Tag: newborn

Skin to skin for the win

- Julie Matheney

Skin to skin contact with baby is not just for bonding, it can help develop a healthy gut and immune system. Babies are born with essentially no microbiome and a very immature immune system. The gut microbiome is a complex ecosystem of millions of microbes and important for development of the immune system. The first microbes to colonize baby’s gut, skin, and mouth help teach the immune system what’s harmful and what’s not. Birth is an incredible process that starts this process. Passage through the birth canal allows baby’s gut to be colonized with healthy bacteria from the vagina. This good bacteria takes residence in baby’s gut to reduce the risk of immune-related diseases, asthma/allergies, inflammatory bowel diseases and obesity. A vaginal birth is not always possible, though. Another way that babies get exposed to this good bacteria, regardless of birth method, is through skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding. Bacteria present in breast milk and on the skin around the nipple have been shown to contribute to this process. Some of the complex sugars in human milk are indigestible in the newborn, but are the perfect food for a subspecies of bacteria that coat intestinal wall, boost digestive function, and provide protection from harmful bacteria. Even if you had a c-section and are not directly breastfeeding, placing your baby in just a diaper on your naked chest helps boost baby’s immune system by exposing them to your good bacteria.

Skin to skin for the win

- Julie Matheney

Skin to skin contact with baby is not just for bonding, it can help develop a healthy gut and immune system. Babies are born with essentially no microbiome and a very immature immune system. The gut microbiome is a complex ecosystem of millions of microbes and important for development of the immune system. The first microbes to colonize baby’s gut, skin, and mouth help teach the immune system what’s harmful and what’s not. Birth is an incredible process that starts this process. Passage through the birth canal allows baby’s gut to be colonized with healthy bacteria from the vagina. This good bacteria takes residence in baby’s gut to reduce the risk of immune-related diseases, asthma/allergies, inflammatory bowel diseases and obesity. A vaginal birth is not always possible, though. Another way that babies get exposed to this good bacteria, regardless of birth method, is through skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding. Bacteria present in breast milk and on the skin around the nipple have been shown to contribute to this process. Some of the complex sugars in human milk are indigestible in the newborn, but are the perfect food for a subspecies of bacteria that coat intestinal wall, boost digestive function, and provide protection from harmful bacteria. Even if you had a c-section and are not directly breastfeeding, placing your baby in just a diaper on your naked chest helps boost baby’s immune system by exposing them to your good bacteria.

The Second Night

- Julie Matheney

Second Night Syndrome : What absolutely every parent should be warned about in pregnancy.

Second night syndrome. I hate the word syndrome. It implies something is wrong. For nine months your baby has been in your belly. Heard your voice. Felt your body move. Listened to the rush of your blood flow past and heard the gurgle of food digesting. Their existence controlled by the cycles of your body. Then the intensity of labor and delivery propels them into a new world that sounds, smells, and moves differently. The sheer exertion of being born often makes babies as tired as their mothers. It is typical for babies to have a deep recovery sleep about 2 hours after birth (after their 1st breastfeed).

On the second night, however, most babies will want to frequently nurse. This helps with two transitions: meconium to soft, seedy yellow poops and colostrum to mature milk. This cluster feeding catches many parents by surprise and leaves them wondering if baby is starving. Unless baby is not latched well or efficiently feeding, this is normal and the cluster feeding will help transition your milk.

Many babies, though, don’t want to be put down during this process. Each time you put them on the breast they nurses for a little bit, go back to sleep and then cry when placed in the crib. A lot of moms are convinced it is because their milk isn’t “in” yet, and baby is starving. It isn’t that, baby’s awareness that the most comforting place is at the breast. It’s the closest to “home”. This is pretty universal among babies. When baby drifts off to sleep at the breast after a good feed, break the suction and take your nipple gently out of their mouth.

This is also protective of SIDS. You’re exhausted from labor and delivery and just want to sleep. But night time is when newborns are most vulnerable to respiratory complications and SIDS. By waking you frequently at night, you are waking frequently to check on the well being of your baby when they’re at their greatest risk of infant death. Waking regularly at night for the first few months to feed also helps babies from getting into too deep of a sleep state which can cause them to stop breathing. Instead of seeing the loss of sleep as a negative for you, consider the positive reason it has for baby.

