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Bestfeeding.Getting Breastfeeding Right for You
By Mary Renfrew, Chloe Fisher, and Suzanne Arms
This is a good book for anyone wanting to find out about breastfeeding including mothers and health professionals. It explains breastfeeding in simple terms and uses pictures to demonstrate what they mean. This enables you to visualise how the process works. For health professionals it gives them wording that they can use. Often Midwives and Childbirth Educators know how to breastfeed but trying to explain it to someone else is what is often the hard bit. You may know how to do the tango but try teaching someone else who has never done it or even seen it done. The authors use the metaphor of learning to dance in this book, which I have also used in the past. Quote “Like learning to dance, breastfeeding takes practice and rhythm because there are two of you doing it together” I like to add to this “ and if you don’t get the steps right you can end up with sore toes (i.e.nipples)”
The pictures show how to hold a baby while breastfeeding and how a baby latches with a great picture showing that it is not just the nipple that needs to go inside the babies mouth but part of the breast tissue (areola) also.
It talks about the benefits of breastfeeding not only for the baby but also for the mother and the family. Science does not know how to convert cows milk into human milk, the may change it and add different chemicals but one will not become the other.
Thus for humans human milk will always be better, as the title says Bestfeeding. This book does not set out to make people feel bad if they decide not to breastfeed and dose not make out the breastfeeding is easy for everyone. It goes through possible problems that could occur, ways of avoiding them (mainly by correct latching techniques) and what to do if there is a problem.
I would recommend this book to other health professionals as believe breastfeeding is part of health promotion and I would recommend this to anyone planning on or already breastfeeding. This is a book with good common sense information which helps to clear up some of the confusion and myths re breastfeeding.
Review by Helen at BabyWebNZ
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Fast Food For Ben
Written by Ruth Brodbeck, Illustrated by Margaret Derry
This children's book tells the story of a little girl Hana and her new brother Ben. Hana learns about the needs of a young baby and the mother who is breastfeeding her baby. Frequent feeding, benefits of breastmilk and midwife visits are introduced throughout the book with colorful pictures, which makes it an ideal book to read to young children or anyone involved with breastfeeding.
Both, author and illustrator, are mothers and midwives and believe the children of today need to be introduced from an early age to the reality of the natural and best way to feed a baby.
order from : weirvantil@clear.nz ( $ 14.95 each)
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Joan Donley Compendium for a Healthy Pregnancy and a Normal Bi
By Joan Donley
This book was written as a resource book about health for pregnancy, birth and the baby. It is written mainly looking at these areas but it could be used as a natural health reference for everyday life. The book provides a lot of references to other peoples wisdom, so this is not just a book on Joan’s thoughts but a collection of like-minded peoples also.
The first section looks at environmental hazards and the reasons why we should avoid certain drugs and chemicals. She uses a quote re fetal and brain development: ‘the brain and neuronal pathways have only one chance” This made me think (use my neurons) re the importance of health of pregnant woman more, as they are caring the next generation.
The survival of intelligence depends on it. Pregnant woman need to look after themselves and see themselves as mothers even before the baby is birthed, and mother their unborn baby. Joan’s references to statistics include that 360 NZ babies are born each year with impairments caused by maternal consumption of alcohol and that cigarette smoke contains an estimated 3800 chemicals.
The next section goes onto to review nutrition. Quote Joan used: “The area in which a woman can exert the most influence over the outcome of her pregnancy is nutrition” (Plotkin 1994) . We often forget the food we eat is the fuel for our body, cells need certain minerals and vitamins to function properly. An example of this is when pregnant woman become very tired from low iron levels. Modern societies answer is to often take a pill. In this book it talks about modifying your diet, a much more natural and healthier option. It you put junk-petrol in a car and it won’t work as well, same with your body. You only have one body, you can buy a new car it breaks down, you can’t buy a new heart. After reading this section I went out and brought some Brewer’s yeast, wheat germ, rice bran, and blackstrap molasses, I’m just not sure what I can cook with them yet.
