Healthy Pregnancy

A mother asks, “I am returning back to work soon and my 3 month old baby girl will not take a bottle. What can I do?”

It’s really terrific that you have been exclusively breastfeeding your daughter! It can be challenging to transition back to the workplace, so it’s great that you are being thoughtful about helping your baby learn about another way to receive your milk. It is normal for a 3 month old baby to initially refuse a bottle. It is a foreign object to her. Remember, she doesn’t know what a bottle is! Even if she had been given a bottle every day since she was born, she may still refuse at about 3 months. This is the age when babies can start taking more control of their world!

My best advice to you is to take it slowly, make it fun, be creative, and give her control. Babies are naturally curious and use their mouths to explore. If she sees the bottle as just another play-thing, she will be more accepting. Try other liquids. Make it surprising, novel and interesting. Try water or very diluted apple juice when introducing a bottle. Or use breast milk—but very cold. Some babies will only take a bottle if they are distracted with TV, toys or going for a walk. Try making the bottle very UNlike the breast, and you may be more successful. Some babies never drink from a bottle but do very well with a cup, so be sure to give that a try.

Whichever method you and baby choose, patience will win over force. Good luck!

Written by Renee Beebe, M.Ed., IBCLC. Renee is a lactation consultant in private practice in Seattle, Washington. She is available for home/hospital visits and phone consultations. Renee can be reached at www.second9months.com

If you’re expecting twins, you may be wondering…Is it possible to breastfeed twins? Can my body make enough milk for two babies? Can I really nourish my babies without using formula? The answers are yes, yes and yes!

You body is made to breastfeed! It expects to breastfeed. And when you are carrying twins, your body knows you have twins and transmits the information to your breasts. Before you even give birth, your breasts are gearing up for double duty! In fact, research shows that moms of twins produce more than twice as much milk as moms of singletons. Now that’s preparation!

Your Dr., your doula and your childbirth educator may all have told you, “Most women can’t make enough milk for 2 babies.” Don’t believe them! If your body is equipped to breastfeed one baby, it is highly likely that you will have sufficient milk for 2 babies.

Remember the concept of supply and demand. The more your babies breastfeed, the more milk you produce. If your babies can’t breastfeed immediately after birth (or if one baby can’t breastfeed), use a hospital-grade pump to encourage and maintain milk production.

Will breastfeeding be difficult? Not necessarily. But you will be learning about 2 babies at once and learning about breastfeeding at the same time. Without a doubt, there will be a steep learning curve. Once you and the babies have figured it out, however, breastfeeding two will be as easy as breastfeeding one!

Written by Renee Beebe, M.Ed., IBCLC. Renee is a lactation consultant in private practice in Seattle, Washington. She is available for home/hospital visits and phone consultations. Renee can be reached at www.second9months.com

The Birthing Ball is to birth as mother’s milk is to a baby. It’s efficient, incredible and soothing.

It’s one of those things that get you thinking ”whoever designed this ball must be rich,” so I researched it. What we call the birthing ball was developed by an Italian plastics manufacturer   Aquilino Cosani   in 1963. They were originally known as “Pezzi Balls” and were used in treatment programs for newborns & infants by Mary Quinton, a British Physiotherapist, who was working in Switzerland at the time.

Before birth, which is the “I can’t see my feet” time, sitting on the ball helps ease backaches, increases blood flow to the uterus, placenta and baby, and gives support to the mom’s knees and ankles. Just as importantly, it just plain “feels good.”

During labor, the ball can be used in a number of different ways to provide the following benefits:

1.    To help relieve back labor

2.    It encourages rotation of a posterior baby

3.    It helps gravity do its thing and encourages the descent of the baby by enhancing uterine contractions

4.    It conserves energy by getting the mom off her feet

My daughter-in-law uses a ball with her newborn as the rocking motion relaxes her baby, gets the baby to sleep easier than anything else and reduces (my daughter-in-law’s) back fatigue.

This a great tool for pre-birth, during birth and postpartum.

Thank you Mr. Cosani!

To find out about my services, please visit my website at www.janmartinka.com.

You probably already know that childhood obesity has become a serious problem in the United States.  But did you know that formula feeding increases the risk that a child will develop obesity later in life? Breastfeeding your baby significantly decreases the chances that he will become overweight as an adult.  The Centers for Disease control and Prevention have reported:  ”…for each month of exclusive breastfeeding, up to 9 months, the risk of obesity is decreased by 4%.”  In other words, the longer your baby breastfeeds, the less risk of obesity!

Every mother has her own personal reasons for choosing to breastfeed.  Maybe it’s because she is concerned about allergies. Perhaps she knows that formula feeding increases the risk of ear infections or other illness.   Whatever your reasons for breastfeeding, now you have one more.

So keep breastfeeding!   Every month brings new benefits!

For the complete press release: http://conta.cc/93162x.

Written by Renee Beebe, M.Ed., IBCLC. Renee is a lactation consultant in private practice in Seattle, Washington. She is available for home/hospital visits and phone consultations. Renee can be reached at www.second9months.com