The AAP and its relationship with an infant formula manufacturer

The American Academy of Pediatrics, a well-respected group of physicians, has allowed their logo to be placed on the tag of Mead Johnson's Enfamil-infant formula discharge bag. Because The AAP clearly promotes breastfeeding due to the undeniable health benefits; this collaboration sends an opposing message. The AAP, maternity hospitals, obstetricians, pediatricians, and all allied health services should avoid the practice of dispersing formula or discharge bags. These are not free samples meant to assist new mothers. Distributing formula companies' discharge bags or printed materials is only providing free advertisement for the formula companies. Unfortunately this practice undermines new mothers breastfeeding endeavors. www.BabyFirstLactation.com

IBLCE Calls Upon the American Academy of Pediatrics to Terminate Arrangement with Formula Manufacturer


As a certification body, the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners® (IBLCE®) typically only issues statements directly related to IBCLC® certification matters.

However, due to IBLCE’s strong support of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes, IBLCE is compelled to take the somewhat unusual step of calling upon the American Academy of Pediatrics to terminate its recent arrangement with a formula manufacturer which included the printing of the AAP logo on the formula company discharge bags.

This arrangement does not accord with some of AAP’s own policy statements as well as the evidence base regarding the importance, and primacy of, breastfeeding.

Therefore, IBLCE calls upon the AAP to terminate this arrangement and to demonstrate its commitment to optimal health and nutrition by unequivocal support and promotion of breastfeeding.








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Extended Breastfeeding Benefits

www.baltimoresun.com/health/sns-rt-us-breast-feeding-20131225,0,5236029.story

baltimoresun.com

Longer breastfeeding tied to better development

Shereen Jegtvig

Reuters

11:02 AM EST, December 25, 2013



NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Children who were breastfed for more than six months scored the highest on cognitive, language and motor development tests as toddlers, in a new study from Greece.

Earlier research tied breastfeeding to better thinking and memory skills. But how it's related to language skills and movement and coordination had been less clear.

The new study doesn't prove breastfeeding is responsible for better development, but it shows a strong association, researchers said.

Most evidence "pretty clearly shows there are significant medical benefits of breast-feeding," Dr. Dimitri Christakis told Reuters Health in an email.

Christakis is a professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington and director of the Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development at Seattle Children's Research Institute. He was not involved in the new study.

"I think that the evidence is now of sufficient quality that we can close the book on these benefits and focus instead on how do we succeed in promoting breast-feeding because all of the studies, including this one, that have looked at it have found a linear relationship, which is to say that the benefits accrue with each additional month that a child is breastfed," he said.

For their report, Dr. Leda Chatzi from the University of Crete and her colleagues used data from a long-term study of 540 mothers and their kids.

When the babies were nine months old, the researchers asked mothers when they started breastfeeding and how long they breastfed. They updated the information when the children were 18 months old.

Psychologists also tested children's cognitive abilities, language skills and motor development at 18 months.

About 89 percent of the babies were ever breastfed. Of those, 13 percent were breastfed for less than one month, 52 percent for between one and six months and 35 percent for longer than six months.

Children who were breastfed for any amount of time scored higher on the cognitive, receptive communication and fine motor portions of the test than children who weren't breastfed.

Scores on the cognitive, receptive and expressive communication and fine motor sections were highest among children who were breastfed for more than six months, the researchers reported in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

For instance, on cognitive assessments with a normal score of 100, toddlers who were never breastfed scored about a 97, on average. Kids who were breastfed for more than six months scored a 104.

Chatzi and her colleagues expected to see more breastfeeding than they did.

"We were surprised by the fact that breastfeeding levels in Greece remain low, even though there is an ongoing effort by the Greek State to promote breastfeeding practices," Chatzi told Reuters Health in an email.

Christakis pointed out that in the United States, about 60 to 80 percent of women start breastfeeding their babies, but by four months less than 30 percent are still breastfeeding.

The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding - without any formula or solid food - until a baby is six months old, followed by breastfeeding with the addition of appropriate foods through age two.

"One of the reasons we see such a big drop off in the United States and elsewhere around four months is because women return to work," Christakis said.

"The real challenge we have is with sustaining breast-feeding," he said. "I believe very strongly that we need a public health approach to doing so because these are public health issues - improving child cognition and improving in this case as they showed a child's physical development, benefits society as a whole and society has to support women achieving that goal."

"We need to have baby-friendly work places that help women continue to either breast-feed or pump when they return to work," Christakis said.

"There's that African proverb, ‘it takes a village to raise a child,'" he said. "It takes a village to breast-feed a child as well, and all sectors have to contribute."

SOURCE: http://bit.ly/JPdFqm Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, online December 13, 2013



Copyright © 2013, Reuters

Lactation Consultants help new Moms

Lactation Consultants Increase Breast-feeding

Megan Brooks
December 20, 2013





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Pre- and postnatal visits with a certified lactation consultant (LC) coupled with electronic reminders for healthcare providers to discuss breast-feeding at prenatal visits may boost breast-feeding duration and intensity, new research shows.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breast-feeding for the first 6 months after birth, followed by continued breast-feeding for 1 year or more as other foods are introduced. Yet less than 75% of infants in the United States are breast-fed at all, and fewer than half are still being breast-fed at 6 months, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Under the Affordable Care Act, private insurers must cover professional breast-feeding support without cost-sharing.

In 2 separate clinical trials, Karen Bonuck, PhD, from the Department of Family and Social Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University in New York City, and colleagues found that integrating professional LCs into routine care alone or combined with electronic prompted guidance (EP) from prenatal care providers increased breast-feeding at 3 months postpartum.

The studies were published online December 19 in the American Journal of Public Health.

In the Best Infant Nutrition for Good Outcomes (BINGO) trial, 666 primarily low-income women were randomly allocated to 1 of 4 groups: LC alone, LC+EP, EP alone, and usual care (the control group). The LC protocol included 2 prenatal sessions, a hospital visit, and regular telephone calls postpartum though age 3 months or until breast-feeding ceased.

The study team followed-up with the women periodically to assess breast-feeding "intensity," defined as the percentage of all feedings during the last 7 days that were breast milk. They defined high intensity as 80% or more of feedings involving breast milk, medium intensity as 20% to 79%, and low intensity as 19% or less.

At 3 months, high-intensity breast-feeding was greater in the LC+EP group (17.3%; odds ratio [OR], 2.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08 - 6.84) and the LC-only group (20.5%; OR, 3.22; 95% CI, 1.14 - 9.09) compared with usual care (8.1%).

In addition, women in the LC+EP group were more likely to initiate breast-feeding, do "any" breast-feeding (vs none) at 1 month, and breast-feed exclusively at 3 months postpartum compared with the control group. The EP group did not differ from the control group on any outcome.

The Provider Approaches to Improved Rates of Infant Nutrition & Growth Study (PAIRINGS) study included 275 women from more economically diverse backgrounds (compared with BINGO participants), many more of whom planned to breast-feed exclusively (62% vs 37% in BINGO).

They were randomly allocated to a usual care control group and a group receiving both the LC+EP interventions. For the PAIRINGS primary outcome of exclusive breast-feeding at 3 months, rates were significantly higher with LC+EP than usual care (16.0% vs 6.2%; OR, 2.86; 95% CI, 1.21 - 6.76).

As in BINGO, any breast-feeding and both high- and medium-intensity breast-feeding were more likely with LC+EP than usual care.

Finding Was Robust in Tough Groups

The researchers point out that black/non-Hispanic, younger, overweight and less-educated women are known to have some of the lowest rates of breast-feeding, and together, these women made up a large majority of those enrolled in the BINGO and PAIRINGS trials.

The findings were "robust in what is traditionally thought of as a difficult-to-support breast-feeding population," Dr. Bonuck noted in an interview with Medscape Medical News.

Although neither trial came close to attaining exclusive breast-feeding for 6 months, as advocated by the American Academy of Pediatrics, about 95% of women in the 2 trials at least started breast-feeding, which exceeds the goal of 82% that the CDC has proposed in its Healthy People 2020 report, Dr. Bonuck points out.

"This study is significant because it shows that integrating lactation consultants into prenatal care increases breastfeeding rates among low income racial/ethnic minority women," Tonse N.K. Raju, MD, chief of the National Institutes of Health's Pregnancy and Perinatology Branch of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, said in news release.

"We need additional studies to see if this and other interventions can enhance breastfeeding by these women beyond a few months," Dr. Raju added.

This research was supported by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. The authors have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

Am J Public Health. Published online December 20, 2013. Abstract






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Read this before visiting a new Mom & Baby

Going to Visit Family or Friends Who Have a New Baby? Follow These Tips!

Posted on September 30, 2013


Baby in Hat

Your friend or family member has a new baby. You want to visit. You want to help. You want to meet that amazing new little person! Before you go, read this primer on how to be a good visitor to a family with a newborn in the house — the kind of visitor who will make the family feel loved, supported, and forever grateful!

Included are guidelines that apply to all visitors, plus tips specifically for close friends and family, long-term visitors, and friends and family who live far away but would like to help nonetheless.

