Is Breast Really Best?

My honest opinion?? Yes AND No.  We can all admit the incredible health benefits of breastfeeding.  To refresh our mommy memories, according to Web MD - "Breast milk contains antibodies that help your baby fight off viruses and bacteria. Breastfeeding lowers your baby's risk of having asthma or allergies. Plus, babies who are breastfed exclusively for the first 6 months, without any formula, have fewer ear infections, respiratory illnesses, and bouts of diarrhea."  But why did my baby end up in the hospital for 72 hours at 2 months fighting off the horrifying illness RSV?  She was exclusively breastfed.  Why did I feel crazy panicked every time I would start to feed her?  Why did I lose sleep at night wondering if she was getting enough nourishment...and why do I still to this day walk around with massive, lumpy, veiny, inappropriately (un)covered tatas??  Well for one, I can tell you that sure breast milk does protect our lil ones from A LOT but that doesn't mean they're immune from EVERYTHING.  And Sonnet ended up in the hospital because we have a snotty, little toddler running around the house spreading germs like wildfire - something breastmilk unfortunately couldn't protect from in our case.  And regarding those nasty feelings of depression, anxiety and homesickness during breastmilk let-down? Well, according to Web MD it's actually a physiological response (not a psychological response) that appears to be tied to a sudden decrease in the brain chemical dopamine.  Sorta like the last time you took ecstasy?  Oh come on, we've all been there.  And the lumpy boobs and lack of sleep - Well, we make those exceptions simply for the good of our children, right?? Right :).  

I have several girlfriends who said hell no to breastfeeding from day one.  They wrapped up their boobs, covered them with cold cabbage (yep, it works to slow down milk production and soothe throbbing breasts) and immediately introduced their babes to the bottle.  There's a ton of judgement from the prying eye of mothers and non-mothers alike.  "Wow she's selfish...can't even feed her baby...lame, lazy, pathetic..." Even if you don't hear it, you know 'they're' thinking it."  But why???  In my opinion, your baby's only as good as mama is and if mama ain't happy then no one is.  And that's when things, as an exclusively breastfeeding mama, got REAL real.  While all my friends were traveling, dining, enjoying time to themselves, I was BREASTFEEDING...morning, noon, night and in between.  Why?  Well the lil one got so attached to the breast (can ya blame her) that she refused to take any sort of bottle.  I tried literally everything from budget to big-ticket...not a damn thing worked.  Gerber, Comotomo, Dr. Browns, Mimijumi, thanks for the gadgets guys but Sonnet wouldn't settle.  Finally and I do mean after a month of pulling out my now grey hair, she got to the point of being hungry enough to take the "OG" of all bottles- The Enfamil Slow-Flow Nipple handed out at the hospital when your babe is delivered https://www.amazon.com/Mead-Johnson-Nutritional-Group-Slow-Flow/dp/B00I3Y5EY2 Thank Gawd because I was off to Cabo sans kids for a trip to "reconnect" with my hubs. 

Speaking of which, he really hated me by this point.  So did my 3-year old son who, if you're wondering, was breastfed until 11 months.  They both felt totally neglected because I spent an inordinate amount of time huddled up in Sonnet's room hoping and praying she'd have a good feeding.   I spent so many stinkin hours and so much energy miserable, exhausted, suffering from postpartum and the whole time waiting for the days to pass.  I remember saying, "At 3 months this will be so much easier...okay maybe 6 months...oh what the hell it's NEVER getting better.  Maybe I'm just not cut out for breastfeeding this time around." And just like that I woke up one morning and Sonnet was 9 months And I'm STILL breastfeeding! The irony is, just when you feel like you can't handle one more second of it, it actually gets easier, and believe it or not, becomes enjoyable.  I now look at breastfeeding as bonding time with my boo.  Those horrible feelings of anxiety and depression, replaced with relaxation and joy.  

So while I look back on my own first-hand experience with breastfeeding, I'm here to tell you...not as a doctor, or a lactation consultant, but as a mother...nobody other than you has the answer to whether breast is best.  The truth is, it's a very individual, personal decision.  The truth is, don't judge yourself and don't for one second let others judge you because what you'll find is that breast is best, ONLY if it's best for you!

