World Breastfeeding Week 1-7 August 2007

Posted with compliments of Worldbreastfeedingweek.org

Breastfeeding: The 1st Hour
Early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding for six months can
Save more than ONE million babies!

“It begins at birth. Our very first act after birth is to suck our mother’s…milk. This is an act of affection, of compassion. Without that act, we cannot survive. That’s clear…That’s the way of life. That’s reality.”
Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, The Art of Happiness A Handbook for Living.1998

Objectives:

• To mobilise the world to the potential for saving ONE million babies starting with ONE simple action: allowing the baby to initiate breastfeeding in the first hour of life.


• To promote immediate skin-to-skin contact of the mother and baby and continuing with exclusive breastfeeding for six months .


• To encourage ministers of health and other authorities to include the initiation of breastfeeding in the first hour as a key indicator for preventive health.


• To ensure that families know how important a baby’s first hour is, so that they can make sure that their babies are given this opportunity.


• To support the newly revised and revitalised Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI), with its emphasis on integration and expansion, and on the early initiation of breastfeeding.

In the first hour of life, a baby finds her mother’s breast. Together they can do it on their own, when we respect maternal/infant physiology as we provide expert maternal child care.
This is the beginning of a life-sustaining breastfeeding relationship between mother and child.
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Visit http://breastcrawl.org/ to view the video

The Remarkable First Hour of Life
When healthy infants are placed skin-to-skin on their mother’s abdomen and chest immediately after birth, they exhibit remarkable capabilities. They are alert. They can crawl, stimulated by mother’s gentle touch, across her abdomen, reaching her breast.13 They begin to touch and massage the breast. This first gentle touch of a baby’s hand or head at the breast stimulates release of maternal oxytocin,9 thus beginning both the flow of milk and enhancing the feelings of love for the baby. Then the baby smells, mouths and licks the mother’s nipple. Finally, he or she attaches to the breast and feeds. This sequence of events is important for the survival of human young.

Optimal breastfeeding
The WHO/UNICEF Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding recommends that children breastfeed exclusively for the first 6 months of life, and then continue breastfeeding with adequate complementary food up to 2 years or beyond. Normal initiation of breastfeeding in the first minutes to first hours of life begins with skin-to-skin contact, and helps mothers and infants to achieve optimal breastfeeding. This is required in the BFHI, specifically in Step 4 of the WHO/UNICEF 10 Steps to Successful Breastfeeding.


Breastfeeding Rights
The Convention on the Rights of the Child recognises that every child has the inherent right to life and aims to ensure their survival and development. Breastfeeding within the first hour after delivery helps to ensure child survival. Women have a right to this knowledge and to receive the support that they need to initiate breastfeeding accordingly.

Why is skin-to-skin contact after birth and breastfeeding within the first hour of life so important?

1. The mother’s body helps to keep the baby appropriately warm, which is especially important for small and low birth weight babies.


2. The baby is less stressed, calmer and has steadier breathing and heart rates.


3. The baby is exposed first to the bacteria from the mother which are mostly harmless, or against which the mother’s milk contains protective factors. The mother’s bacteria colonise the baby’s gut and skin and compete with more harmful bacteria from health providers and the environment, and so prevent them from causing infection.


4. The baby receives colostrum for the first feeds – liquid gold, sometimes called the gift of life.


5. Colostrum is rich in immunologically active cells, antibodies and other protective proteins. Thus it serves as the baby’s first immunization. It protects against many infections. It helps to regulate the baby’s own developing immune system
   · It contains growth factors, which help the infant’s intestine to mature and function effectively. This makes it more difficult for micro-organisms and allergens to get into the baby’s body
   · It is rich in Vitamin A, which helps protect the eyes and reduce infection
   · It stimulates the baby to have bowel movements so that meconium is cleared quickly from the gut. This helps get rid of the substances in the baby's body that produce jaundice and therefore may help reduce it
   · It comes in small volumes, just right for the new baby.


6. Touching, mouthing and suckling at the breast stimulates oxytocin release – this is important for many reasons:
   · Oxytocin causes the uterus to contract. This may help delivery of the placenta and reduce maternal bleeding after the birth10
   · Oxytocin stimulates other hormones which cause a mother to feel calm, relaxed, and some would say “in love” with her baby 9
   · Oxytocin stimulates the flow of milk from the breast.


