"For the comfort of mom and baby"

Prior to 2006 there was not a universal breastfeeding symbol. The universal symbol for "infant" used in print and in public places traditionally has been a baby bottle, even for "breastfeeding" rooms.

Mothering Magazine decided to hold a contest for people to submit their ideas for the world’s first international breastfeeding symbol in August of 2006 after this realization. There were over 500 entries submitted and in November of 2006 the design of Matt Daigle was chosen as the winner.

This symbol has the potential to be very powerful. The idea is that anyone, individuals or businesses, can use this symbol to support breastfeeding and help normalize breastfeeding.

Where available, it can be used to indicate the presence of a nursing room. Now, this particular idea is where some controversy comes in. Just because an establishment has a nursing room available, should a nursing mother have to use it? If we are striving for breastfeeding to be truly normalized, why the need for a room?

Perhaps some mothers are more comfortable in private. In environments where we still have a ways to go in normalizing breastfeeding many mothers have never witnessed another mother breastfeeding and so comfort levels are going to be varied. One mother may prefer to be in a private location and the next would not want to think she had to use such as space. This is where the lines get blurred.

Some would think that having designated nursing areas however just further perpetuated the issue of breastfeeding not being normalized by making it seem as if we must use those designated spaces. Now, an establishment may have a nursing space. Do breastfeeding patrons HAVE to use that space? What happens if they do not want to? In Canada, one cannot be forced into that space but not everyone is aware of this.

If the establishment is simply being courteous to those that want to use a private space but other patrons expect breastfeeding mothers to use that space, then what? who needs to move their line of comfort? Who has to "accommodate" who in this matter? Should the mother be forced to move? Should another patron move?

Recently a local library added a nursing chair to their space. This chair was placed in a washroom. Some will be horrified by this, some will not react at all. But lets think this out for just a brief minute. If I am a nursing mother, in a children's library, I likely have a toddler/preschooler/school aged child with me. How practical is this for a mother and her children? New babies eat often and sometimes lengthy feeds. Would it not make more sense for the mother to simply feed in whatever space her and her other children are? It would be far less disruptive to her and her family. It will also be less disruptive for other patrons. Can you imagine a toddler or preschooler trapped in a bathroom in the middle of the library with all kinds of things to explore?

So, I ask, by creating this nursing space "for the comfort of moms and babies", who are we really trying to make comfortable?

Surely, this is not for the comfort of most new moms and until we start to normalize this act of simply feeding a baby, the comfort levels of everyone are not going to rise.

Please, lets stop with the nursing spaces. If you want to show support, place the International Breastfeeding symbol on the front door and leave it at that. Leave the chair in the bathroom even. If a mom really wants to feed in that chair, she will know it is there, and can use it at her discretion, without the blurred lines of if she must use it, by herself, staff  or other patrons.

My admiration for a special mom

I must first start off saying all moms are special. This we know. But every once in a while a certain mom will touch me in a unique way.

I have the pleasure of knowing a mom who society may normally be a little bit "tougher" one. But I can tell you, it seems no one challenges her harder than she challenges herself.

She is a young mom. Perhaps she may not have chosen to be a mother at the young age she did. But she embraced her pregnancy in a beautiful way. She was embraced by her family wholesomely. She embraced and rocked the birth stronger than she thought she would and I think more than anyone else there imagined she would. She feel madly in love with her baby the moment she held her. She mothers with ease, just as natural as everything else she has ever done in life, as if she has done it before. Breastfeeding was the only option to feeding this baby and low and behold, it did not get off to a good start. But the determination and desire to provide breastmilk for her child meant she accepted help, ideas and recommendations to get her and baby on the right track.

This mother also had dreams of going off to school. Many people would have assumed a young mother to set that aside. to be too overwhelmed with mothering to consider adding school to the mix. Mothering is hard work, let alone classrooms, homework, getting work placements, etc. But this mom accepts that challenge. I told you she challenges herself more than others might. She has made arrangements for childcare as well as worked out a schedule to be able to continue to breastfeed, pumping as needed but only as absolutely needed, instead trying to limit the amount of feeds away from the breast directly. And when she has extra milk, she is also donating to other moms and babies in need!

