Breastfeeding Unplugged
Breastfeeding Unplugged
Breastfeeding from an OB's Perspective
This week the doctor is in the house! Dr. Matthew Saidel is here to tell us all the things we should be asking about breastfeeding well before the baby comes.
Most moms forget to talk to their OB’s about breastfeeding and it’s not that surprising if you think about it. Being pregnant takes up a lot of mental space and it’s hard to get focused on anything that comes after labor and delivery. But here at Nest Collaborative, we are huge advocates of prenatal planning for breastfeeding because once the baby is born, a new momma who has already done her breastfeeding homework is much more likely to have a positive experience.
So what should you be asking your OB now during your pre-natal checks? What planning and prep can you do to get on the right track for the best possible breastfeeding journey? Let’s find out.
This episode features Dr. Matthew Saidel, Chief Medical Officer for Women’s Health USA, the country’s leading physician practice management company dedicated to women’s health. A special thanks to IBCLC's Christine Bracken and Lou-Ellen Saidel for their invaluable expertise that was utilized during this episode.
Laura who's Laurie?
Dr. Matthew Saidel:Laurie? Beeson? Oh, is this Laurie? No.
Amanda Gorman:Oh, yeah. Laura is large issue into and then who's? Who's the last one?
Unknown:Not just
Amanda Gorman:Hey, Matt. Oh, hi. Sorry.
Dr. Matthew Saidel:Hello, Eddie.
Amanda Gorman:Hi, Craig. How are ya?
Dr. Matthew Saidel:I'm peachy, are you?
Amanda Gorman:I'm good. I always like these days because I get to leave my house.
Dr. Matthew Saidel:Oh, that's one.
Amanda Gorman:Um, so thank you very much for coming in and doing this. I think this is gonna be really helpful. Oh, you're welcome.
Unknown:Um,
Dr. Matthew Saidel:see if I have anything to add.
Unknown:I have something.
Amanda Gorman:Chelsea's here with me. She is what like three weeks postpartum. And it's already more on point in her daily postpartum life than I have ever been. Hey, Doc, how are ya?
Dr. Matthew Saidel:I'm swell. Thank you very much. Cool. I'm not sitting next to Amanda, but you just can't see me. She's over here. Hello. I guess a couple of things that we've already Can you hear me? Okay.
Amanda Gorman:She has a mask on?
Dr. Matthew Saidel:Let me move my mic closer. Can you hear me better now? Oh, that's okay, super. So first of all, thank you so, so, so much for taking time out of your busy schedule, we are going to try to make this as fast and painless as humanly possible, we usually run about 30 minutes or so. Just like we talked about on the phone a couple of weeks ago, the whole idea of this is just to have a really great casual conversation. This podcast is for women who are afraid to ask their ob questions or afraid or maybe they feel like they're too far in their journey they've already failed. They're kind of starting to look for advice elsewhere. So you know, even from our chair had such an awesome vibe from you. So I'm really excited about today. We are recorded not live. So anything that you say cannot or will not be used against you. Effectively when we you know if there's anything that you're not comfortable with or whatever happens, we can always take it in Edit, so don't worry. Midway through Amanda will talk about taking a short break, say stay tuned. And it'll sound like it's going to be a commercial, we're just going to break for like two or three seconds. And then she'll just jump into the next part. We're gonna edit that back in. Yep. And other than that, like I said, it's just a really kind of cool casual chat. If we're running over on time, we may just cut some questions. Or if there's anything that you say that Amanda wants to dive deeper into, she'll just ask a follow up. We'll have fun. This is just supposed to be something that's that's informative, but makes women kind of feel really comfortable. So again, want to check my audio with this. I have a couple of mic settings. I don't know if you can hear me now. If I turn my head or whatever. Does that go out? No.
Amanda Gorman:It's pretty good.
Dr. Matthew Saidel:Is this better here? Does it matter? I think I'll stick. But you're gonna hear okay. Yeah, I can't. I can't I have to talk to you about something else afterwards. Okay. And I'll just talk to you.
Amanda Gorman:But yes, okay. Got it. Check. I'll see. I have like a weird moustache shadow on my face. Or is that just me? I mean, nothing against mustaches.
