The Loft Family Enrichment Center

08/03/2024

The BIG question is..... WHY are breastmilk-fed babies in the NICU being bottle-fed when the gold standard of care for breastfed babies is to feed the baby via cup, spoon, feeding tube or syringe.
You can see here that a newborn is quite able to drink from a medicine cup.
But..... it takes more time.
So, many of these "breastfed" babies go home bottle feeding.... 😔

08/03/2024

It's World Breastfeeding Week!

Breastfeeding is one of the best ways to protect ALL newborns (in any country) from malnutrition, infections, disease & death, but today only about 1/2 of babies globally are exclusively breastfed.

This is a testament to the POWER formula companies have with their advertising tactics and power over physicians and nurses that still are NOT getting education on human lactation in medical or nursing schools.

Even the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is [still] in bed with formula companies!!!

07/11/2024

Did you hear? Breastfeeding is even more important for mothers with gestational diabetes. This 2024 study confirms what others found: that lactation positively “resets” maternal metabolism after birth, increasing insulin sensitivity. This healthy metabolic side effect of milk-making significantly reduces the risk that gestational diabetes will lead to Type-2 diabetes, a common problem for these mothers. Read more here: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2024.1374682/full

07/04/2024

01/19/2024

CIO is a dangerous philosophy that has proven to have adverse outcomes (Bergman) for the infant and causes undue stress in the parent. The trauma can be so unbearable that parents hire others to ignore the cries of their baby because instinctively they feel compelled to respond. We should never embrace a program that teaches to go against our instincts or ignore the needs of our babies.
I had not heard of all of the philosophies surrounding the postpartum period and parenting prior to giving birth to my firstborn. He would wake, I would tend to his needs and we would go back to sleep. I learned not to encourage him to stay awake and play during night waking, and made sure to stimulate and play during the day. I observed sleepy cues and my baby's patterns. The sleep cycle evolved to longer stretches and we established a healthy, manageable routine.
I appreciate professionals that can help parents learn to gain sleep in healthy, safe ways. I would have loved to have a NCS or postpartum doula to educate me regarding all things parenting. In today's scientific literature, the term "sleep training" is an umbrella term that refers to a spectrum of approaches to help babies learn to fall asleep by themselves. It is important when seeking support that we find professionals that adhere to gentler methods of sleep support. If you want recommendations, let me know.

One study many like to reference states that no adverse outcomes were noted, BUT that study was from self-reporting and can be biased. This article explains the history. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220322-how-sleep-training-affects-babies

12/23/2023

Have you done The Flying Cow Girl? This technique opens the inlet and helps baby engage. Together, Gail Tully and Cheri Grant (founder, chief contributor and inspiration for Premier Birth Tools) came up with this technique. We recommend doing The Flying Cow Girl using a peanut ball to help baby get into the pelvis.

Have you done this technique in labor? Raise a hand in the comments and tell us about it!

10/30/2023

http://www.naturalbreastfeeding.com/ When babies are finished breastfeeding, they come off the breast on their own. Nancy shows Bryannah another way to know ...

07/26/2023

Get the data. Make a plan. Take charge of your birth.

Buy your copy now:
https://amzn.to/3CnKGp8

06/30/2023

A timely message:

Have you wondered about whether babies need water during the hot spring and summer months? Tag friends to let them know! 💦💦
Exclusively breastfed babies do not require additional water as long as baby is allowed to nurse on cue. Even in very hot summer conditions, your baby can get all his needed hydration from your milk.
For older babies, too much water can interfere with breastfeeding because it fills baby up so that he nurses less. Babies need the nutrition and calories in breastmilk to grow – water has none of these.

[Image: Baby sitting on the beach looking out towards the water. Text: "Does my baby need water?" In hot weather, babies may ask to nurse more frequently to quench their thirst. Babies under two months should not be given supplemental water. Too much water can lead to a serious condition called oral water intoxication.]

06/25/2023

How did breastfeeding fulfill your baby's needs?

[Image: Baby sleeping in parent's arms. Text: "A newborn baby has only three demands. They are warmth in the arms of its mother, food from her breasts, and security in the knowledge of her presence. Breastfeeding satisfies all three." - Grantly Dick-Read]