Maybe you took a sip of champagne post-delivery, but you still have a while before you can eat and drink with complete abandon postpartum. What you consume passes to your baby through your breast milk and can affect their growth and development.
Furthermore, certain inflammatory foods could make it harder for your body to recover from pregnancy. You need nourishment to recover and thrive. Here are six foods new moms should avoid postpartum and what to eat instead.
While some of these foods are healthy after you finish breastfeeding, others are worth avoiding for good if you hope to improve your overall health. It's important to note that this list is not a "one-size-fits-all." This list is intended to help give you a general foundation of which foods are often best to avoid, and which foods can help you thrive.
Most food is processed in some way before you eat it, but ultra-processed foods barely resemble their natural forms. They include the following:
These foods can be problematic in excess because they increase the risk of health related issues. Consider reducing or eliminating consumption, especially if you had gestational diabetes.
The Academy Of American Pediatrics (AAP) recommends against drinking alcohol while breastfeeding. Alcohol does get into your breast milk and can affect your baby and breastfeeding journey. However, organizations do not advise against it if done carefully to minimize baby’s exposure to alcohol in milk. The AAP has guidelines on safer alcohol consumption by breastfeeding moms. When it comes to alcohol and breastfeeding, it’s all about moderation. In general, having one drink every now and then is not an issue. However, drinking daily or in large amounts frequently is usually ill-advised.
If you’re a coffee drinker, it’s best to drink it, along with other forms of caffeine, in moderation if you’re breastfeeding. It has been found that caffeine can be found in breast milk. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that mothers limit their caffeine intake to about 300 milligrams (about 2-3 cups of coffee). In short, it’s best to limit your intake of caffeine while breastfeeding to 200 to 300 milligrams per day.
We have a full blog on drinking caffeine while breastfeeding if you're looking for more information on this topic.
Here’s where you must use your judgment, mama. Some new moms report that their babies become fussy when their diets contain high amounts of foods like kale, broccoli and beans. If it produces gas in adults, may similarly affect your infant, although some children tolerate such foods without trouble.
Nearly 75% of non-organic fresh produce sold in the U.S contains residue from potentially harmful pesticides. Choosing organic fruits and vegetables can significantly reduce the amounts of the residues from pesticides in a person’s body. While switching completely to organic produce may be a challenge due to availability or a person’s budget, there are ways to make healthier choices while keeping your budget in mind. Following the “Clean Fifteen” list, or the list of non-organic produce found to have the lowest amounts of pesticide residues according to the latest EWG’s analysis, can help save some money while making wise choices. At the same time, avoiding non-organic produce found on the “Dirty Dozen” list and choosing organic options for those items can be a better choice for you and your little ones.
Nourishing your body to recover from pregnancy means eating plenty of the following:
Doing so ensures you have the nutrients you need to recover. In addition, postpartum moms face unique health risks. Those who had gestational diabetes are more likely to develop the Type 2 form of the disease after giving birth.
Additionally, some women develop a potentially fatal condition known as peripartum cardiomyopathy, which weakens their heart. A healthy diet helps, as those who consume one to two servings of fatty fish weekly reduce their risk of dying from heart disease by 36%.
New moms must nourish themselves to recover from pregnancy postpartum. They also need to consider their growing infant, protecting them from harmful substances and ensuring they have adequate nutrition. Knowing what to eat and avoid postpartum goes far in preserving your and your new baby’s health while helping you both thrive!
*This is not intended to be medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare provider.
If you’ve been faced with breastfeeding challenges like low milk supply or a baby who’s having trouble latching or gaining weight, it may have been recommended to you to try something called “triple feeding.” Essentially, triple feeding is a method where you combine breastfeeding, pumping, and supplementing. Triple feeding can be helpful for many breastfeeding parents, but it can also be overwhelming and exhausting. It’s important to understand that triple feeding is not meant to be used as a long-term solution to breastfeeding challenges.
Here, we’ll take a closer look at triple feeding, and how to navigate it as you feed your little one.
Triple feeding is a breastfeeding technique where the breastfeeding parent spends each feeding session doing three things:
Breastfeeding
Pumping breast milk
Supplementing
The goal of triple feeding is to increase or maintain your milk supply, have your baby practice breastfeeding, and ensure that your baby is getting enough nutrition. Triple feeding is meant to be temporary. It’s meant to be used for several days or up to a few weeks, until you and your baby get over the hump of the challenges you are facing.
There are several different instances where a lactation professional may recommend triple feeding to a breastfeeding parent. This may include:
If you are breastfeeding a premature baby
If your baby is having latching or sucking issues
If you are struggling with a low milk supply
If your baby is jaundiced or very sleepy at the breast
If your baby is having any kind of medical issue that makes it hard to suckle effectively
Triple feeding is meant to be done on roughly the same schedule as any breastfeeding schedule. If you are triple feeding a newborn, that might look like using this feeding technique every 2-3 hours, or 8-12 times in 24 hours. However, keeping in mind that triple feeding is very time consuming, it may not be necessary or possible to do it for every feeding. The lactation professional you are working with will be able to help you come up with a schedule for triple feeding that works for you.
People will do triple feeding in various ways, but in general triple feeding goes like this:
Step One: Breastfeed
Breastfeed your baby, letting them suckle as long as they are able and interested. You can use breast compression (gentle squeeze of the breast) to get the milk flowing. Once they are done with one side, you can offer the other. When your baby has stopped actively suckling, you can move to the next step.
Step Two: Pump
Next, you will be pumping your breasts, in order to boost or maintain your supply, and so that you can collect milk to supplement your baby. Generally, you’ll want to pump both breasts at once for around 15-20 minutes. Massage and compressing your breasts can help. Collect the milk to feed your baby now, or store the milk for the next feeding.
Step Three: Supplement
Finally, you will supplement your baby. Most likely, you’ll bottle feed your baby milk you’ve just pumped or recently pumped. In some cases, you will need to add some formula so that your baby has enough calories. If you are using a bottle, you might consider paced bottle feeding, where you feed your baby upright, holding the bottle horizontally so it’s only half full. Watch your baby for signs of fullness and don’t overfeed. Some parents will choose to supplement by using a supplemental nursing system (SNS), which is a small tube that goes into a bottle and that you adhere to your breast so that your baby can get their supplement at the breast. Other parents might employ cup feeding or spoon feeding. Your lactation provider will guide you on how much supplement to give your baby.
If your baby is struggling to get enough milk or if you are struggling to make enough milk, triple feeding isn’t your only option. There are other ways to maximize your supply, keep your baby interested in breastfeeding, and make sure they are well fed.
Some other options include:
Parallel pumping, which is where you pump your other breast while your baby is actively breastfeeding; using a wearable breast pump that fits inside your bra can make this easier
Using a supplemental nursing system while breastfeeding is a way that you combine steps 1 (breastfeeding) and 3 (supplementing) of triple feeding because your baby will receive their supplement at the breast
Having someone else take over step 3 of triple feeding, and feeding your baby for you, can help you get a much-needed break
Triple feeding can be draining and difficult. It requires a lot of time and energy during a period where you are liable to be depleted and fatigued from the sheer demands of caring for a newborn. If you are going to triple feed, you must have help and support from others. This may involve having them feed the supplement to your baby, wash your pump parts, bring you your baby when it’s time to feed, and give you plenty of time in between to rest.
It can’t be emphasized enough that triple feeding is meant to be temporary. It can take a few days to a week to boost your milk supply with extra pumping. If your baby continues to have latching issues or your milk supply doesn’t seem to be increasing, then there may be other areas that you need to tackle. You should continue to be in touch with your lactation helper so that any potential issues can be properly addressed.
When it comes to triple feeding—and breastfeeding in general—you don’t have to be a martyr. If you are finding that triple feeding is simply too much for you, it’s okay to stop and consider other options. You also don’t have to do triple feeding every time you feed your baby. Be honest with yourself about what you can manage. It’s important not to deplete your energy, because you can’t take care of your baby if you don’t take care of yourself.
Lanolin is an oil that is naturally secreted from sheep’s skin. The purpose of lanolin is to protect and condition the sheep’s wool, and it is extracted after the sheep is sheared. Because of its conditioning properties, lanolin has become widely used in cosmetics, hair products, and body care.
While many products use lanolin to moisturize and soothe dry skin, we don’t add it to any of our products, including our organic Nipple Cream. While lanolin works great for many people, it can trigger allergic contact dermatitis when applied to inflamed skin (like chapped nursing nipples) and can cause additional discomfort in people who are sensitive or allergic to wool. Some people also find lanolin to be sticky or waxy to the touch and have a difficult time applying that to sensitive skin.
Here at Motherlove, we use extra virgin olive oil, beeswax, and shea butter instead of lanolin. These ingredients are all Certified Organic by Oregon Tilth. Beeswax has been used as a natural skin care since ancient Egyptian times. In a 2020 review, beeswax was found to soften and lubricate the skin, prevent water loss, provide a protective barrier to the skin, and is also shown to have antiseptic properties. Shea butter is another ingredient proven to have anti-inflammatory and emollient properties to moisturize and soothe skin. Finally, olive oil serves as a great base for many of our products, including Nipple Cream. We use it to help pull out the beneficial herbal constituents and give our products a nice and smooth feel that is easily absorbed by the skin. Olive oil is rich in vitamins, including A, D, K, and E, and is known to moisturize and hydrate skin.
Many products use lanolin for its conditioning properties; some people swear by it. However, many choose to avoid it for its risks and potential allergens. Lanolin was named the 2023 allergen of the year for this reason. We found the powerhouse of benefits of organic extra virgin olive oil, beeswax, and shea butter to outshine lanolin. As a result of using these nourishing ingredients and our carefully chosen organic herbs, our Nipple Cream isn’t just award-winning; it’s our best-selling product and mom-favorite! Since our skin is the largest organ of our bodies, what we put on our skin matters. Here at Motherlove, we only use clean ingredients and organic herbs in our products to give you peace of mind!
Are you a healthcare provider that would like to introduce Nipple Cream to your clients or your hospital administration? Apply for our Samples Program! We offer 2.5ml sized samples of our USDA Certified Organic, award-winning, lanolin-free Nipple Cream.
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Maintaining your newborn’s routine during the holidays is essential for their well-being and your peace of mind. Here are some practical tips to help you navigate the busy holiday season while keeping your little one’s schedule intact.
1. Plan Ahead
Before the holiday rush begins, take some time to plan. Create a written list that includes your baby's feeding, napping and bedtime routines. Keep this schedule handy, and share it with your family and friends who will be part of your holiday celebrations. By having a plan in place, you can communicate your newborn’s needs effectively.
2. Be Open About Your Baby's Needs
Don’t hesitate to communicate your baby's needs to your loved ones. Let them know the importance of sticking to the routine for their health and happiness. Your friends and family will likely understand and be more than willing to accommodate your needs, especially if they have little ones themselves.
3. Limit Overstimulation
Overstimulation is especially common in newborns between two weeks and four months old, as they experience more stimuli than they’re used to. They can easily become overwhelmed by loud noises and bright lights. If you’re at a gathering where it’s particularly chaotic, take your baby to a quieter room occasionally for some downtime.
Limit their exposure to overstimulating environments to keep them calm and happy. If you’re attending gatherings at others’ homes, don’t hesitate to politely ask your hosts if there’s a quieter room where you can take your newborn when they need a break.
4. Bring All The Essentials
Pack a baby bag with all the essentials when heading to holiday gatherings or parties. These items may include extra diapers, wipes, bottles, breast pump, baby food, etc.
It’s better to be over-prepared than underprepared. Having these items on hand will help you maintain your baby’s schedule without interruptions.
5. Create a Portable Sleep Environment
Consider creating a portable sleep environment if your baby needs to nap during get-togethers. A travel crib or bassinet can help them get the rest they need while you enjoy the festivities. Ensure it’s set up in a quiet, dimly lit area to mimic their usual sleeping conditions. Baby-wearing can also be a great option if your little one prefers to stay close to you.
6. Maintain Consistent Bedtime Routines
One of the most critical aspects of maintaining your baby’s schedule is ensuring a consistent bedtime routine. Follow your usual pre-sleep rituals, like a warm bath, gentle lullabies and a dimly lit room. These tasks will signal your baby that it’s time for sleep, even during the holidays. Your newborn should spend between 14 and 17 hours each day sleeping, as this is one of the most vital periods for mental and physical development.
7. Share Responsibilities
Don’t hesitate to ask for help from your partner, friends and family during the holidays. Enlist their support in caring for your baby so you can take short breaks to recharge and enjoy the celebrations. Sharing responsibilities will make it easier to stick to your newborn’s routine and take a bit of the load off your shoulders.