Dr. Matthew Saidel:Oh my god. Can you see it? Oh, yeah. To raise the computer, is that what it is? If you move it around? No.
Unknown:It's it's like a zoom feature. Do I?
Dr. Matthew Saidel:I've never I've never seen it before.
Amanda Gorman:But you see it? Yeah. It's like Pedro.
Dr. Matthew Saidel:Yeah, it does. I don't know. Is it Do I have, you don't have it on the side? When you turn this way, you don't have it. Now you
Amanda Gorman:alright, whatever. You want
Dr. Matthew Saidel:to move your mic and put it from the mic. It's a shadow from something. I don't know what it's from.
Amanda Gorman:Well, thank you to you both for not like you know, acting like you didn't, yes. Well, let's say
Dr. Matthew Saidel:I feel like it's someone playing a trick on me in zoom. All right, whatever. You know what, what? I've had worse or moments. What if we just move you a little bit? You need a light a different light or something?
Amanda Gorman:Does does this dim down?
Dr. Matthew Saidel:Really just that because it's an audio studio?
Amanda Gorman:The whole time. Now, I have a good tea over here.
Dr. Matthew Saidel:Yeah.
Amanda Gorman:All right. Oh down here it goes away
Dr. Matthew Saidel:yep
Amanda Gorman:used to be I know Do you want to get him a little hit will that help sorry man
Dr. Matthew Saidel:okay these things are you know i mean it looks it's all it's it's I just what the heck I have I have a special zoom light here
Amanda Gorman:well I'm actually complexion looks fantastic
Dr. Matthew Saidel:I'm completely clean shaven actually but I don't know what zoom does
Amanda Gorman:know it is it's it's not
Dr. Matthew Saidel:it's it's if you just get a little little bit from the side it's
Amanda Gorman:oh look
Dr. Matthew Saidel:well you can't now it goes away now it's now it's gone now it's gone well you're in the shadow of the mic now it's it's it's wow what is so weird What?
Amanda Gorman:He's filming from here that's where some it's the camera angle is. I'm sorry.
Dr. Matthew Saidel:Is that Is this too vain? But I mean it is. No no no, no no I said that doesn't look at all like you. I mean we know each other pretty well
Amanda Gorman:so well I just I'm thinking of my poor parents every time they so I have a stash
Dr. Matthew Saidel:to try to move the lights. If I come down here. Yeah, if I come down here at sea go away. Yeah, there it just popped up there and opsin is gone. There. Okay, gone. There. And that's weird. It doesn't fade out it it pops out
Amanda Gorman:it's zoom playing zoom. All right, he has some magic. Anyway, my poor parents anytime they want to FaceTime with my child, she puts filters on them. Oh yeah. Yeah, they don't get it because they don't really know what it is. And they're like, why am I my cat top half or
Dr. Matthew Saidel:something? You know, I could understand.
Amanda Gorman:Alright, with a new device. Now I'm getting light. Still, they're still there.
Dr. Matthew Saidel:Now we look like dark Canyon.
Amanda Gorman:Bamako t
Dr. Matthew Saidel:Dar tonyan see if there's any effects on your zoom or something like that it looked better with it before it's really weird.
Amanda Gorman:You know, you shouldn't mess
Dr. Matthew Saidel:with pre menopausal women. Women weren't close. Okay, strictly accessibility bla bla bla light made it worse as the next year of skin wider. That's so weird. And the thing is when it pops off it pops off in a certain pixel you know it's it's there but when you go down it it it complete now it's only at the bottom of the screen. gone there. Oh, there I saw that there was a shadow that shadow What is that? That is something that's that. That's the zoom effect.
Amanda Gorman:Oh, it is a zoom. Where we hacked
Dr. Matthew Saidel:I don't know. But that's that's the zoom effect. You could see it floating over your face. A little mustache? Do I
Amanda Gorman:have like a friend of me?
Dr. Matthew Saidel:Look look if you go see it now it's up over your nose. Yes, it's over your nose. It's trying to be yes it's totally a zoom effect. I don't even realize it zoom. I had those. I should log out log back in or something or
Amanda Gorman:Oh my god, this is I'm
Dr. Matthew Saidel:Chelsea This is view my quick video tab, log back out log back in maybe maybe it's something it's something whose it is totally zoom effect settings. It says click your profile setting profile picture or
Amanda Gorman:a view or something?
