Chest/Breastfeeding
Robin Kaplan
Breastfeeding the Older Baby - What to Expect ...

Wondering what breastfeeding/chestfeeding look like when your baby is 6-9 months? As our little ones continue to grow physically {begin to roll over, sit up, crawl} and developmentally {sleep longer stretches at night and interact more with the world around them}, we notice the impact of these changes on their feeding patterns.

Breastfeeding the Older Baby - What to Expect at 6-9 months
Chest/Breastfeeding, Pumping
Robin Kaplan
Help! My baby won’t take a bottle!

So your breastfed baby is refusing bottles.  Isn’t the typical concern that a breastfeeding/chestfeeding baby may prefer bottles over nursing and not the other way around?  While breastfeeding refusal can happen as well, any type of feeding rejection is your baby’s way of communicating that something is feeling challenging.  So let’s dive into some of the reasons why a nursing baby rejects the bottle and some tips to remedy a bottle feeding aversion.  

Help! My baby won’t take a bottle!
Bottle Feeding, Pumping
Robin Kaplan
Bottle Feeding the Breastfed Baby FAQs

Did you know that lactation consultants not only help with breastfeeding, but can also help with bottle feeding?  It’s true! We are here to offer guidance with all aspects of feeding (introducing solids, as well!) and know a ton about bottles and how to balance them with breastfeeding.

Bottle Feeding the Breastfed Baby FAQs
Chest/Breastfeeding
Robin Kaplan
How Long Does My Breast Milk Stay Fresh?

Breast milk storage guidelines can be incredibly complicated to decipher.  With each pump company and breastfeeding website having its own storage and handling recommendations, how's a mother to know which one to follow?  Plus, throw in whether the baby is full-term, pre-term, healthy, or in the NICU, and we have quite a confusing situation.

After delving into our lactation consultant guidelines for human milk storage, I think I have the definitive list for you….at least for this year!

Breastfeeding While Sick

I’m Sick! Should I Still Breastfeed My Baby?

It’s that time of year again!  FLU SEASON!!!  In San Diego, we have been hit especially hard with the 3-5 day stomach flu these past few weeks.  I am getting phone calls, texts, and emails from worried mothers wondering if they should breastfeed their infants while they are sick.  The overwhelming answer is YES, and this is why.

When we are bombarded with germs in our environment, our bodies create immunity towards these germs so that we can stay healthy.  Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t.  A breastfeeding mother not only creates immunity for her own body, but her breastmilk contains immunological properties (antibodies) as well, which are passed on to her nursing child.  It’s as if your baby is getting an extra dose of immunity with each breastfeeding session.  Also, by the time a mother and/or baby begin to show symptoms of a cold, flu, etc., they have already been contagious for a few days, so no need to stop now.  This is why it is absolutely imperative for a breastfeeding mother to continue to nurse her child while she sick….it will hopefully keep your baby from getting sick, or at least to a lesser degree.