In the United States, we shower attention on families during pregnancy, but not during the postpartum period — when in fact the postpartum period is the time when families need the support of their communities the most! Be a gentle, considerate visitor who puts the family’s needs first. Your thoughtfulness will be remembered and appreciated for years to come!

WHEN AND HOW LONG TO VISIT
◾Always call/message in advance to schedule the visit. Do not drop in unannounced. Be on time.
◾Front-porch meal drop-offs or short (10-15-minute) visits are good in the first several weeks, when families are overtired and commonly not feeling up to hosting company.
◾Longer visits (30+ minutes) are good in the later weeks/months, when long-term helpers (grandparents, etc.) have left; other visitors have stopped coming; and spouses have gone back to work. Mothers often report feeling isolated after 1-2-3 months at home with a newborn (and any other children), and welcome longer visits in the later weeks/months.
◾Very close friends/family may be invited to come for longer or more frequent visits to help in the early weeks, but should always ask the mother what type of visit — short or long — would be most helpful to her.
◾If the mother will be home alone with the baby most of the time (single parent, spouse deployed or working long hours), she may wish for visitors to stay longer. Ask.

PREPARING FOR THE VISIT
◾If you are ill in any way — even the tail end of a cold — stay home. Visit when you are well.
◾Do not wear perfume, scented body lotions, or aftershave. These linger for hours or days after your visit and are often overpowering for baby and mother, who have heightened senses of smell.
◾Leave your pets at home.
◾Leave your children at home. This is especially important in the early weeks, when the family is likely to want quiet, rest, and minimal outside germs. One exception is bringing your children over for a playdate or outing with the family’s older children, outside or away from the family’s house, which you plan to supervise.
◾Bring food. See “Bringing Food” below.
◾Bring small gifts for any siblings in the house, if you can. Gifts that do not make noise are best. Special food treats are a nice, inexpensive option.

DURING THE VISIT
◾Remember that the purpose of the visit is for you to help the family, not for you to spend time with the baby. Now is the time for you – not the family — to prepare food and clean up any messes made during the visit.
◾Do not expect or ask to hold the baby. (Yes, this can be difficult — new babies are so snuggle-able!) Wait for the mother to offer. Many won’t. One big exception is offering to hold the baby after a feeding so the mother can take a shower or a nap.
◾Wash your hands when you arrive, and let the mother know that you have washed them before touching her baby.
◾Greet any siblings enthusiastically. Give a big hello and lots of love to the older children before fussing over the baby — it will make them feel special during a time when the baby is the focus of most adults’ attention.
◾Do a chore. Do it without asking. Or say, “It would make me so happy if I could [do chore XYZ]. Will you indulge me?” (Saying something like this helps ease discomfort the family might feel about having someone clean for them.) Load the dishwasher. Wash the dishes in the sink. Wipe down a counter. Sweep the kitchen floor. Fold that basket of laundry you see sitting there. Take out the trash. Excuse yourself to the restroom and scrub the toilet or wipe down the counters.
◾Or, watch the older siblings, or take them out of the house on an outing.
◾Or, offer to take dogs for a walk, if you’re a dog person. Adjusting to a new baby can be hard for pets, too. They need a little extra love at this time, as well!
◾Give advice only if the parents specifically ask for it. Do not criticize.
◾Follow the mother’s cues about how long a visit she’d like. Remember that it can be very difficult for her to ask you to leave once you are there, even if she truly needs privacy to nurse or pump or perform postpartum self-care.
◾If the family has a premature baby in the NICU, they still need support — lots of it! Tell them “Congratulations!” (they do want their new little one to be acknowledged and celebrated). Ask them how they and the baby are doing, and then really listen. Give them gift cards to restaurants near the NICU; gas cards; or a care package of healthy snacks and drinks that do not need refrigeration (dried nuts/fruit/veggies, trail mix, homemade muffins, snack/granola bars, seltzer water, etc.). If they are staying near the hospital, away from home, offer to pick up mail, water plants, care for siblings or pets, or bring needed things from home to the hospital.

BRINGING FOOD

◾Most families welcome food anytime, but it is often especially welcome at these times: after any other long-term helpers (visiting family, etc.) have left; after the first several weeks when other visitors have stopped bringing food; and when the spouse goes back to work or is away on a business trip.
◾Ask whether the family has set up an online meal-delivery calendar, such as Meal Train or Take Them a Meal. If they have not, organizing one is is a great job for a close friend or family member (see below).
◾Check the family’s Meal Train page (or check with the family) for information about food preferences, sensitivities, and allergies, as well as any other preferences (food delivery times, locations, dates). Respect that information.
◾Bonus points: bring a complete meal (main dish, salad/veggie side, and dessert) and/or meals containing ingredients that promote breastmilk production, such as oatmeal (oatmeal lactation cookies are one option), whole grains, dark leafy greens, beans, vegetables, and nuts/seeds.
◾Avoid bringing foods containing large quantities of those herbs which are known to reduce breastmilk production, such as peppermint and sage.
◾If you do not cook, consider bringing a healthy store-bought ready-to-eat meal (such as rotisserie chicken or a complete dinner from the supermarket) or a collection of healthy snacks that the mother can grab and eat one-handed during the day or while nursing, such as nuts or trail mix (unsalted), dried fruit/veggies, healthy snack bars, precut fruits/vegetables, cheese, hummus, and whole-grain crackers. Trader Joe’s and Costco are great places to buy these things inexpensively.
◾Bring the food in disposable containers or in inexpensive reusable Rubbermaid or thrift store dishes that need not be returned.
◾Consider attaching a note to the meal specifying that the dish does not need to be returned and that no thank-you note is necessary.

IF YOU ARE A CLOSE FRIEND OR CLOSE IN-TOWN FAMILY MEMBER

◾Run an errand. School drop-off, grocery store, Target. For example, call and say, “I am going to the grocery store. What can I get you? I will drop it by on my way home.” Note that it is “What can I get you?” not “Can I get you anything?”
◾Be the one to organize a group of friends/family to deliver meals in the first three weeks (or longer). Use an online organizing service like Meal Train or Take Them A Meal. Be sure to include information about food preferences, sensitivities, and allergies. If the meal-receiving family is not large, have meals delivered every other day so that the backlog of leftovers does not overwhelm the refrigerator before the family can get to them. Spread word of the Meal Train throughout the family’s social circle.
◾Help the family write a Chore/Helper List. This is a list of tasks that other visitors can help with, so that when visitors ask what they can do, the family has immediate answers. Place it in a prominent place, like the refrigerator.
◾Help the family research the baby/parenting information they need, if they would like. With a new baby in the house, it can be hard to find time and energy to research lactation consultants, breastfeeding or postpartum support group meeting information, etc. A list of local maternity and parenting resources can be found here.
◾Lend an ear. Ask the mother how she is feeling, then follow her signals. Do not pry. If she wants to talk about her experiences, she will.
◾Observe the mother for signs that she may be developing postpartum depression (PPD) or anxiety (at least 1 in 5 new moms in the United States do). Know the difference between normal new mom stress and a postpartum mood disorder. Be gentle and compassionate with the mother. Ask her what kind of support would help her feel better. If she wants peer or professional assistance, this page has a list of local and national postpartum support organizations. To better understand what a mother with PPD is experiencing, her friends/family may find it helpful to read Brooke Shields’ memoir, Down Came the Rain: My Journey Through Postpartum Depression.
◾Watch the father for signs of anxiety or depression as well. Postpartum anxiety and depression occur in fathers, too. Like mothers, fathers need sleep, good nutrition, exercise, and alone time to stay well. This page has a great list of resources both for fathers experiencing postpartum depression themselves, and for partners of women experiencing PPD. Additionally, Postpartum Men Online Forum is an online community that these men may find helpful.

IF YOU ARE A FAMILY MEMBER VISITING FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD
◾Come for an extended visit only if the family has invited you to do so. Never invite yourself.
◾Ask if the family would prefer that you stay in a hotel during your visit. Be gracious if they say yes.
◾Offer nighttime help. Offer to stay up late with baby while they catch a few early-evening hours of sleep. Offer to burp/walk/bounce a fussy baby after a midnight nursing/feeding so that the parents can sleep. Nighttime is often a time when help is scarce but dearly needed.
◾Be their personal assistant. Do whatever they indicate they need. Drive them to appointments or support meetings. Run errands. Grocery shop. Pick up prescriptions. Babysit siblings. Cook. Clean. Do laundry. See “During the Visit” above.
◾Encourage them. Tell them that they are doing a wonderful job. Tell them that you are proud of them. Especially for a nursing mother struggling with breastfeeding, the words, “You are doing a great job,” are magical.
◾If you are a generation older, understand that parenting techniques likely have changed since you last cared for babies. Ask the parents about their parenting philosophies. Follow any specific baby-care instructions they provide. Reading (and following) the same baby-care books that the parents are can be helpful.

IF YOU LIVE FAR AWAY BUT WOULD LIKE TO HELP
◾Pay for the services of someone who can help in person: a postpartum doula, a house cleaner, a diaper service, a grocery delivery service. A list of such local resources is available here.
◾Be part of the family’s virtual support team. Let the mother know that you are a friendly, supportive ear that she can call or Skype at any time, day or night.