Dr. Matthew Saidel:More that's your profile picture. Okay.
Amanda Gorman:setting, filters, no
Unknown:video filters
Dr. Matthew Saidel:and then there's the studio effect. Now that's a filter.
Amanda Gorman:Oh, my God, how long has that been on?
Dr. Matthew Saidel:It worked pretty well. It's amazing.
Amanda Gorman:retiled It's gotta be the Oh, thank goodness.
Dr. Matthew Saidel:Good to see you.
Amanda Gorman:Oh my god. To look at the previously done one since it was it.
Dr. Matthew Saidel:Was it on your phone? No. I mean, where was the filter on in your profile in my profile? Oh god, that's
Amanda Gorman:got to trick someone. Someone has it out for me.
Dr. Matthew Saidel:I mean, it was a perfect goatee and mustache is
Amanda Gorman:going I'm glad it's not going that poorly. Alright, I'm sorry. Here we go. All right, we're recording. You're muted. Here we go. Hi, everybody. Hey there mamas and mamas to be and welcome to another week here on Breastfeeding Unplugged. Today we are super excited because the doctor is in the house. And he's here to tell us all the things we should be asking about breastfeeding well before baby comes. Most moms forget to talk to their OBs about breastfeeding. And it's not that surprising if you think about it. Being pregnant takes up a whole lot of mental space and it's hard to get focused on anything that comes after labor and delivery. But here at Nest Collaborative, we are huge advocates of prenatal planning for breastfeeding because once the baby's born, a new mama who has already done her breastfeeding homework is much more likely to have a positive experience. So what should you be asking your OB now during your prenatal checks? What planning and prep can you do to get on the right track for the best possible breastfeeding journey? Let's find out. Today we are joined by Dr. Matthew Saidel. Chief Medical Officer at Women's Health USA, the country's leading physician practice management company dedicated to women's health. After obtaining his undergraduate degree from Cornell University and medical degree from the Chicago Medical School, Dr. Saidel completed his obstetric and gynecology internship and residency training at Hartford Hospital. He practiced for 39 years with special interests in family centered obstetrics, family planning, vaginal surgery, and most recently, menopause management. He's a regular on the Hartford and Connecticut top doctors lists and a valued resource to our community here at Nest Collaborative. Welcome, Dr. Saidel, it's really great to have you here with us.
Dr. Matthew Saidel:I'm tired after all that stuff I apparently did. So it's nice to see you. Always good to talk to you, Amanda.
Amanda Gorman:Yes, likewise. So it's really important for us to get an OB's perspective on the show. And as I mentioned in my intro, I think a lot of moms-to-be kind of forget about having breastfeeding conversations with their prenatal care providers. We really advocate for prenatal prep with our network of IBCLCs, because we see the success rates that moms have when they're really prepared. So what do you think about this?
Dr. Matthew Saidel:Well, I think, you know, the thing that we see is that everybody's very concentrated on the pregnancy and a little bit maybe apprehensive about the birth. And then, you know, you you see moms who are sleep deprived and, and recovering from the birth process. And all of a sudden, there's this baby, and their milk hasn't come in yet. And it's frustrating. And they have lots of questions, and they say, gee, I wish I had thought about this earlier. So it is obvious that I think it's very important to, to start thinking about it earlier and with your OB provider, whether that's your obstetrician, midwife, APRN whatever, that's the perfect place to start.
Amanda Gorman:Absolutely. I want to address some breastfeeding 101 questions that we get all the time. But before we do that, the big question on everyone's mind is the COVID-19 vaccine. What are your thoughts for breastfeeding moms specifically, as well as women who might be pregnant?
