Excessive gaming can be lethal

Hello all. While this site is mainly about breastfeeding, most of you know I am also a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, therefore I am concerned about the health of children of all ages. Please take a look at this Yahoo news article I have pasted the link for here. In my practice I see countless kids who are overweight and choosing to play video games way too much. We now know it can actually lead to sudden death in extreme cases. I recommend no more than 2 hours of "screen time" daily for all of my patients which includes sitting and looking at any electronic device ie: TV, computer, cell phone, etc. And breaks should be taken at least every hour to go and walk around or do some other phyiscal activity. http://blog.games.yahoo.com/blog/866-xbox-addict-dies-from-blood-clot/

Breastfeeding...the new NATURAL LIPOSUCTION

I just thought I would share, I went to a pediatric conference in Galveston this past weekend. I was listening to a Pediatric Endocrinologist speak about the current state of Texas Children and how many of them are obese. He mentioned several times that exclusive breastfeeding prevents obesity and infants and decreases risk of obesity long into adulthood. In addition It helps mom to loose weight, burn 500 extra calories per day, and decreases her risk for many illnesses later in life such as breast cancer, metabolic syndrome, obesity, and diabetes. He actually referred to breastfeeding as THE NEW NATURAL LIPOSUCTION! Jokingly of course, but it has the same effect! Great News from a specialist! He also mentioned it is Nature's best health food for babies.

Just Do It!

The best way to make sure breastfeeding is successful is to just do it! I see many mothers who are nervous or uncertain about how to nurse their babies, so they opt to pump instead and offer the breastmilk in a bottle. While this can work in some situations, it has many potential pitfalls and should not be attempted without the help of a Certified Lactation Consultant. It is important to spend skin to skin time with baby. It is imperative that the new mother begin removing milk from her breasts six hours after birth or sooner. Ideally, mothers should nurse their babies for the first time within 30 minutes to 1 hour after birth. Failing to remove milk from the breasts at regular intervals every 2 to 3 hours after birth can result in breast discomfort, engorgement, and decreased milk supply. It is important for new mothers to try to relax, find some private time, and allow baby to nurse. Remember to seek the help of a Certified Lactation Consultant if you have any questions or problems.

New law for breastfeeding Moms who work

This law applies to you, your daughters, your sisters and your best friends........

A new fact sheet from the US Department of Labor providers information on break time requirements for nursing mothers that are now in effect as a result of passage of federal health care reform legislation, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). These requirements took effect when the PPACA was signed into law in March 2010. The fact sheet outlines the general provisions of the law, noting that “employers are required to provide reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for her nursing child for one year after the child’s birth each time the employee has need to express the milk. Employers must also provide “a place, other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from coworkers and the public, which may be used by an employee to express breast milk.”
To review the entire fact sheet online go to http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs73.htm.
Special thanks to my colleagues at NAPNAP (National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners) specifically Geri Fitzgerald the head of our Breastfeeding special interest group for sharing this information with me so that I could repost it here.

Mothers and Fathers of babies who are exclusively breastfeed get the most sleep!

Mothers and Fathers of babies who are exclusively breastfeed get the most sleep!

One US study of 133 new mothers of babies who were exclusively breastfed during the first 3 months of life concluded that mothers who exclusively breastfed got an average of 40 to 45 minutes more sleep per night than those who allowed the feeding of infant formula to their babies (Doan, Gardiner, Gay and Lee, 2007).

Breastfeeding Mothers spend more time in deep sleep!

A study done in Australia concluded that mothers who exclusively breastfeed had a noticeable positive alteration in their sleep structure, giving them longer periods of slow wave sleep (a type of deep sleep) than mothers of bottle feeding babies (Blyton, Sullivan, & Edwards, 2002). That means breastfeeding mothers get a more restful sleep.

Giving formula results in less sleep for parents!

Formula feeding at night failed to improve the parents sleep and resulted in parents getting less sleep, even when the baby’s father helped with supplemental formula feedings at night in an attempt to let the mother sleep (Doan, Gardiner, Gay, and Lee 2007).

Time spent preparing bottles decreases sleep at night, in addition to having to feed the infant upright as opposed to a side-lying breastfeeding position or semi-reclined position where mother could actually sleep during feedings. When the father feeds the baby at night, the mother often hears the crying and it disturbs her sleep. If the mother is not breastfeeding, she does not get the benefit of the relaxation hormones that are released at every feeding that promote rest for mother and baby.

Giving Solid foods does not help babies sleep through the night!

Many parents and grandparents believe that giving baby cereal in addition to formula or breast milk will fill the baby up and help them sleep more at night. Two studies concluded that there is no difference in sleep patterns of babies who were given solid foods and those who are fed breast milk. (Keane, 1988; Macknin, Mendendorp, & Maier, 1989). In my experience the introduction of cereal too early (before 4 to 6 months) can result in digestive problems such as constipation. There is also an increased risk of food allergy when solids are introduced too early.

Not only is breastfeeding the best thing for the health of Mother and Baby, but now we know it allows the whole family to get more sleep!

References:

Blyton, D.M., Sullivan, C.E., & Edwards, N. (2002). Lactation is associated with an increase in slow-wave sleep in women. Journal of Sleep Research, 11(4), 297.

Doan, T., Gardiner, A., Gay, C. L., & Lee, K.A. (2007). Breast-feeding increases sleep duration of new parents. Journal of Perinatal and Neonatal Nursing, 21(3), 200-206.

Keane, V. et al. (1988). Do solids help baby sleep through the night? American Journal of Diseases in Children, 142, 404-405.

Macknin, M.L., Medendorp, S.V., & Maier, M.C. (1989). Infant sleep and bedtime cereal. American Journal of Diseases of Children, 143(9), 1066-1068.

Welcome!

Imagine that the world had invented a new “dream product” to feed and immunize everyone born on Earth. Imagine also that it was available everywhere, required no storage or delivery-and helped mothers to plan their families and reduce the risk of cancer.
Then imagine that the world refused to use it. (Unicef)

Congratulations! You have recently welcomed a new baby and are aware that breastfeeding is the most nutritious feeding choice--many modern mothers are choosing to breastfeed! Welcome to Nurse Fisher's blog, where our goal is to assist parents to successfully breastfeed. In future posts, I will give tips, offer suggestions, and provide information to help you and your baby as you learn this wonderful skill. Thank you for visiting our blog--please click "follow" at the right of this post so that you won't miss anything. If you have need of a more personal consultation, or if you need more information, please visit my website at www.nursefisher.com. Nurse Fisher.com will help you all of the way!