IF YOUR SPOUSE OR CHILDREN WANT TO HELP, TOO

As stated above, having a crowd of visitors in the house — or running in and out of the house — can be overwhelming for a family with a new baby. But having a work crew tackle the work literally piling up outdoors? Such a help. If you can bring your own tools (for example, rakes and leaf bags for raking leaves) so you have no need to ask where to find supplies, it’s all the more helpful.
◾Pet care. Walk the dogs. Poop-scoop the yard. Change the litter box or the hamster cage.
◾Yardwork. Mow the lawn. Rake the leaves. Shovel the snow off the driveway and sidewalk. Snow and leaf blowers can be grating on the nerves — avoid them.
◾Garden work. Weed. Pick veggies. Especially good for parents of babies born during harvest season!

FURTHER READING
◾Why Are America’s Postpartum Practices So Rough on New Mothers? (The Daily Beast)
◾A Letter to Grandparents by Penny Simkin
◾After the Birth, What a Family Needs (Gloria Lemay)
◾How To Be the Best Post Partum Visitor in 15 Minutes or Less (There Are No Ordinary Moments)
◾The Answer Is Always “YES!” (Or, How To Help a Struggling New Mom) (Dou-la-la)
◾For Parents: Visitors After the Baby? 10 Tips for New Parents (Huffington Post)
◾For Parents: Is DAD the Ideal Postpartum Doula? (The Birthing Site)
◾For Parents: DONA International’s Postpartum Plan (DONA)

This post has been several years in the making. Sincere gratitude to the many mothers who have contributed, both directly and indirectly, the ideas, suggestions, and wisdom reflected within it!

About these ads

Insurance companies may cover breast pumps, supplies and consults

Healthcare Insurers Graded on Support for Breastfeeding Moms: Anthem and Aetna Score Highly National Breastfeeding Center has released a scorecard of healthcare insurance companies based on coverage policies for breastfeeding support. Share on TwitterShare on FacebookShare on Google+Share on LinkedInEmail a friend . . Insurers are now tasked with making sure that healthcare dollars are spent more wisely and invested in long-term preventive care. To do less than their best for their littlest members is simply not good enough. New York, NY (PRWEB) September 06, 2013 Anthem and Aetna both score highly out of 100 healthcare insurance companies graded by the National Breastfeeding Center (NBfC). Research was conducted to see how the insurance industry is responding to the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act (PPACA), specifically the part of the law concerning coverage of breastfeeding support, a provision which went into effect on August 1, 2012. “It has been a year since the mandate went into effect," says Susanne Madden, COO, of the National Breastfeeding Center, "so there has been plenty of time for insurers to adjust to the law. We wanted to see how insurance companies are performing when it comes to supporting nursing mothers and their babies." Madden says that the NBfC research uncovered a wide range of insurance company policies and compliance. "We were encouraged to find that some insurers really recognize the importance of improving breastfeeding and support the intent of the mandate by covering fully qualified lactation care providers and effective breastfeeding equipment. But many more provide only the bare minimum required by law, such as a manual hand-operated breastpump and advice given during a well care exam by providers that may have little lactation care experience." "We weren't surprised to see Aetna near the top of the score card," says Beverly Curtis, the Executive Director of NBfC. Aetna was quick to open its network to lactation care providers who have certification as International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (a designation awarded by an independently-accredited program). Curtis points out, "it is important that insurance companies support care delivered by independently certified professionals as these are the providers best qualified to address and improve lactation care." Madden said that the Anthem Group of companies came to the top of the list due to such provisions as covering home visits and allowing pumps to be dispensed from both providers and medical supply companies. "Companies should see our score card as a helpful tool for evaluating their breastfeeding support policies," Curtis says, "and like Aetna and Anthem, aspire to be the best in this critical area of mother and infant healthcare insurance coverage.” NBfC assessed commercial insurance companies’ published policies and guidelines and assigned a grade based on the adequacy of coverage provided. Using The Verden Group’s Policy Search tool to locate official Medical Policies and Google to search insurers’ member and public domains for guidelines and newsletters that contained information about each company’s breastfeeding coverage, “we believe we’ve conducted a comprehensive review of the information available,” says Madden. Why grade insurance companies on their breastfeeding support policies at all? "The purpose of the mandate is to improve breastfeeding initiation and duration rates," Curtis replies. "It follows that mothers should receive lactation counseling support from a provider educated in lactation care.” Madden agrees and says "It's the best way to insure that the care provided is appropriate to each mother’s concern or issue and that each has access to breast pumps that perform appropriately according to her medical or societal needs. Insurers are now tasked with making sure that happens, and that healthcare dollars are spent more wisely and invested in preventive care. To do less than their best for their littlest members is simply not good enough. We want to bring attention to that," Madden concludes, "and prompt insurers to do even better going forward." ****** National Breastfeeding Center (NBfC) The National Breastfeeding Center (NBfC) provides expertise to corporations/employers, hospitals/health systems, healthcare providers and organizations to improve breastfeeding promotion and support. Our unparalleled experience in the business of medicine, blended with our broad insurance experience and deep clinical knowledge, delivers powerful insights and innovative solutions. For more information on the NBfC, visit http://www.NBfCenter.com. Share on TwitterShare on FacebookShare on Google+Share on LinkedInEmail a friend PDF Version PDF Printer Friendly VersionPrint Contact Susanne Madden, COO National Breastfeeding Center +1 855-777-6232 1 Email .Beverly Curtis, Executive Director National Breastfeeding Center 855-777-6232 2 Email . Attachments Insurers Breastfeeding Policy Scorecard Insurers Breastfeeding Policy Scorecard Healthcare Insurers Scorecard for Breastfeeding Support Model Policy Model Policy Guidelines for Insurance Company Coverage of Breastfeeding Support and Counseling Services, Pumps and Supplies .

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+

Should nursing Moms avoid certain foods?

Should breast-feeding moms avoid certain foods? Here are some tips to put nursing moms and their babies on the right track. By Chanie Kirschner Fri, Aug 02 2013 at 2:15 PM Related Topics: Healthy Eating, Raising Healthy Kids breast-feeding foods Photo: Oksana Kuzmina/Shutterstock Breast-feeding is a wonderful gift you can give your baby. And while you should always maintain a balanced diet, what you eat while you’re a nursing mom is especially important since the foods you eat are nourishing your baby as well. So what should you avoid while breast-feeding? “There are no foods that mothers ought to avoid while breast-feeding,” says Dr. Nancy Brent, noted pediatrician, lactation consultant and medical director at the Breastfeeding Center of Pittsburgh. “In fact, most mothers can eat anything they want while breast-feeding. However, if your baby is fussy and you’re noticing other unusual gastrointestinal symptoms, such as bloody or mucus-y stools, try cutting out dairy and then soy.” If you eat something and notice that two feedings later (about the time for that food to enter your breast milk) your baby is especially fussy, you might try cutting out that food and seeing how your baby responds. “Then, after two weeks, gradually add that food back into your diet and see if your baby tolerates it,” Brent advises. She’s quick to add, though, that without any gastrointestinal symptoms, infant fussiness is likely not the result of maternal diet, and can be a sign of overtiredness, colic or acid reflux. Though foods mentioned above may or may not have an effect on your breast milk, there are certain things you should avoid while you’re breast-feeding to ensure your baby’s health. First item on the list? Alcohol. The American Academy of Pediatrics says that an occasional drink for a breast-feeding mom is OK, and Brent agrees. “Generally, a woman can have one drink of beer or wine two to three times a week. She should time it immediately after a feeding. If she's feeling the effects, then the alcohol is in her milk. If she's still feeling a little drunk when it's time to nurse next, she needs to give a bottle of previously expressed milk or formula.” You can “pump and dump” the milk to avoid engorgement and clogged milk ducts. Either way, too much alcohol can harm your baby, and it’s important to monitor your intake. Another thing to avoid while you’re breast-feeding is caffeine. While a morning cup of coffee is OK, experts say to limit your daily intake to no more than 300 mg a day. That’s generally one cup of fresh-brewed coffee, though actual amounts of caffeine may vary a little. If you’re like me and you just like the taste, feel free to go crazy on instant decaf — there’s only 2 mg of caffeine in a cup. Be watchful of other things that contain caffeine, such as chocolate or caffeinated tea. (If you’re unsure how much caffeine that certain food items have, check out this chart.) Finally, trim your seafood intake while you’re breast-feeding, especially if white tuna, swordfish or mackerel is your thing. That’s because these types of seafood are known to contain high levels of mercury, which could potentially harm your baby’s nervous system in high doses. If you do like seafood, choose fish that are typically low in mercury, such as wild-caught Alaskan salmon. Salmon is also high in omega-3s and protein, two essential nutrients for breast-feeding moms. You don’t need to go crazy to avoid specific foods while you’re breast-feeding. Just be smart about your intake and feel confident knowing you’re doing the best you can for you and your baby. Happy nursing! Related breast-feeding stories on MNN: •What not to eat when you're pregnant •More U.S. mothers breast-feeding, CDC says •Breast-feeding mama gets happy surprise at restaurant

