Ellie’s Birth

Ellie’s Birth
November 18, 2010

Ellie decided she wanted to make her big appearance on her due date – how punctual. She had been teasing her mommy for weeks with all sorts of Braxton hicks and contractions so I was quite excited to get the call that mommy thought this was the real thing!

Although we had planned to labor at home and only go to the hospital when things were really heating up, Mary thought it would be best to head to the hospital to labor so that we didn’t have to worry about making the trip when things were really close. So, I met the lovely Mary and Todd at the hospital around 3:30pm. Mary was doing a fabulous job managing her contractions – breathing through each one and relaxing in between. She and Todd were stunned, but very excited, to hear that Mary was 7cm dilated. Naturally, they kept comparing this labor to their first experience, but it was far from similar.

When we finally got into a labor & delivery room, we were able to set up. Todd and I tried everything we could think of to keep Mary comfortable. We talked her through contractions, helped her into different positions, reminded her to breathe and believed in her. Mary did a wonderful job during each contraction which were short, but visibly increasing in strength. Mary used her voice to get through some of the contractions. The first time the nurses heard what I consider a beautiful labor noise, they all rushed in to see what was going on. After all, it’s not every day that they see a mom give birth without any drugs. When they left, we all giggled at their reaction, and at how quiet the L&D floor is. But they were all very supportive of Mary’s decision to birth her baby naturally.

By 6:30pm, only 3 hours after we arrived, Mary’s doctor checked her and said she was progressing nicely and that soon she would push her baby into the world. So around 7:00, Mary did just that. She birthed her beautiful, healthy baby girl. Ellie went almost immediately to the breast where she nursed peacefully. Mom and Dad were thrilled to meet their new daughter while the doctor, nurses and doula were lucky enough to witness this miracle. Joy filled the room as Mary and Todd looked into each other eyes and then at their baby girl, back and forth.

Born at the Right Time

Dear Edward:

You were right on time – born on your due date! But the road was not an easy one for your Mom and Dad. From the back and forth’s during the pregnancy to the extended labor process, you had your own plans for how you wanted to enter this world.
When your mom went into labor on November 3rd, she and your daddy labored at home for a good 10 hours before I even arrived. When I got there, your mom was doing a lovely job managing the contractions. She felt a lot of pressure in her back so your daddy and I spent most of our time with our fists in her back! This provided some relief for her during the contractions. I kept urging your mommy to drink her Thyme tea – which she did like a trooper! At 2am, about 17 hours after her labor began, we made the trip to the hospital. When we arrived, we found out not only was your mommy 3 cms, but her water had broken also! We were proud of her hard work but knew we had a long way to go.

Your mom remained calm and maintained a beautiful breathing pattern throughout the entire process. The position you were in wasn’t making it easy for you to come down or for your mom to stay comfortable. Mommy and daddy were hanging in there but were very anxious to meet you and see your cute little face. Not to mention your 4 anxious grandparents waiting for you in the lobby since 5am!

Finally around 6pm on your due date – November 4th, we got the good news that you’d be making your appearance soon! As we geared up for the Second Stage of labor, your mom and dad were clearly excited about the idea of meeting their little one. The mystery of your sex would be revealed, and they could soon revel in the joy and love for their new child.

During this stage, Dad had a few moments of queasiness but he hung in there! Your strong mommy pushed you out very efficiently! After all, she was very ready to meet you. Before we knew it, you were being plopped on your mommy’s chest. A beautiful, healthy boy you were. Your parents rejoiced, smiled and showered you with love and kisses. Your grandparents rushed in to meet you and fell in love right away. You are a special boy, Edward Jacob, and I feel honored to have been a part of your birth.

"It's better for the baby..."

I just got home for a local bar where I ran into an old elementary school friend. I had heard that his brother just had a baby - his 1st - so naturally I wanted to say congratulations and hear how they were doing. We talked briefly and he didn't give many details because after all it was his sister-in-law who gave birth. He said they were elated and that all was well. So I asked, "is she breastfeeding?", and he said "No...they are formula/bottle-feeding" and I said, "Oh, really? Do you know why?" and he said "I don't really know...I think because it's better for the baby."

At that point I kind of just laughed. I didn't really know how to respond to that. After my momentary laughter, I said "Better for the baby?, how?" and he said "well I don't really know." I proceeded to throw a few questions at him to see why he thought or "learned" formula might be better than breast milk. After a few q&a's he finally confessed that he had no clue, and that he was just playing devil's advocate and that it did make sense that breast milk might be healthier for a newborn but that it wasn't "his place" to say anything to his brother or sister-in-law.

