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.
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.
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.
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!
When a mom is looking for breastfeeding assistance, it can often be difficult to know where to get this help and from whom. There are so many options…. Facebook, breastfeeding support groups, lactation consultants… where to go can be confusing, especially if she feels like she needs to get help immediately!
So, what is the difference between the breastfeeding help you will get at a support group and at a private lactation consultant visit?
Recently, I have noticed many conversations online where breastfeeding mothers have expressed feelings of despair and frustration that their needs were not met while working with a lactation consultant. In fact, this isn't just happening online, but also in my community as well.
Last week, my appointment with a new mom started off with her explaining that she was feeling very fragile and insecure, as she had already met with a lactation consultant and it didn't go so well. When I asked her what happened, she described a lactation consultation that had gone completely wrong. In a nutshell, the IBCLC told the mom that if she followed her pediatrician's advice (which I actually thought was quite reasonable advice) that she would completely lose her already low milk supply (which was absolutely not the case) and that she should just consider bottle feeding her baby if her nipples hurt that badly. At the end of the consultation, the mom felt completely defeated and that she was a horrible mom for wanting to follow her pediatrician's advice.
This story absolutely infuriated me!
