Yank, Shove, Flip

Pull down on baby's chin while pulling head in tighter.

By Glenni Lorick, IBCLC

I often see mothers who are experiencing varying degrees of nipple pain. One of the primary causes of nipple pain is a shallow latch. So first I teach moms HOW to latch baby onto the breast.

I really like Dr. Jack Newman's information on latch-on. I always tell moms to latch with chin LOW on the areola and to bring baby's head "up and on." Mom needs to relax back and bring baby to the breast. Never lean over the baby. In fact, some newborns do very well with laid back nursing where mom is reclining.

However, sometimes a mom will have baby latch on using the "up and on" technique, but the latch still feels pinchy. At this point, I teach mom how to deepen the latch using a technique I call "Yank, Shove, Flip."

Flip baby's upper lip so it is flanged

1. Yank - insert a finger between baby's chin and mom's breast and pull down hard on baby's chin at the very same time as you
2. Shove - pull baby's head in tighter to the breast.
3. Flip - use your finger to flip up baby's upper lip so that it is flanged.

The result should be a deeper, more comfortable latch. If Mom is still feeling pain, she can try "yank, shove, flip" again, but if that doesn't resolve the pain, she probably needs to see a lactation consultant for additional help. There are some causes of latch problems that Yank, Shove, Flip won't resolve. If baby is tongue-tied or has an upper lip tie, it may not be possible for baby to get a deep latch or keep his upper lip flanged. Unfortunately, some pediatricians refuse to acknowledge the proven effect that these conditions have on breastfeeding. If you suspect that your baby has an oral anatomy condition that makes breastfeeding difficult, see a breastfeeding professional who knows how to identify these conditions.

Footprints Food Fight is On!!

by Glenni Lorick, IBCLC
When you hear the words "food fight" you may have images of an adolescent cafeteria brawl that lands a dozen students in the principal's office. Fortunately, this is NOT the kind of food fight that Footprints Ministry is bringing to Huntsville in just a couple of weeks!

On November 9, from 2-6 pm, Footprints will hold a Food Fight food truck cook-off at AM Booth's Lumberyard (108 Cleveland Ave. NW) in downtown Huntsville. Participants in the fight include Sugar Belle , Food Fighters Bustaurant, The Little Red Lunchbox, and Follow Me.

Each person who purchases a ticket for the event will receive a ticket for a specialty from each food truck. Then all attendees will have the opportunity to vote on which truck's offerings they like the best!

It will be a lot of fun, but more importantly, it will benefit Footprints Ministry in the Huntsville Hospital NICU. I have first-hand experience with the terrific care provided by our local NICU, so I am very excited to be a sponsor of this event! Footprints has been active in Huntsville for several years now, offering both tangible and intangible expressions of hope and love to NICU parents. They give a special gift bag to every NICU family, visit with and pray with parents who would like that kind of support, and make a special effort during holidays to be present for families during this difficult time.

Katie and Kevin Bowers with their preemie twins

Local coordinator, Katie Bowers, is herself a mother of two NICU graduates, and she felt led to get involved with this ministry.. The Food Fight for Footprints will provide much needed funds to purchase the supplies needed for the gift bags and help struggling NICU parents. Get your tickets now for just $20 each! From November 1-November 8, A Nurturing Moment will donate $1 for every sale we make to Footprints. We will also give YOU the opportunity to round up your purchase with a contribution to this valuable ministry!

ANM Mama Fights Like a Girl!

By Glenni Lorick, IBCLC and Sarah Lorick Velasquez

Nearly three years ago I had the privilege of helping one of Sarah's friends, Melanie Treshock, on her breastfeeding journey. I found Melanie to be an absolutely lovely young woman and was thrilled to be able to help her. So it came as a real shock when Sarah told me a couple of months ago that Melanie had been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Melanie is just 26 years old...the same age as Sarah...the same age as many of our ANM mamas. In May she found a lump in her breast. Her doctors reassured her that it was probably just a cyst, but on July 25 she was diagnosed with Stage 1 Triple Negative Breast Cancer, a particularly aggressive form of cancer. On August 27 she underwent the first of three surgeries in an attempt to remove all traces of the cancer from her breasts and surrounding tissues. She began her first round of chemotherapy last week; she has fourteen more rounds to go which will be followed by radiation.

Compounding the difficulty of her situation is the fact that Melanie is now a single mother. Her friends have rallied to her support and created a You Caring fundraiser to help Melanie make it through this time in her life. They have also created Team Mel t-shirts and bracelets which are available for purchase by sending an email to the Team Mel administrators.

Our store window for the second half of October is devoted to Melanie's fight. Sarah has lovingly created this window to help our ANM community rally around one of our own. With every purchase you make during this time at ANM, we will donate $1 to Team Mel, and you can actually add even more to your purchase as a donation if you would like!

Please remember that breast cancer does not discriminate. While you may reduce your risk via breastfeeding, you still MUST be diligent about your own monthly breast self-examination.

Rwandan Coffee to Go Now Available at ANM

by Glenni Lorick, IBCLC
At A Nurturing Moment we try to have a culture of doing what is right. We manifest that in many ways from our sliding fee scale for lactation services to our encouragement of local moms to take leadership in organizations like Share the Love and ICAN. Today we were able to take another step toward making a difference in the lives of families and particularly women!

