Breastfeeding By Design

03/20/2023

Skin to skin contains to be best for mom and newborn

Milia föddes två månader för tidigt, men har varken lagts i kuvös eller skiljts från sina föräldrar. Istället har Milia fått ligga hud mot hud med både mamma och pappa sedan födelseögonblicket. Det tack vare ett nytt arbetssätt som används på sjukhusen i Gävle och Hudiksvall.

– Personalen är helt otroliga. Förlossningen var tidig och oväntad, men ändå lugn och trygg, säger Milias mamma Sophia Pihlajainen.

Ett nyfött barn behöver uppleva närhet och få värme, även om det fötts för tidigt eller är sjukt. Det nya arbetssättet innebär att det nyfödda barnet läggs direkt efter födseln på mammans bröst där det får stanna, där får barnet också den vård de behöver. Hud- mot hudmetoden började som ett projekt men är nu ett etablerat arbetssätt inom BB, förlossningen och kvinnosjukvården i Region Gävleborg. Vinsten är friskare barn och mammor och trygga familjer.

– Anknytningen mellan barnet och mamman påverkas positivt. Det leder till kortare vårdtider och hela familjen känner sig trygg och nöjd, säger barnsköterskan Stina Lundin på neonatalavdelningen i Gävle.

– Det vi kan se är att vi har färre inlagda barn med låg kroppstemperatur och kuvöserna används nu alltmer sällan, säger Jennika Pettersson som varit projektledare.

Läs mer om projektet och bakgrunden till det: https://www.regiongavleborg.se/nyheter/noll-separation-ger-friskare-barn-och-trygga-familjer/

12/22/2022

Help a mama out, Santa. 🙏

12/02/2022

To the mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and families of the heart, we need to be the village to support all moms in this disconnected world. You can be families of the heart to support your neighbor, the mom in the store the stranger on the plane. Look for opportunities to support other women regardless of where you are. We are the village that everyone needs

11/30/2022

Wonderful

I don’t miss the woman I was before kids.⁣
⁣
Because now my days have a different purpose.⁣
⁣
Yes, I had “me time,”⁣
because now I have little feet following my every move,⁣
little noses smooshed against the glass while I shower,⁣
little hands tugging on my shirt as I brush my teeth,⁣
needing something.⁣
⁣
Yes, I got to sleep in on weekends,⁣
because now I wake up to my children’s voices screaming “MOMMY!” at the crack of dawn.⁣
⁣
Yes, I got to go for a jog whenever I felt like it⁣
because now I take walks with my children and it’s not as peaceful.⁣
⁣
Yes, I could dine out with my partner on a whim,⁣
because now, I tuck my kids in and read them a story.⁣
⁣
But I don’t miss the woman I was before kids.⁣
⁣
Because being needed is a gift,⁣
their voices light up my world even in the early hours,⁣
seeing nature through their eyes is pure joy,⁣
and getting to be the last words they hear before they close their eyes is a highlight of my day.⁣
⁣
Motherhood has made me into a better me. ⁣
A me, who appreciates the small moments,⁣
where “I love yous” fill my ears,⁣
where hugs and kisses make my heart burst,⁣
and where I connect with my mom on a whole new level.⁣
⁣
And these moments beat out the ones where I want to run away, am exhausted, and feel like I’m doing it all wrong.⁣
⁣
The truth is I’m forever changed because of my kids,⁣
and though I miss small parts, because motherhood’s a lot at times,⁣
I don’t miss the woman I once was.⁣
⁣
Because in mothering, I found a better 𝘮𝘦.

📸: Art By Naava Katz • LoveNaava.com

11/22/2022

I know how she felt. When I was able to bring my NICU baby home I was finally able to rest. Of course the alarm went off at 3 hours for feeding

11/22/2022

Love this

11/20/2022

Wonderful pictures and truth of the joys and toils of breastfeeding. Thank you Casey and Jody Rauch

11/20/2022

Your baby is not a piece of fruit. He does not spoil.

They put me in my crib and closed the door, it was all dark.
At first I didn't understand much so a little restless, I started calling my parents.
I felt a door opening "what a treat they finally come to get me", I heard his voice from afar telling me... "shu shu to rest".
Everything was still dark and I felt alone “I'm going to call my parents”. Again from afar I heard a… “shu shu to rest”
Nobody has given me a hug, I don't see my mom's face “what happened? Have I misbehaved?
Again from afar they tell me... "shu shu to rest"
I start to cry very hard, maybe they can't find me and that's why they haven't come looking for me. But the minutes go by and I still don't see my parents. From afar I keep hearing… “shu shu to rest”.
I cry with all my might, I move, I kick looking for my mother's arms “where are they? I will continue crying, I know they love me and they will come looking for me.
It went on all night and no one came to rescue me. I must have behaved very badly.
It's been a week and they still haven't heard me cry. Tonight they put me in my crib and I stayed very quiet almost without complaining, no matter how much I scream, no one will come looking for me. I'll keep quiet in the dark, waiting for a hug from my parents, a kiss from mom. I hope tonight if they come looking for me.