Dr. Matthew Saidel:So that's a obviously a very, very hot topic. Everybody's worried about it and and most places across the country, we're beginning to see availability for the vaccine in the age group of pregnancy. So, you know, spoiler alert, I'm going to say yes, absolutely get the vaccine, either breastfeeding or during pregnancy. I'll just say a word about it. The vaccines that we have, both the mRNA vaccine, which are the Pfizer and Moderna and also the J&J vaccine, do their work by fooling the body into making copies of the spike protein from the Coronavirus. But they don't make the whole virus. It's kind of like I always say if the Coronavirus is the black knight, then what the body makes is the helmet by which we recognize this black knight. And so our body makes a lot of copies of that helmet when instructed to do so by the our immune system. And but the knight isn't there. So the vaccine has absolutely no capability to cause replication of the virus. The other thing that people worry about is that does the vaccine somehow change our own DNA. The vaccines, especially Moderna and Pfizer are what are called mRNA, or messenger RNA vaccines. They do not go into the center of the cell, which is called the nucleus, there's the big outside, and then the center part where your DNA and genetic material live. They just go out into the outside of the cell where these little factories called ribosomes are making proteins. And they take over the factory and tell it to make spike proteins and then your body causes the immune system to make these smart bombs against the spike protein. And the vaccine disappears almost as quickly as it goes into your body. It's it doesn't last for very long. Therefore it can't even cross the placenta. And so we have no evidence that the vaccine will cross the placenta, but the vaccine does cause the production of antibodies, which will cross the placenta into your baby give immunity against the vaccine to a large degree. And the same thing happens with breast milk. The virus doesn't go into the breast milk, but the antibodies do, so that when you're breastfeeding, and you've been vaccinated, you're in essentially what we call passively immunizing your baby. You're not causing your baby to make antibodies, but you're giving the baby antibodies, which you do in a lot of other things, too. I mean, if you're immune to other diseases and got a flu vaccine, or you know you're you're immune to measles or mumps, you're giving those uh you're giving those antibodies to your baby through the breast milk and across the placenta. And so in a sense, you're immunizing your baby as well. So the reason that you hear from certain authorities that we haven't done testing in pregnant women, yes, that's true testing is underway. But with all the women who've been vaccinated, so there have been over 30,000 pregnant women that we know about been vaccinated already. We have very, very significant data on 1800 of them. There are no differences in miscarriage, no differences in birth defects, no difference in pregnancy outcomes. And so and the babies that have been born who from moms have been vaccinated, they look wonderful. So we give lots of vaccines in pregnancy all the time during pregnancy, and we give the flu vaccine, we give the Tdap vaccine for tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough. And so we have essentially no reservations about this. And we think you should get whatever vaccine you can, as soon as you can get it at whatever time because we know, for a fact, COVID is bad for pregnant moms. You know, when you're pregnant, your immune system is not the same as when you're not pregnant, it's got to tolerate this little creature inside that's from you, but not of you. And it's sort of a foreigner, if you will. And so your immune system is dialed down to tolerate this little stranger inside you. And that makes you more vulnerable to respiratory viruses. So people who get the flu can get extremely ill and even die from the flu during pregnancy. And people who get COVID are much more likely to get more severe disease and end up in an intensive care unit than women who are not. So our biggest concern here is we don't want you to get COVID.
Amanda Gorman:Hmm. Well, that was wonderful and really comprehensive and really spoken in a way that I think our listeners will will really understand. So thank you for that. Let's dive into some questions that that we get every day at Nest Collaborative. The first one being, when should I bring up the topic of breastfeeding during my prenatal care?
Dr. Matthew Saidel:Well, you know, that's the answer is really anytime. I mean, you know, you're gonna have a lot of questions and a lot of times your OB is gonna say, well, it's not quite time for that, you can ask it later. But, you know, one of the things that people get embarrassed about is bringing lists into the OB, you know, because the worst thing is to come in and say, ach I knew there was something I wanted to ask, I can't remember what it was. We like lists because they have a beginning and an end. So it's not just our what are we forgetting here. And so it's okay to bring those in, in the OB may say to you, you know, that's something for a little bit later. But we do think that breastfeeding is an important discussion. And it's a discussion that you want to start to have, towards the end of your second trimester, maybe the beginning of your third trimester. So we're talking 26 to 32 weeks, that kind of timeframe. Because you want to start thinking about it, you want to be able to check to see, you know, what's the benefit for breast pump, and what is your insurance cover and so forth. And, you know, we love the Nest Collaborative model because we, it causes a connection to be made with you, and your lactation consultant at 27, 28, 31, 33 weeks, so that you've already established that relationship. And it's not an unknown. So much of childbirth education, whether it's about the childbirth process itself, you know, whether it's about huffing and puffing, or whether it's about breastfeeding is about fear of the unknown. So if you know, I've heard of this term, I've, I've gotten an idea of what's going to happen. I know which number to call at three o'clock in the morning or whatever. That's part- that's half the battle because it gets rid of fear of the unknown. So the short answer is, you know, late second trimester, early third trimester.
