Is this sling safe?

I wanted to touch on the topic of sling (and wrap) safety in this post. I'm sure many of you have seen the news reports and warnings online, and a few people have emailed me with questions. Not to mention the teaser from my local station "is your sling going to kill your baby, tomorrow night at 11."

I am a firm supporter of the use of wraps and slings. I personally feel that they are an important tool for any new mother and are a great aid when nursing in public. I found the CPSC statement on the matter and found it to be a bit different then what the news was making it out to be. (see:http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10165.html)

When reading the briefing from the CPSC I noticed a few important key points that my local news channel left out. The most important is that most of the 14 babies that were injured or died as a result of the slings were low birth weight, premature, had an underlying issue (cold or flu) and/or were under the age of 4 months. I think that these are extremely important things to factor in when deciding to use a sling or carrier. And the CPSC is not telling parents not to use them, but only to use caution and consult a pediatrician if necessary. Not only is the use of a wrap or sling helpful in doing your daily tasks as a mother but it can help calm a colicky baby and I even used my wrap when my son had his first few shots, it helped to calm him down almost instantly.

I think it's important for everyone, professionals and mothers alike, to show mothers how to use these products safely. If you are buying your favorite sling for your best friends baby shower, take the time to show her how to use it properly. If you are a professional who sells or suggests these products, do a demo or give the mothers a resource to find the correct way to wear them. Being a mom is hard enough :) I still remember the first time I put on my sleepywrap (as an exhausted new mom) I wouldn't have been able to safely carry a potato, let alone a baby. I made sure I watched the included demo video over and over until I felt comfortable and had my hubby check every angel to make sure it was right. But when I got it right it was the most amazing new mommy helper I had ever had the privilege of viewing! My wrap made it so that I could shop on my own, and make sure that dirty hands stayed far from my little one. And when my aunt bought me a zolowear ring sling, I made sure to talk to my cousin about it and she showed me how to use it with an infant.

There are also a one other thing that is important to mention and that is correct baby placement in the sling type carrier. Make sure at all times that your baby is in the correct position, with its back towards the ground and it's face visible by you. The baby should never sag down, turn sideways or be curled so tightly into a "C" shape that it's head would flop down onto it's chest. I think this picture from the CPSC is a great reminder.

From http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10165.html

Also take into account that they sleepwrap/moby style wraps and the ergo baby/Mai tai carrier types keep the baby upright, not laying down. It is too easy to lump all of the products together as "baby carriers" and it's important to remember that they are not all alike. Before you purchase one do your research. Does it have the specifics you are looking for, do you understand the product demonstration, does it look comfortable and is the manufacturer reputable? If you can answer yes then it's probably a safe bet for you and your little one (or not so little one ;) )

Undercover Baby??

It seems to be a rather hot topic in the new mommy forums all over the internet. To cover or not to cover while nursing in public. I've even seen people be belittled in said forums for even mentioning the idea of using a cover while feeding their baby.

I completely agree with the use of a cover in public, I promote it to all of the new moms that I teach and I even demo a few in class and show the pros and cons of each (more on that in a later post!). Now please don't get me wrong, I do NOT agree with anyone forcing someone to use one in public. I feed my son in public without one almost on a daily basis, and would fight anyone who tried to make me do otherwise. But I did use one for a long time. I was uncomfortable with my body after delivery and was afraid that people would stare at me. I needed a way to be able to feed my baby without having to go to the bathroom (YUCK!!!!!). I found a cute pink cover with skulls and roses all over it, a perfect fit for my. It made my life as a new mom on the town so much easier. I was able to feed my baby at the mall, at restaurants, even at paintball tournaments surrounded by men and not worry about it at all. Once my monkey was able to nurse without flipping around or unlatching every 25 seconds I became more at ease with nursing without it. I am thankful for the women that surrounded me and encouraged me to be comfortable with what I was doing.

What I don't agree with is making new moms feel that they are doing anything wrong by using one. As a new mom it can be very hard becoming comfortable nursing your baby in public, and if you need a cover to make it happen then use one!! I think it's important to nurse your baby in public. Not only does it help to normalize the act of breastfeeding to everyone who happens to notice what you are doing, It shows other women that it's normal. Seeing you nurse your baby in public and be the turning moment for another new mom to breastfeed her baby.

I think we should strive to make all moms feel comfortable with the act of breastfeeding. It would be stupid to make them feel otherwise.

So to all my nursing mommas out there. Your homework for the week is to nurse that baby of yours in public, wether it's undercover or not! And if you see another momma doing it, give them a wink...let them know that you support their decision to do so.

So what's with the name??

I was talking with a friend today and she asked me "so what's with the name of your blog, isn't breastfeeding important?" Which is exactly what I was looking for! :::she says with a mischevious chuckle:::

The name of the blog stems from an old friend, actually the person who convinced me to become a lactation educator. We were young, just out of high school, and she was pregnant with her first child. I asked her if she was going to breastfeed. Her response was an adamant "NO." When I asked her why not she gave the regular excuses: Formula is easier, I don't want to have to be tied to my baby, it's his baby too he should have to get up and feed him. But the one that stuck out in my mind was "It's just breastfeeding, what's so important anyway." Fast forward 3 years and I was pregnant with my first. I was set 100% on breastfeeding no matter what. While driving to my prenatal breastfeeding basics class I got a call from that friend. We were chatting about her sister who had given birth the week before. She was calling to tell me that she had convinced her sister to STOP breastfeeding. Which of course almost drove me to tears. Her sister had approached her for advice on how to be a mother and she told her to give up on breastfeeding, it was too big of a hassle. Well, 2 things happened that day. 1) I decided to become a lactation consultant & 2) I vowed to never talk to her again (and I haven't).

I chose the name to make people think, to ask themselves, Is it "just breastfeeding?" What is it that makes people think "it's just breastfeeding," how do we go about changing peoples views of breastfeeding in general, how do we make it more normal??

As this is my first post I find myself thinking I need to set some goals for myself :) My goals for my upcoming posts are:

~to provide women with the knowledge of why breastfeeding is important, both for moms and babies

~to show the realities (the good, the bad and the funny) of breastfeeding

~to promote, educate and support the act of breastfeeding

~to not use so many "quotations" ;)