Laurie Sachs Photography 305-5493

I'll never forget my first experience nursing my son - or, more specifically, not nursing him. My darling treasure weighed in at a formidable 10 pounds at birth. Because of his weight, the nurses insisted that he be supplemented with formula while in the hospital. Because they knew I wanted to breastfeed, they gave him the bottled stuff from a tiny medicine cup. We had trouble nursing at first, which meant that they gave him more little medicine cups filled with formula (Ahem... looking back, I'm certain that most of our problems stemmed from the fact that my fresh little being was learning how to sip, not suck!).

When we got home to the SCV, the milk hit the fan. My son was a hungry little hippo hooked on sippy cups and I was a new mother suffering from engorgement - and a terrible lack of confidence. I did the only thing I thought would help. I (hysterically) called Reena, the owner of A Chorus Line, because I knew that she was, once upon a time, a leader at La Leche, a pro-breastfeeding organization. She calmed me down and troubleshooted over the phone (Probably while selling Halloween costumes; my cutie is an October baby.).

Even though we suffered some bumps and a crummy experience with mastitis (clogged milk ducts), my milk came in and my son never touched formula again. He nursed for 15 months, often getting Mommy's milk in a bottle. (I pumped at work so much, we ended up needing an extra freezer to accommodate our stash!)

Looking back, I made a few mistakes that I hope other mommies-to-be can learn from. The first was presuming that, because breastfeeding is natural, I'd be a natural at it. The truth is that it's a learning process, and the more you can learn before Baby, the better! The second is not having help at the ready. In my darkest moment, I had to call a dance-and-costume-wear shop. I was unaware of local resources.

When I found out that Santa Clarita now boasts a dedicated lactation center, I was thrilled. My nursing days may be behind me, but new mommies will certainly benefit from Mother & Baby Boobtique Lactation Center. It was created to meet and help support the needs of moms and their newborn babies. They know how important it is to feel confidence in breastfeeding; that is why they offer one-on-one lactation consultations with friendly, trained staff. In fact, owner Rita, has over 22 years working with the doctors at Cedars Sinai in the Mother/Baby Unit Post-partum floor.

The lactation center carries a wide variety of nursing bras and pumps which may not be available in stores, including the hospital-grade Symphony pump, Pump in Style (backpack and shoulder bag design), Swing Pump (the smallest two-phase electric pump) and the manual-operated Harmony Pump. Hospital-grade pumps are also available for rent - and the great staff will teach you how to set up and use the pumps correctly. You can stop in anytime to share your questions or concerns - the gals at Mother & Baby Boobtique love to help!; 259-8802

Professionally-certified Sonographers Know what to Do with "Stubborn Babies"
Has your doctor's office yet to determine your baby's gender? The professional sonographers at Storks & Co. are regularly congratulated for their success in determining a baby's sex when others have proven to have less luck. Says Hali, a Valencia mom, "Lisa [of Storks & Co.] took her time with us and our 'stubborn baby' until she finally showed us she was a girl!" Storks & Co. is Santa Clarita's premier 4D ultrasound center; 254-8100 www.storksncompany.com



The SCV Birth Center Introduces Naturopathic Pediatric Services & More
Naturopathic doctors do not treat conditions, they treat people. Rather than prescribing medication for chronic health conditions, a naturopathic doctor will work with the patient to determine the root cause of the problem and decide on a natural treatment. Typical treatments include lifestyle and dietary changes; supplements; herbs; stress management; natural remedies; homeopathics; and, when appropriate, hormone medications. Because of the naturopathic doctor's approach of treating the person, not the illness, there are very few illnesses or conditions that naturopathic medicine cannot alleviate. It is also a great adjunct to more conventional medicine for ailments that may otherwise be out of the naturopath scope.

Dr. Deborah Gleisner practices as a midwife and a naturopathic doctor in Los Angeles. She travels north once per month to provide naturopathic services, including pediatric and menopause care, to the SCV. Visit the SCV Birth Center on October 22 at 10 a.m. for a special edition of "Meet the Midwife" that includes a chance to meet Dr. Deborah, or call the SCV Birth Center to schedule a visit; 254-3000
www.reneethemidwife.com