Q: I am a new mother and have been breast-feeding for two weeks. It has been a struggle and I’m about to give up. I have been depressed about it because I’m not making enough milk. Is this normal?
A: Many new moms struggle in the first weeks of breast-feeding. Having a new infant is an incredible life change, and there are adjustments to make.
Many moms worry that they are not producing enough milk. Most women will make plenty of milk for their baby. Sometimes the only way we know a baby is not getting enough nutrition is if they begin to lose weight. It is best to intervene early and prevent any weight loss so the baby can grow and progress.
Some women feel a lot of pressure to be a perfect mom, and depression can creep in when we are feeling bad about ourselves as mothers. These issues need to be sorted out in these early days of motherhood. Postpartum depression can be a serious problem, and treatment is available.
Breast-feeding can offer challenges that can often be addressed effectively with a little fine-tuning.
If a new mom continues to struggle with breast-feeding past
the first few days, she may need help from an experienced professional. An international board-certified lactation consultant has very specialized training in breast-feeding and can help determine what the mom needs to get breast-feeding off to the right start, troubleshoot problems and offer support.
If you are experiencing any of these problems, talk with your women’s health provider and ask for help.
Doria Keesling is an advanced practice registered nurse, certified nurse midwife and international board-certified lactation consultant at St. Patrick Hospital and Health Sciences Center. She can be reached at dkeesling@saintpatrick.org.
Q: I saw your article about brain injury and wondered if people with a brain injury can fully recover or not. The brain seems very fragile. Is there usually permanent damage?
A: Long-term recovery from traumatic brain injury is dependent upon many factors, including whether the trauma was blunt or penetrating, the severity of the trauma, the age and pre-existing health of the patient, the presence of other injuries and the quality of medical care received. Both emergency care and long-term rehabilitation care are important in determining patient outcome.
People with mild head injuries usually do very well. They may suffer from headaches, irritability or difficulty concentrating for many months, but these problems usually resolve.
People with moderate head injuries - those who were hospitalized but not in intensive care on a ventilator for days to weeks, for example - have more problems. More than half of these people will make a full recovery, but about a quarter will have a moderate degree of permanent disability and
10 percent to 15 percent will either die or suffer severe, permanent disability.
Those with severe head injuries - the critical patient on a ventilator for days to weeks - have the worst outcomes. Only about a quarter of these people make a good recovery. About a quarter have moderate to severe disabilities. The rest either exist in a persistent vegetative state or die from their injuries.
Because of these challenges in recovery, prevention of head trauma is the best treatment. So, again, please wear safety belts, bike helmets, ski helmets and hockey helmets, and take care of your head.
John Bleicher, is a registered nurse and trauma coordinator at St. Patrick Hospital and Health Sciences Center. He can be reached at bleicher@saintpatrick.org.
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