7. Women experience incredible joy with this first meeting of their child! And fathers often share this delight. The process of bonding between mother and baby begins.
   

Overall, skin-to-skin contact and early feeds with colostrum are associated with reduced mortality in the first month of life. They are also associated with increased exclusive breastfeeding and longer duration of breastfeeding in the following months, leading to improved health and reduced mortality later on as well.

Is normal breastfeeding initiation in the first hour all that is needed to guarantee continued exclusive breastfeeding?
Absolutely not! Mothers need continued support to breastfeed exclusively for 6 months. The family, health workers, traditional healers and others in the community are all important contributors to their network of support. Health providers, health visitors and others need clinical training in assessment of breastfeeding, identification of problems, as well as knowledge and skills for helping the mother to resolve difficulties. Follow-up by a health worker within 48-72 hours after the birth, again after one week, and at appropriate times thereafter provides the opportunity to intervene early if there are problems, as well as to reassure the mother when things are going well.

Implementation of the newly revised and revitalised BFHI with its 10 Steps to Successful Breastfeeding along with adherence to The International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes and Subsequent World Health Assembly Resolutions provide the support structure needed to protect, promote and support optimal breastfeeding.

The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) is a global network of individuals and organisations concerned with the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding worldwide based on the Innocenti Declarations, the Ten Links for Nurturing the Future and the WHO/UNICEF Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding. Its core partners are International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN), La Leche League International (LLLI), International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA), Wellstart International and Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM). WABA is in consultative status with UNICEF and an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC).

More Breastfeeding information:
http://www.waba.org.my/
http://www.worldbreastfeedingweek.org/
http://www.earthbabies.co.za/
http://www.kellymom.com/
http://breastfeeding.blog.motherwear.com/
http://www.lalecheleague.org/SouthAfrica.html

My contribution to the broadening of the tax base (29 June 2007)

By A Daddy
It was a Friday morning just like any other. I woke up, got up, charged up and filled up. We still had a couple of things to do in preparation for our son, Migael, who we expected to arrive on 07-07-07. The most important thereof – my wife, Marie’s, hairdresser appointment.
At around 8:00 Marie politely informed me that 07-07-07 seemed a little too far in the future based on certain physical signals she experienced. So at around 11:00 we decided to take on the 22 km trip to the Hospital, which took us about 25 minutes, just to get some kind of indication of what our plan of action should be.
We pitched up, the nurses did their “stuff” and told us that Migael could technically arrive at any moment but their gut feeling told them there was still time.
So we went home and my wife honoured her hairdresser appointment at 13:30. When walking out of the salon at around 14:00 she told me that the contractions were about 7 minutes apart. We drove home very calmly and told my mom, who is visiting, and kids that the time has come to undertake the 22 km trip again.
By this time my wife whispered in my ear that the contractions were about 5 minutes apart. We started our journey. Four minutes later she told me that she had another contraction.
My mind started wondering to a few movie scenes that I had seen at some stage where people had to rush to the Hospital, but I knew at that time that it only happened in movies.
However when my wife whispered in my ear, three minutes later, that she had another contraction I shifted gears into movie mode.
It briefly reminded of an incident when I experienced that although a square peg doesn’t fit into a round hole, a bone can fit tightly around a dog’s teeth.
My mom started shivering, my oldest daughter reminded me that we were not driving a 4X4, my other daughter thought her dad had gone colour blind, but she sort-of enjoyed it, and my son thought he had arrived in heaven.
The traffic made me realise that the weekend had already started in Pretoria and a few frustrated people did their utmost to make sure that I wait my turn and do not pass them. (May they be blessed!)
Any case, we arrived at the hospital and informed the staff of the situation. They welcomed us back but did not understand the urgency of the situation.
I politely informed them that we had a covenant, which included short, easy, painless contractions and that it would serve them well to hurry up.
They concurred, did their “stuff”, called the doctor. She arrived. A contraction arrived. And after three pushes the tax base was broadened at 14:45.
His name: Migael
Inherent meaning: Who is like God?
Spiritual connotation: Esteemed
First blessing I gave him after his birth: I blessed him with wisdom and anointing to stand solidly on the righteous past, and at the same time to see outside the traditions and norms of the religious movement into which he has been born.
Weight – 2.85 kgLength – Perfect
Everything else – PerfectMom is doing great.
First blessing I gave her after Migael’s birth: I blessed her with having the perfect peace, not as the world gives, great perspective and great understanding.
Dad, sisters and brother are delighted.
It’s great to have the covenant keeping, Lord of Hosts, El Shaddai, Abba Father, The Faithful One on our side.

