Dealing with a plugged/clogged duct? While this condition is often painful and frustrating, it’s usually manageable with some self-care and support. So, what exactly are plugged (clogged) ducts, why do they happen, and what can you do to resolve them? Let’s break it down!
Battling a cold or flu while chest/breastfeeding can be overwhelming, especially if symptoms or dehydration cause a dip in your milk supply. Fortunately, there are safe remedies to help you recover while maintaining your chest/breastfeeding journey and milk supply.
When it comes to chest/breastfeeding, parents often wonder whether on-demand feeding or scheduled feeding is best. Explore the differences and find what works for you.
Wondering what breastfeeding/chestfeeding look like when your baby is 6-9 months? Get tips for nursing an older baby from our team of San Diego lactation consultants.
How much breast milk does my baby need per feeding?
What is common nursing behavior for a newborn?
How will I know that my baby is getting enough?
As a new mom, these are common questions that you may ask your pediatrician, midwife, postpartum nurse, family, and friends and GUESS WHAT..... they may all have a different answer!
Written by guest blooger, Autumn Bonner, co-owner and co-founder of My Tailored Fitness.
Happy New Year Moms! Now that the family is gone, holiday cookies are eaten, and presents are all opened, you are probably settling back into your normal life as a mom. If you are like most people, you are probably thinking about 2014 and how you’d like to make it even better than last year. One of the areas you might like to improve in the New Year is your health. Let’s face it: as a mom, caring for yourself usually takes last place. You make sure your baby’s needs are met, take care of your spouse/partner, and after that, if there’s time, you take care of yourself. Sadly this often leaves us disappointed…with how our clothes fit, with how often we get to exercise, and with our lack of energy.
To be the best moms we can be, we must take care of ourselves. The good news is that by carving out just 20 minutes a day you can make some big changes this year! It’s also important to know that your exercise routine can go hand in hand with your breastfeeding goals! Research proves that exercise does not impact the quantity or quality of your milk supply. All you need to do is make sure to eat at least 1500 calories per day and a few more to make up for the calories you burn on those days when you exercise. Here’s a great post dedicated to exercise and breastfeeding with some helpful tips. Exercise has so many other benefits for a new mom like relieving stress, helping you sleep better, and boosting your immunity, so it is definitely worth making a priority!
Since Winter Break has descended onto our homes, Ashley and I are taking the next few weeks off from blogging to spend some quality time with our families. However, that doesn't mean that you'll be left without our breastfeeding support until the new year! We have over 300 articles on the San Diego Breastfeeding Center blog, which means there is no reason for you to google 'sore nipples' at 3:30am. Just check out our extensive article list and you will be well on your way!
Almost 2 years ago, a dear friend of mine found out that her 19 month old daughter had type 1 diabetes and was fighting for her life. Here's Theresa's triumphant story of how she was able to preserve her breastfeeding relationship while healing her daughter.
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About a month ago a friend alerted me to a Facebook post that brought a wave of memories flooding over me from a day that changed my life forever as a parent. A day that I will never forget, even though I wish I could. It was literally the worst day of my life, but one that I will always be grateful for because it was the day my daughter’s life was saved.
Over the next few weeks we will be sharing stories of triumphant breastfeeding mamas and their biggest supporters who helped them reach their personal breastfeeding goals. If you would like to share your breastfeeding story and thank your biggest breastfeeding cheerleaders, check out the details in our recent blog article.
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Here is Stephanie's story.
It has truly taken a village to help me be successful in nursing both of my babies! I knew I wanted to breastfeed, but, after the birth of my first son, my passion and commitment to it were a surprise to even me. I was also caught extremely off-guard by the difficulties both of my boys encountered as we began our breastfeeding journeys together. Tongue ties, lip ties, low weight gain, low supply, poor latch, pain/cracking/bleeding, overactive letdown, and more were all hurdles we had to cross. There is absolutely NO way I could have made it to 13 months formula-free with my first son and still going strong and formula-free at 6 months with my second without these amazing people.
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!
Last week I had the pleasure of speaking at a workshop for families considering adoption and/or surrogacy. The topic of my presentation was Breastfeeding for the Adoptive or Intended (through surrogacy) Mother. Most of the families in the audience had no idea that a woman could breastfeed without birthing her child and their faces just lit up when I discussed that this was a possibilty for them.
While I have worked with several mothers in San Diego to induce lactation for an adopted baby or baby born by surrogate, I thought I would invite my colleague, Alyssa Schnell, to answer a few questions about this process. Not only has Alyssa personally experienced inducing lactation for her adopted daughter, but she also recently published a book on this topic as well, titled Breastfeeding Without Birthing: A Breastfeeding Guide for Mothers Through Adoption, Surrogacy, and Other Special Circumstances (Praeclarus Press, 2013)
Over the next few weeks we will be sharing stories of triumphant breastfeeding mamas and their biggest supporters who helped them reach their personal breastfeeding goals.
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This story is from Dawn.
I have to thank my hospital TEAM for my breastfeeding success!
When I gave birth to my son 5+ years ago, it wasn’t what any first time mom would like to experience. I was having problems with maintaining my blood pressure and when my little boys’ heart rate dropped too low, I was rushed into an emergency c-section. It was an extremely frightening process that didn’t even enter my mind as a possibility. The months that followed were hard. We struggled at finding a proper latch and feeding became such a difficult task, I dreaded it.
It never occurred to me that our difficulties at latching could have been because of the birth experience .
Any woman who has ever had a breastfeeding challenge or has breastfed longer than than someone else deems ‘normal’ has been asked this question at one time or another.
Sometimes this question is passive aggressive with undertones of “I can’t believe you have breastfed your baby for THIS long.” Other times it comes from a place of love meaning “You seem like you are in pain... are you sure you still want to try this?”
Regardless, if you are anything like me, the snappy comeback or educated response that I SO desired to say only comes after the situation is long gone and I am kicking myself for not defending myself and my choice to breastfeed the way I wanted to.
