Check out the first ad in a new breastfeeding campaign.
The purpose of this campaign is to expose the “booby traps” that undermine breastfeeding (like less than 3% of maternity centers are designated baby-friendly, less than 12% of women meet the AAP minimum standard of exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months, and there is limited access to qualified lactation consultants).
I completed my Hypnobabies training in Richmond a couple of weekends ago and I thought I might discuss my decision to teach this childbirth method.
I first heard about Hypnobabies on mom message boards. Intrigued, I heard stories of women giving birth without any discomfort. These were moms I chatted with on a regular basis. I didn’t think they were making it up. I remembered one of my co-workers (from my pre-parent days) telling my about working with a hypnotherapist and experiencing a pain-free birth. She was a completely normal, everyday person who had a hospital birth in the early 90’s. Then I had a doula client who worked with the same hypnotherapist and had a comfortable (and rather short) first birth.
Well, Mr. Hypnotherapist is close to retirement and only takes select clients. And there are no Hypnobabies instructors located in SC. Any couple who does find a hypnotherapist or a hypnosis class would lack the childbirth education piece of the puzzle. And they certainly wouldn’t want to take a childbirth class that focused on “pain management” if they were not planning on experiencing pain. Hypnobabies combines both the hypno-anesthesia and the childbirth education together. Seemed like a winner to me. I began the training (which included 50 hours of hypnosis training).
Now, don’t get me wrong. I had a great, over-the-moon, birth with Norah and I experienced pain. Pain is a physiological part of birth. However, for women who want a more comfortable birth and perhaps want to feel more “in control” of the experience, hypnosis offers a wonderful alternative to drugs.
Ok, so what I’ve learned. I am still aware and in control when I’m hypnotized. All hypnosis is self-hypnosis. With hypno-anesthesia, I can walk, talk, and function. I will still feel my birth and my intuition to move will remain in place. Active birth is important to me so I was relieved to learn hypno-anesthesia didn’t mean I’d be conked out with a trace of drool running down my chin.
The challenges: for most of us, the only experience we’ve had with hypnosis was a stage hypnotist in college or on a cruise. It took some pre-education to help me suspend my disbelief. I’m sure there will be plenty of scoffers. Hypnosis has also been associated with opening up your mind too much. I’ve found that when I’m using hypnosis, I’m a hyper-attentive and aware. My creativity and imagination are sharper. It is the closest thing to child’s play that I can experience. Remember playing imaginary games when you were a kid? And how hard it is to go back to that?
Stay tuned to more info on Hypnobabies as I condition for my own birth (yes, of course I’m trying it out!) and prepare for teaching classes in the fall. I wouldn’t teach others if I didn’t experience it myself.
Thoughts? Questions?
Or, Breastfeeding After Reduction Surgery–Part 2. In case you missed it, part 1 found here.
My primary sources for choosing my milk-making plan are the books Defining Your Own Success, Mother Food, and The Breastfeeding Mother’s Guide to Making More Milk. Please note: this is MY plan. It is not to be interpreted as advice to others. Some of these herbs and medications are controversial and not without risk.
During Pregnancy
I’ve added Alfalfa to my diet. Yep, the same thing farmers give to cows to increase production.
Beginning in week 37, I will add Goat’s Rue tincture. 10-15 drops 3x daily. Thank you Carey for sharing your homemade tinctures!
Beginning in week 38, I will take 1 Chasteberry supplement daily–ending on Birth day.
Just before due date: I’ll pick up a hospital grade pump so I’ll be set to go.
Postpartum
I’ve ordered Domperidone from Italy (where it is available over the counter). Because of lots of FDA/big pharma politics, it is not available in the US except in compounding pharmacies.
My babe will be skin-to-skin as much as possible. If you’re visiting me postpartum, be prepared! The Moby and My Baby Nest will be close friends.
I’ll begin pumping as I can. Hey, I remember the postpartum whirlwind, so I’m giving myself some leeway on this one.
I have a huge stash of Mother’s Milk Tea which I’ll mix with my nettles, caraway, and oatstraw. I grew to love the taste of MM tea when Norah was itty.
The trusty fenugreek and blessed thistle will make an appearance. The sweet smell of maple syrup will be in the air. And I’m toying with the idea of Shatavari. Some sources suggest it might duplicate the work of domperidone. Others say it does something different. Maybe I’ll hold off.
I will continue the alfalfa, my prenatals (containing spirulina), goat’s rue, and cal-mag.