8. Stick to Regular Feeding Times
Most babies feed every two to four hours, but this can change depending on the time of day. Even during holiday gatherings, try to stick to your baby’s regular feeding times as closely as possible. If you’re breastfeeding, find a quiet place to nurse if necessary.
9. Establish a Pre-Holiday Routine
In the days leading up to the holiday events or travel, create a pre-holiday routine that mirrors your baby’s regular schedule as much as possible. Doing this can help ease the transition and make it easier for your baby to adapt to holiday disruptions.
10. Be Flexible Within Reason
While maintaining your baby’s routine is vital, be open to some flexibility. You might have to adjust the schedule slightly to accommodate family traditions or special holiday events. Just ensure these changes are temporary and won’t disrupt your little one’s routine.
With the right approach, coping with a newborn during the holiday season doesn’t have to be all that stressful. The key to a successful holiday season is balancing celebrating with your loved ones and providing the necessary care for yourself and your baby.
]]>Having a non-latching baby can be super stressful—and this issue can come up at various times during your breastfeeding journey. Personally, my first baby refused the breast right after birth, then again during the evenings as a fussy, colicky newborn. My second baby latched happily during the newborn period, but would refuse the breast while teething. Go figure…
The point is that it’s quite common to have this problem and you can’t always predict when it’s going to happen, so it’s best to be prepared. Here’s a “cheat sheet” for how to deal with a non-latching baby at various points in the course of breastfeeding.
There are many reasons why a newborn might not latch onto the breast at first. This may have trouble because of a tongue tie or cleft palate. If you have very flat nipples, latching can be challenging at first. Additionally, babies who are premature or jaundiced may have sucking difficulties. Sometimes breastfeeding parents and their little ones just need a few days to figure latching out.
Regardless, having a non-latching newborn can feel extremely defeating. You may feel hopeless about your ability to ever breastfeed. Remember, though, that this is just the beginning, and there is time to get this right.
In the meantime, if your baby isn’t latching at all, you need to make sure they are fed. That usually means feeding them your pumped milk. If you are having trouble pumping, ask your healthcare provider about the best way to supplement your baby. Pumping is also important to establish and keep up your milk supply while you work on the latching thing.
Often, figuring out the latch is just something that takes time. You will likely need hands-on help from a breastfeeding specialist to get you on track. You’d be surprised what difference various holds and positions can make for you and your baby. A breastfeeding professional can also assess whether your baby has any conditions that may make suckling difficult and how to address them.
As you wait for your baby to learn to latch, spend time skin-to-skin together. This can help your baby tap into some of their nursing instincts. Let your baby explore the breast (lick, smell, nestle near it) without pressure to latch. You never know—they might just latch right on before your eyes.
It’s super common for babies to have a few weeks of being extremely fussy. This is usually after a period of being mostly a floppy, sleepy newborn. A few weeks after birth, babies tend to wake up a bit, sort of figure out that the world is a strange, disorganized place (as compared to the womb) and basically fuss and complain. This crankiness often happens in the evenings.
One symptom of the fussy newborn period is that as your baby fusses, they may totally refuse the breast. They may be fine with nursing in the morning and early afternoon, but as soon as the witching hour strikes, they may push your breast away or cry every time you offer it to them. You can rest assured this is normal, though it’s still very frustrating.
If this happens, try to take a deep breath, and then take a few moments to do something besides breastfeeding. Yes, you want to feed your baby if they seem hungry, but you can’t feed a baby who is fussy or crying. They simply won’t be settled enough to do the work of suckling. So you want to calm your baby down first. This may mean bouncing or shushing them. Going outside for a walk can work wonders. You can also try winding them down by having them suck on your finger, and then switching to the breast when they are calm enough to nurse.
Mostly, keep the faith, and remember this isn’t about your baby hating breastfeeding—it’s just a fussy phase. If you have any medical concerns about your baby, definitely reach out to their pediatrician.
If you’ve been happily nursing for a few months and your baby suddenly wants nothing to do with breastfeeding, it doesn’t mean that they are weaning, especially if they are under 12 months or so. What’s usually going on is that your baby is having a nursing strike.
Nursing strikes are usually caused by some sort of disruption or disturbance, though it’s not always possible for parents to figure out what that is. Sometimes babies strike because they are teething, there is stress and upheaval at home, they have an upset tummy, or something stressful happened during breastfeeding, like their parent screaming after being bit.
The number one thing to keep in mind is that if your baby is having a nursing strike, they will more than likely come back to the breast soon. You just have to be patient. It’s important to pump for however long they strike, to keep up your milk supply. You also want to keep your baby fed with pumped milk (or solids, if they are eating them).
Then, you want to offer them the breast, but be choosy about when you do that. Don’t offer when you know they are cranky. It can be helpful to offer the breast in a location different from where you normally feed. Some parents have found success offering the breast in the bath! Or outside! One of my favorite times to offer a striking baby the breast is when they first wake up or in the middle of a nap—they are more likely to forget what they are so upset about when they are sleepy.
If you have a baby who is 12 months or older and is refusing to breastfeed, you might assume they are weaning or have weaned. While weaning can sometimes happen abruptly, usually weaning is a long, gradual process, with children dropping breastfeeding sessions one by one over several months or years. Moreover, although there isn’t a strict consensus on when “natural weaning” happens, most experts agree that it happens sometime between the age two and four and that most older babies or young toddlers don’t self-wean.
If you’ve got an older baby who is suddenly not nursing and you are eager to stop breastfeeding, it’s okay if you don’t try to woo them back to the breast and just use this time as a way to end things for you both. Keep in mind that your baby may very well come back to the breast on their own, so don’t count your chickens before they hatch.
For a baby who doesn’t seem old enough or ready enough to wean, you can treat what is happening like a nursing strike and use the above tips to get your little one back to nursing. You probably don’t need to pump quite as much as when your baby was younger, but you will want to pump if the refusal lasts more than a day or two.
As with all these breast refusal/latching issues, getting support is so important. Dealing with a baby who isn’t latching can be soul crushing, and it’s normal to have all kinds of challenging feelings. You aren’t alone, though, and help and support is out there for getting through this.
Joining a breastfeeding support group is a great idea, because hearing other parents’ stories around this issue can be informative and uplifting. Reaching out to a lactation professional is also an excellent idea. Breastfeeding helpers will have tips specific for your particular situation and can help you troubleshoot the latching issues you and your baby are facing.
I’ll never forget Carrie* and her little baby boy. Carrie had been trying diligently for weeks to successfully breastfeed her son. But almost every time she offered him the breast, he’d turn away and clamp his mouth totally shut. Sometimes he’d latch on for a few seconds and suck, but he’d soon get frustrated and start to cry.
Carrie had tried everything. She was pumping full-time and had been usually feeding him pumped milk with a spoon or with a supplemental nursing system. Her baby had been evaluated for tongue tie and other sucking issues. She could pump plenty of milk and her son was very well fed and happy, but just wouldn’t latch for more than a few seconds.
She was desperate to make this work, and was willing to try anything. So I asked her what she was doing that coming weekend. She had no plans other than to continue her pumping/feeding/trying to latch routine. I told her to try something completely different. I recommended that she try a nursing vacation, meaning that she’d take the weekend to snuggle up in bed with her baby.
The idea was that she’d not make any other plans and have her spouse do all the household chores and meal prep. Her only job was to lie in bed, skin to skin with her newborn, rest and feed. She could pump if he didn’t latch and her breasts got full. She could feed him bottles if he fussed or didn’t get much out of her breasts while suckling. But the bottom line was that she’d give her baby open access to her breasts, letting him nurse as frequently and as long as he wanted, even if that meant just a few minutes at a time.
The following Monday morning Carrie reported back to me that a miracle had occurred. Her baby had breastfeed all weekend, and she hardly had to supplement him at all. All it took was a cozy, milk, uninterrupted weekend in bed.
A nursing vacation—sometimes called a nursing holiday—is when you spend a weekend (or a few days in a row) in bed doing nothing but resting, and nursing, preferably while both you and your baby are skin-to-skin. Lactation consultants and other breastfeeding support people often propose this when a breastfeeding/chestfeeding parent is running into a problem like a nursing strike, a baby who is having trouble latching, or a drop in milk supply.
Nursing vacations help babies and breastfeeding parents get back to the basics, and it allows parents to rest and pay attention to baby’s feeding cues. It removes some of the busyness and stress from life and focuses on snuggling and love, which promote breastfeeding and help parents and babies tap into their breastfeeding instincts.
There are various situations where a nursing vacation might be recommended, including:
Nursing vacations allow your baby to have more access to your breasts, promote skin-to-skin time, and can be relaxing to both you and your baby. Some of the benefits of a nursing vacation include:
There’s no one “right” way to have a nursing vacation. For example, if you don’t have much household help, or if you have other kids to tend to, it can be harder to spend an uninterrupted few days in bed. That’s okay—the idea is to do your best to simplify your life for a few days and spend restful time, skin-to-skin with your baby.
Here are some elements of a nursing vacation to consider:
It should go without saying that nursing vacations don’t solve every nursing problem. If you have a milk supply issue that isn’t primarily caused by decreased nursing or pumping, but by a medical issue, a nursing vacation won’t be able to address your milk supply issue. Babies who have suckling issues, because of tongue ties or medical issues, might not be helped much by a nursing vacation. If your baby has rarely latched in the past and relies on milk supplements, you shouldn’t stop feeding them during a nursing vacation.
Nursing vacations are best for situations where your milk supply dropped and needs a boost, your baby previously nursed well and is refusing the breast, or a baby who latches sometimes, but needs some more latching practice. If you are having any kind of breastfeeding challenge, it’s best to be in touch with a breastfeeding professional as you embark on your nursing vacation.
That being said, as I have personally witnessed many times in the past—including personally when my own baby had a nursing strike—nursing vacations are one of the best ways to get breastfeeding back on track. And all nursing parents deserve a vacation every now and then, right?
*named changed for confidentiality
There are few instances where breastfeeding doesn’t work out because of a medical issue. Most of the time, breastfeeding issues are caused by not enough breastfeeding (babies need to nurse every 2-3 hours, or more, at first), poor latching or positioning, or a combination of these. However, sometimes medical issues impact breastfeeding. One of these issues is something called breast hypoplasia, or insufficient mammary tissue (ITG).
Breast hypoplasia is when your breasts don’t have a normal amount of mammary (milk-making tissue). Mammary tissue is first produced during puberty. If you become pregnant, more mammary tissue will be made during your pregnancy. That’s why you often have sore breasts during pregnancy and why your breasts enlarge a cup or so during pregnancy—it’s all in the name of producing mammary tissue for breastfeeding.
When your body doesn’t produce enough mammary tissue—either during adolescence or pregnancy—you may end up with an insufficient amount of milk-making tissue to support breastfeeding.
Breast hypoplasia doesn’t necessarily result in smaller breasts. The size of your breasts has more to do with how much fatty issue is in your breasts, rather than how much mammary tissue you have. However, breast hypoplasia can affect other aspects of your breasts’ appearance.
Breast hypoplasia may look like:
People with breast hypoplasia may have had previous breast augmentation surgery to correct some of the features above. During pregnancy, the main symptom that you will likely notice is that your breasts don’t change much, and there is little, if any growth.
Experts aren’t sure what causes breast hypoplasia, but there are a couple of underlying conditions and aspects of a person’s medical history that may increase their risk of developing it.
People with breast hypoplasia may:
Breast hypoplasia exists on a spectrum. Many people with breast hypoplasia don’t have abnormal hormone levels, and many do have some amount of breast changes during pregnancy.
Here’s the important thing to keep in mind: Just because you have signs of breast hypoplasia or IGT, it doesn’t mean you will have trouble breastfeeding. Although many people with this condition do have challenges, it’s possible to have all the physical signs of breast hypoplasia and still produce a full milk supply for your baby. It’s also possible to produce a partial supply. Some people with hypoplasia have one breast that works perfectly fine, and another that has trouble producing milk.
Usually, you can’t know for sure if you’ll end up having milk supply issues until your baby is born and you attempt to nurse. If you have signs of hypoplasia, you’ll want to breastfeed often, make sure your baby is well latched, and keep a watch on your baby’s intake in those early weeks. But try not to worry, and have hope.
Another thing to keep in mind? Each time you are pregnant, you have more opportunities to produce glandular tissue. Sometimes people with hypoplasia find that they make more milk with each subsequent pregnancy.
There’s a range when it comes to how much milk someone with hypoplasia can produce. Often, breastfeeding is still possible, but with a little bit of assistance.
Here’s what to know:
If you have signs of hypoplasia and are having trouble producing enough milk for your little one, go back to basics: breastfeed on demand, skin-to-skin, as frequently as possible, and ask a breastfeeding professional to check your baby latch.