I'M THE MOST PRIVILEGED GRANNY!

by 'Glen'

It’s true.
When you are present at the birth of a baby, that baby steals a portion of your heart for life.
It’s so true!
Especially when that baby is your first grandchild! His heart is imprinted on your soul forever. Unconditional love with no option or choice, instantly!
My experience began with the ante-natal classes where I was the ‘dad’ for the duration of Angel’s pregnancy. These sessions were mind boggling (for me any way). I already had four babies of my own and assumed I knew it all. At thirty six I was about to become a Granny and I discovered I knew NOTHING about childbirth and new babies. I knew even less about epidurals, forceps, caesareans, breech babies, premature babies and so much more that the brain blows a fuse.
However, I did learn about daddy’s-to-be who felt squeamish at the mere sight of the implements in a text book. Many a daddy had to sit with his head between his knees in those classes. The educational movies on childbirth are filmed with a ‘full frontal’ view of the mother during the birthing process and that is hard on the eyes for anyone! Dads usually stand at the mother’s shoulder during the birthing process - well in my experience that is. I must say that I still can’t get my head around the epidural part for childbirth. I do not believe that the chemicals they use are of any advantage to the mother or the baby. But I digress.
The classes prepared us as well as possible for the pending happy event. As usual, our darling boy decided that midnight was a good time to start making it known that he was ready to see us all. D-day had finally arrived!!
Although my heart was torn between pity for my Angel and her pain, sadness that she had to go through all this at the tender age of seventeen, my heart still skips faster when I remember the birth of darling Damien. When the nurse connected the heart monitor and the labour pain monitor and I heard Damien’s little heart beat I cried. It was too awesome for words. When I heard his heart beat quicken with the intensity of each contraction I was blown away.
Angel was so brave. She was blessed by a quick labour for a first baby and the birth was relatively easy. She did it all the totally natural way as God created us to do (apart from which we could not afford the alternative choices). I can still see his little head of black hair emerging and then hear his cries of indignation at being exposed to the light and air! He was the most beautiful baby! Perfect.
My heart was lost.
Permanently.
Angel and Damien were the focus of all of us in the theatre. I have no idea what anybody else in that theatre looked like or what they were doing. All I had eyes for were Angel and baby Damien. He had lots of dark hair where my babies were all so fair and had very little hair until they were nearly two!
I was intrigued by what happened to our new born baby once he was born, because even after four of my own natural births I had never seen or thought about it. The suctioning, the wiping clean, the keeping warm, the weighing, the measuring, the checking of reflexes – let me tell you, new born babies are as hard to measure as a wriggling python! It amused me immensely to see them attempting to measure our squirming little Damien! Even then he was wiggling and squirming around!
Then off we went to the nursery where he was dressed and I had the huge honour of giving my first grandchild a bottle of some or other liquid to drink, to cuddle him and breathe in the amniotic smell of a new baby. That intimate smell only lasts for a short time (thereafter they smell like Elizabeth Anne babies!!).
My attention was drawn away from our little dark haired bundle to the smiling new fathers in the nursery. No, not smiling, BEAMING, shining, bursting with pride and joy! The sensation of excitement in the nursery was almost tangible. I finally dragged myself away from drooling over my precious Damien to telephone his ‘Grampa’ to fetch me. I fully grasp the reason why we always get the news of a new baby so long after the birth. When you are the father it feels like a matter of a few seconds before you get to call anyone.
I popped in to see how Angel was. I was so elated by my experience I could have done cartwheels in the corridor! Angel was fine, Damien was fine and I was buzzing with a current of joy, amazement and love for my little grandson. As usual Duck’s common sense prevailed and he dragged me away at five a.m. to get some rest. We were going to visit later after all!
Rest! With all that excitement in my heart and soul? Not easily I can assure you! I ran on adrenalin for the next few days.
I have never said thank you, dearest Angel-mine, for having me with you, for bestowing such an honour on me. Circumstances happened so that it panned out that way I know. It does not make me any less grateful for the privilege of sharing such a precious moment in time with you and your Damien. I am thankful to my Father above for blessing me with such an almighty experience.
Damien – thank you for your loving nature. Your beautiful brown eyes, warm smile and huge hugs give me so much joy! You have a very special piece of my heart. It’s the part with you imprinted on it, so please, be a good person, be cautious in your decisions and take good care of my piece of heart okay?