Don’t try to burp baby, just snuggle baby until they fall into a deep sleep where they won’t be disturbed by being moved. Babies go into a light sleep state (REM) first, and then cycle in and out of REM and deep sleep about every ½ hour or so. If they start to root and act as though they want to go back to breast, that’s fine… this is their way of comforting. During deep sleep, baby’s breathing is very quiet and regular, and there is no movement beneath the eyelids. That is the time to put them down.

Second night syndrome. As described above, when all is going well it is normal for baby’s to cluster feed on the second night to help milk transition and poop out meconium. Some babies do not efficiently feed, though, and intervention may be necessary.

🩺Medical interventions and pain relief during labor and delivery, maternal health complications like PCOS, uncontrolled diabetes or hypothyroidism, or large blood loss during delivery may delay the transition of your milk.

🧸If your baby not latched well, has a tongue tie, or hasn’t figured out how to coordinate sucking to actually transfer milk from the breast, intervention may also be necessary.

🖐🏽The first line of defense is hand expressing your milk frequently. Hands are better at expressing colostrum than a pump, although a pump is a great way to stimulate milk to be made.

🥄Dripping your milk into baby’s mouth from a spoon or small syringe can help jump start the feeding process.

❓If you have any doubt about either your milk supply or your baby’s ability to breastfeed well, reach out to a qualified IBCLC ASAP to get to the root issue and get you back on track.

♥️There is no shame in supplementing your baby if needed during this time of learning. Remember, you can always use your milk first by using your hands or a pump if baby hasn’t figured it out yet.

Why can’t I put my baby down to sleep?

- Julie Matheney

SLEEP IN THE FOURTH TRIMESTER

I was going back through pictures when peach was a tiny baby. I have so many pictures of her sleeping on me. Babies don’t like to be put down, especially in the first 3-4 months. All their instincts and reflexes are designed to get them on a body. Their neurological system is immature at birth and still needs time to develop. Being on your body:

🧠 Accelerates Brain Development: Holding baby on your body increases the development of essential neural pathways, which accelerates brain maturation

🧘🏽‍♀️ Calms, Soothes & Reduces Stress: Having your baby on your body soothes baby so much that babies’ cortisol levels (stress hormone) are measurably lowered after only 20 minutes of being held skin to skin. Babies who are held cry less

🛌 Improves Quality of Sleep: Development of mature brain function in infants depends on the quality of their sleep cycling. During skin to skin, most infants fall asleep easier and achieve “Quiet Sleep” for longer

⚖️Stimulates Digestion & Weight Gain: Reduces cortisol and somatostatin in babies, allowing for better absorption and digestion of nutrients. With a reduction of these hormones, baby’s bodies preserve brown fat (the healthy fat baby was born with), helping to maintain birth weight and maintain body temperature. As a result, baby’s body does not have to burn its own fat stores to stay warm, leading to in better weight gain

💪🏻 Enhances Immune System: Your mature immune system passes antibodies through your skin to baby. Being on your skin also increases baby’s skin hydration

❤️Synchronizes Heart Rate + Breathing: You are a pace maker and a respirator. Your body sets the pace for baby’s body

🔑Promotes Psychological Well-Being: As our babies touch our skin, oxytocin levels rise and stress hormones fall, causing us adults to relax

🥛Milk production: Placing baby in skin to skin on your body for 1 hour a day will show an immediate increase in milk supply

🔥Regulation of Body Temperature: Woman’s breast tissue regulates a baby’s temperature, and can either cool OR heat, a man’s breast tissue only heats baby. Female is thermostat and male is radiator

Vernix, delayed bathing, and breastfeeding

- Julie Matheney
My little Peach right after birth

The vernix caseosa is a greasy, cheese-like coating that covers baby’s skin in the womb to protect their skin from getting pickled by amniotic fluid prior to birth. According to present knowledge, vernix production is unique to humans. At birth, vernix may cover the entire skin surface or only be found in body folds. Its color may actually help indicate intra-uterine problems or disease.

😳In utero: When swallowed by baby in utero, vernix helps:

• Develop the gut

• Prevents loss of electrolytes and fluids

• Seals the skin to prevent the amniotic fluid from turning baby into a raisin

• Acts as a microbial barrier from pathogens

• Protects skin growing underneath it

😳In birth: The oily texture may naturally lubricate the birth canal to reduce friction as baby makes their exit. It can also help with mother’s perineal healing!