Joan talks about cow’s milk and how it can be an allergenic food and that it is difficult for babies to digest. She uses her sense of humor and notes that babies don’t have four stomachs to cope with this like baby calves that were designed for cows’ milk do.
Section three is a look at pregnancy problems from morning sickness to turning a breech.
Section four looked at infections and section five at labour problems. Joan refers to a research first birth project in British Columbia Women’s Hospital Vancouver in which they refrained from induction until 42 weeks. In labour, it aimed to keep women out of hospital until 4cm dilated. For normal healthy women there was no EFHM (electronic fetal heart monitoring) and no epidural until 7cm dilated. This reduced the nulliparous c/section rate by 20% (Target Refrain 2000) Would be great to see if a NZ unit would take on a similar research project. Joan doesn’t appear to disagree that medical intervention such as Caesarian Sections is needed at times and has saved lives of woman and babies but points that intervention should only be used when needed. Informed consent that Caesarian Section is major abdominal surgery and that there are possible complications that could happen and discomfort afterwards. I agree with her, I have looked after many women who have had Caesarian Sections and once the block has warned off they did have some degree of discomfort especially when trying to move and when you have a new baby to look after you don’t get to put your feet up for five days and recover. The “Too posh to push” or I want a Ceasarian Section because I don’t want to feel any pain as quoted by Britney Spears is a misinformed choice. Yes there are strong pain relieving drugs available and you may not go through the pain/discomfort of labour but you will have pain/discomfort afterwards unless you don’t want to wake up from the GA or take your epidural and your own personal anesthetist home with you for the next six weeks.
Section six deals with the postnatal time, looking at care of baby and mother. I found it interesting or maybe scary that dummies are made from phthalates that are potential carcinogens. I have a mild latex allergy from constant use of gloves in hospitals; I always wondered if babies sucking latex dummies could predispose them to latex allergies latter in life…just a thought. She finishes up the book with a review of postnatal emotional disorders, looking at possible links also to diets lacking in certain nutrients and lack of adequate social support. When I read Sheila Kitzinger’s book “Ourselves as Mothers” I noted there didn’t seem to be high rates of postnatal depression in traditional societies. In these people/families live together in a tight community all helping out with the care of children and the mothers are seen as a major contributor to society. “The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world” Lets make sure that hand is a healthy one.
I found this book really interesting making me think as you probably can tell by this rather long review and my own thoughts. Joan Donley’s Compendium for a Healthy Pregnancy and a Normal Birth was hard reading at times, taking in all the information did not make it bed time reading. I would find it to be a good reference book to go back to in the future, I would think… now what would Joan Donley have done about this.
Review by Helen at BabyWebNZ
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Leading Antenatal Classes
By Judy Priest and Judith Schott
This book was written to assist educators who teach antenatal education. The two authors have many years experience teaching for the National Childbirth Trust in the UK.
The book is based on what they have learnt, what things they believe should be included in a course and the things you should consider when teaching antenatal or childbirth education classes.
The first part of the book looks into “what do people want from classes”? It shows that people come to classes for different reasons and seek out different information from them. Because of this you have to cover a large range of topics, for example which will provide information for the person wanting a homebirth to the person whom already has a planned Caesarian Section arranged for some reason. It states that people in society today often want black and white answers or “magic formulas” they need to know there is a lot of gray information with no wright or wrong answers.
The book talks about how people learn and that we need to teach in a manner that includes quote “watching, reading, listening, discussing and experimenting”
It shows how to use simple ways to demonstrate things such as using your hands to demonstrate the cervix thinning then opening.
The book also talks about the important role the childbirth educator has and how you must continually review what you teach and evaluate that you are meeting the needs of the people in the class.
From reading this book I have learnt that education doesn’t have to be complicated with fancy overheads or lists of statistics, using simple practical things can get a message across also. It made me think more about the role of the men/partners in the group. I have in the past focused a lot on the needs of the women and need to think also of the needs of prospective fathers in the group also.