Also check out Angel's blog, this piece was written by her "mommy darling" as frequently refered to in her blog.

Absolute Joy, Unbearable Loss

By Jacqui Thomas

My labour started at 7.15am in the morning and I slowly made my way to St Georges Hospital in Port Elizabeth. By 9.00am dilation was at 6.5cm and twin A had settled neatly into my pelvis, ready to be born, despite the fact that (purely for safety reasons) I had elected to have a caesarian section. A spinal block was administered and the girls were delivered by caesarian section at 10.15am and 10.16am respectively, weighing 2.4 and 2.6 kilograms (quite a healthy weight for twins). The operation itself was uneventful, both girls were 9/10 on their apgars and it took my Gynae/Obstetrician longer to close the incision than to deliver both my babies! By 11.30am I was tucked safely into bed and waiting for the spinal block to wear off so I could see my daughters and nurse them for the first time.

Once the spinal block had worn off and I was able to get around, I excitedly made my way to the nursery. As I reached the nursery doors, there were a number of tearful people milling around the entrance. Not one to interfere or make a scene, I made my way through them to collect my gorgeous daughters and wheel them back to my ward. As I wheeled their bassinet out of the nursery, a chilling silence fell over the people waiting outside and I sensed what I can only describe as a feeling of hostility. It was some 24 hours later that I learned that they were anxiously awaiting news on a relative's newborn, who was in the NICU. Apparently the little one was born with only a partial brain, and had been on life support since delivery. And so it happened that, for the next 48 hours, every time I wheeled my healthy, full term babies down to the nursery for a bath or so that I could take a nap, I had to pass around or through this group of people.

Despite my joy at the delivery of my babies, I couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of guilt, every time I visited the nursery. According to a nursing sister that I chatted to, the little one was not expected to survive and the doctors and staff had done all they could to keep him comfortable and pain free until he passed away. She said that they were bound to prolonging his life and that all that remained was the parents' decision as to how long they would keep him on life support, as he wasn't even able to breathe by himself. I believe the parents made a decision late that night.

The following day, as I rode the lift down to the ground floor, on my way home with my girls, the mother of the little one who had passed away stepped into the lift on the 2nd floor. Instinctively, we embraced each other and I whispered to her that I really had no words for her, but that my thoughts were with her and her family. We left the lift together, both of us in tears, me on my way home to begin a new life with my girls and she on her way home, to an empty nursery.

What happened that day changed me in so many ways. It gave me a new reason to be grateful for every day I have with my children, and re-instilled in me a capacity for empathy and selflessness that I thought I had lost.

To that mommy: If you ever read this, know that you, your son and your family are still in my thoughts and heart, even now that my girls are almost eight years old. It seems like only yesterday that we rode that lift together, a short journey that would lead us to the rest of our lives. Wherever you are, God bless and take care.

Why I choose to Homebirth

by Annie Austin

While most doctors will tell you that giving birth is a medical event which needs to take place in a hospital, with doctor in attendance “in case something goes wrong”, there is a whole range of alternatives out there. From having baby in a hospital with a midwife instead of doctor, to unassisted childbirth. With a whole spectrum of options in between.

