Professional Breastfeeding Advice: Listen To Your Gut

Anyone ever had BAD advice from a lactation consultant?

I was to preface this by stating that I think that good lactation consultants are worth their weight in gold! They can be the best gift to a breastfeeding mom! When a mom is having problems, baby isn’t gaining weight and other issues arise, LCs can completely turn your breastfeeding relationship around and allow for months and years of breastfeeding that otherwise may not have happened.They can discover problems and solutions that only an expert can find. They truly can create and sustain a breastfeeding relationship that otherwise may not have happened.

But what I want to talk about today is when you get BAD or WRONG advice. People who support breastfeeding (as I do! HUGE!) are reluctant to admit that there is bad advice and professionals who are doing more harm that good. As with ANY medical advice, the purpose of this article is to encourage you to trust your instinct (which can be scary when you are a new, first time mom) and get second onions when you feel you are not getting the right care. I have heard the story over and over when it comes to moms and their babies with medical choices…about medicines, procedures, vaccines, and even breastfeeding. They just didn’t “feel right” about the recommendation. It didn’t “sit well” and they “went against their gut”. Standard protocols do not fit all moms and all situations. Get educated! This is the best way to protect yourself and your family when it comes to any health issues!

THE STORY: I had terrible breastfeeding advice with my first child. I gave birth is California, so a LC did standard rounds in the hospital! How amazing is that! All moms should be afforded this type of breastfeeding support in the hospital. But for me, this service turned into a nightmare. When my little girl was born, I wanted to breastfeed immediately, my child was taken away and not given back for an hour (but that is another story for another time). But even with this situation, she latched quickly and was a good nurser. My colostrum was in and we were doing beautifully.

But at day 3 there was a tiny bit of pink in her diaper and she was losing weight. This is where it went downhill. The hospital LC was called and I was told baby was not getting enough and my baby was starving. I hear this story by SO many new moms! The lactation consultant told me I had to get my milk to come in faster and had me pump for 20 minutes after every feeding which had to be every 2 hours. Day and night. I was told to supplement with formula starting immediately. I was terrified.

I was sent me home.

That was it. No pump until…, no quit supplementing when…, no end date, no nothing.

What I was NOT told is babies who are born when you are hooked up to IVs will have more water weight and therefore drop more weight when they are born. This is not talked about, or even perhaps really “known” by the medical community. This was, in fact, quite NORMAL. But it was treated as an emergency, and as a new mom, I was freaked out and would do anything to feed my baby. I was not told that pink in the diaper at day 2 or 3 is NORMAL and is not in itself indicative of a problem. I was not told that supplementing with formula could lower my supply and sabotage my ability to breastfeed at all!  So I went home with free formula samples and a “standard” pumping protocol.

My daughter took nearly an hour to eat each time as she was two weeks early and was slow. So, I would feed for an hour, then pump for 20 minutes. Then I would have 40 minutes and start all over again. I developed a terrible oversupply problem (which I had a tendency to I found out anyway) and developed terrible mastitis and forceful letdown. My little girl was crying all the time, pulled off the breast and crying more. I started going a little nuts and thought that the noise from the pump said “have hope” “have hope” over and over while I pumped day and night. I cried all the time and couldn’t figure out what was wrong. My breasts were painfully full all the time and I leaked constantly. Was this normal? Was this what breastfeeding was like? How in the world did people do this for months and years!?!

Exhausted, sick and spent, I finally went to another lactation consultant that I paid for out of my pocket. Best money I ever spent. She told me to stop pumping immediately. To start block feeding. She advised me baby was sick all the time due to forceful letdown and oversupply. My situation was so severe that I had to take antihistamines for a few days to calm down my supply. My little girl got better. She stopped crying and I got sleep. The LC was astounded that I would get this kind of advice from the hospital because of normal fluctuations in the baby’s weight and appearance of slight dehydration at day 2-3 just before your milk comes in. She was unhappy that I would get advice to pump that often with no evidence that I had any supply problem at all and never had an “end date”. To me now, it is like prescribing antibiotics and never telling you to stop. Just keep taking and taking them!

