Early skin-to-skin contact promotes breastfeeding, benefits baby : OBGYN News

Early skin-to-skin contact promotes breastfeeding, benefits baby : OBGYN News

Early skin-to-skin contact linked to higher breastfeeding rates

Early skin-to-skin contact linked to higher breastfeeding rates

Great 4th Trimester Info

The Fourth Trimester – AKA: Why Your Newborn is Only Happy in Your Arms. July 6, 2012 tags: 4th trimester, baby calming, baby colic, baby only happy if being held, baby wants sleep, baby won't sleep, baby won't stop crying, babycalm, babycalming, babywearing, can't put baby down, contented baby, controlled crying, fussy baby, Gina Ford, gripe water, happiest baby, high needs baby, how to calm a crying baby, how to put baby in a routine, how to relieve colic, how to settle baby, how to stop a baby crying, how to treat baby colic, in utero, newborn colic, newborn help, skin to skin, stop baby crying, The Baby Whisperer, the fourth trimester, treatments for colic, womb to world . 67 Votes Quantcast “My baby is only happy in my arms, the minute I put her down she cries” “He sleeps really well but only when he’s laying on my chest, he hates his moses basket” “She cries every time we lay her on her play mat” “He hates going in his pram, he cries the second we put him in it”. How many times have you heard these comments from new parents? How many times have you said them yourself? I’ve lost count of the amount of times I have been asked these questions! What amazes me though is that society in general doesn’t get it, they don’t get why so many babies need to be held by us to settle and what perplexes me even more is that we do spend so long trying to put them down! How to calm a crying baby, treat colic, baby wants sleep, baby won't sleep, baby won't stop crying, baby cries unless in my arms, newborn colic, unhappy baby, fussy baby, gina ford routine, find my local antenatal classes, find local baby classes We spend more than time though, the ‘putting babies down’ industry is worth millions, rocking cribs, battery swings, vibrating chairs, heartbeat teddies and the list goes on………………having been a first time parent who bought all four of the items listed above I am embarrased to admit now it honestly didn’t enter into my head that perhaps the answer was to *not* put my baby down and I certainly didn’t consider why these things might help. It took me a long time to understand and empathise with my baby, to see the world through his eyes so to speak. “Empathy: the intellectual identification with or vicarious experiencing ofthe feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of another.” To empathise with our newborns feelings we need to put ourselves in their place, to imagine experiencing their world – but which world? The world they have spent most of their life in, their ‘womb world’ or the world they are in now – our world. To fully understand we must appreciate the enormous transition they have made – a concept known to many as ‘The Fourth Trimester’ -some make the womb to world transition easily, others less so and it is this latter group in particular “the clingy babies” we can learn so much from through this concept. “Birth suddenly disrupts this organization. During the month following birth, baby tries to regain his sense of organization and fit into life outside the womb. Birth and adaptation to postnatal life bring out the temperament of the baby, so for the first time he must do something to have his needs met. He is forced to act, to “behave.” If hungry, cold, or startled, he cries. He must make an effort to get the things he needs from his caregiving environment. If his needs are simple and he can get what he wants easily, he’s labeled an “easy baby”; if he does not adapt readily, he is labeled “difficult.”” – Dr. William Sears. So lets quickly compare the two different ‘worlds’ your baby has lived in: The fourth trimest, womb to world, life in utero, why babies cry, how to calm a crying baby Pretty different huh? On top of this the big thing to understand is that in utero the baby’s world was constant, each day was the same, the stimulation didn’t change, but now they are born each day is different – ever changing, ever stimulating! the fourth trimester, 4th trimester, womb to world, newborn colic, why is my baby only happy in my arms, babywearing You’ll find a more in-depth discussion on this idea and much more in my BabyCalm Book – available from Amazon in the UK or with worldwide free delivery from The Book Depository if you live elsewhere in the world. how to calm a crying baby, find local antenatal classes, stop baby colic, treat colic, how to get baby to stop crying, how to get baby to sleep, baby classes, babycalming The concept of the fourth trimester helps us to understand the transition a newborn must make over their first few weeks earthside and once we understand we find so many ways we can help – but to me the most important facet of the fourth trimester is parental understanding and empathy, once that exists everything else will flow naturally. Here are some common newborn calming techniques that tend to work quite well, but remember each and every baby is different, if you don’t already know, you will soon learn what your baby likes best and that’s what matters, that it is unique to *your* baby. Prescriptive ‘do this/don’t do this’ baby calming lists don’t help anybody – because they forget they are dealing with individuals – both parents and babies! Some things on this list will be inappropriate for you and your baby, some simply won’t work, some you won’t like – and that’s OK! because really it isn’t about these tips it’s about you and your baby getting to know each other! Movement The womb is a constantly moving space, Braxton Hicks would squeeze your baby at the end of pregnancy and each time you moves your baby was wobbled around inside. Imagine how walking upstairs feels for a baby in utero! Babies tend to love movement but so often we put them down somewhere completely still. You could try dancing, swaying from