Is it ever our place? I don't know. All I know is that our job is to educate each other and if that means talking about why it is SO important to understand that breast milk is healthier for an infant than formula, than so be it. I feel it is my duty, whether it makes an immediate difference or not, to teach other what I have been so lucky to learn.

So finally, if we are talking about what is BEST for baby...I think we can all agree that breast milk wins.

See how it compares for yourself by clicking this link!



"(American Academy of Pediatrics, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, World Health Organization, American Dietetic Association) recommend breast milk as the best infant nutrition for the first year of life."

After the Birth, what a family needs From Gloria Lemay's Blog

After the Birth, what a family needs
From Gloria Lemay's Blog
http://www.glorialemay.com/blog/?p=34


“Let me know if I can help you in any way when the baby is born.” … “Just let me know if you need a hand.” … “Anything I can do, just give me a call.”

Most pregnant women get these statements from friends and family but shy away from making requests when they are up to their ears in dirty laundry, unmade beds, dust bunnies and countertops crowded with dirty dishes. The myth of “I’m fine, I’m doing great, new motherhood is wonderful, I can cope and my husband is the Rock of Gibraltar” is pervasive in postpartum land. If you’re too shy to ask for help and make straight requests of people, I suggest sending the following list out to your friends and family. These are the things I have found to be missing in every house with a new baby. It’s actually easy and fun for outsiders to remedy these problems for the new parents but there seems to be a lot of confusion about what’s wanted and needed…

1. Buy us toilet paper, milk and beautiful whole grain bread.

2. Buy us a new garbage can with a swing top lid and 6 pairs of black cotton underpants (women’s size____).

3. Make us a big supper salad with feta cheese, black Kalamata olives, toasted almonds, organic green crispy things and a nice homemade dressing on the side. Drop it off and leave right away. Or, buy us frozen lasagna, garlic bread, a bag of salad, a big jug of juice, and maybe some cookies to have for dessert. Drop it off and leave right away.

4. Come over about 2 in the afternoon, hold the baby while I have a hot shower, put me to bed with the baby and then fold all the piles of laundry that have been dumped on the couch, beds or in the room corners. If there’s no laundry to fold yet, do some.


5. Come over at l0 a.m., make me eggs, toast and a 1/2 grapefruit. Clean my fridge and throw out everything you are in doubt about. Don’t ask me about anything; just use your best judgment.

6. Put a sign on my door saying “Dear Friends and Family, Mom and baby need extra rest right now. Please come back in 7 days but phone first. All donations of casserole dinners would be most welcome. Thank you for caring about this family.”

7. Come over in your work clothes and vacuum and dust my house and then leave quietly. It’s tiring for me to chat and have tea with visitors but it will renew my soul to get some rest knowing I will wake up to clean, organized space.

8. Take my older kids for a really fun-filled afternoon to a park, zoo or Science World and feed them healthy food.

9. Come over and give my husband a two hour break so he can go to a coffee shop, pub, hockey rink or some other r & r that will delight him. Fold more laundry.

10. Make me a giant pot of vegetable soup and clean the kitchen completely afterwards. Take a big garbage bag and empty every trash basket in the house and reline with fresh bags.

These are the kindnesses that new families remember and appreciate forever. It’s easy to spend money on gifts but the things that really make a difference are the services for the body and soul described above. Most of your friends and family members don’t know what they can do that won’t be an intrusion. They also can’t devote 40 hours to supporting you but they would be thrilled to devote 4 hours. If you let 10 people help you out for 4 hours, you will have the 40 hours of rested, adult support you really need with a newborn in the house. There’s magic in the little prayer “I need help.”

NATURAL REMEDIES FOR PROBLEMS IN BREASTFEEDING by Susun Weed

NATURAL REMEDIES FOR PROBLEMS IN BREASTFEEDING
PART 1

Susun S Weed

With the resurgence of interest in breastfeeding, there is increasing demand for natural remedies for the minor problems that accompany nursing. These remedies, taken from my book Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year, offer simple, safe ways for nursing women and their infants to counter problems and stay healthy. This information has been collected from wise women, old wives, and granny midwives. May you benefit from their wisdom.

INCREASING AND MAINTAINING MILK FLOW

One of the easiest problems to remedy is lack of sufficient milk. First, it is important to see to it that nursing takes place in a safe, inviting space where both mom and babe can be relaxed. Second, try to include one or more of these herbs and foods that are well known galactagogues, that is, able to encourage abundant breast milk.

