CA - Twins Melani (Deceased) & Zari (Injured) Suffocated by Mom While Breastfeeding - San Jose

Bishop Black

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  • #1

A California mother has been charged with the death of one of her 7-month-old twin daughters by suffocating her with her breast while trying to feed her.

Celina Juarez faces a murder charge in the death of her baby, Melani, as well as the child endangerment of her twin sister, Zari, on Nov. 4 at their home in San Jose, Fox San Francisco reported.

She purposefully held her breast against the girls' mouths because she was frustrated they wouldn't latch on, Juarez allegedly told authorities. She believes Melani was against her breast for 10 minutes before placing her unconscious body on the bed.


San-Jose1.jpg
 
  • #2
This can't be serious? Give the baby bottle, don't smother her. This is so infuriating!!
 
  • #3
SBM

Juarez was "frustrated" the babies weren't "latching on" during breast feeding, and she pressed the babies against her breasts until they stopped breathing, according to court documents.
 
  • #4
Many of us have probably had some problems with breast-feeding a newborn for the first few times. While I was in the hospital just after my son was born, a nurse came in and gave me some tips. Both my son and I had to figure it out, and each time, it got easier. After a few days we both really got good at it.

Breast-feeding problems for a mother & child/children at 7 months -- not buying it, just not buying it. Yes, breast-feeding twins would be a challenge, but we're talking 7 month old babies here. Nope.

We'll see how this case goes -- this one is worrisome and probably criminal indeed. SMH.
 
  • #5
As a mum of twins this one really hit home for me. My first baby was an absolute NIGHTMARE, I could sadly see my post partum depression seeping into this behaviour. I was angry as hell.


By the time I got to the twins at babies 3/4, I had it down, was as cool as a cucumber, but despite the 8 weeks the twins spent in scbu/nicu I still made a video of them screaming their heads off the first time my husband left us home alone.



On November 4, she held Melani against her breast for ten minutes, pushing her face against her skin and holding her down while she 'kicked' and 'gasped for air' after growing frustrated that she wouldn't latch on to feed.


 
  • #6
As a mum of twins this one really hit home for me. My first baby was an absolute NIGHTMARE, I could sadly see my post partum depression seeping into this behaviour. I was angry as hell.


By the time I got to the twins at babies 3/4, I had it down, was as cool as a cucumber, but despite the 8 weeks the twins spent in scbu/nicu I still made a video of them screaming their heads off the first time my husband left us home alone.



On November 4, she held Melani against her breast for ten minutes, pushing her face against her skin and holding her down while she 'kicked' and 'gasped for air' after growing frustrated that she wouldn't latch on to feed.



I didn't have twins, but I had screamers and PPD. These babies were 7 months! 7 months! Some babies wean themselves that early. Melani wasn't going to starve if she didn't eat. So sick of these baby killers and family and friends who make excuses for them. A 🤬🤬🤬 for a baby killer. SMDH
 
  • #7
Assume her defense will be a psychotic break, PPD, or something of the sort. I don’t understand how it could not be. She basically murdered the first baby (10 minutes of being smothered, that poor little baby) and then laid her down an did the same to the other baby. She must have been holding them very tightly (rage, anger ?) to do this. And then waited 20 mins to call her mom? Where was the toddler son? Husband?

I was reading online people supporting her, saying she was kind, loving, etc. I don’t know what to think. But she had plenty of time to stop, put babies down walk away.
 
  • #8
I didn't have twins, but I had screamers and PPD. These babies were 7 months! 7 months! Some babies wean themselves that early. Melani wasn't going to starve if she didn't eat. So sick of these baby killers and family and friends who make excuses for them. A for a baby killer. SMDH
7 mos is still a little baby. Mine weren’t close to weaning at that age. Maybe she was teething, getting a cold, who knows. That is parenting tho. Not very day is rainbows and bunnies.
 