I think this would be a good book for anyone planning on teaching antenatal education as it gives a lot of practical advice and it provokes ideas. Some of the information is more based on the UK system and Hospital based education but it still provides information that you could use in running classes elsewhere also.
Review by Helen at BabyWebNZ
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Parenting for a Peaceful World
by Robin Grille
"When we parent a child, we are parenting the world and its future." Robin Grille (author, psychologist and psychotherapist).
This is a book for all parents, teachers and child health professionals. It is based on the evolution of parenting to what is now known as natural or attachment parenting. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this wonderfully informative book. Parenting for a Peaceful world is vast in its scope, yet is written in a clear, easy to read style, and is very well referenced.
Robin Grille spent five years researching and writing Parenting for a Peaceful World. According to Robin "Many of the experiences we have in childhood leave a lasting emotional impression, even if we don't consciously recall them. Since our childhood experiences so strongly influence our emotional health, the way we raise our children is of profound consequence."
Robin begins the book by exploring 'childhood through the ages'. He discusses in detail the six different stages or modes of childrearing. Most of us were brought up via 'the socialising mode' which emerged in the late 19th century. This stage is also known as 'authoritarian' parenting and teaches 'rules' of behaviour and morality, the goal of which is obedient, socialised, 'well-behaved', 'good' children. Authoritarian parenting is characterised by disciplining and controlling the child through corporal punishment, shaming and manipulation.
Shaming that involves comparisons, moralising, put-downs and age/gender/competency-based expectations can have profoundly negative effects on the growing child. I was surprised, however, to learn that not only rewards, but also praise, can be used as a form of manipulation and, thus, potentially harmful to the child's emotional development. However, Robin gives practical advice on how to treat your child positively without resorting to rewards and praise as forms of manipulation.
Many of us are now trying to parent via what Robin terms 'the helping mode' whereby the emotional needs of the child are attended to empathically and sensitively. Helping mode parenting role-models caring, empathy, responsibility and openness, the goal of which is autonomous, self-actualised, considerate, empathetic, emotionally mature children. Robin provides numerous examples of how changes in child rearing practices around the world have affected those societies as well as major world events.
Robin discusses 'emotional intelligence' (i.e. EQ as opposed to IQ) and explores the five stages of early childhood emotional development, from the beginning of the baby's life to about six or seven years old. He covers areas such as the emotional needs of the baby or child at each stage and the effects of wounding experiences, not only on the child, but also on society as a result.
I have heard that it takes five adults to raise a child, although Robin contends that it 'takes a whole village', i.e., parenting a child should be a communal responsibility, rather than the sole responsibility of the mother and father. The resultant benefits to society of appropriately supported parents and nurtured children are immeasurable.
Reviewed by Anitra Carr
Published by Longueville Media, 2005
Paperback, 23 x 15 cm, 428 pages
ISBN 1-921004-14-2
Available from www.embrace.net.nz
Email: info@embrace.net.nz
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The New Contented Little Baby Book
By Gina Ford
The cover claims "The secret to calm and confident parenting" and that Gina Ford is "Britain's leading parent expert". This gives the readers impression that this book will be the answer to all their parenting problems and that if they read this book they will have a contented baby. As a mother and midwife, I find it hard to believe that one book could be an instruction manual for all babies. This takes away from the reality that we are talking about humans, all of whom are individuals. I wonder if there has ever been written a 'contented little adults' book. No, because what I need is different from what others need. As adults, most of the time we can verbally state what we need and when we need it, but babies can't. There lies the problem: learning the signs of what your baby wants, for example food, winding, change of nappies, sleep, or a cuddle.
