Recent Articles
How to Deal With Colic
You will know that you have a colicky baby if they cry for more than three hours a day, more than three days a week, and for longer than three weeks. Colicky babies are not your typical cranky babies who have their fussy moments at the worst times when you are exhausted at the end of the day. Instead, colicky babies cry incessantly. Read on to find out more about how to deal with colic.
Foremilk vs Hindmilk
If you have ever left your pumped milk in the fridge overnight, you may have noticed the separation of the breastmilk. Rest assured, this is completely normal and expected. What you are seeing is the two types of milk that your body creates - foremilk and hindmilk.
How to Healthfully Lose Weight While Breastfeeding
Young moms have so much pressure to get back into shape pretty much as soon as their baby arrives. Instagram and Facebook are full of examples of heroes who shed their baby weight within weeks after birth. However, the effects of rapid weight loss can have a negative impact on you and your milk production, and by extension, your baby.
Should You Breastfeed if You’re Sick?
Breastfeeding is hard work. Our days revolve around the last time we nursed/pumped, how long until the next breastfeeding/pumping session, and whether or not your baby has produced enough diapers that day. Then, when we least expect it, we wake up with a cough or catch a cold from our children. So, what do we do to protect our infant from illness?
How to Unclog a Milk Duct
Clogged milk ducts, while common, are uncomfortable and can quickly develop into mastitis. Most women (especially with their first baby) experience clogged ducts within the first six weeks after birth. Clogged ducts may also develop following missed nursing or pumping sessions, wearing constrictive bras, or when the infant begins sleeping for longer stretches. Read on to find out how to treat a clogged milk duct.
Cracked and Painful Nipples
Cracked and painful nipples are one of the most common reasons mothers prematurely stop breastfeeding. Many factors have been identified to cause painful or damaged nipples, including poor breastfeeding technique or latch, breast engorgement, inverted/malformed nipples, bottle feeding, nipple hypersensitivity, and inappropriate breast pumps. This article outlines some of the most effective ways to correct and resolve these issues.
Cleaning Your Breast Pump
Keeping your breast pump parts clean is as important as keeping your baby's pacifiers and bottles/nipples clean. While each breast pump is different and breaks down differently, cleaning & sanitizing is similar with each pump.
Increasing Milk Supply According to a Lactation Consultant
One of the most regularly asked questions that breastfeeding mothers ask is, “how do I increase my breast milk supply?" Many moms turn to the internet in search of the best product on the market as a quick fix to help stimulate and increase their supply. Hundreds of products are available at the click of a mouse, ranging from pills, smoothies, cookies, and teas. However, it is not always that easy.
The Most Important Breastfeeding Accessories
In this modern internet era, it is easy to get caught up in buying all the latest breastfeeding gadgets that supposedly make the process easier. While most of the accessories advertised on the market can be helpful, they are not always necessary. However, there are a few items that we consider essential. These items include a double electric pump (often covered by insurance), nursing bras, lanolin or nipple care cream, and storage bottles/milk bags. Read on to find out why these accessories can improve your breastfeeding outcomes.
Don't Give Up Breastfeeding Too Quickly!
Mothers typically have two versions of breastfeeding. On the one hand, they believe it's natural, and "breast is best," so it must be easy, which can lead to disappointments or unrealistic expectations. On the other hand, moms hear horror stories from friends and family about how difficult it was for them and quickly become discouraged. Because breastfeeding isn't always a fairytale story, determination and dedication are key.
Birth Control During Breastfeeding
As advised by medical professionals waiting for six weeks after giving birth will not only let your body heal sufficiently but ensure that your milk supply is firmly established. When you decide to start using contraceptives, consult with your infant’s pediatrician and your gynecologist first. Those months of breastfeeding are also no easy feat. It takes a lot of work and care to maintain your supply, so you want to make a birth control choice that does not interfere but also works for your needs, health, and lifestyle.
Nipple Shields
Although nipple shields have proven helpful for many breastfeeding mothers, there is some contradictory data regarding the long-term effects of its use and the best method for weaning off the nipple shield and introducing the bare nipple. Read on to find out about the pros and cons of nipple shields.
How Much Milk Does My Baby Need?
Are you wondering how much milk your baby needs? How big is your baby’s tummy, and how much can it hold? Find these answers here, and we will show you an easy way to calculate how much milk your baby needs and how many ounces your baby should eat.
Is It OK to Breastfeed and Formula Feed at the Same Time?
While many of us understand the benefits of breastfeeding, for some moms, exclusive breastfeeding is not always an option. In this day and age, many moms have to return to work within a few months of their baby’s birth, and being able to pump is non-negotiable. However, many moms experience difficulties with pumping and then don’t have enough milk to give to babysitters. Additionally, many moms struggle with issues such as getting their baby to latch, low milk supply, or nipple pain. For these and other reasons, the decision to supplement with formula becomes the only viable option.
The Benefits of Breastfeeding
Did you know that the Liquid Gold flowing from your breasts is doing just as much to protect your health as it is your baby’s? That’s right, the benefits of breastfeeding are not exclusive to your baby. Breastfeeding is beneficial to your own health as well, and a recent focus on the long-term benefits of breastfeeding has added new value to the Good Ole Liquid Gold. Read more to learn the many ways that both you and your baby benefit from breastfeeding and how long these benefits last.
When Is the Right Time to Stop Breastfeeding?
The decision to stop breastfeeding is a very personal one. Each mother has a different breastfeeding experience, and her emotions surrounding breastfeeding will be just as unique. Some mothers have a clear idea of how long they want to breastfeed, and when they would like to stop, but for many mothers, it is not that simple or obvious. While there’s no recommended cut-off time for breastfeeding, however long you choose to breastfeed will be beneficial to both you and your baby. There are many things to take into consideration when choosing to wean your baby off the breast, including your own beliefs and feelings, the feelings and needs of your child, and dare I say it, sometimes the unwelcome opinions of others.
Your Baby At Six Months Old
At six months old, your baby is halfway to her first birthday, and she will be very interested in the world around her. Soon you won’t be able to contain her in one space, secure that she will stay put, because crawling is around the corner. This is also the month that you will start her on solid foods, if you haven’t done so already, and will also be the month that she will start to sit unsupported.
Meconium Aspiration Syndrome
Meconium is the thick, sticky, tar-like substance that your baby excretes into her diaper after birth. It is made up of all the dead skin cells, proteins, fats, intestinal secretions, and all the other matter your baby swallowed while in the womb. After delivery, your baby will pass meconium stools for the first few days of life. Sometimes, if your baby is distressed, she will have a bowel movement before birth and will excrete the meconium into the amniotic fluid. This can present a problem known as meconium aspiration syndrome.
How to Latch Your Baby for Breastfeeding
The big secret to a good latch is a tiny space at the back of your baby’s tongue. Many mothers make the common mistake of stopping just short of this space, an area which we call the “NO ZONE”. Learn here the simple concepts of a good latch and how to get a good latch when breastfeeding your newborn. As well as, how to recognize a bad latch and what you can do to fix it. And learn why the ”NO ZONE”, is no place for a nipple.
The Best Breastfeeding Positions
Breastfeeding a newborn is very different to breastfeeding a six-month-old or even a 3-month-old baby. Learn which positions are best for breastfeeding your newborn, what a good latch feels like, different techniques for achieving a deeper latch, and how to know when your baby is full.