Large Milk Storage Capacity
A mother with large breast milk storage capacity will have a different breastfeeding rhythm for the first six months when compared with a mother having a smaller sorage capacity. Some of the ways larger sorage will affect feeding patterns: One breast or two - Having a larger breast milk storage capacity may mean that your baby will only feed on a... [Read more...]
Latch techniques
The huge value in this tiny video is… stop pressing down and poking on your nipple like that! Getting milk out of your breast requires a lot of the breast tissue BEHIND the nipple to be compressed – it’s got nothing to do with the nipple itself, in that sense. Baby sucking on your nipple, and/or you poking and prodding your nipples... [Read more...]
Thrush, Candida, or Yeast Infections
The common yeast infection that you or your baby may experience is also called thrush or candida. Infants with thrush have white patches inside their mouths or an angry looking rash on their bottoms. As a mother you can experience sharp shooting pain in your breast with sometimes red and tender nipples. You may also see patches of red or white on... [Read more...]
Breastfeeding while Pregnant
Pregnancy and lactation are quite compatible and continued breastfeeding helps the older child feel secure during a time of change. During your pregnancy you and your toddler will have to accommodate some changes. Beginning about the fourth month of pregnancy your breast milk may decrease in volume and begin to change to colostrum. Your toddler may... [Read more...]
Breast Milk Expression Tips
If you are going to be away from your baby for any length of time, here are some breast milk expression tips to help keep a stash of breast milk on hand. Storing some of your breast milk before hand is a great way to continue to provide the benefits of breast milk to your child while you are away. Pumping ahead of time also allows close friends and... [Read more...]
Breastfeeding toddlers
Babies breastfeed, and if they are very lucky, in the West, they are allowed to follow their biological norm and breastfeed into toddler-hood. There is no ‘natural’ time to fully wean an infant, and thus refuse it your breast. All infants give up breastfeeding themselves, when they have finished with it, and move on. This usually occurs... [Read more...]
Breastfeeding Discreetly
The American Academy of Pediatrics noted that in the United States, “It is a curious commentary on our society that we tolerate all degrees of explicitness in our literature and mass media as regards to sex and violence, but the normal act of breastfeeding is taboo.” Embarrassment or difficulty breastfeeding in public is a reason some mothers... [Read more...]
Flailing Hands
For some mother’s their child’s flailing hands can present a challenge for latch. A hungry baby can sometimes be their own worst enemy by batting at and inadvertently pushing the breast away. There are several strategies you can try if flailing hands becomes a problem. First you might try giving your baby some time to massage and feel... [Read more...]
What is the let-down in Breastfeeding?
The let-down reflex How your body responds to your baby’s suckling: Infant suckling stimulates the nerve endings in the nipple and areola, which signal the pituitary gland in the brain to release two hormones, prolactin and oxytocin. How Your Breast Responds to Your Baby’s Suckling: Prolactin causes your alveoli to take nutrients (proteins, sugars)... [Read more...]
Breastfeeding Benefits to the Mother
We always hear about the benefits of breastfeeding for the child, and the benefits on the mother/child relationship. There are also substantial benefits to the mother, independently. Breastfeeding stimulates a woman’s body to release the hormone oxytocin. This becomes important in a couple of ways in the days immediately after the birth of the baby.... [Read more...]
