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!

Happiness As A Parent

Ease Up on Yourself

Written by Ashley Treadwell, IBCLC

Picture it: You’re having coffee with a good friend and she’s confiding in you about her guilt over not knowing her son had a double ear infection when he was running a fever recently.  He wasn’t pulling at his ears or crying when she laid him down.  He ran a fever for a few days, but had no other symptoms, and when she took him into his pediatrician, they diagnosed a double ear infection and prescribed antibiotics.  Your friend is feeling awful that she waited a few days to take her baby in.  She’s calling herself a bad mom.  

What’s your response?  

Nurturing your Child's Potential with Voila Montessori

This week, we’re highlighting a local practitioner who is helping parents establish and integrate their parenting beliefs and styles into a peaceful, nurturing environment for their children.  She also offers Skype consultations for those not located in San Diego.  I’m thrilled to introduce Jeanne-Marie of Voila Montessori!

Advice for a Newly Breastfeeding Mama’s Partner

Let’s face it… becoming a new parent can be extremely overwhelming!  I still remember that first drive home from the hospital.  My husband and I were cracking up as we stared at our son in the car seat behind us.  “Can you believe that they trusted us enough to take this little guy home?  Do they know that we have never changed a diaper or bathed a baby before?  What were they thinking????”

As I spent the first few weeks mastering breastfeeding, it became apparent that two sets of hands were often better than one.  It amazed me that an entire day would pass before I realized that I forgot to eat or take a shower.  It was my hubby, aka breastfeeding cheerleader/parenting partner, that made sure that I was being taken care of as I was all consumed in feeding and caring for our newborn.

I often get asked by the soon-to-be parents in my breastfeeding classes about the roles of the partner.  What role does he/she play while mom is breastfeeding? Many partners often feel like they don’t have a defined role when their partner is breastfeeding because unless his/her breasts start lactating, it is truly a one person feeding show for those first few weeks.   Plus, diaper duty doesn’t sound too glamorous!

Toddler Nursing Part III - Super Breastfed Baby!

Written by guest blogger, Andrea J. Blanco, IBCLC

My seven year old is really, really into the Super Diaper Baby series. So much so (embarrassing story for which I will pay for dearly in 10 years coming up right now) that the other day, he fished through all the dirty clothes to find 8 (yes, 8!!!!) underwear to put on simultaneously along with a cape so that he could reenact parts of the book. I’m not entirely sure why clean underwear couldn’t be used, but hey, welcome to the gnarly world of 7 year old boys. I’m still getting adjusted.  Anyway, whenever he yells “SUPER DIAPER BABY!!” all I hear is “SUPER BREASTFED BABY!!!” (you better have read that in your booming announcer voice; if not, please go back and reread).

Breastfeeding and Going Back to Work: Roundup

With so many of my friends and breastfeeding support group mamas going back to work by the end of the year, I thought I would do a round-up of my favorite Going Back to Workarticles (written by me, as well as some of my colleagues.)

Here's what you'll find on the San Diego Breastfeeding Center website:

Hi ho, Hi ho, It's Off to Work We Go: Part 1 - Starting the pumping and bottle feeding routine.

Hi ho, Hi ho, It's Off to Work We Go: Part 2 - Making plans with your employer and your rights as a breastfeeding/pumping/working mom.

How Long Does my Breast Milk Stay Fresh? - Take the guesswork out of how long your pumped milk stays fresh.  Here are all of the answers you'll need.

Help!  I am Going Back to Work and My Baby Won't Take a Bottle! - Top 10 tricks to get your little one to take a bottle before you return to work.

So, You’re Going Back to Work - one of my favorite memoirs from a local breastfeeding, working mom!