😳 In postpartum:

• Vernix protects baby’s skin from drying out

• Reduced risk of bacterial infections

• Help baby retain heat

😳 In breastfeeding: The scent of vernix might be involved in triggering neural connections in babies’ brain needed for breastfeeding. The immune proteins found in vernix and amniotic fluid are similar to those found in breastmilk. Swallowing vernix and amniotic fluid in utero help coat baby’s lungs and digestive tract, preparing the digestive tract for the similar peptides found in breastmilk. The smell may also help baby find the breast!

The majority of the vernix is absorbed within the first day, so so it’s recommended to wait until after the first 24 hours to bathe baby. Vernix doesn’t fully absorb until day 5 or 6, so it’s best to wait until then.

Caffeine and Breast Milk

- Julie Matheney

Caffeine is safe to take while breastfeeding in moderation (up to 300mg per day). Only about 1.5% actually enters breast milk. Caffeine enters your bloodstream about 15 minutes. It peaks in your blood within 60 minutes and has a half-life of 3-5 hours. The half-life is the time it takes for your body to eliminate half of the drug. The remaining caffeine can stay in your body for a long time. The half-life of caffeine is about 97.5 hours in a newborn, 14 hours in a 3-5 month old baby and 3-5 hours in a baby older than 6 months. Because caffeine takes much longer to clear out of a young baby’s system it is possible that high caffeine intake can make a baby irritable. If baby is sensitive to the caffeine now, they may not be when they’re older. Cut caffeine now and try again in a few months.

So if you drink a cup of coffee with 100mg of caffeine at 7am, you’ll have 50mg of caffeine in your bloodstream at 10am. Your baby would get 1.5mg of caffeine.

Every baby is different in how they react to caffeine. If you drank coffee while pregnant, your baby had an IV of caffeine (called the umbilical cord) and is already used to having it in their blood stream. If you didn’t drink coffee or switched to decaf, your baby may have a more noticeable reaction when you drink coffee. When drinking coffee after birth, go low and slow. There’s nothing you can do to decrease caffeine in your system except time. Start with a very small cup first thing in the morning and see how your baby reacts. Drinking your morning cup of coffee while your breastfeeding gives you the most time for the caffeine to peak and start decreasing before your next feeding.

You are what you eat, and so is your baby

- Julie Matheney

Did you know that not only do the volumes of milk produced by the left and right breast differ, the milk made in the left breast can also taste different than that made in the right… during the same feeding!!

What you eat used to change the flavor of your amniotic fluid, exposing baby when they were a fetus to the profile of your diet, preparing them for the flavors they would later experience in your breast milk. Eating a wide variety in your diet while you’re pregnant and breastfeeding exposes your little one to a wide variety of flavors, getting them used to the spices, herbs and tastes of food they will be given when they start table food eaten by your family. The more of a particular food you eat, research says, the better the chance your baby will also like to eat that food.

Eating allergenic foods during pregnancy also protects baby from food allergies, especially if you continue to eat them while breastfeeding suggests new research. So far, there is no evidence that avoiding certain foods while breastfeeding helps prevent baby from developing allergies or asthma. The exception to that might be eczema: avoiding certain foods may reduce the risk of eczema. Allergy studies are challenging because of many factors, including food introduction, genetics, and maternal diet. Most studies conclude that exclusive breastfeeding (even as little as one month) lessens how often some allergies occur. Evidence also suggests that exclusive breastfeeding during the first four months may offer protection against certain types of allergic diseases including cow’s milk allergy and atopic dermatitis. So while oatmeal 24/7 may help increase your milk supply, switch it up for baby’s sake (and yours!!)

Cluster feeding

- Julie Matheney

CLUSTER FEEDING. Two words when paired together that drive fear and trembling to parents. Cluster feeding is NORMAL for ALL breastfed babies. It has nothing to do with your supply. It has nothing to do with the clock. It has nothing to do with what you’re eating or drinking or those supplements you just took. It may not even have anything to even do with being hungry. Babies typically cluster feed in the afternoon/evening. When your milk supply naturally and appropriately dips. When your milk is a smaller water concentration with a higher fat content. As long as baby is happy to feed the rest of the day, is making plenty of wet and dirty diapers, is content and sleeping routinely between feedings, and gaining weight over time, DON’T BLAME THE BOOB!! Even if baby seems like they want to feed constantly. Cluster feeding is normal. It typically happens MORE when baby is going through a growth spurt (body growing), developmental leap (mind/skills growing), or teething/illness. Why does baby want the breast more?

