If you have to deliver a baby at Kaiser, be very careful as to who your doctor might be

This article just highlights the problems of child deliveries here in America. It appears that some doctors just can continue to hurt innocent people and even be responsible for their death, yet nothing happens to them. Dr. Safari, a perinatologist at Kaiser has been under federal investigation for causing 2 babies deaths. Every time you deliver a baby it’s a risk especially if it happens at a hospital. It seems like more things go wrong when doctors get involved. In so many other countries, majority of deliveries are handled by midwifes with great success. I wonder when America will realize that the current child birthing practices are major hospitals just aren’t working and are at great risk of newborn deaths. The US has the highest newborn death rate compared to other developing countries and it’s really sad.Read more here regards to this Kaiser doctor in question and be very aware of the risks when delivering at a hospital.  

Breastfeeding and bottles

I just finished reading an article in the February edition of the BabyTalk magazine about mixing breast and bottle feeding. The article makes it sound like it’s no big deal which is completely bogus and made me so upset. It appears to me that the whole idea of this article is to make it easier for moms not to feel “guilty” about bottle feeding and not wanting to breastfeed exclusively. In my opinion the reasons for why a woman chooses a bottle over breast is because they haven’t received the proper support from the beginning as to how to breastfeed and what should be expected. I’ve delivered 2 babies and I have to say that the hospital staff in both cases (2 different hospitals) varied tremendously on their knowledge about breastfeeding. Unfortunately I don’t have the confidence that the staff in the hospitals around the US really is adequately equipped to support a woman who wants to exclusively breastfeed due to constant push by the formula companies with free formula samples etc.

The article also talks about how nice it is for the dad to be able to give an occasional bottle and how that’s good for bonding. The fact is that a woman was created with the ability to breastfeed not a man and for that reason alone, the mother is the primary care taker for a long time by nature. The father has several years to work on the bonding with the baby and one bottle here or there won’t help that bonding. It just confuses the baby who is looking for the mother and the breast to give him comfort. I’ve also heard that some women like it when the dad can do some of the night time feedings etc. The unfortunate fact is that having children is not easy and it was not meant to be easy so if a woman is not ready to have several sleepless nights, then maybe she is not ready for a baby. The time when a newborn needs a constant closeness and mother to feed every hour or so is so little in the child’s life that it certainly should not be a reason for a mother to choose to give a bottle especially one that has formula in it.
Now there are times when breastfeeding doesn’t start off the right way and a woman is forced to pump and bottle feed while trying to work on improving the breastfeeding situation. This actually happened to me with our second even though I considered myself to be a pro at it after nursing one child for 2 1/2 years. I had to pump and work really hard to get my baby to learn to breastfeed. It was difficult but all worth it. Everything worked out great due to wonderful support and guidance I received from a lactation consultant (Susan at Dr. Sears’ office).

When a mother returns to work, the baby obviously has to receive bottles during the day when the mother is at work but as long as this happens later in the baby’s life, it won’t affect the breastfeeding as much. The fact that women are expected to return to work at 6 weeks post-partum speaks to the problem we have in America and the lack of general awareness and knowledge about breastfeeding. A 6 week-old baby is not ready to be “weaned” from his mother during the day to be bottle fed by someone other than the mother. This is great rule for the formula manufactures because so many women won’t even bother trying to pump at work especially if they are not given a proper place and time to do it during the work day. I’m a working mother so I know first hand what it’s like to work and pump at work and juggle the pumping and breastfeeding. It might sound like a lot but it’s an investment you are making for your child’s future and it’s all worth it. Going back to work is no reason to quit breastfeeding and for sure is no reason to not to breastfeed from birth knowing that the mother will be going to work. Sharing those special moments after work while breastfeeding your baby makes all the difference in the world and helps the mother and baby to bond and take back some lost time. The bottom line is that I wish the society would be more pro-breastfeeding and the health care professionals would be more educated about breastfeeding and how to encourage and help mothers to succeed with breastfeeding. It’s proven to be way superior to formula in all the levels imaginable (nutrition, IQ, mental development etc) yet the formula companies have such a hold on the general public that more women choose the formula over convenient and free breastmilk just because they don’t know any better or are brainwashed to think there is no harm of giving bottles of formula to babies. Articles like this mentioned earlier also speaks to how the American public is conditioned to think this way. Since I’m from Finland I can say that the mentality there is very different and working mothers are being supported very differently than here in the US to assure that the mother and baby get off in a good start and can share what nature intended for mothers and babies.

