Breastfeeding Tips

Here is the thing with breastfeeding. Now this comes from my personal experience of breastfeeding 4 babies. I breastfed my first one for 4 months. (I should have kept going!) When I brought this kid home from the hospital he was being a stinker about latching on. I thought he would starve, so I gave him a bottle. Then the next time I wanted to breastfeed him it was even harder, and again gave another bottle! It was horrible, my size B cup breasts turned into hard, huge, watermelons! It was insane and so painful. I was miserable, my husband was clueless, and my mother was no help. (she had her kids in the 60's and no one was breastfeeding then. She tried, but was told I wasn't gaining enough weight, so her Peditrician made her quit. After a few years she realized I was just a small person. I mean I graduated from high school weighing 98lbs. I also started my first pregancy at 100 lbs. I am much older now, but only weigh 112 lbs.skinny genes.) OK, so back to the stinker of a firstborn. This kid figured out that he could get the bottle if he refused the breast! This 3 day old baby was smarter than his 25 year old mother. I thought I would just quit breastfeeding. But, I called a lactation nurse and cried to her about how horrible and miserable it was. I also had a fever from being so engorged. She said, "Kathy, throw all the bottles away. Put that baby skin to skin on your chest. Offer him the breast every 15 minutes. Eventually, he will latch on. He will not let himself starve." I thought, "OK, I will give it a shot. One last shot." Sure as Sh*t he latched in less than 2 hours of doing this! He latched and ate like a little piggy. Never gave him another bottle for a couple of months and he breastfeed without another issue. Funny thing is, we again tried bottles at about 3 months old so we could go to the movies and my mother could feed him. Guess what? He refused the bottle the same why he refused the breast at 3 days old! My poor mother couldn't wait for us to get home from the movies. That son of mine is now 25 years old. I don't even think he knows this story.

What Is An Apgar Score?

Simple Explanation For A Newborn With Blue Hands and Blue Feet

Have you ever noticed a brand new baby has blue hands and feet? Well, they do. When the baby is born, his entire circulatory system has to make a significant change. The baby takes his first breath and his body needs to begin to oxygenate. If you look at the newborn the minute they are born their body, hands, head, feet, etc. are all blue. As the baby begins to cry (which we want them to do) they "pink up." As they pink up the oxygen rich blood begins circulating. This is a very big deal. The heart, liver, lungs, brain, etc. (the vital organs) are fed this blood flow first. This is because we cannot live without our vital organs. We can live without our hands and feet. So, those furthest extremities are provided circulation last. Your baby may have blue hands and feet for several hours or even a few days. It is not anything to be alarmed by. 

This photo below shows the blue lower legs and feet on a newborn. 

Now here is where the Apgar Score comes in;

This scoring is a visual test done by the nurse/Doctor/Midwife. They are looking and assessing the newborn. The infant gets a score at 1 minute and at 5 minutes. If your baby delivers and is feisty, and crying, the score will be 8 or 9. The only time this score "really matters" Is if your baby is a "bad" baby, meaning he is having distress and isn't moving, crying, or has a slow or no heart rate.

So, what do you really need to know about all this? If your baby gets a score of  8 at the one minute mark, he is only losing 2 points. And if he is crying and moving, etc, but he is blue everywhere, he is losing the 2 points on color. If he gets 9, he has become pink everywhere, but those extremities (hands, lower legs, feet, etc.)


Hope this simple explanation helps you understand the scoring.


See more on my website. www.lets-have-a-baby.com

Baby Is Overdue

This picture and saying is worth reading and thinking about. My first child was 10 days past his due date. I was induced, and the induction went very well. My body was ready. I arrived at the hospital at 0700 and he was born at 4:20 pm. I even pushed for 3 hours. So, for a first baby and an induction this was incredibly fast!

I encourage everyone to ask their doctor to allow them to wait as long as possible before they induce. They can send you for daily NST 's to assure that your baby is still doing great inside of your uterus. Know your stuff, do your research and please don't induce because you are tired of being pregnant. Talk with your Midwife or OB. You need to be your own advocate.

There are Dr's that will induce you because you are whining, or because you can't sleep, or your are uncomfortable. Most doctors don't want you to wind up with a C-section, but MANY do not care. It truly isn't a big deal for them to "cut you". They get in and out within an hour. I know most woman trust their Doctor, and you should. But, ask questions, be patient, and although the end of pregnancy sucks, you will get through it.

Enjoy the last days of pregnancy, You will miss feeling that baby move inside of you. Relish that time.