Tag: motherhood

Human Milk is Magical- What Donor Mothers Should Know About Milk Banks

There is no doubt that human milk provides species specific nutrition for the optimal growth and development of all infants, including the vulnerable hospitalized preterm infant. 1,2 Since time began, mothers have supported mothers in providing this optimal source of nutrition but evidence is strong that human milk contains much more than nutrition for the infant’s well-being.3 Despite global efforts to provide infants worldwide with this basic human right resource, no country on earth meets the minimum support for breastfeeding.4  In 2004, Labbock et al., cited a key issue limiting the global acceptance of human milk- social and commercial pressures- that still holds true today and is relevant to current donor milk donation and utilization.5

When a mother is unable to provide enough milk for her own infant’s needs, then donor milk is the next best option. There are basically two business models for human donor milk bank operations; not-for-profit and for-profit. Both models provide safe, processed donor milk for infant consumption. One of the differences lies in the human species-specific properties retained post-processing procedures. The Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA) is a professional association that supports non profit milk banks by  providing its members with standardized guidelines to screen donors, and process and distribute human milk.6 The for-profit milk banks utilize different, but safe, milk processing procedures, yet the end milk product produced by each contains significantly different human bioactive milk immune and metabolic components. HMBANA milk banks utilize holder pasteurization (milk is heated to 62.5°C for 30 minutes then rapidly cooled to 4°C) whereas for-profit milk banks utilize high vat pasteurization (milk is heated to 63°C ≥ 30 minutes), and  sterilization (milk is heated to 121°C for 5 minutes at 15 pounds per square inch). This sterilization process renders significantly less human species concentrations of protein, fat, immune components, and oligosaccharides.7 Donor mothers will benefit from knowing  this information to make informed decisions about where to donate their milk.

Another social and commercial pressure is the monetary compensation for donating milk . Donor mothers should know the differences in processing fees between non-profit and for-profit milk banks. A mission of HMBANA milk banks is to contain processing costs so that donor milk can be equitably distributed. One mechanism to contain costs is to not offer monetary compensation for milk donations.  For-profit milk banks offer monetary compensation which is then passed on to the consumer resulting in higher prices for donor milk. Guiding principles to determine whether or not a donor of a biological product can be offered compensation is outlined in an international statement developed by the convention of the Council of Europe   ; only those products created using patents can be distributed for commercial profit.8 This guidance protects for-profit milk banking companies. Donor mothers have the right to know how their milk will be processed and sold.

Lastly, for-profit milk banking companies have abundant resources to promote their product using sophisticated, provocative ad campaigns. Donor mothers have the right to receive informed healthcare data regarding the value of donor milk that retains 50-90% of human milk properties post-processing-the milk provided by non-profit human milk banks- which benefits  optimal infant growth and development.

HMBANA mentors those who are developing milk banks in areas where improvement in breastfeeding support is needed. To learn more about how to become a HMBANA- developing milk bank  visit www.hmbana.org . The Mothers’ Milk Bank of Louisiana, a developing milk bank member of HMBANA, would like to express sincere gratitude for the guidance of our mentor bank, the Mothers’ Milk Bank at Austin under the leadership of Kim Updegrove, Executive Director, as well as HMBANA guidance documents. August is National Breastfeeding Month. Let’s join together to honor all donor mothers for their lifesaving donation of miracle milk and pledge to inform and enlighten them of the invaluable impact of their milk donation decisions.

References

1.            American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Nutrition SoB, Committee on Fetus and Newborn. Donor Human Milk for the High-Risk Infant: Preparation, Safety, and Usage Options in the United States. Pediatrics. 2017;139(1):e20163440.

2.            Medicine AoB. ABM Position on Breastfeeding – Revised 2015. Breastfeeding Medicine. 2015;10(9):407-411.

3.            Agarwal S, Karmaus, W., Davis, S., & Gangur, V. Immune markers in breast milk and fetal and maternal body fluids: A systematic review of perinatal concentrations. Journal of Human Lactation. 2011;27(2):171-186.

4.            UNICEF. #breatfeeding- Breastfeeding A Smart Investment. 2017; https://www.unicef.org/breastfeeding/. Accessed August 5, 2017, 2017.

