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Tuesday, February 22, 2011

When will my baby sleep through the night?

This seems to be on every mothers mind.  If it's not our own worry it's that of friends, family and complete strangers!  Many mothers of even the smallest infants have been asked if their baby is sleeping through the night.  The real question is, "Should they be?"

The answer is not necessarily.   Especially if you have a newborn.  Breast milk is highly digestible and in the early weeks, your baby may not get enough nourishment if he sleeps through the night. Breastfed babies need to breastfeed at least eight to twelve times every 24 hours, usually every two to three hours. Most babies will gradually sleep for longer stretches at night, but they will continue to need night feedings for months.

You may have heard that giving your baby cereal will encourage sleeping longer at night. This simply isn't true. A baby's immature digestive system isn't ready for solid food until some time around the middle of the first year, and solids given too early may actually upset a baby's tummy. You will find information about this topic here.

Many mothers find that keeping baby close all night makes nighttime parenting less tiring. Throughout history, babies and mothers have traditionally slept close to each other. The idea that a baby belongs all alone in a crib is a fairly recent notion. Many have found "shared sleeping" or "the family bed" a good way to meet babies' nighttime needs with few interruptions to the parents' sleep. Rolling over to nurse your baby and drifting peacefully back to sleep is so much easier (and warmer in the winter!) than getting out of bed, going to the crib, sitting up to breastfeed the baby, and then struggling to get both of you back to sleep. This article discusses nighttime parenting.

Some authorities believe that parents need to teach babies to comfort themselves when they awaken at night, and some go as far as suggesting how long parents can allow a child to "cry it out" before responding. While such methods may work for some families, many other mothers and fathers have found peace in trusting their instincts and responding to their babies' cries. It helps to remember that babies' sleep cycles are very different from those of adults, and a young infant needs to awaken during the night in order to get enough nourishment.

Just like every adult has different sleep patterns, babies do too.  Parenting is a 24 hour per day job.  Remember to get rest when you can and know that your baby will sleep through the night when he is ready. 

*this post was in-part taken from FAQ on the LLLI website.  Please visit LLL's Frequently Asked Questions page for the answers to this and many other questions.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Raising Boys

Join us tomorrow 2/22/11 at 10am for our enrichment meeting on raising boys.  Enrichment meetings are open to all LLL members, but if this is a topic of interest to you please come and check it out!  Hope to see you there!


Community of Grace Presbyterian Church
2015 E Newcastle Drive (8890 South)
Sandy, UT

Friday, February 11, 2011

IRS Decision a Victory for Nursing Mothers Everywhere

IRS Decision a Victory for Nursing Mothers Everywhere

Breastfeeding Equipment to be Allowed as Medical Tax Deduction and Reimbursed by Flexible Health Spending Accounts

Washington, D.C. - In response to a request from Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Tom Harkin (D-IA), and Representatives Sander Levin (D-MI) and Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced they will reverse a ruling that denies equipment used to help women breast feed from being covered as a health care expense.  The previous ruling excluded breast pumps from coverage under flexible health spending accounts and made them non-deductible on tax returns.

Merkley, Harkin, Levin, and Maloney wrote to IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman in November to call for the decision to be reversed.  Senators Merkley and Harkin were joined by 9 other Senators; 32 other House members joined Reps. Levin and Maloney.

In response to today's decision, Senators Merkley and Harkin and Reps. Levin and Maloney released the following statement:

"Today's decision is a huge victory for nursing mothers everywhere.  Modern medicine has documented numerous health benefits linked to breastfeeding, including a reduced risk of illness in infants and a reduced risk of cancer in mothers.  And because breastfeeding is so effective in preventing disease, it also happens to save billions in health care costs.  We thank the IRS for their careful consideration and quick response."


Additional Background

A tax ruling by the IRS last year disallowed breast pumps and other breastfeeding supplies as medical deductions, thus also excluding them as permissible expenses under flexible health spending accounts.

Rep. Maloney and Sen. Merkley secured a provision in health care reforms passed earlier this year that employers of hourly workers are be required to provide breastfeeding employees with "reasonable break time" and a private, non-bathroom place to express breast milk during the workday, up until the child's first birthday. 

Breastfeeding is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization for all children under six months.

Twenty-four states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have laws related to breastfeeding in the workplace; fully 43 states and the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands have laws which allow women to breastfeed in any public or private location.

View the list and more at the National Conference of State Legislatures:  http://www.ncsl.org/IssuesResearch/Health/BreastfeedingLaws/tabid/14389/Default.aspx

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Breast Milk Donation Center now in Utah!

The Salt Lake Mothers’ Milk Donation Center serves as a screening and collection site for the non-profit Mothers’ Milk Bank in Denver, Colorado. Local nursing mothers wishing to donate excess milk can visit the Center to volunteer as donors. For more information please visit The Salt Lake Mothers’ Milk Donation Center.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Come to our next series meeting!

This coming Tuesday is Series meeting #2: Baby Arrives: The Family and the Breastfed Baby
Preparing for birth, getting nursing off to a good start, and establishing nursing in the early weeks
February 8, 2010


As always, our meetings are open to all interested women and any babies or children who need them.  Come talk about getting breastfeeding off to a good start and ask any questions you might have!  See you Tuesday!