Episode 320

Welcome to AAB.    I am so glad that you are with me today. I really enjoy receiving your emails and messages in the group about how you feel about the  podcast. I am so glad you are loving listening to the show while you are at work, driving, or nursing your baby. I have had so many moms tell me they appreciate the easy to understand opportunities to learn about breastfeeding while they go about their daily life.  Many have told me that they feel it is the knowledge they earned here and the support of other moms in the group that have helped them continue breastfeeding. I wanted to express my heartfelt thanks to all of you for your kind words of appreciation for the work that I do.

The first subject I wanted to talk about today was to extend a warm invitation for you to invite you to join our Facebook group by going to AABC, click the join button and don’t be shy – introduce yourself.  Here is a snippet of some of the conversations that have been going on this week:

Before I get to today’s show, where I talk about some of the common reasons moms have on their  what I call “worry hat.” when it comes to breastfeeding,

Jacquie posted the following question:

At what age is it “safe” to have a drink?

Or how long between feedings so I need to wait to have like 1 glass of champagne or 1 beer?I have a 1 month old. So worried she might be too young if I have a drink. I know the whole “if you can drive, you can nurse” rule but is there an age or time limit rule too.

It was an interesting and very timely question.  Since I had just been interviewed by a Phoenix TV station on this very topic,

I sent her a link to the interview which answered not only her questions, but in the interview I answered a lot more breastfeeding questions.

You can see the complete interview in 2 places – one on my you tube channel, but going to Lori J. Isenstadt on you tube

and the other way you can see the full interview is my joining our Facebook group.

To briefly answer Jacquie’s question right here – While I am unable to answer this question with 100% accuracy because there are too many variables, I can tell you what the AAP and CDC states, which is  that a very small amount of the alcohol you drink actually gets into your milk. If you have one 12 oz beer or one 3 oz small glass of wine or 1.5 oz of hard alcohol and wait 2 hours before you breastfeed or pump, it is likely that the alcohol is out of your bloodstream and therefore not present in your milk.

What makes this difficult for experts to tell you for 100% certainty is the variables.  How old is your baby, are they sick, born premature. How much did you drink how fast did you drink, did you eat food with your drink, how much do you weigh –  All of these things will affect how your body processes the alcohol and how old your baby is also affects how well their liver processes the alcohol.

With reference to this whole:  If you can drive, you can nurse…. fuhgettabout it!  Given all the variables I just explained, plus the fact that I think we can all say that we know people who feel they are sober enough to drive, and yet, they are in no way, shape or form okay to drive… so there goes that argument.

Let’s see – what else:

I posted a very short video which speaks about nursing in public and how moms are made to feel about this. It is cute, short and definitely gets the point across – which is:  leave mothers alone in peace to feed their babies. They are not committing crimes – they are just feeding their babies for goodness sake.

Oooh, I also posted a link for my members so they could register for a FREE presentation given by Dr. James McKenna, who is famous for his research on bed sharing, co-sleeping, room sharing.  It was one of the best lectures I have seen with so much great common sense and well researched information. I don’t believe you can access it for free anymore, but there is a link in the facebook group for you to find out if there is a cost at this point.

I also really loved Lisa posting a video from 1977 where we see one of the actresses from Sesame Street breastfeeding her baby and explaining to Big Bird that this is how some Mommy’s feed their babies and why they breastfeed their babies.  I love this short and sweet video.

Anyway, you never know what fun and educational videos are going to be posted from week to week in the group.  You never know what questions about pumping, going back to work, building your supply,,, what is early newborn breastfeeding like, or any other of the many questions our members ask.  Please join us for information and support. I would love to have you with us.

Now I would like to talk about some of the common worries that mothers have when it comes to breastfeeding.  I read an article by Amy Brown professor of child public health at Swansea University in the UK. in which she talks about what mothers are worried about and she then gives

suggestions on how to overcome these concerns. I will place a link to the article in This Episode # 320 show notes, which you can find by going to

aabreastfeeding.com

The title to the article that drew me in went like this:

Revealed: The 10 things new mothers worry most about when breastfeeding – and how to tackle them

It should come as no surprise to my regular listeners what the first one on the top of the list is?

What is my favorite mantra, you hear me say all the time?

Yes you got it right – I’m in pain.

Breastfeeding is not suppose to hurt.

Now everyone who listens to me know that I say this all the time.  Breastfeeding is not suppose to hurt. It doesn’t mean that just because it is not suppose to hurt, that it doesn’t.

Clearly it does as this is the #1 reason why moms stop breastfeeding. It does hurt, but it is not suppose to.

For any mom that is listening now and are experiencing pain with breastfeeding, i want you to know that it is fixable.  We just need to figure out the “why” and then we get to help you fix it. There are so many times moms come to m e and will literally say:  If you can’t fix this today, I just don’t think I can continue. To which I often think to myself 2 things: the first though is always – Ahhh, no pressure Lori.  the second thought is usually: I am so glad this mom reached out for help because now we can work together to fix it.

