Hi everyone, especially our Exam candidates
It's that time of year again when hundreds around the world are focussed on their books. For some it's exciting as they anticipate their new credentials and a new career; for others the stress of the event gets in the way of the joy from their plans finally reaching fruition.
A little stress is good - it keeps you alert and thinking. Too much stress causes panic and self-doubt. Think about doing some of the following to keep your stress at a healthy level.
Drink. At least 6 - 8 glasses of water each day.
Eat. A well-balanced nutritious diet.
Exercise. Choose whatever you like - aerobics, tai chi, yoga, dance, belly dancing, whatever you enjoy. Schedule in at least 3 sessions of 20 minutes every week.
Make a list. Writing things down starts a measure of control. Write it all down, then prioritize your list. Regardless of how many items are on your list do one at a time and check it off when it's done.
If you feel yourself getting stressed ...
Deep Breathe. When you first feel the stress building take a deep breath and exhale slowly. Slow and controlled breathing will help calm you.
Convert the energy. Go for a brisk walk for half an hour, or clean the house, or anything that physically burns up some energy.
Listen to music. Music not only soothes the soul it has a physiological effect, altering your brain waves and your mood.
And last, but not least, enroll into Lactation Exam Practice. When we surveyed last year's group 98% rated their degree of confidence higher after having done Lactation Exam Practice.
Before and during the recent wonderful GOLD07 Online Conference I used most of the above at different times! They must have worked - the Conference was fabulous and we're all looking forward to GOLD08 now.
Clear thinking Exam Candidates,
Until next time,
Enjoy those mothers and babies,
Denise Fisher, IBCLC
denise@health-e-learning.com
Around the Journals
This is a fascinating article that puts a different perspective on postnatal depression.
A new paradigm for depression in new mothers: the central role of inflammation and how breastfeeding and anti-inflammatory treatments protect maternal mental health. by K. Kendall-Tackett
"The old paradigm described inflammation as simply one of many risk factors for depression. The new paradigm is based on more recent research that has indicated that physical and psychological stressors increase inflammation. These recent studies constitute an important shift in the depression paradigm: inflammation is not simply a risk factor; it is the risk factor that underlies all the others. Moreover, inflammation explains why psychosocial, behavioral and physical risk factors increase the risk of depression. This is true for depression in general and for postpartum depression in particular. Puerperal women are especially vulnerable to these effects because their levels of proinflammatory cytokines significantly increase during the last trimester of pregnancy – a time when they are also at high risk for depression. Moreover, common experiences of new motherhood, such as sleep disturbance, postpartum pain, and past or current psychological trauma, act as stressors that cause proinflammatory cytokine levels to rise. Breastfeeding has a protective effect on maternal mental health because it attenuates stress and modulates the inflammatory response. However, breastfeeding difficulties, such as nipple pain, can increase the risk of depression and must be addressed promptly."
Read the full text article online in International Breastfeeding Journal
This article looks at a practice that used to be encouraged, then fell out of favor. The author encourages us to resurrect prenatal expressing, particularly when the baby could benefit from a store of colostrum ready for them just after birth. Sue Cox presented this paper at the recent GOLD07 Conference. Her presentation will be available on the Health e-Learning website in the next few weeks.
Cox SG. Expressing and storing colostrum antenatally for use in the newborn period. Breastfeed Rev. 2006 Nov;14(3):11-6.
Colostrum is universally acknowledged as the perfect first food for infants. Oxytocin is the hormone of both labour and lactation but the literature shows that it does not always induce labour. A review of the custom of expressing antenatally by all women is followed by the maternal and infant medical reasons for expressing and storing colostrum. A suggested regime for expressing and storage of colostrum during pregnancy is included with advice about skin-to-skin contact in the first twenty-four hours to maximise breastmilk output in the long term.
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STOP PRESS!
Health e-Learning will be at the ILCA Conference in San Diego next month. We'd love to meet you. Please drop by to say hello.
EDUCATION AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Health e-Learning is well-known for providing excellent, high-quality, evidence-based online courses on many lactation-related subjects. Our students appreciate the quality of our courses while saying "I love learning like this!".
Many of our courses offer CERPs and CEUs - see our website for details.
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IBLCE Exam Issue
