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GUEST POST on Elimination Communication by Asia Laviolette

As I was packing my hospital bag a few weeks before my due date, I went down my list of items and stopped where I had written “baby potty” with a question mark beside it. I considered whether or not I should bring this unusual item to the hospital with me for the birth of my first child. I had read “Go Diaper Free” by Andrea Olsen, taken the accompanying courses, listened to many podcast episodes, and combed the internet for blog posts, videos, and discussions on Elimination Communication (EC). I already knew that I loved the idea of this respectful, gentle, non-coercive pottying from birth, but was this uncommon practice really going to work with my ACTUAL baby in REAL life? Not knowing what childbirth and caring for a newborn would be like (but knowing enough to understand that it would probably be the most amazing and most difficult thing that I would ever do), I didn’t want to put any pressure on myself to accomplish anything other than meeting the basic needs of my baby and myself...
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The Tea on Tongue Ties

  You have probably heard of tethered oral tissues (TOTS) or some other iteration of the name. And, like many mamas, you may have questions about how these oral restrictions can effect or perhaps are already effecting your little one. So let’s chat about TOTS today… First of all, ties can effect not just the tongue, but the lips and cheeks as well. It is very common for tongue-tie babies to also have restrictions in the lips and/or cheeks, but it can also occur in just one of those spots. TOTS are commonly hereditary. The frenulum is a mucous membrane that goes from the floor of your mouth to the middle on the bottom of your tongue. Ankyloglossia (tongue tie) means that the frenulum is tight or short, so that movement of the tongue is restricted. Are ties a “fad”? Lots of parents ask this because of the frequency at which TOTS are diagnosed these days. But the answer is no, it’s not a fad. We just know so much more about this issue now! Additionally, mothers are initiating br...
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Special Feature: "How Our Society Is Failing Breastfeeding Mothers"

Hello! In honor of World Breastfeeding Week, I'm sharing this article that I wrote as an assignment for my breastfeeding educator certification program through Birth Arts International. How Our Society is Failing Breastfeeding Mothers Western culture is letting down mothers who want to breastfeed by overcomplicating and interfering with nature’s natural course. While we have made great progress in our promotion of breastfeeding, we are still lacking some fundamental follow-through practices that would set new mothers up for a more successful and less stressful breastfeeding journey. In the United States initiation rates of breastfeeding have risen consistently over the last 30 years to more than 80% initiation, but drop significantly over the course the first year with less than 50% of babies exclusively breastfed at 3 months of age, and only 25% remaining exclusively breastfed at 6 months ( Centers for Disease Control National Immunization Survey 2009-2016 ). What does this tell u...
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Breastfeeding As Birth Control

Breastfeeding is a natural form of birth control, as it suppresses the hormones needed to return your menstrual cycle and hence your fertility. This is called the Lactational Amenorrhea Method, or LAM. This method is the most conducive form of birth control for many breastfeeding families. If followed correctly it is 98-99.5% effective. To safely practice LAM you must meet the following criteria: Your baby is under 6 months of age. You are exclusively breastfeeding on cue day AND night, and baby is getting no supplementation or solid foods. Your menstrual cycles have not returned. You can further increase the protectiveness of this method by keeping your baby close (baby-wearing, co-sleeping and bedsharing for naps and nights), nursing for comfort, and using no bottles or pacifiers. You are likely to experience a further delay in the return of your cycle if you offer breastmilk before solid foods to older babies, introduce solids slowly, and continue to prioritize breastfeedi...
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Sleeping Arrangements

What sleep arrangements work for your family? Do you have firm beliefs or are you in need of more information? Many parents find themselves in a crisis of conflicting advice from friends and family members and healthcare professionals. The sleep training industry profits from these parents, offering a one-size-fits-all approach that promises to restore your much-needed Zzz’s. But what happens to the families that these programs don’t work for? Do the parents feel like they are failing? And what happens to the babies? There is a wealth of evidence-based information that shows that babies need to be responded to at night just as they do during the day. Responsive night parenting does not have to equal less sleep and carries with it the added benefit of protecting a breastfeeding mother’s milk supply and bond with her baby. “Waking is a normal part of infant sleep, and varies based on several infant factors: (a) feeding method (breast or bottle), (b) age, (c) shifts in developmental l...
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Delayed Newborn Bathing

Research has shown us that delaying a newborn’s first bath for at least 24 hours (and no less than 6 hours) after birth has a direct impact on breastfeeding success rates. Delaying the bath encourages plenty of time for skin to skin and establishes bonding and breastfeeding, while reducing the risk of unnecessary stress on the baby. Bathing too early can cause instabilities in temperature and blood sugar. Your baby is born with a protective layer of vernix, which contains antimicrobial properties that protect against infection, and immune proteins similar to those found in breast milk. Rubbing the vernix into baby’s skin is the only bath she needs! Some parents will choose to delay the first bath until at least 24 hours postpartum (which is in line with the World Health Organization’s recommendations), when mom is feeling well enough to participate and learn from the nurses. Other parents choose to wait up to a month or more, only carefully wiping down baby as needed.  Delaying...
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Planning for Postpartum

We assemble our birth team with careful research; we know who we want in the birth room with us and who can wait to be invited in later. We curate the mood with music and lighting, we read books and take classes and do our best to educate ourselves about how best to prepare for pregnancy and labor.  And then baby arrives and we are sent home. In some cases recovering from major surgery, or an unplanned transfer from the birthing place you chose. Often times the whirl of emotions, huge fluctuations in hormones, and sleep deprivation create a perfect storm, and we are left wondering how we can keep it all together while being responsible for a human life entirely dependent on yours.  There is no routine postpartum checkup until 6 weeks, at which point you are typically told you can resume physical activity and be on your merry way. Who is checking on you during those 6 weeks and beyond? Who is there to answer your feeding questions not if but when they occur? Does your partn...
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