I would like to address two cultural norms in this area that could use some adjustment. I hope that my observations and criticisms are received with the right heart. I understand that we make decisions as parents often thinking it's from our gut, when in reality, we are doing things a certain way because it's all we know. We have a lot of growth to do when it comes to evidence based maternity care in this area. I can only hope to be a small part of the growth I hope to see. The first thing I hope to address is breastfeeding related; it's early pacifier use. Since moving to Temecula, I have made a lot of connections on social media with the mothers in the area. Almost every time I see a picture of a newborn posted, there is a binky in their mouth. Are you wondering why I would take the time to address something so seemingly minimal? I get it. It's just a binky, what harm could it do? From a Lactation Professional's stand point here's why seeing that erks me. Newborn babies have to learn to eat. They have many different natural instincts to help them along, but one of the biggest learning curves for them is often proper latch. They need a wide mouth and lots of jaw-movement to achieve milk transfer. This is work compared to the motion of sucking they use with anything else you put in their mouth. "But they'll use me as a pacifier otherwise!" - another common misconception. No, babies don't know how to use someone as a pacifier because they don't know what a pacifier is. They have a biological reason to suck that is not connected to hunger! It is because that motion actually helps them pass that tough meconium stool! In addition to that, YOU need them to be at the breast as often as possible anyways. The amount of ample mature milk that you will supply will be defined by how often the baby is breastfeeding on you during that first few days. If you want to be sure that you're making a sufficient supply, you should be having baby using you as a pacifier, so to speak. The more often they are sucking on something in a more shallow latch than what's required of them on the breast, the more likely they are to struggle latching properly. So in reality, I'm not just coming down on early pacifier use, I'm even cautioning mothers to watch how often they put their finger in the baby's mouth! So when then? The ideal time to introduce a bottle or anything similar is after the baby is three weeks old. Experience teaches us that if they've spent at least the first three weeks exclusively on the breast, they're less likely to develop preferences to a lazier, shallow latch. And if you're worried about the other side of the coin; will baby ever take a bottle instead of just me? The answer is, introduce that bottle before they're six weeks old. So the perfect window is after three weeks and before six weeks. The second thing that I'd like to address is the lack of awareness for alternative prenatal and maternal care. There are at least five midwives in this area who are ready and willing to help women. Home birth and birth centers are the more evidence-based option for low risk women. Maternal care by a midwife is proven to lower intervention rates. Intervention rates that will increase the likelihood for additional interventions. Ironically, if we lived here less than 100 years ago, the hospital would be the alternative to the norm. I'm always hearing about how people choose a particular hospital in the area because of the NICU. Unfortunately, I am sure most women have no idea that the need for a NICU is increased by hospital interventions, like inductions, Pitocin, cytotec, cesareans, etc... I think moms and Dad's need a refocus. Having a baby in the NICU is not actually a good thing! Hello. So lets do what we can do to prevent that in the first place. But what if something goes wrong? Here's the thing about midwives that most people do not know.... They come with all the same skills and tools as an OB apart from the Operating Room, PLUS more. They actually know how to support women on a psychological level, the place that determines the progression and success of our birth more than anything else. They know how to resolve issues by addressing the root causing, instead of relying on the convenience of a C-section. They bring oxygen with them, and various medications for safety. They have years and years more training and experience with birth than an EMT, who is also some how qualified to deliver a baby. In fact, did you know that an EMT does not carry the drugs you would need to properly stop postpartum hemorrhage, but a midwife does?! So, how about we take back our births instead of handing them over to someone else. How about we research the kind of care that is going to allow us to do that. It's not about natural birth, I'ts about physiologically respected birth. It's about informed consent. It's about expectant management. It's about YOU and your partner and your baby. It's hard to know what you want when you haven't figured out how to take control of what belongs to you. So, Riverside County, Inland Empire, Temecula Valley and surrounding communities, let's learn how to do that. It's time to get educated, learn about your options, create your supportive birth team, and take back your births! -Karen Sousa, CD(DONA), CLEC, CHBE owner of Temecula HypnoBirthing
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Karen Brann
Birth Doula, Childbirth Educator, Lactation Educator/Counselor Archives
July 2019
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