If you have a family history of peanut—or other—allergies, it’s probably wise to avoid peanuts and foods that contain them while Breastfeeding. Research has found that peanut allergens can be passed through breast milk from the mother to the nursing baby. It has been theorized that this early exposure to peanut allergens causes the baby to become sensitized to them, eventually leading to potentially serious allergies later in childhood. If you have
allergies, or if you have a family history of allergies, speak to your baby’s doctor or your allergist to determine what foods, if any, you should avoid while breastfeeding.
Sweeten safely. Aspartame is probably a better bet than saccharine (only tiny amounts of
aspartame pass into breast milk), but since the long-term health consequences of the sweetener, if any, aren’t yet known, excess is definitely not best. (Don’t use aspartame at all if you have PKU or your baby does.) Sucralose (Splenda), however, is made from sugar and is considered safe and a good all-round calorie-free sugar substitute.
Go organic. Certified organic fruits and vegetables are now widely available in supermarkets, as are organic dairy products and organic poultry, meat, and eggs. But don’t feel you have to drive yourself crazy (or drive yourself all over town) in order to protect your baby’s milk from
pesticides. Do what you can to avoid incidental pesticides (and choosing organic is the best way to do this), but realize that a certain amount will end up in your diet, and thus in your milk, despite your best efforts—and that these amounts won’t be harmful. When organic isn’t available, or you just don’t want to pay the higher price, peel or scrub fruits and vegetable skins well (use produce wash for extra protection).
Stay low-fat. As it was during pregnancy, it’s smart to choose fat-free or low-fat dairy products, as well as lean meats and poultry without the skin, for two reasons. First, a low-fat diet will make it easier to shed your pregnancy weight gain. Two, the pesticides and other chemicals ingested by animals are stored in their fat (and in their organs, such as liver, kidneys, and brain, which is why you should eat these meats only rarely while you’re breastfeeding). Organic dairy and meat
products, of course, don’t pose the same potential risk—a good reason to select them when you can.
Fish selectively. The same EPA guidelines on fish safety that apply to pregnant women apply to breastfeeding ones. So to minimize your (and your baby’s) exposure to mercury avoid eating shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish, and limit your consumption to 6 ounces per week of tuna (chunk light tuna contains less mercury than tuna steaks and canned albacore) and 12 ounces (total) per week of salmon, sea bass, flounder, sole, haddock, halibut, ocean perch, pollack, cod, tuna (canned is safer than fresh), and farm-raised trout.
1. Though Reglan is not approved by the FDA for the purposes of stimulating milk production, several studies have shown the drug to be safe for babies and effective in increasing a mother’s milk supply. The medication can make the mother sleepy.
CHAPTER 4
Your Newborn Baby
The wait is over. Your baby—the little person you’ve been eagerly expecting for nine months—is finally here. As you hold this tiny warm bundle for the first time, you’re bound to be flooded by a thousand and one emotions, running the confusing gamut from excitement and exhilaration to
apprehension and self-doubt. And, especially if you’re a first-time parent, you’re also likely to be overwhelmed by (at least) a thousand and one questions. Why is her head such a funny shape? Why does he have acne already? Why can’t I get her to stay awake long enough to breastfeed? Why won’t he stop crying?
As you search around for the operating instructions (don’t babies come with them?), here’s
something you need to know: Yes, you’ve got a lot to learn (after all, nobody’s born knowing how to care for an umbilical stump or massage a clogged tear duct), but give yourself half a chance, and you’ll be surprised to find how much of this parenting thing actually comes naturally (including the most important operating instruction of all: Love your baby). So find the answers to your questions in the chapters that follow, but as you do, don’t forget to tap into your most valuable resource of all—
your own instincts.
What Your Baby May Be Doing
Within a few days of birth your baby will probably be able to:
lift head briefly when on the tummy (which baby should be on only when supervised) move arms and legs on both sides of the body equally well
focus on objects within 8 to 15 inches (especially your face!)
What You Can Expect at Hospital Checkups
Your baby’s very first checkup will take place moments after his or her arrival, in the delivery or birthing room. Here, or later on in the nursery, you can expect that a doctor or nurse will do some or all of the following:
Clear baby’s airways by suctioning his or her nose (which may be done as soon as the head appears or after the rest of the baby is delivered).
Clamp the umbilical cord in two places and cut between the two clamps—although dad may do the cutting honors. (Antibiotic ointment or an antiseptic may be applied to the cord stump, and the clamp is usually left on for at least twenty-four hours).
Assign baby an Apgar score (rating of baby’s condition at one and five minutes after birth; see page 103).
Administer antibiotic ointment to the eyes (see page 117) to prevent gonococcal or chlamydial infection.
Weigh baby (average weight is 7ẵ pounds; 95 percent of full-term babies weigh in at between 5ẵ and 10 pounds).
Measure baby’s length (average length is 20 inches; 95 percent of newborns are between 18 and 22 inches).
Measure head circumference (average is 13.8 inches; normal range is from 12.9 to 14.7 inches).
Count fingers and toes, and note if baby’s observable body parts and features appear normal.