Nourishing herbs, such as raspberry leaves, stinging nettle, oatstraw, and red clover blossoms - prepared as strong infusions*, not taken in pills, capsules, tinctures, or teas - not only encourage a plentiful supply of breast milk, they support the overall health of mother and child. The minerals in these herbs are amazingly abundant, so they counter mineral loss from nursing, and help keep mom calm and alert during those first few weeks of round-the-clock infant care. I don't combine the herbs, but use them individually, to derive the unique benefit of each.

*To make an infusion:

Place one ounce, by weight, of dried herb in a quart canning jar.
Fill to the top with boiling water.
Lid tightly and let steep for at least four hours or overnight.
Then strain.
Drink liquid portion hot, cold, or in between.
Refrigerate what you don't consume at once; use within 48 hours. (Water houseplants with old or excess infusion.)

Foods rich in carotenes, such as cooked apricots, asparagus, green beans, carrots, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, peas, and all cooked leafy greens - including kale, collards, mustard greens, beet greens, parsley, watercress, and dandelion leaves - are considered critical for women wishing to increase or sustain lactation. Carotenes are most available when foods are well cooked: tomato sauce has over 2000 times more of them than a fresh tomato. And carotenes are more easily utilized in the body when consumed with plenty of fat. (Olive or butter are my favorite fats.)

Blessed thistle (Cnicus benedictus) is famed for its ability to increase milk supply. As the tea is very bitter, this herb is best used as a tincture. A dose is 10 - 20 drops, two to four times daily. Blessed thistle is said to lift postpartum depression and relieve suicidal feelings, too.

Borage leaves (Borago officinalis) are highly respected for their ability to increase milk flow. But because they contain compounds that may have a harmful effect on an infant's liver, it is best to drink borage only as a weak tea, and to take it after, rather than before nursing. Half a cupful of borage leaf tea, made by steeping a spoonful of herb in a cup of water for a few minutes, taken two or three times a day will ensure an abundant supply of milk, act as a mild laxative, and soothe jangled nerves.

Comfrey roots (Symphytum uplandica x) contain the same liver-damaging compounds sometimes found in borage. But comfrey leaves do not. That's a relief, because comfrey leaf infusion is one of the most treasured of all remedies. Comfrey leaf infusion (*”To make an infusion” above) not only to increase the amount and richness of the breast milk, but also to build strong bones and teeth for mother and child, to improve digestion, to check allergies, and to repair ligaments, muscles, or other tissues traumatized during the birth. I love comfrey leaf infusion and drink it freely.

Fennel/barley water is a tried-and-true classic. Soak one half cup pearled (regular) barley in three cups cold water overnight, or boil the barley and water for 25 minutes. Strain out barley. (You may save it and add it to a soup.) Store barley water in refrigerator or cool place until needed. Then heat a cup or two to boiling and add fennel seeds - one teaspoon per cup of barley water. Steep for no longer than 30 minutes. This combination not only increases the breast milk, but eases afterpains and settles the digestion of mom and babe.

Hops (Humulus lupulus) is another old remedy. It is especially for mothers of twins who need lots more milk. Hops tea is a suitable accompaniment to nighttime feedings, as it brings sleep along with increased milk flow. Hops is also used in beer, which tastes better than the tea. No more than one high-quality, additive free beer, such as Guiness Stout, per day is fine. For those who wish to avoid alcohol, there are alcohol-free brews rich in hops and malt available.

Aromatic seeds, such as anise, cumin, fennel, caraway, coriander, and dill increase milk production and tone the digestive system. Their powers are carried through the breast milk, curtailing colic and indigestion. To brew, simply put a heaping spoonful of dried seeds in a cup and fill to the top with boiling water. Let steep for 5-10 minutes. Drink warm with honey. Up to two quarts a day can be consumed.

Triple Blessing Brew. Combine 1/2 ounce dried blessed thistle leaves with 1/2 ounce dried oatstraw or nettle. Place in a quart jar. Add boiling water until the jar is full. Cap tightly and let steep overnight or for at least four hours. Strain out herbs. Refrigerate liquid until needed. Before nursing, pour off one cupful of the brew and heat it nearly to a boil. Pour it over a teaspoon of anise, cumin, fennel, caraway, coriander, or dill seeds (not a spoonful of each). Let it brew for five minutes before drinking. Blessed thistle stimulates the milk flow and helps restore vitality to weary mothers. Both oatstraw and nettle are rich sources of vitamins and minerals, notably calcium, magnesium, and potassium. The aromatic seeds improve the quality and quantity of milk and ease digestion.

Natural Remedies for Problems In Breasfeeding by Susun Weed

Susun Weed is my most favorite herbalist. I use her herbal suggestions to treat myself and also recommend her to my clients for everything!

