Lactation consultants play integral role in helping breastfeeding moms

Well, today marks the end of World Breastfeeding Week and to close out the week August 7th celebrates Lactation Consultant Day. This gives me an opportunity to toot my horn, but also to be thankful to work in an organization like Texas Health Resources, that recognizes the value of breastfeeding for mothers and babies, the community and the world!

Most individuals have no idea the education and training of lactation consultants, and I thought I would share a little information about my profession. In our hospital setting all of the lactation consultants and breastfeeding educators are registered nurses who have an extensive background in maternal-child health. In studying to become an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), each candidate must have a minimum of 2,500 hours of one-on-one time with nursing mothers and babies. Classroom education in the art and science of breastfeeding is also required. When all requirements are met, the candidate sits for an exam to validate knowledge in the field of lactation. Recertification is required every five years. The criteria for the exam have changed over time to uphold the highest standards of practice. To its credit, The IBCLC is recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

While breastfeeding is natural, it often doesn't really come naturally to most new mothers. Our culture views bottle-feeding as the norm, and uses it to compare every aspect of breastfeeding, when in reality it should be just the opposite. Our new mothers have not had the opportunity to really see the breastfeeding relationship in everyday life or been able to learn from the experiences of their mothers, because most of us born in the 1950s, 60s, 70s, and 80s were bottle-fed. Our mothers were not encouraged or supported in breastfeeding their babies. This actually contributed to the organization of La Leche League International (LLLI) a mother-to-mother support group which was established in 1956 by seven nursing mothers. LLLI was also instrumental in the establishment of the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners and the first IBCLC exam was given in July of 1985.

Since then the field of lactation has grown dramatically and breastfeeding rates continue to climb. Healthy People 2010 targets include 75 percent breastfeeding in early postpartum period, with 50 percent at six months of age, and 25 percent at one year. On Monday, the CDC released the new Breastfeeding Report Card for 2009, and the State of Texas had increases in all targets with early breastfeeding at 78.2 percent, breastfeeding at 6 months at 48.7 percent, and breastfeeding at 12 months at 25.3 percent. Personally, I think the contribution of the profession has contributed greatly to the increase in overall breastfeeding rates.

Laura Burnett, RN, BSN
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant Nursing Supervisor, Women's Services

Summertime actions for a healthy heart

With the heat of the Texas summer well under way here are a few ideas to help you beat the heat while making heart healthy choices:

· Summer time is an excellent time to buy fruits and vegetables because they are fresh and in season. The USDA dietary guideline recommends four servings of fruits and five servings of vegetables every day (1 serving = 1/2 cup). Fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and kiwis are all high in antioxidants and are good for your heart. A good idea is to keep a fruit bowl in your refrigerator with fresh, cut up fruit for a quick snack on the go. Vegetables also offer substantial nutritional benefits and are a great food source for heart health as well. Examples of good vegetables include fresh broccoli, cauliflower and carrots. Another good way to consume lots of fresh fruits and vegetables is salads. Salads with spinach leaves offer more heart health than a salad made with iceberg lettuce and remember that a variety of fruits and vegetables is recommended.

· The combination of heat and exercise can put a tremendous stress on the body. Both the skin and the working muscles compete for blood flow- the skin to dissipate the heat in the form of sweat, and the muscles to use the blood to fuel the movements. Instead of putting your body through this stress, especially in the summer heat, a good idea is to exercise in cooler places such as a fitness center or air conditioned area. Malls are an excellent location for indoor walking with even surfaced floors and plenty of room to get in a good aerobic workout. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends at least 20 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise (brisk walk) 5 days out of the week. A good way to make sure you are keeping a good pace is to go with a family member or friend and keep a conversation going the whole time- if you can not talk, then you are walking too fast and need to slow down. Swimming also offers an excellent cardiovascular workout and is a good workout in the summer to stay cool and still get in a good heart healthy workout.

· With the heat of the summer also comes much sweating, so remember to replenish, replenish, replenish!! Water is the best source of fluid intake and will adequately replace water lost by sweating. Schedule time to work out during the week for about 30 minutes. Prior to work out start drinking water so your body will not be dehydrated. Remember to have water readily available to replenish any lost water due to sweating once your workout is completed. If you are exercising relatively hard, sweating for about an hour or more, then you could choose a sports drink. It is recommended to mix 50 percent sports drink with 50 percent water for the optimal benefit.

· It's that time of the year...time to remove the cover, pull out the grill and start cooking out with family and friends! The American Heart Association recommends grilled fish such as salmon, trout and herring which are all rich in omega-3 fatty acids and lean cuts of meat such as "loin" or "round" cuts of red meats. These cuts have less fat on them and are better choices for heart health than other cuts of meat.

Jenni Markos
Exercise physiologist
Texas Health HEB Fitness Center

Would you recognize the signs of stroke?

Every 45 seconds someone in the United States suffers a stroke. According to the American Heart Association stroke is the third largest cause of death, ranking behind heart disease and all forms of cancer.

When someone is having a stroke seconds matter because within minutes brain cells can begin to die. So the question is, would you be able to check to see if a loved one is having a stroke and call for help?

According to the National Stroke Association, individuals can check to see if a loved one is experiencing stroke-like symptoms using the pneumonic device of acting FAST:

Face. Ask the person to smile to see if there is muscle weakness in their face.

Arms. Ask the person to raise both arms to see if there is muscle weakness.

Speech. Ask the person to repeat a sentence and listen for slurred words or if they can finish the sentence.

Time. If the person shows any of these symptoms, call 911 immediately. Look at the clock and remember what time the symptoms started. Share the time symptoms start with a physician as that will impact treatment options.

Other signs that someone might be having a stroke are if he or she experiences sudden confusion or have a severe headache, sudden numbness or weakness of the face, difficulty walking or trouble speaking.

For more information, visit stroke.org or americanheart.org.