Pregnancy and Birth

by Joan Marie Butler, RNC,

Third Revised Editionby Kathleen Huggins,R.N., M.S.

There is no substance that can come close to human milk. Infant formula, a synthetic human milk substitute, is not a healthy alternative to mother's milk. Formula is missing over 400 ingredients present in human milk, which cannot be duplicated by scientists in a laboratory.

Sometimes it seems that the best science results come from keen observation rather than factual knowledge or experimentation. You remember the story of Jenner, don't you? He observed that milkmaids who contracted cowpox seemed not to become infected with smallpox.

Do pregnancy and childbirth affect bladder control? Yes. But don't panic. If you lose bladder control after childbirth, the problem often goes away by itself. Your muscles may just need time to recover.

Are you planning to have a baby? Do you think you will ever have a baby? You need to know about the vitamin folate.

Genetic counseling researches the family and medical history of potential parents using perception tests, which determine the risk of having a child with a genetic birth defect or disorder. Prenatal diagnosis tests an already conceived fetus for genetic abnormalities.

Planning to start a family is an exciting time. Many women and their partners wonder if there is anything they can do to help make this both successful and safe. In fact there are many things that can be done to increase the chances of a healthy mother and baby.

Some BIRTH DEFECTS or CONDITIONS can be inherited ("run through the family") and may potentially increase the risk to one's own offspring. These include:

Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate, a B vitamin found naturally in dark-green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, beans, and whole grains. It plays an important part in the development of the fetus' spinal cord and brain.

Clomiphene Citrate, or "Clomid" is often referred to as the "fertility pill". It is used to treat infertile women who have an ovulation problem. It works by helping the pituitary gland (located at the base of the brain) improve the stimulation of developing follicles (eggs) in the ovaries.

In order to stimulate an adequate milk supply, newborns need to nurse a minimum of eight times, and optimally ten to twelve times or more during a twenty-four hour period.

Many babies switch forth effortlessly between breast and bottle from day one. Others become “nipple confused” if artificial nipples are introduced during the early days of nursing.

Candida (also called yeast, or thrush) is a fungus that occurs naturally in the mucous membranes and on the skin. Use of antibiotics promotes the overgrowth of yeast by killing off the ‘good’ bacteria that normally keep the yeast from multiplying too quickly.

Breast fullness is a normal part of lactation which nearly all women experience when their milk comes in 2 – 5 days after birth.

Breastfeeding is the natural, physiologic way of feeding infants and young children milk, and human milk is the milk made specifically for human infants.

Breastfeeding is as good as combined contraceptive pills (about 2% failure rate) if all the following conditions apply (no exceptions):

Breastfeeding is the natural, physiologic way of feeding infants and young children milk, and human milk is the milk made specifically for human infants.

Severe engorgement about the third or fourth day after the baby is born can usually be prevented by getting the baby latched on well and drinking well from the very beginning. If you do become engorged, please understand that engorgement diminishes within 1 or 2 days even without any treatment.

One of the most powerful arguments many health professionals, government agencies and formula company manufacturers make for not promoting and supporting breastfeeding is that we should "not make the mother feel guilty for not breastfeeding".

Mastitis needs to be differentiated from a plugged or blocked duct, because the latter does not need to be treated with antibiotics, whereas mastitis often, but not always, does require treatment with antibiotics.

Because more and more women are now breastfeeding their babies, more and more are also finding that they enjoy breastfeeding enough to want to continue longer than the usual few months they initially thought they would do it.

Fluconazole (Diflucan™) is a synthetic antifungal agent which can be used for the treatment of a variety of Candida albicans infections. For the breastfeeding mother in particular, it can be used to treat recurrent Candida infections of the nipples, and, if such an thing exists, Candida infections of the milk ducts.

Domperidone (Motilium™) is a drug which has, as a side effect, the increased production of the hormone prolactin. Prolactin is the hormone which stimulates the cells in the mother's breast to produce milk.

All health professionals say they are supportive of breastfeeding. But many are supportive only when breastfeeding is going well, and some, not even then. As soon as breastfeeding, or anything in the life of the new mother is not perfect, too many advise weaning or supplementation.