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Finding good information about medication use during lactation

How to find good information on medications and breastfeeding. If someone suggests that you should wean temporarily while taking a certain medication, keep in mind that the potential risk of mom's use of medication while breastfeeding needs to be weighed ...

Breastfeeding Helplines

Breastfeeding phone helplines, listed alphabetically by country, plus some resources for finding local breastfeeding help.

How does milk production work?

To understand how to effectively increase (or decrease) milk supply, we need to look at how milk production works...
For the most part, milk production is a "use it or lose it" process.
The more often and effectively your baby ...

Increasing Low Milk Supply

First of all, is your milk supply really low? Often, mothers think that their milk supply is low when it really isn't. If your baby is gaining weight well on breastmilk alone, then you do not have a problem with ...

Breastfeeding your newborn — what to expect in the early weeks

Frequent nursing encourages good milk supply and reduces engorgement. Aim for breastfeeding at least 10 - 12 times per day (24 hours). You CAN'T breastfeed too often--you CAN breastfeed too little. Nurse at the first signs of hunger (stirring, rooting, ...

Frequent nursing

First of all, do know that frequent nursing is normal and expected in the early months - most newborns need to nurse at least 8 - 12 times per day. Frequent nursing is also needed -- to avoid/reduce engorgement in ...

Growth spurts

My baby fusses or cries during nursing - what's the problem?

Some babies will fuss, cry or pull off the breast during nursing. There are a number of reasons why this might be happening. It's pretty common to see this type of behavior at around 6-8 weeks, though it can occur ...

Spitting Up & Reflux in the Breastfed Baby

Spitting up, sometimes called physiological or uncomplicated reflux, is common in babies and is usually (but not always) normal. Most young babies spit up sometimes, since their digestive systems are immature, making it easier for the stomach contents to flow ...

I'm not pumping enough milk. What can I do?

Milk supply normally varies somewhat throughout the day and over weeks and months. As long as baby is allowed to nurse on cue, your milk supply will accomodate baby's needs. However, when mom is pumping part-time or full-time, pumping output ...

Milk vs. formula… under the microscope

September 8, 2011. Posted in: Blog Posts,Milk

We just got a digital camera attachment for our microscope, so what do you think I photographed first?

Baby’s Second Night

September 3, 2011. Posted in: Newborn

You’ve made it through your first 24 hours as a new mom. Maybe you have other children, but you are a new mom all over again…and now it is your baby’s second night.

All of a sudden, your little one discovers that he’s no longer back in the warm and comfortable – albeit a bit crowded – womb where he has spent the last 8 ½ or 9 months – and it is SCARY out here!

Breastfeeding your newborn — what to expect in the early weeks

Newborn

Frequent nursing encourages good milk supply and reduces engorgement. Aim for breastfeeding at least 10 – 12 times per day (24 hours). You CAN’T breastfeed too often–you CAN breastfeed too little. Nurse at the first signs of hunger (stirring, rooting, hands in mouth)–don’t wait until baby is crying. Allow baby unlimited time at the breast when sucking actively, then offer the second breast. Some newborns are excessively sleepy at first–wake baby to nurse if 2 hours (during the day) or 4 hours (at night) have passed without nursing.

Hunger Cues – When do I feed baby?

Newborn

Babies should be fed when they indicate hunger. Crying is a late indicator of hunger – breastfeeding is much easier for both mom and baby if mom is able to pick up on baby’s earlier hunger cues.
Common infant hunger cues include:…

How does milk production work?

Newborn

To understand how to effectively increase (or decrease) milk supply, we need to look at how milk production works…
For the most part, milk production is a “use it or lose it” process.
The more often and effectively your baby nurses, the more milk you will make.

Frequently Asked Questions about Milk Production

Supply Basics

How does milk production change over the course of lactation?

For the first few days, up to and including the point at which mom’s milk “comes in,” milk production does not depend upon milk being removed from the breast. After those first few days, it is necessary for milk to be regularly removed from the breast (via baby or pump) to continue milk production. The breasts will begin to shut down milk production within several days if milk is not regularly and effectively removed.

Tips for juggling a newborn and toddler

Breastfeeding & pregnancy

First off, per a wise friend of mine who is a mom of five: Be creative, patient, and hold tight to your sense of humor!

