From Nina Sobiek

My son was severely jaundiced from an incompatible RH factor. Within 2 hours of birth they had a Lactation Consultant come to my room and tell me how I NEED to breastfeed. I have flat nipples and my son was just not latching. He was put in phototherapy three days after birth (we were never discharged) and again they sent a Lactation Consultant to his room and she again kept telling me to keep nursing him. I didn't know it, as a first time mom, but he wasn't getting anything. After two days of phototherapy they told us his levels were just barely good enough to go home and told me to nurse every 2 hours. I got home and was feeling more defeated adding to my post partum (I'm clinically diagnosed bipolar). From his birth I was told he needed to be breastfed and the stigma of formula feeding was always stopping me from using it. At my son's first follow up pediatric appointment he was immediately sent to the ER for a heel prick and his jaundice levels had skyrocketed and he had lost 1 lb in a few days. I was NEVER once told that dehydration would make his jaundice worse nor was I ever informed by the lactation consultant that nursing with jaundice could worsen without supplementing. My son had his heel pricked every day two times on some days for 10 DAYS STRAIGHT. I had to listen to his screams and cries from the tests. I couldn't bond with him because he has to be in the phototherapy bed. I finally started supplementing when my milk dried up over night. I tried pumping. I tried nursing. But ultimately I had to do what was right for my son. Breast is not best if you aren't producing enough for your baby. Had I not started supplementing the next step was going to be a blood transfusion for my boy. All women should be told the PROS AND THE CONS of breastfeeding and stop pressuring them with LC coming to them. If you send a LC to my room, also send a formula representative so I can have BOTH sides.

From Valaree Villanueva-Moczygemba‎ posted on Breast milk is best, but only if you have breast milk.

Valaree Villanueva-Moczygemba to Breast milk is best, but only if you have breast milk.

September 6, 2015 · 

Ok so to all the woman on this page that think all woman get milk... Your wrong! I had my son 3 weeks ago he went 24 hours without eating he had a great latch and I put him to breast every 2-3 hours and the the nurses and lactation consultant said he's getting enough, but I knew he wasn't getting anything and I could tell he was hungry. Finally in the middle of the night I cried cause I could tell he was so hungry I told the nurse bring me a bottle and he ate. At that time I also asked for a pump, sure enough I had nothing not even colostrum! It wasn't until day 3 that it came in and guess where he was? Under the light because he developed jaundice! Anyway I kept pumping and taking him the 10 MLs of colostrum every 3 hours and I still continued to supplement with formula but after a week I noticed my milk never came in and even the watery colostrum was reduced to 5 MLs every 3 hours. I was drinking water like crazy putting him to breast and like I said this kid could have written the book how to latch and nothing till this day I still put him to breast before feeding but even when I choose not to, hardly anything comes out. Mind you I have huge breast and it's very heart breaking when all you want to do is give your child liquid gold and you can't. It does make you feel like you failed them especially when your well built for the task and the well runs dry. So yes, it's true some of us are the 5-10% who dont produce milk. My daughter is 6 years old and with her I only produced milk for 6 weeks but that's because I was taking supplements to increase my production. I didn't do that this time because I didn't have access to the supplements I took with her.

From Jill and Jarod Johnson about their son, Landon who died of cardiac arrest 12 hours after discharge from a Baby-Friendly Hospital

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

As another birthday passes....

Landon would be three today if he was still alive. I've been wanting to share for a long time about what happened to Landon, but I've always feared what others would say and how I'd be judged. 

I've recently been thinking a lot and it's now weighing on my heart to share in hopes that no other families ever experience the loss we have. 

Jarrod and I wanted what was best for Landon as every parent does for their child. We took all of the classes. Bought and read all of the books. We were ready! Or so we thought....every class and book was geared toward breastfeeding and how it's so important if you want a healthy child. Landon was born in a "baby friendly" hospital. What this means is everything is geared toward breastfeeding. Unless you'd had a breast augmentation or cancer or some serious medical reason as to why you couldn't breastfeed, your baby would not be given formula unless a prescription was written by the pediatrician. 

Landon was on my breast - ALL THE TIME. The lactation consultants would come in and see that "he had a great latch and was doing fine" but there was one who mentioned I may have a problem producing milk. The reason she gave was because I was diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) and it was just harder for women with hormone imbalances to produce milk. She recommended some herbs for me to take when I got out of the hospital. 

Landon cried. And cried. All the time. He cried unless he was on the breast. The nurses would come in and swaddle him in warm blankets to get him to sleep. And when I asked them why he was always on my breast, I was told it was because he was "cluster" feeding. I recalled learning all about that in the classes I had taken, and being a first time mom, I trusted my doctors and nurses to help me through this - even more so since I was pretty heavily medicated from my emergency c section and this was my first baby. But I was wrong. I've learned I have to be my child's number one advocate. 

Did you know newborns aren't supposed to cry all the time? They're supposed to eat and sleep and dirty their diapers. I  had no idea that he was inconsolable because he was starving - literally. And when a baby is only on the breast, how do we gauge how much they're actually getting out? Sure, there should be wet and soiled diapers, and weight checks, right? And where is the limit as to weight loss and a minimum for the diapers changed? 

So we took him home....not knowing that after less than 12 hours home with us, he  would have gone into cardiac arrest caused by dehydration. And the best advice I was given by one of his NICU doctors while he was on life support is sure breast is best, but follow with the bottle. This way you know your baby has eaten enough....if only I could go back in time... 

See more at:

http://afairytalewithendlessadventures.blogspot.com/2015/02/as-another-birthday-passes.html

Story from N.K., a physician and mom about her first-born son.

My son born on September 21st at 8 pounds and 3 ounces. He had a large cephalohematoma and I was status post a breast reduction. He went home 2 days later down 8 percent of his birth weight and exclusively breast feeding. According to every OB, pediatric provider and lactation consultant he met discharge criteria. He had already required tongue tie clipping for poor latch and I left the hospital with bleeding cracked nipples, a screaming inconsolable son and a total of 3 hours of sleep since my admission 4 days prior. 2 days later at his scheduled follow up he was found to be down 10% of his birth weight and his T bili was 21. He was readmitted and put under the lights. I was still told I could EBF because he didn't meet supplementation metrics but the pediatric nurses were horrified that I wouldn't supplement. But it wasn't that I wouldn't I was just being told over and over by everyone else that I didn't need to. All of this as a physician myself who had done my breast feeding research because of my history. But I listened to my baby friendly agenda pushing providers at my hospital instead of my baby's cries, my instincts and my mother's pleas to feed the baby. The day before my son was readmitted he was having episodes of lethargy. I thought he was finally "Tiring out"...he was instead lethargic from the bilirubin bathing his brain. I still don't know what his glucose was on admission. It was never tested.  I let this happen. I will never let it happen again. I will fight this misguided policy until the day I die.