Journey in Adoptive Breastfeeding: Part 4

13 months...that's how long I have been pumping. The year really flew by. There were many times I just felt like giving up, mostly on trips when finding time to pump was harder and storing pumped milk was nearly impossible. But I haven't given up yet, in fact it has been so incorporated into my lifestyle that it feels almost like brushing my teeth or eating breakfast. It is just something that I do everyday...6 times a day.

Here is an update on our adoption process...
(Click here to catch up if you don't know what is going on: Part 3)

The summer has been really hard. I felt like I was holding my breath, waiting for Miles' birthmother to call and let us know what was going on. The last time the social worker spoke with her was early April. She hadn't been to the doctor but thought she was 6ish months pregnant. She scheduled her first prenatal appointment shortly after the social worker's visit. Then, well, she fell off the face of the earth. Radio silence. The adoption agency tried to contact her several times with no returned call. Lance and I decided to just wait through July and maybe she would contact us after the baby was born. July has come and gone with no word from her. So, we have moved on (as much as you can) and we are back on the waiting list.

It has been so emotional to go through two missed adoptions. Much harder than I could have imagined. But the pumping must go on...

There have been blessing as I have waited.

I've had to rely on others more emotionally theses past months, which is harder for me. I am usually the one who people can rely on.

I've had to take a break from doula-ing because of the uncertainty of the adoption. This allowed me to enjoy my summer fully with my kids and husband without being distracted.

I was able to donate milk to several mothers who either adopted a baby or didn't produce enough milk on their own. That was really rewarding to know that my milk is helping another baby and momma.

I have been able to normalize pumping/breastfeeding for my children. My hope and prayer for my boys is that for the rest of their lives they view breasts differently than the typical American culture.

So the journey continues...still...

A Doula: Picture It!

Recently I attended a birth of a client who had a birth photographer.  Many people may ask, "why have a photographer take pictures of you in pain or when you are most vulnerable?" My answer is that the most vulnerable pictures are sometimes the most powerful, capturing the struggle and essence of life. Birth is painful and messy, but it also moving and beautiful.

As a doula, it is my role to be that the person working in the background, so it is not often that my role is captured. A lot of times, I am taking the pictures for the family so that they can focus on their birth and baby. Maybe you've never seen a doula in "action". As a doula I...

Come to your home when your labor starts...even at 3:00 in the morning...

Offer comfort measures like message...

And the TENS unit...

Help you to know when it's time to head to the hospital or birthing center...

Work closely with medical staff, in a non-medical way, to help you have the birth you want...

Bring you anything you need...

Talk and laugh with you in between contractions...

Reach out when you need a hand...

Support your partner and help him support you...

Support your breastfeeding efforts...

And celebrate new life with you!

I am your constant physical, emotional and information support through YOUR birth and it is such a joy! Thank you!

Special thanks to Marcella, Alex and Jade Vinson for allowing me to blog their photos. Also, all photo credit to goes to Lindsay (http://www.labirdiephotography.com/about-contact/). Thanks!

Journey in Adoptive Breastfeeding: Part 3

It has been almost 10 months of pumping about 10 ounces of milk a day. I was surprised with how fast that can fill up two deep freezers. So in January I started looking for people to donate my milk to.


A friend of a friend recommended a lady to me whose daughter has Spinal Muscular Atrophy. According to this family, SMA is the #1 genetic killer of infants, and 50% of babies do not live past two years of age. The little girl, who is about 9 years old now, (let's call her "E") has weak muscles,which affect her ability to sit up, speak, eat by mouth and breathe completely on her own. Because she cannot swallow, E is fed through a g-tube. Due to SMA, she is prone to respiratory infections that are life threatening. When the family started adding breast milk to her diet at the beginning of 2009, and they saw improvements in her health right away! I'm not surprised--breastmilk is awesome! So I was able to contact this family to donate my milk. I had blood tests done to ensure that I wouldn't pass any diseases to her and had to fill out extensive forms. My hope is that my extra breastmilk will help E live a little longer and a little better.


So where are we in the adoptive process?


We were selected by a birth mom who is pregnant with a girl and due in May. Since then, our son Miles' birth mom has contacted the adoption agency, that she is also pregnant. She does not yet know how pregnant she is or the gender of her baby. But, she has asked if we will adopt Miles' birth sibling.


The adoption agency has given us the choice, adopt the baby girl we were originally selected for, or adopt Miles' birth sibling. Adopting both is not allowed by state law. For us, the emotions are hard, but the decision was simple. We have always said we would adopt a birth sibling of our adopted children, if we can. We know its best for Miles, our family, and Miles' birth family, for us to adopt his birth sibling.


