Blogging for Babies, Breastfeeding and Mothers

It's my favorite for new born babies: you've all heard me say. Now it has been voted the most comfortable. The Moby Wrap rocks!

Carrying twins is a mastery, but this mom has conquered it. (Photo credit to MobyWrap.com)

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Read more about Moby Wraps.

Have you nursed in your Moby?

Have you carried twins in your carrier?

How long did you use the Moby?

Is formula's claim that it closely resembles breastmilk true? What are DHA and ARA? Are they safe additions to infant formula?

DHA is docosahexaenoic acid and ARA is arachidonic acid, polyunsaturated omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids that are important components of the human brain and eyes and are naturally present in human breast milk. In order to add these oils to formula, they must first be obtained. These oils are produced by Martek Biosciences Corporation by extracting them from laboratory-grown fermented algae and fungus and processed utilizing a toxic chemical, hexane. Their forms are structurally different from those found in human milk.

Are these oils really safe for babies? According to several reports, No! Cornupcopia Institute in their full DHA report says:

Questions abound regarding which other crucial nutrients are either missing from formula, added in wrong proportions, or present when they shouldn't be.

Moreover, this study points to the uncertainty of the infant formula manufacturing process and raises questions regarding the unknown side effects and consequences of feeding hexane-extracted DHASCO from microorganisms and hexane-extracted ARASCO from soil fungus to infants. Mother's breast milk is balanced in ways that scientists can only hope to fully comprehend; infant formula is therefore truly a "quixotic quest."

Marsha Walker, RN, IBCLC, head of the National Alliance for Breastfeeding Advocacy (NABA), points out, "This is a huge uncontrolled experiment." Infants are the guinea pigs for studying artificial baby milks. She explains that DHASCO and ARASCO-supplemented infant formula causes watery, explosive diarrhea, among other side effects in some infants.

One NICU in Ohio has deemed it the "diarrhea formula".

Stay tuned for the truth behind the addition of DHA and ARA to infant formulas.

Did you use any of these formulas? Did your baby have a lot of gas? Diarrhea? Any problems that resolved when your baby started drinking just breastmilk?

When it comes to breastmilk David Newburg, PhD, is an expert. The Mothers' Milk Bank of New England is proud to have Dr. Newburg on their Board of Directors. I had the honor and delight of talking with Dr. Newburg at the Milk Bank's reception in Newtonville, Massachusetts, on Sunday, May 16.

Dr. David Newburg: Breastmilk Trumps from Debbie Page on Vimeo.

As a glygobiologist, Dr. Newburg has identified the critical role of glycans in human milk and how they protect the baby from a host of diseases. Glycans' protective properties are as, if not more, significant than the antibodies in human milk.This knowledge and understanding makes Dr. Newburg zealous for promoting and protecting breastfeeding.

Dr. Newburg's numerous studies on the structure and function of human milk are recognized world wide. He is the editor of the book "Bioactive Components of Human Milk." He is the director of the Program in Glycobiology of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition at Massachusetts General Hospital, and an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School.

Don't get the impression that Dr. Newburg is all nerdy and too brainy to have fun: he is hilarious. He refused an interview unless I answered the following question correctly: "Who won the war?" I was born and raised in the Carolinas-- North meets South. My answer? Y'all won the war (what else could I say? I wanted the interview).

I love these new studies. More scientists are taking a long hard look at why breastfeeding babies are so much healthier. A group of Illinois scientists have made a remarkable discovery: breastmilk generates genetic pathways that significantly differ from formula-fed infants.

Fundamental genes that regulate the development of the intestine and provide immune defense for the infant were among the many differences found by these scientists. Sharon Donovan, a University of Illinois professor of nutrition says:

Although both breast-fed and formula-fed babies gain weight and seem to develop similarly, scientists have known for a long time that breast milk contains immune-protective components that make a breast-fed infant's risk lower for all kinds of illnesses.

The intestinal tract of the newborn undergoes marked changes in response to feeding. And the response to human milk exceeds that of formula, suggesting that the bioactive components in breast milk are important in this response.

What we haven't known is how breast milk protects the infant and particularly how it regulates the development of the intestine," she said.... Now we'll be able to get a complete picture of what's happening in an infant -- from the composition of the diet to the microbes in the gut and the genes that are activated along the way.