How to be the Best Post-Partum Visitor in 15 Minutes or Less

Resources How To Be The Best Post Partum Visitor In 15 Minutes Or Less How To Be The Best Post Partum Visitor In 15 Minutes Or Less Have a friend who had a baby and you're on the roster to drop off a meal? Here's everything they want you to know and do, but are too shy and polite to say and ask. They are tired. Breastfeeding is still awkward and having people around makes it more awkward. The mother is recovering physically, either from a surgical birth, or from the equivalent of a triathlon where the prize was a grapefuit sized head flying out of her vagina. Either of these things makes you sore and tired. They would like to see you, but don't want to be tired out by a long visit. You are not going to stay longer than 15 minutes, no matter how polite the parents are in saying you can stay longer. If your visit/meal drop off scheduled for 5.30. BE ON TIME. Make plans for 6:15 so that you HAVE to leave. Read More Before you walk in the door, put your game face on. Set a timer, on your phone or watch for 15 minutes. When it goes off, get out of there! Remember that you are going to be a quiet, productive blessing. This visit is NOT about you. It is not about the parents hosting you and putting on a cup of tea so you can sit and visit and hold the baby. Think about how you would feel if you had either had surgery or ran a triathlon. What would you want people to do for you? This visit is about blessing the parents and making their life a little bit easier. Your prize is getting a quick peek at the cute new human. Here's how to play out your 15 minute visit: 1. Bring a healthy meal. Include a salad or fresh vegetables. Only use disposable dishes. There is nothing more annoying than a) having to wash more dishes when you have a new baby and b) having to try to return dishes to all sorts of random people when you have a new baby 2. In addition to your meal, bring cut up veggies and fruit, unsalted trail mix or nuts, or other such healthy snacks for daytime munching for mom to eat while she's nursing. 3. Go into the kitchen and spend 5 minutes clearing off a counter, washing a sink-full of dishes, loading the dishwasher etc. Don't ask permission, just do it. Then set the table for their dinner. 4. Before you leave your house, put some paper towels and some powdered bathroom cleaner like Commet or Ajax in a baggie. Stick it in your purse. While you are at the house, go and use the washroom...and while in there do a three minute bathroom shine-up, using your paper towels and cleaner. 5. Coo over the baby, but wash your hands before touching it. 6. If they want to eat right then, heat the food up and put it on the table, give everybody kisses and then leave. 7. Take the garbage out when you go. In and out. This will be the best visit the parents will have had. They will love you and you will be awesome in their books forever. You can come back and have a longer visit when the parents have adjusted to their new normal.

Traveling as a Breastfeeding Mother

By Nicole Goodman One of the biggest challenges working mothers face is traveling away from their babies while they’re still breastfeeding. Pumping while on the road – or in the air – can be inconvenient, uncomfortable, and downright unpleasant, but many mothers find that is it worth it so they can continue breastfeeding. Here are some hints to help you prepare for trips away from your little one. Working mothers going on a business trip or those that stay at home getting away for a weekend can benefit from planning ahead. Supplies Checklist Pumping while traveling requires some additional supplies that you may not need when you’re at home: ◾Batttery pack & fresh batteries – Make sure your battery pack works BEFORE leaving and load your pack with fresh batteries. ◾Extra batteries – Depending on length of your trip, it’s always a good idea to carry an extra set of batteries. Remember to keep batteries with your carry-on luggage to avoid any problems with checked luggage. ◾Convertor/adapter – If you are traveling internationally, make sure to pack the appropriate power convertor/adapter plug so that the pump will work at your final destination. ◾Milk storage bags/containers – If you plan to bring milk home after the trip, make sure to pack plenty of storage bags. I like the Medical-Grade, Pre-Sterilized Plastic Storage Bags. Freeze them flat so you can stack them up on the return trip. ◾Ice or cold packs – Especially for long or multi-segment flights, ice or cold packs will help keep milk frozen on the return trip. Some thawing may occur, so put the milk into the freezer as soon as possible. Use the milk pumped on a trip as soon as possible after you return. ◾Cleaning supplies – I LOVE the microwave disinfecting bags. You might not always have access to a place to scrub pump parts while traveling, but most hotel rooms and offices have a microwave. Throw everything into these bags, pop into microwave for 3 minutes, and everything is sterile for their next use. ◾Power cord, tubing, membranes, breast shields & pump parts – A breast pump won’t do you any good if you don’t have all of the essential parts with you! Pack a few extra pump membranes, just in case. ◾Hand sanitizer – It’s always a good idea to pack a little (3 oz or less) bottle of hand sanitizer in your carry-on. Pack Smart If you can fit a pump into your small rollerboard suitcase, great! Otherwise, you’ll need to check your suitcase and keep your computer bag/purse and pump as carry-on items. Do NOT check a breast pump in a suitcase or as a stand alone item. Travel delays happen all the time; luggage gets damaged or lost. The last thing you need is to end up at your destination without your pump! Be Security Savvy In the United States, pumping mothers are permitted to travel with breast pumps and breast milk, regardless of whether or not they are traveling with their children. If a security agent says otherwise, ask to speak to a supervisor. To make the security process as smooth as possible, you should alert the security officers so they know you are traveling with a pump: ◾Pull the pump out of your carry-on bag and place it in a separate bin before it goes through the x-ray machine. Tell the agent that the item is a breast pump. ◾If returning from a trip and carrying breastmilk, place the milk in a separate bin and alert the agents that the liquid is breastmilk. Breastmilk is NOT subject to the three-ounce limitation. ◾If a security agent asks to test the milk, ask to speak to a supervisor. They may want to swab the outside of the milk bags or containers, but they cannot make you open your milk and test it. A mother may be asked to go through additional screening. I’ve had my pump searched and swabbed and I’ve also been subjected to a pat down. Be prepared for either scenario. Pumping en Route Sometimes it’s necessary to pump before you reach your final destination. Because I fly in and out of a small airport, I always have to make at least one connection, which can make for a long travel day. Most major airports have family bathrooms with electrical outlets and they are a great place to pump. On longer or international flights, you may need to pump in your seat or in the airplane bathroom. Ask the flight attendants if they can suggest a pumping location. Well Worth the Effort! Pumping while traveling presents some unique challenges, but it’s ultimately worth the extra effort. With a little planning, preparation and patience, you can maintain your milk production while you’re away from your little one and they will be ready to welcome you home at your breast.

Don't be a "Strong Mom"

When Big Pharma “Strong” Arms Mothers, We All Lose By Contributor on May 6, 2013 Mother feeding newborn sonCorporations have a very bad habit of telling moms how to be. Or better yet, co-opting some very common “mom” archetypes for their marketing pursuits. For decades, we were told “Choosy Moms Choose Jif.” More recently, “It Moms” were more likely to choose a particular fabric softener. This week, infant formula maker Similac has taken on the dubious role of connecting their brand to “Strong Moms” — those supportive, they say, of a less judgmental environment for mothers. This new affinity for strength is being launched with a Strong Moms Summit on May 7th in New York City featuring a number of high-profile mom bloggers. Please forgive me for being suspect. It is certainly true that there is way too much pressure on mothers today, and we all could take a proverbial “chill pill” on the mommy-bashing. But when a multi-million dollar pharmaceutical giant (Similac is owned by Abbott Laboratories) plows millions of dollars into telling mothers to be “strong” and “non-judgmental,” I think I’m rightfully engaged in a side-eye glance. Selling women messages that sound good on the surface but actually undermine them has been a corporate tactic since at least the 1950s. We aren’t really being supported to be strong moms–whatever that means anyway — we are being sold the idea of “strong” as a marketing tool for corporate interests. There’s a big difference and all parents should take note of the dangerous undercurrents. What I typically find most insulting is that these corporations are counting on moms not knowing better. That we are so weary from the pressures of motherhood, that we will hang on to any messaging that appears to be a “release valve” without delving one centimeter beneath the surface to find the real facts. Apparently “strong” does not mean savvy. Because one centimeter beneath the surface of Similac’s “Strong Moms” Summit and online campaign you will find that framing of infant formula use around a “lifestyle choice” that is not to be judged has been its primary marketing strategy for decades. Ah, choice. It used to be such a powerful word–one that conjured up women’s suffrage, the feminist movement and our battle for reproductive rights. The problem today is that “choice” has been taken out of the context of women’s rights and misconstrued into a dirty and insidious word. In its most disgusting reiteration it is being marketed to women and girls by corporations — in this case, by infant formula marketers, who are more concerned with profits than infant health outcomes. Women have been led to believe that the “choice” between formula feeding and breastfeeding is merely a matter of inclination–a personal decision, a feather in the cap of liberation. And since choices are individual, they have no social consequences; women are therefore relieved of responsibility of considering the broader implications of their decisions. And once I make my choice, no one is to challenge me. We can’t talk about it. And if you do, you are judging me. This is dangerous territory for all women and mothers as the issue of breastfeeding vs. formula feeding is turned into a mere lifestyle choice as opposed to a child health matter. No wonder Similac is supporting so-called non-judgment. What is really happening is that by leaving each other alone in our so-called non-judgmental circles, we are simply leaving the current unjust system in place and discouraged from forming opinions about the value of different choices. With this type of continuous marketing messaging, we lose the ability to have critical discussions about where the real choices lie and which “choices” are merely illusions. Most problematically for the future of mothers, it deters us from addressing the systemic problems such as improving child care options, increasing the market for part-time work, the lack of a paid federal maternity leave, and other deep-rooted, anti-family policies that actually devalue mothering and shape our infant feeding choices, and prevent us from being active agents of change because we are being told that many aspects of mothering from our infant feeding to work decisions are “choices” and, therefore, private matters. Choice becomes the silencer on a dangerous handgun. In this context, choice is not liberation. It is suffocation. In this context, Similac is asking moms to be strong when they really want us weak and silenced. Framing the infant feeding conversation as an empowerment experience erases the context of corporate interests and deep pocketed marketing machines that have always put profit motive ahead of infant health and the health of mothers and our actual empowerment, for that matter. Let’s face it, this isn’t the first time that women have been sold on an ideal that sounded good on the surface but was actually manipulated to undermine them. It’s been over 50 years since Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique ripped the veil off the problem behind a very good-looking pretense of waxed floors, perfectly applied lipstick and domestic bliss in the 1950s to help women breakthrough a malaise they didn’t know existed. At that time, the idea that women were naturally fulfilled by devoting their lives to being housewives and mothers was borne out of similar cultural forces and commercial interests. It was presented as if this was the woman’s choice, when in fact cultural forces dictated that preparing for marriage and motherhood even from the teenage years was her only option. Meanwhile, the dialogue around the real issues that could actually significantly impact our lives and the health of all infants has been suffocated while we clamor behind choice and non-judgment and use it as a shield to deflect our mommy guilt. Our ability to build conversation and support among each other has been quashed because we won’t discuss what we have been told is a private choice. With so much individualism embedded in our views about choice, there is little room for examining interdependence or acknowledging individual fallibility of our choices. It is women and infants who are paying the price for this so-called freedom of choice. Until “choice” is presented with accurate information, then choice is just a mirage. What’s more, we have to understand the difference between choice and options. Having unequal options doesn’t make for true choice. And truly strong moms don’t need big pharma’s underhanded and predatory marketing ploys under the guise of a summit. Thanks, but no thanks.

