due to labor induction?  These premature babies have a high chance of death in the first few months of life and if they live, can suffer brain damage yet there is no 5 o’clock media coverage on this issue.

While carrying a baby in a sling is truly not a difficult task, the internet is loaded with instructional videos, step by step instructions, and a plethora of information on proper babywearing techniques . If parents need a little guidance, postpartum doulas are also trained in how to use slings properly and can easily model and guide moms and dads in safe baby-wearing practices. Here in LA, there are baby-wearing workshops all over the city and you can drop into the Pump Station at any time and ask for a soft-carrier consult for free. The information on sling safety is abundant.

For many, including me, the benefits of proper babywearing far outweighs any danger posed by improper sling usage. It’s been statistically proven that worn babies cry less (one study found babies to cry 43% less when they were worn!) and because of this heightened alert, non-crying state they actually learn more throughout the day than their crying counterparts- literally making them smarter. Parents with infants who cry less are in turn less stressed and happier people. Dr. Sears outlines some of the benefits to baby wearing as well as how to safely do so, in his article entitled, “Babywearing”. Additional benefits of babywearing include: colic cure, assisting with breastfeeding issues, contributing to faster weight gain of underweight infants, regulating baby’s body temperature, increasing baby’s sense of security, allowing for vital skin to skin contact, making public breastfeeding easier as well as more discrete, and much, much more.

So- before you trade in your $40 sling for that $140 infant stroller- do your homework! Go to a baby-wearing workshop, check out what Dr. Sears- a babywearing expert (in fact, his wife and he coined the phrase) has to say on the matter, hire a postpartum doula for a consult, research the statistics, or contact one of the 3 Doulas for more information. Babywearing is not only extremely convenient; if done properly, it has proven physiological benefits to both baby and mom.

I found these beautiful photos of babywearing across the globe at this wonderful blog site.

A Postpartum Doula; Your Lady In Waiting

By Mandy Schutt

Wikipedia defines a "Lady in Waiting" as: "a female personal assistant at a noble court, attending to a queen, a princess or other noblewoman...[she] is not considered a servant. Their duties vary from court to court".

We've all seen those paintings of queens and royalty surrounded by her closest assistants-her ladies in waiting- who attend to her needs and make her life more pleasant. Wouldn't it be nice to have a real lady in waiting to help with the modern needs a new mother has?

Now that the pregnancy is over and you are officially a parent, you wonder to yourself, "What now!?" You've just created- and instantly fallen in love with- this perfect, tiny person and the reality of being a parent is beginning to sink in. As the newness settles into your home, so does exhaustion! Exhaustion from the hard work of labor, exhaustion from a change in hormones, exhaustion from being in a place different from your own home for a while, the list goes on!