Breastfeeding Struggles

We all know that breast is best; i can't count how many times i have heard/read that statement. Breastfeeding    however did not come naturally to me; contrary to popular belief it was a journey. The initial 3 months were the hardest for me; my nipples were sore, I had an overactive letdown; which means that my milk was shooting out too forcefully/ too fast for my baby causing him to choke, cry out in pain, arch his back and pull off the nipple. Further more, I did not anticipate the number of hours I would spend sitting down and just nursing; I felt like a cow.

Regardless of all this glitches I faced along the way, i was determined to breastfeed my baby; i wanted him to get all that good nutrient, plus i enjoyed the bonding experience. I am glad I stuck to it because I am loving it now; finally got that good latch and found ways to deal with my letdown. However, there has been days/nights where i would just stand in front of the can of formula and stare at it for a good 5 minutes, having an internal struggle of whether to just give in. It got me thinking, why mothers put so much pressure on themselves to breastfeed? I am not saying give up breastfeeding altogether; but if you are struggling and its taking up that crucial bonding time with the baby, by all means reach for that formula; rather a happy mum and baby than a depressed one. What are your breastfeeding experiences?

BED SHARING: YAY OR NAY?

I read an article by James Brean that claims that a new study  found that “Parents who share a bed with their baby are exposing it to a fivefold increase in the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, even without any other risk factor such as smoking or alcohol.” (http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/05/21/bed-sharing-raises-risk-of-sudden-infant-death-syndrome-fivefold-new-study/) . This put the fear of God in me because I am currently bed sharing with my 4-month old; why? You may ask, simply because he refuses to sleep in his crib and mama needs her sleep.

This topic is constantly being debated among parents and medical professionals. In my opinion bed sharing carries as much risks of sudden infant death syndrome (sids) as laying a baby in his/her own bed; both this methods can be dangerous if not done properly. If you put a baby in a crib with teddies, loose blankets, pillows and bumpers; that carries the risk of suffocation. That goes for bed sharing as well;  if you surround the baby with pillows, blankets and are intoxicated and a deep sleeper; then you are putting your child's life in danger. Furthermore, SIDS is"marked by the sudden death of an infant that is not predicted by medical history and remains unexplained after a thorough forensic autopsy and detailed death scene investigation." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudden_infant_death_syndrome). SIDS is unexplained, the moment you find a cause of death, then that's not SIDS, it then becomes death by suffocation for instance.

Parents who bed share argue that in third world countries, babies share a bed with their siblings and parents   with no harm coming to them. I was raised in Africa and most parents do share a bed with their babies from the day they are born; either due to lack of room in their household or down to personal choice. As a breastfeeding mum, it is definitely convenient to have your baby next to you; it makes night time feedings less stressful . To conclude, bed sharing can be risky if parents do not follow proper safety procedure; therefore, proceed with caution. What are your thoughts on bed sharing?

References

Brean, J., Bed sharing raises risk of sudden infant death syndrome fivefold: new study, http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/05/21/bed-sharing-raises-risk-of-sudden-infant-death-syndrome-fivefold-new-study/

Wikipedia, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudden_infant_death_syndrome

ECZEMA, ARGHH!!

Ever heard the saying “ smooth like baby skin”??  well, that statement does not apply to my baby. Since the day my son was born he has had numerous skin issues; from birthmark to eczema. Eczema has so far been the only one that I have no solution for and feel defeated by.  My little boy gets really bad flare ups all over his body, from his head to his toe.  It causes him to scratch until he bleeds; he wakes up in the middle of the night itching; my heart just cries for him. I  feel so helpless; I’ve been to the doctor and all they say is “ use Vaseline and hydrocortisone cream”  well genius, I did and Vaseline caused baby acne.

Anyways, I decided to take matters into my own hands; went to a natural remedy shop that gave me a herbal cream, made with beeswax, extra virgin olive oil, sunflower seed oil, chickweed herb and vitamin E oil. That was just a waste of $12.25 for a 50ml pot; I then decided to cut out dairy from my diet, used baby detergent, gave cool baths, did the whole oatmeal bath thing, used all sort of creams (aveeno, aquaphor, cetaphil, burts bee…). I am writing this post now, which means, none of that worked. Right now, I am trying out dove baby bar soap for his baths (doctors recommendation) and moisturizing his skin with coconut oil, glaxal base, aquaphor and using cortisone cream for the really red patches and prayers .

This post right  is a cry for help, please I welcome any suggestions/ solutions on how  to deal with eczema.

Elective C-sections, why???

I was having a conversation with my sister the other day and somehow we ended up talking about c-sections.  In case you don't already know i have a 4 month old son called Ethan who came into the world via emergency c-section. I am curious to find out why women opt to have c-sections rather than natural births?

Let me put out a disclaimer; i am in no way judging mothers who choose to have their babies this way, i am just curious as to why? let me explain my curiousity. I had an emergency c-sections because my baby was in distress and i am thankful for it because my beautiful boy was safe and sound. However i can't say that i loved it;  the recovery after the drugs wore out was so excruciatingly painful. 

I remember being so scared of farting, i thought if i did my scar will open and pooing felt like i was giving birth to another baby. Experiencing how painful recovery was, if i have the choice to decide between natural birth and c-section; i would go for the former. With this in mind, i want to understand why women elect to have c-sections.