I’m confused about foremilk and hindmilk – how does this work?

Supply Basics

Foremilk is the milk (typically lower in fat) available at the beginning of a feeding; hindmilk is milk at the end of a feeding, which has a higher fat content than the foremilk at that feeding. There is no sharp distinction between foremilk and hindmilk – the change is very gradual. Research from Peter Hartmann’s group tells us that fat content of the milk is primarily determined by the emptiness of the breast — the less milk in the breast, the higher the fat content

Latching and Positioning Resources

Newborn

No matter what latch and positioning look like, the true measure is in the answers to these two questions:

Is it effective?
Is it comfortable?

Even if latch and positioning look perfect (and, yes, even if a lactation consultant told you they were fine), pain and/or ineffective milk transfer indicate that there is a problem somewhere, and the first suspect is ineffective latch/positioning.

Lactation yoga …side-lying nursing without getting up to switch sides

Newborn

If you’ve mastered the art of side-lying to nurse, then the next trick is to be able to nurse off the top breast so that you don’t have to change sides of the bed at night. If you co-sleep and breastfeed, then I’m sure you’ve had an experience like mine at some point. You’re all snuggled in, warmly and cozily cuddled with your baby. You are breastfeeding in the side-lying position and drowse off to sleep. waking a while later to find that baby is hungry again, and unfortunately the most convenient breast is the least full one.

Establishing and maintaining milk supply when baby is not nursing

Pumping & supply

It is important to express your milk to establish and maintain milk supply if your baby is not nursing at all or not nursing well. By expressing, you will also have your milk available to feed baby – every bit of moms’ milk that baby gets (even the tiniest amount) is like liquid gold.

Latching: Thoughts on pushing baby’s chin down when latching

Newborn

When it comes to pushing down on baby’s chin to get a wider latch, sometimes it works but often it doesn’t… Many a baby will naturally resist the downward pressure and close his mouth further if you push down on his chin.

Are mothers supposed to love breastfeeding 24 hours a day?

Newborn

by Glenda Dickerson, IBCLC. Reprinted with permission from the author. If there is a day or week where you no longer feel like you are loving or even enjoying breastfeeding, does it mean that this is the right time to stop? I have felt for years that many mothers wean because they thought they were [...]

Finding good information about medication use during lactation

Medications

How to find good information on medications and breastfeeding. If someone suggests that you should wean temporarily while taking a certain medication, keep in mind that the potential risk of mom’s use of medication while breastfeeding needs to be weighed against several factors.

Relactation and Adoptive Breastfeeding: The Basics

Adoptive BF/ Relactation

Relactation or induced lactation (for those who did not give birth to their baby) is essentially a two-fold process:

You will be teaching (or re-teaching) baby to nurse at the breast, and to equate nursing with comfort. If you’re having problems getting baby to nurse, see Help — My Baby Won’t Nurse!
At the same time you will be developing (or re-developing) a milk supply. Developing a milk supply requires nipple stimulation (via baby nursing, hand expression, pumping or a combination) and milk removal (once there is milk to remove). If your baby will nurse, regular and frequent nursing sessions (even if baby is just learning in the beginning) will be very helpful.

Breastfeeding Logs

Newborn

Under normal circumstances it is not necessary to use a breastfeeding log. However, some mothers feel more comfortable in the beginning if they are keeping track of nursings and diapers. Most mothers will benefit from the safety net of using a log for the first week or so until they and their baby’s health care provider are reassured that breastfeeding is going well and that baby’s weight gain pattern is adequate.

Breastfeeding Helplines

Finding Help

Breastfeeding phone helplines, listed alphabetically by country, plus some resources for finding local breastfeeding help.

Frequent nursing

BF Concerns: Child

First of all, do know that frequent nursing is normal and expected in the early months – most newborns need to nurse at least 8 – 12 times per day. Frequent nursing is also needed — to avoid/reduce engorgement in the early days, to nourish and grow a baby who has a stomach the size of his fist but who needs to double his weight within 5-6 months, to establish a good milk supply for mom, and to help a baby who has been cradled close and warm inside mom for 9 months adjust to life in the outside world. Frequent nursing may sometimes be a warning sign of inefficient milk transfer or low milk supply, but if baby has good diaper output, is gaining well and is generally happy and healthy, then the frequent nursing is unlikely to be a sign of a problem.