Make sure to rule out any other issues that can impact milk supply. This may include:
Consider supplementing with donated milk or formula. There are several ways to combine breastfeeding and supplementing in a breastfeeding friendly way, such as:
Consider using a galactagogue, which is any substance that may help increase your milk supply. There are some galactagogues which may specifically help with breast hypoplasia. The book, Making More Milk: The Breastfeeding Guide to Increasing Your Milk Production, has some research based information about herbal remedies that may support milk supply in people with hypoplasia.
Perhaps the most important tip for dealing with breast hypoplasia? Remember that whatever happens, you are an amazing parent. Breastfeeding looks different for each person, and you get to define your breastfeeding experience for yourself.
But what about bone health and breastfeeding? You may have heard that breastfeeding is “bad for your bones.” That’s a scary thought, but thankfully, not entirely accurate. Let’s take a look at how breastfeeding affects our bone health, and why breastfeeding alone doesn’t cause long-term issues with bone health.
During breastfeeding, we lose a small percentage of our bone mass. It’s also common to lose some bone mass during pregnancy. Research has found that breastfeeding parents lose about 3-5% of their bone mass. This is because of a baby’s added need for calcium, which gets taken from their lactating parent’s bones. It’s also caused by lowered levels of estrogen during breastfeeding (estrogen protects bone health).
This may sound concerning, but it’s important to understand that the drop in bone mass is temporary. Your bone mass will go back to normal levels within a few months after weaning.
Even though a certain amount of bone mass loss is common during both pregnancy and breastfeeding, parents should still take care to ensure they are getting proper amounts of calcium. Though rare, according to the National Institute of Health, some parents do develop osteoporosis during pregnancy and lactation, usually due to nutritional deficits (this is temporary and can be restored).
Your calcium needs increase significantly during pregnancy and lactation. According to The National Academy of Sciences, pregnant and breastfeeding folks should consume 1,000 mg of calcium per day. It’s best to get calcium from foods, but sometimes your healthcare provider will recommend you take a calcium supplement.
There are many different dietary sources of calcium—and you don’t have to rely on dairy milk to get enough calcium. Some good food sources of calcium include:
You may be wondering how breastfeeding impacts your long-term bone health. After all, post-menopausal women are prone to osteoporosis (where bones become fragile and brittle) which can increase their risk of bone fracture and back pain.
Most research has found that breastfeeding doesn’t negatively affect your long-term bone health. For example, a 2019 study published in BMC Women’s Health found no correlation between breastfeeding and poor bone health later in life. Study researchers looked at a sample of 202 post-menopausal Chinese women to see if there was a connection between breastfeeding and the development of osteoporosis. The researchers found that previous breastfeeding wasn’t linked to the development of osteoporosis among these women.
However, there were some variables that made the likelihood of developing osteoporosis more likely. These included having a high BMI. Additionally, the older the women were, the higher the likelihood of developing osteoporosis. The more pregnancies they had, the more likely they were to develop it as well.
Having strong bones is important throughout your life, and especially when you get older. Protecting your bones starts early, though, and developing bone-healthy habits is super important throughout your life.
Here’s what you to can do to keep your bones healthy, according to the National Institute on Aging:
Hearing that breastfeeding can reduce your bone mass is a frightening thought. But there’s really nothing to worry about, because the loss is temporary and normal. That doesn’t mean that staying on top of your calcium intake isn’t important though. So load up on that yogurt, tofu, spinach, and kale!
Please reach out to your doctor, midwife, or lactation consultant if you have any further questions about nutrition during breastfeeding.
Sex isn’t always a topic that is talked about openly and honestly. When it comes to sex and breastfeeding, it’s a topic not talked about nearly enough! The fact is, it’s very common to experience changes in your sexual feelings, the frequency that you want to have sex, and even changes in your body that make sex more challenging.
The changes that happen during breastfeeding aren’t even all bad—it’s just that things change, and change is hard. It’s important to note that these changes happen whether you are breastfeeding or not. Just giving birth to a baby and caring for that baby can have strong impacts on your sexuality and sexual desire. Studies have found that a whopping 64% of parents experience some level of sexual challenges after giving birth.
The truth is that one of the best ways to tell if your baby is getting enough breast milk is by weighing them. While diaper output, time spent at the breast, and trying to gauge if your baby seems satisfied are all helpful ways to tell if your baby is getting enough, they are a bit subjective.
Some babies poop 5 times a day and aren't getting enough milk; some only poop twice a day and are growing well. Some babies finish the breast in 5 minutes and are totally full; others need 15 minutes on each side to get what they need! Finally, some babies seem totally content after feeding, but they have shut down and are conserving energy because they aren't getting enough calories. Other babies seem to want to feed "all the time," as though they are starving, but they are actually thriving.
Weight gain, though, is less subjective. If your baby is gaining weight at a steady rate, meeting milestones, and is generally healthy, we usually can surmise confidentially that your baby is getting enough breast milk.
The problem is that weighing a baby, especially if done frequently and under certain circumstances, can be extremely anxiety-producing for parents. Not only that, but certain ways of weighing a baby may give you incomplete information about your baby's status, your milk supply, or how much milk your baby is generally taking in while breastfeeding.
Sometimes a lactation consultant will do pre and post-feed weigh-ins during a consultation. The lactation consultant needs to use a very sensitive and accurate scale for this. The way it works is that your baby is weighed before feeding, and that weight is noted. Then your baby feeds, and is weighed again. The scale or your lactation consultant then calculates how much your baby's weight has increased, which can tell you how much your baby has taken in during that feed.
"During that feed" is the operative phrase here, though. While weighted feeds can be helpful in terms of giving your care team information about how much your baby took in during a particular feed, it is just that: a snapshot of one particular feed. Babies take in different amounts throughout the day, depending on the time of day, their behavior, their breastfeeding parents' behavior, how recently they've fed, etc.
Your lactation consultant uses this information as part of a larger picture to help understand what your baby is doing at the breast, along with other challenges they are dealing with. If your lactation consultant had weighed your baby at other feedings during the day, they might have gotten wildly different numbers. So it's really important not to take the weighted feed numbers as gospel. Try not to pay attention to them at all, if possible.
Periodic weigh-ins, usually at a pediatrician's office, are a better measure of how your baby is gaining weight. If you are worried about your baby's weight gain, it's best to wait at least a week before weighing your baby again because it can take that long to see results. Even then, you will understand the trajectory of your baby's weight gain even better if you weigh them monthly.
I don't recommend purchasing or renting a baby scale to weigh your baby at home. These are often unreliable, and the calibration can easily get thrown off. You are also just more likely to obsessively weigh your baby, which will not only stress you out but will not give you an accurate picture of their weight gain. Again, you need at least a week (or more) to assess whether a baby has put on weight.
As you think about your baby’s weight, there are a few facts about normal weight gain to keep in mind:
Sometimes there really is an issue with your baby's weight, and this should not be minimized at all. If your baby isn't back to their birth weight by 1-2 weeks, or if they are slow to gain weight after that, you should take this seriously. Meeting with a lactation consultant who takes your concerns seriously, and comes up with a compassionate plan of care can be super helpful. Sometimes the answer will be as simple as a latch or positioning adjustment, but sometimes either you or your baby will have medical or anatomical differences that impact your baby's ability to gain weight.
Occasionally, breastfed parents will need to pump their milk, or consider short-term supplementation. Other times, different measures, such as surgery for a tongue-tie or trying herbs to support breast milk supply, will be advised. Some breastfeeding parents aren't able to bring in a full milk supply due to hormonal differences or breast anatomy differences; these parents may need to supplement on a long-term basis. Some will end up weaning, and that's okay too.
As a parent, you should always go with your instincts. If you think something is off with your baby’s weight gain, or your baby’s health in general, you shouldn’t hesitate to reach out to your pediatrician or lactation consultant for help.
At the same time, it’s important to keep weight checks in perspective. While they can offer some helpful information, they can often cause more stress and problems than they solve. It’s important to take information from a pre or post-weigh with a grain of salt, and you should shy away from weighing your baby on a daily basis.
When possible, try to look at the larger picture: Is your baby gaining weight at their own, steady pace? Are they feeding frequently, peeing and pooping often? Are they meeting milestones? Has your pediatrician said that they are healthy? If the answer to these questions is “yes!”, then you can breathe a deep sigh of relief because you are doing just fine!
Recently, the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) released new sleep guidelines for breastfeeding parents and their babies. For many breastfeeding parents—especially those who have been told repeatedly that it’s not safe to share a bed with their baby—these guidelines offer some reassurance and helpful tips.
These guidelines can be found on the ABM’s website, and are translated into several different languages, so that they can be helpful to as many parents as possible. Here we’ll take a look at what the guidelines say, the rationale behind them, and what they may mean to breastfeeding parents.
The new sleep guidelines are based on a ABM protocol about breastfeeding and bedsharing, revised in 2020 and published in Breastfeeding Medicine. The guidelines summarize the ABM’s guidance about how to sleep safely as a breastfeeding parent, with actionable steps to take to make this possible.
While most health organizations recommend that both breastfeeding parents and non-breastfeeding parents don’t share a bed with their babies under any circumstances, ABM’s protocol acknowledges that most parents will do so at some point, so it’s best to teach parents to do this safely. ABM notes that sharing sleep with a baby increases breastfeeding initiation and duration, and decreases the chances that you will need to supplement with formula or pumped milk.
They emphasize that their bedsharing recommendations are meant for breastfeeding parents only, who are biologically primed to be more aware of their infants throughout the night. Breastfeeding parents also tend to bedshare with their babies while adopting a position called the C-position or cuddle curl. In this position, the breastfeeding parent is on their side, curled around their infant. This position is thought to protect babies from moving around the bed and making contact with unsafe objects, like pillows and blankets.
As the ABM notes in their updated protocol, breastfed babies who sleep with a lactating parent tend to spend less time in a deep sleep and more time in a lighter sleep. This is thought to be protective, because these babies are easier to rouse from moment of breathing difficulties (apneas).
The new guidelines emphasize that sharing a bed with a baby should only be done by breastfeeding parents, and should only be done on a bed. That means that sofas, chairs, recliners, or any other non-bed surfaces are categorically unsafe to sleep on with a breastfeeding baby. Additionally, they note that no one who has recently used drugs or alcohol should share sleep with a baby. The same is true of smoking.
Another important note is that infants who are premature or born with a low birth weight should not share a bed with their parents. This is true even if they are a breastfed infant. You should talk to your healthcare provider about when it may be appropriate to safely sleep with a baby who was born prematurely.
While sharing sleep, it’s important that your bed is as safe as possible. Tips for making your bed safe include:
Only sleeping on a firm and flat mattress
Not pushing your bed against a wall (baby can get trapped between bed and wall)
Not using a guardrail (again, because of possible entrapment)
Removing any extra pillows, thick blankets, toys, dangling objects
Never placing a blanket or pillow over your baby’s head
Placing your bed on the floor is a good option
You may have heard a lot about the “back to sleep” campaign, with the idea that babies should always sleep on their backs to reduce the chances of SIDS. This still holds true when you are sharing a bed with your baby. While you are nursing your baby, they will be on their side facing your breast, but once they are back to sleep, ABM emphasizes that they should be put to sleep on their backs.
If you are a breastfeeding parent, you’ve likely heard a lot of different messages about sleep. You might have been told that you definitely shouldn’t sleep with your baby under any circumstances, both because it’s not safe and also because it sets up “bad sleep habits.” You might have also been told that sleeping with your baby is the only way to maintain a good milk supply and that you are a “bad” breastfeeding parent if you’d rather not bedshare.
There is no “right” answer here! The truth is that most breastfeeding parents do a combination of sleeping with their babies and placing their babies on an alternative surface. However you do it, though, you should ensure that you are doing it safely. For all babies, that means placing their babies to sleep on their backs, on a firm surface, and with no extraneous pillows or bedding around.
These new guidelines from ABM are likely going to help breastfeeding parents who bedshare already feel more confident about doing so. It may also give parents who are on the fence permission to sleep with their baby more often. Moreover, these guidelines provide some tips about ensuring you are bedsharing as safely as possible (this is SO important!).
All babies are different, so even with these guidelines in mind, it’s vital that you check in with a medical provider before sharing a bed with your baby. If you feel unsure about how to approach the discussion, you can bring these new ABM guidelines for support, and as a springboard to start your discussion.
There is nothing quite as distressing as caring for a baby who is sick. Cold and flu season can bring more illnesses than we’d like to our babies. This cold and flu season has been particularly intense, with many viruses circulating widely at once, including flu, colds, COVID, and tummy bugs.
If you are breastfeeding, you can feel assured by the fact that breast milk is protective against your baby getting severely ill, but that doesn’t mean they won’t sometimes pick up a bug. If you are breastfeeding a baby who is under the weather, you may have all kinds of questions about how to proceed. Can you continue breastfeeding a baby who is sick? What to do if your baby is too fussy to nurse?
