Birth Talk Los Alamos

Birth Talk Los Alamos Birth Talk Los Alamos is a free community birth circle. All questions, birth visions, and experiences are honored and welcomed. Join us! Hold space and share.

Birth Talk is a free community talk circle for people hoping for, expecting, and remembering their transition to parenthood. It is a safe space to learn about options in pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum times, and to share stories. Birth Talk is a place to return to before and after the birth of your baby.

Hello Birth Talk friends! Might you have a couple minutes to fill out FSN's Support Group Feedback form and tell them wh...
06/10/2024

Hello Birth Talk friends! Might you have a couple minutes to fill out FSN's Support Group Feedback form and tell them what your experience with Birth Talk has been? Program feedback is important for program development, reporting, and funding requests. Thanks in advance!

Thank you for sharing your feedback about support groups hosted at Family Strengths Network. Your feedback is essential in supporting FSN's funding and helping create and refine programs to best serve our community.

Check out and share a new resource for Los Alamos County families, the New Parent Guide put together by BabyNet for you!...
03/08/2023

Check out and share a new resource for Los Alamos County families, the New Parent Guide put together by BabyNet for you!

It's a comprehensive list of community services and resources for growing families pregnant and parenting 0-5 year olds

http://bit.ly/3RZj0hE

07/24/2022

Hello Birth Talk friends!

I hope you're having a wonderful summer! I'm writing today to let you know that due to a scheduling error, August's Birth Talk circle has been cancelled. I know that it's especially disappointing because we missed July also, and I'm very sorry for my error.

Thank you so much for being a part of our community, and we certainly hope to see you for our next meeting in September!

06/20/2022

Just a note that we're not meeting in the month of July! We look forward to seeing you in August!

For the _Handmaid’s Tale_ fans out there. https://downtobirthshow.com/159-yvonne-strahovskis-birth-story-the-most-import...
05/05/2022

For the _Handmaid’s Tale_ fans out there. https://downtobirthshow.com/159-yvonne-strahovskis-birth-story-the-most-important-lesson-in-childbirth/?fbclid=IwAR3mWXqy4kTi4d_KHNzXS8hsMHXWPpfohng_LZ1Ou12RDF5bAUiMZ478Rwo

Yvonne Strahovski is the Emmy-nominated, SAG Award-nominated and Golden-Globe-nominated actress whose voice you may recognize as the stoic Serena Joy Waterford from The Handmaid's Tale. She is the mother of a toddler and newborn, with starkly different birth stories to share. During Yvonne's first p...

Also a helpful perspective 😊
04/12/2022

Also a helpful perspective 😊

Fuss-feed-doze-fuss-feed-squirm-feed-cry-feed-doze-pee-fuss-change-cry-feed-poop-cry-change-feed-fuss-feed-doze…

*REPEAT*

Suddenly it seems like baby just can’t get enough milk and wants to feed multiple times an hour for several hours. What’s going on? Before you panic that baby isn’t getting enough milk, it may be cluster feeding.

Normal feeding intervals are every 2-4 hours for a newborn (every 2-3 during the day, 3-4 at night) which is usually expected to be somewhere between 8-12 feeds a day. Sometimes more!

Particularly if baby is cluster feeding.

(I need your help, please- we can’t keep going without more support and TLB will go away if we don’t raise more funds. Here’s how you can help: https://bit.ly/300FPrL)

Cluster feeding is when a breastfed baby temporarily feeds more frequently usually because of a growth spurt but also may be related to developmental milestones. Marked by several short feeds over a few hours a day (not all day long), a cluster feeding stage typically lasts anywhere between 2-5 days. Cluster feeding babies can feed 3-6 times in one hour for 2-3 hours, popping on and off the breast to complain, dozing and waking easily needing to suckle again, latching for 5-20 minutes (and sometimes long- and you’ll wonder how it is possible to be constantly latched and fussy!). Common around 2-3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months but can happen any other time as well, cluster feeding is a baby’s natural way of increasing breastmilk supply. Sometimes young babies will go longer stretches of time with what seems like cluster feeding in the evening, often around dinner time, being more fussy and wanting to frequently suckle at the breast. This can go on for even a couple of months. Though not always a precursor to a long sleep period, these types of feeds often come just before a longer stretch of sleep.

***Note: if you're not sure what you're seeing is just cluster feeding and are concerned about your baby's milk intake, please see a lactation helper such as an IBCLC.***

Cluster feeding and fussy evening periods are not unique to breastfed babies, bottle-fed breastmilk fed babies and formula fed babies may also have these cycles. Before you worry about milk supply or the quality of your milk if you are breastfeeding, understand that this is very normal behavior and as long as your baby is growing on their own growth curve, has plenty of wet diapers (after 6 days old, expect 6-8+ wet diapers a day and no less than 4-5). There are several different theories as to why a regular fussy periods happen marked by brief feeds, dozing, restlessness, and crying, but whatever the cause, talk with your child’s health care provider to rule out any serious issues.

If a cluster feeding phase is related to a growth spurt and your baby is feeding more because they need more calories, milk supply usually increases in 3-5 days of increased demand and milk removal. Remember, the more your baby empties your breast, the more milk this tells your body to produce. If you are expressing milk for your baby and they cluster feed and increase their milk intake (practice paced feeding to ensure they are not being overfed) you will want to mimic their pattern of feeding intervals in your milk expression to increase your supply and milk output to match their needs.