'Bye nursery; hello rooming-in!

About Projects Who's Involved Newsroom Resources Contact You are here: Home > Newsroom > Goodbye Nursery, Hello Rooming-in Goodbye Nursery, Hello Rooming-in Hospital goes from 10 percent to 100 percent rooming-in in less than a year April 16, 2013 By Cindy Hutter The traditional hub of maternity floors, the baby nursery, is getting a makeover. The nursery is transitioning from the central place for doctors to evaluate babies and families to ogle at newborns to a specialty care area that rarely is used. The new nursery identity is to support the practice of keeping mothers and babies together 24 hours a day, known as rooming-in. The practice helps mother and babies get acquainted, learn feeding cues and establish breastfeeding patterns. Rooming-in is one of the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding External Link, as outlined by the World Health Organization. Birthing facilities who comply with these steps achieve Baby-Friendly External Link status, a designation indicating a commitment to supporting breastfeeding. “It took a lot of teaching to get staff to understand that that we are not doing the mom a favor by taking the baby away from her during the night for her to sleep,” says Marianne Allen, a clinical nurse specialist for Women and Children’s Services at PinnacleHealth System in Pennsylvania. “It’s a change in the mindset of staff that we serve the mother best by teaching her the skills and giving her the confidence she’ll need to take care of her baby in the days to come once she goes home without the safety net of the hospital. The best way to do that is to have them together.” PinnacleHealth is one of 89 hospitals participating in Best Fed Beginnings, a NICHQ-run nationwide project that aims to help hospitals improve maternity care and increase the number of Baby-Friendly designated hospitals in the United States. A significant component to support rooming-in is providing couplet care, meaning the same staff takes care of the baby and the mother. In many hospitals baby nurses take care of the newborns and postpartum nurses take care of the mothers. Having one person take care of both the mother and baby helps promote family-centered care, which is shown to lead to more successful breastfeeding, higher patient satisfaction levels and improved nursing and medical staff communications, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “We had to change the whole culture of our unit in that all the postpartum nurses had to be trained for infant care. It was a yearlong process,” explains Teri Grubbs, BSN, director of Women’s Health Services at University Health System in Texas, another hospital participating in Best Fed Beginnings. “Also moving the lactation nurses out of the nursery and on to the postpartum unit helped to support rooming-in and boost our exclusive breastfeeding rates.” What’s in a Name? One challenge to rooming-in is changing the expectations of mothers who want to send their babies to nurseries, not realizing it can make breastfeeding more difficult later. How have these Best Fed Beginnings hospitals been able to deter moms from sending their babies to the nursery? It’s all in the name. The University Health Center renamed its nursery the Neonatal Observation Unit. PinnacleHealth will call theirs the Holding Nursery (starting May 1), which will be a place for babies to get intervention, not care. Greenville Health System in South Carolina went a step further. They put a self-proclaimed “scary” sign on the nursery door that reads: “Authorized Personnel Only. This space is reserved for flu isolation, MRSA isolation, urgent evaluation for sick newborns and procedures. Healthy newborns are assigned to rooms on the Family Beginnings unit. Please see your nurse for more information.” “Overnight the nursery became empty. I was astounded,” says Jennifer Hudson, MD, medical director for Newborn Services at Greenville. “Nurses said the sign really helped to define the space differently and made it look like a place people didn’t want to put their babies. It was the most effective intervention we had so far.” Greenville’s rooming-in rate went from 10 percent in July 2012 to 100 percent in February 2013. Chart showing the increase in the rooming-in rate from July 2012 to March 2013 at Greenville Health System. Credit: Greenville Health System. Click image for larger version. Chart showing the increase in the rooming-in rate from July 2012 to March 2013 at Greenville Health System. Credit: Greenville Health System. Mothers’ reactions to rooming-in has reportedly been overwhelming positive at the three hospitals, with some mixed reactions from second-time moms used to the nursery. “It’s very empowering for families,” said Hudson. “It’s really a positive when it comes to security and safety. We emphasize that mothers get to watch everything we do for their babies, including the first bath, exams and screening tests. Hourly rounding by nurses will ensure that they get the help that they need while families learn about and bond with their newborns." Terri Negron, RN, director of Nursing at Greenville Health System, adds, “While some second-time moms are apprehensive, first-time moms don’t know any different and when they come back, rooming-in will be an expectation.” All three hospitals say the transition to rooming-in has been a team effort. It required support from nurses, doctors, unit leadership and executive management. Staff had to understand the evidence-based reasons for change, be committed to the idea and embrace the changes. It didn’t happen overnight for any of them. “You have to have the nucleus of nurses that are supportive and believe in it,” says Grubbs. “You start with them and you train them and have success and then you train more and have more success. You continue to open the door.”

Breastfeeding nipple shield info

Support for Using Nipple Shields Posted on February 27, 2013 by bfcpgh By Wendy Eson A nipple shield is a thin piece of flexible silicone designed to help a baby who is having trouble latching onto the breast. It is worn over the mother’s nipple during breastfeeding. It is important to assess the need for a shield on an individual basis. Nipple shields are not considered a routine part of breastfeeding and are to be used under the supervision of a lactation consultant. Ideally, they are for short-term use. In addition, they are often helpful in getting a baby back to breast after the introduction of bottle-feeding. They are not designed for nipple pain. BREASTFEEDING SITUATIONS WHERE A SHIELD MAY BE HELPFUL •A baby who is born preterm or late preterm, which is 34-37 weeks gestation. These babies often have trouble with latching at the breast and can tire easily during feeds. There is evidence that nipple shields help these babies keep more active at the breast. •A mother with flat or truly inverted nipples. Caution should be used in determining flat nipples. A good majority of new mothers have some fluid retention in their breasts shortly after giving birth. This is especially true for a mother that has received a lot of IV fluids in labor or certain medications. Nipples in these mothers often appear “flat” due to retained tissue fluid. The areola is also firm, making it difficult for a baby to latch. Mothers should be taught to soften the areola by compressing it with the fingers (Check out this link on Reverse Pressure Softening). This helps move fluids back toward the chest wall and softens the areola. It also draws the nipple out, making latch easier for baby. Mothers can also be shown how to form the end of the breast into a wedge or a “breast sandwich.” This helps baby take in more of the areolar tissue, ensuring a good deep latch at the breast. •A baby who has become accustomed to the firm texture of a bottle nipple. In this instance, a shield can be a good tool in getting baby back to breast. •Rarely, a shield can be used for sore nipples. Once latch has been reviewed and corrected and other issues have been ruled out, a mother with sore, cracked nipples may benefit from a shield as nipples are healing. Having a baby at the breast with a nipple shield is better than not having a baby at the breast, however the shield must be used correctly. Mother’s should observe for good urine and stool output and appropriate weight gain. If this is in order, mother can be assured that baby is effectively transferring milk from the breast. Mother’s should be taught to observe for a good latch with a shield. The baby’s lips should be well flanged, with chin in deep to the breast. If baby is just on the tip of the shield, causing the shield to indent around the nipple, baby may get less milk. Additionally, mothers need to watch for clogged ducts, as the shield can cause reduced milk transfer. A mother whose breasts still feel full after feeding with a nipple shield may consider pumping afterwards to effectively empty to the breast. HOW TO WEAN BABY FROM A NIPPLE SHIELD By definition, to wean from something is to detach from gradually. A mother should allow herself and baby several weeks to come off the nipple shield. Here are some helpful tips: •Always ensure proper latch, bring baby in close and wait for a wide open gape. •With your index finger and thumb, compress the area around the areola to make a breast sandwich or wedge. This makes the nipple firm. Once baby is brought on deep, hold the sandwich until you feel baby suckling well. •Consider pumping to elicit let-down, providing baby with a quick reward. Pumping also helps to elongate the nipple. •Feed baby when somewhat sleepy and not too hungry. They are often easier to put to breast and willing to nurse. •Try latching baby with shield and removing it once let-down has happened. Swiftly place baby back at breast. This “bait and switch” may take several attempts. If baby becomes frustrated with this, allow him to nurse with the shield. The goal is to have a happy baby at the breast. •If it is easier to latch baby at breast with the shield for nighttime feeds, aim for removing it during some of the daytime feeds. DO NOT CUT OFF THE TIP OF THE NIPPLE SHIELD! THIS MAKES FOR SHARP EDGES AND CAN HURT THE BABY. Be patient with yourself and baby as you wean from the shield. Enjoy the time when baby is at the breast and commend yourself for giving your baby the benefits of breast milk!

