Born to be Breastfed

Many women want birth and breastfeeding to go this way, not that way. They create a clear birth plan, go to childbirth education classes, and read all the books. But when the big day arrives, intervention after intervention often takes center stage, and the birth plan fades into the shadows. Research repeatedly confirms that doula support decreases the likelihood of obstetrical interventions, and increases the likelihood of successful breastfeeding initiation and continuation. Yet, few mothers hire a doula.

Is a doula an expense, or an investment? Join Marie as her guest, Amber Thomas, explains how the role, training, and skills of the doula are very different from those of a partner, nurse, or midwife. Empower yourself whether you are planning for an unmedicated labor, epidural anesthesia, or even a cesarean delivery. Find out how one-on-one service, advocacy, good fit, and flexible customization of your birth plan and can help you to transform your plan into a reality.

You’ve heard that a “baby-friendly” hospital is the best place for your baby to be born, but that’s not possible in your situation. What are the ten attributes of a baby-friendly hospital? What aspects of clinical care would make your hospital stay baby-friendly, even if the hospital isn’t baby-friendly accredited? How can you ensure your baby receives the best, most breastfeeding-supportive care from your health care provider, regardless of baby-friendly status? Tune in for 10 practical tips to ensuring that your hospital stay supports you, baby, and breastfeeding in the best possible way. Expecting moms, this is a podcast you won’t want to miss! E-mail [email protected] with questions anytime.

Maybe you’ve heard Marie or someone else say, “Be sure to support the baby’s back! Sit up straight when you bring the baby to the breast. Oh, he’s not interested? Okay, try in a half hour, he’ll be hungry by then!” These traditional directives have no science to substantiate their effectiveness, and add stress for the mother and baby who are being “taught” to breastfeed.

Join Marie and her guest, Dr. Suzanne Colson, as they guide you through amazing research results that show how biological nurturing is the key to having your baby latch on effortlessly and painlessly. Suzanne explains that 17 primitive newborn reflexes (PNRs) are released when the mother opens the angle of her lightly-clothed body and the baby brushes against her to self-attach. If you’ve ever struggled with sore nipples, a newborn who refuses to nurse, an ineffective latch, or other issues, Marie and Suzanne will show you how this simple technique can transform your experience into a relaxed, joyful experience.

Any parent is likely to feel devastated when they are told that their baby has Down Syndrome. The situation raises so many questions, including worries about breastfeeding.

Join Marie and her guest, Doris Stevick, who successfully breastfed her son for more than 18 months. Not only did Benjamin have Down Syndrome, he was born eight weeks early, and he had a heart defect. Doris and her husband were living an ocean away from their family and friends, so she found herself in “foreign territory” in the broadest sense of the word. She has also had a 2-year old and a 4-year old to care for. How did she do it all, and do it so successfully for so many months? If you have found yourself facing the joys and sorrows of parenting—and breastfeeding—a child with special needs, you’ll want to hear her inspiring story.

You might agree that child-led weaning is ideal for many families. But for whatever good reason, you’ve decided against it. It’s time to move on, get your body back, and wean your baby, toddler, or preschooler. Yet, you might be wondering: Is mother-led weaning a bad thing? Will your child resent you if you wean him now? Is there a right way or a wrong way to do it? Is mother-led weaning different from cold turkey?

Join Marie and her guest, psychologist and author Ariadne Brill, as they discuss the facts and myths of mother-led weaning for today’s busy families. They’ll help you to discover many options for how to make mother-led weaning work, how to use age-appropriate weaning options or techniques, and how to recognize and deal with resistance behaviors if your baby or child isn’t thrilled with this approach. Although mother-led weaning isn’t for everyone, this episode will help you to try it in a way that is most likely to become a positive process, rather than a negative event.

Like all mammals, human women have been giving birth spontaneously for millions of years. It is relatively recently that the birthing process has become what it is: complicated, medicalized, and scheduled. Despite much talk about evidence-based practice, there is relatively little evidence to justify the cascade of interventions that are imposed upon mothers during a hospital birth.

Join Marie and Dr. Sarah Buckley as they discuss the state of modern birth. Stop—or at least hesitate— before you automatically agree to an elective cesarean birth, an artificial induction of labor, or the epidural that will almost certainly follow. Look at the facts: the benefits haven’t been proven to outweigh the risks that can affect your birthing, breastfeeding, and beyond. Listen as she explains the need for a “private, safe, and unobserved” place for conceiving, birthing and immediately breastfeeding to ensure survival of the species. Listen to your body; it is pre-programmed to birth your baby.

Although the new mother with a baby on her breast, spit-up on her blouse, and too little sleep may feel alone in breastfeeding, efforts are underway to make such a sense of isolation a thing of the past. In Indiana, efforts to support breastfeeding have led to the development of a community-centered model based on collaborative partnerships between community groups. Strategies that have worked include: the establishment of community-based drop-in centers, partnerships with businesses, collaborations with hospitals, and services for minorities. Join Marie and special guest Tina Cardarelli, Indiana’s State Breastfeeding Coordinator, to find out more about some exciting initiatives that have successfully engaged community stakeholders in supporting breastfeeding mothers and their babies. Learn about strategies that may work where you live, too. Questions are always welcome at [email protected]

You’ve heard that breastfeeding will protect your baby from SIDS, and you’ve heard that pacifiers do, too. But don’t pacifiers cause babies to have “nipple confusion”? Or are they just a handy tool for calming a fussy baby? It’s time you sort the facts from the myths—before your baby is crying and you’re on the spot, trying to figure out whether to give the pacifier and if it is a help or a problem.

Join Marie as she talks with experienced speech pathologist Debbie Betts to find out the truth about pacifier use. You’ll learn the risks and benefits, as well as when to introduce pacifier use, when to use it with your baby, and when to wean from it. You’ll learn about different types of pacifiers, and how you’d know if the pacifier affected your baby’s speech or feeding in a way that needed follow-up. It’s the must-listen show for anyone who needs to sort out the truth of pacifiers—expectant parents, new parents, and professionals.

Meeting your baby's nutritional needs from your own body may seem intimidating and even demanding. Maybe that's why, although nearly 77% of babies are ever breastfed, only about 49% are still breastfed at six months (and only 38% are exclusively breastfed then). You've probably heard some reasons why mothers can't breastfeed their babies; odds are high most of these reasons simply aren't true. Join Marie Biancuzzo to bust the myths and find out the realities about topics such as: nutrition while breastfeeding, small breasts and milk supply, medications, chocolate, coffee, alcohol, anxiety, breast shape, bottle-feeding, and more. Learn what you need to know to feel confident about your ability to breastfeed your baby.

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.