Category Archives: Birth Week

Feb 26
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Breastfeeding: The “Find 1 Good” List

By | Birth Week, Breastfeeding | 2 Comments

Breastfeeding is a great way to feed your baby but sometimes we need a little help getting started. Lori Isenstadt is a local breast feeding consultant who encouraged me through breastfeeding both my babies. Her post today gives great advice for breastfeeding success!

Breastfeeding: The “Find 1 Good” List  


You have probably heard this a million times:

Breastfeeding is a normal thing to do. It is a natural thing to do. However, it sometimes does not come naturally and many a new mother is shocked when she quickly realizes there is a learning curve to this whole breastfeeding thing. Not that it takes months to become an expert. However, you can plan on spending the first 2 weeks learning a lot of new info and putting it into practice. By the time your baby is 6 weeks old, it should be fairly easy and quite convenient. This is when the fun really kicks in. You know what you are doing, you are confident and relaxed.

Here is what I call my “Find 1 good” list, which offers my best suggestions on how to help yourself get breastfeeding off to a good start:

1. Find 1 good book on breastfeeding. My favorite book that is easy to read and understand is Breastfeeding Made Simple by Nancy Mohrbacher, IBCLC. This book really hits on the most basic “need to know” breastfeeding tips. It is a fun and interesting read and for moms who have already breastfed, you will find a lot of “aha” moments. For mothers who have yet to breastfeed, the information shared really helps you make sense out of something you have never done before.

2. Find 1 good friend who is breastfeeding friendly and knowledgeable. Joining a La Leche League Group or other breastfeeding mothers group can make your experience that much more fun. However, ALL you need is 1 good friend who has breastfed, to help guide you, refer you, support you in the early days.

3. Find 1 good nursing bra and wear it the first 2 weeks. If you love the bra and it is comfortable and easy to use, it is worth it to buy at least 2 more as you WILL get your use out of it.

4. Find 1 good breastfeeding class in your community. Take your support person to the class as there will be so much good information that it will be overwhelming for you to try and explain all the bullet points to them. Once your baby is born, your knowledgeable support person may very well be your lifeline to help you get through the early days.

5. Find 1 good local IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) and connect with this breastfeeding specialist before your baby is born, so you know who you can call on if you are having breastfeeding challenges. Your IBCLC is equipped with the tools to do her very best in figuring out what the problem is and coming up with solutions that will help you work through your issues and concerns.

One last word of advice – If you do have breastfeeding challenges in the early days, the absolute best few things that you can do, while working on seeking help is:

1. Keep your baby well fed.
2. Protect your milk supply with a regular pumping routine, 8 times a day.

You can always work on breastfeeding as long as your baby is well fed and you are working on establishing a good milk supply. I wish for you a lovely birth, and a healthy mom and baby.

Lori J. Isenstadt, IBCLC, owner of All About Breastfeeding, is the mother of 3 breastfed children, who are all in their 20’s. Lori can be reached at: aabreastfeeding@hotmail.com or  her website, All About Breastfeeding.

Jan 24
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So, You think I’m Crazy to Birth at Home…

By | Birth Choices, Birth Week, Pregnancy | 17 Comments

Tonight I saw a friend who completely disagrees with me on a topic dear to my heart, my choice to give birth at home. It’s not something we can discuss for very long because it is something she’s very passionate about and holds strong feelings against it.

An RN who holds a key position in the Obstetrics department of a local hospital, she has the education to speak to the topic in an informed manner. She also believes strongly in what medical care can offer to women who wish to birth at a hospital.

While I have chosen to birth at home, I also value the importance of an obstetrician when one is needed. After all, I had a rather dramatic miscarriage  last year that resulted in severe hemorrhaging. I am grateful that medical care was there when I needed it! I truly love and respect my friend. I simply disagree that every birth qualifies as a medical event.

However, since this friend isn’t the only person in my life who doesn’t understand why I choose to birth at home, I decided to offer a few thoughts on the matter.