These same scientists are hoping to use this information to improve formula. Why? Why not put your energies and money into improving breatsfeeding support, rates and duration? I'll be interested in hearing what Best for Babes has to say about this.

Read more about this study... 

Have you had trouble breastfeeding? Did others convince you that formula is equal to breastmilk? Did you struggle to make enough milk for your baby? Don't beat yourself; how could you have known or done anything different? Breastfeeding in a formula world is nearly impossible for some mothers. James Brown says "It's a Man's World"; I say "It's a Formula World", but that's not going to stop us from dividing and conquering.

Learn and gain confidence and find REAL help the next time around. And if you don't have a second chance? Spread the good news to those having babies now. Use your grieving and/or anger as passion to educate.

Just released: Report to end childhood obesity by The White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity. There are 70 specific recommendations, 4 of which relate to breastfeeding support. There is significant emphasis on breastfeeding as an obesity preventive measure.

Recommendation 1.3: Hospitals and health care providers should use maternity care practices that empower new mothers to breastfeed, such as the Baby-Friendly hospital standards.

Recommendation 1.4: Health care providers and insurance companies should provide information to pregnant women and new mothers on breastfeeding, including the availability of educational classes, and connect pregnant women and new mothers to breastfeeding support programs to help them make an informed infant feeding decision.

Recommendation 1.5: Local health departments and community-based organizations, working with health care providers, insurance companies, and others should develop peer support programs that empower pregnant women and others to get the help and support they need from other mothers who have breastfed.

Recommendation 1.6: Early childhood settings should support breastfeeding. 

See the full report.

This is a huge step for Americans: women and children alike. Does this mean that insurance companies will be required to pay for lactation consultants? Will doctors become proactive with their patients, such as recommending breastfeeding help and support instead of giving a can of formula?

All sounds well and good, but we all know how hard it is to breastfeed in America, especially when women get no help once they leave the hospital and oftentimes  return to the workforce at eight weeks and have no time or private space to pump. But...this is a great beginning. We have to start somewhere. What part do we play in all of this?

Breastmilk is Phenomenal

You knew you wanted to breastfeed. Your family knew you wanted to breastfeed. Your doctor knew you wanted to breastfeed. But the comments came anyway:

• Colostrum just isn't enough.
• You're only thinking about yourself.
• I bottlefed you and you turned out just fine.
• You're making him dependent on you.
• What? You're still breastfeeding at 6 months?
• You don't have enough milk-- he's a big growing boy.
• It's not fair that I don't get to feed him.
• What? He's still waking up at night to feed? Bad habits!
• How long are you going to do that?
• You can't do that here, lady.
  
• And on and on the list goes.

Supportive or unsupportive?

Put people in your camp that are supportive, understanding and knowledgeable about breastfeeding. You may not be able to oust the saboteurs from your farm, but you can keep them out of the riding ring.

Let's come up with a list of answers to sabotaging questions.

"I wish I'd said..."

This is one of the questions I hear all the time from new parents: "Can I overfeed my newborn baby?" Well the answer is yes and no; it depends. It depends on whether your baby is drinking from the breast or the bottle.

Breastfeeding is a normal function of newborn babies: bottle feeding is not-- though necessary for many babies if their mother chooses not to breastfeed or needs to supplement her own milk production with donor milk or formula or returns to work during her child's infancy.

Breastfeeding is not just about food--it is also about appetite regulation.

Babies that feed from the breast are less likely to become obese--studies have consistently shown this. Now CDC researchers have found that babies who are breast-fed in early infancy will better self-regulate their milk intake when compared to bottle feeding babies.

Recognizing your baby's cues and responding to those cues is

a crucial part of your child regulating her appetite.

While working as a labor and delivery and post partum nurse, I saw many parents and nurses feed two to three ounces of formula to an hour old baby. The stomach on day one only holds about one half teaspoon and can not stretch those first 24 hours. Day one of life and the baby is already expected to eat on schedule and to "finish the bottle." This sets the precedence for the rest of the baby's first year and life. Finish the bottle! If the parent decides how much the baby should eat, how can the child learn to recognize his hungry or his satiation?