  • #9
My youngest for sure lost interest in BF around that age, which I attributed to changing my diet to try to take off pregnancy weight. Anyway, I wouldn't call it unusual for a baby to start to wean itself around that age. What a tragedy.
 
  • #10
I don't know if that picture is a mugshot but she's got some cold, soulless eyes.
 
  • #11
As a mother of breastfed twins, the headlines and clips confused me.
“Latching” problems are not a thing at 7 months, by then they have learned to breastfeed or are on a bottle.
Then I read a linked article.

THESE BABIES WERE NOT BREASTFED BABIES!! (Sorry for yelling but holy crap!)

“Juarez's mother took her son to run errands, leaving her with the twins who were sick and "fussy" that day, police said.”

“Juarez also told police that she was "frustrated and she did not eat all day."

Her babies started crying and even though she usually bottle feeds them, she wanted to breastfeed that day to give them the "proper nutrients," police said.”

San Jose mom charged after allegedly suffocating baby during breastfeeding

Also noted: how does starving yourself provide “proper nutrients” to a breastfed baby?
And edited to add: she had no milk after 7 months of bottle feeding anyway!
I call BS on her story, she suffocated her babies and I doubt her breasts have anything to do with it. JMO
The baby who survived suffered a loss of oxygen to the point of losing consciousness until first responders arrived, I hope she is able to live a normal life.
 
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  • #12
Wouldn't be surprised if she suffocated them via a different method, intentionally, but claims in was breastfeeding. The babies were 7 months old, and as the article states were bottle fed. MOO
 
  • #13
SBM

Juarez was "frustrated" the babies weren't "latching on" during breast feeding, and she pressed the babies against her breasts until they stopped breathing, according to court documents.
if you generally use bottles they dont latch to breast well. they get nipple confusion. never saw the point in pumping to then feed w a bottle that i had to then clean the pump and the bottles when i could just pop them on my chest but its a personal choice i guess. im going to speculate this mom was possibly PPD and overwhelemed and under supported. poor babies :(
 
  • #14
Many of us have probably had some problems with breast-feeding a newborn for the first few times. While I was in the hospital just after my son was born, a nurse came in and gave me some tips. Both my son and I had to figure it out, and each time, it got easier. After a few days we both really got good at it.

Breast-feeding problems for a mother & child/children at 7 months -- not buying it, just not buying it. Yes, breast-feeding twins would be a challenge, but we're talking 7 month old babies here. Nope.

We'll see how this case goes -- this one is worrisome and probably criminal indeed. SMH.
yes the first month this is very true but by 7 we were a pro nursing team.. lol
 
  • #15
if you generally use bottles they dont latch to breast well. they get nipple confusion. never saw the point in pumping to then feed w a bottle that i had to then clean the pump and the bottles when i could just pop them on my chest but its a personal choice i guess. im going to speculate this mom was possibly PPD and overwhelemed and under supported. poor babies :(
She told police she wanted to breastfeed that day to give them proper nutrients, that would imply they normally received formula I think. Jmo

San Jose mom charged after allegedly suffocating baby during breastfeeding

Her babies started crying and even though she usually bottle feeds them, she wanted to breastfeed that day to give them the "proper nutrients," police said.”
 
  • #16
California Mom of Twins Allegedly Suffocated ‘Fussy’ 8-Month-Old Daughter While Breastfeeding Despite Seeing Baby ‘Gasping for Air’

Juarez reportedly admitted that she could see Melani’s “legs kicking” and the baby “gasping for air” as she continued pushing the infant against her breast for approximately 10 minutes, even after she saw that Melani had stopped breathing for approximately two minutes. Afterward, she reportedly placed the baby on the bed and picked up her sister..

Holding Melani’s sister, Juarez reportedly said that she put the baby to her breast and “pushed very hard,” “without letting her come up for air.”

When she was done trying to feed the second child, Juare reportedly waited approximately 20 minutes before calling her own mother. The woman came home and helped Juarez perform CPR on the children.

Juarez’s brother then came home and called 911.
 

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