Is it the latch, your positioning?  Are flat or inverted nipples making breastfeeding difficult?  Are you holding your baby at the breast in a position that is awkward and difficult for them to suck properly?  Is your baby just sucking on your nipple only? Have you been pumping and this is the source of your nipple pain and not the baby?  There are so many avenues for us to pursue. Reach out and ask an expert for help so you can move beyond the pain and being breastfeeding in comfort and joy.

I have to take medication –

That’s fine.  Many mother’s take prescription medication and continue to breastfeed.  There is no way I am going to say always or never. there are too many variables.  How old is your baby? How much medication are you taking? How long do you need to take it for?  I am very happy to report that so many of our healthcare providers and pharmacists are now spending more time learning about medications and how it affects mother’s milk and her baby.  If they do not have the time to delve into it, they are doing an excellent job of connecting with and relying on experts in this field. This alone has saved millions of mothers worldwide from having to stop breastfeeding because they were taking a medication.

I have worked with mothers who need to take pain medication or antibiotics or anxiety medication or blood pressure medication.  They may have a UTI or a breast infection. Perhaps they have a bladder infection or an abscessed tooth. Some mothers have blood pressure issues after the birth and some have headaches or allergies or arthritis.  I could not say that it is safe to take all medications, however, I can safely tell you that there are so many common medications that have been deemed safe by Drs who study the effects of medications on mother’s milk.  If the one you are taking is not safe, there is usually an alternative. it may not be the one your physician is use to prescribing, but it should not stop them from looking into a lesser used, but safe alternative. there is a great place for you to go if you would like more information.  This is the www.infantrisk.org where is the world’s leading research center  for medication safety during pregnancy and lactation. I am not saying you should be making these decisions on your own, however, you can call their hotline to ask questions about the OTC or prescription medication you need to take and then discuss your options with your physician.

Questions about OTC or prescription medications while pregnant or nursing?

Call our experts.

Monday – Friday, 8am – 5pm CT

(806) 352-2519

One of my favorite worries to discuss is moms who are concerned because they are pregnant with twins or triplets.

They are concerned about making enough milk for their babies.  I am not going to say sure – no problem, that’s easy.

Your body is built to feed as many babies as you birth.

While that might be true for when moms conceive multiples without the assistance of medical technology, it certainly does not mean

that it is easy and we as IBCLCs should say, sure, of course.

It means that we say:  Yes, if you have 2 or 3 babies suckling frequently and efficiently at your breast, it is likely that you are going to make

plenty of milk for all your babies.  However, having 2 babies in utero puts some moms at risk for premature birth, for small babies who are not quite ready to breastfeed exclusively yet, for babies who will spend time away from their moms in the NICU and need to be fed another way before they are able to breastfeed.  Some moms of multiples have medical issues themselves postpartum and struggle with breastfeeding in the early days.

Moms who are pregnant with multiples, will be breastfeeding their babies.  Some it will come easy to and other then being incredibly fatigued, you are a happily breastfeeding mom of twins or triplets.  Others have struggles.

What I would want you to know is that I think you should prepare up the wazoo for help around the house, so you can concentrate on breastfeeding.

It takes a lot of time, patience and commitment to breastfeed one baby.  I had 3 separate babies, one at a time, and it was hard as anything. So I will not take away from the challenges we have as moms with one baby to care for.  I will not invalidate the hardships that moms of one have postpartum. With two, it can be a blessing as well as kind of insane and I think that anyone who tells you differently is not preparing you for what is to come.

You will be a breastfeeding mom and you will be taking a  majority of your energy into breastfeeding. Which leaves you little time for taking care of any other family and household duties, at least for the time being.  So, your issue is not so much the fact that you need to worry about making enough milk for your baby. Your main issue is: How do I set up my postpartum life so that most things are taken care of and I have to concentrate on feeding and hydrating and resting in between feedings, so you can be awake and alert to breastfeed and spend the first 6 weeks building up a healthy supply.

If you are getting my drift, it will be helpful to think not so much about the  need for someone to help you take care of your babies, what you actually need to think about first and foremost is  who can help take care of everything that needs to get d one in your household and who can help take care of you – making sure you are well fed, well hydrated, have access to expert breastfeeding help and who can hold and take care of your babies while you sleep in between feedings.

I know this does not sound all warm and fuzzy like you want to hear, but, you really do need to be practical and I find that parents are spending time and money worrying about material items such as having 2 sets of items that are not necessary in the beginning, like cribs and baby seats and bathtubs and high chairs and rockers and clothes and such.  Of course, you need the basics like car seats and a place for them to sleep, but perhaps you can take so me money on other times and use it for hiring a postpartum doula to spend time with you after family leaves, or on an IBCLC who can help guide you with tips and tricks so you can breastfeeding comfortably and with confidence. Worry ahead of time about meals and who will pick up the dishes and do the laundry for you.

Knowing the daily chores are taken care of and you don’t have to worry about them, will free you up to concentrate on taking care of you and your baby.

On Next week’s Friday show, I will continue talking about the most common worries that moms have when it comes to breastfeeding.

Article

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-6317109/The-10-things-new-mothers-worry-breastfeeding-tackle-them.html