side to side, going for an exaggerated quick walk or bumpy car ride. Swaddling Imagine how snug your baby was at the very end of your pregnancy inside of you – now imagine how strange it must feel to them after they have been born and have so much space around them! The absolutely best thing you can do is to envelop your baby in your arms, but for times when you don’t want to or indeed can’t then swaddling is an option. Swaddling is becoming increasingly popular, however there are important safety guidelines to be followed if you choose to swaddle your baby, if you are breastfeeding please make sure feeding is established before swaddling and take care not to miss your baby’s hunger cues if you are feeding on demand: Never swaddle over your baby’s head or near his face Never swaddle your baby if he is ill or has a fever Make sure your baby does not overheat and only swaddle with a breathable/thin fabric Only swaddle your baby until he can roll over** Always place your baby to sleep on his back Do not swaddle tightly across your baby’s chest Do not swaddle tightly around your baby’s hips and legs, his legs should be free to “froggy up” into a typical newborn position. Lastly start to swaddle as soon as possible, do not swaddle a 3 month old baby if he has not been swaddled before. ** The American Academy of Paediatrics recommends swaddling for babies 0-14wks. Skin to Skin Contact Such a brilliant baby calmer! Being in contact with your warm, naturally (un)scented, skin is heaven for a baby, it helps to stabilise their body temperature, heart rate and stress hormones and stimulates the release of oxytocin – the love and bonding hormone – in you both. Topless cuddles, shared baths, baby massage and bedsharing are all great skin to skin experiences for your baby and you. Bed-Sharing Sharing a bed with your baby is an amazing way of getting more sleep for everyone, babies are generally much calmer and sleep more easily if they sleep with you in your bed, yet it is such a taboo topic and although 60% of parents will share a bed with their baby at some point it’s a subject that makes society very uncomfortable, but…it is an *amazing* baby calmer! It’s really important that you think about how bedsharing will work and follow some important safety guidelines HERE. babywearing, baby carrier, baby sling, moby wrap, good carrier for a newborn baby, good sling for a newborn baby Babywearing Wearing your baby in a sling is one of the ultimate ways to keep them calm and happy. It increases the time a baby spends in a state of “quiet alertness” – a time of contentment when they learn the most. When a baby is in utero they spend 100% of their time in physical contact with us – yet the moment they are born this is estimated to drop to only 40%! Babywearing also means 2 free hands! Choose your sling carefully. A good sling will be easy to use and will support both yours and your baby’s spine whilst not placing any pressure on your baby’s growing hips – newborns should always be carried facing inwards with a “frog leg” pose, not a crotch dangle pose so commonly used by commercial baby carriers. Also seek to carry in an ‘in arms’ position – i.e: how your baby would be held if you were holding them! This great picture from JePorteMonBebe highlights this newborn hold position perfectly. Babywearing is a great way for dads to bond with babies! It is quite common for a baby to cry once placed in a sling, this does not mean that they hate the sling – it just means that you need to move, so get dancing! As with swaddling,babywearing is becoming increasingly popular, however there are important safety guidelines to be followed, the TICKS acronym below neatly sums them all up: babywearing, safe babywearing, ticks guide for safe babywearing, how to choose a baby sling, how to choose a baby carrier Position The “tiger in the tree” position below, taken from baby yoga, is often magical, stopping a crying baby in an instant! newborn colic hold, baby colic hold, tiger in the tree, tiger in a tree, baby yoga Noise Babies love sound, but for many not the sound you might think. For many babies a hoover is much more calming to a baby than a lullaby. A white noise CD such as the one by BabyCalm HERE can be played on loop whilst your baby sleeps to help keep them calm. Feed If your baby is hungry nothing will calm him, so watch for his hunger cues. Feeding is always better if it is baby led, not led by a routine – whether you are breast or bottle feeding. Remember as well that your baby may not always be hungry for a full feed, they may want a quick drink, a quick snack or just some comfort sucking. Babies also find sucking the ultimate relaxation and comfort tool. Sucking helps a baby’s skull bones to return to their normal position after birth as well as providing them with comfort and security. If you are not breastfeeding you might find your baby will relax when given a dummy/pacifier. Deep Bathing The womb is a wet, warm place. The world as we know it is dry and cold! Sometimes a nice deep, warm bath can stop a baby’s tears in seconds – even better if mummy or daddy goes in the big bath with baby too as skin to skin contact is a wonderful baby calmer. Outside If all else fails many babies stop crying the minute they hit the open air – I’m not sure if this is because we are usually moving (e.g.: walking over cobbles with the buggy/ bouncing in a sling and the drone and movement of a car) or because of the change in air – but it works! attachment parenting book, fourth trimester book, babycalm book, babycalming book, parenting book If you like this article you’ll find many more suggestions and discussions on baby sleep, colic, babywearing, co-sleeping/bed-sharing and much more in my newly released BabyCalm Book – available from Amazon in the UK or with worldwide free delivery from The Book Depository if you live elsewhere in the world! Written by: Sarah (Mum to Four, Parenting Author and Founder of BabyCalm Ltd) You can read more of Sarah’s articles HERE. Share this: Twitter538 Facebook10K+

