CONGRATULATIONS! CONGRATS! CONGRATULATIONS! 

Congratulations to Mrs. Stacey Barnoskie!  She won the drawing for the September Prize Basket from the Polk County Health Center.   Stacey took home this Boppy and a basket full of goodies and you can too.  Winning is easy.  If you are a pregnant or breastfeeding mom in the area, stop by the Polk County Health Center and fill out a drawing ticket.  If stopping by is too inconvenient, there are other ways to enter too:

- Click on the link at the top of this page.

- Click on the 'contact us' link below.

- Call me

- Text me

- Email me 

Traci Volcko, Breastfeeding Peer Counselor

Polk County Health Center

417-326-7250

417-315-2135 24hr Breastfeeding helpline

volckt@lpha.mopublic.org

There is another Boppy basket, just waiting for you!  Good Luck!

How to get it all done when you're a Mom on the run.....

Do you ever feel overwhelmed??  Okay, okay stop laughing.  I knew it was a silly question when I asked it, but I also knew you needed a laugh today.  The truth is from the minute we saw the positive on the pregnancy test, we began to feel overwhelmed.  You may have asked:
 "Am I ready for this?"
"Will I be a good mom?"
"How will we afford a baby?"
"Where will we put the baby?"  
"What will happen to my body?" 
"Will I ever get to spend time with my husband again?"  
     And then a few months later the baby arrives and all of those questions are answered.  If you are like me you probably replaced those questions with new ones like:
"What did I do with all of my spare time before we had the baby?"
"Why is she changing so fast?"
"How many diapers do I have to change today?"
"When was the last time I ate, slept or had a shower?"
"Will I ever get to spend time with my husband again?"
     (Yes, I know I asked the last question twice, but I really like my husband). The truth is after having a baby, time seems to speed up and it becomes harder and harder to feel like you are getting everything done in a day.  You may not have big plans, but going to the grocery store or visiting Grandma, can sometimes take all of the energy you have to spend.  Keeping that in mind, I have decided to help make your life a little easier with this month's prize basket.  I have put together a few things to make those outings not so stressful.  How would you like a "basket" a.k.a cooler filled with ice packs, a hand pump, nursing pads, nursing cream, sunscreen for baby and information about our next infant feeding classes?  I thought you might!
     Stop by the health center and enter our monthly prize drawing today!  Or of course, you can call, text, email me or just click on the contact us button below or the one in the side bar and I will get you signed up.

Good Luck!

Traci Volcko, Breastfeeding Consultant
volckt@lpha.mopublic.org
417-326-7250 (health center)
417-315-2135 (helpline)

Oops! Sorry Kids...

So, I have some bad news....We will not be having the next infant feeding class, Breastfeeding Barriers.  This class was scheduled to be held on August 22, 2013 at 1:30 pm but I will be out of the office at a breastfeeding conference.  So sorry for any inconvenience this may cause and I do so look forward to meeting with you next time.  The next class is scheduled for September 5th from 9:00 am - 10:00 am.  The class is called "Attention Dad!" and will be full of helpful strategies for Dad and new baby, support from him to mom, and what to expect when everyone comes home from the hospital.  Hope to see you there!


Please feel free to contact me anytime:

Traci Volcko, Breastfeeding Consultant
417-326-7250
417-315-2135
volckt@lpha.mopublic.org

It's not too late.....

Signing up for the monthly prize drawing or registering for the Infant feeding classes just got a little easier.  If you look to the side bar, you will notice two "Contact Us" buttons.  Clicking on them makes it easy to sign up for the next Infant Feeding support group or entering in the monthly prize drawing.  Come join us on August 8th at 9:00 am and learn the difference between real breastfeeding barriers and perceived ones.  You will take away valuable information about how to continue breastfeeding when you might otherwise have given up.  



Also, take advantage of the many opportunities to sign up for our monthly prize drawings.  This month expect another Boppy to be offered as a prize, with goodies for Mom and baby as well.  Please enter as often as you like.  Good Luck!  I look forward to hearing from you all soon.

Breastfeeding Barriers

      Breastfeeding barriers are those things that can stand in the way of successful breastfeeding.  Many times there are real issues that can prevent a mom from breastfeeding such as substance abuse, certain prescribed medications, cancer treatments, and certain illnesses such as herpes simplex virus, Hepatitis C, Tuberculosis or Varicella if left untreated.  However, there are times when we think that breastfeeding may not be possible when it actually is perfectly within reach.  Have you ever wondered about those times when breastfeeding doesn't seem like a possibility?  Some mothers who smoke, like to have an occasional drink, or simply cannot give up their caffeine, feel that it would just be too difficult to adjust their lifestyle to be successful at breastfeeding.  



Well girls, it is simply not so!  Many of our perceived barriers are not barriers at all, and in fact sometimes breastfeeding is necessary if your baby is going to be in those environments.     
     

Moms who go back to school are happy to breastfeed! 

Caffeinated Moms are
happy to breastfeed

Moms who return to work are happy to breastfeed.

Join us at the next Infant Feeding Class at the Polk County Health Center as we discuss Breastfeeding Barriers.  Come with questions for our group discussion.  
If you are an old pro at this breastfeeding gig, come with answers, there are many moms in our community who are looking for mentors like you.

Classes on this topic will be held Thursdays:
     August 8th from 9:00 -10:00 am OR
     August 22nd from 1:30 - 2:30 pm

Just click on the Contact us button below to register for the next class by the Wednesday before class so that I can make arrangements for refreshments.  Or you can email, call the help line, call the Polk County Health Center or comment on the blog.

Traci Volcko
Breastfeeding Consultant
417-326-7250
417-315-2135
volckt@lpha.mopublic.org
www.polkcountymilkweeds.blogspot.com

How can I tell if I'm not producing enough?

"How can I tell if I'm not producing enough? It felt like I wasn't producing milk or at least not very much milk over the weekend, my breast were not very heavy and [my baby] was constantly wanting to eat and she was very cranky. Do you think that was the problem?"

It sounds like you had a rough weekend and it may be stressing you out a little still.    But don’t worry this actually sounds like a growth spurt to me, and it is completely normal. 

     Around 3 weeks of age, baby will suddenly go through a growth spurt.  They may become cranky and it will feel like they just want to eat all of the time, especially during the hours of 6pm – 8pm.  You will probably not feel engorged.  Many moms have come to me in this situation with concerns that their milk is drying up.  I promise that that is not what is happening.  The best thing to do in this situation is just sit back and nurse.  The worst thing to do in this situation is to give baby a bottle of formula.  Right now baby is telling your body to increase the milk supply.  Every time she removes milk,  your body makes that much, plus a little more, to make sure there is enough milk for her as her appetite grows.  If you give her formula, her tummy gets full, but your body does not know she needs more milk and your milk supply will slowly decrease.  You should notice that the fussiness and constant nursing goes away in a few days and the two of you will get back on her normal schedule.  If you feel like you are still not making enough, start pumping about 30 minutes after a feeding and that will help increase your supply as well.  It is important to put baby to the breast first and always nurse more often than you pump in order to keep your supply up.  Also, don’t worry if you notice this happening again in a couple of weeks because babies often go through growth spurts at 6 weeks of age as well.  And then again at 3 months and 6 months.  It will be okay, I promise.  I hope  this answers your questions and gives you some peace.  If you need to call me, feel free the number is 417-315-2135.  And if it would make you feel better to come by and weigh her that is perfectly fine as well.  You don’t need an appointment, just drop by and the nurses or I will weigh her and show you how much she is gaining.