Here, we’ll tackle all the questions that breastfeeding parents might have about breastfeeding a baby who isn’t feeling well.
Yes! If your baby is sick, you can and should continue breastfeeding. This is the case even if you are sick, too. Here’s why: As soon as you or your baby becomes ill with a particular pathogen, the composition of your breast milk changes, and antibodies for that particular virus can be found in your milk. Even beyond that, your breast milk has a baseline of antibodies and antiviral agents that help fight off infections throughout the entire time you and your baby are breastfeeding.
In some cases, breastfeeding reduces the risk of your baby even picking up a virus in the first place. But even if they do pick it up, breastfeeding often decreases the severity of their illness. In particular, breastfeeding is known to reduce the risk of gastrointestinal infections (vomiting and diarrhea), respiratory infections, and ear infections.
In a nutshell? If your baby is sick, definitely keep nursing them!
Okay, so you know the goal is to get as much breast milk into your ill baby as possible, but sometimes illness can make breastfeeding really challenging. Babies may have trouble latching, they may be super lethargic, and they may be more fussy than usual.
Here are some tips for making breastfeeding work when your baby is sick.
When your baby is congested, nursing can be really hard. That’s because a stuffy nose can make it hard to breathe well. Your little one may latch for a little while and then come off. They may act frustrated and fussy. Some even reject the breast for a while.
Thankfully, there are things you can do to navigate this tough period:
Having a baby with a tummy bug is no fun at all. But nursing your baby is one the best things you can do for them now, as breast milk can help reduce the seriousness of gastro bugs and help your baby recover sooner. Not only that, but breast milk is often one of the few fluids that babies can keep down.
If it’s hard for your baby to nurse during a tummy bug, you can offer them shorter breastfeeds, or pump your milk and feed it to them with a spoon. It’s very important that you rehydrate your baby during times of vomiting. If you notice any signs of dehydration, such as fewer wet diapers, or extreme exhaustion, please contact your pediatrician right away.
Babies who have fevers can be more difficult to nurse because of how fussy and tired they can be. It can be helpful to go back to the basics here. Do more skin to skin with a feverish baby, breastfeeding them as they are sleeping, and in short, frequent spurts. If your baby is overheated, you can place a moist towel on their head.
You can also speak to your pediatrician about baby-friendly fever reducers that might be appropriate for your baby. Your pediatrician will give you proper dosing instructions as well.
Most of the time, fevers in babies are not a problem, and you can continue breastfeeding them as a way to soothe their discomfort and help them heal faster. However, any type of fever in a baby under three months requires a call to your pediatrician.
Breastfeeding a sick baby can be super challenging, but the good news is that breastfeeding isn’t just amazing medicine for your baby, but it can be incredibly comforting and soothing. Many parents say that nursing is one of the only things that their baby wants to do when they aren’t feeling well. If this is the case, just go with it. Pare down your life for a few days, snuggle up to your baby, and nurse them back to health (literally!).
Of course, sometimes breastfeeding and cuddling isn’t all that’s needed when a baby is sick. Stay in touch with your pediatrician, and don’t hesitate to bring your baby in if they have a high fever (or any fever if they are under three months), are extremely lethargic, are dehydrated, or can’t breastfeed at all.
Most importantly, remember that as hard as caring for and breastfeeding a sick baby is, this too shall pass. Your baby will bounce back to their healthy, happy self before you know it.
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You’ve just fed your little one, and then twenty minutes later, they’re hungry again. So you feed them, thinking this feed will finally satisfy them. But no! They are hungry one more time, just a half hour later. What on earth is going on? Do you have enough milk? How could they possibly be hungry again?
Enter cluster feeding, a common behavior of little ones, where they cluster their feeds together in small periods of time. It’s pretty typical during the newborn months, and while it’s definitely bewildering and exhausting, there is likely nothing wrong with your baby … and the constant feeding will be a thing of the past before you know it.
Cluster feeding refers to periods of times where babies feed much more often than usual. It’s most common in breastfed babies, but bottle fed babies do it too. Newborns usually feed 8-12 times in a 24 hour period, and most of the times these feeds are spaced every 2-3 hours. With cluster feeding, your baby will suddenly want to eat every hour, or even every 20-30 minutes.
These clustered feeds usually coincide with the evening hours, or the “witching hours.” During this time, your baby is often more fussy, sleepy, cranky, and needful. But cluster feeding can happen during any time of day. The main idea is that the feeds are closer together than usual.
Probably the most important thing to keep in mind about cluster feeding is that it rarely has to do with you not having enough milk for your baby. If your baby is growing well, meeting milestones, and producing a normal number of poopy diapers (usually about 3-5 poopy diapers a day for the first 6 weeks), it’s not likely that you have a milk supply issue.
Most of the time, cluster feeding happens when babies are going through growth spurts. Simply put, when they are growing, they need to eat more often—and babies have a lot of growing to do when they are newborns. If you are nursing, your baby might be nursing more frequently to stimulate your milk supply. After all, breastfeeding is supply and demand, so the more they nurse, the more milk you will produce.
Oftentimes, a baby is fussy at the breast for a few days, nursing more in an attempt to increase your milk supply. Within a few days, your body gets the message and produces more milk. Often, babies start to settle down then. Babies bulk up quickly during growth spurts: before you know it, your baby is outgrowing their newborn clothes! Grow spurts generally happen around 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months.
Another reason babies cluster feed is emotional. Sucking is soothing, and like older kids and grown ups, babies get tired by the end of the day. They may also be overstimulated. So wanting to curl into a trusted parent and suckle more than usual in the evening hours is natural.
Just because cluster feeding is normal doesn’t mean it’s easy—not at all.
If your baby starts to show a pattern of cluster feeding, you can expect it to continue for a few days or even a week or two. In this case, it can be helpful to prepare. For example, if you know your baby will probably want to nurse more frequently starting at 6pm, get dinner ready before then (or order in, if you can!). Set out your favorite snacks and drinks in case you need nourishment. If you have older kids, consider the evening hours the perfect time for a little extra screen time.
Most importantly, don’t do this alone. If there is a support person home during your baby’s cluster feeding time, put them to work. If you are breastfeeding, your support person may not be able to feed your baby, but they can change your baby’s diaper, give you snacks, make you dinner, and straighten up the house.
If your baby is fussy, it’s also possible that they may not want to feed, but may need another type of soothing. So if you’ve fed them over and over and need a break, hand them off to your support person. They can try walking your baby, bouncing your baby, or taking them outside for a walk.
One of the hardest things about cluster feeding is that it can really surprise parents and make them think they are doing something wrong. The truth is, this is very common baby behavior, and you did nothing to cause it. Unless your baby is having trouble gaining weight or is having another medical issue, you can just chalk the whole phenomenon up to your baby “being a baby.”
Remind yourself that this too shall pass, cue up the Netflix and snacks, and get cozy on the couch until this phase ends. Of course, if you have any questions at all about your baby’s feeding patterns, or if you need extra support as you get through this challenging time, please reach out to a breastfeeding counselor, a lactation consultant, or your pediatrician.
Almost every breastfeeding parent has one: the breast that seems to be an overachiever, producing more milk than the other. Going along with that, of course, is the breast that seems to produce less milk—i.e., the slacker boob.
If you are the owner of a slacker boob, you probably have quite a few questions and concerns. You might be wondering why this is happening, if it’s a problem for your milk supply, and how it might affect your baby.
Not only that, but usually the slacker boob is a bit smaller than the one that produces more milk, making your breasts a little uneven. You might want to know if this asymmetry is going to go away once you are doing nursing, or if your boobs will be lopsided forever.
There aren’t any studies out there about how common it is for breastfeeding parents to have a slacker boob. But I will tell you that as a lactation consultant, it’s something I see all the time. I even had a slacker boob myself! So yes, it’s very normal, and it’s almost always nothing to worry about.
There are several reasons why one of your breasts might end up producing more milk than the other. Often, there is more than one cause. Let’s take a look, shall we?
Sometimes the reason that one breast produces more milk than the other has to do with differences in breast anatomy. Breast milk is made in the glandular tissues of the breast, and each one of us has a slightly different amount of glandular tissue. Even one person could have more or less glandular tissue in each of their breasts. If one of your breasts has significantly more glandular tissue than the other, that breasts will naturally produce more milk than the other breast.
Breast milk is about supply and demand, so the more milk your baby takes out, the more milk your body will make. If your baby prefers to nurse from one of your breasts, they will suckle for more time, and that breast will produce more milk. Baby side preferences sometimes have to do with how your baby was positioned in the womb: they may prefer to nurse in the same position that they lay in while in utero. Additionally, some babies have a condition called torticollis which can make it uncomfortable for them to hold their heads in certain positions.
Without realizing it, you might have a side preference yourself. It may be that your neck and shoulders are more comfortable holding your baby on one breast over the other. Again, what ends up happening is that your baby nurses for a longer period on one side, causing the preferred side to produce more milk than the less preferred side.
Usually having one breast that produces less than the other will last as long as you are breastfeeding. However, if you continue breastfeeding for a long period of time, the lopsided look may be less noticeable, partly because your breasts won’t be quite as large as they are postpartum.
After you fully wean, your breasts will go back to their normal size. However, many people just simply have asymmetrical breasts. This is very normal and not a problem. In rare cases, asymmetrical breasts are linked to increased rates of breast cancer, but this is usually only if the asymmetry is significant. You should speak to your healthcare provider if you have any medical concerns about your breast shape and size.
As long as your baby is growing and thriving on your breast milk, there is nothing that needs to be done about a slacker boob. Breasts are pretty amazing and will produce whatever amount of milk your baby needs, even if one boob seems to do most of the work. In fact, some babies subsist on the milk from just one breast alone.
However, if you are feeling uncomfortable with your uneven milk supply or your lopsided boob look, there are a few things you can try. Basically, you’ll want to make sure that your baby is nursing more evenly on both sides. Or, if you are pumping, you’ll want to pump an even amount on both sides.
This might mean trying different positions if your baby seems to be fussy on one side. For example, you can see if lying down while breastfeeding is more comfortable for you or your baby. If your baby gets frustrated with the flow on the slacker boob, you can try massaging your breasts before nursing, and hand expressing a little milk to entice your baby to the breast. You can also try a technique called breast compression, where you gently squeeze your breast while your baby is nursing to get the milk flowing.
Whatever the case, if you have any lingering questions or concerns about slacker boobs or breast milk supply, consider connecting with a breastfeeding peer counselor or a lactation consultant. You’ve got this!
Breast Cancer Awareness Month might be behind us, but we think it’s crucial to be breast health aware all year long.
Breast cancer is currently the most common cancer globally, and making yourself familiar with your breasts, and what’s normal for you is one of the best ways to stay on top of your breast health.
In this article, we’re going to look at how and when to check your boobs, when you should start getting screened, what to do if you are diagnosed with breast cancer, and also how to support a loved one that was recently diagnosed.
How well do you know your boobs?
To keep them healthy, it’s a good idea to get really friendly with them! That means checking them regularly the right way. Once you’ve got the hang of how to check your breasts, you’ll start to understand what feels normal and what might need checking out with your doctor.
It’s important to remember that all breasts are unique. Breast tissue can feel lumpy and textured, and this can change during your menstrual cycle and even throughout your life. That’s why it’s best to feel your boobs around the same time every month. We like to do it on the first of the month, so it’s nice and easy to remember.
Before we get started on how to check your breasts, here are a few signs to watch out for. But remember, even if you notice one or more of these signs, it doesn’t always mean there is something to worry about. However, if you have any concerns at all, make sure you speak to your doctor so they can check you as well.
Signs to watch out for:
9 out of 10 lumps found are non-cancerous, and the earlier cancerous breast lumps are treated, the better. Now you know the signs to look out for, let’s look at how to check your beautiful boobs.
First of all, make yourself comfortable. You can check your breasts standing, sitting, lying down, or even in the shower. When you check your boobs, it’s important to remember that you need to check the WHOLE breast area, which includes your upper chest and under your arms.
Before you start feeling them, look in a mirror and get familiar with how your boobies look. Check them with your arms down and raised. If your breasts are on the larger size, lift each one up and check them underneath and on all sides.
Once you’ve gotten up close and personal with your boobs, it’s time to examine them. Use medium to firm pressure (but not so hard that it hurts) and with the pads of your fingers massage in a spiral motion starting from your nipples. Go all around your breast, up to your collarbone and around the sides to underneath your arms. Switch sides and repeat!
A big part of being breast-aware is getting to know your boobies, and what’s “normal” for you.
Checking your breasts monthly and having regular breast screenings (or mammograms) is the best way to ensure your boobs are happy and healthy.