Here is an article she wrote about Breastfeeding Remedies!

NATURAL REMEDIES FOR PROBLEMS IN BREASTFEEDING
PART 2

~Susun S Weed

With the resurgence of interest in breastfeeding, there is increasing demand for natural remedies for the minor problems that accompany nursing. These remedies, taken from my book Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year, offer simple, safe ways for nursing women and their infants to counter problems and stay healthy. This information has been collected from wise women, old wives, and granny midwives. May you benefit from their wisdom.

Part one of this article reviewed ways to increase your milk flow and your milk quality by ingesting herbal infusions, tinctures, seeds, and foods rich in carotenes. Part two of this article shows you numerous simple and safe ways to allay sore breasts, infections, engorgements, and sore nipples due to breastfeeding.

PAINFUL BREASTS, ENGORGEMENT, SORE NIPPLES

Painful, sore breasts and nipples are one of the most common problems encountered during lactation. Virtually every nursing mom will need help on this account at least once. Sore breasts and nipples can prevent nursing, lead to a decrease in milk production, and interfere with the bonding between infant and mother.

There are three main causes of painful breasts.

1. Engorgement

An oversupply of milk engorges the breast tissues, causing tenderness and pain. There is no fever and the breasts are not lumpy. Engorgement may occur as a result of a decision not to milk, when milk comes in very quickly, when mother and child are separated for an extended time, or during weaning.

Remedy A very strong tea of sage is a classic remedy for stopping the flow of milk. It is taken sip by sip, up to three cups a day.

2. A blocked milk tube or duct

This causes swelling of the breast and acute pain. The blocked duct may feel lumpy and bruised, and a red streak may radiate out from it. Cessation of nursing can increase the discomfort and endanger the milk supply. Nursing should be continued, but carefully, nursing and pumping just enough to empty the breast.

Remedy Right before nursing, use a warm compress for 5 - 10 minutes (see following). They all taste fine to baby, so no need to wash your breast before offering it.

3. Mastitis (infection in the breast)

Causes swelling and pain, accompanied by acute tenderness and redness of the breast. The infected breast may be hard, lumpy and swollen. There may be fever as well. This condition is the most dangerous of the three. If not treated promptly, the infection can cause scarring of the ducts and prevent nursing a later child.

REMEDIES FOR MASTITIS

Use hot compresses or soaks at least four times daily. Get plenty of bed rest. Breast infections are almost always a sign of too little rest. Regular naps or rest breaks are important too.

Nurse as often and as long as possible on the infected breast. A breast infection will not make the infant sick.

Propolis is collected and used by bees as glue. It has a history of use against infection in Russia and a strong following among midwives in North America. It is said to accelerate healing time by increasing the body's metabolism and general resistance to disease. A dose of the tincture is 10 to 15 drops twice a day.

Echinacea root tincture is an excellent ally for any woman with mastitis. I use one-half drop per pound of body weight as a single dose. (For a woman who weighs 130 pounds, the dose is 65 drops or two dropperfuls.) The dose is repeated as often as twelve times a day until symptoms remiss. I continue taking Echinacea for at least a week after all symptoms have cleared.

Poke root (Phytolacca americana) tincture stimulates lymph gland activity and clears mastitis quickly. Poke root is potent and potentially toxic; the effect is cumulative. Use no more than two drops of the tincture daily. I combine poke with Echinacea for acute and severe infections.

POULTICES AND SOAKS FOR SORE BREASTS

Poultices, compresses and soaks are the best first aid for painful breasts. A poultice consists of fresh or cooked herbs placed directly on the breasts. A compress is prepared by soaking a cloth and applying that. And a soak is just that: - a soak in hot water.

Hot water alone has beneficial effects for women dealing with sore breasts, no matter what the cause. Hot water stimulates circulation and eases the tension in taut, swollen, breast tissues. Herbs infused in the water used to compress or soak increase the effectiveness.

When applying these external remedies, remember that frequent, consistent, short applications work better than sporadic, lengthy treatments. That is, six or seven treatments of five minutes each spread over the day will be more effective than one treatment lasting for thirty minutes. If infection is present, discard any plant material and wash the poultice materials after each use so as to prevent the spread of the infection.

Soak the breasts in a sink full of warm water. Fill the sink, lean over, and immerse one or both breasts. You can massage the milk out while soaking to further relieve engorgement and ease pain.

Place a handful of fresh or dried parsley leaves in a clean cotton diaper and tie it closed with a rubber band. Put in a pan of water and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Apply the hot (fresh) parsley as a poultice or use the (dried) herb still tied in the diaper as a compress to ease swollen and painful breasts.

