Stories from Local Moms By Vicki Nisbett / For the Sun-News July 21, 2010 After 9 months of anticipation of the birth of their second child, Santiago, who was born in May, Christina and Brian Montoya are now well adjusted to their family life. When Christina breastfed their first son, Mateo, the experience wasn't pleasant, but she thinks trying to breastfeed again is well worth it. "I believe that breastfeeding Santiago is the best thing I can do for him," Christina says. "(This time), it's been pain free." Christina said that Mateo didn't latch on well causing her some pain, so she had to pump her breast milk for 5 months. With this birth, Christina took her classes from Kathy Douglas of the Women's Medical Associates in Las Cruces. "I hadn't had any breastfeeding classes with Mateo as I did with Santiago," Christina said. However, sometimes things don't go as planned. Brian and Christina said tha t after Santiago's birth, their baby was detained in the nursery for the normal infant screening. The nursery nurse admitted that she gave him a bottle of 2 oz. of formula because he seeme d hungry, to the chagrin of his parents. Babies can get confused at first when given a bottle along with breastfeeding because they learn to suck differently. Breastfeeding is a learning process fo r both mother and baby. The baby has to learn to latch on to the mother's nipple properly, which is so different from a bottle's manufactured nipple. "It's important that the baby nurse within the first hour after birth and also lay on the Mom's chest," said Registered Nurse, Debra Kemp, who is an instructor at Doņa Ana Community College certified from the International Board of Certified Lactation Consultants. "It makes a world of difference." Santiago is doing well, however, and is thriving from Christina's breast milk. Different for every mom Christina, Santiago and Brian were attending the 2010 Southern New Mexico World Breastfeeding Task Force Meeting at Aprendamos Early Intervention Center in Las Cruces July 16, along with two other moms and their babies: Katie Bagwell and her 6-week-old daughter, Kyndal, and Trisha Hunter and her 4-month-old daughter, Emma. Breastfeeding is different for every mom. Kyndal is Katie's second child and was delivered by Caesarean section, and she doesn't latch on to Katie's breast well at times. Katie's first child, Beau, who is now two, didn't have any problems breastfeeding. Katie says that "Breastfeeding is the right thing to do, but isn't always the easiest thing to do. You need to be very committed." For support, Katie has three friends who are breastfeeding their babies and she talks with them about their experiences, which helps motivate her to keep on breastfeeding. Moms can find support systems different ways. Christina says when she has questions, she goes online for various resources. "The La Leche League (International) has a great website for moms," says Marisa Van Dommelan, Master of Science, who is International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and works at Aprendamos. "They have moms that have breastfed their babies to answer questions." Emma, who is Trisha's first child and breastfeeding well, had to be placed in the special care nursery after birth. Because of this, Trisha pumped her breast milk to give to Emma along with supplemental bottles. At 6 weeks, Trisha switched to breast milk, which has paid off because Emma has doubled her birth weight and is very healthy. All the mothers agree that having the help of their spouses is very important. Brian sometimes gives Santiago Christina's pumped breast milk in a bottle so they can bond also. Special bond With their own support systems and the help of Douglas's Breastfeeding classes, all three Moms are successful at breastfeeding their babies. At the classes, Douglas says she usually teaches about nine moms, where fathers are also welcome. They learn about the benefits and basics of breastfeeding, managing the challenges and making sure that baby is getting enough breast milk. Douglas, who has worked for Women's Medical Associates since 1996, also arranges the World Breastfeeding Task Force meetings, where they talk about the latest information on breastfeeding and also discuss facts such as: Saving money by breastfeeding Not having to heat the milk or wash bottles Moms can pump their breasts and save the milk at work Having healthier babies Having that special bond between mom and baby "Breastfeeding can save (families) $1,200 to $3,900 per year," Douglas says. The week of Aug. 1-7 is World Breastfeeding Week and the theme this year is "Breastfeeding: Just 10 Steps! The Baby-Friendly Way," which draws attention to simple steps that hospitals, health care providers, workplaces, the community and families can take to help mothers achieve their breastfeeding goals. More than 120 countries celebrate World Breastfeeding Week, who encourages breastfeeding that improves the health of babies around the world. This celebration commemorates the Innocenti Declaration made by WHO and UNICEF policy makers in Aug. 1990 to promote and support breastfeeding. To read more about World Breastfeeding Week, visit www.waba.org.my. Call Kathy Douglas at Women's Medical Associates, who offers breastfeeding classes and consultations, at (575) 522-9793 or Renee Beltran at the La Leche League of Las Cruces at (575) 635-6683 for more information. You can visit the International La Leche League website at www.llli.org. Breastfeeding advantages for baby Children who are fed formula have increased risks of: Diarrhea Respiratory infections Ear infections Bacterial meningitis Urinary tract infections Diabetes Crohn's disease Ulcerative colitis Lymphoma Obesity Allergic disease SIDS Health Benefits for mothers Women who do not breastfeed have increased risks of: More postpartum bleeding Slower return of the uterus to the pre-pregnant size Later return to pre-pregnant weight Ovarian cancer Pre-menopausal breast cancer Osteoporosis Info World Breastfeeding Week: www.waba.org.my. Breastfeeding classes and consultations: Kathy Douglas at Women's Medical Associates, (575) 522-9793 or Renee Beltran at the La Leche League of Las Cruces, (575) 635-6683 International La Leche League: www.llli.org. Vicki Nisbett is a Las Cruces-based freelance writer who can be reached at puncpubs@yahoo.com. |
Contented breastfed babies and their moms |