5.            Labbock ML, Clark, D. & Goldman, A. Breastfeeding: maintaning and irreplaceable immunological resource. Nature Reviews Immunology. 2004;4(7):565-572.

6.            Human Milk Banking Association of North America. Guidelines for the establishment and operation of a donor milk bank. Forth Worth, Texas: Human Milk Banking Association of North America; 2016.

7.            Meredith-Dennis L, Xu, G., Goonatilleke, E., Lebrilla, C., Underwood, M. . Composition and variation of macronutrients, immune proteins, and human milk oligosaccharides in human milk from nonprofit and commercial milk banks. Journal of Human Lactation. 2017.

8.            Council of Europe. Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Dignity of the Human Being with Regard to the Application of Biology and Medicine: Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine. Treaty No.164. 1997; http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/en/Treaties/html/164.htm. Accessed July 27th, 2017.

 

 

Shelley Thibeau, PhD, RNC, is the Director of the developing Mothers’ Milk Bank of Louisiana. As a NICU nurse for 38 years, her interest in breastmilk has expanded to exploring breastmilk immunology associated with preterm infant health.

5 Ways to Be More Baby-Friendly (Without Becoming a ‘Baby-Friendly Hospital’)

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By Deirdre Wilson

There are many great reasons why hospitals choose to work toward and achieve Baby-Friendly hospital status. There are also plenty of ways to encourage breastfeeding in line with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidelines without having that official Baby-Friendly Hospital designation. In fact, research has shown that implementing Baby Friendly practices such as early breastfeeding after birth, skin-to-skin care , and rooming-in,  in hospitals that do not have this designation, resulted in higher rates of breastfeeding initiation and duration.

Whether or not you’re pursuing Baby-Friendly status, your hospital can effectively support and promote breastfeeding among staff, mothers, and their families. Here are just 5 of many ways to go about it:

1. Start educating women about breastfeeding early.

Setting expectations and goals early in the care process that a mother will achieve desired health objectives. This is true of breastfeeding, as well.

  • Educating mothers about the benefits of breastfeeding is most successful when it starts during pregnancy. Indeed, Step 3 of WHO’s 10 Steps to Successful Breastfeeding—the key criteria for formal Baby-Friendly hospital status—requires that hospitals “inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.”
  • Educating parents proactively, rather than waiting for them to request information, ensures they have the education they need when they need it.
  • Educating parents electronically means the information can be shared in small, consistent pieces that don’t feel overwhelming. It’s also a time savings for staff and providers who would otherwise need to use medical appointments for breastfeeding education.

2. Incorporate breastfeeding education into your ongoing staff training.

Keeping your staff updated on supportive breastfeeding practices doesn’t have to be time-consuming or require organized training classes. Consider providing electronic breastfeeding education for staff to access anywhere and at their own convenience. Choose a solution that lets you track their progress, so you know when they’ve read the required information.

3. Stay in touch with women and their families about breastfeeding support opportunities, even after they’ve returned home.

In the U.S., 74% of babies have breastfed at least once, but only 23% are still breastfeeding by 1 year of age, according to the CDC’s Breastfeeding Report Card. Once new mothers are discharged, a strong connection with your hospital can encourage them to take advantage of available support, overcome challenges and stick with breastfeeding.

When following up with women who’ve recently had babies invite them to schedule a session with a lactation consultant or attend a  breastfeeding support group at your hospital. These opportunities not only provide additional revenue sources,  but also nurture relationships with women and their families, who will be more likely to return to your hospital in the future—whether for obstetric or other medical care.

4. Ask new moms for feedback about your hospital’s breastfeeding support practices.

Breastfeeding is an emotional topic for new mothers. With patient experience and satisfaction so important to a hospital’s bottom line these days, you want to know where you stand in patients’ minds.

Surveys are a great way to measure patient satisfaction with your breastfeeding education practice and policy. Send a quick survey by email or text message, asking new moms specifically about how your breastfeeding support has helped them and where you can improve.

5. Collect data on how many women who had their babies at your hospital continue breastfeeding.

Healthy People 2020, the population health measures created by the federal Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, set goals for how many infants are breastfed by the year 2020, including 34% of infants breastfeed at 1 year and 26% breastfed exclusively through 6 months.

