Latched Lactation Services

09/11/2023

Emotional support bingo wings! What’s your baby’s comfort?
My newest nursling has kept me on a bit of a hiatus, but I’m ready to jump back in to loving on and supporting mamas in their feeding journeys.

08/12/2022

08/01/2021

Women are amazing!

07/30/2021

Wise words from a wise man!

You got your period back 3 months after birth, even though you are exclusively breastfeeding?

Here is what is “normal”. A mother who breastfeeds exclusively for about six months, continues breastfeeding as the baby desires after six months and allows the baby to eat food as the baby desires, and continues breastfeeding into the second year of life, will get back her period, on average, 14 to 17 months after birth. This is an average but can vary widely.

The photo is of a 2000 year old Roman statue, showing a baby pulling at the breast. Why does the baby pull at the breast like that? See below.

If you have had a decrease in your milk supply, your period did not cause your milk supply to decrease; your milk supply decreased and as a result, you got back your period.

Why would you have had a decrease in your milk supply. Why would your milk supply decrease?

1. The baby’s latch is not as good as it could be (a baby with a tongue tie does not have a good latch, even if the mother has no ni**le or breast pain and the baby is drinking well with breastfeeding alone).
2. Offering only one breast at a feeding frequently results in a decrease in milk supply. If the baby is “full” he may not take the second side, but the baby should be offered both breasts at each feeding. Note: A baby is not drinking milk just because the baby is latched on and making sucking movements.
3. “Sleep training” can reduce the milk supply significantly.
4. Babies should feed when they are showing signs that they are hungry, not by the clock. Exclusively breastfed babies are fussy, or “colicky”, usually because they want more milk. Even if they are gaining weight well, some babies just want more. A pacifier does not provide more milk.
5. Hormonal birth control can decrease the milk supply. Yes, even the “minipill” and the “IUD with hormones” can decrease the milk supply.
6. Using bottles, even with breastmilk in it, can decrease the milk supply because the way a baby drinks from a bottle teat is different from the way a baby latched on to the breast.

This article http://ibconline.ca/decreased/ discusses late onset decreasing milk supply.

Want to learn more about how breastfeeding? See our eBook "Breastfeeding: Empowering Parents". The eBook contains videos, links to scholarly articles and more: https://ibconline.ca/ebook/.

New! An audiobook of my book Dr Jack Newman’s Guide to breastfeeding. https://www.audible.ca/search?keywords=dr.+jack+newman&ref=a_hp_t1_header_search

06/20/2021

"Training"⠀
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Night waking is biologically normal. Night weaning does not ensure no wake ups. Sleep training does NOT ensure a good sleeper.⠀
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Sleep is a biological function, it cannot be forced. Just as if someone sat you on the toilet and demanded you p*e right then.⠀
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"Just give him rice cereal before bed. He's almost 3 month's, he'll be fine."⠀
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"Put them in bed, close the door, don't go back in until morning."⠀
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"If they are so upset they throw up, go in and change the sheets. Don't make eye contact or speak to them."⠀
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"She's getting too used to being comforted every time she wakes."⠀
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"Get out of the house when you put him in his crib, this way you won't hear his cries."⠀
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"Let them cry, they're just manipulating you."⠀
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Complete. And. Utter. BS.⠀
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Not to mention, DANGEROUS.⠀
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And many women believe that their baby, that only wakes a few times a night for nourishment and/or comfort, has a problem that needs to be solved.⠀
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Waking frequently is a protective measure against SIDS, and also helps to maintain breastfeeding. ⠀
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It's expected that they need feeds throughout the night. (Have you ever doubled your weight within a few months before? Or had rapid brain development and growth, so much so that you can't even rest?)⠀
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It's unrealistic to expect babies to sleep BETTER than adults. ⠀
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Why do we need studies, and facts, and statistics to show how it is or is not damaging. How it is or is not ok to hold your baby to sleep, nurse your baby to sleep, rock your baby to sleep.⠀
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What happened to following our instincts? What happened to parenting from and following what you feel is right and good in your heart?⠀
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If you need to p*e, do you wake? If you need to adjust the covers, do you wake? Do you wake when you're thirsty, had a bad dream, need to roll over?⠀
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Let's normalize normal behaviors.⠀
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Babies and children don't have sleep problems.⠀
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Society has expectation problems.⠀
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Needing comfort isn't a problem that needs to be fixed. It's part of being human.

04/02/2021

03/27/2021

I bet breastmilk would get that boat unstuck!

03/25/2021

Donor milk makes these memories ❤