We know a lot of women might feel nervous about mammograms, including what they do, if they hurt, and how often they’re needed. Worry not! We’re here to break down everything you need to know about mammograms and how often you need to get your Pretty Titties screened.
Mammograms are basically x-rays for your breasts. They can detect tumors (both cancerous and non-cancerous) that are too small to feel, and can even catch some breast cancers early, making them easier to treat.
The American Cancer Association recommends that women should be given the choice to get an annual breast screening once they turn 40. If you are seen as having a higher risk of developing cancer, then it’s highly recommended for all women over the age of 45 to have screenings annually.
If you have any concerns about your breasts, then of course you don’t need to wait for the recommended age. If you or your doctor thinks there might be an issue, you can be screened at any age.
You’ll be asked to remove your top and bra when you arrive to have your screening. Your boobs will then be placed one at a time onto a plastic plate. Your technician will then place another plastic plate onto your breast and press it down. Now, this can feel a little uncomfortable, but it shouldn’t hurt, and the screening doesn’t last too long.
The reason your boobies get squished down like this is so your breast tissue gets spread out, which makes it easier to spot anything that might be amiss. Once you’re done, the images get sent to your doctor the check the results. We understand this can feel like a tense time, but you can check with the technician how long it usually takes to get the results.
Breast cancer accounts for about 30% of all new cancer cases in women in the USA every year. If you have recently been diagnosed with breast cancer, then we are so sorry and are so proud of how brave you are.
We understand how scary and difficult it must be to receive a breast cancer diagnosis. And we know how easy it is to immediately assume the worst. But the earlier your cancer is found, the easier it is to treat it.
So, what happens after you receive a diagnosis?
The first thing to know is that there are several different types of breast cancer (including ductal carcinoma in situ, invasive breast cancer, inflammatory breast cancer, and triple-negative breast cancer), as well as different stages. Speak to your doctor about which type you have and for more information about it.
It’s important to ask as many questions as you want, but we know how overwhelming hearing the news is, so of course, you might struggle to think of questions. It’s a good idea to go to your appointment with a friend or loved one and to take a notepad so you can both ask questions and write everything down.
Some typical questions you could ask include:
Your doctor will talk to you about your treatment options. There are many ways to treat breast cancer, such as surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, hormone treatment, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy drugs. Sometimes, doctors use more than one treatment for breast cancer and your doctor will discuss your treatment plan with you. Again, feel free to ask as many questions as you want.
Your healthcare team will provide you with as much information as you need and will help prepare you for your treatment. We know how tough this is, but it’s essential to surround yourself with a solid support network of friends and family, so everyone can support you through your treatment.
After treatment, and for years after your treatment ends, you will continue to see your doctor for follow-up care. This care consists of exams and tests to make sure the cancer hasn’t come back. If your treatment didn’t involve a mastectomy, you’ll also need to have a mammogram every year and possibly other tests such as bone density or heart tests.
HOW TO SUPPORT A LOVED ONE DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER
If a loved one has been diagnosed with breast cancer, you’re probably feeling helpless and scared. Not sure of what to say or do. Whether you should avoid the subject or learn everything there is about breast cancer.
One thing’s for sure. You want to be there for her. To love and support her and be her cheerleader while she takes on the Big C, battles like a warrior through treatment, and (hopefully) beats it once and for all.
So, what can you do to support someone with breast cancer?
Here are a few tips to get you started:
Just knowing you are there for her can help make her journey a little easier. But we also know how tough it can be on you, and how heartbreaking it is to see your loved one go through this experience. Make sure you are kind to yourself and have someone you can talk to too.
This blog is not intended to be medical advice, but guidance and support. Work with your practitioner if you have any concerns or questions on breast health.
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As many of us know, birth never goes exactly as we expect. Whether it be due to unforeseen complications or simply a result of needing to flow with the events that unfolded, we gain valuable perspective with each birth experience we have. No matter what brought about your previous birth by cesarean section, or “belly birth” as many affectionately call it, I imagine that if you’re reading this it’s because you’re desiring to learn more about how to have a vaginal birth the next time around.
Depending on where you’ve looked or the standard among doctors and midwives in your community, you may have heard conflicting information about the option of a Trial of Labor after Cesarean (TOLAC) with the goal of a Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC). If this is true, don’t fret, I’m here to bring some clarity and guidance.
Here’s what you should know:
Just because you’ve had a cesarean before, it doesn’t mean that every birth after that must also be a cesarean section. Health care professionals should no longer subscribe to the notion of “once a cesarean, always a cesarean”. This idea, also called Dictum of Cragin, was coined back in the early 1900s, and is based on outdated information (Foster, 2017). The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends an individualized approach, with a conversation about each person’s risks and benefits (2019).
The risk of uterine rupture, which is often cited as a reason to not offer a TOLAC, is low. About 98% of people won't have a uterine rupture, even after two prior cesareans (Metz, 2020). There are risks related to having a repeat cesarean section that women should be told of when discussing their preferred birth method. Those include, excessive bleeding, need for a blood transfusion, injury to other organs during the surgery, placenta accreta and previa in future pregnancies, and hysterectomy.
Certain things increase your chances of having a successful VBAC. Those are:
There are few things that exclude you from trying for a vaginal birth after a previous cesarean section, those typically are (Metz, 2020):
Depending on whether or not you are working with a skilled breech provider, you may also be told that a breech baby is a contraindication to a TOLAC, but not all providers agree on this.
Some reasons you might be told you can’t have a VBAC, but should question are, having a higher BMI, a suspected large baby, being pregnant with twins, or going past your due date (ACOG, 2019).
A completed vaginal birth after a cesarean birth is associated with increased exclusive breastfeeding rates, a more smooth recovery with less risk of wound infection, and less time spent in the hospital after birth (Dekker, 2021). Alone each of these benefits are worthwhile, but when considering how overwhelming the postpartum period can be with integrating a new member into the family, the added benefits of less complications and the ability to settle into your own home sooner are priceless.
Oftentimes, the hardest part of having a VBAC is finding the right team to support you. If that’s true for you, there are resources out there to help you start the conversation with your doctor or midwife and build a supportive community for yourself as you pursue a TOLAC.
Remember that even with the very best planning birth cannot be fully controlled. Part of the journey of pregnancy and birth is helping to reveal to us the strength and power we have within ourselves no matter the hurdles that arise. The most important thing as you navigate this process of having a VBAC, is to find a provider you trust and build a team of like-minded people to help you toward the birth you desire. These should be those that will not only applaud you if the birth unfolds as you wish, but also be there to hold you if the birth does not.
If you think about it, the way the body works to make breastfeeding happen is nothing short of miraculous. During pregnancy and postpartum, we transform from regular humans to milk-making extraordinaires—and we continue to be able to produce milk for as long we breastfeed our kiddos.
Several elements are at play to make this happen, but the main drivers behind the establishment and maintenance of breastfeeding are hormones. Prolactin and oxytocin are the chief hormones involved in breastfeeding, but a few others come into play as well. Let’s take a look at the hormones involved in breastfeeding … from pregnancy, to postpartum, to weaning.
During early pregnancy, you probably noticed that your breasts became heavy, sore, and a cup size or two bigger. You may also have noticed that your areolas darkened and that the veins on your breasts became more prominent. All of these changes were the first steps in turning your breasts into milk-making factories, and all of these changes were driven by hormones.
For example, the hormone prolactin stimulates the milk-making tissue (glandular tissue) in your breast to grow. Estrogen, progesterone, and human growth hormone are also key players when it comes to breast growth and breast tissue maturation during pregnancy. Toward the end of your second trimester, your body starts to produce small amounts of colostrum, the first milk your baby will receive before your more copious, mature milk comes in.
Hormones ensure that your breasts don’t start overflowing with milk until your baby is born. Progesterone and estrogen, the main hormones of pregnancy, block milk secretion until your baby arrives. After birth, the sudden drop in these two hormones makes it possible for your milk to “come in,” or become more abundant.
In the first few days after birth, your baby will receive colostrum, a yellowish/orange milk that is full of healthy nutrition and disease-fighting antibodies. But as estrogen and progesterone levels drop, your body will get the message that it’s time to rev up the milk-making. By 3-5 days postpartum, you will start to begin the process of producing mature milk for your baby.
As you establish breastfeeding and your milk supply, the hormone prolactin will be an important player. Every time your baby suckles, more prolactin is produced, which tells your body to continue to make milk. The hormone oxytocin also has an important role here. Oxytocin is responsible for your milk letting down. When your baby suckles, oxytocin is released, which makes the muscles around the milk ducts contract, allowing the milk to flow.
Oxytocin has a few other important jobs in those first few days postpartum. It causes your uterus to contract back to its normal size and can help decrease postpartum bleeding. Oxytocin is also known as the “love hormone” and its release can fill you with feelings of happiness and peace, which can help you bond with your baby.
Once your milk supply is established, hormones help you maintain it. Each time you breastfeed your baby, your prolactin blood levels increase. This tells your body to continue to make milk, and helps establish a robust milk supply. Your prolactin levels peak about 30 minutes after a feeding.
Oxytocin is released faster and more frequently. At the beginning of a feed, your milk comes out slowly, in response to your baby’s suckling. But your baby’s suckling stimulates the release of oxytocin, which causes your milk to flow much faster (i.e., letdown). You may have several oxytocin releases, or letdowns, during a feeding.
You may also have oxytocin releases when you are not nursing. For example, if your baby cries in the other room, you might get a hit of oxytocin, which causes your milk to let down. Or, if you are separated from your baby and start to think of them, you might let down. Oxytocin is responsible for those milk-stained shirts that plague so many breastfeeding parents.
At the end of breastfeeding, as you drop nursing sessions, your hormonal make-up will change. You will start to produce less prolactin and oxytocin as you get closer to weaning. Once weaning happens, these hormones will drop significantly. Not only that, but if you haven’t had a menstrual period yet, the hormones responsible for menstruation, such as estrogen and progesterone will start to increase. You’ll start to experience fun things like PMS, too.
All of these hormonal changes can be difficult for some people, especially if weaning happened suddenly. Some people find that the hormonal changes linked to weaning can cause feelings of depression. These feelings usually get better as your body adjusts to the hormonal changes, but never hesitate to reach out to help if you are feeling especially challenged by these changes.
Hormones play an active role when it comes to breastfeeding your baby. For most people, the orchestration of breastfeeding works well, and they are able to produce a full supply of milk for their babies. Sometimes, though, breastfeeding doesn’t go as planned, and sometimes hormonal imbalances are part of the issue. If you are having a breastfeeding challenge and wondering if your hormones may be playing a role, please get in touch with a board certified lactation consultant (IBCLC) or a breastfeeding medicine physician.
Most moms don’t plan enough for themselves after birth! The best gifts you can give can come in two forms. One form would be physical support that you or someone provides. Another form would be products or items for the mother to assist in her recovery.
Physical support can look like hiring a Postpartum Doula to assist the mother/family around the house, with the newborn, and with the mother’s recovery.
Other items might include:
If you’re on a tight budget, you can offer to help with the dishes, laundry, or tidying around the house yourself!
Some products moms could benefit from are Motherlove’s postpartum and breastfeeding lines, which include herbal remedies such as Sitz Bath Spray, C-section Cream, Rhoid Balm, Nipple Cream, and breastfeeding supplements that enhance milk supply.
Other items might include:
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When I first started breastfeeding (over 15 years ago!), I had mastitis a handful of times. I still remember pressing on the red, sore area, trying to “unplug it.” I remember taking long, hot showers, massaging and hand expressing my breasts. And I remember hunching on all fours, leaning over my baby, nursing. This was a position called “dangle nursing” and the idea was that gravity could help move the milk out of the plugged up area.
Not only did I use these techniques on myself for the handful of times I got mastitis, but I shared these same techniques with the parents I helped, both as a volunteer breastfeeding counselor and as an IBCLC. The idea that mastitis should be treated with heat, massage—along with increased breastfeeding and hand expression—was widely recommended.
Well, all of that changed this past spring, when the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) released their new protocol for how to handle mastitis. After studying mastitis closely, and comparing different practice techniques, they’ve come up with new definitions of what mastitis is, and new recommendations for how to handle it.
The protocol itself is long and wordy, because it’s from a peer reviewed journal and is written for MDs and breastfeeding professionals. So I’m going to break it down for you as simply as possible.
So, without further ado, here’s everything you need to know about this new protocol and what it means for you if you are a breastfeeding parent.
Probably the biggest takeaway from the new protocol is the idea that mastitis is less about milk stasis (milk being left in the breast when you skip feedings or your baby doesn’t fully empty the breast) but more about inflammation in the breast. Having too much milk, or experiencing hyperlactation is part of the picture, but not the main cause.