If you want to work toward or even surpass this goal, you need to measure how your patients are doing after they leave the hospital. Providing patients education in a digital format, i.e. on their mobile device, combined with data collection technology can help you gain insight.

Baby-Friendly status remains the gold standard for many hospitals encouraging breastfeeding. But if your facility has limited resources, these 5 strategies can help your hospital successfully support and encourage breastfeeding.

For additional information on becoming a Baby-Friendly hospital, visit www.babyfriendlyusa.org

AWHONN Resources

Deirdre Wilson, Senior Editor for UbiCare, is an award-winning writer and editor with 30 years’ experience researching and writing on a wide range of health, wellness and education topics for newspapers, magazines and a news wire service.

Take A Walk In My Postpartum Shoes (Part 1)

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DaniFamily_1by, Danni Starr

An open letter to all the moms, soon to be moms or family supporting moms!

On December 31st, 2011 I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl! It was something I had dreamed about for so long. I remember the day after she was born crying on the phone with my midwife because I was so overwhelmed. She was so little and I didn’t really know what to do.

Being a little overwhelmed is common, medical specialists call it the baby blues. Post-birth, most moms (as many as 85%!) experience some form of the baby blues. This could be feeling irritable, exhausted, needing to cry for no reason or worrying that you won’t be a good mom.

I did not have that. I had something that damn near sucked the life out of me.

Once we returned home from the hospital, I rarely got off of the couch for 30 days. I got up to feed the baby and change her…I didn’t even eat. I remember just feeling so weird. Everything was robotic. Must feed baby, must change baby…I don’t even remember enjoying any of it.

I remember my husband picking me off of the couch giving me a hug and saying babe, you do not smell good…I am going to take you to the shower. He literally stripped me down and put me in the shower and helped wash me. Many times with post-partum depression (PPD) the mom is too tired to notice the symptoms, and it is a husband, partner, a family member or friend that shares that something just isn’t quite right.  I am thankful for my supportive system every day.

One night I was so tired that I actually Googled how many sleeping pills I could take without dying. I didn’t want to die, but I did want to be pretty close so that at least I would sleep for a few days. I literally had a bunch of pills laid out on the ottoman. I started to down them and then I thought. What if I am unconscious and she starts crying?! Nobody will hear her. I didn’t want her to cry and not have help. So I begged God to let me fall asleep and I threw the pills away. She saved my life.

Then the paranoia set in. I started to think that something very terrible was going to happen. So I started to place emergency items around the house. Things I would need to run away with. I made sure not to be too obvious because I didn’t want my husband to be on to me. One day he left to go to the store. I remember it so clearly, “babe I’m running to the store be back in a few.”

He stepped out of the house and I threw all of my emergency items in a bag, grabbed the baby and ran.

My grandpa was staying in a nursing home at the time and I knew nobody would look for me there so I went to his house and I hid out. I had NO contact with the outside world for days. Yes, I kidnapped my own child because at this point I was pretty unstable.

My husband and best friend were texting like crazy. Finally about ten days in I received a message from best friend which said, “I love you, but right now I have to love your baby more and I will call the police because I know you need help.” I finally told her where I was but begged her not to come. She sent a family friend who is a nurse to see me.

The nurse showed up and told me I had postpartum depression. I had no idea that 15% of new moms experience PPD which is way more intense than the blues, and encompassed so many of the things I was feeling and thinking. But at the time I didn’t know any of that, all I knew is that I just wanted to disappear. I hated everything, I couldn’t function and I was mad that I wasn’t connecting with such a precious little baby.

I never wanted to hurt my baby but I know many women who suffer from PPD do, and I would be lying if I said that I never wanted to hurt myself.

I don’t even remember when I started feeling better. There is so much about that time that scares me, so much more that I could share, but even writing about it makes me feel horrible. It’s a place I NEVER want to return to, and I would NEVER wish it upon anyone.

There were periods of time where I felt that I was bordering on insanity.

Follow the rest of my story in my Part 2 post publishing October 9th – National Depression Screening Day. Take care of yourself!
Danni Starr HeadshotDanni Starr
Danni Starr works daily as co-host of the nationally syndicated “The Kane Show.” Danni fell in love with radio at 19 and 11 years later, she still considers it her first true love. As a Mother and wife Danni is the “Den Mom” to the show & offers open, honest, opinions and advice.