So now we just sit back, store breastmilk and wait. More to come...

Vitamin D

This cold and flu season, vitamin D has become my new obsession. It all started last summer at the Catonsville Birth, Baby and Family expo (check out my blog post). I was minding my own business at my little booth, when I was accosted by an unkempt fellow. He started right in. "What is the leading cause of illness in the United States? Lack of vitamin D" You name it; infertility, autism, cancer, heart disease, allergies, auto-immune disease; was all to blame because of lack of vitamin D. Somehow he hooked me. I had no idea who he was or what his deal was, but something about what he was saying pulled me in. So I, uninformed, got onto the vitamin D train. My hubby was all about it too. I guess I was just as convincing as, what we now affectionately call that random guy, "Vitamin D Man". We ordered supplements, skipped the flu shot and were full into the vitamin D "thing".

Just recently, I decided to look into vitamin D some more. Here is some of what I found.

What is vitamin D?

Vitamin D isn't really a vitamin at all. It is a hormone that plays a central role in healthy bones, muscles, immune system, cardiac system and neurological function. Vitamin D is produced in your skin, triggered by the UVB portion of sunlight and activated by your liver and kidneys. There are vitamin D receptors on almost all of the cells in the human body from the bones to the brain. Many scientist believe that vitamin D controls cell growth. If that is true then you can see why vitamin D plays a huge role in the health and function of the body as a whole.

What is the source of vitamin D?

1. The biggest source to help your body make vitamin D is the sun. Sun triggers the production of vitamin D in your skin, however, if you apply sunscreen, the UVB (and UVA for that matter) is blocked out and therefore your skin will not make as much vitamin D. Even with a sunscreen as low as SPF 8, the UVB portion of light will be 90% blocked from your body, therefore significantly decreasing the amount of vitamin D your body can make. The amount of sun you need to make enough vitamin D during the summer months depends on your skin tone, latitude where you live, and the month. Vitamin D calculator
2. You can also get vitamin D through your diet. Oily fish and milk or juice fortified with vitamin D are the main dietary sources of vitamin D.
3. Supplementing is another way to get vitamin D. When looking for vitamin D supplement, choose one with D-2 or D-3. 

It is also important to make sure you get enough calcium in your diet since vitamin D and calcium work together to make your body healthy. I will leave calcium for another blog post.

Vitamin D made in the skin (triggered by the sun) lasts twice as long in the body as if it were acquired through diet or supplements.

What role does vitamin D play in health?

• Bone Health: prevents osteoporosis, rickets and fractures
• Cellular Health: prevents some cancers, some infectious disease, and asthma
• Organ Health: prevents heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and tooth loss
• Muscular Health: supports healthy muscles
• Autoimmune Health: prevents MS, type 1 diabetes, and Crohn's disease
• Brain Health: prevents depression, schizophrenia, and dementia 
• Mood-related Health: prevents seasonal affect disorder, PMS and sleeping disorders

This diagram pretty much sums it up:

Why is vitamin D vital during pregnancy and lactation?

Since growing babies in utero receive their vitamin D from the mother, it is crucial that the mother has enough vitamin D for her and the baby during pregnancy. The same goes for breastfeeding mothers. The mothers themselves make the vitamin D for their babies until they are old enough to make their own. Mothers who are vitamin D deficient will have babies who are vitamin D deficient. To read more about vitamin D and breastfeeding click here.

What are the main take aways about vitamin D?

• The best source of vitamin D is through sun exposure. About 10-15 minutes of noon-time sun (again depending on latitude and skin type) exposure during the summer months (without sunscreen) is enough for your body to store enough vitamin D for the winter.
• Vitamin D and calcium are best friends!
• Vitamin D affects your whole body, not just your bones.
• It is vitally important for pregnant or lactating mothers to have sufficient vitamin D levels so they can pass that to their babies.

Come on summer!! 

Most of the information in this blog post came from The Vitamin D Solution by Michael F. Holick, Ph.D., M.D.

Bacteria, Babies and Breastfeeding

Did you know that 1 out of every 10 cells in your body is human? That means that 9 or 10 are some other type of cell, most of which are bacteria. In fact, in the human gut alone, there is 3 pounds of bacteria. The human skin is also covered in bacteria, good and bad. As humans, we need these "good" bacteria to live and they need us. Babies are born with no bacteria on their skin or in the intestinal tract. They are essentially sterile. So how can you help make sure your baby is colonized with good bacteria (like lactobacillus, bifidobacterium, acidophilus, etc) instead of bad (staphylococcus, streptococcus,)?