Thought I would start with the birth of my second child. I had resigned myself to having a hospital birth, my husband was totally opposed to a home birth. He was worried that we were too far away from help if something went wrong. I think he realized that we would have to look at other options to hospital birth after a completely stressful visit to my now second OB. The first one and I parted ways on rather bad terms as he was completely unprepared to allow me to have a birth plan or to have any say whatsoever in the kind of birth I wanted. He said we would either do things his was or he was not prepared to be my doctor anymore. I was not about to let him bully me into having a medicated, medically controlled birth, especially since my first had been a home birth without complications. I changed OB’s only to end up with even more stress and being told I would probably need to have a c-section as my placenta was low lying – this was at about 24 weeks – I had had an ultra sound at 19 weeks and my placenta was nowhere near low lying. To cut a long and boring story short, the two OB’s know each other pretty well and both have an incredibly high c-section rate.

So there we were 25 weeks along and no care giver, I was desperate enough to consider using my GP who operates from the only hospital in our nearest small town – a state hospital – but at least he would be reasonable and would not try to bully me further.

I decided to look at other options, there had to be something better than the options I had considered thus far. Even if it meant me giving birth in Durban almost two hours drive away. I found a midwife in Ballito, not as far as Durban, but still over an hour away. I went to see her and we clicked immediately – she gave me the confidence to seriously consider home birth as an option, after all my first pregnancy and labour had been straightforward. My husband and I agreed (or rather I convinced him) that home birth would be the way to go and we haven’t looked back since.

Our son was born on the fourth of May, after an amazing labour assisted by a midwife and doula. I used a birthing pool for pain relief and was allowed to labour at my own pace. Ryan was born in water, with the membranes still intact. I was able to nurse him as soon as he was ready, he went straight into daddy's arms and was never left alone to fend for himself for one second.

After the birth we got into the family bed and got to know our youngest son better. Our oldest son was present to meet his new brother and the whole day was relaxed and pleasant. And I never had to eat hospital food!

Compare this to how most birth happens in a hospital. Firstly there is the drive to the hospital, in our case 40miles along bad roads, then having to get checked into hospital. After arrival, spending time on your back attached to monitors, and being examined by a midwife and nurses you have never met before.

If all this is not enough to stall labour, then chances are that the constant interruptions and offers of pain relief and IV needle in your arm would be. Not to even mention the fact that you are not allowed anything to eat or drink but clear fluids – just in case.

If you are one of the lucky ones, labour will proceed as expected - doctors expectations that is - not yours. If your membranes have not ruptured, then labour will be ‘helped along’ with rupturing of membranes. This often has the effect of speeding labour up and making the whole process more far painful.

Labour is given a time limit and if things take too long or start to slow down - due to all the interruptions - then drugs to speed up labour are given. Chances are that this will lead to the mother needing pain medication, as the labour inducing drugs cause harsher and more intense contractions, forcing baby out into the world before it is ready.

Due to the drugs extra monitoring is required, mother is expected to lie on her back so that baby’s heart rate can be monitored. Lying on her back not only makes for a more painful labour, but will also have a negative effect on baby’s heart rate.

If baby is seen to be in distress – possibly due to drugs given to the mother, or due to mother lying on her back, words like emergency c-section or forceps delivery start being bandied around.

What started out as a straight forward birth, has been turned into a medical emergency. Unfortunately most doctors are taught to deal with medical emergencies and not healthy mothers giving birth to healthy babies. One intervention leads to the next.

Add to this the risk of infection from other patients, risk of kidnapping (a common occurrence where we live in South Africa) and homebirth starts looking like a far better option.

These are only two of the options available to moms, there are many great free-standing birthing centers available – these are staffed by midwives and doulas. Some hospitals are open to independent midwives attending births instead of doctors. On the other end of the spectrum is unassisted childbirth where the mom chooses to labour at home with only her partner present without any medical intervention whatsoever.

Further reading on homebirth and birth stories:
~Earthbabies
~Mothering homebirth article
~Mothering Reasons to choose homebirth article

Earth Babies

By Sally Cameron

I fell pregnant while we were living in England so I started to look for information on homebirths and natural products in the UK. This led me to discover wonderful natural parenting products available overseas. Rachel was later born at home in Pretoria, South Africa. When I looked for products similar to those that I had seen in the UK, I couldn’t find anything, and yet I was sure that there must be other parents in South Africa who were also interested in the kind of products I was looking for.

