Before I had even finished the book, I took it to a book discussion and recommended it. Here is what I wrote to a friend and LLL leader after I was done:
"The last edition was a very useful and comprehensive manual, and I was glad to read it before I had Owen, refer to it afterward, recommend it, and lend it to other mothers. However, it just didn't spark much in me. I appreciated the authors' conversational tone and style in the new edition and appreciated how frank yet politic they were about the impacts of birth practices on breastfeeding. While the 7th Edition had about 9 pages of information to help mothers have a good birth (see pages 18-26, 7th Ed.), I was absolutely blow away by the sixty pages (see pages 1-61, 8th Ed.) dedicated to a good start through natural birth in the new edition. I am hopeful that the candid explanations of the negative impacts that unnecessary interventions can play along with the wonderful descriptions of physiologic birth will help mothers to achieve "normal" births in a time when it is becoming increasingly difficult and rare. I value my birth experience and attribute our successful and easy start to nursing largely to it. So many women and babies don't enjoy long and pleasant nursing relationships because they never 'get off the ground' in the early days. "
As I noted, this (and the other editions I have read) is a comprehensive manual on the why's and mechanical how to's of breastfeeding and with lots of practical advice - a great reference for any new mother. One of the 12 concepts of the La Leche League philosophy is, "Alert and active participation by the mother in childbirth is a help in getting breastfeeding off to a good start. " The newest edition of The Womanly Art, goes a long way in bringing an understanding of the link between birth and breastfeeding to the main stream mother.
How many mothers are told that their babies may have artificially high birth weights because of IV fluids the mother received in labor, and how many babies who are otherwise doing fine with breastfeeding are unnecessarily required to have formula supplements for not gaining enough weight in a prescribed time period? If a baby is nursing well and having adequate output (of poops and pees), then weight gain above birth weight very early may not be the best indicator of how he is doing. If he started off with excess water weight which he lost (and may not have had his lowest weight recorded), then he may be gaining just fine even though it mathematically appears otherwise.
How many mothers know that epidurals not only impact their ability to move and participate in birthing their babies but also affect baby's "ability to find the breast, latch, and suck effectively after he is born. . . from a few days to a few weeks," decrease a woman's production of pain-relieving endorphins that aid her and her baby during and after birth, and may raise mothers' and babies' temperatures which may lead to unnecessary separations and medication if a baby is suspected of having an infection and required to stay in a nursery for observation?
How many mothers are told that it is wise to allow the cord to stop pulsing on its own before it is clamped and cut so that the baby has it's full blood supply and high iron stores that will last many months?
I think very few mothers know these things but hope that many more will come to know them since The Womanly Art is a well-read, easy to find manual from a trusted source. It makes me feel hopeful for the future of birth and breastfeeding in our society.
4 comments:
I'm glad it talks about the IV fluids and weight gains. I was so bloated with IV fluids that I lost about 5 lbs of fluid in the week after birth. I'm sure some of Martin's 9lb 11 oz was due to fluids and I resisted the pressure (from everywhere except our pediatrician, oddly enough) to supplement even though it took us 3 weeks to get back to birth weight. I've never read anything to back up this hunch. Luckily, my big old baby knew how to nurse and we never had any trouble more than an initial awkwardness where I needed to look at some positioning diagrams.
When I look for midwives with our next baby, I will interview them to see what suggestions they have on how I could have avoided intervention. If anyone is considering an epidural just for the fun of it, ask me about the headache that hits a few days later. That was worse that the 4 days of labor.
Try this:
Martens, PJ and L. Romph, 2007. Factors associated with newborn in-hospital weight loss: comparisons by feeding method, demographics, and birthing procedures. J Hum Lact 23(3): 233-241.
If I can get hold of it, I'll let you know.
You had quite a birth. Hopefully your next one will be easier. You're a strong mama!
Melinda
Here (http://jhl.sagepub.com/content/23/3/233.abstract) is the abstract which doesn't sound particularly enticing especially when you too can view the article for 1 day for the low, low cost of $32. You have got to freaking be kidding me. I must post soon on the inaccessibility of scientific research to the general public. I must say that $32 to view an article for a day is prohibitively expensive. I can buy whole books full of information (granted on other subjects) for that cost. Better stop here so as not to write a blog post where only comments belong.
The article is zipping to you as we speak. What a great post. I learned so much! I also love the pictures of you and can't wait to see little bubs. Best wishes for the birth.
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