Playing Catch-up

So it turns out that this blog is one of those ideas that I really, really love then tends to get overlooked for long periods of time. As a result I have quite the backlog of posts on the brain.

First I'd like to give a little review of my experience of this year's DONA International conference. This was all the way back in July (did I mention I'm behind?). The conference was in Denver this year, meaning a relatively short drive (yea!), but through the Tech Center (ugh!), and I was abloe to visit with many other Colorado doulas who I haven't seen in a long time. Here are the highlights:

* The first of my two favorite presentations was on the subject of baby-led latching, given by Christina Smillie, MD, FAAP, IBCLC, FABM. Dr. Smillie's presentation focused on the newborn baby's ability to find and latch onto the breast, requiring only skin-to-skin contact with mom and some physical support as the baby manuvers, on its own, into the ideal breastfeeding position. This is in stark contrast to the current approach, even practiced by most postpartum nurses and lactation consultants, in which the baby is put into a breastfeeding position and brought onto the breast, sometimes rather forcefully, by the caregiver. I absolutely must contact her to see if I can get files of the video she shared of babies self-latching and am most excited to incorporate these principles into my breastfeeding classes and doula work.

* My other favorite presentation came as a total surprise as it was on the subject of co-sleeping. I thought I was plenty current on the subject, with a good understanding of the "Rules of Safe Co-Sleeping". Certainly these guidelines do, in fact, exist and when taken into account, allow for very safe sleeping arrangements of babies in close contact with their mothers. The speaker was Dr. James McKenna, and in addition to his sarcasm-infused humor (my kind of guy), he did an amazing job defining exactly why babies are less prone to SIDS when sleeping in the same room as their mother and what we can take from the newest American Association of Pediatrics statement on co-sleeping. He also showed great video of how moms are very in-tune with and responsive to their babies while co-sleeping.

* I also had great fun helping staff a booth with Sheri Menelli. Sheri is a former hypnotherapist and Hypnobirthing& #0153; instructor, author of Journey Into Motherhood: Inspirational Stories of Natural Birth, and now birthing business expert. She has helped me hone my understanding of marketing and I look forward to great results as I continue to implement her ideas. (And her book is on my pregnancy "must-read" list - I loan it to all my doula clients.)