 

The above story is adapted from Danni’s original post: https://www.facebook.com/notes/danni-starr/take-a-walk-in-my-postpartum-shoes/572481839449596

Get Support

Postpartum Support International: 1-800-994-4773 or postpartum.net
National Postpartum Depression Hotline: 1-800-PPD-MOMS

References and Learn More at

AWHONN’s Mood and Anxiety Disorders in Pregnant and Postpartum Women Position Statement

Postpartum Depression

The Things You Do Make a Difference

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Traciby, Traci Turchin

“But we had this for dinner LAST night” the five year old says.  My joke with the nine year old falls flat because he’s too busy sighing over his lack of clean socks.  “That’s IT!” I tell my husband with a wink, “I’m running away from home and going to work where I’m appreciated!”

I’m one of the luckiest nursing students in the world.  By day I drown in books and deadlines and elementary school paperwork and laundry, but by night I work as a CNA at the birth center of my local hospital.  I know, while the little efforts at home might go unnoticed, no small kindness is missed by our patients. 

We tuck those small kindnesses into our hearts and carry them around, forever grateful. Continue reading →

Beginning Breastfeeding, Breaking Down Barriers

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by, Summer Hunt

You’ve heard it time and again: Breast is the best. But many moms-to-be express concerns over breastfeeding, from doubts about their abilities, to time constraints, and everything in between. However, moms who have experienced challenges and broken down breastfeeding barriers will tell you this—it’s worth it.

Same goal, different struggles

Erin Lee and her family

Pictured above: Erin and Hung Lee with Emersyn, Paxten and Mylo

Pictured above: Erin and Hung Lee with Emersyn, Paxten and Mylo

“Just because something is natural doesn’t always equal easy,” says Erin Lee, RN, BSN, IBCLC, mother of three. As a registered nurse (and now a board-certified lactation consultant), she was fully aware of all the benefits and knew that she would breastfeed. What she couldn’t predict, though, was how many bumps in the road she would encounter.

“I had a long intense labor, and they had to use some suction to get my daughter out,” she explains. “She had a strong oral aversion, and I had flat nipples, which made latching almost impossible. On top of everything else, she was extremely jaundiced. I wanted and needed to breastfeed her, and I was determined to—but it wasn’t easy to get started.”

Lindsey Grissett knew before her daughter was born that she would breastfeed. “It was just something that made enough sense to me not to question,” she says. “I was further encouraged to educate myself on it by both my doctor and my husband.” Birthing at a Baby-Friendly® hospital meant Lindsey had a lot of support. “I was signed up for breastfeeding classes well in advance, and I don’t think I had a single question go unanswered,” she says. “I felt both mentally and physically prepared.” Shortly after giving birth, baby Emma latched right on as both mom and baby got the hang of things.

Breastfeeding wasn’t without its challenges for Lindsey, though. “There were times when I would stand in the shower, stare at the wall, and wonder how it was possible for an individual to function on so little sleep,” she recalls. It felt like the baby was hungry all the time… I was exhausted.” Lindsey learned a lesson in patience and teamwork as mom and baby found their rhythm. “It’s a process—you have to use different hand movements, massaging your breast to get the milk flowing while trying to get her mouth in the right place… or else all that hard work literally just leaks away.”

Finding help when you need it

For Erin, having the support of an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant® (IBCLC) made it easier to focus on one thing at a time. “Even though I’m a nurse, she saw things I couldn’t see,” Erin says. “She realized my daughter was jaundiced. She also helped me establish smaller goals instead of worrying about getting her to latch. I pumped my milk so we could focus on feeding her and getting her to gain weight. Then we worked on overcoming her oral aversion, and then… she latched!”

Lindsey Grissett

Pictured above: Lindsey and Raymond Grissett with Emma

Lindsey agrees that a lactation consultant was a huge help. “They called a few days after being discharged, asking if everything was going okay. They set up appointments for me to come in, show them my progress, and make sure she was taking in enough.” It was a lactation consultant who recognized that Lindsey’s baby girl was also jaundiced, she adds. “Several months after I had Emma, I still received phone calls to see how I was doing. I was so well taken care of!”

