Breastfeeding and Mother's Brains

Here's a link to an article that is actually ENCOURAGING breastfeeding! Yeah!!

http://www.parentdish.com/2011/05/26/breast-feeding-study/?icid=main%7Ccompaq-laptop%7Cdl9%7Csec3_lnk1%7C214338

Newborn Suctioning

One of my concerns after Carsten's birth was the way the pediatrician suctioned him. She stuck a thin tube down his throat and he gagged and cried. It was terrible and Mike hated watching it. I've since seen 2 others born at the same hospital endure this torture. Is it necessary?

I just read this from Midwifery Today's E-News:

A Need to Suction?

I do not suction my babies routinely; I feel this procedure is a man-made thing. When I birth my babies, I turn them over onto their stomachs with their heads down and brush up their backs and they will spit up what they need to. With suctioning of any kind mucus, as well as meconium, is forced down the throat. Unless you plan to intubate and suction with a vacuum tube, like in the hospital, the only meconium you will be suctioning will be down the esophagus. This is traumatic to the baby and throws him into the vagal response, which increases his respiration and heart rate at a critical time when he should be stabilizing.

I find that most of the meconium that babies will spit up is in a large mucus plug, tinged with the meconium, within the first six to eight hours after birth. If baby’s respiration is slightly elevated above normal, a small amount of sterile water can be given to him, and he will soon spit up a large mucus plug and be just fine. If you are concerned that baby may have aspirated meconium, about the only thing you can do is watch for signs of infection if you do not plan to intubate and suction.

~ Cathy O’Bryant
Midwifery Today’s Birth Wisdom, Tricks of the Trade, Vol. III
http://www.midwiferytoday.com/products/01TT3.htm

Baby Signs

Last year I bought the book Baby Signs in hopes of teaching our new baby sign language. Now that he is 8 mos old we (siblings too) are beginning to try it out. He already recognizes the word "cookie" and we are using the sign that goes with it. I am also receiving a weekly email from Baby Signs which give a link to see the "sign" of the week. It is so helpful to see someone else performing the sign. Check it out at their website www.babysigns.com. Once Carsten is doing the signs himself I'll try and get some pictures of him to post!

Welcome Carsten - our 7th Baby

This is Carsten! And it was a great birth. Dr. Batu let me labor in a position comfortable to me and also waited and asked my permission before cutting the cord - I was amazed! I loved holding him right way feeling his warm and wet little body.

My wonderful friends supported and encouraged me and made sure I was hydrated. They also took pictures and supported my right leg as I pushed baby out laying on my left side.

The very proud and happy Daddy! Can you believe we have another beautiful baby, hun?




Oh the happy happy siblings couldn't wait to meet him. They came and visited us twice while we were at the hospital.

Too Long Since...

Oh my, has it really been 8 months since I've written on this blog. I guess that is what happens when a new little one is added to our family. Carsten Michael was born August 26! I'll add pictures here soon!

I'm going to be facilitating a class for 2nd time mommies tomorrow and so have been preparing for our time and back into reading about birth and looking at websites.

Here are some good websites I found that explain Optimal Fetal Positioning! Check them out! Which ones do you like best?

www.birth-angels.com/fetal.html
www.spinningbabies.com
www.bellybelly.com.au/articles/pregnancy/optimal-fetal-positioning
www.betterbirthpartners.com/optimalfetalpostioning.html

Blessings!

Waiting...still waiting...

I'm still waiting for this baby to be born. I usually go 3-5 days past my "due date." Now I'm on day 8 past due date. I realize that babies can be born at 42 weeks, and some beyond that...but it is so hard waiting! I've been reading a lot from my past Midwifery Today journals and looking at Midwife websites and blogs and reading birth stories to pass the time. I found this link very helpful as my doctor will want to induce labor here soon (tomorrow - Monday August 24). This link takes you to a Cervical Readiness Test where you just have to answer 5 questions to determine whether or not you are a good candidate for an induction that won't lead to a c-section.

http://www.childbirth.org/interactive/induction.html

I am not able to answer any of the questions on this because my doctor has not done a pelvic exam. He much prefers the ultrasound, which he looks at extensively every visit. Not my preference, but it is what he knows best.