I’m not going to quote a bunch of statistics about how home birth is safer than hospital birth. You can find statistics on both sides of the argument that will support whatever position you have decided to embrace.

After having a hospital birth the first time, I wanted to try something different. It wasn’t that I had terrible care, I just felt I might be more comfortable in a different environment. So, I did my research and concluded home birth to be a safe choice for our second birth. The decision was a positive one for both my husband and me. Here are a few of the reasons I love it.

I believe my female body is made to give birth safely and that birth is not an inherently dangerous or even “medical” experience most of the time. My midwife is well trained to recognize warning signs and we have a transport plan in place should we need it.

I love being comfortable in my own space.

I love that I can wear what I want – even if it is nothing.

I love being free to make noise and believe me, near the end, I do!

I love that my midwife respected my wishes not to constantly check the dilation of my cervix in order to give me progress reports that make me feel like I’m not moving fast enough. My hospital birth was very discouraging from this perspective.

I love being able to move around or be still without anyone trying to mess with me in the middle of a contraction – like checking my cervix when I really don’t want to be touched. (Are you getting that this is kind of a big deal for me?)

I love how fast my labor seemed to go at home. Second births are typically shorter but mine also felt less intense. On reflection, I think this is because I was distracted by other things I could do (and did) at home, like clean my kitchen, pick up, eat, and ask my husband to buy oranges from the store so I could make gingerbread cookies. At which point, he questioned whether I was really in labor! Did I make the cookies? Ahem. Well, I was pushing out a baby within about 2 hours of asking for the oranges so… No, silly. haha! But the thought that I was going to make them was a positive distraction.

I love that I can labor in my bathtub. In my hospital birth there were no birthing tubs but my doctor assured me the shower would do the same thing because the shower would relax my nerve endings. Well!!!! I can assure you it is NOT the same thing! Good grief. The anti-gravity affect of the bathtub was a game changer in my second birth. So relaxing. If only I’d had that in my first birth – of a 9lb 7 oz baby!

I love having my midwife in attendance the whole time, encouraging me, monitoring the baby and ensuring that everything is progressing smoothly. This is also Robert’s favorite part. He felt so much more comfortable with my midwife’s attendance at my birth than the doc at my hospital (though the doc was fine). My midwife’s 28+ years of midwife skills and impeccable record are reassuring. She and her apprentice aren’t whipping in and out of my room just to inform me whether I’m dilating fast enough. Their attention is not divided between me and the other patients in their care who may need more attention than me. My midwife and her apprentice watch me – and only me – closely to ensure I’m still feeling strong and that the baby is ok, the entire labor.

I love the constant presence and support I receive at home from people I know well and actually love. For me, nearly a year of meeting with my midwife and her apprentice formed a bond between us that was more than that of a caretaker. That bond helped my midwife to know when I needed that extra encouragement to finish the work ahead of me, “You know, when you decide to get serious about pushing, that baby is going to come right out!” and I trusted her enough to listen. And you know what? She was right!

I love that my baby and I are not exposed to super-germs at home that are often present in the hospital.

I love that no one is pushing me to take drugs to hurry things along or just to prove that I’m not trying to be a hero.

I love knowing that my body has the strength to introduce a new life to the world, without drugs. Regarding people who think women who birth without drugs trying to prove their “heroism”, I have no illusions on this point. Just ask friends who’ve known me for years and remember me losing consciousness whenever I experience something acutely or surprisingly painful (like getting my ears pierced, hitting my elbow on a locker or getting my measles booster shot). I am not joking. I have naturally low blood pressure, so I faint in these situations. It’s always been a source of embarrassment for me! Birth is different because it’s not an acute or sudden pain but more like waves of pressure that increase gradually, making the pain bearable.

I love how fast I recovered from my drug-free delivery. So different from the first time when I felt so disconnected from my baby and almost a little nuts after my epidural. Narcotics and me – Not a good combination!

So, those are a few of the reasons home birth works for me.