I did call the original LC company once my child was better to talk about my experience. I was told they gave me this “free advice” at the hospital because it was “standard protocol” if baby was losing too much weight. My baby never dipped below the 10% loss rate that is the “cutoff” for normal. (If you even agree with this philosophy). In fact, I had no signs at all that I needed any intervention at all! To top it off, they get you started for free at the hospital but then I had to PAY for a follow up at the tune of $90 by the same group to try to get well. When I told them my story, they never said this was a bad call. They said they would not change that advice to future moms or consider it differently. ALL moms were to be treated as though they were having UNDER supply problems in that scenario. I don’t think I will be the last mom with this story…at least at this hospital. Considering my situation, the experience with the LC at the hospital could have EASILY led me quit breastfeeding if I wasn’t so determined. We are not all the same. Our experiences are not the same, our children are not the same, our bodies react differently. Medicine should not be “one size fits all”. Just like ANY profession, if something doesn’t feel right then get a second opinion. What do you think? What has been the BEST advice you have ever gotten from a lactation consultant? What is the WORST advice you have ever gotten? Anyone ever had BAD advice from a lactation consultant? I was to preface this by stating that I think that lactation consultants are worth their weight in gold! They can be the best gift to a breastfeeding mom! When a mom is having problems, baby isn’t gaining weight and other issues arise, LCs can completely turn your breastfeeding relationship around and allow for months and years of breastfeeding that otherwise may not have happened. But what I want to talk about today is when you get BAD or WRONG advice. People who support breastfeeding (as I do! HUGE!) are reluctant to admit that there is bad advice and professionals who are doing more harm that good. As with ANY medical advice, the purpose of this article is to encourage you to trust your instinct (which can be scary when you are a new, first time mom) and get second onions when you feel you are not getting the right care. Standard protocols do not fit all moms and all situations. Get educated! This is the best way to protect yourself and your family when it comes to any health issues! THE STORY: I had terrible breastfeeding advice with my first child. I gave birth is California, so a LC did standard rounds in the hospital! How amazing is that! All moms should be afforded this type of breastfeeding support in the hospital. But for me, this service turned into a nightmare. When my little girl was born, I wanted to breastfeed immediately, my child was taken away and not given back for an hour (but that is another story for another time. But even with this situation, she lathed quickly and was a good nursery. My colostrum was in and we were doing beautifully. But at day 3 there was a tiny bit of pink in her diaper and she was losing weight. This is where it went downhill. The hospital LC was called and I was told baby was not getting enough and my baby was starving. I hear this story by SO many new moms! The lactation consultant told me I had to get my milk to come in faster and had me pump every 2 hours after every feeding. I was told to supplement with formula. I was sent me home. That was it. No pump until…, no quit supplementing when…, no end date, no nothing. What I was NOT told is babies who are born when you are hooked up to IVs will have more water weight and therefore drop more weight when they are born. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110814223805.htm This is not talked about, or even perhaps really “known” by the medical community. This was, in fact, quite NORMAL. But it was treated as an emergency, and as a new mom, I was freaked out and would do anything to feed my baby. I was not told that pink in the diaper at day 2 or 3 is not abnormal and is not in itself indicative of a problem. http://breastfeeding.about.com/od/allaboutthebaby/a/Newborn-Urination-In-The-Breastfed-Baby.htm I was not told that supplementing with formula could lower my supply and sabotage my ability to breastfeed at all! http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/breastfeeding/faqs/supplemental-bottles http://www.bestforbabes.org/common-problems-early-supplementing So I went home with free formula samples and a pumping protocol. They baby took nearly an hour to eat each time as she was two weeks early and was slow. So I would feed for an hour, then pump for 20 minutes. Then I would have 40 minutes and start all over again. I developed a terrible oversupply problem (which I had a tendency to I found out anyway) and developed terrible mastitis and forceful letdown. My little girl was crying all the time, pulled off the breast and crying more. I started going a little nuts and thought that the noise from the pump said “have hope” “have hope” over and over while I pumped day and night. I cried all the time and couldn’t figure out what was wrong. My breasts were painfully full all the time and I leaked constantly. Was this normal? Was this what breastfeeding was like? How in the world did people do this for months and years!?! Exhausted, sick and spent, I finally went to another lactation consultant that I paid for out of my pocket. Best money I ever spent. She told me to stop pumping immediately. To start block feeding. She advised me baby was sick all the time due to forceful letdown and oversupply. My situation was so severe that I had to take antihistamines for a few days to calm down my supply. My little girl got better. She stopped crying and I got sleep. The LC was astounded that I would get this kind of advice from the hospital because of normal fluctuations in the baby’s weight and appearance of slight dehydration at day 2-3 just before your milk comes in. She was unhappy that I would get advice to pump that often with no evidence that I had any supply problem at all and never had an “end date”. To me now, it is like prescribing antibiotics and never telling you to stop. Just keep taking and taking them! I did call the original LC company once my child was better to talk about my experience. I was told they gave me this “free advice” at the hospital because it was “standard protocol” if baby was losing too much weight. My baby never dipped below the 10% loss rate that is the “cutoff” for normal. (If you even agree with this philosophy). In fact, I had no signs at all that I needed any intervention at all! To top it off, they get you started for free at the hospital but then I had to PAY for a follow up at the tune of $90 by the same group to try to get well. When I told them my story, they never said this was a bad call. They said they would not change that advice to future moms or consider it differently. ALL moms were to be treated as though they were having UNDER supply problems in that scenario. I don’t think I will be the last mom with this story…at least at this hospital. Considering my situation, the experience with the LC at the hospital could have EASILY led me quit breastfeeding if I wasn’t so determined.