An indescribable feeling

While you can read a bundle on the benefits of breast milk, there’s one thing that you can’t find in a class or a book—the physical and emotional closeness that develops between mom and baby. “The bond you feel while you’re feeding your baby… it’s incredible,” Erin says. “Until you experience it, you can’t know how powerful it is.”

“The most valuable thing about breastfeeding was definitely how close it brought me to Emma,” Lindsey says. “There so many times when I just wanted to sleep, or eat, or shower in peace… but even when I was at the end of my rope, it was such a great feeling knowing that she needed me. That was my motivation to keep going.”

Turning lemons into… breast milk?

After a difficult breastfeeding journey, Erin knew she could use her experience to help other women. “I was working in pediatrician’s office, and I shadowed the IBCLC there, seeing the moms and babies come in, some of them having the same issues I did. I wanted to help them overcome it—I became very passionate about it.” She became an IBCLC in 2013, and in 2015 she cofounded a private practice lactation business.

“Most people will encounter some sort of struggle,” she says. “For some it might be a few days or weeks, others might take months to get the hang of it. Just because the baby doesn’t latch right away, or you have a little discomfort at first doesn’t mean it’s the end. With the right support system, you can do it. It’s so empowering—being able to provide this essential need for your baby.”

For first-time moms (or first-time breastfeeding moms), Erin offers up this advice:

Educate yourself. Not just about the basics of breastfeeding, but also on normal infant development. The more you know, the more prepared you’ll be for what’s to come.

Build a support system. Find a health care provider that’s supportive of breastfeeding and understands that it’s something you want. Find an IBCLC, and attend La Leche League meetings even before you give birth. Talk to your mom if she breastfed, or your friends who did – these are the people you’ll be texting at 1am when you’re at your wit’s end and you need someone to tell you it’s going to be okay.

Be gentle with yourself. Your only job right now is to nourish your baby. The rest of it, cleaning the house, putting dinner on the table, losing baby weight… it can wait. You take care of your baby—everything else will fall into place.

 

Summer Hunt

 

Summer Hunt is the editorial coordinator for publications at AWHONN.

 

 

 

Resources for Moms

Ask Our Nurses: How Will My Baby and I Begin Breastfeeding? (video)
Ask Our Nurses: How Do I Prepare For Breastfeeding? (video)
How to Overcome the Challenges of Breastfeeding (article)
Breastfeeding Fixes (article)
Download our brand-new Breastfeeding Parent Pages here.

Erin Lee, RN, BSN, IBCLC has worked as a registered nurse in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Boston Children’s Hospital, Georgetown University Hospital and All Children’s Hospital, among others. She is the cofounder of Suncoast Lactation Consultants in Bradenton, FL, where she lives with her husband and three children.

Lindsey Grissett is a mental health community court liaison in Anniston, AL, where she lives with her husband and daughter. She enjoys working out, traveling and hanging out with her family,  and watching her little girl grow.

Pregnancy test

Trying to Conceive After Miscarriage

Aimee Patrick and Charlieby Aimee Poe

My husband and I always wanted a family. The summer before I turned 29, we decided to start trying. Little did we know there would be a roller coaster of a journey ahead.

I got my first positive pregnancy test in September. I knew my life was about to change. I quit smoking, which was a huge deal for me. My husband and I were thrilled. At my first ultrasound, there was silence. The verdict was devastating: I was miscarrying due to a blighted ovum.

My doctor advised me to wait two full cycles before trying to conceive again. I didn’t track anything; I just guessed at when I was going to be ovulating. In February, I got my second positive test. Though nervous, I had a better feeling, thinking the odds were low I would have a second miscarriage.

We picked out names, I looked at birth plans, and at 8 weeks I started building a baby registry. We were cautious to share the news, waiting to tell even our parents. On March 20, one week after announcing our new addition, I went to the restroom and noticed blood. I immediately fell on the floor crying. In that split second, my dreams of our family were crushed.

When they did the ultrasound in the emergency room, they wouldn’t let me see the screen, saying only that they couldn’t detect a heartbeat. I felt like I died inside. My doctor ordered a D&C (dilation and curettage) and told us to wait two cycles.