Breastfeeding...It's only natural

HHS offers moms knowledge, help, and support through a new breastfeeding initiative, It’s Only Natural Today, Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin, MD, MBA announced the launch of It’s Only Natural, a new public education campaign that aims to raise awareness among African American women of the importance of and benefits associated with breastfeeding and provide helpful tips. It's only natural. mother's love. mother's milk “One of the most highly effective preventive measures a mother can take to protect the health of her infant and herself is to breastfeed,” said Surgeon General Benjamin. “By raising awareness, the success rate among mothers who want to breastfeed can be greatly improved through active support from their families, their friends and the community.” Breastfeeding offers mothers and their babies a healthy start. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 80 percent of all women in the United States—regardless of status, race, or income — start out breastfeeding. Among African American women, the breastfeeding rate is almost 55 percent — up from just 35 percent in the 1970s. However, while these rates are improving, breastfeeding rates among African American women remain lower than the rates of other ethnicities in the U.S., particularly among those living in the south. This gap may indicate that African American mothers face barriers to meeting breastfeeding goals and need additional support to start and continue breastfeeding. It’s Only Natural was specifically designed to provide materials that reflect the experience of African American moms. It’s Only Natural was developed to equip new moms with practical information and emotional support from peers, as well as tips and education about the benefits of breastfeeding and how to make it work in their own lives. All of the material is uniquely crafted for African American women. Materials include: •video testimonials from new moms talking about the challenges they have overcome, providing breastfeeding tips, sharing their individual stories, and much more; •articles on a variety of topics ranging from laws supporting breastfeeding to how to fit breastfeeding into your daily life; •two fact sheets, which contain proper holding and latching techniques, as well as information on managing discomfort and how much milk is enough; and •radio public service announcements. To learn more about the campaign, visit www.womenshealth.gov/ItsOnlyNatural. ###

Nightwaking Info

Nightwaking By Teresa Pitman "I slept like a baby." It's a phrase we use to describe a particularly sound sleep. But any parent knows that sleeping like a baby really means waking every few hours...all night long! Babies' sleep cycles differ from those of their parents. Babies spend more time in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, when they are more likely to waken, and less time in deeper sleep states than children and adults. They also cycle between light and deep sleep stages more quickly than adults do. Nature has designed babies to awaken more frequently to ensure their survival; feeding around the clock gives them the nourishment they need to sustain the rapid growth of infancy. Coping with nightwaking Since babies do wake up at night, parents need strategies to get the rest they need. Keeping baby close, in a crib or bassinet, will make nighttime feeding easier and allow new moms to get a better night’s sleep. Nursing the baby in bed allows mom to relax while feeding the baby. When the baby is close by at night, you can respond quickly before she fully awakens. This tends to help babies fall back to sleep more readily after they've been fed. On the other hand, some babies do fuss a bit as they surface from a light sleep phase, without really waking up. If her eyes are closed and she seems to be trying to get comfortable, don't disturb her by picking her up right away. It might be more helpful to just pat her back gently. You'll soon know if she’s going to "really" wake up. Many parents feel that keeping nighttime interaction very low key encourages their baby to go back to sleep promptly: keep lights, diaper changes and conversation to a bare minimum. Catch up on your sleep by napping when the baby sleeps if you can. Partners can also spell each other off for short periods. Should you train your baby to sleep? Parents, understandably, look forward to getting more rest. But many young infants — particularly those who are breastfed — really need their night feedings, so younger babies should not be pushed to sleep through the night. Reducing the number of feedings will also reduce the milk supply, and it may not be possible to make up the extra milk during the day. After the middle of the first year, some parents may want to teach their baby to sleep more independently. The goal of most sleep-training methods is to have the baby learn to fall asleep on his own, so that when he wakes at night, he won't need his parents to settle him. While some parents have had success with this method, others report that their babies cried for long periods without sleeping any longer. Babies all have their own individual temperaments, and while some adapt easily to a new sleep routine, others seem to need nighttime comforting for a longer time. Parents are all different, too. Some just don't believe in leaving their baby to cry, night or day. Others don't feel nightwaking is much of a problem — especially if the baby only wakes up once or twice for a quick feeding and goes right back to sleep. What works for your family? Sleep researcher and anthropologist James McKenna says parents often feel pressured to get their baby sleeping through the night. "If one thing has damaged parents' enjoyment of their babies, it's rigid expectations about how and when the baby should sleep," he says. "There is nothing wrong with a baby who wakes at night and wants to be with his parents." How you handle nightwaking will depend on your own needs and feelings as well as your baby's temperament and sleep habits. Some parents adapt easily to their baby's nightwaking and continue to function well during the day; others feel desperately exhausted. Some babies will easily learn to settle themselves with just a little nudge from mom and dad; others will become frantically upset if left alone and will cry, literally, for hours. Each family has to work out an approach that best meets everyone's needs. Nightwaking is a challenge for many new parents. Any strategies that help you get enough sleep — bringing baby into bed, napping when the baby naps, taking turns in the night or encouraging baby to sleep longer — can be lifesavers. The good news is that all babies eventually develop more mature sleep patterns, though there is plenty of individual variation in the timing. And, one morning, you'll wake up and realize that it finally happened: your nightwaking baby slept all night. Myths about nightwaking Myth: Most babies are sleeping through the night by two or three months. Some do, but plenty don't. In one survey, less than one-third of babies slept through until morning by four months of age (and nearly one in four took more than a year). Myth: Once the baby sleeps through the night once, nightwaking is over. Baby's patterns are always changing. Many babies who sleep through early on begin waking again later. Myth: Giving the baby cereal will make her sleep through the night. All the available research shows that this is not so. In fact, many older babies who are enjoying a wide variety of foods still wake up at night. Copyright Teresa Pitman. Used with permission. Originally published in Today's Parent. Teresa Pitman is the author of 15 books, including co-author of The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, 8th revised edition. . . . . . . . . . . Facebook Tumblr Twitter .. Get Involved Join