Your baby’s fussy and cluster feeding periods are not a reflection on you, your milk, or your parenting. It’s a lot of work being a baby and growing and sometimes it is just hard and babies need to tell us about it, finding comfort in our arms and on our breasts. By responding to their need for comfort and milk, you are doing exactly what they need.

Tips for getting through those cluster feeding phases:

🤱 Offer the breast frequently.
🤱 Resist urge to offer a bottle or formula unless there are other indicators that it is necessary or it can lower your breastmilk supply.
🤱 Go for a walk, give baby a bath, change stimulation- a change of scenery can sometimes help.
🤱 Put baby in a carrier and babywear.
🤱 Try a swing or rocking chair.
🤱 Baby massage (I like coconut oil).
🤱 Remember this will not last forever but acknowledge it is really hard in the thick of it.
🤱 Minimize sensory input- dim the lights, swaddle baby, use a white or pink noise machine.
🤱 Try a prone breastfeeding position.
🤱 Take breaks- a few minutes in a safe space while you take a deep breath will be ok for baby or hand off to another trusted caregiver.

Keep in mind:

💙 This isn’t your fault and you aren't doing anything wrong that your baby needs to cluster feed.💙
💙 Your baby isn’t being difficult, needy, manipulative, lazy, etc.
💙 If all the signs of proper nutrition and hydration are present, this doesn’t mean your baby is not getting enough milk.
💙 Cluster feeding and fussy periods don’t last all day (colic may last all day and low supply can sometimes look like cluster feeding all day along with other signs that baby is not getting enough).
💙 Call your child’s health care provider if the crying escalates, the crying doesn’t stop and can’t be soothed, your child becomes listless, there is a fever, if there are any signs of dehydration, or if your baby seems to be in pain.

Cluster feeding and evening fussiness can be challenging. The timing rarely seems convenient with dinner and activities but your baby isn’t doing this to be inconvenient. They can’t help it and they just need you to help them get through it. Responding to your baby’s need for closeness, milk, and comfort during these times is crucial for their brain development and their attachment to you. Your comforting them builds trust and feeding responsively protects your milk supply and your relationship with your baby.

You’ve got this.

Keep calm and b**b on.

The Leaky B**b provides free support for millions on their baby feeding journey and we depend on your support to do so. If you believe that the resource we provide is important and valuable, please back The Leaky B**b for as little as a cup of coffee a month and be a part of helping families feed their babies, normalize breastfeeding, and find information, support, and community when you join our Patreon: https://bit.ly/300FPrL

Nice frame of reference for the size of a newborn’s tummy
04/12/2022

Nice frame of reference for the size of a newborn’s tummy

"See that tiny pink bead on my lanyard? That is the size of a newborn's tiny tummy. When baby is born, the birthing parent produces colostrum for baby, which is the perfect for baby. Colostrum contains just the amount of food baby needs and passes antibodies. It's ! In this photo, I have a standard 2 ounce bottle of formula that is given to new babies. So, if baby's belly is only the size of a marble, what happens when baby is fed 2 ounces? Well, baby will usually spit up all the extra, which then can be spinned into baby having reflux. When really, baby is just being over fed. This leads to interventions like formula changes, antacid medications, etc. It's important that we give families all the available information so they can make the best decisions for their families. " available from www.birthingandbreastfeeding.com/store

Positive statement from LAMC’s CEO regarding the support of their women’s health care program and the L&D unit.https://l...
04/12/2022

Positive statement from LAMC’s CEO regarding the support of their women’s health care program and the L&D unit.

https://ladailypost.com/stratton-lamc-committed-to-quality-obstetric-and-gynecological-care-close-to-home/

At Los Alamos Medical Center, we are incredibly proud that families choose us as the place where they want to welcome a new baby. Our obstetrics unit has a rich history of providing services to this community since 1952, and over the years, we’ve served thousands of families with a broad spectrum ...

04/06/2022

In an essay penned for 'Elle', Serena Williams described how she had to convince doctors to give her the life-saving treatment she knew she needed.

03/26/2022

The actress and comedian teamed up with Christy Turlington Burns on Arrival Stories, a collection of essays from women about becoming mothers.

08/25/2021

Reminder that Birth Talk is not meeting in the month of September. Happy Labor Day! We'll see you again on October 4th 😊

06/30/2021

Happy 4th of July! Birth Talk will not be meeting in July, and FSN is closed for the month of July.

Birth Talk will next meet on August 2, 6:30-8 pm. Below is the list of Birth Talk circles for the rest of 2021 for your calendar.

Birth Talk Los Alamos is meeting 6:30-8 pm MT on...

NO MEETING in July: Happy 4th!
August 2
NO MEETING in September: Happy Labor Day!
October 4
November 1
December 6

03/05/2021

The NM Breastfeeding Task Force provided this useful discussion on postpartum mood disorders and COVID-19 -- who can have postpartum mood disorders and what to do about included. Give a watch. https://fb.watch/410QyhG6Ft/

Curious about placentas? Here's an interesting podcast with an expert! Looks like there will be more, so if you like thi...
03/04/2021

Curious about placentas? Here's an interesting podcast with an expert! Looks like there will be more, so if you like this stay tuned for their future episodes. https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-u7cfs-fa2133

In the first of our Mini-Series on the placenta, we chat with Patricia Edmonds, a longtime midwife and placenta expert. She takes us on a journey to explore the placenta, its relationship to the mother, and how it keeps baby alive during the months of pregnancy. Want to know more about this magical....

02/23/2021

Birth Talk Los Alamos is celebrating
10 Years! Thank you for being part of it.

Address

3540 Orange Street
Los Alamos, NM
87544

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