Weaning from formula supplements

Supply Basics

Put baby to breast often

Aim for 10 breastfeeding sessons per day. If baby is not breastfeeding well, work with your lactation consultant.
Method for weaning from supplements…

Growth spurts

Newborn

Most babies go through several growth spurts (also called frequency days) during the first 12 months. During a growth spurt, breastfed babies nurse more often than usual (sometimes as often as every hour) and often act fussier than usual. The increase in baby’s milk intake during growth spurts is temporary. Physical growth is not the only reason that babies may have a temporary need for increased nursing. Babies often exhibit the same type of behavior (increased nursing with or without increased fussiness) when they are working on developmental advances such as rolling over, crawling, walking or talking. Mom’s milk is for growing the brain as well as the body!

Notes from “Induced Lactation and Adoptive Nursing”

Adoptive BF/ Relactation

Reasons for adoptive breastfeeding

Standard reasons for breastfeeding
Benefits for adoptive relationship
Enhancement of bond between mother and child
Breastfeeding as a reflection of femininity
Mother and child don’t lose breastfeeding experience (in addition to pregnancy and birth)
Much more than nutrition

Cluster Feeding and Fussy Evenings

Parenting FAQ

It is very common for babies to be fussy and nurse very often in the evenings, particularly in the early months.

My daughter had a fussy time every evening for a couple of months (yes, it does go away!). I spent weeks camped out on the end of the sofa with a constantly nursing and/or fussy baby every evening from about 6 to 10 PM…

The Distractible Baby

BF Concerns: Child

Latch on, suck a moment, pull off… latch on, suck a moment, pull off. Nurse a minute, pull away to smile at mom. Nurse a minute, pull away to see who just walked in the room. Nurse a minute, pull away to listen to the TV. Nurse a moment, pull away because the dog wagged his tail. Sound familiar??

Reverse Cycling

What is Normal?

What is reverse cycling?

Reverse cycling is when baby nurses frequently at night and less frequently during the day.

Do babies under 12 months self-wean?

After the First Year

True SELF-weaning before a baby is a year old is very uncommon. In fact, it is unusual for a baby to wean before 18-24 months unless mom is encouraging weaning. However, it is very common to hear a mother say that her baby self-weaned at 9 or 10 months old, or even earlier. How do we reconcile these statements?

Breastfeeding Your Toddler: What to expect

After the First Year

Are you considering breastfeeding your baby into toddlerhood and wondering how the breastfeeding relationship will change? Are you wondering if your toddler is trying to wean, or wondering why your toddler is suddenly breastfeeding round the clock? Here are a few observations on typical toddler breastfeeding behavior. As always, the way your particular baby approaches nursing will also depend on her unique personality.

Breastfeeding and Fertility

After the First Year

How can I use breastfeeding to prevent pregnancy?

The Exclusive Breastfeeding method of birth control is also called the Lactational Amenorrhea Method of birth control, or LAM. Lactational amenorrhea refers to the natural postpartum infertility that occurs when a woman is not menstruating due to breastfeeding. Many mothers receive conflicting information on the subject of breastfeeding and fertility.

Getting Pregnant While Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding & pregnancy

Adventures in Tandem Nursing: Breastfeeding During Pregnancy and Beyond, published by La Leche League International

So you’re breastfeeding and dreaming of a new baby? Good news! Lots of moms are able to conceive a new baby without having to wean their current nursling. Let’s look at seven of the most common questions.
1. Do I have to wean in order to get pregnant?

Forceful Let-down (Milk Ejection Reflex) & Oversupply

Too much milk

Is forceful let-down the problem?

Does your baby do any of these things?

Gag, choke, strangle, gulp, gasp, cough while nursing as though the milk is coming too fast

Normal prolactin levels in breastfeeding mothers

What is Normal?

“Plasma prolactin levels increase the most in the immediate postpartum period but rise and fall in proportion to the frequency, intensity, and duration of nipple stimulation.”

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