This book bases most of its information on routine. I am not against routine and believe that babies and children need some structure and parents need some guidelines. Sleep routines and bedtime routines work for most people. As a baby becomes an infant these routines help them understand what comes next: I've had tea, a bath and a story, it must be time for bed. Strict routines with feeding are a bit different. When I was a baby my mother was told to feed me every 4 hours by the clock. If I woke at 11.50 screaming for a food and I wasn't due till 12, I should be made to wait. For my mother this didn't make sense. If you walked into a caf� at 11.50 and ordered lunch and they said no, you have to wait till 12, what would you think? As adults most of us basically eat or drink 6-8 times a day. But when we do this can vary in time and amount. Babies are similar, at one feed they may be hungrier than at another; Health professionals teach parents about demand feeding or what is called baby-lead feeding. Gina doesn't seem to believe this works; I do, but also believe demand-feeding needs to come with some guidelines. If you said to a new parent feed your baby when they demand it, that is fine if they have a healthy baby that wakes for feeds. But there will be times where babies go along time without waking for a feed, and it may be best to wake them, especially if they have not been gaining weight.
I believe you can combine demand feeding with some guidelines from routines.
Gina's approach seems to be very much routine and not allowing the baby to lead when it wants to feed. For some parents and babies this will work really well, for others you will just end up with an annoyed baby who feels their demands are not being meet. Some parents will believe that meeting the demands of their babies will spoil them. I am talking about the demand to be feed when they want, not the about meeting the demands of a two year old wanting a new toy.
Gina may claim she is "Britain's leading parenting expert", but she is not the expert on your baby. This is your baby, even though within the book she has quotes such as "I much prefer to get my babies used to their"; when she states this, she is referring to the babies she has looked after as a maternity nurse and these are not her babies - they are the parents' babies. As parents you are the expert on your baby, even if you don't feel like it some days. You are the parent, don't let others undermine you, have faith in yourself. If there are concerns in how you are coping, or you don't believe you are doing the best you can do as a parent, or there are concerns for your or your baby's health, then seek professional support. Remember most parents will have times that they doubt themselves, and that they look at their crying baby and think "I don?t know what you need".
Some of you will read this book and think it is wonderful and it works for your baby. For others, you will read it and try to follow all the routines, and it just won't work.
Like all advice that you get given as parents, use what makes sense for you. There is some helpful advice within this book. Gina herself quotes "follow your own instinct as a parent as to what works best for you and your baby".
Contented Baby Website www.contentedbaby.com
Book review by Helen@babywebnz.org
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The Trouble with Women. The story of Parents Centre New Zealand.
By Mary Dobbie
This book is about the history of Parents Centre from how it began to how it has grown to be a New Zealand wide organisation.
This book first captured me by it’s title ‘The Trouble with Women” which makes you want to find out what this is all about.
It explains this on the first page; the title comes from a remark from an Obstetrician who had an old-fashioned self-righteous belief that everything should be left to the doctors.
No choice, no partnership, and no need to be educated in childbirth seem to be this Obstetricians opinion. He states “You must leave everything to me. My business is to bring your baby safely into the world, and I don’t want a fainting husband on my hands”
I have been at hundreds of births and the only time I have had to deal with husbands feeling faint was occasionally at Caesarian Sections when the room is very hot to keep a premature baby warm or when they had forgotten to eat anything all day. All very easily solved with a chair and a glass of cold water.
I can remember a relation of mine saying “Helen why are you teaching childbirth education isn’t it better not to know?”. I believe it is better to know, it is a normal part of life in which we should make informed choice about. Parent Centre education classes are about learning and taking responsibility for yourself and your baby. I would not have wanted to hand over my pregnancy, birth and baby to someone else. I have always wanted to question, like the two year old always asking why. Due to this I did not fit in well to the UK nursing system, “why are you doing that…?” “because we have always done it that way” just didn’t work for me.
So this has been an interesting book to read, to see how an organisation with a lot of determined members over the years has grown by asking why and making changes in New Zealand society.
The book talks about how Parent Centre as well as providing education has helped establish rooming in with your baby/child in hospital, supported breastfeeding on demand, encouraged and supported fathers to be present at the birth.
I recommend that anyone with an interest in childbirth education or Parent Centre should read this book. This book was first published in 1990 it would be interesting to have an update on what has been happening in the last 15 years to this ever growing organisation
Review by Helen at BabyWebNZ
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