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
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
Have you heard the term “chestfeeding” yet? Curious what it is? It’s safe to say that everyone knows what you mean when you talk about “breastfeeding.” The word tends to bring an image to mind, doesn’t it? A lovely, feminine looking mother with perfect hair and a gentle smile looking down into the eyes of
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
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.
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.
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?
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
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
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
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
The past year has been incredibly stress-inducing for many people. When I sit down with my breastfeeding support group families or talk with parents at their home visit, I find that I’m spending much more time discussing stress and anxiety than I used to. Stress and breastfeeding have become a conversation topic during most of
I'm a private practice lactation consultant (IBCLC) with my masters degree in human lactation. When I'm not helping breastfeeding & chestfeeding families in MetroWest Massachusetts, or writing blogs for parents AND other lactation professionals, I'm hanging with my three kids and/or indulging in my love of drag queens. Learn more about me by clicking here!