Amanda Gorman:Awesome, thank you. Are there any specific health conditions that might prevent a mom from being able to
Dr. Matthew Saidel:Well, the short answer is not a whole breastfeed? bunch. I mean, there are certain things like you know, if a mom has active HIV, that would not be the best time to breastfeed. Some kinds of hepatitis, if you have cracked nipples, and there's a possibility of transmitting blood to the baby, it would be a contraindicated. There are some medications that that are cause breastfeeding to be contraindicated, but not too many. And there are great resources for you to look and see there's, there's a website called LactMed which Amanda I'm sure you're familiar with LactMed. LactMed.com, I think it is. And you can go on there and just look up your medication and they'll give you the- they'll give you the lowdown on whether it's safe to take, and when's the best time to take it in relationship to feeding and so forth. So, you know, most of the time there, I mean, there are some women who, for example, have had breast reduction surgery, you know, that's you want to connect with a lactation consultant early to see what you can do to maximize it. There are some very rare conditioning where women have inadequate breast tissue, but that's pretty unlikely. So the short answer is, yes, most of the time, you can but in those conditions I mentioned you probably shouldn't.
Amanda Gorman:Yeah, and I just want to clarify, it's the hepatitis in combination with cracked bloody nipples, not cracked bloody nipples being contraindicated?
Dr. Matthew Saidel:No, because crack bloody nipples obviously do come up. It's only in combination with hepatitis. So I guess the way to turn that around and say there's lots of times where with hepatitis, you certainly still can't breastfeed. If everything's okay, and the latch is right, and all those things that Amanda can talk about.
Amanda Gorman:Yes, and we encourage women to, to really go onto LactMed and check themselves. On- a lot of times, we have women coming to us, unfortunately misinformed about medications they're on even temporarily. I think it's easy for people to often just say, oh, just pump and dump to be safe. But you don't always have to do that. So we really encourage moms to use LactMed themselves or to reach out to their OB if they really want to an answer.
Dr. Matthew Saidel:And I would I would add to that, that you're going to hear this phrase pump and dump a lot. Because if you ask for example, if you're having surgery, you're asking an anesthesiologist or whatever they're going to tell you to pump and dump. And they're going to be conservative about that. And most of the time, it's not right.
Amanda Gorman:Right, exactly.
Dr. Matthew Saidel:Check with somebody who knows, like a lactation consultant.
Amanda Gorman:Absolutely. Um, so is there a breast exam that can actually be done to see if there are any issues that you spoke of before? Obviously, we talk about surgeries but inadequate breast tissue, which which you mentioned is quite rare, but is there anything that can be done ahead of time?
Dr. Matthew Saidel:Well, if, for example, you know, if you have either flat or inverted nipples, that's something you can talk to a lactation consultant ahead of time about that, because there are certain ways to prepare and certain techniques to breastfeed that it's important to, to have an expert talk to you about that. So that that would be another reason for our prenatal care. Consult with a with a lactation consultant. But those are the main issues that that you should look at ahead of time.
Amanda Gorman:Awesome. So what do you suggest moms should do to best prepare for breastfeeding?
