Golden Journey Empowerment

Lots of new parents find that when their baby is born they are at first still quite sleepy. They may feed fairly frequently but immediately fall back to sleep. They may well be much more content to lie in their crib.

Then comes the second night – perhaps for many your first night at home – and suddenly your baby starts crying lots, feeding lots and generally won’t be put down. This is the point many new parents freak out wondering what on earth they have done and worrying it will always be like this - whilst panicking about how to soothe their baby.

Think of this from your baby’s perspective. Until now they have been inside you – snug, warm and with an unlimited supply of food on tap. Then birth happened with a load of hormones and being squeezed before they were born into a big, bright and noisy world.

After a brief phase of being a bit stunned & exhausted, they suddenly realise that constant source of everything they need has disappeared and well, they are not overly happy about that.

Breastfeeding lots and lots on that second night is not necessarily a sign that something is wrong. Once your baby is born it is their job to kickstart your milk supply. The more they feed, the more milk you start to produce so this sudden very frequent feeding is most likely a result of that. They are not starving – they have laid down fat during pregnancy to manage the change from the first milk you produce to having a full milk supply.

Do make sure they are latched on comfortably and clearly feeding, and always check with your health professional if you are worried, but more frequent feeding in itself is very normal on this night – and will be a pattern you will see emerge later when your baby has growth spurts and is trying to stimulate your milk supply.

The very best thing you can do to manage the second night is to recognise that this is about them needing to reclaim that warmth & comfort and that holding them and keeping them close will reassure them that you are there.

Hold them close to you so they can feel your heartbeat. Strip off and have some skin to skin. Keep feeding. Talk to them.

And remember this won't last forever!

Happy Black History Month

Repost by
Happy Black History Month!

We will be showcasing different black birth workers this month to share the rich history. We hope you enjoy.

Mrs. Mary Coley

Coley pursued a career in midwifery at a time of increased scrutiny and regulation and during an era when public resources were invested in the expansion of hospitals and obstetric care rather than the midwifery model of care. Although increased surveillance of midwifery practice cut in half the number of midwives between 1930-50 (dropping from 3000 to 1,322), Coley went on to provide a range of birth and family services across Georgia for more than three decades. As an African American, she advocated for the health of Georgia's black population and was known for her willingness to work with women regardless of race in a time of segregation. It is estimated that she delivered over 3,000 babies in her career,and she offered additional services to families such as assistance in cooking, cleaning, child-minding, laundering, and helping new parents file official forms and birth certificates. She was known affectionately by her patients as "Miss Mary".

Having should not prevent you from having close contact with your baby. 👶🏻👶🏼👶🏽👶🏾👶

Early and exclusive breastfeeding and skin-to-skin contact is critical for the baby’s health, especially for babies born early or small.

We have seen moms who ask why their supply does not increase when their baby grows older.

The thing is... the quantity of your breastmilk might be the same but the components are actually changing depending on baby's developmental needs.

So the 2oz you expressed when they were at 1 month is actually different from the 2oz you expressed when they are already at 9 months.

Unlike in formula milk where the contents are the same regardless of age, the quantity should increase over time.

That's why moms actually think "i have lil milk" but the reality is the "lil milk" completes the need of your baby's mind body and soul!

Trust your breastmilk momma! IT'S GOD's gift to us!!

Kissing your baby changes your breast milk. Did you know that the undeniable urge to cover your baby in kisses serves a biological purpose? When a mother kisses her baby, she samples the pathogens on baby’s face, which then travel to mom’s lymphatic system. Mom’s body then creates antibodies to fight those pathogens, which baby receives through breast milk. What?! Amazing, right?

📸: Dusktildawnphotography

One teaspoon of human milk contains as much as 3 million germ-killing cells. Every drop counts, so be proud of every ounce you’ve given your baby!

There are so many hurdles to meeting our nursing goals in the USA: inadequate and unpaid family leave, inequalities in access to lactation support, aggressive marketing of human milk substitutes, and a lot of inaccurate information online.

Need help meeting your goals? Contact info in comments.

I’m going to share this every year! 🤎

Can you breastfeed after having breast cancer?

Depending on the treatment of the cancer & the procedure you can. Here’s what you need to know.

➡️Single mastectomy.
Breastfeeding from the unaffected breast should be possible. That breast may produce only limited milk at first, by nursing and pumping frequently and with the support of your family and a lactation expert you’ll likely be able to breastfeed successfully.

➡️Lumpectomy.
Your ability to nurse successfully from the affected breast depends how much tissue was removed and whether or not you had radiation (and how much). Most women with a minimal lumpectomy are able to produce some milk from the treated side.

➡️Radiation.
If you’re currently undergoing external beam radiation therapy, you don’t need to take any special precautions around others and it is considered safe to nurse (but ask your doctor to be sure). If you've undergone a lot of radiation, the damage to your breast tissue might be too extensive for the milk ducts to be productive, which means there’s a good chance the treated breast won’t be able to produce a lot of milk.

📸:

It’s Black Breastfeeding Week🎉🎉 this week is about raising awareness of the challenges and triumphs of being Black and breastfeeding! This week is packed with exciting events but this is an event you don’t want to miss!! We are honored to have a dynamic line up of guest speakers and our keynote speaker Kimberly Seals Allers a Co-founder of this very week!

It’s not to late to register at

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-9Z2NoKJQkCE4RU229UmZA

Sacramento Breastfeeding Coalition