I do not think that this mom knows that she is doing anything that other moms would not do. I do not she thinks much more about it other than she is doing what needs to be done to combine her mothering with her education. But I want her to know she is doing a heck of a job. I want her to know that I often hear moms say they had to stop breastfeeding because they had to go back to school. Or they had to give up school so they could breastfeed. Or they could not breastfeed because they did not get a maternity leave and had to work. Breastfeeding can be really easy to quit. But when breastfeeding is a huge part of how you mother, it cannot just be quit.

Anyways, that is just a little ramble about a mom who touches my heart with her dedication to herself, her baby and her family. You know who you are ;)

Tongue Tie Interview

I was recently interviewed by Sheila Coles from the Morning Edition on CBC Regina. We were discussing tongue ties, laser revision and new supports coming to Regina. 

Here is a link for anyone wanting to have a listen 

http://www.cbc.ca/morningedition/episode/2013/02/14/help-for-tongue-tied-babies/

Some of what was higlighted in the six minute discussion I have summed up below plus expanded a small amount for clarity. 

The definition of (tongue or lip) tie is restricted mobility as a result of a short and/or tight frenulum. Restricted mobility impacts the function of the tongue. (And the tongue is a key player in breastfeeding).

The definition of a tie is a functional one used in conjunction with visual assessment. Using only appearance qualities to make a diagnosis causes professionals to miss some ties but could also lead to over-treatment. 

Visual assessment alone is not adequate for diagnosis and treatment decisions. The evaluation of function must take precedence over appearance so that over treatment can be avoided. Depending on symptoms will depend on who you may need to help make an assessment. (Lactation consultant, dentist, speech pathologist, chiropractor, osteopath,etc)  It can be a interdisciplinary approach from assessment to treatment. 

2-12% of the population are said to be affected by ties depending on the population under study and the definition used. There are various grades of ties identified which can impact symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. The current lack of awareness and education are often barriers to assessment & treatment. 

Like everything in medicine advancements are made. Lasers have now provided us advancement in treatment of oral restrictions with benefits over scissor releases.

Scissors bleed, can be messy, cannot always reach all ties efficiently and  have more of a one-time chance. Lasers do not bleed, user has more control, practioner can get back further to ensure a deep enough release and can assess as the procedure is being done. Lasers also have anesthetic properties as well as antibacterial properties. 

  

Symptoms can be maternal and/or baby: maternal pain, nipple damage, engorgement, mastitis, thrush, low milk supply, weight loss in baby, slow weight gain in baby, failure to thrive babies, reflux, colic, digestion issues, fatigue, slow feeds, difficulty latching, gagging, choking, coughing, breast refusal, shallow latch, chin tremors, clicking noises, fretful

Breastfeeding Impact

•          Inadequate latch that interferes with milk transfer

•          Insufficient milk intake and inefficient feeding due to inability to maintain and adequate tongue seal

•          Nipple/breast pain and damage

•          Compromised normal suck-swallow-breathe patterns

•          Long feeds

•          Possible weight gain compromise

•          Reduced milk supply

•          Early weaning

•          Need to supplement

Beyond breastfeeding

•          Bottle-fed baby can also struggle

•          Babies may have trouble with solid foods (reverse swallowing)

•          Speech may be affected

•          Orofacial development (high, narrow palate, orthodontics)

•          Dental issues

•          Increased salivation

•          Airway integrity and apnea

Feeding and milk supply concerns can be worked on with the assistance of a Lactation Consultant. There are various tools and management techniques that can be used depending on each unique situation.

Tongue mobility is the goal of laser treatment. The secondary results, such as increased milk transfer occur only when treatment restores optimal tongue placement, movement and strength.

Function restoral is generally dependent on a team approach to care including dentists, bodyworkers (osteopathy, chiropractic) and lactation consultants.

When breastfeeding is the concern the earlier the treatment the better but that is not to say later treatment is not beneficial to other symptoms that may arise.

Tongue ties are a controversial and subjective topic currently.

The team approach will be growing in Regina soon with a local dentist coming on board to help with treatment.