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Santa Fe Birthing Community offers breastfeeding
help and support, postpartum care for mom and her babies, help and
advice for new mothers of multiples, support and respite for moms with
twins or premies.
The premature infant presents unique challenges.
Some premies go directly from an intensive care unit to home. They
often need supplemental oxygen and to be on a monitor. In addition
their suck is immature, resulting in feeding and weight gain issues
for both bottle and breast fed babies. Their heat-regulating systems
are underdeveloped, requiring parents to keep them warm in thermal
environments.
 
The ‘early, sleepy’ baby is usually born between 35 and 37 weeks
gestation. These babies share some premie characteristics. They tend to have
a weak suck and tire easily, in addition to poor weight gain. This condition
can also lead to jaundice, dehydration and general weakness in the infant.
The transition to home and assuming serious responsibility can be overwhelming
to parents. We are here to help Santa Fe families with premies and twins in
those first weeks.
Many professional home care services will come
and only weigh and measure the baby and leave you with printed handouts.
We will provide hands on help. Our approach is to spend enough time
to answer your questions and show you ways to bring your baby into
vitality. Our reassurance will increase your confidence
as a mother or father.
We will confront with you to solve all the challenges
you are facing with you, including such things as:
• Assessing calorie needs and weight gain
• Finding the best method for feeding your baby
• Ways to keep your baby warm
• Reversing jaundice and dehydration
• How to care for a baby who is on oxygen and/or
a monitor
• Kangaroo care and other known ways to strengthen your baby.
TWINS are usually born prematurely as the mother’s
uterus reaches capacity early. Thus all of the above challenges can
apply. Plus the babies may be 1-2 pounds different in weight and have
different calorie needs. Many mothers of twins are healing from Cesarean
birth. And EVERYTHING IS DOUBLE: Your joy and your need for help.
Many parents need answers to such questions as:
“When and how do parents of twins sleep?”
“How can I best heal from Cesarean birth?”
“How do I figure out and supply the calorie needs of each baby?”
A consultation can greatly enhance breast feeding
of premies, early babies and twins. Frequently an interim plan of care
is needed until the wee one(s) can fully breast feed. Success often
requires supplementing with a bottle or using other alternative methods.
Solutions are tailored to your needs and your baby’s abilities.
Let us help you bring harmony into your feeding and into your life.
Call Joy Lanum any day between 10:00 am and 5:00
pm. 984-8225
Joy has been blessed with providing care for many
Santa Fe families with twins and loves being with them. Over
the years she has learned many tricks to best ‘navigate the waters” of
the early weeks with twins.
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