resources
Books
This book offers a range of options and safety tips for your family’s ideal cosleeping arrangement. These include variations of roomsharing and bedsharing, and introduce the concept of “breastsleeping.” This term, coined by Dr. McKenna himself, is based on the inherent biological connection between breastfeeding and infant sleep, and provides readers with everything they need to know about safely sharing a bed with their baby. Complete with resource listings for both parents and professionals, this book teaches you how to confidently choose a safe sleeping arrangement as unique as your family.
Articles
Sleep: Bedshare
Mothers and babies sleeping together is a normal, healthy, shared instinct as old as humankind. But certain situations can make this normal behavior unsafe. Let’s see what it takes to avoid those situations so you can enjoy being with your baby awake or asleep.
The two big safety concerns with shared sleep are suffocation and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (also called SIDS, Crib Death, or Cot Death). They are not the same thing, their causes are different, and that’s important to know when you’re setting up a sensible sleeping arrangement. SIDS is an unexpected infant death under a year of age that can’t be explained any other way. The biggest risk factors can be avoided. Suffocation is death from a lack of oxygen, from a blocked nose and mouth or becoming tightly wedged, or choking. Protecting your baby from suffocation just means preventing problem situations – usually simple and straightforward to accomplish.
By LaLeche League
PDF Documents
The Neurobiology of Human Attachments
By Ruth Feldman
Attachment bonds are a defining feature of mammals. A conceptual framework on human attachments is presented, integrating insights from animal research with neuroimaging studies. Four mammalian bonds are described, including parent–infant, pair–bonds, peers, and conspecifics, all built upon systems shaped by maternal provisions during sensitive periods, and evolution from rodents to humans is detailed. Bonding is underpinned by crosstalk of oxytocin and dopamine in striatum, combining motivation and vigor with social focus, and their time sensitivity/pulsatility enables reorganization of neural networks. Humans’ representation-based attachments are characterized by biobehavioral synchrony and integrate subcortical with cortical networks implicated in reward/motivation, embodied simulation, and mentalization. The neurobiology of love may open perspectives on the ‘situated’ brain and initiate dialog between science and humanities, arts, and clinical wisdom.
The Neuroscience of birth--and the case for Zero Separation
By Nils J. Bergman
Currently, Western maternal and neonatal care are to a large extent based on routine separation of mother and infant. It is argued that there is no scientific rationale for this practice and a body of new knowledge now exists that makes a case for Zero Separation of mother and newborn. For the infant, the promotion of Zero Separation is based on the need for maternal sensory inputs that regulate the physiology of the newborn. There are harmful effects of dysregulation and subsequent epigenetic changes caused by separation. Skin-to-skin contact is the antithesis to such separation; the mother's body is the biologically 'normal' place of care, supporting better outcomes both for normal healthy babies and for the smallest preterm infants. In the mother, there are needed neural processes that ensure enhanced reproductive fitness, including behavioural changes (e.g. bonding and protection) and improved lactation, which are supported by the practice of Zero Separation. Zero Separation of mother and newborn should thus be maintained at all costs within health services.