This time, I took ovulation and trying to conceive (TTC) seriously. I continued taking prenatal vitamins, educated myself, and tracked my ovulation with digital ovulation predictor. The moment I saw the little smiley face letting me know I was ovulating, I told my husband it was go-time! The two-week waiting period after that felt even longer than the two cycles we had to wait to start trying again.

Aimee and PatrickOn July 11, I got my big fat positive! I called my husband, and then I called my mom, who was so supportive. I had a form of PTSD after dealing with two miscarriages, and I didn’t want to tell anyone I was pregnant, so as to avoid the embarrassment.

At 6 weeks, I had my first ultrasound. When we saw that tiny little heartbeat, I cried. My doctor put me on progesterone. We had our next ultrasound at 11 weeks, and there was our baby, active and wiggling around. It was amazing! I wasn’t used to seeing my ultrasounds. Every time I saw my baby felt like a miracle. We learned my due date was March 20—the date of my second miscarriage. Everything was coming full circle. Even more exciting, it was a boy!

CharlieAs badly as I wanted to meet my son, he was even more anxious: At 34 weeks and 4 days, Charles David Poe made his appearance. His birthday is February 9, the same date I had my second positive pregnancy test the year before. Tiny but strong, Charlie came into our lives so fast and has made it indescribably beautiful. It was beyond worth it to have gone through all the turmoil of TTC to get to this amazing part of my life.

Aimee and Patrick maternityAimee Poe is an experience specialist at Verizon. She loves playing video games, watching movies, hanging out with her family, and flexing her creative muscle with various projects.

 

 

Nurse expert and Healthy Mom&Baby Editorial Advisory Board member Susan Peck, MSN, APN shares her best tips for those trying to conceive.

  1. Timing is key. “Many women don’t know there is a small window of opportunity each month for conception to occur. Talk to your health care provider about how to predict ovulation based on the length of your menstrual cycle—there’s an app for that!”
  2. Quality, not quantity. “Couples may not realize that having sex multiple times a day can actually lower sperm counts. I usually recommend daily or even every other day during the few days before during and after ovulation.”
  3. Patience is a virtue. “If you don’t get pregnant right away after going off birth control, that doesn’t always mean something is wrong. Most couples will take 4-ish months or so before conception occurs.”
  4. Plan ahead. “Preconception care is so important. Talk with your health care provider about any health problems you have that could affect pregnancy as well as the safety of any medications you take.  You may need to switch medications while trying to get pregnant. You can reduce your risk of neural tube defects by beginning a prenatal vitamin which includes 0.4 mg of folic acid before getting pregnant. Now is also the time to quit smoking.”
  5. Leave the lube. “Using a lubricant during sex can make it harder for the sperm to swim the long distance to the fallopian tube. If you must, try using a sperm-friendly lubricant like Pre-Seed instead.”

Postpartum Recovery Tips for Moms from Our Nurses & Midwives

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In preparation for your new arrival it is likely you will take classes, read books and get advice from friends and family on how to take care of your new baby.

What you can easily forget in all the excitement is that you take care of yourself too!

To help you focus on YOU, we recently asked our nurses and midwives what postpartum recovery advice they give their patients.

We received advice for you from over 100 nurses!

Take note of the clear themes – limit visitors to take that time to bond with your new baby, accept help from others, do skin-to-skin and sleep when the baby sleeps!

Good luck in all your new parenting adventures!

Postpartum Care Tips from Nurses and MidwivesTop 20 tips from our nurses and midwives:

  1. Absolutely choose a hospital for the care you will receive and not the new beautiful building. You’re much more likely to receive a positive birth experience and the education you receive from your postpartum nurses will make all the difference in the world.
  2. As a former postpartum nurse, I noticed how often new mothers put their needs last. It seems often families look at postpartum time as party time. I have seen c-section moms sleeping in the same room as 15-20 family members talking loudly and passing baby around for hours. My best advice is for new mothers to have 1-2 designated family helpers to be there to help care for baby while she gets much needed naps throughout those exhausting first days. Baby’s hunger cues are often missed when there are too many visitors for long stretches of time. It is difficult for new mothers to set limits.
  3. Don’t be afraid to ask people to leave. I have seen so many new mothers that are worn out from feeling like they cannot turn people away. Turn off your phone too. I wish I did for the first couple of days.
  4. Breastfeeding is an acquired skill for you and baby, be prepared to be patient and try, try again. It is a wonderful thing for you both, but needs to be learned. Do not suffer in silence, please contact your OB/midwife for lactation nurse help/referral if you are having difficulty with latching and/or very sore nipples.
  5. Sleep when baby sleeps.