Now that you've perused all of our articles (and I can guarantee there are more waiting to be written over the upcoming months), here are a few of my favorite resources beyond our web site:

United States Breastfeeding Committee - FAQ's: Break Time for Nursing Mothers

Kellymom - Links: Working and Pumping Tips

Reminiscing About My Son's Birth

As I rested with my son, Ryan, tonight, I told him the story of the day he was born, exactly 6 years ago.  How he entered this world so peacefully and beautifully and how grateful I am that he is my son.  My eyes filled up with tears as I hugged his sweet little body, my heart feeling like it would explode right out of my chest.  There are no words to fully describe the way I love this little guy and his birth was just the beginning.

6 years and 9 months ago, I found out that I was pregnant with my soon-to-be Ryan.  Ben was 7 months old and I had just returned to work full time.  Let’s just say that SHOCKED cannot even begin to describe how I felt when that little stick had two lines.  We knew we wanted to have at least 2 children, but never thought it would happen this soon!  Feelings of guilt filled my heart as I thought about how I had robbed Ben of months where he would be an only child.  Panic set in when I counted how many months apart my kids would be (15!!!)  How would I tell my boss?  How would I tell my parents?  Most importantly, how would it be possible for me to love another human being as much as I loved my 7-month-old Ben?  I just wasn’t ready!

Are New Moms Bombarded with TOO MUCH Information?

So I would like to take a virtual raise of hands to see how many of us have googled ‘sore nipples’ or ‘increasing milk supply’ on a random Thursday night at 11pm?  What about ‘when will my baby sleep through the night?’

Sure, we are blessed to live in a time when we can go online to find information on anything, yet, how legitimate and correct is this information we stumble upon?  If I search ‘sore nipples and breastfeeding’, I get over 327,000 hits… that is INSANE!  That many people have written an article about sore nipples?

And the information overload doesn’t end there.

Advice for the New Breastfeeding Mom

Dear New Breastfeeding Mama,

All rights reserved by Rebeca CygnusAre you feeling completely overwhelmed by your new profession as Mother of a New Baby?  Are you googling sore nipples and how often should my newborn breastfeed while sitting awake at 3:30am?  Are you like me and only prepared for pregnancy and labor, but forgot to read the books about how to take care of a newborn?

Well, then look no further, my sweet friend!  Put the google search DOWN!

While I don't have all of the answers to breastfeeding and parenting  (let's be honest....who really does?), I do have some short and sweet resources that may be helpful for you in your time of need.  

And if you don't find what you are looking for on this list, add your question to the comments and I will do my best to provide you with the help you need!

Here are my Top 6 Advice for the New Breastfeeding Mom articles:

1. My Newborn is So Sleepy!

2. Laid-Back Breastfeeding: Physically and Mentally

3. Napping and Postpartum Sleep Deprivation

4. Common Concerns While Breastfeeding - Sore Nipple Therapy

5. Common Concerns While Breastfeeding - Help!  I'm Engorged!

6. How to Bring in Your Milk Supply More Quickly

The Lactation Consultant Who Changed My Life

On March 7, 2012, International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) globally will celebrate their 11th official Annual IBCLC Day.  The theme for this year’s celebration isIBCLCs Make an Impact and this powerful statement definitely rings true in my life.

Six and a half years ago, an amazing, gentle IBCLC entered my home and changed the course of my life forever.  My son, Ben, was 4 days old.  I had just returned home from the pediatrician’s office and breastfeeding was NOT going well at all.  My fuller milk had not ‘come in’ yet.  My nipples were completely torn to shreds.  My son wanted to eat non-stop and my sanity had started to wane. 

Gentle Weaning: Techniques and Resources

In this third article in our Gentle Weaning series, we will start the conversation about different techniques you can try to gently wean your baby.  If you are wondering about how to pace the weaning process, check out our last article, Gentle Weaning: What is the Process?

Every breastfeeding mother eventually weans her child.  It is part of the evolutionary process.  Whether your baby is a few months old or a preschool-age child, there comes a time when the act of breastfeeding no longer occurs.   When the time is right for both you and your child to wean, there are quite a few techniques you can use to help make the process go more smoothly. 

 I have searched books and the Internet to find some of the best resources out there.  I would love if you would please share your own resources and experiences, as well, so that we can all benefit from them!