There are some simple ways that you can expose your baby to good bacteria.

Your Birth Plan:
Plan on having a vaginal birth. When your baby is born vaginally, he/she comes into contact with good bacteria in your vagina (lactobacilli). This is the first bacteria that colonizes your baby's gut microbiome. Also, as your baby passes through your vagina and past your rectum during a vaginal birth, your baby will come in contact with helpful bacteria near the rectum.  If you have a c-section and the baby does not pass through the vaginal canal, the first bacteria your baby could be colonized by is negative bacteria (staphylococcus) in the operating room.

Skin to Skin:
If your baby is placed skin to skin on your chest immediately after birth, then your baby comes in contact with the good bacteria from your skin. If mom and baby have to be separated, then it is beneficial for dad to do skin to skin until mother and baby can be reunited. Interestingly, the vernix (white coating on baby after born) is very sticky and is food for good bacteria, so leaving this coating on is actually protecting your baby against bad bacteria (i.e. delaying the first bath may be a good idea).

Breastfeeding:

Exclusive breastfeeeding is the most important thing that you can do to ensure that your baby's intestinal tract is colonized by helpful bacteria. Breastfeeding not only contains probiotics, or good bacteria, but also contains prebiotics, which is the food that probiotics eat. The good bacteria can essentially eat up all the food leaving no room for the bad bacteria.

So why is it so important to expose a baby to probiotics?  Probiotics, or good bacteria, improve baby's immunity, reduce diarrhea, help digestion, and reduce the risk of other illnesses. Your baby will be get bacteria in their gut, skin and mucosal membranes. What type they get, is up to you.

Journey in Adoptive Breastfeeding: Part 2

So surprise, yes, I plan to and hope to breastfeed our third child one day. The funny thing with adoption is that you could get a child right away or wait a very long time (years even). So with that in mind, I began the induced lactation protocol. I started the birth control right when we got on the waiting list and continued it for about 5 month (about 20 weeks) not taking the reminder pills. I didn't have my period for that whole time. Then I stopped the pill and began to pump. To my shear delight, I was pumping what looks just like colostrum! I couldn't believe it! It took many days (up to about 7-8 days) for my colostrum to change to mature milk, but eventually it did. I usually pump about every two hours during the day. I decided not to make myself crazy, so I have not been pumping at night. I believe that this is one reason the I don't have a full milk supply. I am able to pump about 10 ounces per day.

My husband bought be a great big deep freezer to store the breastmilk in for 6-12 months. The idea is that I will probably not ever have a full milk supply, so I will have extra to supplement with. I have probably about 500 ounces of milk stored. Exciting!

My hope is that I will be able to successfully breastfeed, even partially. But only time and a new baby will tell. More to come...

Journey in Adoptive Breastfeeding: Part I

Sometimes in my field of work it is hard for me to talk about my personal struggles with miscarriage and infertility. I am able to be a part of so many women's birth stories and am truly honored to do so. But every once in a while I feel like my body has let me down--that what I was meant to do as a woman I can't. So although, I am unable to carry a child, my body is still capable of breastfeeding. So breastfeeding has become very important to me.

Both of my sons are adopted, so I thought breastfeeding was out of the question for me. As I began down the path of adoption, I realized that this was still an option. I read books like, Breastfeeding the Adopted Baby and Relactation and Breastfeeding the Adopted Baby and studied Jack Newman's Protocol for Induced Lactation for hours before my first son was born. I was truly determined. I started the protocol a couple of months before my son was born (although we didn't know that we would be chosen so quickly). My goal was to build up a supply of breastmilk in the freezer and breastfeed as much as I could, depending on my supply. Mason was born and we were selected much faster than I had anticipated, so I wasn't able to complete the protocol, and it showed in my milk supply (or lack there of), but I still tried. Although, I had no mass of breastmilk stored in the freezer, I began to pump. I also bought a special supplemental nursing system called a "Lact Aid" to supplement my milk supply--boy was this thing frustrating to use!

Despite my (I wouldn't say "best") efforts, I was unsuccessful at breastfeeding, but I did pump and bottle feed for four months. My particular breastfeeding experience with Mason was very disheartening and I thought once again that my body had let me down. Time passed and then we adopted our second son, Miles, who I immediately decided I wasn't going to even try to breastfeed him, so that I could avoid the feeling of failing. I guess I thought, "if I don't try, I can't fail." To this day, I wish I had given it a fighting chance with Miles.

So here we are on the waiting list for our third child--a girl! Will I breastfeed or won't I?...more about my addoptive breastfeeding journey to come in Part 2.

My two crazy boys!