Adventures In Breastfeeding: What The Hell Is Periodic Breathing?

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I don't breastfeed. Anymore. But I did. I have over a decade of personal breastfeeding experience.

I'm told that's a lot.

These days I work part time, as a Breastfeeding Peer Counsellor. Putting my knowledge and extra training to good use, I start calling moms while they're still pregnant, to discuss breastfeeding with them. And then I follow them through their baby's first year, helping, educating, and encouraging.

I'm thinking I'd like to tell some of what I've been learning, through the stories of my interactions with my moms. Of course names and details will be changed in order to protect the privacy of my clients.

I've had several clients recently who've had trouble with an overactive let down, and have found their babies choking on their breastmilk. This is a common issue, and with a few tips and tricks, they've been handling it well.

But one of my moms called me today, kind of frantic. Her baby stops breathing!

"Is it because of the breastfeeding?"

Not unless you're smothering baby with your breasts.

I didn't actually say that. She's not. I just reassured her a little. It's not the breastfeeding. She's doing great with that.

"Is this normal?"

Well, yeah, it turns out that actually it is. I Googled it.

She'd already called her pediatrician who had informed her that not breathing for a few seconds at a time was normal, but she didn't believe her. She wanted me, a mother, to tell her that her baby was okay.

These are the kind of the calls I live for.

They're easy, as the answer is readily available, and nothing is wrong. Sometimes my hands on experience as a parent actually has some value that can be shared with another person. Not to mention I love being able to help a frantic mom feel better. I remembered from my NICU time that the nurses never worried about when my babies stopped breathing, unless it was a particular long phase. And that almost never happened.

Yes, New mom, it's normal. It's called periodic breathing and babies can stop for up to 15 seconds. They can also breath quickly sometimes, and then more slowly. It happens to lots of babies, and is usually gone by six months old.

Fingers and toes can even get a little bluish. That said, if they start to get bluish around their forehead, lips, or torso, get help immediately.  That's not normal, and is a sign that your baby needs oxygen.

Honestly, though, every once in a while I raise an (respectful, I promise) eyebrow at Mother Nature. Here we are, entrusted with these tiny people for whom we are frequently terrified. And normal includes things like not breathing? Way to freak a mom out.

I try not to tell my moms about all the things that can go wrong in breastfeeding. I tell them that problems exist, offer a few really common examples, and promise help and support should they need it for any reason. But I don't want them worrying about things that may never happen.

So, I get why they don't tell parents all of the normal but weird things that babies can do. But then it's a pretty scary thing to discover on your own. And I've honestly never even seen this one even remotely touched on in a baby book.

Periodic breathing. Who knew?

Well, pediatricians, clearly. And now you, and me, and that poor scared mom. Who I really hope isn't scared anymore.

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Beyond The Golden Hour

It turns out that the first hour after your baby is born, is called "The Golden Hour". New research is showing that the best thing for mom and baby is that baby is placed on mom's chest, and just allowed to be.

Baby kicks and make crawling motions with it's legs, which encourages the uterus to contract and decreases bleeding.

Their skin picks up the healthy protective bacteria from mom's skin, giving him or her a boost to their immune system.

Mom and baby will both start producing oxytocin, which is known to be a bonding hormone.

Baby will even find the way to the breast and begin feeding, all on their own.

This is apparently how we work, naturally, without any help.

Hospitals are even being taught now, how to avoid doing anything to the baby, and instead they are giving them that hour uninterrupted with their moms.

It's so cool.

I didn't get that with Liam. I didn't really get that with any of them, to be honest. But with Reagan, Piper, Bridget, and Ciaran, they were given to me very quickly, and I was able to breastfeed them soon after birth. I remember promising my nurses that of course I would put them in their bassinets to sleep. And then I'd just wrap them up on my chest and we'd sleep together. It was blissful.

Quinn, Brennan, and Liam, however, were all whisked away to the NICU because they were premature. Being separated, sucked.

I did my best. I would wrap them in a sling, and hold them for hours, skin to skin, in the NICU.

I would leave them with something in their bassinet that smelled like me.

I made sure to pump my milk (and waking up to a breast pump at 2 am is so much worse than waking up to a newborn) so that they could have all of the health benefits of breastfeeding, even if they weren't taking the breast. Yet.

I'm sad that I never got that "Golden Hour". But I'm so glad that I had what I did.

I can't nurse Liam anymore, but the smell of me, the feel of my skin and the sound of my voice, these things still sooth and calm him, for which I am incredibly grateful. Sometimes there is truly nothing else I can do for him, but be there, warm and calm.

And it may take a little while, but it always ends up being enough.

The connections we make with our baby, from just that skin to skin contact we have, sets us up for a connection that lasts far beyond infancy.

Your baby may not be a baby anymore. They may not even be a toddler. But don't doubt that bond. You are connected in a way that can only grow and deepen. It's primal, it's ancient, and it's Science.

I love Science.

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Please know that there is the ideal, and then there is reality. And the reality is that, if you're trying your best, chances are, you're a great mom. Even if you, like me, didn't exactly have the ideal experience. And please, if you like my blog, click the link below which registers a vote for me, would you? Thanks. You're the best!

I May Have The Best New Job Ever

Remember when someone told you to find a job you loved and were passionate about, because then it would never feel like work? I think I might have done that.

It just fell into my lap, as I sat one day talking to the WIC Lactation Consultant. She told me she thought I'd be a great peer counselor, and asked if, when they had openings, I'd be interested. I told her I would.

I thought it was a volunteer thing, to be honest So, I was even more excited when I found out it's a paid position. That's immensely helpful to my family at the moment.

I started training today, and can tell that this job is exactly what I was made for.

You have to understand that pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, etc., these things have been my fascination since I was a little girl. I always wanted to have babies, and to nurse my babies.

And I always wanted to help other women do the same.

This particular job is about educating women, empowering them to make the best choices for themselves and their babies. It's supporting them through a time when you might need real help, or you might just need someone who has been there, to tell you that you're doing it all right. I will be in a unique position to connect with them, mother-to-mother, and support them from pregnancy, through the first year.

This job is going to give me the opportunity to touch real people's lives and be a part of their journey. Which, is an incredible gift, in my opinion. It's also going to give me a jumping off point to becoming a Certified Lactation Counselor, or an IBCLC.

But that's a ways down the road. Right now I'm just so passionate about the things I'm learning, and I really can't wait to start talking to, and meeting with these moms.

Of course, Bridget let me know this morning, how much she still needs me at 10 years old. When I told her I was going to work, she wanted to know who would look after them. I told her I'd be home before she was, but it's nice to know that being a stay-at-home-mom isn't a completely unappreciated job.

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