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Increasing milk supply with Fenugreek Most of the time, breastfeeding on demand, not supplementing with formula, avoiding nicotine, getting enough rest and fluids, and avoiding too much caffeine is enough to get a mom well on her way to producing enough breast milk for baby. However, for some moms who are going back to work soon, or for moms who have trouble pumping breast milk, or have other underlying conditions, there may be a need to use a few natural methods to increase the milk supply. The herb Fenugreek has been used for hundreds of years, with outstanding success. Mothers who use it generally start seeing an increase in milk production within 24 -72 hours. The part of the plant that is used is the seed and it contains hormone precursors. It also helps to enrich the mother's milk. One way it is thought to do this is by reducing lympatic congesting and thus increasing the blood supply to milk ducts. It is listed by the FDA as safe for pregnant and lactating women. As with any herb, vitamin, or medicine, there can be side effects (generally loose stool) if too much is taken, therefore, you should consult with an herbalist or lactation consultant about proper dosage and underlying medical conditions prior to taking. If you are interested in trying this amazing, safe herb, please contact me. I keep it in stock and will be happy to offer any sort of breastfeeding advice and support necessary. The supplier is Good Herbs, Inc. and they use 100% organic and non-irradiated sources and herbs to ensure your safety and satisfaction.

Why should you breastfeed even if it is only for a short time? Read below for some convincing reasons: Colostrum Colostrum is low in fat, but high in carbohydrates and protein. It is also very rich in vitamin A, a micronutrient that is essential to good health, particularly in preventing blindness, as well as in preventing infection. Colostrum contains antibodies that are effective in fighting infection and keeping the baby healthy. It is easily digestible, making it the perfect first food for a baby. Its laxative effect helps the baby pass early stools, which aids in the excretion of excess bilirubin and helps prevent jaundice. The first few days of breastfeeding are probably the most important for a baby, and because the baby's stomach is very small he or she will be able to consume only a small amount of protein at a time. As a result, the baby will need to be fed nine or more times in a 24-hour period. Colostrum acts like a natural oral vaccine because it contains large quantities of an antibody called secretory immunoglobin A (IgA). IgA protects the baby's mucous membranes in the throat, lungs and intestines from infection. Colostrum also has high concentrations of white blood cells, called leukocytes, which fight bacteria and viruses. Colostrum is especially important in the gastrointestinal tract. A newborn's intestines are very permeable. Colostrum helps seal the permeable intestines by creating a barrier that helps prevent foreign substances from penetrating and possibly sensitizing a baby to foods the mother has eaten. While these effects continue once the colostrum changes to milk, the immunological response to viruses and bacteria is not as powerful as in the beginning. However, the effects of the initial colostrum are long-lasting. Studies have shown that children who are breastfed rather than formula-fed have a lower frequency of allergic, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases and lymphomas in their later life when compared with children who have been formula-fed after birth. Besides these effects, colostrum has a positive effect on blood sugar and aids in development of the heart, lungs and brain. - Cheryl K. Smith, excerpted from "Nature's Perfect Food: Colostrum," The Birthkit Issue 49 In Brazil, where enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli) diarrhea is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in newborns, a study used Western blot analysis to determine the extent to which IgA in colostrum is reactive with enteropathogenic E. coli proteins. The analyses revealed that the colostrum samples contained a secretory immunoglobulin A that was reactive with all the virulence-associated proteins studied. Researchers concluded that maternal antibodies in colostrum may protect infants from E. coli infection by interfering with the attaching and effacing lesions brought on by transmembrane and intracellular signals caused by E. coli, and by cell signaling, which involves anti-enteropathogenic E. coli-secreted protein A and B antibodies. - J Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, 1998, 27(2) A study determined that the anti-infective factors in the colostrums of mothers of preterm infants differ from those of mothers of full-term infants. The 25 mothers were matched for age, parity, quality of nutrition and hemoglobulin levels. In the mothers of preterm infants, the concentrations of total protein and the antimicrobial agents SigA, lysozyme and lactoferrin were significantly greater than in the colostrums of the mothers of full-term infants, although the mean 12-hour volume of colostrums was significantly lower in the preterm group. The preterm colostrums also contained far higher counts of total cells, macrophages, lymphocytes and neutrophils. Degree of prematurity correlated with volume, protein, concentration and cell and macrophage counts. The study concluded that although the volume of colostrums is lower the more preterm the infant, the quality is higher in terms of soluble anti-infective agents and cells. - J Trop Pediatr, 1991, 327(5)