Prepare fresh or dried comfrey leaves the same way as parsley. A hot compress or poultice of comfrey leaves soothes sore nipples, softens engorged tissues, reduces the pain of swollen breasts, and helps unblock tubes and ducts. It is generally considered safe to use comfrey root preparations externally, but nursing mothers may be understandably leery to use them for fear of injuring her infant's liver.

A cold poultice of grated raw potato can draw out the heat of inflammation, localize infection and unblock clogged tubes. Grated raw potato is applied directly to the breasts, and covered with a clean cloth. When dry, it is removed and replaced with fresh grated potato.

Marshmallow roots make wonderful soaks that soothe tender tissues and sore nipples, open clogged ducts and tubes, powerfully draw out infection, and diminish the pain of engorged, inflamed breasts. Steep two ounces of dried marshmallow root overnight in half a gallon of water just off the boil. The texture of the finished brew should be slippery and slimy. Heat as needed, pouring the hot liquid into a sink or basin and soak your sore and aching breasts.

Infused herbal oils - such as those made from the flowers of calendula, elder, or dandelion, or from the roots of yellow dock - can ease the pain of tender breasts and sore nipples. Buy them ready-made. Or make them yourself: Gently warm a handful of dried or fresh blossoms in just enough olive oil to cover; keep warm for 20 minutes. Strain, cool, and rub into nipples and breasts whenever there is pain or sensitivity.

PREVENTING SORE NIPPLES

Sore nipples heal rapidly, often within a day or two, but it is still easier to prevent them than to heal them. Nipple sprays intended to prevent sore nipples have been shown to be ineffective, but the following Wise Woman remedies are safe and effective. Note: Persistently or suddenly sore nipples may indicate a thrush infection. Further symptoms of thrush include pink, flaky skin and itchy nipples.

~ Continue to nurse. Neither sore nipples nor thrush are helped by discontinuing nursing; in fact, they may be remedied by more frequent nursing.

~ Expose the nipples and breasts to the air as much as possible to discourage the growth of thrush. Avoid wearing a bra 24 hours a day. Wear nursing bras with the flaps down whenever possible.

~ Expose the nipples and breasts to sunlight for brief periods to strengthen tissues. Increase gradually from thirty seconds in the sun to a maximum of three minutes.

~ Olive oil, sweet almond oil, lanolin, or comfrey ointment rubbed into the nipples throughout the latter part of the pregnancy and the beginning weeks of nursing create healthy, flexible tissues very resistant to cracks, tears, and chapping.

~ Experiment with different nursing positions until you find those in which you are completely comfortable, with the entire areola (dark area) in the baby's mouth, nipple centered.

~ Offer your breast often. Reducing the number of feedings can make the baby so hungry that it tears at the breast.

~ Avoid soap, cologne, deodorant and powder on your nipples or breasts. Do not wash nipples with soap. Soap predisposes the nipples to chapping and cracking.

REMEDIES FOR SORE NIPPLES

~ Crushed ice wrapped in a wet cloth, or a frozen gauze pad, applied to the nipples immediately before nursing is a good local pain killer. This cold treatment also helps bring out soft or small nipples and helps baby feed more easily when the breasts are very full.

~ Comfrey ointment softens and strengthens nipples at the same time. It is exceptionally soothing to sensitive nipples and rapidly heals any fissures or bruises.

~ Yarrow leaf poultices - or yarrow infused oil - provide almost instantaneous pain relief and heal cracked nipples rapidly.

~ Any of the poultices described for painful breasts may be used advantageously. Comfrey and marshmallow are especially effective. Many brief poultices work better than one or two lengthy sessions.
~
The gel from a fresh aloe vera leaf will soothe and heal sore and cracked nipples.

~ Calendula ointment is an old favorite to heal and strengthen nipples. CAUTION: Ointments containing antibiotics, steroids and anesthetic (painkilling) drugs are potentially harmful to both mother and infant.


REFERENCES AND RESOURCES

The Complete Book of Breastfeeding, Sally Olds and Marvin Eiger; 1972 Bantam Books
Nursing Your Baby, Karen Pryor; 1973, Simon and Schuster
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, La Leche League, 1963.
Breastfeeding Basics, Cecelia Worth; 1983 McGraw Hill
La Leche League, 9616 Minneapolis Ave., Franklin Park, IL 60131
Aftercare: Sharon Hamilton; Babies Grow on Milk and Kisses; Arny Galblum Booklets available from Emma Goldman Clinic for Women, 715 Dodge Street, Iowa Cily, IA 52240
The Way of Herbs, Michael Tierra; Unity Press