We are not all the same. Our experiences are not the same, our children are not the same, our bodies react differently. Medicine should not be “one size fits all”.

Just like ANY profession, if something doesn’t feel right then get a second opinion.

What do you think? What has been the BEST advice you have ever gotten from a lactation consultant? What is the WORST advice you have ever gotten?

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How To Choose The Best Milk Alternative/Formula: Babies Under 1

So your baby is weaning, or perhaps you have had your baby on formula and it is time to switch, or maybe you can’t or chose not to breastfeed but would like to avoid traditional formulas….whatever the reason, nearly all moms will be asking WHAT IS NEXT? What is the safest and healthiest milk to feed my baby? Let’s go through the options one at a time and look at the options! You will probably be surprised how many there are!

For Babies Under 1 Year: Babies under 1 year old are recommended to have either breastmilk or formula. When moms can’t or don’t breastfeed, the formula options and alternatives can seem daunting!

  1. Traditional Cows Milk Formula- This is certainly the “go to” recommendation by doctors and what parents assume is best for baby. But is this the case? Milk cows raised in traditional factory farms are given antibiotics for mastitis and to prevent disease stemming from the conditions. Up to 17% of cows are given the GMO hormones RGBT which is linked to an increase in insulin-like growth factors that are related to multiple cancers including prostate, bladder, and breast cancer. Other contaminants like pharmaceuticals have been found in conventional milk. Nearly all conventional formula is loaded with GMOs or genetically modified ingredients! Derivatives of corn, soy, sugars and DHA is almost certainly GMO. Typically the DHA is derived using a toxic chemical called hexane. There have been formula recalls for contaminants like melamine where children have died. All of this is packaged in a BPA lined can. Even the “BPA free” linings may have the same questionable endocrine disrupting effects. A new study showed that 70% of BPA free products still release endocrine disrupting chemicals and that companies are just substituting on toxic  chemical (in this case BPA) for another (such as BPS) Finally, cow’s milk has higher levels of radiation than other foods caused by the continuing leaking of radiation from Fukushima. And while the tests are from last year, nearly all of the types of radiation released persists for years…or decades.
  1. Traditional Soy Formula- Traditional soy formula is likely GMO. Over 90% of all soy in the US is genetically modified and if you aren’t buying organic, you are almost guaranteed to be eating GMO. GMOs have been linked to allergies, infertility, cancer and more. Soy also has estrogen like effects on the body which may alter the delicate hormonal balance of baby.  These phytoestrogens can cause fertility and development issues in both men and women in their reproductive years and goiters on the thyroid in adulthood. Baby girls that were fed soy formula in infancy had a significantly higher chance of developing PCOS and endometrial issues post-puberty. Soy itself has been deemed dangerous on multiple occasions by the FDA. Furthermore, genetically modified soy has been linked to poor gut health, autoimmune disease, and autism.…Click here for another great article on GMOs
  1. Organic Formula- Organic formula allows you to avoid many of the concerns we have with traditional formulas. There are NO GMOs allowed in organic formula….well…maybe! Most organic formulas, in fact, use Martek’s DHA which is derived from GMO. Due to the uproar with companies using this in organic when it is against the organic standards, they are being required to remove this DHA by 2014. Many organics use BPA or other bisphenols in the lining of their cans. Baby’s Only Formula is the only “traditional organic” formula that has none of these contaminants. There were concerns about arsenic in the rice syrup used in this product, however, they have changed their filtration processes and are testing “NOT DETECTABLE” amounts of arsenic in their products.