Food
If I can tolerate it, I’ll add blackstrap molassas to my mother’s milk tea. I’ve been trying it for iron this week and it is a tough flavor to swallow.
I’d like to find a coffee-substitute made with chicory, malt, and barley (all lactogenic). Anyone? I’ve heard the brand names CARO, Roma, Caffix, Pero or Dandy Blend. But I don’t know where they might be sold.
Barley water is on the menu along with oatmeal, tahini, and pesto (for the basil and garlic). I’d like to explore some ways to add millet to the diet but I haven’t worked with that grain much. Ideas?
Oh, and a sweet friend donated 200 oz of her breastmilk in case supplementation (hopefully) temporary is needed. What a gift!!
Acupressure
I’ve looked at two points that might help with milk supply. Cassandra, I’ll look to you for a lesson! The points are Absolute Yin Meridian of the arm-Point 1 and Meridian of the Spleen- Point 12.
Hypnosis
I completed my Hypnobabies training last weekend and will use some of these techniques including their breastfeeding hypnosis CD.
Sounds overwhelming, yes? Well, I have a small window to build a milk supply. A short-term madness. As a BFAR mama, I have one shot. So, I’ll give it everything and then slowly back away from things as I evaluate success. Scott is 100% certain and 100% supportive. He understands that my only task for the first few weeks is building a milk supply. And I have amazing friends and family who will surround me with love (and food!).
Please come to our Blessingway this weekend! We have one of my favorite mamas sharing her positive hospital birth story. You might remember my post about Emily. She’s the one smiling through her contractions. And, her doctor is joining us as our special guest.
Dr. Keith Stafford will do something really daring. He’s letting us grill him on all the things we’ve ever wanted to ask about obstetrics, pediatrics, and family medicine. So come with your questions.
Blessingways are held monthly at Earth Fare on Pelham Rd. from 2pm-4pm, always on the 4th Saturday. It is an informal group with babies and toddlers crawling about. Dads, friends, grandmothers–all are welcome. The purpose of this event is to offer positive birth stories and to provide mindful information to new and expectant families. We encourage *experienced* families to also attend so that they may share their wisdom with new couples.
The event is free and light refreshments are served. There is always a small treat for each expectant woman who attends.
See you there!
Just in time for Mother’s Day, a new mom met her baby! Here are the highlights:
Happy Mother’s Day to a precious new family!
I think many people fall into one of two camps. Either they view pregnant bellies as cumbersome bulges that should be kept under clothes. These are the folks that would prefer not to see an 8 month pregnant woman in a bikini. Or, they think pregnant bellies are powerful, beautiful features. My husband falls into the second camp and thinks pregnant women are gorgeous and carry a certain radiance about them.
So it is no wonder that he encouraged me to get a henna design. I admit that I have enjoyed my new belly art. And I’m certain I’ll have another henna piece done closer to birth. I chose a tree–fittingly for baby Cedar. The swirly branches curl all the way down and around one shoulder. The incredibly talented, Erin Ernst, created the design.
Henna goes on black and then dries as an orange stain. It lasts one to two weeks.
I think a henna session with Erin would be a unique baby gift for an expectant mama Or invite Erin to do a henna design at a blessingway or baby shower–maybe inviting each guest to add a symbol or swirl to the expectant mom’s belly. You can contact Erin at erinzyart [at] aol [dot] com.
Erin is a new stay-at-home-mama in our area who is re-building her art business. She also does fantastic face painting for birthday parties, murals, bellycasting, and more. Send her some love!!
BFAR. That is how we “survivors” refer to it. This post is tough for me to write. A little more intimate that I’d like to be. But here goes.
I had a breast reduction when I was 19. When I found out I was pregnant years later, I scrambled to find information on BFAR. I found Diana West’s wonderful book and website dedicated to the topic. I learned and prepared–as much as a first-time mama can. I knew it was a very real possibility that I would not have enough milk but I was determined to make it happen.
My milk came in slowly. Norah was a reluctant nurser and a fussy baby–how much because of supply, I don’t know. We carefully recorded diaper output, weight, and feedings. We worked closely with our midwives and the lactation consultant at our pediatrician’s office.