We must encourage breastfeeding

Best for Babes Newsletter Facebook Twitter RSS Search our site: Ways to help! Beating the Booby Traps that prevent Moms from achieving their personal breastfeeding goals! homeAbout UsMission Credo FoundersBettina’s Story Danielle’s Story Board of Directors Press Events GET HELPExpecting Moms New Moms Nursing in Public Nursing at Work Harassment Hotline C.A.R.E.-WHO AllianceCorporate Media Breastfeeding Organizations Team BfBTeams Join Team BFB Donate/Find a Participant Upcoming Events Sponsors Team BfB – FAQ’s Sign In Take Action donate shopSignature Apparel Nursing Tops and Gowns Baby Gear Posters Pumping Bra The Miracle Milk™ Bracelet Thank You/NIP Cards blogBabeworthy Celeb News Science News Advocacy Support 360 Booby Traps view your cart | checkout Is Breastfeeding a Legal Right? Civil Right? Or a Social Responsibility? By Danielle Rigg, JD CLC | Posted on April 3, 2013 | 1 Comment | Print Page “What kind of a society raises its children on food that will shorten their lives?” I dug this quote up one day while looking for examples of other public health crises that have benefited from celebrity leadership. Turns out they were words first spoken in connection with Farm Aid, but they so perfectly capture the reason why we need a popular cause for healthy infant feeding, that it’s now plastered to my wall. We are what we eat. The food we are given as infants, children and adults, can do one of three things: (1) help us to thrive, (2) sustain us or (3) jeopardize our health. Unfortunately, most of the commercial food supply in the U.S., including infant formula, falls into the latter two categories. And the consequences are horrendous — America spends $2.7 trillion each year on health care costs trying to stop a rising tide of epidemic noncommunicable illness — diabetes, obesity, cancer, heart disease, Crohn’s disease just to name a few. And we are no healthier for it; our mortality rank is 50th in the world, our Infant Mortality rate is 41st, and our Maternal Mortality rate is 50th –WAY behind other developed nations. For many Americans who don’t die, living with disease and chronic suffering has become the NORM. We are one of the unhealthiest populations on the planet despite our spectacular spending on “health care.” READ: Americans Under 50. Read: The Cracks in the Foundation & The First Food. Call me crazy, but the goal last time I checked, was not just to grow or survive, but to flourish and thrive. What parent doesn’t want the latter option — for their babies to reach their optimal potential health, physically and emotionally, for a lifetime? None. That’s right. None. Show me the right-minded mother who wants to see her child’s health compromised by the food she puts in its mouth. She doesn’t exist. But show me the mother who makes feeding decisions based on inaccurate or incomplete information, or the mother who chooses breastfeeding but is Booby-Trapped by poor care, advice and support from the medical and legal system and her community and employer and is forced to formula feed by default, or the mother who doesn’t want to, or can’t breastfeed, but is not given the option of using the next best substitute, donor human milk – she exists, by the millions each year. savethechildrenbfreportWhich is why ‘What your infant is having for dinner’ is not a topic over which moms, businesses or even politicians should be arguing. The debate is over and the evidence is clear: Breastfeeding, followed next in order of preference by pumping or donor milk, is the undisputed “first food” and the foundation of human health and thriving. Yes, infant formula has a place and purpose when breastfeeding or donor milk is not feasible (and believe us, sometimes it really is not and we understand! Read: It’s Not Just About Breastfeeding.) But breastfeeding (and human milk) is first on the list because it is a highly cost-effective way to help PREVENT illness – in both baby and mother, long and short term. Period. If more mothers were supported to reach their personal breastfeeding goals, it would slash billions from the nation’s health care burden, (Read: $13 Billion for Breastfeeding), and it would save and improves lives. Read: Save the Children’s Report. Given our poor collective health and economy, the only question on the table should be how can we as a society pull together to see to it that as many moms as possible are no longer being Booby-Trapped and get the full panoply of support that is required to help them succeed at breastfeeding– at birth, at home, in the workplace, and in public? We should be rolling out the red carpet for moms for paying it forward for us all, we should be throwing open every door for them and thanking them, definitely not shaming them. To be sure, we need a national law that protects a woman’s right to breastfeed and have access to donor milk. This law could be passed as an amendment to existing federal law e.g., the Civil Rights Act, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, or the American With Disabilities Act, or as a stand-alone. Pipedream? Maybe. But worth fighting for. It is extremely time-consuming to fight to protect mothers and babies on a state level, 50 times over. Moms across the country are organizing under our Take Action wing and other groups to amend laws to make this a reality. Read: Texas Moms Fight for Better Breastfeeding Law. But it’s going to take more than laws to change consumer attitudes and create the kind of total seal change in the way we view and support breastfeeding and moms that we so desperately need. If that’s all that it took, then decades after being told about the health benefits of eating more vegetables, most Americans would be heeding that standard — we still don’t eat enough. And legislation making sexual harassment a form of discrimination would have sufficed to eradicate it from our work spaces — it still takes oodles of employee training, education, and cultural indoctrination to reset behavioral norms. Since we entered the breastfeeding conversation in 2007, Best for Babes has consistently framed breastfeeding as more than a question of the legal right to nurse in public or even as a reproductive right. As a behavior that benefits our collective and individual welfare, breastfeeding is also a shared responsibility, and as such, a human and a civil right. Looking at breastfeeding through the human rights lens helps us go beyond the “legal” issue and get to the moral issue that will drive systemic and cultural change: human milk is so precious and beneficial to us all, that helping moms to breastfeed or have access to donor milk, if needed, is more appropriately a question of social responsibility –like preventing forest fires, educating children, or fighting poverty, hunger and disease. By definition, human rights (and its subclass of civil rights) protect our inalienable rights to dignity, safety, health and life, and to be treated fairly and as equals. Protecting a mom’s basic human right to nourish her baby optimally, and a baby’s basic human right to be nourished optimally, falls squarely within those parameters. Seeing breastfeeding as a human rights issue for children is not a novel concept. The Convention on the Rights of the Child is an international treaty declaring eating a human right for a child. Not surprisingly, the U.S. along with Somalia, are the only countries who have not signed on. Our mother’s and babies should not be discriminated against for exercising their human and instinctive right to breastfeed. And yet, as our Nursing In Public Harassment Hotline proves, daily and in droves, moms are being harassed and discriminated against for following an innate and prescribed behavior that will help ensure their and her baby’s best health. Civil rights are also intended to guard against infringements by both government and the private sector that compromise an individual’s freedom of thought and choice. In the current climate, that freedom is being severely compromised. The infant feeding industry has been hijacked by big business (Big Formula) for the benefit of profit and shareholders. Their predatory and unfair marketing practices rob moms of the freedom to make an informed feeding decision and are largely responsible for the inordinate number of breastfeeding failures. Study after study points to the corrosive effect of formula marketing on breastfeeding initiation and success. Read: the Save the Children Report citing unfair formula marketing as a major barrier to breastfeeding. Read: What is the WHO-Code? And we will emphasize here again, that it is not formula per se, but the aggressive marketing of formula that subverts and sabotages breastfeeding that is the problem. Getting back to framing breastfeeding as a civil liberty, formula manufacturers love to ring the Freedom of Choice bell and co-opt that argument to fit their bill. Big Formula spends billions per year ($50 Billion) to perpetuate a marketing fiction to convince moms that choosing their product is a testimony to the exercise of that freedom. Read: Defeating the Formula Death Star. They want moms to believe that formula-feeding is about exercising personal choice, about which a new mom shouldn’t feel guilty, and over which they emerge as her new “BFF” and “savior.” Nothing could be farther from the truth. True “friends” don’t wreck your chances of succeeding at something, throw their arm around you when you predictably fail, tell you not to feel guilty — “after all you tried Sweetie,” then take your money with the other. The formula industry plays the guilt card like Yo Yo Ma plays a Bach Cello Suite and their rewards are equally grand. The “we are here for you mom” campaign yields approximately $8-$10 billion per year profit. Breastfeeding advocates, educators, scientists, and practitioners, make next to nothing when moms achieve their personal goals. We can attest to that personally. So what kind of a society are we? America is a country that prides itself on liberty and freedom and change and great reversals of course to fulfill those promises –cue the Women’s Suffrage and the Civil Rights Movements. We can do this! Let’s make healthy food for infants, children and adults top of our national priority list – a shared responsibility for the betterment of our individual and collective health –and precipitate our laws, policies, and norms to shift to accommodate our shared goal. Let’s no longer seek to ostracize mothers who breastfeed but rather embrace, cheer and celebrate them! Let’s no longer longer tolerate infringements on our personal freedoms and on our personal health for the benefit of big business. Imagine the laws and the infrastructure that might follow that paradigm shift — paid parental leave? On-site daycare? Routine post-partum home visits by qualified lactation professionals covered by all insurance? Greater access to breastfeeding care for low-income and minority women? More affordable and accessible healthy foods? These practices are already standard in many countries that score high on health indices and on quality of life indices. Reframing breastfeeding as a social responsibility — not just a right — will help to deliver the change we need. What are we waiting for? Do you think breastfeeding is a social responsibility and a human right? To learn more about how you can get involved or support the Mother of All Causes visit www.bestforbabes.org/take-action. You might also like: A Mom With a New Baby Needs Your Help! Science You Can Use: Can skin-to-skin and laid-back ... Real Princesses Do Breastfeed, Even Twins! Should World Breastfeeding Week & Awareness Month be Moved? Lack of Breastfeeding is a Key Factor in Autoimmune & ... LinkWithin Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger... This entry was posted in Advocacy, Aggressive Formula Marketing, Main Content, Take Action and tagged Best for Babes Take Action, Booby Traps, Breastfeeding Civil Right, Breastfeeding Human Right, Breastfeeding Social Responsibility, Convention on the Rights of the Child, donor milk, Farm Aid, First Food, Human milk, predatory formula marketing, Rights of the Child, Save the Children Breastfeeding Report, thrive. Bookmark the permalink. ← From Karo Syrup to Goat Milk – The Formulas Change, but the Booby Traps Remain the Same One Response to Is Breastfeeding a Legal Right? Civil Right? Or a Social Responsibility? Jennie Bever Babendure says: April 3, 2013 at 9:53 pm Beautiful post! Sharing widely!!! Reply Leave a Reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Name * Email * Website Comment You may use these HTML tags and attributes:

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What is the WHO Code and why is it important?