BREASTFEEDING EMOJI! CAN I GET A HELL YEASSSSSSS!!!

This Article Via People.com -- Nursing mothers rejoice – there may soon be a “breastfeeding” emoji.

The addition of a breastfeeding woman emoji was requested by registered nurse Rachel Lee last month in a proposal she submitted to Unicode, the creator of the emoji keyboard.

“I propose adding an emoji for breastfeeding as a complement to the existing baby bottle emoji, and to complete the set of family emojis,” writes Lee. “The lack of a breastfeeding emoji represents a gap in the Unicode Standard given the prevalence of breastfeeding in cultures around the world, and throughout history.”

She has even submitted an idea for the design, which features a woman holding a baby in a “cradle hold” while the baby feeds from an exposed breast.

Lee is confident her emoji suggestion would be a popular one.

“Three million mothers participate in the activity of breastfeeding in the United States at any given time,” she says. “By comparison, activities such as hockey [which has its own emoji] see 67,230 women participating annually in the United States.”

“Breastfeeding occurs at all hours of the the day and night, and text communication is frequently used during these times,” she continues. “This emoji is likely to be used in context for a message such as, ‘Up at 3 a.m. with baby [breastfeeding emoji].'”

Lee also cites an Emojipedia survey that states that “breastfeeding” was one of the top 30 emojis requested in 2016.

There are so many differing opinions when it comes to what you should and more importantly, should not do during pregnancy.  Is sushi actually off-limits for 9 whole months?  And what about dying your hair...I mean it's your head for gawd sake, not your belly that we're coloring here.  So what's the real deal behind all these theories!?  Thanks to Time Magazine, they've put 3  Californian OB/GYNs to the test to give us the true scoop on pregnancy...and more importantly, the long-standing myths that need to be BUSTED!  Here goes, see it's actually not as bad as we thought - if ya don't count the waddling, incessant peeing, lack of sleep and exhaustion.  

Myth #1: Cocoa butter prevents stretch marks. False. In fact using cocoa butter makes women’s skin more sensitive, and some women have allergic reactions to it. Dr. Park treated one woman who came in with bright pink circles on her breasts. She couldn’t figure out why, until the patient copped to using cocoa butter to try to keep her breasts perky.

Myth #2: You can’t fly during your first or last trimester. Nope. False again. You can fly whenever you want. Some airlines won’t let you on the plane in your last trimester, but that has more to do with fears that you’ll go into labor and force the plane to land or spoil the upholstery.

Myth #3: You can’t pet your cat during pregnancy. False. However, you shouldn’t change your cat’s litter box during pregnancy because of the risk of toxoplasmosis from the dookies. And also, because, dammit, you’re growing a human being, and do you have to everything?

Myth #4: You shouldn’t eat smoked salmon while pregnant. False. Salmon is good for mothers-to-be; it’s high in omega-3 fatty acids like DHA, which studies show have a variety of benefits for pregnant women and their fetuses, and salmon is a fresh water fish, so the likelihood of mercury poisoning is low.

Myth #5: You can’t eat sushi. False. Sushi is permissible except for mackerel, shark, tilefish and swordfish. And don’t eat too much tuna — no more than 12. oz (about two maki, or rolls) per week.

Myth #6: No hot dogs either? False. Hot dogs are also fine to eat, as long as they’re well-cooked.

Myth #7: Pregnant women should keep away from polished furniture. So false. Dr. Bohn once treated a woman who was nervous about sitting on her couch, because of the furniture polish fumes. Sheesh.

Myth #8: Dying your hair is harmful for Baby. Wrong again. False. (Damn, I fell for that one too.)

Myths #9, 10 and 11: You shouldn’t have sex/lift your hands over your head/touch your toes while pregnant: All false (and a little bit weird), unless you have a specific medical condition and your doctor warns you against it.

Myth #12: You shouldn’t take hot baths while pregnant. True, actually. You should avoid saunas, Jacuzzis or anything that raises your body temperature over 102 degrees.

