Blog - Rachel O'Brien, IBCLC

blog header stating why sleep training and breastfeeding don't mix

Breastfeeding Facts

I know many of you are bombarded by Facebook ads for different baby sleep “programs”, or your friends gave you sleep books before your baby was born, or your boss or co-worker swears by a certain method. Sleep is a big deal. I get it, I really do. Before I was a lactation consultant I worked full-time while all 3 of my kids were breastfeeding. My commute was 1 hour each way, I was exhausted, I know how much your baby’s sleep can make or break your day. I have been there. I do not blame ANY parent for needing or wanting more sleep, ever.

February 2, 2021 No Comments

Breastfeeding Tips

Every single day (not an exaggeration) parents ask me about pumping. They want to know how to start pumping, how to schedule pumping for the best results, if they should be pumping every day once baby gets home from the hospital… the works. In the United States over 85% of breastfeeders have pumped their milk

August 16, 2020 28 Comments

Breastfeeding Tips

Originally posted 2/1/2016; updated 7/12/2020 I have a theory about nipple shield distribution, and it’s based on the large number of families I see who are struggling to ditch the shield. I always ask how the family got the shield in the first place, and the story is usually the same: the nipple shield

July 12, 2020 24 Comments

Chestfeeding

2021 note to readers This blog post has been getting quite a bit of traffic lately due to a clickbait fake news story from the UK incorrectly reporting that a hospital is forcing their staff to only use “chestfeeding” and “human milk” when speaking to families. The many articles are incorrect and misleading (please do

October 14, 2019 4 Comments

Breastfeeding Tips

When I work with families, I spend a lot of time customizing a care plan that will best help them meet their infant feeding goals. International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) are trained as health care workers to assess each breastfeeding relationship fully before offering instruction, suggestions, and counseling. Heck, the health information form I

October 14, 2019 1 Comment

Bottlefeeding

Bottle refusal is incredibly hard for breastfeeding parents. Learn how to help your baby take a bottle, and what to do if they won’t.

January 13, 2019 7 Comments

Bottlefeeding

Introducing bottles to breastfed babies doesn’t have to be complicated or stressful. Here are the simple steps, with examples of good and bad bottle latches.

January 11, 2019 1 Comment

Bottlefeeding

Let’s say you’re breastfeeding and you really want to use bottles sometimes, too. How on earth are you supposed to pick a bottle to even start with if every company has similar claims and the boogeyman of “nipple confusion” is lurking around every corner?

January 6, 2019 23 Comments

baby feeling left out of the PSL love? You too can make a pumpkin spice breastmilk latte that your baby will love!

Breastfeeding Tips

It’s been 15 years since Starbucks introduced the pumpkin spice latte, and for better to for worse, Americans are generally obsessed with the flavor- either you love it or you passionately avoid it. We’ve even started to produce foods and products that have absolutely no business being “pumpkin spiced.” For example, would you like

October 3, 2018 No Comments

newly born baby laying on mom's chest; title says "8 truths you need to know before your baby is born"

Breastfeeding Tips

We, as a society, do a craptastic job of preparing families for baby’s first couple weeks of life. The families I see are often overwhelmed and confused. We make you focus on all the gear and accessories and stuff before your baby is born… when what we really need to do is talk about the

March 25, 2018 2 Comments

IBCLC

If you’ve done any research into pregnancy or breastfeeding in the United States in the past few years, it’s likely you’re aware that the Affordable Care Act expanded preventative health care services to include breastfeeding support- as of August 1, 2012, health plans in the United States were generally required to cover “breastfeeding support, supplies and

October 20, 2017 26 Comments

how to gently night wean your baby, a step-by-step guide

Breastfeeding Tips

Thinking about night weaning your baby? Many older babies still nurse for comfort overnight but may not necessarily still need the calories. You, on the other hand, may truly be needing the “extra” sleep you’re “losing” when you feed the baby multiple times a night! Research shows that exclusively breastfeeding parents get MORE sleep than

June 21, 2017 11 Comments

Hi, I'm Rachel!

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