You'll find the latest findings in Pediatrics: "Do Infants Fed From Bottles Lack Self-regulation of Milk Intake Compared With Directly Breastfed Infants?"

Although only 27% of infants fed exclusively at the breast in early infancy emptied the bottle or cup in late infancy, 54% of infants who were fed both at the breast and by bottle did so, and 68% of those who were fed only by bottle did so. 

• Breastfeeding babies regulate their own appetites.

• Breastfeeding babies stop eating when they are full.

• Breastfeeding is associated with lower rates of obesity.

• Oh, that's right: Breastfeeding is the natural way.

Ever heard of a tongue tie? If you are breastfeeding and have had any problems, the odds are pretty high that you have. What is a tongue tie and why does it impact breastfeeding?

A tongue tie simply refers to the thin piece of skin connecting the underside of the tongue to the floor of the mouth. When this skin is short or tight, it can restrict the movement of the tongue. This can sometimes cause problems for babies when breastfeeding.

What problems might a tongue tie cause for your baby?

• Slow feeding
• Weight loss or slow weight gain
• Frustration with feeding
• Falling asleep before finishing her meal

What problems might a tongue tie cause for you?

• Damaged nipples
• Low milk production
• Mastitis
• Frustration with breastfeeding
• Weaning before you are ready

What can be done if you are having any of the above problems? Get in touch with a tongue tie specialist. It can be hard to find someone that recognizes the more subtle tongue ties. Few pediatricians and ENT doctors recognize what is often referred to as a posterior tongue tie. There are a few Lactation Consultants (IBCLC) that recognize them. Once you find out that your baby has a tongue tie, there are doctors and in the UK lactation consultants that divide these ties.

I work with many breastfeeding mothers experiencing the ill effects of tongue tie. It is heart breaking not to be able to breastfeed your baby. Find someone that can thoroughly evaluate your baby for tongue tie so breastfeeding becomes completely comfortable and enjoyable. It's worth everything you have to do to make that possible. And don't wait to see if things will work themselves out. Waiting too often means giving up because it is just too difficult to continue. Get help immediately. "If you keep postponing a decision, your indecision becomes your only decision." Unknown

Can you identify with:

• Damaged nipples and a painful latch?
• Baby not gaining well?

With Hello Baby comes Happy Mother's Day.

You spend the first six weeks of your baby's life tired, sleep deprived and trying to figure out motherhood without so much as a smile from the wee one. And then one day your baby smiles at you and then she does it again and again. Now you see that your hard work is paying off-- your baby actually likes you! The months start to pass and she starts sharing her food with you. Then she is coming up handing you flowers or more likely weeds and all day long calling Mama, Mommy, Mummy.

My mother got so tired one summer of us calling her Mom she changed her name; she changed it to "DoDo", which in our family was a word we could not use. Being about twelve or so at the time, I simply started calling her double d-o and my three siblings followed suit. We still laugh about it today fifty plus years later. Hearing "Mama" can be both wonderful and wearisome.

I was in a store today listening to a little boy around three years old. "Mama look at this truck. Mama I like this truck. Mama see this truck. Mama do you like this truck? Mama..." He just kept going for about three minutes with his patient mother acknowleding every thought. I feel you smiling; we have all been there.

Enjoy your babies. Enjoy your children. Enjoy being a mother--it's going to last your lifetime. And remember your child is getting her PhD (philosophy of discovering) in life. You provide the environment and safety net for her to explore and gain knowledge. Open the doors to a life time of learning, laughing and loving. Your child will love you for it.

Happy Mother's Day!

Don't forget the movie "Babies" premieres this weekend. I can't wait.

Who would have ever guessed that there is something in breastmilk that kills cancer cells? Anders Hakansson, Ph. D. presented research on this amazing property of breastmilk in his talk Anti-tumor Activity of Human Milk at the April 2010 Human Milk Bank (HMBANA) Conference. Wow! I had heard this before, but now I actually heard it straight from the leading scientist's mouth.

Dr. Hakansson calls this cancer killing phenomena HAMLET: Human Alpha-lactalbumin made LEthal to Tumor cells. Why? Because of the following quote:

Thou com'st in such a questionable shape

That I will speak to thee. I'll call thee Hamlet.

William Shakespeare Hamlet act I, scene 4