• Preparing for a longer sleep: Some babies just prefer to fill up on milk for a few hours before a longer sleep.

• Milk flow is slower at night: Some babies nurse longer to fill up due to the slower flow.

• A growth spurt: they usually occur around 3, 6, and 8weeks of age.

• They need of comfort. Breast milk has hormones to develop baby’s circadian rhythm. At nighttime baby may just seek comfort to help them sleep.

• Developmental leap: Mental and emotional growth spurts when they acquire new skills.

• Baby is sick, thirsty, or teething: breast feeding is a pain reliever, medicine and hydration all in one

Know that it’s normal. Be patient through the process. Be prepared with snacks and water for yourself, a comfy spot, a good pillow for support and the remote and your phone charger close by to get you through. You’re not alone and it doesn’t last forever!!

Best Parenting Advice

- Julie Matheney

Put them in water or take them outside. This is the best parenting advice I’ve ever been given. When breastfeeding has been established (baby is making good wet and dirty diapers, generally pain free latch, and gaining weight), there will be times when baby will be super fussy and refuse the boob. Many misinterpret this as having low milk supply or something wrong with the breast. Don’t be so quick to blame yourself or to supplement with a bottle. I guarantee you there will be times when you have no idea what to do to stop your baby from crying. The boob won’t work. Changing the diaper won’t work. Burping and rocking and shushing won’t work. I guarantee you there will be times when you will cry right along with your baby and feel helpless to soothe them (or yourself).

When the breast doesn’t work: put them in water or take them outside. It works. When your baby is falling to pieces for no apparent reason and the usual tricks don’t work, go outside or get in water. It works on adults, too!!

What do my Labor and Delivery have to do with breastfeeding?

- Julie Matheney

All babies are born with innate instincts and reflex to get them to the breast soon after birth. Every baby, when placed skin to skin on their mother immediately after birth, will do the breast crawl and have a first latch within approximately 60 minutes of delivery, even medicated or c-section births. In the first 24 hours, babies are often sleepy. Waking for brief periods to feed and go back to sleep. The second day (and usually the second night) is when babies make up for the first day after delivery, ravenously cluster feeding for hours, much to the dismay of now extremely fatigued parents. But your labor has more of an impact on breastfeeding than you may realize.



We learning and understanding how our bodies prepare for breastfeeding during pregnancy, how what happens during labor and birth sets the stage for breastfeeding, and how the first minutes and hours after birth can have a lasting impact on the entire breastfeeding journey. The way baby is born  powerfully influences the first hours and days of breastfeeding. Unmedicated, vaginal birth sets the stage for problem-free breastfeeding, where biology, instinct and reflex can take center stage. In contrast, a complicated, intervention-intensive labor and birth increases the risk of problems.

How long you labor is really out of your control. The length of your labor may actually increase breastfeeding difficulty. For really long labors (over 24 hours), pushing for 4 hours or more, or very intense short labors, both you and baby may be so exhausted that rest and recovery take precedence over breastfeeding. Baby may be too tired to breastfeed often in the first few days, which increases your risk of not stimulating the breast well which in turn delays colostrum transitioning to mature milk and can decrease the overall volume your breast may be able to make in the future. Long, medically intervened labors also usually mean increased bags of IV fluids, which can cause excess fluid in your body which in turn delays the transition of colostrum to mature milk up to 10-12 days. It can also cause your hand, feet, and breasts to swell with extra fluid, called third spacing, which can make latching baby a challenge. (See my videos on Instagram about reverse pressure softening for help with this).

Events surrounding birth can inadvertently sabotage breastfeeding, as birth is supposed to be a well orchestrated series of events and hormone releases, setting you up for successful breastfeeding. Many of the birthing practices that are considered almost routine (induction, epidurals, separation of the mother and her baby for cleaning, weighing and foot printing) interfere with this hormonal dance resulting in poorer breastfeeding outcomes.