Although mastitis is often experienced as a bumpy, red, tender area in the breast, which is often called a “plugged duct,” ABM contends that the cause isn’t really backed up milk in one specific duct of the breast. Instead, general inflammation of the breast causes the ducts to narrow, leading to pain and reddening of the breast.
Sometimes you will experience more than just a tender spot in the breast, but also systemic body discomforts, such as fever, chills, and exhaustion. This is what is referred to as inflammatory mastitis, and can usually resolve on its own with proper treatment (more on that in a sec!). Inflammatory mastitis doesn’t require antibiotics.
Occasionally, the breast can become infected, a condition called bacterial mastitis. This means that bacteria (usually in the Staphylococcus family) has entered the breast and caused an infection. Symptoms are similar to plugged ducts and inflammatory mastitis: red, sore area on the breast and fever and chills.
ABM recommends that if your fever doesn’t resolve in about 24 hours, you should see your doctor for a possible bacterial mastitis diagnosis. Bacterial mastitis usually needs to be treated with antibiotics, and probiotics can be used as well.
Bacterial mastitis is not contagious, won’t harm your baby, and doesn’t require you to stop breastfeeding. You also don’t need to sterilize your pumping parts or bottles if you have it, according to ABM.
Along with their new understanding of mastitis comes a new set of recommendations for how to treat it. The emphasis here is more on treating the inflammation than anything else.
So that means, they are no longer recommending practices like:
Whew. I know—it’s so different from what we all used to do, huh? But medicine is all about following the science, and the ABM has found that these techniques aren’t most effective.
Instead, here’s what they do recommend:
If you’ve tried all of the techniques in the “yes” column and you still aren’t feeling better, make sure to contact a breastfeeding counselor or lactation consultant. Here are a couple of key points to keep in mind:
Above all else, remember that most cases of mastitis really do resolve on their own. And although the protocols have changed, the basic, old-school advice of resting in bed with your baby and nursing on demand still holds true!
Mastitis is often a wake up call to tell you that you are overextending yourself and that what you need most is to rest so that it can do the work of recovering. I know that is sometimes easier said than done as the parent of a little one, but you deserve a day off your feet, and your body will thank you for it in the end.
Your “milk storage capacity” refers to how LONG you can likely go between nursing/pumping, NOT how MUCH milk you can make. We can imagine a cluster of grapes to demonstrate the storage capacity of the breasts while breastfeeding. The size and number of “grapes” determine how much milk your breasts can hold. How full or empty the grapes are, determines how much milk your “grapes” will make.
Therefore, a smaller cluster of "grapes" has a smaller window to send signals to make milk, whereas a larger "grape" cluster has a larger window. The storage capacity can then affect the time between nursing or pumping to maintain your milk supply.
When you have fewer or smaller "grapes", your baby will likely feed more frequently.
When you have more or larger "grapes", your baby will likely feed less frequently. This can be why some moms aren’t as affected by a longer time between nursing or pumping as other moms.
What’s also fascinating is that a mother tends to have more "grapes" or larger "grapes" with their second baby because the mammary gland “remembers’ the first pregnancy and starts making milk more quickly the second time around. This might explain why mothers often find that they produce more milk for their second child than for their first child. One study found that significantly more breast milk was produced during the 1st week of lactation with their second child. They also spent less time feeding their second baby during each feed.
The most important thing to remember is that your baby knows how much milk they need. They will send the cue to your body to make as much milk as they need with however many “grapes” you have. So you don’t need to know exactly how many milk-making sacs you have (grapes) or how big they are to determine how frequently to feed. Your baby always knows best!
Although breastfeeding is the most natural thing in the world, it isn’t always easy. For some mamas, it can be a real struggle. From latching issues and cluster feeding to feeding in public and pumping, breastfeeding your little one can be a full-time job.
And you deserve to celebrate it.
Because you are an amazing and strong mama. So, here are just a few reasons why you should celebrate your breastfeeding journey and everything you have achieved with your little milk monster.
As with so many mamas, you might have had a picture in your mind of that very first feed after your baby is born. The midwife hands you your gorgeous baby and you instinctively put them to your breast where they latch on and your breastfeeding journey begins.
But, this doesn’t always happen, right?
When your baby latches correctly, your milk is released more easily, keeping baby happy and reducing your risk of mastitis or blockages. The correct latch also gives your body the signals it needs to produce enough milk and maintain a good milk supply.
But when your baby doesn’t latch correctly, it can lead to issues for both of you. From not gaining enough weight to developing engorgement and a low milk supply.
Whether your little one latched on perfectly, or they struggled, and you needed help from a lactation consultant or midwife, you should be so proud of yourself for persevering. It can take a long time to get the perfect latch and maintain it, so celebrate yourself, mama!
What? How can your baby be hungry again? You’ve only just finished a mammoth nursing session with your hungry babe, and they are already fussing and wanting more.
Welcome to cluster feeding.
This breastfeeding struggle is a totally normal part of breastfeeding, and as exhausting as it is, it’s essential for filling up your growing baby and maintaining a good milk supply.
Cluster feeding tends to strike in the evenings (we know, the worst possible time). Newborns usually feed anywhere from 8 to 12 times a day, but if you notice your little one fussing more than usual in the evenings and wanting to be back on your breast – sometimes for hours at a time – then they’re more than likely cluster feeding.
And you deserve a medal!
Your baby might be going through a growth spurt and when they nurse it sends signals to create more milk. This is a natural way of your body getting the message it needs to produce more milk for your hungry tot. It’s also important to remember that your milk tends to flow slower at night, so your baby needs to feed more frequently to fill up their little tummy.
As with most things, cluster feeding is a phase. So breathe a sigh of relief, because most babies grow out of cluster feeding by about four months (although some can go on a little longer, especially if they’re looking for extra comfort).
Mastitis is a breastfeeding struggle that affects a lot of women, especially in the early days.
It’s a nasty infection caused by a blockage in a milk duct. It can cause pain, swelling, and tenderness in your breast, and cause flu-like symptoms. The last thing you need when looking after a newborn!
The good news is mastitis can be easily treated when caught early. If you notice some engorgement or a warm, red spot on your breast, it’s super important that you keep nursing or pumping as normal, to try and draw out the blockage. If the discomfort gets worse, or you start to feel unwell, speak to your doctor as sometimes antibiotics are needed.
If you’ve ever had mastitis and you managed to continue your breastfeeding journey, then mama, celebrate how strong you are!
We know that breastfeeding in public can be difficult for a lot of moms. Despite it being a natural benefit for babies and young children, sometimes, you might be met with looks of disapproval from people who think breastfeeding should be done in private.
Which is totally loopy!
Sadly, the debate about breastfeeding in public has always been a thing, making some mamas nervous about doing it, or doing it under a blanket or nursing cover, when whipping a Boobie out to feed your hungry baby is the most natural (not to mention essential) thing in the world.
Not only is breastfeeding in public your legal right, but you also have the freedom to do it anywhere you need to.
But we know breastfeeding with confidence, especially in public, doesn’t come easily for everyone. And if you manage to do it, then we’re so proud of you and you deserve to feel proud of yourself.
Another reason you should celebrate your Hot Tits? Your milk is magical.
It’s one of the best things for your baby’s health. Your milk can help strengthen your little one’s immune system and reduce their risk of contracting a bunch of different illnesses and diseases.
Breast milk helps to protect against conditions such as eczema and allergies. It’s easy to digest and won’t cause allergic reactions. Thanks to how digestible it is, your baby will have fewer tummy troubles.
If that wasn’t enough, breast milk can also reduce the risk of:
Breast milk is also the perfect nutrition for your growing babe. It contains everything that baby needs for their first 6 months of life and provides it at the perfect temperature in the perfect proportions. Not only that, the composition of your milk changes to meet your baby’s needs.
Even that very first milk you produce – colostrum – is worth its weight in (liquid) gold. This low sugar, high protein milk coats your baby’s digestive tracts, helping it to develop and it’s packed with nutrients. Ensuring they have the best start.
If that isn’t something worth celebrating, then we don’t know what is!
So, we know that breastfeeding is super beneficial for your baby’s health. But did you know it’s also great for yours?
In fact, the longer you breastfeed, the more health benefits you’ll have.
With every month that passes, breastfeeding can reduce your risk of developing certain cancers, including breast, ovary, and uterus cancer. This is especially true if you feed for more than a year. It can also reduce your risk of developing conditions such as arthritis, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.
We’ll celebrate that!
However long nursed your little one, you deserve all the praise and acknowledgment in the world. Feeding your baby with your magic milk gives them the very best start in life, and whatever breastfeeding milestone you reach, you need to celebrate it.
As we like to say at Titty City Design, ‘You’re the Tits!’ And we’re celebrating right here with you!
]]>If you are nursing a baby or toddler and become pregnant, you may be wondering whether it’s safe or okay to continue breastfeeding. You are not alone. Many parents become pregnant while still nursing a little one, and have many questions and worries.
Let’s take a look at some of the most common concerns and misconceptions, as well as what to expect if you decide to continue breastfeeding during pregnancy.
The answer to whether or not you can continue nursing during pregnancy is an enthusiastic “yes!” If you are breastfeeding and become pregnant, there is almost no reason why you need to stop. In fact, several prominent medical organizations—such as the Academy of American Pediatrics (AAP), the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), and American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)—say that nursing during pregnancy is an acceptable practice.
There’s a misconception out there that if you become pregnant during breastfeeding, you need to automatically wean. While every person will have different feelings about whether to continue—some will want to wean soon after they become pregnant, some won’t know what to do at first, and some will be determined to continue—the decision about how to proceed is yours.
As AAFP explains, breastfeeding during pregnancy is common and barring any medical complications, it can be up to the parent to decide whether or not to continue. “If the pregnancy is normal and the patient is healthy, breastfeeding during pregnancy is their personal decision,” they state in a breastfeeding position paper.
Several studies point to the relative safety of breastfeeding during pregnancy. As ACOG points out, available research shows, “no increase in spontaneous abortion and preterm birth among low risk women who are breastfeeding during pregnancy.” Furthermore, a 2012 study published in the Journal of Nursing Research found that breastfeeding during pregnancy didn’t affect birth rates, nor did it affect the birth weight of newborns.
The AAP also expresses that nursing during pregnancy is generally safe, explaining that if you are a breastfeeding parent with a history of miscarriage or premature delivery, it’s important to stay in touch with your healthcare providers and report any unusual symptoms or contractions. Still, in the vast majority of cases, breastfeeding during pregnancy is safe for both the breastfeeding parent and their baby.
While breastfeeding during pregnancy isn’t usually unsafe or ill-advised, it’s not without challenges. Let’s take a look at some of the common issues people who breastfeed during pregnancy might experience.
The hormones of pregnancy can make your breasts tender and your nipples extra sensitive. For this reason, many people find that breastfeeding—especially in the first trimester—can be very uncomfortable. Many people report feeling “touched out” during this time. Additionally, as pregnancy progresses, it can be difficult to find a breastfeeding position to accommodate your changing shape and size.
Pregnancy can cause your milk supply to decrease, and it can also cause the taste of your milk to change. Everyone is different, though, and some parents notice a sharper milk supply decrease than others. Toward the middle of pregnancy, your body will start to produce colostrum for your new baby, which your current nursling can consume (colostrum has some laxative qualities, so watch for loose poops!).
If your nursing child relies on your breast milk for a significant portion of their calories or nutrition, you may need to ensure that they get enough to eat and drink from other sources, should your milk supply drop.
Motherlove offers herbal supplements for breastfeeding. Check with your IBCLC to see if there’s an herb that can support you during this time.
Again, the decision to keep breastfeeding is up to you. You may find that the discomforts of nursing during pregnancy are too much. Your nursing child may not want to continue after your milk supply decreases, or they might not enjoy the changing taste of the milk.
On the other hand, especially if your nursing child is young, you may want to push past your discomforts and stick it out. Most people find that breastfeeding during pregnancy gets easier after the first trimester, for example. Others find that limiting their child’s time breastfeeding is a good compromise and helps them get through the tough moments.
If you decide to stick it out, you may find yourself nursing two children after your new baby is born. That will be a whole new adventure unto itself. It’s quite possible to nurse a new baby and your older child at once (a practice referred to as “tandem nursing”).
Several days after birth, your milk will “come in,” just as it did with your older child. Most parents offer the breast to their new baby at first, and then nurse their older child. Others choose to breastfeed both children at once. You will find a routine that works for you.
If you have questions about nursing during pregnancy, or continuing to nurse after your baby is born, you can reach out to your healthcare provider, a lactation consultant, or a breastfeeding peer counselor. Either way, you can rest assured that there is almost no reason you need to stop breastfeeding under these circumstances, and many people happily nurse during pregnancy and beyond.