I met Barbara at antenatal classes and when we spent time together after the birth of our children, she saw that I was using cloth nappies that I had brought back home from England. She was interested in them and in the other ideas that I had, and so we decided to start the company Earth Babies to provide these products here in South Africa.

We both had very small babies at this point but slowly we managed to resource fabric and design patterns for our products. After our first few strange looking nappies, we came up with a design that we liked and started making cloth nappies to sell, usually at night once our babies were asleep. This was very time consuming and involved many late night hours at the sewing machine. Husbands were even called in to help sew when times were busy. We gradually added more designs and products to our range but as we grew we realised that we could not keep up with making the nappies ourselves. We now have a small CMT factory in Pretoria helping us and it has really lifted an enormous burden.

We decided that our company should be an internet-based site so that it could be accessed by parents around the country, and products could be posted countrywide. It also helped to keep out overheads low. We followed the treads of similar types of companies in USA and UK where natural parenting Internet companies are prolific. South Africa is catching up fast with regards to Internet usage and e-commerce so we feel that we have positioned ourselves in an emerging market. Since we started our company, quite a few cloth nappy companies have come onto the market in South Africa.

We did not however want our company to focus purely on our products. We really wanted a large part of what we did to be about supporting mothers and giving them information about more natural approaches to parenting. It was only through other people sharing their ideas with us that we learnt about things like cloth nappies, elimination communication, extended breastfeeding, natural and home births. We, in turn, wanted to make the information available to others and so a large part of our Internet site is dedicated to articles and information about these topics. We also made a forum available on our website where parents can chat to each other, share ideas, and support one another in pregnancy, birth and parenting.

Barbara and I both want to be work at home moms. It is not always easy to balance working and mothering, but we just have to keep evaluating what our initial goals were and stick to that. The temptation to try and compete with larger companies and to grow too fast has been there, but this would mean a lot less time with our children, who remain our number one focus.

Barbara – “ I have always dreamed of being a mom, the reality of which has been more wonderful, more challenging and more time consuming than I could ever have imagined. I hope that Earth Babies can reach other moms on this amazing journey and somehow make it a little easier for them."

Sally - “I always knew that my dream job was out there and that I just had not found it yet. Who would have known that it would be owning my own company and being able to help other parents. Barbara and I joke now that we should have studied business and computers to do this job but I know that my background in nursing and midwifery has helped us, as has Barbara’s experience in the restaurant industry as an administrator and personal assistant. We feel like quite small fish is the big ocean but we will be the best most colourful fish we can be.”

Reinventing Our Birth Stories

by Rosalia Pihlajasaari



I trained as a doula in 2003 while expecting my second child, Skyla. I had a previous birth by necessary caesarean for my son Davin so I was aiming at having a VBAC (vaginal birth after caesarean). Upon having had a successful natural water birth with my daughter I decided to follow my bliss and become a doula. I also trained in America to become a Birthing From Within Mentor and childbirth educator.

Part of my training included leading a Birth Stories workshop that has taught me many things amongst which the fact that as life unfolds we become aware that few things are absolutely under our control. As you journey forward you encounter various experiences, good and bad, that assist you in becoming more fully YOU.

Birth is one of those thresholds in life when all your inner resources are challenged and called into action. Even as you stand on this threshold between maiden and mother and you do everything that is recommended, things still have a way of turning out differently from what you expected. Your memory of your birth experience is something that will walk with you for the rest of your life.

Whatever your birth experience is there is always something when you look back, that is bothering you or is causing you grief and sorrow. You are searching for answers to questions that you may not have fully formulated yet or perhaps are looking to place blame with someone or something. This will inevitably re-open any birth wounds leaving you vulnerable yet again. Birth wounds may come in all shapes and sizes. It may take the shape of an unwished for intervention or an unexpected emotion that arose due to lack of support from your partner. It may seem like something small and inconsequential but what ever it is it’s this memory that flavours your recollection of your birth.

Traumatic or disillusioned experiences can affect you in all aspects of your life including your parenting and successive pregnancies and your relationship with your partner or other people. Working through and resolving past trauma is the key to more successful future relations and experiences.