Dr. Matthew Saidel:Well, I think first of all, the most important thing is to understand that it's the right thing to do. You know, we spend a lot of time trying to make moms not feel guilty for not breastfeeding. But by the same token, it's really important that people understand that breastfeed- understand that breastfeeding is better for both mom and for baby. And we'll go into that I think a little bit later on as well. But I think first of all, you want to make up your mind early and realize that that's a part of this whole discussion in how I'm going to, you know, what, what's my birth plan? Well, it's not just your birth plan. It's your birth and postpartum. And, you know, I, it's part of what I call, having the baby is hard, but having the baby is even harder. So, you know, those, those plans need to go on for the next 20 years, but you can really give your baby a great head start. So you want to start to think about this early. And nowadays, it used to be the old Lamaze class and you went to childbirth education classes once a week for six weeks, or whatever. Now they're available online, and they're available virtually, and they're available through Zoom, and all those kinds of things. But um, it's a good idea to educate yourself a little bit about about breastfeeding before it happens. Because it's going to be the last thing that you want to look up when, when the necessity occurs. So a prenatal class that includes breastfeeding education, I think is very important. As we mentioned before, connecting with a lactation consultant early is a real bonus. The other thing is I mentioned before you want to check and see, does- most insurance plans will will pay for a breast pump. And you want to make sure that you A know what is covered and B that that's ordered for you by your obstetrician's office- most of them it's part of their workflow. But they need to be reminded sometimes that they need to order that for you so that you'll have it when you when you go to the hospital. But knowing your resources, educating yourself about the process, maybe connecting with someone. That's the best way to prepare for breastfeeding.
Amanda Gorman:Yes, absolutely. And I think you're right, I don't think women realize too, that their insurance will cover prenatal breastfeeding education, in addition to the pump. And like you said, you know, we all know that breast milk is best. But I think what a lot of women don't know is that there are a lot of pathways to getting breast milk into your babies. And I think that a lot of what we do prenatally is educate moms on what breastfeeding can look like for them. Because it doesn't look like the same pathway or journey. And so there's a lot of ways that you you can get breast milk to your baby. And even if it's just for a window of time, any breast milk is better than no breast milk. So we love to work with moms and figure out what what works best for them.
Dr. Matthew Saidel:And you know, when we talk about doing this early in the second tri-, you know, end of the second trimester, we all hope that we're not going to deliver prematurely. But the sad fact is that premature birth is is is out there, and it's not uncommon. And a lot of people think if I deliver prematurely that breastfeeding is off the table. And in fact, that's nothing could be farther from the truth. You may have to pump and feed your baby in some alternative method. But breastfeeding is always good. And so preparing a little bit earlier could also make sure that you're prepared in case something happens and causes an early birth.
Amanda Gorman:Absolutely. And those babies need it most. So this is awesome info. And I think it's really giving moms-to-be and even second and third time moms a lot to think about. Breastfeeding really can be tough and it does take work, but there are also so many resources out there that can help. We're going to take a quick break but we'll be right back with Dr. Saidel after a word from our sponsor, so stay with us. Thanks for tuning in mamas and mamas to be. Today, we are chatting with Connecticut based OBGYN, Dr. Matt Saidel who is giving us the 411 on what questions moms should ask their OBs to get the breastfeeding ball rolling before baby comes. Dr. Saidel, I just have a few more questions to ask you if that's okay.
Dr. Matthew Saidel:Sure.
Amanda Gorman:So many studies have shown that both mom's and baby's health benefit from breastfeeding. Can we talk a little bit about that, because I think we're so often getting the memo on what it does for baby's health. But I don't know that moms get the memo on what it does for their own.
Dr. Matthew Saidel:Well, you know, we talked already in our discussion about COVID, about how antibodies that are present in the mom's body go through to the baby. And so right away, you're getting an immediate benefit to the baby, even before the milk seems to have come in, in the first few days. The colostrum, the fluid that comes out before the milk really comes screaming in, is antibody rich and is really good for babies starting out. But there's a lot of evidence about things that that are prevented in, in babies by breastfeeding. First of all, breastfeeding babies don't tend to overeat, they tend to eat more frequently in the amount that they want. And so there is a there is a decreased risk of childhood obesity, which translates into a decreased risk of adult obesity. We also see less asthma and allergies. And it seems to help with baby's GI function, constipation, and so forth. And there are, it really helps them establish the right colonies of flora, bacteria and so forth in their gut, that helps their GI tract to work better going forward. There's less diabetes in- and I think that goes along with less and less obesity in in these babies. So real, real benefits. Um, moms. I'm going to take a break here for just a second because I have some notes on this and, and I and I somehow list 'em. Oh there, on the other side. I had a whole
Amanda Gorman:That's okay. ist, I don't want to miss those Oh, I know where it is. s cond m
Unknown:Talking about mom's health.