This means that midwives are looking to better understand you in order to provide you with care that aligns with your values, culture, and lifestyle. Many soon-to-be mothers and their partners find this philosophy refreshing and in-line with how they view pregnancy and birth, as a normal part of their life instead of an entirely medical event.
Depending on whether you plan to utilize the services of a hospital-based group midwifery practice with multiple midwives, or a solo homebirth provider, with one primary midwife attending all the births, you’ll want to ask some questions in advance to help make a decision about whom to choose.
This is a particularly useful question when interviewing a solo or duo-homebirth midwifery practice, since you’ll want to know how likely it is that your birth may coincide with another, and if so, who will be the back-up midwife to care for you, in case it’s possible to meet them ahead of time. If you’re seeing midwives who are a part of a group practice, you’ll want to know if it’s possible for you to select your preferred midwife who will attend your birth.
For those planning a homebirth, this can help you better understand the chances of you needing to transfer to the hospital. You’ll want to ask about some of the most common reasons for transfer as well in order to have an accurate idea of what to expect. Oftentimes, first time moms transfer more than those having a subsequent birth.
Even if you find a midwife that you really jive with and who supports your goals for a vaginal birth, if they deliver at a hospital or practice with colleagues that don’t also support those ideals, you may be more likely to end up with unexpected interventions that lead to a Cesarean birth. This is particularly important for those seeking a vaginal birth after Cesarean (VBAC), those who want to wait for labor to begin spontaneously as opposed to having an induction of labor, specifically if you go beyond your due date, and those who’d like the freedom to move about in labor and during pushing. For those aiming for a VBAC, you may also want to ask about their “VBAC success” rate.
Depending on how you envision your birth, you’ll want to know what the range of pain relief options are.
These may include:
If you’re wondering when to bring these questions up, I recommend doing so at the beginning of care or even before your first appointment, if possible. For private midwifery practices with a single midwife, you will likely need to call their office and schedule a private meeting with the midwife where she will answer your questions. For hospital-based midwifery groups there is sometimes a specific day each month where families are invited to come in and “meet the midwives” all together and have their questions answered. Not only are these meetings good for having your questions answered, but also evaluating how they answer the questions, which gives you an idea of their personality and temperament, two important pieces to choosing the right midwife for you.
On June 27th, the Academy of American Pediatrics (AAP) announced some changes to their breastfeeding recommendations. As the New York Times notes, the AAP hasn’t changed their breastfeeding recommendations in over a decade, so this was kind of a big deal!
In a nutshell, the AAP still recommends that you breastfeed your baby exclusively for 6 months, but instead of recommending that you continue for one year, they recommend breastfeeding for two years or beyond, if desired. The reason for this change, according to the AAP, is because of the evidence of continued benefits to breastfeeding past 12 months, especially for breastfeeding parents. For example, breastfeeding for a longer duration lowers the risk of ovarian and breast cancer, diabetes, and hypertension.
This isn’t a completely new idea, it should be noted. The World Health Organization (WHO), Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine Guidelines, and American Academy of Family Physicians guidelines have recommended two years of breastfeeding for many years.
Besides this key change, the AAP makes a point of noting the many challenges parents face in meeting this goal, including lack of parental leave, scant breastfeeding support, and other systemic roadblocks that make it difficult to devote time and effort to breastfeeding long-term. They advocate for policy changes that could make our society a more supportive place for new parents.
They also acknowledge that pediatricians need to be sensitive to different cultural and personal preferences when it comes to nursing for two years, and they should not push these recommendations on new parents. They recognize how structural racism plays into the lack of support that many families face, and they recommend that physicians use more gender inclusive terminology such as “chestfeeding” over “breastfeeding,” when appropriate.
There have been several criticisms of the AAP's new guidelines. People have pointed out that the timing of this release feels off, because it comes on the heels of the formula shortage and the overturning of Roe vs. Wade, which limits reproductive rights and equitable healthcare for people who bear children. People have also mentioned the fact that the recommendation feels like a slap in the face to new parents when the U.S. has such dismal family leave policies compared to other countries, and almost no other support in place for parents of young kids. (It should be noted that the AAP acknowledges these issues.)
As a lactation consultant and mother, I have some thoughts on this new policy change. Personally, as someone who breastfed my children way past the socially acceptable time frame, I experienced a general lack of acceptance for what I was doing. I often felt like I had to hide that I was still nursing past 12 months. I found myself fudging the truth even with doctors. I got rude stares when I nursed my toddlers in public.
Moreover, as someone who supported hundreds of breastfeeding parents over the years, I will tell you that this is not unusual. I've seen longer term breastfeeders hide what they were doing from their families, friends, healthcare providers—even their spouses. I’ve seen parents stop breastfeeding at 12 months because they didn’t think it was acceptable to do so, even though they felt an instinct or desire to continue.
From my perspective, this announcement is about validating this parenting decision and reminding parents who choose to do it that there are real health benefits to the practice. It’s about normalizing something that has been stigmatized for a very long time. It’s about body autonomy, in much the same way that choosing not to feed your baby from your body is a form of body autonomy. It’s about the desexualization of breasts in the context of breastfeeding.
No one should be made to breastfeed for longer than they wish to—no one should be pressured to breastfeed at all, if that is not what they want. But parents who do want to breastfeed should be given better support, and should be provided with evidence-based information about the benefits of breastfeeding, including past 12 months.
It’s true that many people won't be able to nurse as long as the AAP recommends even if they aspire to do so, especially without proper societal or social support. But the goal of this policy change—at least in my opinion—is to acknowledge that breastfeeding for two years is something that parents should have permission to do, that there is benefit in the practice, and that policy makers should strongly consider what they can do to further support breastfeeding parents in meeting their goals.
If you’ve spent any length of time on social media over the last few years, you’ve likely seen photos and stories of homebirth come across your feed. From sun-kissed island mamas in Hawaii birthing in bright teal water birth tubs to mountain mamas giving birth on the floor of their cozy log homes. It almost seems like homebirth is all the rage now, and in a way it is.
Homebirth has been happening ongoing here in the U.S. for hundreds of years, though the last few years have caused families who may not have otherwise chosen homebirth, to consider what it might be like to birth in the same place they conceived or where they feel most comfortable, their home.
1. "Low-Risk"
Women must be considered “low-risk” to qualify for a homebirth. This can vary by provider and state but often means the mother doesn’t have any uncontrolled or serious health issues, she goes into labor between 37 – 42 weeks, and is carrying a single baby (Dekker, 2012).
2. Certified Professional Midwives
The majority of community-based providers and homebirth attendants are Certified Professional Midwives. They're also called direct-entry midwives and have not also trained as nurses. They have attended 3-5 years of didactic and clinical training, then obtained certification through the North American Registry of Midwives, which requires candidates to have extensive out-of-hospital experience (NARM 2021; Dekker, 2012). As a part of obtaining the CPM credential, midwives maintain certification as Neonatal Resuscitation and Basic Life Support Providers, attend continuing education, and renew their credential every 2 yrs.
3. For Mothers
Planned homebirths boast a 93.6% vaginal birth rate and 87% VBAC rate (2016). They also have very low rates of medical interventions and injury to mothers, such as 3rd or 4th degree perineal tears, experience excess blood loss after birth, or have a cesarean birth (Janssen et al., 2009). Mothers are also more satisfied with their birth experience.
4. For Babies
Newborns are just as safe being born at home with a midwife, as in the hospital, when the homebirth was planned and attended to by a trained midwife (Janssen et al., 2009; Sandal et al, 2016). This means less need for help breathing after birth, meconium aspiration, or need for admittance to the hospital. You may find opposing information from studies that looked at retrospective data from birth certificates, which includes babies that were not planning to be born at home, but somehow were. This is an important distinction.
5. Standard Schedule and more
The prenatal care schedule for those planning a home birth is similar to that with an OB; every 4 weeks until 28 weeks, every 2 weeks until 36 weeks, and then weekly until you give birth. Mothers are offered the same tests for checking iron levels, screening for Gestational diabetes, Group B strep, as well as others, with full informed-choice conversations. The difference in prenatal care is in the length of time and depth of conversation had at each visit. Midwifery visits are anywhere from 30 min. - 2hrs+ and usually entail more discussion about social, emotional, and financial well-being, as well as nutrition, preparing for an informed birth, and matresence (the transition from maiden to mother).
If these facts peak your interest in homebirth and you’d like to learn more, you can dive deeper by exploring these resources:
When you’re getting ready to welcome your new baby into your family, there are endless checklists, tools, and planners that will tell you about all the things you need to buy to take care of your baby. You know what we mean–bouncers, bibs, baby-carrying devices, lots of clothes and sheets, and feeding gadgets galore!
What’s missing from all of these checklists is the care that YOU need as you welcome your baby into the world. We know that babies need some things, but we encourage you to think about your needs as you transition from pregnancy, to birth, and into postpartum.
Here is a list of registry essentials that you might be overlooking as you get ready to have your baby:
If you’ve never given birth before (and even if you have) taking a childbirth class while you’re pregnant can help you and your partner prepare for all things birth, like what to pack in your birth bag (definitely some Motherlove perennial balms and sprays for post birth), when you should head to the hospital, and what to expect while you’re there. Curious? Click here to learn more about putting childbirth classes onto your registry.
Having a coach, advocate, and confidante in birth is an amazing addition to your registry. A doula can help you have an empowered and supported experience no matter how you’re choosing to give birth. Doulas aren’t covered by insurance, but now you can add one to your registry.
While your body is growing and stretching to accommodate your baby, a prenatal massage, some chiropractic care, and acupuncture treatments are great ways to help you care for your body. Bodywork is a favorite because not only does it feel good in the moment, but there are long term benefits of continued bodywork in the postpartum period. Motherlove has an amazing selection of organic balms, salves rubs, and oils to help you feel comfortable in your growing pregnant body. You can register for massage and other bodywork services here.
Lactation support professionals are trained to help moms figure out breastfeeding, pumping, or the best alternative for you and your baby. Having this on your registry means you’ll be equipped with support when your baby arrives. Click here to register for yours! Motherlove has Nipple Cream and lactation supplements to help your body ease into nursing your new baby.
Hiring a postpartum doula means having in-home, hands-on care while you’re settling in with your new baby. Postpartum doulas help support new moms and families by helping them navigate choices to make in regards to sleep and feeding, by helping with the chores around the home, and by helping you establish a new and manageable routine that feels good to you and your family, along with various other forms of support and education. Your postpartum doula will make sure YOU are being taken care of so you can care for your baby. Register for a postpartum doula here.
While you’re learning your newborn, cluster feeding, and adapting to the new dynamic of your family, having meals, laundry, and your other chores taken care of means one less thing for you to worry about. This way you can spend your precious energy nourishing yourself, your baby, and your family. You can customize support services to fit your needs, whatever they are.
Sleep coaches are not about getting your baby to sleep through the night with the “cry-it-out” method. Sleep coaches work with you and your family to set up sleep habits, so everyone in your family can feel their best. Put sleep on your registry by adding a sleep coach!
Your body has gone through stretching and birth and pelvic floor therapy is a great way to help you restore and strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. Pelvic floor therapy is the perfect registry item for anyone who has given birth, whether it was vaginally or via cesarean. And while you’re healing your core and your underside, use some of Motherlove’s herbal products to help you feel soothed and nourished.
We shouldn’t be doing this alone. And connecting with other parents who are in the same parenting stage as you is priceless. Add new parent friends to your registry, and then share your favorite Motherlove products with them!
Make sure you’re including yourself and your needs as you prepare for bringing home your baby. Because onesies, swings, and bouncers can only go so far. And the care and support of your “village” is priceless during this magical time of new parenthood. All of these items and more can be added to your BeHerVillage registry for support. You deserve this!
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If you’re like many new mothers, as soon as you get that positive pregnancy test, you begin researching everything needed to have the most informed pregnancy and birth experience possible. You may have even been told stories from family or friends about how they wish they had just known “X”, before giving birth, so you were sure to delve deep into that topic.
I would venture to guess that after hours of traveling down the new-parent rabbit hole, you emerged with a list of books, documentaries, must-have maternity supplies, the latest and greatest recommendations in supplements, and a list of terms to look up, which likely included the word “doula”.
Quite simply, a doula is a birth companion with special training in assisting a mother and her family emotionally, physically, and educationally during birth and/or postpartum. Doulas support mothers who give birth at home, at a birth center, and at a hospital. Doulas aren’t medical providers and don’t offer any clinical advice, but their continuous labor support is great at improving the likelihood of someone having a vaginal birth, decreasing the likelihood that an epidural is used, and even minimizing the chance of a mother experiencing postpartum depression (Cite: Doulas, 2022).
If you’ve found the evidence on doulas convincing and would like to have one to support you during your birth, it’s a good idea to interview a few in your early second trimester to find the right fit for you.