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Kids' lungs benefit from longer breast feeding By Joene Hendry Joene Hendry Fri Jan 2, 1:34 pm ET NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Children who are breast fed for at least 4 months may have better lung function than children who are breast fed for shorter periods of time and children who are bottle fed, a new study suggests. Among 10-year old children, researchers found greater lung function and capacity in those who were breast fed for 4 months or longer during infancy. "The physical exercise caused by suckling at the breast - about six times daily on average for more than 4 months -- may result in increased lung capacity and increased airflow in breast-fed children compared with bottle-fed children," Dr. Ikechukwu U. Ogbuanu told Reuters Health. Ogbuanu, of the University of South Carolina in Columbia, and colleagues studied the feeding practices of infants born in 1989 on the Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom. At the time, breast feeding was predominantly direct suckling from the breast rather than indirect feeding of pumped breast milk from a bottle, the researchers note. Among the 1033 children tested when they were 10 years old, 39 percent had been directly breast fed 4 months or longer. About 40 percent of the children had been breast fed for less than 4 months. Another 21 percent were not breast fed and therefore comprised the bottle-fed group. Standard tests showed that the lungs of children who were breast fed for 4 months or longer were stronger than the lungs of children who were bottle-fed. The researchers noted no beneficial effects on lung function from shorter duration breast feeding. The statistically significant increase in lung capacity among children breast fed for 4 months or longer is likely related to the physical exercise from breast feeding, the investigators say. "At lease some of the benefits from breast milk may accrue from the process of suckling itself," noted Ogbuanu. This concept is supported by other studies noting suckling exercise is nearly twice as long during breast feeding compared with bottle feeding, and that breast feeding requires more "ventilatory" effort. SOURCE: Thorax, January 2009

So most of you think you know what I am going to say. Childbirth classes are going to teach you how to labor, go "natural", and some other - oh your attention drifted away already, right? Let me address Prepared Childbirth Classes from a different viewpoint. This is time that is special for YOU, your PARTNER, and your BABY. In essence, your new family. Classes are the first time you get to practice any sort of harmony or exercises - just the 3 of you. Instead of looking at it as a chore to go to class, look at it as an investment for your relationships with one another. You will learn about the stages and phases of labor, comfort measures, coping mechanisms, pain medications or alternatives... but you will also learn about EACH OTHER. Good childbirth educators are the first step to noticing how new parents will interact with one another. Your first baby together is an absolute marvel, but there will be some nerves. How will it affect your relationship? Who will change more diapers? How can we grow closer together when we are sleep deprived? Childbirth educators look for emotional signs of nervousness or anxiety and gently try to address those. One of the most powerful exercises that can be taught in a class is to have each person write on an index card what they most FEAR about the upcoming birth and what they most look forward to about the upcoming birth. The answers are then read aloud, but the person attached to the answers are not revealed, your partner has to guess which is your answer. The exercises for comfort measures, such as relaxation, practicing positions for labor, timing contractions - all of these are designed to make you more comfortable with the thought of trusting your body, and trusting one another. The mother in labor who hears her partner lean in and say, "You're doing a great job, honey, this contraction is almost over." has far more confidence if they have practiced together. The partner trusts the mother laboring as she needs to, maybe even crying, changing positions, expressing her needs -- if they have practiced together. Together you can make the class be a beautiful learning experience, a memory you cherish, a fun adventure, an extension of childbirth itself. Kimberly Sebeck, Certified Doula, Certified Childbirth Educator, Herbalist, Arbonne Rep. Mother of one, married to Derek Sebeck, Certified personal trainer and Yoga instructor, they own Serenity Whole Body Wellness and offer a Husband/Wife team designed for the entire family in Knoxville, TN.

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