Amanda Gorman:Yeah. Is that does that work for you? If I start with and what about mom's health?
Dr. Matthew Saidel:Yeah, yeah, yeah, just give me a second here. Yep, absolutely. Ready Dr. site? Oh, sorry. I'm just jumping in. You're here when you're ready to have to sit. I'll just tell Amanda. So we'll cut this out. And then she'll say what about mom's health? And then you can jump in? Yep. And I can I can find me but I'll get it. Hang on a second.
Unknown:When I was gonna show you
Dr. Matthew Saidel:and I noticed you skipped What? What moms expect right after delivery. I don't know if you meant to do that.
Amanda Gorman:No, I don't know that. I did. Hold on.
Dr. Matthew Saidel:That's number six. That's just because of time. Did you?
Amanda Gorman:Did you tell me it's sometimes she'll flash me cue cards over here that okay, gotcha. What to do. Oh, and I
Dr. Matthew Saidel:Okay, I got it.
Amanda Gorman:All right. Don't rush. Um, okay. And what about mom's health?
Dr. Matthew Saidel:So there are lots of benefits for mom too. First of all, when baby is breastfeeding, a hormone is released which helps to squeeze down on the uterus and helps it return to normal more quickly, actually cuts down on on the rate of, of bleeding. And we have pretty good evidence that women who have breast fed have lower rates of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, osteoporosis, hypertension and diabetes, it helps return to pregnant- a weight loss more quickly. So I think, you know, there are really tangible benefits. You know, it's, so I always say, you know, puppies get dog's milk and kitties get cat's milk and, and cows get cow's milk, but so humans should get human milk, it just, it makes sense. The other thing to remember, it saves a lot of money for the mom, because you don't have to spend 1000 bucks a year on formula. It's also better for the environment, because, you know, less bottles and cans and whatever. So and we think it's a win win win.
Amanda Gorman:Yeah, absolutely. And I think sometimes moms don't realize the time that it actually saves, once breastfeeding is established.
Dr. Matthew Saidel:You don't have to heat up your breast milk at three o'clock in the morning when you-
Amanda Gorman:No, or wash any bottles.
Dr. Matthew Saidel:Only slept for an hour and a half, right?
Amanda Gorman:Um, so I do think women feel a lot of pressure to breastfeed, though and especially, you know, from their own mothers, or not to depending on what generation you are. And in their social circles is some degree of pressure yay, or nay? How do you think breastfeeding has changed over the last decade?
Dr. Matthew Saidel:Well, you know, we, I think there's been a much more of a permeation into society that breastfeeding is a normal and okay thing to do. I mean, you know, when you just walk through a- an airport, and you see these little shelters where people can breastfeed or when you see people breastfeeding in public and not getting arrested, and those kinds of things, there really has been a profound change in in our attitudes towards breastfeeding. There's been a lot of work done in the last 10 years. And, you know, there have been not only initiatives from private companies, but also from the government agencies like the Center for Disease Control, and the Department of Health and Human Services. And, and in some states, patients and physicians are rewarded for promoting breastfeeding, because we know it's kind of a good thing. And so the- now we're seeing the private insurers are covering education, for breastfeeding. And we are absolutely pushing for that to- in many states to transfer over to the Medicaid population. There's so many online support systems and the ability to virtually meet with a certified lactation consultant, online or by telehealth or by Zoom or by however. So the rates of breastfeeding have definitely gone up some places more than others. But we see a much more acceptance of this. And we see technological improvements, which allow women to pump while they're working, or teaching, or doing whatever what nobody knows. So there have been advances that make it easier to do this even in a world where so many families have to have everyone working. So we think it's really gone off over the last 10 years. And we hope that continues.
Amanda Gorman:As do we. Um, so if a mom feels like she's not getting enough information or support from her OB with regards to breastfeeding, what other resources are there for her?
