Save the Date - Big Latch On San Diego 2018!

We can barely contain our excitement! 

Are you ready to find out the details for the Big Latch On San Diego 2018???

 

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This year’s Big Latch On San Diego event will be co-hosted with Kid Ventures in Liberty Station!

All participants will have exclusive, free access to Kid Ventures for the entire morning! So, while you wait for the actual Latch On to occur, you can grab some coffee/breakfast at one of the many delicious restaurants, hang out in Kid Ventures, peruse the vendor booths (something totally new this year!), and bid on our awesome opportunity drawing items!

If you are a new to the breastfeeding world, you might be wondering what the heck is the Big Latch On?  The Big Latch On, is an event that started in New Zealand in 2005 during World Breastfeeding Week.  The mission of the Big Latch On is to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding women and each year groups of breastfeeding women come together at locations all around the world to latch on their children at a designated time and day in honor of this mission and to attempt to set a new record!  Our Big Latch On event will also serve as a major fundraiser for our non-profit organization, the San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation.

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Here are the preliminary details.  We will begin to share more about the event over the next few weeks!

When is the Big Latch On?

The Big Latch On event will take place on Saturday, August 4, 2018 from 8:30am-noon.  The actual Latch On (children latching on to set a world record) will take place at exactly 10:30am, so don’t be late!  

Where will the Big Latch On take place?

At Kid Ventures.  The address is: 2865 Sims Rd, San Diego, CA 92106.

Is there a charge to participate?

Not at all!  This event is totally FREE!

Please stay tuned for registration and agenda details!

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Wondering how you and your business can get involved?

Since the Big Latch On event is THE major fundraiser for our nonprofit organization, we rely heavily on event sponsors and opportunity drawing donations.  It you are interested in becoming a sponsor or have a service/item to donate for our opportunity drawing, please send an email to our event coordinator, Liz Bradshaw, at LizBradshaw@sdbfc.com

 

Get Ready for the Biggest Breastfeeding Event in San Diego!

Meet SDBFC's Newest Lactation Consultant - Michelle Clookie!

We are so thrilled to introduce you to our newest lactation consultant at SDBFC! Michelle Clookie joined our team in September 2017, as a lactation consultant intern.  Since then, she has joined our SDBFC Foundation Board, is one of our support group leaders, and started to see her own patients on May 7th. Here is my interview with Michelle.  We can't wait for you all to meet her!

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Michelle, tell us about yourself! 

I grew up in Southern California, and moved to San Diego 11 years ago after living in Austin, TX for 2 years. I met my husband, Jeremy, shortly after moving to San Diego and we have been married for 7 years. After 8 years in non-profit, where I focused on training, development and content writing, I decided to stay home with our little girl Charlotte when she turned 1. I fell in love with all things motherhood: the community, the support, and soon starting working for the Postpartum Health Alliance part time to help support Mamas. After having our son, Beckett, who is now two, I realized I wanted to go even further into supporting families. I decided I could combine my love for training, and supporting families, by becoming a lactation consultant. Supporting people through empowerment has always been my passion and my work, and this has by far been the most fulfilling. I work part time and then spend as much time as I can with my kids and husband at the beach! 

 

What inspired you to become a lactation consultant?

I had breastfeeding challenges with both of my children, and because it was so unexpected with my first baby, it took a long time for me to accept the situation. I tapped into a lot of support, and these struggles allowed me to see an incredibly supportive side of the San Diego mom community.  I quickly began doing all that I could to help normalize breastfeeding and motherhood challenges. This just feels like the most natural next step in my support of all things mom/baby/family. 

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What are you most excited about working with SDBFC? 

I have been a patient of the SDBFC two different times, and I am most excited to offer the same quality care I received to the families I work with. I am also really proud that SDBFC supports so many military families. I have a deep respect for the sacrifices military families make on a daily basis, and I feel honored to be able give back to their families anyway I can. 

 

What are your top 3 tips for a brand new breastfeeding family? 

  1. Surround yourself with people who have similar goals. There are many different ways to parent a child, and I have found it easier to achieve my parenting goals when I surround myself with others who share my same vision. Breastfeeding can bring on unexpected challenges, but when you are surrounded by people that understand your goal, it will be much easier to reach it! 
  2. Have a plan, but keep your expectations flexible. I LOVE planning, and learned within the first 24hrs of parenthood (actually birth) that sometimes your kids have other plans. That’s ok. I have found it much easier to offer myself grace (and others grace) when I am flexible with my expectations. Things may not look the way you wanted them to, but there is still beauty there! 
  3. Ask for help! There is a running joke not to ask me if I need anything, because I will gladly tell you my Costco shopping list. Motherhood wasn’t meant to be done alone, ask for help without shame. San Diego has the most incredible resources for families, if you are in need of support in any way, I can almost guarantee you that there is a loving person waiting to help you! A great place to start making those connections is in Breastfeeding support groups, baby classes (sign language, tummy time etc.), and baby wearing groups! 