Baby refusing to nurse? Laid back and baby-led breastfeeding may help.

Baby refusing to nurse? Laid back and baby-led breastfeeding may help.

Home About Evidence Giving Birth Based on Best Evidence Can Hospitals Keep Moms and Babies Together after a Cesarean? © by Rebecca Dekker, PhD, RN, APRN of www.evidencebasedbirth.com In my previous article on skin-to-skin care after a C-section, I wrote that skin-to-skin care after a C-section has many benefits for moms and babies. However, I have come to realize that women cannot do early skin-to-skin if they are routinely separated from their babies after a C-section. In order to do early skin-to-skin, women and newborns must stay together—a process known as “couplet care.” However, the vast majority of women are separated from their babies after a C-section. Why don’t more women and babies receive couplet care? Is it possible for hospitals to make the switch from routine separation to routine couplet care after a Cesarean? Keep reading to find out. What is the history of mother-infant separation after birth? Separation of human mothers and newborns is unique to the 20-21st centuries and has been a complete break from natural human history. In the past, infant survival depended upon close and virtually continuous mother-newborn contact. The practice of routinely separating mothers and newborns started around 1900. At the time, most women received general anesthesia that made them and their babies incapable of interaction after birth. Because mothers couldn’t care for their babies, hospitals created central nurseries to care for newborns, and infants were typically separated from their mothers for 24-48 hours. Separation from parents was also meant to ”protect” infants from maternal illnesses (Anderson, Radjenovic et al. 2004). In her book Hypnobirthing, Marie Mongan described her experience of being separated from her infant in the 1950′s… My head was held as the ether cone was forced onto my face. That was the last I remembered. I awakened sometime later, violently ill from the ether, and was informed that I had “delivered” a beautiful baby boy, whom I would be able to see in the morning…. My husband saw our son only through the window of the nursery for the next five days, as no one was allowed to visit when “the babies are on the floor.” Our family bonding was nonexistent. When did things begin to change? In 1961, Dr. Brazelton published a classic study showing that general anesthesia was harmful to newborns (Brazelton 1961). As a result of his research, more people began to move away from using general anesthesia during birth, which resulted in mothers and infants being more alert—and capable of interaction—immediately after birth (Anderson, Radjenovic et al. 2004). In addition, most mothers who give birth by Cesarean receive regional anesthesia instead of general anesthesia, so these mothers, too, are usually alert after giving birth. Furthermore, in the past 30 years, an abundance of research evidence has shown that when mothers and babies are kept close and skin-to-skin after birth, outcomes improve (Moore, Anderson et al. 2012). It is very important for you to understand that when researchers study human mother-newborn contact, keeping mothers and babies together is always considered the “experimental” intervention. In contrast, when researchers study other non-human mammals, keeping mothers and babies together is the control condition, while separating newborns from their mothers is “experimental” (Moore, Anderson et al. 2012). What is routine practice today? Although most mothers now are capable of taking care of their babies after birth, and despite the fact that research overwhelmingly supports couplet care—hospital practices have been very slow to change. Routine separation of moms and babies during the recovery period still happens at 37% of vaginal births in the U.S., with rates ranging widely from state to state. In Alaska, only 5% of babies are separated from their mothers after a vaginal birth, while in Mississippi, 81% of infants are separated from their mothers after a vaginal birth. (Centers for Disease Control, 2010) After most C-sections, babies are sent to the nursery for routine care Credit: brettneilson How often are women separated from their infants after a C-section? Separation of mothers and infants is very common after a surgical birth or C-section. In the U.S., 86% of women who give birth by C-section are separated from their babies for at least the first hour (Declercq, Sakala et al. 2007). With more than one-third of U.S. women now giving birth by Cesarean, this means that a substantial proportion of mothers and babies experience a critical delay in bonding, skin-to-skin contact, and breastfeeding. Research shows that most of the time when babies are separated from their mothers after a C-section it is so that the hospital can provide routine mother/baby care in separate rooms—not because the babies need any kind of special care (Declercq, Sakala et al. 2007). When infants are brought to the nursery while their mothers recover separately, it is common for a nurse to give a first feeding of formula (Elliott-Carter and Harper 2012). What are the benefits to keeping moms and babies together? To