Breastfeeding

Top 6 Tips for Protecting Your Milk Supply While Traveling for Work

We had this terrific question posted on our Facebook page:

“Dear Robin,

I leave tomorrow for a four day work trip and I can't take my baby with me. She has 6 feedings a day (one of those at night) so I'll be doing a good amount of pumping while I'm gone. Do you have any tips, specifically for pumping at airports and/or on planes? I'll be on a red eye there and a direct flight on the way back.”

Absolutely!  Just because you have to travel for work doesn’t mean that you can’t protect your milk supply while you are gone.  

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Here are my top 6 tips for protecting your milk supply while traveling for work

Support Group or IBCLC: What's the Difference?

When a mom is looking for breastfeeding assistance, it can often be difficult to know where to get this help and from whom.  There are so many options…. Facebook, breastfeeding support groups, lactation consultants… where to go can be confusing, especially if she feels like she needs to get help immediately!

So, what is the difference between the breastfeeding help you will get at a support group and at a private lactation consultant visit?

Breastfeeding at 3-4 Months - It Can Look Very Different!

Written by Ashley Treadwell, IBCLC

Running two support groups every week, I get all sorts of questions from moms with concerns about their breastfeeding babies.  One of the questions/concerns I hear the most often is this: “My baby is suddenly not feeding for nearly as long as they used to and they aren’t interested in feeding as often.  They get fussy easily at the breast and pull off after just a few minutes.  I’m concerned that they aren’t getting enough milk from me!”  I can almost always predict the age of these babies - somewhere around 12-16 weeks.  And here’s why.

Many moms know that babies feed frequently in the early weeks.  They expect feedings around the clock that can last quite a while.  What many moms don’t realize is that this *can* change dramatically around the 3-4 month mark.  Babies who used to feed every 1 to 3 hours, for 30 minutes or more, babies who were always happy to breastfeed when offered - suddenly start refusing the breast at times, and when they do accept, may only feed for a few minutes before pulling off.  This can be a frustrating time for moms as they are often concerned that the baby may not be getting enough and are worried about this significant change in baby’s feeding patterns.  In this article, we’ll discuss why this happens, how to know if there is reason for concern, as well as how to manage this new behavior.

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Do's and Don’ts of Using the Nipple Shield

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Do's and Don’ts of Using the Nipple Shield

Written by Robin Kaplan, M.Ed, IBCLC

Is your baby having a difficult time latching?  Is breastfeeding incredibly painful?  Do you have a cracked nipple that just won’t heal?  Then most likely you have been recommended to try a nipple shield.  While the nipple shield can often be a terrific temporary tool to help with these situations, it is important to know how to use them correctly, as well as have an exit strategy for how to discontinue usage as soon as possible.

Breastfeeding After Breast Reduction - It IS Possible!

Written by Ashley Treadwell, IBCLC

Many women wonder if they will have a full supply after having a breast reduction.  While the basic answer to this question is “we don’t know yet” - there are many factors, as well as things she can actively do, that can affect her ability to breastfeed successfully.  In this article, we will discuss what those activities are and how a mom can maximize her supply when breastfeeding after a breast reduction. We will also look at what long-term supplementation can look like, if it is necessary.

It is important to remind you that breastfeeding does not have to be an “all or nothing” endeavor!  We need to re-define what “success” means when it comes to breastfeeding after a breast reduction. Anytime a woman has a physiological factor that can affect milk supply, we always want her to understand that ANY amount of breastmilk is amazing. Whether she is able to provide 10% or 100% of what her baby needs, she is doing a fantastic job.    

Our New Low-Cost Breastfeeding Clinic

Written by Robin Kaplan, M.Ed, IBCLC

My background is in social justice and urban education.  For the years before I started the San Diego Breastfeeding Center, I worked in inner-city elementary schools and for non-profits, including AmeriCorps, to help bring well-deserved resources and education to underserved communities who needed it the most.  Because of this, one of the biggest challenges I have faced since I started SDBFC was trying to figure out how I could make my expertise and support accessible to ALL breastfeeding mothers... not just the ones who could afford my services.  I have seen over and over again local moms posting on Facebook about how desperate they are for breastfeeding help, yet cannot afford to see a qualified IBCLC and this absolutely breaks my heart!  

Not being able to help these mothers goes against everything I have been taught and everything I stand for.  

On-Demand vs. Scheduled Feeding: Which is Best for Baby?