Dr. Robert Sears and the Vaccine Book

Dr. Robert Sears has finally published his book about vaccines. The book is very much needed by parents who wish to take part in deciding what is the best health care for their children. This book doesn’t take sides, it just represents the facts about vaccines. Dr. Robert Sears is part of Sears Family Pediatrics in San Clemente which is also where our children go to. The father of Dr. Robert Sears is Dr. Williams Sears who has written several books regarding babies, parenting and family nutrition. Both practice together at Sears Family Pediatrics along with Dr. Williams Sears’ other sons, Dr. James and Dr. Peter. The Vaccine book was being feature in the OC Register today (01/24/08) and I’m very glad to see that because it’s about time that the public is being more aware of the complicated issue of vaccines and the possible side effects and complications. For more information check out Dr. Robert’s Vaccine information site here.

My Review of Jumbo Pack – Sizes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Toxic toys

In the awake of the recalls happening with toys made in China, I’m glad to have replaced a lot of our children’s toys with non-toxic wooden toys. It can sometimes be a challenge to find good quality wooden and non-toxic toys that hold the child’s attention like the plastic junk counter parts. I’ve found some websites that really help with shopping for a good quality heirloom toys that hold the child’s attention and grow with the child.  Websites like oompa, moolka and Nova sell brands from all around the world and the toys are really neat. Also FAO has a good search tool to search for toys based on their country of origin. I’ve studied about the different standards in toy manufacturing and have found that the European Union is a lot more strict with their standards than the US standards are. Since I’m originally from Europe I tend to search there for answers. Toy brands that I can highly recommend are HABA, Bajo, Kettler, Brio, Kathe Kruse and my new favorite Plan Toys.

Newborns and jaundice

This is a topic that comes up frequently with newborns. Almost every newborn has a case of jaundice and the decree can very a lot from baby to baby. Our firstborn had a mild jaundice but out second baby have a severe jaundice due to she would not breastfeed enough to help with the elimination process of the extra red blood cells. We had to do the billirubin blankets which worked out great actually. They are a great treatment option for high bilirubin levels to assure the baby can come home from the hospital and the treatment can continue. The unfortunate fact about jaundice is that some pediatricians aren’t aware of the fact that unrestricted breastfeedings really help with the condition. Some doctors are quick to tell the mom to stop breastfeeding and switch to formula which is completely wrong advise. The reason for the formula push is many times the fact that the most “education” new pediatricians get regards to newborn feedings is from the formula manufactures and they are brain washed to think that formula is better for a baby than the mother’s breastmilk.  Besides restricted feedings, indirect sunlight is a great treatment. Put the baby by a window to get some sunlight but be sure to keep an eye on the time. I also put our babies to direct sunlight just with their diaper on for 5 minutes both sides (front and back), no longer than that due to sunburn risk which is way worse than the jaundice. Now they have actually studied jaundice and come to find out that it can be a powerful antioxidant and prevent childhood cancers like leukemia. So it’s not as bad as originally thought. If your newborn gets jaundice be sure to continue breastfeeding as often as possible and if the baby is sleepy, which is typical with jaundice, be sure to wake the baby up to feed every 1 1/2 to 2 hours. 

Newborns and parents lack of sleep

As a new parent, I had no idea what to expect about babies prior to our son being born other than what I had seen on TV or read in the books. I thought that babies sleep in their cribs and wake up to eat every once in a while but that’s about it. My husband and I went out and bought a crib before our son was born for him to sleep in. We put it in our bedroom instead of the nursery because I didn’t want to be so far from the baby. My idea of baby sleeping in a crib came to a halt very soon when 2 weeks into parenthood, I hadn’t slept more than an hour or 2 consecutively and I was completely out of it. I needed sleep badly. I took a friend’s suggestion and brought our son in the bed with us. For the first time, I could sleep! Our son was so peaceful there sleeping next to us. He would wake up to nurse but then go right back to sleep. I was still up many times a night because our son loved nursing but it didn’t affect me us much anymore because I still got more sleep and I didn’t even have to get out of bed to feed him. Gradually our son started to sleep longer but he really didn’t sleep through the night until he was about 3 years old and I was ok with that. I soon realized how important the night time was for our bonding and how I could share those special moments with him nursing in the quiet darkness. Now he is 6 years old and nothing wakes him up. It’s funny to think back of all the sleepless nights and how fast it went by. During that time it didn’t feel like fast but now looking back it does. 