  1. Donor Milk- Many moms get totally freaked out about the idea of donor milk! But when you really think about it…you don’t know the cow you are getting your milk from either! Human babies thrive on human milk! If you are unable to make enough milk or choose not to breastfeed then we strongly encourage you to learn more about donor milk! There are donors who are nursing allergic babies so if you have a baby allergic to milk, nuts or whatever, you can likely find the right milk for your baby. To learn more about donor milk go to The International Breast Milk Project, Eats On Feets, or check out Human Milk For Human Babies on Facebook.
  1. DIY Formula- I did not even know you could make your own formula until recently! I discovered it as I have a baby who is allergic to dairy, soy, everything! I had someone recommend raw goats milk formula. I did research and found that goat’s milk is closer to breastmilk than any other milk. Weston Price has the most popular recipe for making your own formula for baby. There are also recipes that have a coconut milk base for those babies with allergies to dairy and goat’s milk. Making your own formula is a great option for the natural minded mom who wants to avoid the chemicals and toxins in traditional formulas.

ALTERNATIVE MILK CHOICES FOR BABIES OLDER THAN 1!

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5 Tips To Green Your Halloween…And A Spooktacular Giveaway!

Halloween can be scary! And not just because of the ghosts and goblins! The holidays always lurking with toxins in sneaky places. We are here to help you have a spooktacular and less toxic Halloween this year! Comment on this post to enter for the giveaways below!

1. Ditch Traditional Candies. Traditional candies are LOADED with GMOs from high fructose corn syrup and other corn derivatives,  

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Is Organic Clothing Worth The Cash?

GOTS certified baby clothing

B Nature GOTS Certifid Organic Baby Clothes

In my business I’m constantly asked about organic clothing (especially for children) and whether it’s worth the extra money. My short answer is yes! Definitely. Let me tell you why.

WHY?

Buying organic clothing for your children reduces their exposure to pesticides… and cotton is one of the most heavily sprayed crops out there. Cotton is sprayed with the highly toxic chemical called RoundUp because it is almost always genetically modified. Non organic  cottons likely contain toxic dyes, like Azo dyes, that contain heavy metals and other damaging materials. Typical cottons also often contains formaldehyde and other toxic chemicals. The fabric manufacturers are even adding chemicals like Teflon and triclosan to clothes these days to make them antibacterial,  

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Spray Oils May Contain Toxic Chemicals!

Avoid cooking sprays while pregnant

Common Spray Products Contain Toxic Chemicals

SIMPLE TIP OF THE DAY:

AVOID SPRAYS: COOKING SPRAYS CONTAIN CHEMICALS!

In the never-ending question for many people to be healthier and lower fat content, they may be ADDING even more toxic chemicals to their diet. One way many people choose to lower calories it to use oil “sprays” like Pam. There are two good reasons to avoid these products. #1 most will contain GMOs. If they are canola, corn or vegetable oil you can basically guarantee it as nearly all corn and canola in the US is GMO now. Unless you buy these products organic you can assume it is GMO. #2 are the chemicals used to make it “spray”.

“Consumers like Christine Sturges, one of the plaintiffs in a suit against ConAgra, has gluten allergies and reads labels vigilantly.

When she heard about a lawsuit involving the Pam cooking spray, she took a closer look. “There was nothing scary on it, just this innocuous word, ‘propellant,’ ” said Ms. Sturges, a hairdresser from Los Gatos, Calif.

