Episode 52 of the Airway First podcast is now out! You can catch this and all other episodes on Apple, SoundCloud, Podbean, RSS, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. And don't forget to check us out on YouTube!
My guest today is Amey Fields, an Internationally Board-Certified Lactation Consultant and labor and delivery nurse with over 20 years of experience helping moms and babies with breastfeeding.
She started working as a labor and delivery nurse in 1998 and in 2010, was given the opportunity to run the community education department at the hospital she was working at. She became Lamaze certified and began teaching childbirth and newborn care classes to expectant parents. In addition to working as a labor nurse in the hospital setting, she has also assisted with home births and spent two years working at a free-standing birth center. In 2011 she started a postpartum support group called Circle of Mothers.
You can find out more about Amey at azbreastfedbabies.com.
2024 needs to be the year of the prenatal visits. There is so much more to breastfeeding support...it's not just about the latch. ~ Amey Fields
Show Notes:
Amey's Office: https://www.azbreastfedbabies.com/
The Boob Group: https://baby-prep-university.mykajabi.com/the-boob-group
Amey's Registry Must Haves: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62a87ab73a02db9ba31a17a4
Article by Michale Chatham, "Is Your Baby a Tether-Berg or a Tether-Floe?"
Agave Pediatrics - Dr. Rajeev Agarwal
Dr. Brown's Bottles on Amazon
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF BREASTFEEDING?
Breastmilk contains all the nourishment needed to promote normal healthy growth and development in babies during their first six to twelve months of life. According to the Cleveland Clinic, research suggests that breastfeeding can lower your baby’s risk of certain diseases, help to build a stronger immune system, and lower the risk of:
Diarrhea and vomiting
Respiratory and ear infections
Asthma
Childhood obesity
Eczema
Cavities
Poor jaw development
Airway dysfunction
Breast milk supports your baby’s health because it:
Is easy for their immature tummy and intestines to digest.
Contains antibodies that protect against infection and boost immunity
Has the right amount of fat, sugar, water, protein, and vitamins for your baby’s development
Promotes healthy weight gain
Changes in composition to meet your baby’s nutritional needs over time
Contains substances that naturally soothe your baby
Additionally, breastfeeding helps your baby develop habits that will have an impact on their breathing and airway health. It also helps to properly develop their pallet and strengthen their tongue and mouth muscles.
The airway benefits include teaching your child to breathe correctly through their nose and not their mouth, helping to prevent sleep issues such as snoring.
Breastfeeding also has additional benefits for new moms. It can help you recover from childbirth more quickly and easily. Hormones released during breastfeeding help the uterus to its regular size more quickly and can reduce postpartum bleeding.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF WORKING WITH A LACTATION CONSULTANT?
The long-term benefits of breastfeeding your baby cannot be understated, which is one reason many new moms seek the support of lactation specialists or midwives to learn the proper way to breastfeed.
One of the main benefits is that a lactation consultant can help to identify and address any issues you might be having, such as sore nipples, low milk supply, or a baby who is not gaining weight...all of which can prevent a successful breastfeeding experience. Secondly, lactation consultants can provide emotional support to new parents. Plus, for mothers of premature or immunocompromised babies, lactation consultants can develop special feeding and storage plans tailored to your baby's exact needs.
A board-certified lactation consultant can help you before and after delivery with:
Prenatal counseling to help you prepare a breastfeeding plan
Basic positions and latching techniques
Tips and practices to promote successful breastfeeding and lactation
Milk expression and storage
Developing strategies for continuing to breastfeed after returning to work
