Born to be Breastfed

Pregnancy is a time of waiting—with great excitement—for the arrival of your new baby. It’s also a time of preparing, filling out baby gift registries and thinking about details like where baby will sleep, what kind of baby carrier will work best, and whether you will need a breast pump. In U.S. society, new mothers aren’t encouraged to think about what the weeks after birth will mean for themselves, physiologically and emotionally. Yet the first six weeks—often all that many mothers can take of maternity leave—are vital for bonding with your baby, and for your baby’s development. Join Marie as she talks with Dr. Cheryl Zauderer, author if Maternity Leave: A New Mother’s Guide to the First Six Weeks Postpartum (Praeclarus Press, 2015), about what happens during the first six weeks, to help new and expectant mothers feel ready and put their minds at ease. Questions? E-mail [email protected]

Several factors contribute to low breastfeeding rates in the U.S. Too many infants go without their mother’s milk after birth, at six months, and at a year. The health consequences for babies and their mothers are serious. What can be done to change this situation? Tune in as Marie talks with Calvin Williams about one key factor in mothers' breastfeeding success: fathers’ involvement. Find out how fatherhood programs can help to dispel myths about breastfeeding. Learn specific steps fathers can take to support their partners in breastfeeding, during the first days after birth and beyond. Find out about available free resources that can make a difference for your own family, and other new families you know.

Sexual abuse affects more women than you may think. Some estimates suggest that it has happened to 20 to 25 percent (or more) of U.S. women. You’ve probably met these women. Survivors of sexual abuse come from all walks of life and all socioeconomic backgrounds, and the effects have a profound and life-long impact. For breastfeeding mothers, their supporters, and their health care providers, this raises a multitude of questions. How can sexual abuse impact breastfeeding? How can family, other mothers, and health care providers help? What can any of us do to be helpful and supportive of mothers who want to breastfeed after such trauma?

Listen as Marie and her guest, Elizabeth Johnson, talk about how to have the conversation, and how to help. If you’ve wondered about “touching”, triggers, flashbacks, and more, this show will help you to develop a clearer perspective.

You’re in the decision-making phase: Should you do it? How does your baby’s father feel about it? If you’re unsure, have you had that conversation? Or maybe you’re in the early phases: Breastfeeding isn’t going so well, and your partner says you don’t need to do it. OK, is that a supportive statement with permission to formula-feed, or is that a way to get you to quit because your partner wasn’t keen on the idea in the first place? And what happens when the baby is older…and there’s pressure from your spouse, your friends, and everyone else because…that baby is too old to nurse! You need to stop!

Join Marie and Amy Wright Glenn as they talk about how to have the conversation, how to develop empathy for the lens through which others view breastfeeding, how to spot signs of deeper troubles and how to find good resources and move forward in a way that benefits the entire family.

You've heard of hypnosis. You may even be familiar with hypnobirthing (the topic of Marie's June 15, 2015 episode: http://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/85954/hypnobirthing). Did you know hypnosis can be a positive tool for breastfeeding, too? Join Marie as she talks with special guest Robin Frees, IBCLC about how mothers can use hypnosis to overcome barriers that commonly arise during breastfeeding, such as low milk supply, and inhibited milk ejection reflex. Find out about strategies such as hypnotic relaxation, imagery, and breathing, and learn how these can help whether you're breastfeeding the baby in your arms or using a pump to express milk for later feeding. This just might make the difference between surviving your breastfeeding experience and celebrating it! Questions? E-mail [email protected] any time.

How do we do it? How do we connect with other mothers, from different cultures, different backgrounds, different families and different experiences? How do we bridge the differences and reach each other to provide support—essential to so many breastfeeding mothers and their babies? The questions ring true for mothers, for supporters, and for lactation consultants alike. Tune in as Marie talks with experienced nurse and lactation consultant Chris Auer about this important topic. Learn approaches for how we can position ourselves to reach across the cultural differences and connect. How can we recognize our personal backgrounds and still reach each other? You won’t want to miss this essential, community-building episode.

Once you become a mother, you realize your world has shifted. There comes a redefinition of self, that expands to encompass the lives you have created and will nurture to adulthood and beyond. We each embark on a journey to find a balance that feels right for us, to give the best of what we have to our children while still finding ways to nurture ourselves – our health and wellbeing as well as our dreams and passions. Many of us may struggle with feelings of guilt or resentment along the way.

Join Marie and special guest, Rachel Martin, popular blogger at findingjoy.net. Rachel gives us insight in how to deal with the everyday struggles of mothering while carving out that critical time for ourselves. Rachel highlights the difference between happiness and joy and shows us how having a village—one that exists or one that we create—is a necessary part of living in fullness and joy as mothers.

Maybe you’ve already heard about craniosacral therapy for your newborn, or older baby. Understandably, you may feel skeptical. Your questions might start with, “What is it?” And, you’d be likely to follow that with questions such as how it works, if it’s painful, and whether it’s effective. As an informed parent, you’ll need to ask these questions along with others related to the expertise of the practitioner, the cost of the treatment, and much more. If you’re open to using craniosacral therapy, get clear on what’s fact and what’s false.

Join Marie and her special guest, therapeutic bodyworker Carol Gray, LMT, CST, RPTY and specialist in craniosacral therapy for mothers and infants. Carol insists that not all breastfeeding problems start in the mouth. In this episode, you’ll get answers to many of your questions about this alternative therapy, and some resources to help you make the decision as to whether this therapy might be right for your infant or young child. www.carolgray.com

If you’ve been in a store’s baby section lately, you’ve probably noticed the formula. It’s hard not to notice it—there are more kinds of formula than ever before, and they take up a lot of shelf space. Milk-based, soy; regular, hypoallergenic … the variety can be overwhelming! What’s a parent to do? Before you buy any formula—and before you feed any to your baby—make sure you know all about it. Join Marie and special guest Dr. Heather Patisaul of NC State University for a conversation that provides the ins and outs of soy formula. Make sure you know about the phytoestrogens in soy and how they affect the body (short-term and long-term). Tune in for an eye-opening discussion of a product that’s become pervasive—for better or for worse, and consider information you need to make the best decision possible for your baby and your family.

Every parent looks in their baby’s diaper, and so have you! More than once, you’ve had questions about what’s there. For example: Why is her poo green? Is that blood—and, if so, why is it there? Oh, does what’s in his diaper suggest an allergy, and might formula feeding be a better option? And on the other end: Why is your baby not burping, when she seems uncomfortable? What’s normal spit-up, and what should be cause for concern? Will cereal in a nighttime bottle help her sleep better? Join Marie and special guest Bryan Vartabedian, MD, author and pediatric gastroenterologist at Texas Children’s Hospital, the largest children’s hospital in America. In this episode, you’ll get top-to-bottom (literally!) answers to frequently-asked questions about what comes into—and goes out of—your breastfed baby’s digestive system.