Dr. Matthew Saidel:So we would love for people to contact a lactation consultant before they are giving birth. Because that's a great- that is a great resource. There are also a lot of online resources, the CDC Center for Disease Control has a website cdc.gov/breastfeeding is a great resource. Organizations like La Leche have online information that's also searchable online just Google La Leche League. It's l- lll, at whatever state .org. And there is a women's health governmental office at www.womenshealth.gov/breastfeeding and there's a telephone helpline and so forth. But your OB should have a list of resources. 211 in many states has a list of resources. And remember that a lactation consultant is available to you virtually, at pretty much no additional cost. These visits are covered. They may contribute to your deductible. But remember if this is the year that you're going to have a baby, we're going to go through your deductible of your insurance anyway. So why not take advantage of those services that are covered for you? And that are- that have already been paid for and you can avail yourself of those resources?
Amanda Gorman:Absolutely. Well, thank you that that was a great list. And I know for sure that too many moms feel like they're alone on this journey. But there really are other people and places to reach out to for help both locally and now virtually that we live in this virtual world- worlds, they really should be taking advantage of them. Dr. Saidel you've been such a great resource for Nest Collaborative in general, but certainly with us today. So thank you very much.
Dr. Matthew Saidel:It's my pleasure anytime.
Amanda Gorman:We really loved having you as our guest today. And I do hope that you will be back again to chat with us about another topic soon.
Dr. Matthew Saidel:Count on it.
Amanda Gorman:Awesome. Well, that is our show for today mamas. I hope you found this information as titillating as I did. Now, don't forget if you have a question or a show topic suggestion, we'd love to hear it. Message us on Instagram or Facebook @breastfeedingunplugged or visit us at our website at breastfeedingunplugged.com, to give us your feedback. While you're at it, if you've been digging the show, please leave us some stars or whatever podcast platform you're listening on. Your love is much appreciated. Until next week, it's me Amanda sending you all the good vibes on your journey through motherhood. Boo bye.
Dr. Matthew Saidel:Please don't hesitate to send in a comment about Amanda's wonderful mustache and goatee. Because
Amanda Gorman:I mean,
Unknown:well, you know, it's
Amanda Gorman:funny because when we do this, you know the only other person that has my zoom password Chelsea
Dr. Matthew Saidel:Are you kidding me? I'm so tight Bay and oh my god. Thank you so much for coming out and hanging with us. It was
Unknown:so good. Thanks. My pleasure. No, no. And
Amanda Gorman:did you need me to for something else?
Dr. Matthew Saidel:I just are the money guy from you know, women's health USA Greg koski would like to chat with you about some stuff. So I'm gonna send you both an email introduce each other. And because we've we've sort of filled him in about you. I mean, it's it's not so much about them, you know about money as women's health USA wanting to provide every kind of service that envelops the mother around the old episode.
Amanda Gorman:Yeah, no, that's great. And absolutely, just just send us
Dr. Matthew Saidel:both. I've been meaning to do that. But I wanted to tell you who we was. No, no,
Amanda Gorman:thank you. And, um, we had our first board meeting yesterday. And they, you know, they did want to bring up that that that I don't think they have a full understanding of why we can do a revenue share versus why we can't do a revenue share with the DMV. And so just know that they're going to be asking us questions, in which case we'll probably be pulling you in for support on
Dr. Matthew Saidel:that's fine. You know, we get it. I mean, it's, you know, that's it, that's not necessarily a make or break, you know, we would get that. And I was very remiss in not thanking to the lactation consultants that I bugged to make sure that I wasn't leaving anything out. One is as you know, as my sister who it you know, I should have thanked her publicly on this because she, you know, the problem with her is that if I'd asked her to answer these questions, I would have received a war in peace, length treaties.
Amanda Gorman:They love their craft, so
Dr. Matthew Saidel:Oh, yeah, absolutely. I mean, she was just so bad. She did help out. And also Christine Brackett who is if you've met those, yeah, can you send Can you email me the names with the right spellings, and I can actually put it in the show notes. Yeah, well do. Oh, yeah. That'd be fun. And then at least they'll get some credits. Yep. Oh, yeah. I bet your sister was excited that you were going to be doing this. No, she said, You better get a writer. I'll beat you. You know, basically is that's the way it goes. relationships,
Unknown:sibling love. Um, all right. Cool.
Amanda Gorman:Well, thank you very much. I really I really appreciate it. I know you're busy. So thank you very much.
Dr. Matthew Saidel:Okay. See you guys.
Unknown:Later. You