My advise to all new parents out there is to be prepared to be up several times a night with your baby. Babies have tiny stomachs so they do get up frequently to eat. Also breastmilk goes through the body quickly because it’s the best natural source of food therefore many breastfed baby’s nurse frequently. Another advantage of baby waking up several times a night is the prevention of SIDS. You don’t want  a newborn who barely can manage their breathing patterns to be sleeping soundly through the night. Co-sleeping can help to prevent SIDS as well because it’s been studied that the parents’ breathing helps to regulate the baby’s immature breathing patterns while sleeping. Next time a good friend of yours asks if your 3 month old is sleeping through the night, just smile and think how much more you get to bond and share with your baby when you get the privilege of being a parent both day and night. Once you become a parent, you are a parent 24/7 so getting a full night of sleep, should be last on your list. You’ll have plenty of time to sleep when your child is older and regardless of what grandma or any other good meaning relative says, babies don’t sleep through the night and yours is no different and it’s not your fault. Now there are the magical 1% of babies that might sleep almost through the night naturally but that’s such a rare occasion that don’t count on your baby being one of them. I did soon find out that some babies truly are “easier” with night time sleeping patterns because our breastfed daughter at 18 mos does sleep through the night sometimes on her own even when she is sleeping next to me. 

Be aware of the book named “Babywise”

PLEASE STEER CLEAR OF THIS BOOK!

This book has been associated with failure to thrive in infants. Orange County Child Abuse Prevention Center is concerned that this book might lead to child abuse. There shouldn’t be a book published these days that promotes feeding on schedule since this method has been proven wrong by all studies years ago. The AAP says babies need to be fed on demand NOT ON SCHEDULE. This book has finally being taken off the market. The publisher stopped publishing the book after getting letters from doctors and even the AAP has announced that they are strongly against this book. If you are trying to get more sleep as I’m sure allot of parents are, there are other ways to do it than sleep training (cry-it-out method). All babies will eventually sleep through the night (5 hours is considered through the night for a baby not 8-10). If you are trying to change your child’s sleeping habits and need help please read the following books Dr. Sears Nightime Parenting and The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night by Elizabeth Pantley, William Sears (Foreword) or check out http://www.askdrsears.com. Both books are against the cry-it-out method and talk about finding alternative sleep associations for your child to help them fall asleep and stay asleep better.

Gentle and natural bath and body care for babies and older kids

I’m always on the hunt for natural skin care for our children as well as for myself. There are 2 brands that I absolutely love and they have become stables at our household. These brands are California Baby and Earth Mama Angel Baby. I love them both because they are gentle and natural and don’t irritate sensitive skins. Also since we have a daughter, it was important for me to find a bubble bath that wouldn’t contribute to UTIs like the commercial brands can. California Baby makes the best natural bubble baths as well as hair/body washes and body oils. Their sunscreens are the best because they are non-toxic. We have been using this line for 4 years now. Another favorite of my is Earth Mama Angel Baby which I discovered when I was pregnant with our daughter. I used pretty much all of their pregnancy products and loved especially the stretch oil. It’s scent is so nice and uplifting and I looked forward to using it every day after a shower. The Happy Feet foot soak was the best thing for relaxing feet especially at the end of the pregnancy. I liked it so much that I use it still today to unwind after a long day on my feet. The natural nipple butter is the best for breastfeeding and irritated nipples because it’s all organic and not toxic for the baby. No new mom should go without the Earth Mama Bottom Balm. It was the best thing after having my natural delivery. I swear by this product for helping and speeding up the healing process. Major thumbs up for both companies for developing such awesome products that are natural and non-toxic! 

Pinching Toddler

What do you do if your toddler or baby for that matter wants to constantly pinch you while nursing??? Buy or make a nursing necklace! I have no idea why I didn’t think about this before. Our daughter (18 mos) has always been a pincher during nursing since she was a little baby. It’s very annoying and try to hold her hand etc but it just doesn’t work very well. Now that she is a toddler she can “demand” her way such as pushing my hand out of the way etc. I purchased a few different nursing necklaces on the web and they seem to be the answer. Not only are the nursing necklaces good for nursing but they will last a long time as regular jewelry beyond the nursing years. I highly recommend either making your own necklace or buying one if you have a baby with a similar nursing personality as our daughter. Our son was so a very different nurser, he just liked to make sure that the other side was still there and then he would be content. It’s very common for babies to have different nursing personalities such as a patting the other side, touching mom’s hair, moving a leg etc. 

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