The routine progression of hormonal changes during  labor and birth perfectly prepares the body to breastfeed immediately after birth. During labor, oxytocin surges are responsible for increasingly stronger and more effective contractions. As oxytocin goes up, and the pain that accompanies the strong contractions increases, endorphins are released. High levels of endorphins help you cope with painful contractions and contribute to their becoming more instinctive. As the baby moves down the birth canal, almost ready to be born, catecholamines are released. The surge in catecholamines creates an energy boost and allows the baby is born with high levels of catecholamines as well (; ). This results in a vigorous, alert baby and an energized mother ready to breastfeed for the first time.

 

Skin to skin contact immediately after birth helps these same hormones continue to work in preparation of the first breastfeeding moment. Baby’s body weight on mom’s uterus, baby hand and head movements on her body, and then baby sucking at the breast stimulate even more oxytocin release (). Oxytocin helps the placenta separate and contracts the uterus further, preventing excessive bleeding. After birth, high levels of catecholamine in the baby insure alertness for the breast crawl and first latch. The endorphins present in mom pass on to baby through her breast milk, helping the baby stay calm and relaxed. After the first feeding, these hormones peak and allow both mother and baby 

Prolactin and oxytocin, the. milk making hormones, are released by baby’s sucking at the breast. Prolactin makes milk and oxytocin causes your letdown or release of milk. Prolactin, AKA “the love hormone”, is responsible for nurturing behaviors. Oxytocin makes you feel relaxed, sleepy, or calm feelings during milk letdown. 

All Labor pain-relief drugs have been shown to delay the onset of milk production and increase the risk of breastfeeding difficulties. This was well documented in a 2014 study by Lind et al. Pitocin, unlike naturally occurring oxytocin, does not cross the blood/brain barrier. As a result, the pituitary is not stimulated to release endorphins. Without the pain-relieving help of abundant endorphins, people who are induced with pitocin are more likely to require epidurals. In a vicious cycle, whenever an epidural is given and all pain is removed, naturally occurring oxytocin levels drop, requiring increased amounts of pitocin to continue contractions (Lieberman & O’Donoghue, 2002). Without the high levels of oxytocin and endorphins that would normally be released, a surge in catecholamines does not occur immediately before birth. This hormonal disruption during labor results in women giving birth with relatively low levels of naturally occurring oxytocin, endorphins, and catecholamines. Consequently, the outcome of low hormonal levels is a less responsive mother and baby which in turn impacts vigor at the breast ().

The medication used in the epidural does, in fact, “get to the baby.” Epidural narcotics or anesthetic drugs cross the placenta and can be found in cord blood. More research is needed, but we are starting to learn the neurobehavioral effects of medicated deliveries. Babies exposed to epidurals have a higher risk of have difficulty with latching on and an uncoordinated suck/swallow response for hours or days after birth (; ). Epidurals are also documented to lengthen the second stage of Labor and increase the likelihood of needing a C-section. The trauma of c-section birth, versus the natural positioning of coming through the birth canal, can make it painful for baby to assume the natural, instinctive positioning for breastfeeding and can make it difficult to latch. 

Elective induction of labor is also a risk to breastfeeding because of the potential of added intervention and the increased likelihood of the baby being born prematurely. The more premature a baby is, even at 37-38 weeks, the more immature and uncoordinated sucking and swallowing can be. Babies practice the coordination of sucking and swallowing in utero without expiation to feed, so the longer they are able to practice in utero, the more coordinated and ready they are to feed at birth.

So now what? You’ve had the baby and had a long, medicated delivery. Knowledge is power. You cannot change your birth story, but you can influence your breastfeeding journey.

  • Keep baby in skin to skin contact as long dn often as possible to help restore your oxytocin levels. Every 60 minutes 1-2x/day has been found to exponentially increase milk supply
  • Offer the breast frequent and often. Work on getting baby into a good position to ensure a deep latch
  • If you are separated from your baby or baby is super sleepy, hand express and/or start pumping. You will want to hand express or pump every 2-3 hours during the day and every 3-4 hours at night. You will get more colostrum from hand expression than pumping int he first three days, but pumping will help stimulate the nipples. Don’t be discouraged if you see little milk from a pump. The stimulation is needed until baby is able to latch
  • Stay hydrated and eat good foods full of protein
  • Use a paced bottle feeding technique and try not to over feed baby if you need to supplement. Always supplement with your own milk first, followed by formula. Babies need very little milk in the first 3 days.
  • Find lactation help as soon as possible to help create a plan to get breastfeeding back on track
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