Based on my research, I believe there are times that hospital births put babies at higher risk because of unnecessary interventions. That doesn’t mean they can’t be safe. There are also many times OB’s and L&D nurses provide optimum care for their patients and save lives.

In either birthing environment, we can do our best to make wise, informed choices but in the end, the outcome isn’t really in our hands as mothers (or anyone else’s). My own faith in the divine leads me to believe that the best plan is to do the research, commit to a course of action with a care provider who shares our vision and move forward in confidence and without regret.

So friends – if you’re looking for a sermon on home birth from me or you want to feel guilty about your birth choice, you’re not gonna find it here!

How did you make choices about your birth?

Oct 11
0

Pros of Home Birth

By | Birth Choices, Birth Week | No Comments

Here are some of the things I liked about home birth.

1 My own space & my own germs (not the super-staph and other stuff at the hospital). I felt relaxed, which I believe contributed to a much shorter labor. I also got a lot of cleaning done (both bathrooms) in early labor and it distracted me.

2. The feeling of letting my body do what it was meant to do – create, nurture and give birth to life. While the pain was of the “Holy **** – Why did I think I wanted to do this naturally??” variety, it helped me to know just when to push and push effectively and when to take a break.

3. My midwife did not constantly tell me how far I’d dilated – so I wasn’t in competition with the clock. I progressed in my own time. In fact, she asked me if I wanted to know how far I was dilated and I basically stated in no uncertain terms that no one had better put her hands down there. I’m sure I was polite.

4. Being aware and happy that my baby had arrived safely.

5. Going to bed in my own home afterward and actually sleeping rather than having someone wake me every hour to check on me.

6. Getting to see the placenta. The amazing veins running through it are shaped just like a tree of life. It was incredible. What a wonderful picture of its purpose.

7. Being alone with my husband so we could sleep and enjoy together, just us two, a night with the new little miracle that our love created.

8. Midwife attendant who could monitor the baby’s heartbeat – and remind me that I could get through the pain to see my little girl.

I am so happy with the way homebirth turned out and if I ever give birth again, I’ll be calling my midwife.

Oct 11
0

Birth Choices – Why I Chose Home Birth

By | Birth Choices, Birth Week | No Comments

After the birth of my first daughter, I knew in future births, I’d want something different from the hospital environment and spent time thinking about how the first time differed from what I’d hoped to experience. I wanted to be in my own space, free to move and make noise if I wanted to and to be un-drugged when my baby arrived. I also wanted the attendance of an experienced midwife who would support me in the moments I didn’t think I could make it and be there to monitor my baby’s safety. I am pro homebirth but I was not ready to have an unassisted birth.

We planned carefully and I took some time to mentally prepare myself for the upcoming birth. We went over the birth plan with our midwife and had a backup plan to transport to a local hospital in case of an emergency. But both my husband and I believe strongly that a woman’s body is specially designed to give birth without interventions. We still did all the normal labs and had an ultrasound to be sure our baby was low risk for a home birth. I also worked through a great book by Pam England called Birthing from Within and highly recommend it.

My wonderful midwife, Pam White, walked me through thirty-nine weeks with wisdom and compassion. By the time of the birth, she was truly a friend and I felt a strong degree of trust in both her experience as a professional midwife and as a mother who had been where I was going. She knew when to encourage me and when be silent. She respected the intimate moment that my second daughter’s birth became for us and we connected in a very profound way.

My husband, in particular, preferred the home birth experience to the hospital. Since my midwife and her apprentice were there for the entire labor (for the last few hours), he felt free to run to the kitchen for juice or just be available to support me as I needed him. He felt my midwife was far more attentive than the doctor we had at the hospital.

There are people who give me that “Wow, you’re so brave to birth at home” comment. Some of them mean it and some of them are clearly thinking, “You’re so crazy to birth at home.” That’s ok. This is a big world with room for lots of different ways of doing things. I’m glad chose to invite Pam to be part of this moment in our lives.