We put a coffee machine from Rwandan Coffee to Go in our store! This is a wonderful win-win situation for everybody involved. For our moms, it offers some great drink options like chai tea, hot chocolate, mochaccino, latte, cappuccino, espresso or regular coffee at the press of a button. Each cup is freshly ground from the highest grade Rwandan coffee beans available. These are Grade 1 beans, not the Grade 3 or 4 beans that some coffee shops offer. After depositing your money (the most you'll pay for a cup is $1.25), your coffee is ground and brewed while you wait, and you get to choose the amount of sugar you want!

The best part of all, though, is that $4.00 of every single pound of coffee goes directly back to Rwanda to help rebuild this country that has been so torn by genocide. As you enjoy America's favorite morning drink, you can know that you are helping rebuild Rwanda with every sip. This fair market company was started by an Anglican pastor in Georgia who recognized a simple way that he could make a tangible difference in the lives of the people in Rwanda. He began a coffee company that pays a fair wage to the farmers of Rwanda in order to help them provide for their families, while also bringing a top quality coffee product to the USA.

Drink coffee, Do good! When you really get excited about this delicious coffee and all the good it is doing, you might even decide to visit Rwanda yourself on a mission trip with other local believers who are committed to rebuilding the lives of the precious people in Rwanda! If you absolutely fall in love with this delicious coffee, you can actually buy it for your own at-home consumption locally. Ask us for more details!

Hurry to Take Advantage of the Happy Papoose Giveaway for Babywearing Week!

by Glenni Lorick, IBCLC and Sarah Bailey
This is International Babywearing Week, and we are celebrating it in Rocket City Style here at ANM and Happy Papoose! We are excited to offer a wide variety of carriers between our two stores including Baby K'tan, Boba Wraps, Mom-Made Ring Slings, Beachfront Baby wraps and slings, Maya Wrap slings, Baby Hawk Mei Tai Carriers, Tekhni woven wraps and soft structured carriers by Tula, Boba and Onya Baby.

Happy Papoose is grateful for the support shown by the local community in their first four months of business. As a special thank you to the local community, and in celebration of International Babywearing Week, Happy Papoose is giving away a Rockets Tula. There are lots of ways to enter to win!

Check out this link to decide how YOU want to enter!!

The contest ends on Thursday at 4:00 pm. The winner will be announced at the US Space and Rocket Center just before 6:00 pm on Thursday. Please share this contest with other babywearing families via social media!

Resource Guide for Madison County Moms

By Glenni Lorick, IBCLC
Let's face it, new moms need support! You need people around you who will encourage you in your parenting decisions and help you not to feel isolated. Many women find this support with family members and close friends. But what happens when your family members and friends end up discouraging you, rather than encouraging you? Fortunately we have a plethora of local resources available to help you navigate the occasional rough waters of being a mommy.

Baby Wearing
Research shows that babies who are worn by their parents experience a wide variety of health benefits. We have a very active local babywearing community!

·         RocketCity Sling Swap – Monthly informational meetings and swaps

Breastfeeding

We are blessed to have a variety of support options for nursing moms in the Tennessee Valley.

·        A Nurturing Moment – breastfeeding supplies, breast pump and baby scale rental, lactation consultation with IBCLC in home or office www.anurturingmoment.com (call 256-489-2590 for more info).

·         Hospital support :

o  Athens Limestone Hospital: Free breastfeeding, childbirth and parenting classes for parents delivering at the hospital. Breastfeeding Mothers' Support Group Fridays from 10:00 - 11:00 am.

o   Crestwood: Free breastfeeding, childbirth and parenting classes. 

o   Huntsville Hospital: Free breastfeeding class; Breastfeeding Mother's Group meets Tuesdays from 10:00-11:00 am in the Huntsville Hospital Women's Pavillion (call 256-265-7285 for more info).
o   Madison Hospital: Free breastfeeding class; Breastfeeding Support Group meets Mon. 10:30-12:30 and Thurs. 6:30-8:30 pm in the Madison Hospital Wellness Center Classroom

·         La Leche League

o   Huntsville: Third Thursday of the month at the Rock 6:30-8:30 pm. Contact: Jana 256-455-4746 

o   Madison: Second Monday of the month at Madison Public Library 10:15-11:15; Fourth Thursday of the month at Kathryn’s House – 102 Heatherwood Dr., 35758   7:00 – 8:00. Contact: Stephanie: 256-348-9700    

·        MommyMilk Meet-up : First Monday and Third Saturday of each month at 10:00 am at A Nurturing Moment. Contact: Glenni Lorick 256-658-8210  

Childbirth

Many women are unable to have the birth they had hoped for. Sometimes it is the result of a genuine medical emergency. Other times it may be due to unnecessary interventions. Either way, mothers need a place where they can be supported as they talk about their birth experiences.
ICAN - The International Cesarean Awareness Network offers support and information for mothers - whether they are still pregnant or already have a baby. They meet at Willowbrook Baptist Church. Check their Facebook page for details of upcoming meetings.

Parenting
Many parenting philosophies exist. You have to figure out what works best for you and your baby. Proponents of Attachment parenting point to a body of research that shows positive outcomes for families.

·         AttachmentParenting International – monthly meetings – check Facebook for updates.   Contact: Lysa Parker 256-503-1454 and Tiffany Hamblen 501-472-0312