Brenda Lane's Blog

Posted by Brenda Lane

I have not made a New Year's resolution in quite some time. Maybe you could call me a skeptic. I don't want to make a resolution I can't stick to.

Losing weight seems to be one of the most common New Year's resolutions, along with giving up smoking or coffee or other habits folks try to break. After pregnancy I remember feeling very unhappy with my body and concerned it would never go back to the way it had been before I was pregnant.

I have never in my life been a size two, but I also gained a substantial amount of weight each time - 45 pounds with my first and 42 pounds with my second. It was daunting to think about trying to lose all of that weight right away in order to get back into my pre-pregnancy clothes. In fact I can only remember one friend who actually lost all of her weight after giving birth.

This is one of the reasons why I began to think about New Year's coming up and what I would be thinking about if I had just had a baby. Losing pregnancy weight would likely be at the top of my list and even if it might not be a resolution, it would certainly be a worthy goal.

My article on How to Lose Weight after Pregnancy includes very easy ideas that almost everyone could try and continue. They are things that have worked for me as well as friends I know and they don't require major changes in your diet.

I will admit to you my personal feelings regarding "diets" that come and go. I hate them. They often involve cutting out certain food groups or dramatically altering your diet. I have not known anyone who has gone on a radical "no carb" diet, for example, whose health has improved and who has kept the weight off. It is well-known that yo-yo dieting and up and down weight loss and gain is dangerous.

What do you all think about dieting - pregnant or not? Is anyone planning on losing weight in '07? Any other ideas about easy ways to do that? Share them on our discussion boards. :)

Happy New Year and see you all in 2007!

Warmly,

Brenda

Posted by Brenda Lane

Each week, I have been researching details of how the embryo develops from conception all the way through the 40th week of pregnancy. This is an area that I have to know fairly well as a childbirth educator, however doing this series has forced me to brush up on embryonic development a bit since it's not a topic I teach all the time.

My research happened to coincide with a paper my 16 year old daughter was writing this week on stem cell research. Her argument was against stem cell research and she had to prove several reasons to support her opinion. I was able to dig out what I had been learning from my work on the week by week series to show her how intricate the embryo is even at a very early stage.

For example, did you know that there is already a heartbeat by the end of the third week? And that brain waves have been detected as early as 8 weeks of pregnancy? All of this occurs while the embryo is still no larger than 3 cm from head to bottom.

It's such an exciting time to discover exactly what is happening to the baby. It can also be daunting to realize how careful you need to be since this early trimester is so delicate.

Let me know what you think about the week by week series! Drop me a note on the discussion forum.

Do you have any other questions about your pregnancy, birth or early postpartum? Are there topics you would like more information on? Email me with your ideas or questions.

Be watching for a new series on postpartum depression/postpartum mood disorders after January 2007!

Have a wonderful holiday!

Warmly,

Brenda

Posted by Brenda Lane

I can't tell you how often I hear of parents who decide to be induced early so they can get home in time for the holidays. This is one of the issues I raised in my recent article on Giving Birth during the Holidays. On some level, I can totally understand the reasons. Celebrating holidays with family has always been an important aspect of my own childhood and now carrying on traditions in my own family.

However when it comes to how being induced translates into how hospitals function and staffing and supplies, I doubt most expectant couples realize what that means. Here are the facts:

1. Realize that a lot of other mothers (except for a few mothers in spontaneous labor) are choosing to do the same thing - You are not the only one!

2. In many cases, this may mean being bumped off the list of available beds for an induction for several days in a row since yours would not be done for a medical reason.

3. It may mean waiting until late in the day for an induction when you wil be naturally more tired.

4. It might involve waiting more for help, both from nursing staff and physicians or midwives, since there will be that many more patients in the hospital. Mothers have shared with me that help in postpartum (like nursing help) is also scarce when the hospital is at capacity.

5. This also makes waiting for things like medication more likely. It would not be unusual for a mother to wait for an hour or longer for an epidural, for example, on a very busy day.

6. Hospitals only order enough supplies for an expected number of patients. Even getting supplies like extra pillows, towels or popsicles can be difficult when the labor and delivery floor is at maximum for days in a row.

So speaking from years of experience on this issue, be sure you weigh your options very carefully before you choose to be induced to avoid a holiday. I know that based on my own experiences with many couples, my own personal choice would be to let nature take its course and have an alternate day to celebrate with family since for me, the drawbacks of the hospital environment when it gets busy are not worth the convenience of being at home in time for the holidays.

Speaking of holiday traditions, I will be baking cookies and finishing my wrapping next week. I am sure my daughters are hoping for snow on Christmas but that is unlkely in Maryland.

I also have to be ready with an alternate day of celebration since one of my doula clients is due on December 28th this year!

Take the time to enjoy the season!

Warmly,

Brenda

Posted by Brenda Lane

Brand new research conducted by Australian scientists have shown the correlation between epidural usage and having not only breastfeeding problems early in the first few weeks, but a significant drop off even after six months of age. A news report of this study can be found here.

There are numerous ways that we know that epidurals can affect the baby, both directly (by crossing the placenta into the baby's bloodstream) and indirectly (by affecting the health or increasing complications for the mother.) Find out more in my article on the epidurals affect on babies.

This new recearch is compelling in several ways. One is that is draws attention to the specific drug, fentanyl, which is an opiod that has been suspected for years of causing problems for breastfeeding mothers. The other is the long-term aspect of this medication. We are not simply seeing an affect that lasts for a few hours; it somehow manages to affect successful breastfeeding rates for mothers many months later. As a result, researchers recommended that mother who have used an epidural be given more support to counteract the affects of the drug.

What do you think about this issue? Did you find that an epidural made it harder for your baby to breastfeed? Share your thoughts on the discussion forum!

Warmly,

Brenda

Posted by Brenda Lane

The media has recently reported the rescue of a mother who was stranded in her car in a remote part of southern Oregon with her infant and 4 year old daughters. Here is a report of the incredible rescue of the mother and how she kept them alive.

This mother literally kept her children alive by breastfeeding them both! They were trapped in their car for 9 days before they were rescued by helicopter. What an amazing testimony to the benefits of breastfeeding during times of crisis.

In fact, Dr. Hopkinson, a professor of children's nutrition from Baylor College in Houston has this to say about breastmilk, "This is a remarkable fluid in many ways. There is nothing better you can give a child in a disaster than breast milk."

Clearly yet another hidden benefit to breastfeeding!

Have a great week as you prepare for the holidays.

Warmly,

Brenda