Category Archives: American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)

Breastfeeding: Gratitude

Please take a moment to add a comment with the names and contact info (and stories if you want!) of breastfeeding-friendly professionals who helped you along the way. Continue reading

Posted in American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Breastfeeding, General, mothering, parenting, Postpartum | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Keep Babies and Mamas Together After Birth

I was digging around the American Academy of Pediatrics web site today, and found this information on their policy statement on Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk:

  • Healthy infants should be placed and remain in direct skin-to-skin contact with their mothers immediately after delivery until the first feeding is accomplished.
  • The alert, healthy newborn infant is capable of latching on to a breast without specific assistance within the first hour after birth.
  • Dry the infant, assign Apgar scores, and perform the initial physical assessment while the infant is with the mother. The mother is an optimal heat source for the infant.
  • Delay weighing, measuring, bathing, needle-sticks, and eye prophylaxis until after the first feeding is completed.
  • Infants affected by maternal medications may require assistance for effective latch-on.
  • Except under unusual circumstances, the newborn infant should remain with the mother throughout the recovery period.

In other words, the AAP confirms that unless it is medically necessary, there is no reason to separate mom and baby after birth. Continue reading

Posted in American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Baby, Breastfeeding | 1 Comment

Write Grey’s Anatomy to Say “Have Dr. Bailey Breastfeed!”

I’ll admit it, I love watching medical dramas on TV. A lot of us do, that’s why they are so popular. Grey’s Anatomy actually has a surgery resident who is pregnant on the show. I’d love to see them promote breastfeeding, since it’s good medicine, right? Heck, even the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says that breastfeeding is the best thing for mom and baby.

The writer’s of Grey’s Anatomy have their own blog. You could also write ABC in general through their website at: ABC.com
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Co-sleeping

Here’s a question: If co-sleeping has been proven to facilitate breastfeeding and breastfeeding has been proven to prevent SIDS, then doesn’t co-sleeping help prevent SIDS too? I’m no math wizard, but isn’t this a simple algebra problem? If b (co-sleeping) =a (breastfeeding) and a (breastfeeding) = c (SIDS prevention) then doesn’t b=c too?

Like I said, I’m no math genius, but it seems like a simple answer to me.

I have co-slept with two babies/children and have found the benefits to be enormous. Not only did I get more sleep with them right next to me, not having to get up every 2 hours to nurse, but it also helped to heighten my senses and motherly instincts. For example, once when my daughter was about 4 months old, half asleep I reached down and caught her as she rolled off the bed – right before she hit the ground. I pulled her back up close to me (she was still sleeping) and went back to sleep.
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