Author Archives: Helen Moon

Yeast Infection’s

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Having recently worked with a little boy who had terrible issues with yeast infections, which came from the surrogate who was pumping breast milk for him, I wanted to post this information for you so that everyone is aware of what causes the yeast infection and what it looks like.

Here is an amazing site that gives you all the information on what a yeast infection looks like in your baby  and how to care for it.

breastfeedingbasics.com

Another important thing to do is to make sure anything that comes in contact with Mom’s breast or baby’s mouth is sterilized adequately. The best  way to do this is to actually boil everything for 10minutes in a saucepan.

What is the latest on goats milk formula

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Goat’s Milk and Your Baby – Is Goat’s Milk Good for Lactose Intolerant Babies?
Parents of lactose intolerant infants, or infants with a cow’s milk protein allergy, often wonder if their babies might benefit from goat’s milk.

A lactose intolerant baby, and even a baby with a cow milk protein allergy, may benefit from goat milk based food products. Many parents have been told that goat’s milk may settle easier and also digest easier in the tummy of a baby with a known lactose intolerance. However, goat’s milk is not lactose free; it actually contains lactose and not all babies will benefit from goat milk based foods.
As mentioned, goat’s milk is NOT lactose free but it does contain less lactose than cow’s milk. The lactose level in goat’s milk is only slightly lower than the lactose found in cow’s milk. The main benefit of using goat’s milk for babies who may have a cow milk allergy or lactose intolerance, is the make up of the goat’s milk proteins and fats.

The big advantage of goat’s milk is that it is said to contain less “allergenic” proteins. The proteins in goats milk form smaller “curds” as the stomach acids bind to the proteins and then begin digestion. This makes the proteins found in goat’s milk more easily digested in baby’s tummy. For an infant who might have a cow’s milk allergy to cow’s milk proteins, goat’s milk may also settle better in baby’s tummy.

Goat’s milk also has a different fat makeup when compared to cow’s milk. A baby with a cow milk allergy or even reflux might benefit from goat’s milk due to its fats.

Rear-facing seats until age 2, not 1

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Children should ride in rear-facing car seats longer, until they are 2 years old instead of 1, according to updated advice from a medical group and a federal agency.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued separate but consistent new recommendations Monday.

Both organizations say older children who’ve outgrown front-facing car seats should ride in booster seats until the lap-shoulder belt fits them. Booster seats help position adult seat belts properly on children’s smaller frames. Children usually can graduate from a booster seat when their height reaches 4 feet 9 inches.

Children younger than 13 should ride in the back seat, the guidelines from both groups say.

The advice may seem extreme to some parents, who may imagine trouble convincing older elementary school kids — as old as 12 — to use booster seats.

But it’s based on evidence from crashes. For older children, poorly fitting seat belts can cause abdominal and spine injuries in a crash.

One-year-olds are five times less likely to be injured in a crash if they are in a rear-facing car seat than a forward-facing seat, according to a 2007 analysis of five years of U.S. crash data.

Put another way, an estimated 1,000 children injured in forward-facing seats over 15 years might not have been hurt if they had been in a car seat facing the back, said Dr. Dennis Durbin, lead author of the recommendations and a pediatric emergency physician at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Toddlers have relatively large heads and small necks. In a front-facing car seat, the force of a crash can jerk the child’s head causing spinal cord injuries.

Car seats have recommended weights printed on them. If a 1-year-old outweighs the recommendation of an infant seat, parents should switch to a different rear-facing car seat that accommodates the heavier weight until they turn 2, the pediatricians group says.

Luckily for parents, most car seat makers have increased the amount of weight the seats can hold. This year, about half of infant rear-facing seats accommodate up to 30 pounds, Durbin said. Ten years ago, rear-facing car seats topped out at children weighing 22 pounds.

“The good news is it’s likely parents currently have a car seat that will accommodate the change,” Durbin said.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations appear Monday in the journal Pediatrics.

Oh my engorged breasts!

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Engorgement is not fun! You’ve been feeding your baby day and night hoping he/she gets enough to eat then by day 4 or 5 your milk suddenly comes in. Breast engorgement occurs when milk replaces colostrum and the milk supply increases quicker than your baby’s appetite. Your breasts may feel overfull, warm, hard, tender, or very painful. Engorgement may tighten the areola, flatten the nipple, and make latch-on difficult for the baby. You may also be having a hard time sleeping during those precious few hours of sleep you get. What can you do to relieve the pain?

One of the best ways to relieve some of the pain is to use warm compresses for atleast 15mins before each feed. I have found the most effective compress is to actually use one of your baby’s diapers. Run warm water (not too hot you don’t want to burn your nipples) on to the inside of the diaper, then wrap the diaper around your breasts. You can actually use the the tabs to hold it in place. or just keep it in place with your bra. It will feel so good to have the warmth on your breasts and it also helps with the flow of the milk when your baby is feeding. Another way to do this would be to have a hot shower before you feed your baby, but this isn’t so easy to do before every feed. However when you do have the opportunity to take a shower, make it as hot as you can tolerate and massage your breasts while you are in there. It is fine for some of the milk to leak out, this will actually give you a little relief. Then feed your baby as quickly as you can straight after the shower.

If you nipples are flattened or so hard your baby is having a hard time latching on you can try to compress the areola to soften the nipple area. You can also twiddle the nipple a little to try to make it stand out so your baby can latch on. If that doesn’t work,  you may need to pump for a minute to pull your nipple out far enough for you baby to latch on. Don’t pump for more than a minute as you don’t want to increase your milk production.

Then after your baby has had a full feeding you can use a cold compress to get a little relief. (a bag of frozen peas works wonders) To help avoid getting plugged milk ducts and mastitis, it is best to wear loose fitting bras and clothing. The engorgement should subside within  5 days, then you will notice your breasts become heavier before each feed and feel less full after a feeding.

If you get a fever at any time you should call your doctor immediately. If you notice any hard lumps you should try massaging them as you feed your baby and definitely while having a shower. This is a sign of a blocked duct and you need to work it out before you get an infection. Your baby breast feeding will help this, but the warm compress and massage will help to remove it quicker. If one breast is lumpier than the other then let your baby nurse a little longer on that side during one feeding to help relieve it. Don’t however do this at every feed as you will end up looking lopsided as one breast will produce more milk than the other!

Remember this is just temporary and you will be past it soon. Breast feeding is a joy after this.

I always recommend starting to pump when your baby is about 10-14 days old. If you are heading back to work and need to build up a little supply pumping once or twice a day will give you a little head start. The best time to pump is in the morning.