WELCOME TO THE SDBFC TEAM, MICHELLE!

How to Protect your Postpartum Body from Falling Apart

How to Protect your Postpartum Body from Falling Apart

We are so excited to be offering a brand new workshop/series in our space next month: New Parent Ergonomics Workshop and Series.  Taught by Robin Naughton, owner of Breathe Fitness, expectant parents and parents of newborns/infants/toddlers will learn practical exercises to protect their bodies from breakdown (due to repetitive movements from typical parent-related tasks) and tips on how to integrate them into your everyday routine.

Here is an excerpt from Robin, talking about her new workshop/series!

So, What's in your Latch book, Robin?

So, What's in your Latch book, Robin?

Since we announced the release of my new book, Latch: A Handbook to Breastfeeding with Confidence at Every Stage, many of our readers have asked what they can expect to find in the book. 

Well, let me tell you!

 

First we start off with how to prepare for breastfeeding.  Most of us spend months preparing for the birth of our child, but don't give much thought about what happens after our baby is born.  So, this book starts off with the basics of how milk production works, all about latching, as well as how to put together your Dream Team of Support for once your little one is earth side.

Robin Wrote a Breastfeeding Book!

One thing that many people don’t know about me is that I have always had a passion for writing. Before becoming a lactation consultant, I wrote curriculum for local museums and websites and wrote two unpublished children’s books.  So when I was approached to write this breastfeeding book I knew that there was no way I could pass up this amazing opportunity.

 

Supporting new families through their breastfeeding journeys has truly been my calling.  I love my job and the adrenaline rush I feel when I have empowered a family and helped them to meet their breastfeeding goals.  There is so much more to breastfeeding than just latching a baby to a breast.  There are nuances, both simple and challenging, that help make this process enjoyable and seamless.  We, as lactation consultants, have the honor to facilitate this breastfeeding process, when needed, and this book is just one step in that journey.  Latch: A Handbook to Breastfeeding with Confidence at Every Stage provides families with the supportive and educational basics they need while breastfeeding their children, from pregnancy to weaning.

Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing some content you will find in Latch.  This book is a great baby shower gift, for even the most seasoned-breastfeeding parent, as well as something you will want to buy even if you have already started breastfeeding.  Latch is already available for presale on Amazon at: bit.ly/LatchBook and can be in your hands as early as March 13, 2018!

Thank you for following along and I look forward to sharing more details about Latch over the next few weeks!

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Iron Rich Foods for Infants and Toddlers

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Iron Rich Foods for Infants and Toddlers

At your baby’s 4 or 6 month checkup, your doctor may discuss starting your baby on solid foods.  It is an exciting time – up until this point your baby has been taking in all of his nutrition from breast milk or formula, and you get to shape his palate with new flavors and textures over the next 6 months and beyond.  Your doctor may have talked to you about introducing iron rich foods early on.  This is because iron stores in your baby typically start to become depleted around 6 months of age.  I typically recommend families wait until 6 months of age to start solids (although I have heard pediatricians recommend between 4-6 months). 

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Breastfeeding Truly Takes a Village!

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A few months ago, we sent out a Call for Breastfeeding Stories.  Our desire was to flood the Internet with beautiful breastfeeding stories of triumph, overcoming challenges and struggles, and positive outcomes, regardless of the total amount of milk a mom was producing.  We are thrilled to share these stories with you, our readers, and hope that they offer support and inspiration for you, wherever you are in your breastfeeding journey. 

Thank you to all of the mothers who submitted their stories!  If after you read these memoirs you are inspired to submit your story, feel free to send it to RobinKaplan@sdbfc.com.    

Help Us Make A Difference on Giving Tuesday!

Happy #GivingTuesday!

Breastfeeding is not always easy!  Having personally experienced breastfeeding challenges with both of my kids, I know firsthand how critical breastfeeding support is for a mom in those first few weeks after her baby is born.  Critical, both physically and emotionally.

Join me in helping local low-income women gain access to critical breastfeeding support on this #GivingTuesday.