Baby Wearing Practices and Effects on Parental and Child Physical and Psychological Health
By: Henrik Norholt1*, Raylene Phillips2, Joanna McNeilly3 and Charles Price4
An increasing number of parents engage in extended daily chest-to-chest contact with their full-term healthy infants for several months after birth as an extension of skin-to-skin contact in the early postpartum period. This practice is commonly known as “babywearing” (BW) and employs various carrying devices. The purpose of this review is to acquaint pediatricians and primary care providers with the numerous studies of physical, behavioral and social effects of BW as well as the different types of infant carriers and safe practices. BW studies demonstrate improved attachment and breastfeeding outcomes and infant sleep organization, as well as reduced maternal postpartum depressive symptoms and infant crying. BW is likely to strengthen paternal caregiving engagement, associated with positive child outcomes. The spread squat position for the hips during BW offers an optimal position for hip development and may prevent some forms of developmental hip dysplasia. BW may reduce the risk of positional plagiocephaly, by decreasing the time infants spend in the supine position while also allowing for spontaneous head movements. BW enables some mothers with short maternity leave to bring their infants to the workplace with limited interference in their tasks. Numerous designs of infant carriers are described along with basic safety precautions. Pediatricians may be key influencers for parents in achieving the positive outcomes described in this review. Abbreviations: BW: Babywearing; OT: Oxytocin; SCS: Skin-to-skin Contact; US: United States
Podcasts
Websites
Precious Image Creations
Beautiful garments for safe skin to skin contact
REFERENCES
International MotherBaby Childbirth Organization
Rae Davies, IMBCO Administrative Director
Skype: raedavies
Phone: 904-285-0028
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL (USA EST)
Coalition for Improving Maternity Services
P.O. Box 33590
Raleigh, NC 27636-3590
Telephone: 1-866-424-3635
Website: www.motherfriendly.org
Email: info@motherfriendly.org
Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association (CAPPA),
(The worlds largest childbirth education organization)
Contact us at 1-770-965-9777
Contact us by email info@cappa.net
Contact us by fax 888-688-5241
CAPPA World Headquarters
PO Box 2406
Buford, GA 30515
The International Childbirth Education Association (ICEA)
1500 Sunday Drive, Suite 102
Raleigh, NC 27607
Phone: 919/863-9487
Fax: 919/787-4916
Toll Free: 800/624-4934
American Pregnancy Association
REFERENCES--Childbirth Education Organizations
American Academy of Husband Coached Childbirth (The Bradley Method)
Synopsis: The standard Bradley® series is designed for small classes with lots of individual attention. The standard length of the classes is 12 weeks covering 12 units of instruction. The Student Workbook is included in classes. It has 130 pages with over 75 pictures and illustrations. A coach card is also included. Your local Bradley® teacher is an independent affiliated instructor. Some classes are video enriched and offer a Certificate of Congratulations
American Society for Psychoprophylaxis in Obstetrics/Lamaze (ASPO/Lamaze)
Synopsis: ASPO/Lamaze, or the American Society for Psychoprophylaxis in Obstetrics, is a nonprofit organization which promotes normal, natural, healthy, and fulfilling childbearing experiences for women and families through, education, advocacy, and reform. Members of ASPO/Lamaze include childbirth educators, nurses, nurse-midwives, physicians, as well as parents who support Lamaze childbirth.
Association of Labor Assistants and Childbirth Educators (ALACE)
Synopsis: Knowledgeable childbirth educators and labor assistants can do a great deal to provide pregnant women with information and practical alternatives so that they may give birth with confidence, strength and joy.
Birth Works
Synopsis: A childbirth education and teacher certification program with an innovative and experiential design. Birth Works® embodies a philosophy that develops a woman’s self confidence and trust in her innate ability to give birth. The classes are experiential and provide both a physical and emotional preparation for birth. Birth Works® classes are taken by new parents, and parents with prior cesarean or vaginal births. Our comprehensive program meets the needs of parents planning hospital, birthing center or home births.
Synopsis: International Childbirth Education Association is an organization of over 8,000 members from 42 counties around the world that unites those who support family-centered maternity care and those who believe in freedom of choice based on knowledge of alternatives in birth.
Doula/Labor Support Organizations
Association of Labor Assistants and Childbirth Educators (ALACE)
Synopsis: Knowledgeable childbirth educators and labor assistants can do a great deal to provide pregnant women with information and practical alternatives so that they may give birth with confidence, strength and joy.
Doulas of North America (DONA)
Synopsis: DONA is the acronym for Doulas of North America, an international association of doulas who are trained to provide the highest quality labor support to birthing women and their families. DONA was founded by Marshall Klaus MD, Phyllis Klaus, John Kennell MD, Penny Simkin and Annie Kennedy in 1992. It is a non-profit organization incorporated in Washington state.