Medscape article wrote:

 

Findings: Findings indicate that more bowel movements per day during the
first 5 days following birth were significantly associated with less initial
weight loss, earlier transition to yellow bowel movements, earlier return to
birth weight, and heavier weight at 14 days.

 

Conclusions: These findings suggest that scant bowel output during the first

5 days following birth, or delayed transition of bowel movements to yellow,
warrant weighing the infant in a health care professional's office.

 

 

Jaye here - Ummm..What part of this did WE not already know??  How sad is it
that money had to be spent to verify what we already knew?  Now, if we could
just get everyone (and I mean everyone) on board with appropriate BF
assistance, support, SOFT, etc, it would be so very nice.  

 

Now my rant:

 

I saw a mom with a 6 month old last night.  Mom has struggled with supply -
her milk never came in despite breast changes in pregnancy and NO ONE took
her seriously, validated her concerns or made any attempt to do testing to
find out WHY her milk wasn't coming in even when she asked for them.  She
was told she did have milk when she knew she didn't - she was right - she
felt blown off, dismissed.she quit asking for help.  Can you blame her?
Baby never latched correctly.  Mom saw 4 other LC's in my area who all had
different ideas but no answers.  One said (per mom) "I can see that the suck
isn't right but have no idea why."  One LC told her that there was a mouth
vs breast issue (there isn't) and baby had a high palate (she doesn't).  Now
she saw these people 3 months ago so things could have changed a bit - I'll
admit.  But what did I find with a thorough history?  Mom has strong history
of hormonal issues that are known to have a strong negative effect on
lactation.  Baby was breech and stuck up high in mom - difficult c-sec
delivery as Drs had a hard time pulling her out of where she was - like baby
did NOT want to come out.  Baby's head was FLAT on top and she has almost no
neck even now - cute as heck tho!  Her neck muscles are unbelievably tight
and the top of her head is literally twisted about 5 degrees to the right
and her ears were not even close to being level (left one down and back -
right one up and forward).  Mom said she'd been wondering all this time if
that was normal.she asked the Ped and the other LCs who said it would work
itself out - it hasn't.  She reported to me that no one ever did this
detailed of an exam on baby or history with her.  Where did my brick wall
go???   By the way - she called me as a last resort - she got my name and
number from a mom I have been working with who recommended that if anyone
could fgure out what was going on it would be me.  Wow!

 

So, am I just overly anal about getting the history and looking at all
possible causes?  I don't go looking for zebras.honestly.  I did some Bowen
work on baby - lots actually - her ears leveled out almost to 100% and the
top of her head is closer to where it should be now - she will need some
more work.  Mom needs some serious testing to find out what is up with her
hormones and to get her body on track.  It may not help this lactation but
can help with the next.luckily moms says her HCP Dr really enjoys a good
mystery - we have one for him!  What sucks is that I KNOW had I seen this
gal 6 months ago she would be in such a different situation now.I just KNOW
it!  

 

This is when I really wish that there were some type of program where we
could all get the same level of training - so that we all know what to look
for and what is physically correct and what isn't.  Some of what I have
learned about the body has been based on my own personal experience
(relating to a nasty car accident that required years of body work and
therapy just to function and which I will have to maintain for the rest of
my life) and my then passion for learning more so I can recognize what the
heck is going on with these babies and discover the REASON they cannot BF -
WHY their jaw is lopsided and why they have no neck and why their suck is
all messed up and HOW to fix it.  I did this on my OWN!  Our standard
education does not (at least in my experience) require this type of
education.  I just feel that some of this should be required education - we
should know what a 'normal' body alignment should look like and be able to
spot something that is 'off' - even if we can't fix it ourselves - we should
then know who to refer out to in our community.  Too many times I see a baby
who is (to me) obviously compromised in some way and everyone else misses it
- including the Ped.  Seeing an obvious classic tongue tie missed by 2 local
LC's just floored me on Monday - Why do I see it when others can't?  I know
there are things out there beyond my experience and I wouldn't touch them
with a 10ft pole - cleft palate, drug addicted baby, baby still in hospital
in NICU - those are not my area of expertise and I know exactly who I would
refer parents to in those situations - I am finding that some of us seem to
find a niche of some sort somehow - like I have.  Maybe that is the way it
is supposed to be.  I wish that we could really recognize each other's
strengths and refer to each other based on that information too - This LC is
who to send babies with this issue to, this other LC is who to send babies
with this other issue to.kind of thing.  

 

I don't know - maybe I am just overly frustrated this morning due to a week
of insomnia and being exhausted.maybe I am just frustrated that babies and
mommies have to fight so hard to get help when something is obviously wrong
or to have someone validate for them that yes, something is wrong and no,
they aren't crazy, and yes we will do the testing you are asking for to find
out why you don't have milk.  Maybe I am just realizing that I am actually
good at what I do and I actually do have something to offer out there.and
that I have truly found my specialty in the field of
Lactation/breastfeeding.  I will be attending the Wolf and Glass conference
in Sept and I am praying that I can take some time to just sit and talk with
them one on one.  I have SO many questions - the book is great but doesn't
have all the answers I am looking for.I want MORE and don't know where to
get it.  The excessive lip movement thing I wrote about the other day -
still no information on how to actually fix that issue specifically - other
than to correct the other issues involved - maybe that is the answer - maybe
I am looking for something more concrete.  I get frustrated by my own lack
of knowledge and I simply want to find that one "thing" to fill up my brain
with all the information and education I want and need RIGHT NOW!  :-)
Guess I'll go laugh at myself for a while now.I know I'll get it someday.but
patience has never been my best attribute.sigh.  Thanks for listening.

 

 

Jaye Simpson, IBCLC, CIIM

Breastfeeding Network

Sacramento, CA

www.breastfeedingnetwork.net

 


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