It’s that time of year again—time when many of us resolve to lose weight and exercise more. Taking care of yourself is even more important now that you have become a mother. But how is it possible to make time for YOU when you have a baby to care for? Is it possible to exercise regularly and meet the needs of your baby? What about breastfeeding? Is it ok to exercise while breastfeeding? Yes, yes and yes!
With the arrival of the New Year many of us make resolutions about improving our health by eating better. As a breastfeeding mom, you may be wondering if it’s possible to eat well and safely lose weight while still caring for your baby.
Weight loss immediately after birth is quite dramatic. Birthing a baby, placenta and fluids can result in the immediate loss of 12 pounds or more. In the weeks and months that follow, however, your “baby weight” will come off more slowly. The good news is, most breastfeeding mothers lose weight easily, without depriving themselves of anything! In fact, many mothers find they have to eat more than they ever did before and STILL they lose weight. Those baby pounds come off like magic!
Since breastfeeding is such a great calorie burner, you may be tempted to eat a less than ideal diet. But just as in pregnancy, keep in mind you are eating for two! Continue reading
Relaxing with Baby
Back in the day, before I was an IBCLC, I spent hours on the phone as a La Leche League Leader, listening to and trying to help breastfeeding mothers. My co-leaders and I were very active with 2 well-attended group meetings per month. It was not unusual for me to talk on the phone with several mothers each day of the week. After a year or 2 of this work, I began to notice a trend. During major holidays, almost all of the calls were about plugged ducts, mastitis and milk supply.
I discussed this with more experienced leaders. “Yep,” they agreed, “those breastfeeding problems happen more during major life events—especially holidays!” It was such a recognizable phenomenon, we were able to predict the types of calls we could expect based on the time of year. Toward the end of November, we started preparing for the flood of plugged ducts and mastitis calls. Continue reading
About 6 weeks to 2 months postpartum, your health care provider will bring up the subject of birth control. Even though sex may be the farthest thing from your mind! Your doctor has your mental and physical health in mind when he talks to you about a birth control method. It can be devastating emotionally and physically to get pregnant again before you are ready.
There are many birth control methods that are compatible with breastfeeding and have absolutely zero risk of harming milk production. Condoms and other barrier methods are safe and effective when used appropriately. But these methods are considered “risky” to many doctors because they rely on patient compliance and errors can occur. More and more doctors, therefore, are encouraging new mothers to use an IUD for birth control.
There are some relatively new IUDs on the market, that can create problems for breastfeeding individuals. The Mirena., Skiyla, Liletta and Kyleena all contain small amounts of synthetic progesterone. Progesterone is the hormone that keeps you from lactating during pregnancy. It follows that progesterone, even a small amount, could cause a reduction in milk supply for a breastfeeding mother. Continue reading
When a woman thinks of birth and breastfeeding she expects it to be the happiest time of her life. Occasionally, to a mother’s dismay, she finds that breastfeeding brings on new challenges, feelings and experiences. She may experience feelings of pain with breastfeeding, or an unexplainable twist in her gut when her milk lets down. Unable to justify or validate what she is feeling leaves her at a loss and feeling confused. These feelings may be the result of a condition known as D-MER. D-MER stands for Dysmorphic Milk Ejection Reflex and it is treatable.
D-MER is caused by a drop in dopamine activity when oxytocin rises which creates a feeling of dysphoria in the mother (D-Mer.org). It is a physiological disorder, not a mental disorder. To understand D-MER better I have interviewed Renee Beebe, IBCLC. Renee Beebe is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant who works with mothers who may be exhibiting symptoms of D-MER.