read the benefits of keeping moms and babies together, please refer to my article on skin to skin care after a Cesarean. To summarize, babies who receive couplet care—in other words, who stay with their mothers and receive early skin-to-skin care—are 2 times more likely to be exclusively breastfeeding at 3-6 months, compared to babies who receive routine hospital care. You can read about the many other benefits of early skin-to-skin care—and the potential harms of separating mothers and babies— here. Submitted by an anonymous reader. Dads can do skin-to-skin care, too. Everyone can stay together. Are there any potential harms to keeping moms and babies together after a C-section? It is important to know that some mothers may not capable of independently caring for their infants immediately or for several hours after a C-section. For example, if mothers received strong sedatives, are nauseous, or were sleep-deprived for many hours before the Cesarean, then they may need supervision or assistance in caring for their newborns. The mother’s level of awareness and her ability to remain awake when caring for and feeding infants must be assessed and closely monitored by nursing staff, especially when a Cesarean follows a prolonged labor or when sedative drugs have been given (Mahlmeister 2005). In this case, then the father or partner can do skin-to-skin with the infant. Is it possible for hospitals to keep moms and babies together after a Cesarean? Yes, it is possible for hospitals to keep moms and babies together after a Cesarean. Two different hospitals have published quality improvement reports describing how they switched from routine separation to routine couplet care after C-sections (Spradlin 2009; Elliott-Carter and Harper 2012). As both reports were very similar, I will focus on the most recent article by Elliott-Carter (you can read the article for free in its entirety here). Why did this hospital decide to make the change? In 2011, nurses at Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, led a switch from routine separation after Cesareans to couplet care—keeping moms and babies together. The hospital was motivated to change for several reasons, including a desire to stay competitive with other hospitals and repeated requests from patients to not be separated from their babies. Perhaps most compelling, the staff felt it was simply “not fair” that moms who gave birth vaginally were allowed to stay with their babies, while moms who had C-sections were automatically separated from their babies. The C-section rate at Woman’s hospital was 40%, and they have more than 8,000 births per year. So making this change affected 3,200 families per year. How did the hospital change to couplet care? Amy and her baby Kareanna stayed together after a Cesarean– which allowed them to do very early skin-to-skin care. One of the first things the hospital did was put together a leadership team to plan for the change. This team included nurse managers from labor and delivery, postpartum, and newborn care, as well as pharmacists and materials management. The team communicated the plan to other groups (such as medicine). One of the team’s challenges was finding a large enough space where moms and babies could recover together after a C-section. They ended up choosing overflow labor and delivery suites that were big enough to accommodate the couplet. They also modified the existing recovery room (PACU) so that it could be used in case the overflow rooms were full. They moved curtains to make each patient’s space big enough for both mothers and infants to recover together, and they put a radiant warmer for the infant in each recovery space. The team had to make several other small changes. They had to train the recovery (PACU) nurses in neonatal resuscitation. They made sure baby blankets were placed in the heated blanket warmer, and that appropriate medications for both moms and babies were stocked in each room. Perhaps most importantly, staff made a commitment to provide care where the mothers and babies were, instead of always taking the baby away to the nursery. Although taking the baby to the nursery was easier and more convenient for the staff, they realized that keeping the couplet together was best for moms and babies. It took about 6 weeks from the beginning of this process until couplet care was fully implemented. How did it go for this hospital in Louisiana? In the first year after starting couplet care, the percentage of infants who were separated from their mothers dropped from 42% to 4%. Nurses stated that everyone was extremely satisfied with the change—including staff, physicians, and mothers. Nurses report that mothers are able to have skin-to-skin contact earlier, and that the first breastfeeding session goes smoother. Inspired by the bonding they witnessed between moms and babies, nurses decided to delay administration of erythromycin ointment and the vitamin K shot until after the initial breastfeeding. As nurses from the Woman’s Hospital said, “If a hospital that delivers 8,000 infants annually can find a way to decrease the separation of mothers and newborns, concerned nurses everywhere should be able to implement this type of care.” In the ideal situation, mom does