Myth #13: You shouldn’t drink coffee while pregnant. False. Don’t go nuts, but a cup a day won’t hurt junior.

Myth #14: You should abstain from alcohol during pregnancy. True, with a question mark. The American College of Obstetricians, along with all other American health authorities, advise women to stay on the wagon, but at least one big British study recently suggested that two drinks a week during pregnancy might not do harm.

Myth #15: Pregnant women should sleep on their left side. False. That’s going to be hard on the old left hip. Just get whatever sleep you can. The mommy docs also say the myth about expectant moms avoiding back-sleeping is rubbish.

Myth #16: The baby’s position in the womb can tell you its sex. False. Also, the line on the skin stretching below the navel is no clue to whether your baby’s a boy or girl. You just can’t tell from outside the womb. On the upside, if you do try, you’ve got a 50% shot of getting it right.

Myth #17: Walking makes labor go faster. False. It might make you feel better but there’s no activity that’s going to bring on labor, sorry. (Dr. Bohn has treated women who swear by a certain restaurant’s salad in Los Angeles. Also false, as is the old cod liver-oil myth.)

Myth #18: Pregnant women should eat for two. Nu-unh. False. Carrying a baby actually only requires 300 extra calories a day. So technically you should be eating for about one and a fifth. If you do eat for two, you’ll end up with a bigger baby, which reminds the mommy docs of another fable…

Myth #19: A bigger baby is a better baby. False. The average baby weighs about 7.5 lbs. Babies that are much bigger than that are more likely to suffer from diabetes and obesity in later life.

Myth #20: Drinking dark beer helps the milk come in. Nope. False. It might help the mother relax, though, which does help with milk letdown (but it has nothing to do with the barley in the beer). Also, a beer is great for Mom’s mental well-being.

And, finally, going outside when you’re pregnant during an eclipse will not give your baby a cleft palate. But you probably already knew that.

LIMIT KIDS' EXPOSURE TO MEDIA VIOLENCE

It's incredibly sad but necessary to point out that media violence has become a routine part of the daily lives of American children.  Pediatricians are strongly suggesting that parents, lawmakers and the media should take the steps to change that ASAP.  

Here are the CliffNotes:

The new policy statement, from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), calls on pediatricians to routinely ask about children's "media diet," and for parents to limit the violent content their kids see -- whether on TV, online or in video games.

Video gaming is a particular concern, partly because of the advent of 3D technology that creates a "more immersive experience with violence," said statement author Dr. Dimitri Christakis.

The policy statement points to a "proven scientific connection" between virtual violence and real-life aggression, the doctors say.

Let's say 2 percent of the population behaves more aggressively after being exposed to violent media," Christakis said. "Out of the 20 million people who see the latest violent blockbuster, that's 400,000 additional acts of aggressive behavior."

There is evidence that media images of terrorist attacks and other traumatic events can trigger post-traumatic stress symptoms in some children.

Young children, he said, are not mature enough to process those images, and should simply not see them.

With somewhat older kids -- around age 10 -- it's possible they're seeing these things on their phones or iPads, or have heard about them from friends, Beresin said.

"The news can make the world seem like a very scary place," he said. "With young children, it's better that they not see it all. With older kids, talk about what's happening."

The full report, here: http://www.philly.com/philly/health/topics/HealthDay712956_20160718_Limit_Kids__Exposure_to_Media_Violence__Pediatricians_Say.html

Mommy Myth Busting

Parents, it's time to take everything you know about thumb-sucking and nail-biting and toss it.  A new study, based on 3-decades of research, has come out suggesting that these two common behaviors among children (and sometimes adults) isn't actually bad for you.  Apparently, all that nasttttay bacteria found under your nails could prevent your lil ones from allergies in the future.  Dang way to confuse us guys.  I mean, first carbs will kill, now pasta's good for you....red wine will make you fat, now it's a MUST for dieters...coffee's the devil, now it's Gawdly...I mean can ya get with the program peeps!?  Anywhoo....here's the full scoop from our hands to yours

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/thumb-sucking-nail-biting-kids-may-have-lower-allergy-risk/