Defeating The Formula Death Star: Using Social Media to Advocate for the WHO Code Posted April 1st, 2013 by Jeanette McCulloch and Amber McCann As presented at the 8th Breastfeeding and Feminism Symposium: March 21, 2013 “Oh no. It looks like the Death Star.” – WHO Code advocate Last year, the world’s largest infant formula company, Nestle, rolled out a new center for managing its social media, described by Reuters as Nestle’s site for reaching consumers and “engaging with the online enemy.” Nestle’s new “digital acceleration center,” designed to both reach consumers and manage conflict, “looks like mission control” with walls of screens where red lights flash when online dissent is detected. Advocates for the fair marketing of formula were disheartened but not surprised to see this well-funded effort to reach mothers and diffuse controversy. How infant feeding choices are marketed matters. It matters enough that formula companies are reported to spend more than $50 million annually in the US alone. It matters enough that the World Health Organization developed an entire set of rules (known as the WHO Code) around how formula should – and should not – be marketed worldwide. Now, the efforts to ensure accurate information about feeding choices have moved online to social media. Those that defend those rules – WHO Code advocates – are working to ensure that those rules are upheld online. But defenders of the WHO Code are up against formula companies that are better-funded and are using the most up-to-date tools and strategies for reaching mothers using the Internet. Sound like David and Goliath? Once you see the technological power of the digital acceleration team, you will see why the online efforts of the formula companies feels like the Death Star of the Star Wars franchise fame. This “formula Death Star” is not going unchallenged. Using the incredible capacity of social media for the advocacy, education, and the mobilization of grassroots efforts, a rag-tag group of rebel forces–online WHO Code activists–are working to protect the WHO Code and breastfeeding families everywhere. What is the WHO Code? The International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes (commonly called the WHO Code) was written with the goal of reducing the impact of marketing practices that aim to mislead new and expectant mother into believing that infant formula is nutritionally, immunologically, and otherwise comparable to breastmilk. Despite common misconceptions, the code DOES NOT limit access to or use of formula or related products. The code addresses marketing–and for good reason. When marketing spending on formula goes up, breastfeeding rates go down. The WHO Code was written and adopted in 1981 by the World Health Organization by a vote of 118 to 1 (the United States cast the lone dissenting vote). Thirty-two countries have adopted the code as national law, with 76 others adopting portions of it as law. Ethically and morally, the code should be considered worldwide, even where it has not yet been adopted as law. As providers who work with women, we believe in their capacity to make the best choices for their families, when presented with evidence-based information. If that’s our goal, we have two options: • We can increase marketing budgets for breastfeeding to the levels of formula companies. In the past years, they have spent at least $50 million..OR • We can uphold the WHO Code. We want to make abundantly clear that our support of the WHO Code comes from a desire to ensure ALL families have good information, not from any motivation to instill guilt or shame in families who use formula. The WHO Code does not limit options for mothers. It takes away the barriers to informed choice. As Bettina Forbes of Best for Babes puts it: “The only people who should feel guilty are those who know about the negative impact of formula marketing and do it anyway.” Meeting Us Where We Are Means Using Social Media Social media represents a revolution in communication that rivals the introduction of the printing press. For those of us of childbearing age, the notion of checking into Facebook on our iPhones, tweeting a photo of our dessert or going to Pinterest for a classic recipe instead of our family cookbooks, is second nature. Ninety-three percent of the “Millennial Generation” (those born after 1982 and who “get” technology because they grew up with it being an integral part of their lives) are communicating online, and in the United States, nearly 3 of 4 of them are using a social networking Website, such as Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest. While the stereotype of the white, suburban mom certainly exists, we access social media widely, regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. We as mothers are the “power users” of social media…and marketers know it! These changes are having a significant impact on how we talk about, learn about, and share information around birth and breastfeeding. More than half of all women responding to one survey expressed their intention to share their birth experience, as it happens, on social media. Moreover, time online increases after the birth—44% of US women spend more time online after a new baby is born, and the likelihood that a new mother will seek breastfeeding information and support online is high. We Are Seeking Information About Health Care — Including Breastfeeding — Online Research tells us that health care providers continue to be the “first choice for most people with health concerns, but online resources, including advice from peers, are a significant source of health information in the United States.” Eighty percent of U. S. Internet users have sought health care information online, and birth and related topics are an area of focus. We are using social media not only to seek information online, but we are also sharing our knowledge with others . . . and our iPhones make it as easy as sending a tweet or replying to a Facebook status update. The savvy marketers at corporations who produce infant formulas are fully aware of these changes. We argue that it is our responsibility, as advocates for breastfeeding families, to understand these changes. We know that there is POWER in using social media to reach and rise up and converse with mothers to affect change. Formula Companies Are Making Significant Investments In Social Media Savvy institutions understand what we’d teach in any “Social Media 101” presentation: social media is an unprecedented tool for listening to and engaging with an audience. Nestle has become a leading example of the use of social media both to reach consumers and to manage conflict and dissent. Nestle is the world’s largest food company and is also among the world’s most controversial corporations. Nestle was founded on the formulation of artificial infant milk. However, Nestle is not alone in its use of social media to reach parents. 10 out 11 infant formula brands commonly available in the United States, have a social media presence. Examples of their use included Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, YouTube channels, mobile apps, sponsored reviews on blogs, and interactive websites. How Do the TOP Breastfeeding Profiles Stack Up? Nestle and other formula companies have used large budgets to build their audiences. While overall marketing budgets are not generally available, at least $50 million was spent on formula advertising in 2004 and Nestle has been reported to have doubled their social media spending in recent years. Compare this to the resources of top breastfeeding organizations. La Leche League International, the breastfeeding advocacy organization with the most significant financial resources had total revenues of $1.5 million in 2011 and spent a little over $115,000 on “public relations, external relations, and advocacy.” Other organizations, like KellyMom, Best for Babes, and Breastfeeding USA have small budgets and rely largely on volunteer efforts. The result? Although all of these organizations make a significant impact on the women they reach, compare the total number of all of their followers on Facebook: about 145,000 as of this writing, to that of Gerber (the Nestle owned brand that manufactures Good Start formula) at more than five million followers. Nestle has used its significant financial resources to hire social media experts and develop tools that have made it a shining example of effective corporate social media strategy. Nestle’s “Digital Acceleration Team” has a trained staff that monitors every mention of Nestle’s brands across various social media platforms. Team members identify negative “emerging issues” by the volume of mentions and respond to those with a high level of engagement with a scripted playbook for team members. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktsMa8hfgY0 The Formula Death Star, as it has become known to WHO Cde activists, can feel overwhelming, both because it limits our capacity to reach families and because it can feel impossible to influence change at the world’s largest food company. However, it is encouraging to remember that Nestle developed these tools in response to its inability to manage an onslaught of angry advocates and consumers. In 2010, Greenpeace activists were able to enact significant changes in how Nestle sources palm oil, thanks to a YouTube video spoof that garnered over 1.5 million views, along with a resulting social media campaign that netted more than 200,000 e-mail complaints. Policy change at Nestle, based on calls from all of us, is possible. Examples of Efforts to Support the WHO Code Online Although Nestle may have the Death Star, rebel forces are pulling together to provide much needed social media support for the WHO Code. A recent campaign demonstrates the power of social media to organize individuals, even without an official organizing body like Greenpeace. A blog post exposing that the Pan-American Health Organization — the regional representative in the Americas for the World Health Organization–accepted more than $150,000 in donations from Nestle sparked outrage among activists who were concerned that the fox was helping to buy the hen house. Within days, a private Facebook group was birthed and experienced rapid growth to 400 members, now at almost 1000 members as of this writing. Each day, members were given specific action steps, including suggested scripts for tweets directed at PAHO and WHO. Members shared impromptu trainings on Twitter use and etiquette, researched the money trail, and quickly developed strategy, including a decision to target WHO and call for a rejection of the Nestle funding. The result: A relatively small group of consumers and advocates, through the use of Facebook and Twitter alone, were able to force the World Health Organization to respond. More importantly, the group began to organize and mobilize motivated individuals (including breastfeeding professionals, volunteers, families, researchers, and advocates!) who will come to the next battle more organized and prepared to engage. How The Rebel Forces Can Defeat The Death Star As the Greenpeace example shows, social media provides all of us with a unique opportunities to influence how companies do business. With ongoing support to the rebel forces, much-needed pressure can be put on Nestle to change its policies; but this will not come without significant work. Some areas that need support: Ongoing consumer support and education around the WHO Code: In our experience, families generally are unaware of the WHO Code, or, if they have heard of it, they believe that it limits access to formula rather than limiting the marketing of breastmilk substitutes. The importance of the WHO Code needs to be distilled into social media-friendly images and infographics to build awareness and support for all future efforts. Ongoing education of maternal health advocates. The WHO Code is about more than just breastfeeding. Anyone concerned with infant and maternal health should be aware of and providing support for the adoptions and enforcement of the WHO Code worldwide. Bring even more social media savvy to the table. After Nestle’s run-in with Greenpeace, it brought in a top notch social media strategist to revamp its approach and provide training for its social media team. Nestle uses sophisticated tools to monitor and respond to issues. The Friends of the WHO Code–and any group hoping to use social media for impact–needs people on hand who are savvy in the use of social media and the funding for some basic tools to make the job collaborative. Keep doing what we know best. One the greatest results of the PAHO/WHO crisis was the assembly of a worldwide community with much work still to do. This and other groups need to use traditional community organizing strategies, incorporating social media to create a more level playing field. To learn more about what you can do to help promote the WHO Code through social media, join the group “Friends of the WHO Code” on Facebook. An earlier version of this post originally appeared in Science and Sensibility. You might also like: Read more: http://www.momsrising.org/blog/defeating-the-formula-death-star-using-social-media-to-advocate-for-the-who-code/#ixzz2PGC4jDLa