  6. If you had a cesarean, take a pillow for the car ride home to support your incision for the bumps in the road.
  7. Use the Dermoplast (benzocaine topical) spray before having a bowel movement…it’ll make the process a whole lot more comfortable and a lot less scary.
  8. If someone offers to come over so you can shower, take them up on it.  For c-section moms remember not only did you have a baby, but you had major surgery.
  9. Trust yourself and your instincts. Pick and choose the advice, tips, expert advice etc. that works for you. And know that if you’re worried about being a good mom, you already are.
  10. Padsicle! Pad, ice pack, tucks, then a spray of Dermoplast.
  11. Know your body. When you get home, use a hand held mirror to look at your perineum or you cesarean section incision. This way, if you experience problems, you will have a baseline to know if something is different, for example: increased swelling, redness, tenderness, or drainage from incision. It is helpful in knowing when to contact your physician with these issues.
  12. Limit your visitors. You will not get this time back. Use it to bond as a family, seek help with breastfeeding. Skin to skin is the best bonding tool! We want to help you succeed with breastfeeding. You can press your call light for every feeding if you need to. Your baby needs your love and protection. You are your baby’s primary advocate. Not all mothers’ choose to or are able to breastfeed. How you feed your baby is your decision and your nurse will support you. Ask visitors to wait until you’ve been home for at least a couple weeks. Settle in, recover. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If someone wants to visit, ask them to leave their little ones at home.
  13. Sleep when the baby sleeps. Keep drinking water to flush out the excess fluids and keep hydrated. Accept help from anyone willing to cook a meal, run errands or do housework so you can rest and spend more time enjoying your new baby. Get outside for a walk. Fresh air and activity help to restore and rejuvenate sleep deprived minds and bodies as well as improve the blues!
  14. While planning your new routine, ask someone to watch the baby for an hour of each day for you to spend as you please.
  15. Good nutrition is key. Have a healthy snack each time you feed baby if you don’t have an appetite. Try to get a good four hour blocks of sleep several times a week. Ask support people to change, burp, comfort baby and only bring baby to you for breast feeding to extend your sleep when tired. Have a good support system and don’t be afraid to ask them for help. Soak up the sun when you can. Have an enjoyable activity to look forward to each week. Try to get out of the house, but if you can’t do something you enjoy at home or pamper yourself. Relax and enjoy your baby. Use what works for you and don’t try to follow everyone else’s advice.
  16. Accept offers of help and assistance with meals, cleaning etc. I tell father’s to give moms one uninterrupted hour to herself each day. She can bathe, sleep, read, or anything that she wants for that hour. Daddy needs time to get to know baby too!
  17. When you get home, set visiting hours and have each visitor bring groceries or food (they’ll be thrilled to get what you need). And stay in your pajamas. Most people will be less likely to overstay their welcome.
  18. Once “settled” in with the baby reach out to a Mother’s group ( stroller club, baby sitting co-op, Mommy and me Gym or Yoga class), to get out of the house and receive and provide support to other new Mom’s.
  19. Give yourself a break. Sit at the bottom of the shower and cry if you need to every now and then, parenting is hard work. Learning to breastfeed is hard work and so is incorporating another member into your family. Sleep deprivation and shifting hormones will, in fact, make you feel crazy at times but it will get better. You will find your new norm. It’s not all cute onesies and hair bows, it’s more like poopy onesies and newborn rashes, and that’s ok.
  20. You’re stronger than you think! Don’t worry about what others might think. Enjoy every moment.  Parenthood is a beautiful experience. Allow yourself grace & room to grow.

Do you have advice for new moms as well? If so let us know. We’ll keep rolling out the advice.

For additional resources for mom visit our Healthy Mom&Baby website!