skin-to-skin in the operating room. The family is never separated during recovery. So what is the bottom line? Evidence has shown that it is possible—and best practice—for moms and babies to stay together after a Cesarean. If a hospital staff member tells a mother that it is “impossible” for her to stay with her baby after a C-section, that statement is false. Making the switch from routine separation to couplet care can be done—some hospitals have already done so. Although couplet care may be more inconvenient for staff in the beginning, in the end, keeping mothers and babies together after a Cesarean is what is best. Mothers who want to do very early skin-to-skin care and interact with their babies after a C-section should talk with their providers about this mother-friendly and baby-friendly practice. Moms should also talk with their anesthesiologists to make sure that they do not receive sedative drugs unless medically necessary, as these drugs may make some women incapable of early interaction with their newborns. If you want to read more medical research: These researchers describe how critically ill babies had a higher mortality rate when they were separated from their mothers after birth. These researchers found higher cortisol (stress) levels in infants who were not held by their mothers after birth. In this small randomized, controlled study, researchers experimented with keeping moms and babies together after a C-section. Not surprisingly, the intervention group had earlier first mother-baby contact, earlier first feedings, and more stable infant body temperatures. In this landmark study, researchers randomly assigned mother-baby pairs to several different groups, and one of the groups was assigned to mother-baby separation for 2 hours after birth. Mothers and babies who were separated for 2 hours had a higher risk of poor maternal/infant bonding outcomes one year later. This risk was not alleviated by “rooming in” for the rest of the hospital stay. In this animal study, baby horses were separated from their mothers for one hour after birth (intervention group) or left undisturbed with their moms (control group). The separation increased the risk for poor bonding and other adverse social outcomes. If you Google “hospital”, “couplet care” and “cesarean” you will find a large number of hospitals that already offer this mother-friendly and baby-friendly practice. If you liked this article, you may be interested in: The evidence for skin-to-skin care after a C-section An interview with a mother who received skin-to-skin care in the operating room An interview with a mother who asked to stay with her baby after a Cesarean An interview with a doula who helps facilitate skin-to-skin care in the operating room Our Facebook album with amazing photos of skin-to-skin care in the operating room References: 1.Anderson, G. C., D. Radjenovic, et al. (2004). “Development of an observational instrument to measure mother-infant separation post birth.” J Nurs Meas 12(3): 215-234. 2.Brazelton, T. B. (1961). “Effects of maternal medication on the neonate and his behavior ” Journal of Pediatrics 58: 513-518. 3.Centers for Disease Control (2010). Maternity Care Practices Survey. Accessed online January 5, 2013. 4.Declercq, E. R., C. Sakala, et al. (2007). “Listening to Mothers II: Report of the Second National U.S. Survey of Women’s Childbearing Experiences: Conducted January-February 2006 for Childbirth Connection by Harris Interactive(R) in partnership with Lamaze International.” J Perinat Educ 16(4): 9-14. 5.Elliott-Carter, N. and J. Harper (2012). “Keeping mothers and newborns together after cesarean: how one hospital made the change.” Nursing for Women’s Health 16(4): 290-295. 6.Mahlmeister, L. R. (2005). “Couplet care after cesarean delivery: creating a safe environment for mother and baby.” J Perinat Neonatal Nurs 19(3): 212-214. 7.Moore, E. R., G. C. Anderson, et al. (2012). “Early skin-to-skin contact for mothers and their healthy newborn infants.” Cochrane Database Syst Rev 5: CD003519. 8.Spradlin, L. R. (2009). “Implementation of a couplet care program for families after a cesarean birth.” AORN J 89(3): 553-555, 558-562.

Time magazine's breastfeeding cover

I am a Lactation Consultant and breastfeeding advocate; so I am supportive of almost anything that promotes breastfeeding. The TIME magazine cover was the brainchild of their advertising dept., meant soley to increase their mag...azine's sales...at any cost. The breastfeeding mother should be supported by her family, friends and our society. TIME magazine has exploited this issue, and caused more harm by polarizing people on the issue of breastfeeding. The US's breastfeeding rates are lower than most other countries. Breastfeeding is recommended by the AAP, CDC, and WHO. Breastfeeding is not just a lifestyle choice, but because of the short and long term health benefits to both mother and child; it becomes a national health issue. www.babyfirstlactation.comSee More

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    Kim Velazquez I did it w your help!amy,you are the best!!we love u and will always be grateful for all your help
    

    Friday at 5:19pm · · 1
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