5 posts tagged “babies”
http://www.d-mer.org/
have you or anyone you known ever experienced this while nursing? I had some issue with it (though clearly not as bad as some) but I never thought that it could be stemming from a biolgical issue. weird, but i never put it together. I just thought it was me as I get touched out very easily.
anyhow I just thought i would share it here incase it helps someone else out!
http://www.d-mer.org/
have you or anyone you known ever experienced this while nursing? I had some issue with it (though clearly not as bad as some) but I never thought that it could be stemming from a biolgical issue. weird, but i never put it together. I just thought it was me as I get touched out very easily.
here is a small blurb from theri website that better explains it:
how D-MER Presents:
What Mothers FeelA key piece of D-MER is that a mother with D-MER feels absolutely fine except just before her milk starts to flow. D-MER is a brief feeling, not more than 30 seconds to 2 minutes, only and always beginning before let-down. This is not postpartum depression and most of these mothers feel perfectly fine except for that pre-milk moment. A brief interval after the negative feelings appear, the milk begins to flow.
D-MER can easily go unrecognized since 1) some mothers have so many closely spaced letdowns per feeding that the feelings do not have a chance to dissipate before the next D-MER is upon her, making her feel that she experiences on long D-MER through most of, if not all of, the feeding 2) many mothers do not physically feel a letdown in their breasts and so does not connect the feeling as to being just prior to letdown and 3) given the fact that D-MER happens with spontaneous letdowns as well, a mother may not immediately connect the way she is feeling to being a breastfeeding phenomenon.
anyhow I just thought i would share it here incase it helps someone else out!
it just seems that every topic I have should somehow be related to being a doula, right? I'm a doula and I painted the kitchen...
I painted it the same color as the living room. ok well not so much *I* as Sean and I. we stayed up til about 3am paintng and then had a snack so I was awake until 4:30am and then the shower woke me up (well the person in the shower) at 7am and I tried to fall back to sleep but couldn't. so I'm tired. sooooo stupidly tired. but it's cool b/c it's Sean's day off so I'm taking a big nap.
tonight I'm going to sit in on a friend's breastfeeding class. she works for the hospital too and I since there is about 110 different breastfeeding teaching styles (yeah I know, pretty much works the same for baby no matter who teaches it, but they just use different styles of teaching) anyhow I realized that thru out the hospital many people teach in many different ways and this confuses new moms. They hear one things from the class, one thing from me, one things from the nurses... and by the end they don't know which way they are going. So I'm going to see how it is taught originally and try to keep in mind what they already have learned when I'm assisting them after they give birth. maybe use some of the same visuals and phrases so it hopefully will strike up some memories from their classes. The hospital I work for has wonderful breastfeedin and childbirth preperation classes. I know many hospitals have been accused of having childbirth classes which should be called "how to be a good patient" style classes LOL but ours isn't that way and I'm thankful!
I find many woman, even though they have taken the classes (which I know are good b/c I know the teachers!) are so overwhelmed by breastfeeding at first. esp if the baby doesn't latch within the first few moments. I see discouragement wash over their face. a look that says "I guess I am not good at this". and my heart aches for them. every woman feels some kinda of doubt about breastfeeding and I want to be as encouraging as i can in the short time I have with them. you're in such a vulnrable state right after birth and I want those memories to be wonderful and precious, not full of woe and worry. I think I say "it's ok! this is totally normal" about a dozen times with each mama. =) and truly it is normal. as I had a wonderful initial latch with both kids and still managed to doubt myself and think "I wonder if I'm doing this right?". just goes with motherhood I suposse.
how were *your* first few breastfeeding moments?
a little while ago I was reading through a blog of a homebirther. she mentioned she had 4 sucessful homebirths as well as 2 miscarriages at home. she wrote with such respect and honor in her words.
This really stuck out to me. it's a common thing for people to question homebirth. "it's dangerous" or "what if the baby dies?"... the list goes on of both comments and critism. but see the thing is with homebirthers... it's not just about just giving birth at home. it's not just about convience, it's not just because it's easier. it's not about being selish. it's about being selfless. about knowing the life inside you is not you're own to do with as you please. it's a life that deserves honor and respect and if it's fate and destiny are already decided. that what will be should be.
it struck me at how much this mama truly loved and respected her kids.. even when she lost them so early.
it's not to say mothers who birth in other places than a home are selfish or wrong, (I had two hospital births myself before I was a doula) but to say there is some truly beautiful about a mother who trusts God and life and follows it's lead. something I personally realize I was missing in my births. I did not have that kind of peace and trust, hospital or not.
i don't judge where people birth. I don't know the inner most thoughts and intentions of others. their thoughts or intent or their hearts and I would bever assume that responsibility. All I know is my own heart. I will labour with a mom where she is, and where she needs me. I do not aim to dictate where any woman should be in their births, (though I do have strong opinions about the standard practices of some places). I love birth and I love to support woman no matter where they are...
but there will always be a special place in my heart for those who choose to birth at home.
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so I am edited this post b/c last night I thought of a few things I left out. I was concerned this post would be taken as that the only reason I think people choose homebirth is a matter of trust in God/life. There is of course much mroe to it! many people feel homebirth is much safer! (for instance a baby is familiar with the germs in it's own home but by bringing it into a hospital you expose it to such a wide variety of new germs all at once and it can be very harmful even deadly to a newborn baby! ever notice that if you take your kid to a well visit at the doctors they always seem to bring home a cold?...) There are many many respectable reasons people feel homebirthing is safer for their kids. and to be honest I have to say I'm partial to that ideal. Yes some children do die, or get sick at home. but the truth is there is many more than die that are not born at home. death is a part of life. and some people feel it's their duty to try and prevent that at all cost, other's believe it is their duty to respect life by only intervening if abslutely nessecary.
my opinion is it's a matter of opinion. it's a personal choice. People have said to me "how would you feel if your baby died while being birthed at home?" to which I say "the same way I'd feel if it died being birthed at a hospital or birthing center - horrible".
the cost of intervention and life saving standards are also it's downfall. you can not control life. perhaps it seems you can, but truth is you can't. Life in my opinion isn't in our control. and if it were I dare say none of us would allow our children to ever become sick, sad, or hurt.
to truly live, one must take risks. I can't deny there are risks associated with homebirth. I also can not deny there are risks associated with hospital birth. plain and simple there are ricks associated with birth.
I could go on about this forever, but it's not about voicing my opinion. my point was to say there is more to most things than meets the eye.
*** someone commented to me that they know many people who's lives and children's lives were saved b/c thet birthed in a hospital. I'm sure this is true! I can't pass judgment on that statement as I don't know the scenrios. but I can say that I know of many babies who have died for all sorts of reasons that being in a hospital could and did not prevent. I know of many babies who's lives were put at risk from being born in a hospital/public setting. and the many complications that come from contracting diseases, rsv, and others viruses in a very public place. My own son's (and my own) wellbeing were both compromised when I was forced into an unnessecary cesarean section that caused a list of health problems for me. I can't garantee that if he had been born at home we'd both be in perfect condition of course. But I can't say it goes both ways.
as suggested by my husband, I have started a vox account. I'm a die hard xanga fan... but in the interest of keeping business a bit seperate, I gave in! and so far so good. Vox is a totally different feel - rather edgy.
a bit about me - I am a labour and birth doula in Maryland. I have 2 kids who I unschool. I'm into green living, local foods, nourishing traditions (traditional foods) and general other boring housewifey stuff, and of course - a "birth junkie".
In the near future I hope to make this a blog for all things birth related - including pregnancy, labour, birth and newborn care.