The number of births they’ve booked for a particular month may impact their availability to show up at your birth when you need them. Considering the distance between those due around the same time is also important to discuss.
It can be helpful to know if they have someone else in line to step in if they were to be at another birth, become sick, or have a family emergency when you need them in labor.
Doulas who’ve worked with your particular doctor/midwife may have insight into their common practices and tendencies, such as scheduling an induction, rushing the pushing stage, or supporting delayed cord clamping.
Similar to the question before, having a doula who’s previously worked with a mom in the place you plan to give birth means that they may be more familiar with that location’s nursing staff, options for eating in labor, willingness to support your wishes for birthing in different positions, acknowledging your birth plan, and encouraging the Golden Hour.
Hiring a doula who is also trained in another modality means that you get two skills for the price of one, and the two can be combined in supporting you. This isn’t a must, but can be a perk.
It’s important that your expectations for birth support match what the doula is planning to offer you.
As you may have noticed, the cost of doula services can range from free to $2000+. It’s almost always possible to find a doula within a price range that works for you or who works with a local hospital or organization, which makes them more affordable.
There are multiple ways to find some. First, ask your midwife, doctor, or a friend who’s recently given birth, if they have a list of recommendations. Next, here are a few places to look:
Written by: Wendy, IBCLC.
As a new parent, there are certain baby behaviors that you may expect. Most parents assume their baby will cry and fuss at times, that they’ll be soiling a ton of diapers, and they’ll be sleeping erratically at first.
These things are true! Still, there are some baby behaviors that can really throw you for a loop, no matter how prepared you are. What’s more, there are some myths out there about how babies are meant to behave that are … well, pretty different from the reality of raising a baby.
For example…
Most parents don’t expect their baby to sleep all night at first. It’s actually important that your baby wakes to eat at least a few times each night in the early weeks. But many parents are surprised to learn that many babies wake to eat extremely frequently at night. It’s normal for babies to wake every 3-4 hours, but it’s also common for babies to wake every 1-2 hours, all night long. Yes, that sounds exhausting. But all babies are different in terms of how often they wake up at night, and even very frequent waking can be normal, especially at first.
Babies nap because they can’t stay awake many hours in a row during the day when they are little. Naps are also important for parents who need breaks! But what you might not know is that newborns tend to have very short, frequent naps. Yes, as in 20 minutes at times, several times a day. This is typical for some babies but understandably frustrating for parents. Some babies are chronic short-nappers, but most will end up having longer (and fewer) naps as they get closer to 6 months or so.
You may have been told to expect your baby to nurse 8-12 times in a 24 period, which amounts to about every 2-3 hours. But babies don’t know how to read a clock, and some babies just seem to need to feed a whole lot. It’s common for some babies to feed every hour or so. This may happen during certain times of day (many babies cluster their feeds together at night), but your baby may feed hourly for a few days during a growth spurt.
You may have a sweet little image of putting your baby to bed that goes something like this: feed your baby, swaddle them, dim the lights, and place them gingerly down in their crib, where they will drift off to dreamland. The truth is, though, that many babies need to be “parented to sleep.” This means that they need a parent to hold or rock them while they fall asleep. Or they might want to nurse to sleep. Some babies just need a hand on their back while they drift off. This is all normal, and all children learn to put themselves to sleep in their own time.
Your baby spent nine months in the warm cocoon of the womb, so it makes sense that transitioning to the outside world can be difficult. Some babies seem to adjust better than others and don’t mind spending some time in a bouncy chair, bassinet, or baby swing. But some babies seem to only be happy if they are being held. This is natural, it’s something they will outgrow soon enough, and it’s why many parents find a good baby carrier to be a lifesaver.
It’s an exciting moment the first time you introduce solid food to your baby. But many parents are surprised by the fact that their baby doesn’t seem to like food at first. Sometimes the same baby who tries to grab your food off your plate will spit out the food that you offer to them. This happens and is normal. It can take a few tries before a baby starts to like solid food, and some babies just aren’t interested until they are closer to 8-9 months. This is why breast milk is your baby’s main source of nutrition for the first year of life. And trust us: before you know it, they will be eating a ton!
Many parents are told that their baby will start sleeping longer stretches when they’ve gained a certain amount of weight or when they are a certain age. The hard truth is that while some babies start sleeping through the night (defined as sleeping 6-8 hours in a row) at an early age, some don’t until they are a year or more. Some babies don’t start sleeping all night until they are 3 or 4 years old! All within the realm of normal.
Adjusting to having a newborn is all about proper expectations. Unfortunately, lots of parents are given unrealistic ideas about what their baby will be like. Then, when their baby seems more needy or demanding than other babies, parents end up thinking something is wrong with their baby or with themselves.
The truth is, though, there is nothing wrong with your baby if they are up all night feeding or if they cry anytime you try to put them down. Babies are challenging and need a lot of attention from their parents on a 24/7 basis. So cut yourself some slack, cuddle your baby as much as they need, and remember that this too shall pass.
Some of us plan when our last breastfeeding session will be and prepare ourselves for the moment. Others only realize we've experienced our last breastfeeding session once it's already passed. Either way, the last time we breastfeed our children can be a deeply emotional experience.
You are not alone if the idea of your last breastfeeding session makes you feel weepy, nostalgic, upset, or sad. Even if weaning was something you initiated, ending your breastfeeding relationship ends a very special and significant chapter in your journey as a parent.
Deciding to wean in the first place can be extremely emotional. Weaning can happen at any time during breastfeeding—when your child is a baby, a toddler, or older. The decision to wean should be made on your own terms, and no one should judge your decision to stop breastfeeding.
Usually, breastfeeding parents decide to stop because they are feeling tired and depleted from breastfeeding. They may have returned to a demanding job and find it impossible to fit in breastfeeding and/or pumping. Other breastfeeding parents feel "touched out" and want their bodies back. In rare cases, medication or medical treatment you need means that you have to wean your baby.
You are the one who knows best that weaning is the right decision for you. But keep in mind that if you feel torn, weaning isn't "all or nothing." You can tell a toddler that the "milkies" go to sleep when the sun goes down or only nurse at certain times of the day.
Once you have decided that weaning is the right decision, it's important that you do it gradually. This is not just so that you can emotionally prepare and don't end up engorged or with a breast infection like mastitis. It's also so that you don't experience the emotional toll of crashing hormones.
While breastfeeding, "feel good" hormones such as prolactin and oxytocin are elevated. After weaning, these hormones go back to pre-breastfeeding levels. If you wean too quickly, these hormones can plunge suddenly, leading to feelings of depression. So, if possible, it's important that you take it slow and easy, dropping a breastfeeding session every few days or even one session per week.
Part of the reason weaning can be so emotional is because of the hormonal changes your body is going through. But that’s not the only reason.
When you are breastfeeding, being a breastfeeding parent becomes part of your identity. You plan your day around breastfeeding; you plan your clothing choices around it. So much of who you are is colored by breastfeeding. When that changes, you may feel disoriented and “off.” That’s normal and okay, but it can still be hard.
Weaning also marks a change in your relationship with your child. When you are breastfeeding, your child goes to you for food and for comfort. You exchange intimate, special moments together; there is nothing like the bond you will experience while breastfeeding. Weaning doesn’t erase that bond—it will continue in different and beautiful ways once you are done breastfeeding. But it will be different, and many of us feel a tug of sadness when we realize this.
If you know when your last breastfeeding session with your child will be beforehand, there are a few things you can do to soak up those moments and make them special. First, you can have someone take a photo of the last nursing session. Some people will even hire professional photographers to capture this moment.
For those with toddlers or older children who are aware that weaning is happening, sharing a special meal or celebration with your child afterward can commemorate the milestone. Some families even have “weaning parties” replete with cake and decoration. Weaning is a special rite-of-passage for both you and your child.
If you weren’t aware of when your last time was until after the fact, there are still a few things you can do to make the experience of weaning special. Some breastfeeding parents will get “breast milk jewelry” made, where they express a little breast milk and have it incorporated into a ring, necklace, or bracelet.
Writing is another wonderful way to mark the end of breastfeeding. Try to write down everything you remember about that last time—where you were, what words were spoken, the way that your child smelled, their gestures. You can also write a letter to your child that they can read later detailing that last time and what the breastfeeding relationship has meant to you.
However you do it, try to honor your last breastfeeding session in some way. When we experience a transition such as weaning, it’s natural to feel deeply emotional. Commemorating the transition in some way helps us process it, make peace with how it ended, and honor our time as a breastfeeding parent.
Citations:
Krol KM, Grossmann T. Psychological effects of breastfeeding on children and mothers. Psychologische Effekte des Stillens auf Kinder und Mütter. Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz. 2018;61(8):977-985. doi:10.1007/s00103-018-2769-0
Canul-Medina, G., Fernandez-Mejia, C. Morphological, hormonal, and molecular changes in different maternal tissues during lactation and post-lactation. J Physiol Sci 69, 825–835 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12576-019-00714-4
During pregnancy, your body performs the enormous task of growing a human. An often-overlooked part of this process is the growth of a whole new essential organ: the placenta.
The placenta is a 1-pound, pancake-shaped organ that develops during pregnancy, attached to the inside of the uterine wall. Connected to the fetus by the umbilical cord, the placenta provides your growing baby with oxygen, nutrients, and antibodies and filters out germs, harmful substances, and your baby’s waste. The placenta is also a hormone powerhouse, producing much of the progesterone, estrogen, relaxin, and oxytocin that you and your baby need during pregnancy.
After your baby is born and the umbilical cord is cut, the role of your placenta has come to an end. You will birth your placenta in the third stage of labor, and your uterus will contract and begin to heal the wound left behind.
But what becomes of the placenta? What should you do with this organ that took so much energy to grow and that formed a literal bridge between you and your baby for nine months?
First of all, if you'd like to see your placenta after birth or if you’d like to transport it home for future use, make those desires known to your provider during your prenatal visits and include a written note in your birth plan. Otherwise, most hospitals and birth centers dispose of the placenta as medical waste.
Also note: If you plan to ingest your placenta, be sure to handle it safely, as you would handle raw meat. The placenta should be placed on ice and in a cooler within 30 minutes of its birth and transferred to a fridge within 12 hours of birth. For a hospital birth, you will likely need to sign for the release of your placenta, and you will be responsible for providing a cooler and transporting it home.
Many non-western cultures have a rich history of traditions involving the placenta. Here are some that are gaining traction again in recent decades:
1. Placenta Prints
Art prints are a lovely way to honor the placenta. The blood vessels of the placenta, together with the rounded shape of the organ and the long umbilical cord, form a beautiful “Tree of Life” image, symbolizing the life-giving role of the organ. Prints can be made with the blood of the placenta or with paints. Keep in mind, if you plan to ingest your placenta, you will want to choose natural paints that are safe to ingest, as some paint may remain on the placenta.
2. Placenta Consumption
While most mammals consume their placenta after birth, humans most commonly do not. The safety of placentophagy is debated by some, but anecdotal evidence points to numerous benefits of a birthing mother consuming the nutrient-rich placenta in the postpartum period, such as the decreased risk of postpartum depression, better energy, increased milk supply, and decreased bleeding.
Placenta encapsulation is perhaps the most palatable way to consume your placenta and has grown in popularity in recent years. During the encapsulation process, a specialist steams, dehydrates, and grinds up your placenta, then returns it to you in about 200 gel caps that you take as a dietary supplement during your postpartum period.
Some mothers take a more direct approach, consuming their placenta raw in smoothies or roasted with vegetables.
3. Placenta Burial
For centuries, many cultures across the world have honored the placenta with a burial ritual. You might bury the placenta shortly after birth, or you might store it in your freezer until a convenient time for burial. You might bury it in a special place, symbolizing the connection between your baby and the land. You might read a poem or say a prayer. Or, you might bury it under a special tree or plant, so the placenta can continue to fertilize new life.
Whether you make art prints with your placenta, encapsulate it, cook it, consume it raw, give it a ceremonial burial, or leave it at the hospital, there is no one right choice of what to do with your placenta. As with so many choices in motherhood, you can trust yourself to choose the path that aligns with your preferences and supports the well-being of you and your baby.
Citations:
Pregnancy, Birth, and Baby. What is the Placenta?
https://www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/what-is-the-placenta
De Bellefonds, Colleen. What to Expect. What is the Placenta
https://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/placenta#definition
IPEN. Placenta Care.
https://www.placentanetwork.com/placenta-care/
The Birthsong Botanicals. Placenta Rituals.
https://www.birthsongbotanicals.com/blogs/birth-song-blog/placenta-rituals
Whiteman, Honor. (2017). Medical News Today. Placenta: a ‘superfood’ or a dietary fad?
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319806#Placenta-in-a-pill-or-placenta-patties?