I work with mothers to access their inner resources of love and forgiveness and gently move from a birth memory that causes pain and grief to a place of letting go and exploring better memories that can serve them fully in their lives. Through sensorial mediums such as art and journaling each mother can awaken her inner healer and begin to see her birth through new eyes. This will free her to see strength and power where she previously saw failure. She will also be able to create new empowering beliefs about herself as a birthing woman, mother and individual.
.
Rosalia is a doula, Birthing From Within childbirth educator and mentor, breastfeeding facilitator, Reiki master and massage therapist. You can contact Rosalia at rosalia[at]birthing.co.za to find out when her next Birth Story Workshops are being held. You can visit her website at www.birthing.co.za

Bosom Buddies

By Mel Novitzkas



When I trained to be a Doula, I needed as much practical experience as possible. I did births at Mowbray Maternity, Stellenbosch Provincial Hospital, Hottentots Holland Hospital, Tygerberg Hospital, and the very swanky Vergelegen Medi-clinic.

I was horrified at the ridiculous difference between state and private.

At the state hospitals woman arrive in a taxi all alone, often in labour, mostly in pain, and always afraid. They birth alone, nameless except for the general title of “Mama”. There is no privacy, no dignity. At one state hospital they are all given morphine although not consulted or informed of risks to baby. Epidurals are non-existent. Even gas is no where to be seen except the scar on the wall where it was once in use. No birth balls, no water, no choice. And then they leave with their infant and often nothing else, not even clothes or a blanket, in the crowded taxi back to the townships.

At the private hospital mothers receive a nappy bag filled with goodies they don’t actually need. And the state moms? Nothing! This will just not do!

And so the non-profit, Bosom Buddies was ‘born’.

Bosom Buddies aims to have all mothers with their newborns, who birth at a State Hospital , to experience a warm & caring welcome into the world. No newborn will go home without being warmly dressed and wrapped snuggly in a blanket.

So what can you do to help?

Not too much about their birthing experience yet. But, we do make gorgeous nappy bags for the moms and their newborns. We fill them with a Babygro, vest, booties, warm knitted jersey and a cosy hat. We throw in a blanket, sanitary pads and a few disposables. When funds allow we include toweling nappies, a snappi and waterproofs. (I hope to have this in every bag soon) We also include a baby product such as Vaseline or powder and sometimes toothpaste and toothbrush for mom. We attach a beautiful handcrafted card to the bag and the gift is ready.Just before we hand out the bags we pop in a packet of crunchies or muffins. Sadly the hospital we visit is high risk so we often have stillbirths. We make sure we have a plain bag filled with pads and toiletries and something pretty for the mom. We attach a sympathy card and just sit and hold them a while. We also take care of the mothers of the prem babies who kangacare for their tiny ones for weeks or months till they are strong enough.

The following resources are needed:

• Fabric for the bags
• Fleece fabric for the blankets
• Wool for the jerseys
• Babygros and vests in newborn & 0-3 months size
• Disposable nappies
• 4 Terricloth nappies with 1 snappi and 2 waterproofs per bag, 1 pkt nappy liners
• Surgical spirits and cotton buds for cord care
• Baby products such as Vaseline, aqueous cream, powder & shampoo
• Sanitary pads for the mother (one of our biggest needs)
• Suitable snacks and beverages for the kangacare mothers who stay in the hospital for extended periods with their premature infants
• Financial sponsorship to make all this possible

We rely solely on volunteers to run the operation and visit the mothers. The beauty of the project is that the needs are specific and unique so everyone has something to offer in the running of BB.

The following are areas where you can commit your time, skills & energy:

• Sewing of the bags (material is provided)
• Knitting jerseys, hats & booties
• Packing of the bags (done weekly once a week)
• Baking of suitable goods for the bags
• Collection of infant clothing & other goods from suppliers & sponsors
• Attending hospital visits (Mondays or Thursdays at 9.00am)
• Marketing BB to potential sponsors and obtaining funding
• Praying for BB and the mothers and babies
• Making cards

When we have enough practical help and financial & product sponsorship we will be able to cover each mother as well as get the project started in other areas. This is our hope.

For further information, please contact Mel
Check out Mel's blog: www.bosombuddies.typepad.com