After digging deeper, she learned that “propellant” included petroleum gas, propane and butane. “I’d been spraying that on muffin tins to make muffins for my grandchildren — oh my God!”

So reading the ingredient list now it often not going to give consumers the information they need to protect themselves. The best thing you can do to protect yourself and family from these “hidden” chemical is to buy foods in their most pure forms! Avoid sprays, foams and other products and still with old fashioned oils out of glass bottles.

Resources:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/19/business/lawyers-of-big-tobacco-lawsuits-take-aim-at-food-industry.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

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Sneaky Places Flame Retardants Hide!

toxic chemicals on remote controls, cell phones

Toxic Flame Retardants on Simple Electronics

SIMPLE TIP OF THE DAY:

WASH HANDS AFTER HANDLING CELL PHONE, iPAD AND REMOTE CONTROLS! (AND DON’T LET BABY HANDLE THEM!)

Since flame retardants have become so ubiquitous in our environment, we realize that they are impossible to completely avoid. They are in our insulation in our homes, our walls, carpet padding and more. You CAN help lower exposure though by choosing safer products for your family and baby such as organic crib mattresses, changing pads, car  

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Make Your Own NON-TOXIC Stuffed Toddler Chair! (Like those popular toxic ones!)

avoid toxic flame retardants in children's chairs

Looking for a Non-Toxic Alternative to Traditional Kids Chairs?

I just love those Pottery Barn Anywhere chairs! They are just too cute and what kid wouldn’t want to have one!?! But I just couldn’t bring myself to buy a product that was loaded with toxic flame retardants…knowing that those chemicals lower IQ, cause cancer, hormone disruption and more! From a conversation with Pottery Barn, I was told that they used Chlorinated Tris, the same chemical that was banned from children’s PJs in the 1970′s due to its toxicity! Yikes! And even if that has changed since that has been well over a year, PB is NOTORIOUSLY evasive about what chemicals they use in their products (it took me two years to get the info I have!) and there is no doubt the chemical has just been switched for another nasty chemical. That is the  

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Your Dryer Lint Lowers IQs!

Worst places for toxic flame retardant exposure

Toxic Flame Retardants in Dryer Lint

SIMPLE TIP OF THE DAY:

BE CAREFUL WHEN HANDLING DRYER LINT!

Sounds crazy right?

Over the top title? Maybe not!

In fact flame retardants accumulate in the dryer lint in your home, and is likely the most concentrated area of flame retardants in the home! We know that flame retardant chemicals are heavily linked to a long list of health problems …and one of these studies showed lowered IQs when exposed to certain flame retardants!  

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Reduce Your Toxic Flame Retardant Exposure in One Swipe!

Fire retardants on electronics

Be Smart About Dusting Your Electronics

SIMPLE TIP OF THE DAY!

USE A DISPOSABLE WIPE FOR ELECTRONICS!

Flame retardants accumulate on and around your electronics since they are made with these chemicals. It gets in the dust on and around your TV, computer, printer…even the remote, cell phone and IPad. When you dust though….if you wipe these areas and then clean others, you are just smearing around these chemicals. Be sure to NOT reuse the DAMP paper towel or cloth on other areas of your house after wiping these down. Better yet, clean your house and wipe these down last!

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Can’t Afford an Organic Crib Mattress? Here’s A Second Option!

can't afford an organic mattress

Wrapping Mattresses to Protect Baby

SIMPLE TIP OF THE DAY:

BUY A MATTRESS WRAP!

Traditional mattresses are loaded with a long list of chemicals including phthalates (chemicals in plastics that make the soft and pliable) that are linked to birth defects, cancer and hormone disruption, PAN, antimony, toxic flame retardants and more! Our SIMPLE TIPS OF THE DAY this week will be about flame retardants and best ways to avoid them! Organic mattresses like Naturepedic and Lifekind are the best way to have safe non-toxic sleep. Crib mattresses are essential and we recommend wherever possible to change out your own mattress since baby will spend so much time in your bed! At OBU we put this as the #1 most important product to buy for baby…hands down….in order to avoid toxins. Baby sleeps 12-18 hours a day and will be inhaling  

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