Perhaps if we think about how that child feels that they lock up in the dark, without tools to get out of the crib and claim what belongs to him: the love of his parents, we will stop thinking for a minute that it is okay to let him cry. Your son does not manipulate you, your son cries because it is his only way of communicating. When we do sleep training where we let our son cry, he doesn't learn to sleep, he learns that no matter how much he screams, no one will come looking for him.
I know you are tired parents. I know you've been told you're going to spoil him. I know you're afraid that maybe you're going to get used to it badly.
But I assure you that no one deserves to cry, without comfort, locked up in the dark. Your son loves you and will never manipulate you, sooner rather than later he will leave your bed and never come back. I know you love them too

✍️:

10/20/2022

Funny how Mother Nature takes care of mother and baby.

If we aren’t suppose to feed our babies at night then why is prolactin, the hormone responsible for milk production, highest at night? If we aren’t suppose to feed our babies at night then why does our milk have a higher fat content at night? If we aren’t suppose to feed our babies at night then why does our milk contain hormones and other properties that are specific or increased at nighttime that are necessary for a baby's function and development? If we aren’t suppose to feed our babies at night then why does breastmilk at night contain tryptophan, an amino acid that helps babies make melatonin which helps babies develop their circadian rhythm which gives babies the ability to distinguish day from night (which babies are born without)?

Think about that. Your nighttime milk helps your baby recognize the difference between day and night which could help your baby sleep better and more “scheduled.” Isn’t that the reason they tell mothers to stop feeding their babies at night, so they can sleep better and more “scheduled?”

I think the question we should be asking is… if our milk is so obviously designed this way, then why are mothers constantly being told to stop feeding their babies at night?

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09/28/2022

“I took my sons (pictured here 12yo & 10yo) to the zoo this week. A mama gorilla was very tenderly nursing her 2-year-old baby.

A young male zookeeper was there, answering questions. He looked fresh out of college and a bit awkward, but was very enthusiastic about the animals.

My 10-year-old son asked him: “How long do baby gorillas nurse for?”

The zookeeper responded: “Oh, usually about 3 to 5 years. Do you have any guesses as to why humans don’t *usually* breastfeed their babies that long?”

My knee-jerk reaction was to be mortified that this young man was about to say something ignorant. My 12 and 10-year-old sons froze, unsure of how to answer the question.

Thankfully, the young zookeeper didn’t skip a beat. He immediately answered his own question:

“Because, sadly, the human community doesn’t help out human mothers in the same way that the gorilla community helps out gorilla mothers. All the gorillas in the group look after the baby and support the mama. This way, the mama gorilla can get the breaks and rest she needs. You see, all of the gorillas work together to make sure the baby can get the healthiest start possible.”

Words and picture from Jess K. Thank you for allowing me to share!

**This is in no way to shame non-breastfeeding parents. Just sharing a very interesting story about gorillas and how long they feed their babies!**

04/30/2022

‘I've been rocking and cuddling my baby to sleep since that day he was born. I mentioned this to a nurse at my clinic recently. She said that she did the same thing with her son, and everyone warned her that she would still have a teenager sleeping in her bed. And then she told me that, a few weeks ago, her teenage son came home from school very upset. He didn't want to talk, and just went to his room and listened to his music, typed on his phone and cried. The mother gave her son space, and night time came and she went to bed. Just as she was about to turn off her side light, the door opened, and her 15 year old padded into the room. He climbed into the bed with her, laid his head on her shoulder and cried. He told her all about the girl that broke his heart, all about the friends who laughed, all about the stresses of being him. She told him about her first broken heart, about friends who'd been cruel, and told him she understands. They talked in the dark for hours, until he feel asleep in her bed. Still sad but relieved after their talk.
'So you see' she said to me, when she finished the story. 'I was so scared that I wound wind up with a teenager who would 'need me' at night, that I never stopped to consider how beautiful that would really be.' 🌟
One of my favourite stories ever. Had to .
Words by the beautiful

04/22/2022

And his hot sweaty body

Relatable! .bel

02/08/2020

Sniff away Moms

There’s something so rewarding about smelling a newborn’s head. And there’s a reason for that - sniffing a newborn’s head is the same as taking drugs!

02/06/2020

Hope this remains true

A new bipartisan bill aims to tighten the laws protecting breastfeeding employees’ right to pump at work. The Providing Urgent Maternal Protections (PUMP) for Nursing Mothers Act was introduced in the Senate this month by Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and then in the Hous...

12/18/2019

Truth

12/06/2019

Wouldn't this be fantastic

Crestwood Medical Center is adding NICU bays that will allow parents to stay with their newborns.