Written by Ashley Treadwell, IBCLC

Google can be an amazing resource - but it can also provide WAY too much information for a first-time mom.  One of the questions we get often from our clients is what is the best way to feed a breastfed baby - let the baby demand when to feed or try to shape their feedings into a structured schedule?  Moms hear a lot of differing information about when to feed their babies in the early weeks - every 2-3 hours, 8-12 times in a 24 hour period, etc.  It can be confusing to know what this means exactly - is it every 2 hours or every 3 hours?  What if baby goes longer than 3 hours?  What if baby seems hungry before 2 hours?  What if baby wants to feed 15 times a day, or maybe only 7?  How do you know when you should feed your baby?  

Here’s the short answer:

WATCH YOUR BABY, NOT THE CLOCK.

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It's Here! Our DIY Breastfeeding YouTube Channel

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Ever wish you could actually watch a mama breastfeed her baby in a laid-back position because you couldn't picture it in your mind from the blog article you just read?  Wonder how you can tell if your pump flanges are fitting correctly? Well, look no further!

Today, we are beyond excited to annouce our newest baby, DIY Breastfeeding!  

 

What is DIY Breastfeeding?

On our DIY Breastfeeding YouTube channel, you will find 2-3 minute instructional videos about different breastfeeding topics, ranging from positions to latching to pumping and more!  Each video was recorded with one of our lactation consultants and some super cute local moms and babies.  

 

Which topics will be included on DIY Breastfeeding?

A few months ago we started collecting video topics from all of you and your ideas were AWESOME!  We are proud to say that today we are launching our channel with 10 stellar videos fitting into 5 different categories. Here are our current categories:

  • Breastfeeding While Babywearing
  • Latching
  • Breastfeeding Position
  • Pumping Strategies
  • Breastfeeding Twins

Lastly, we would like to share a HUGE amount of gratitude to our DIY Breastfeeding partner, New Mommy Media!  Without Sunny's awesome video shooting and editing expertise, these videos would look completely amateur and out of focus!  Sunny, we adore you to pieces and we cannot wait to create more videos with you!

So head on over to DIY Breastfeeding!  Let us know what you think about the videos and share your ideas for additional topics/categories you would like for us to include.

Which other topics/categories would you like to see included? 

 

It’s All About the Boobs!

Written by Ashley Treadwell, IBCLC

We hear so much about the benefits of breastfeeding for baby - the amazing immunity they get, the perfect nutrition, the bonding with mom.  We also hear a lot about the benefits of breastfeeding for moms - the output of good hormones, reduced risk of breast cancer, weight loss!  But what about the benefits of breastfeeding that specifically affect the partner?  We asked our fans for their ideas and here are some of the answers we got!  

  • Hillary: The ability to hand over a fussy baby and say "here, he wants boob" and walk away.

  • April: They don't have to wash bottles either, or wake up in the middle of the night.

  • Colleen: The diapers are less unpleasant to change.

  • Elisabeth: Cost. That's a big one. Formula is expensive! The health problems later could potentially cost money too.

  • Julie: The satisfaction of knowing that you're doing the best thing for your child. My husband was very active in working with me on positioning and latching early on and when we lay in bed to nurse to sleep, he lays with us. Most nights she pops off several times to play with him. Dads can definitely be a participant in breastfeeding!

  • Anna Mar: Big boobs

  • Megan: The benefit of watching the mother of your child show ultimate love and patience toward their baby. Breastfeeding is such a extraordinary part of what us women do for their world. We have the capability to give the best nutrients to another life. That's such a miracle in itself that it is a learning time for the partner to see. The woman is giving of her love, time and energy. Such a sacrifice and that's very much a reason for the partner to strengthen their relationship!

 

Here are just a few more from us!

  • A happy wife!  Breastfeeding releases the hormone oxytocin, which is often called the “mothering” hormone.  It helps to decrease blood pressure and stress, which makes a mama happier, which makes life a lot easier for her partner, as well.  

  • Birth Control.  If dad is nervous about having another baby soon, exclusive breastfeeding can act as a natural birth control.  No condoms or pills needed!  (Note - there are specific instances when breastfeeding can and cannot be used as an effective form of birth control - as mentioned here.)

  • You can soothe your baby when your wife can’t. Sounds strange, right?  But often, in the early weeks and months, a baby grows fussy the minute mom picks him/her up, as he/she smell mom’s milk and wants it.  When mom hands that fussy baby over to her partner, the baby often calms down immediately!  This could mean a lot of fuss-free snuggle time for dad and mom.

It goes without saying - breastfeeding is good for the entire family!