On her 8th day, Norah’s blood sugar was low and our midwife gave her a bottle of supplement. Of all the moments I wish I could change during that painful time, it is this moment. With so many ways to feed a baby, why did it have to be a bottle? It wasn’t even a good bottle–it was a bottle made by the formula company [read: fast flow]. I bet you know what happened next. Yep, nipple preference. It would take another three weeks to woo Norah back to the breast. The LC showed us how to use an SNS. Norah was a smart one, though, and she learned quickly how to simply suck the SNS like a straw. So, the LC gave us the life-saver: a hazelbaker finger feeder. There was no way Norah could eat from this device without getting a work-out. No lazy gulping down milk. It was tedious and awful; each feeding took close to an hour. My smart little girl began to prefer another nipple then. Mine!
Of course, during this time, I was pumping with a hospital grade pump, taking fenugreek until I smelled like maple syrup, and guzzling mother’s milk tea. But without the gold standard–my baby–I couldn’t reach a full supply. The LC even prescribed Reglan which can increase milk supply (though with considerable side-effects; I would not take this drug again). This LC told me with (I think) false optimism, “I think you’re going to be fine. You’ll make enough.” Then she sent me home with two cans of formula. A second LC I saw offered the same happy message (sans formula). Neither gave the kind of involved help I wanted/needed. (Why didn’t I contact La Leche League? I have no idea and cannot remember now. I think I didn’t want to *bother* someone. I was paying the other LC’s).
Thus began a routine of nursing Norah at the breast and then supplementing. And then pumping. An exhaustive, emotional journey. I would proudly nurse in public. Then hide in a bathroom to supplement. I furtively purchased formula and hid it under my other groceries like I was buying junk food. I was so happy when Norah began solid foods and I could cut down the supplements. And I threw a little party when she reached a year and I could stop using supplement entirely.
It turned out that Norah was a boob-baby. We enjoyed a nursing relationship until she was 19 months old. And she would still choose to nurse if I had not made the decision to wean (pregnant with Leaf–I was a wimp–it hurt). She still nurses her stuffed animals and has serious plans to nurse baby Cedar. 🙂
So what is the plan for Cedar? Oh my, it is a massive and thorough plan. Stay tuned…I’ll post THE milk-making plan in part 2.
I interrupt this blog to post some items I need to sell. Craigslist let me down.
If you’re interested in anything or would like to make an offer on anything that doesn’t have a price listed, send me an email j_byers[at]bellsouth[dot]net. I’ll scratch through items if they sell.
I’m feeling purple lately. My purple day-lilies are blooming and grace the house with their showy petals.
I’m wearing the purple bellychime Scott gave me. I love the unobtrusive gentle chime it makes against my growing bump–ok, more than a bump. Way more.
And, one of my snazzy former clients gifted me with a violet doula shirt to get me through the summer. My current one was looking a tad leotardish and would have surely ripped at the seams by June. My new prana shirt is even made from post-consumer PET (that is plastic bottles–hoorah!).
Speaking of doula gear. I am particular about what I wear and carry to births. My hubby–who is a complete outdoor gear freak–has taught me that gear can make or break an experience. When I leave for a birth, I don’t know how long I’ll be gone, how long I’ll wear my clothes, what the temperature will be, if I’ll get wet, etc. I wear prana clothes because they are durable, comfortable, flexible, and dry quickly. Prana specializes in yoga and rock-climbing gear which seems perfect for the the contorted positions I end up in at births. My socks are smartwools–again, they dry quickly. My shoes are Mions. Scott researched and selected the shoes–designed by one of the Keen founders. I was skeptical (I thought they were ugly). But, oh wow. They are so comfortable and they have incredible techy features. They repel water, the ergonomic footbed can be removed and washed, and they are mostly made from post-consumer materials in factories using wind and solar energy. Oh, and they have wet/dry traction so I don’t bust it while I’m supporting a client. Unfortunately, I don’t think the company is still alive; although the product is still be sold in limited supplies. On a side note, weirdly, every female OB that I’ve worked with has asked about these shoes. Every one. Finally, my bag is the Osprey Elroy made almost entirely from recycled materials. The fabric is 100% post-consumer PET (more plastic bottles). Thanks Scott!
Enough digression about my doula-gear. I’m feeling bluish-purple about my upcoming maternity leave from doula-ing. I’m going to miss it. And I hope I can find clients again after an absence. Since I can’t exactly leave my laboring mamas to pump breastmilk, maternity leave will necessarily be long.
I’m also completely booked for the remaining months before my birth. I’ve had to turn a couple of families away which was tough for me to do. But I know there are limits.
My new big-belly accomodating doula shirt
Inexplicable Ways 