Chest/Breastfeeding
Robin Kaplan
Common Concerns While Breastfeeding - What is ...

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!

Common Concerns While Breastfeeding - What is That Knot in My Breast?
Chest/Breastfeeding
Robin Kaplan
Treating Cold and Flu Symptoms While ...

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.

Treating Cold and Flu Symptoms While Chest/Breastfeeding
Chest/Breastfeeding
Robin Kaplan
On-Demand vs. Scheduled Feeding: Which is Best ...

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.

On-Demand vs. Scheduled Feeding: Which is Best for Baby?
Chest/Breastfeeding
Robin Kaplan
Breastfeeding the Older Baby - What to Expect ...

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.

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

Is your breastfed baby refusing bottles? Don’t panic! Dive into some reasons a nursing baby rejects the bottle and some tips to remedy bottle-feeding aversion.

Help! My baby won’t take a bottle!

You Know You Are a Breastfeeding Mother When...

Cyndi: You have to plan your work meetings around your pumping schedule.

Sherry: You walk around the house for a few minutes before realizing you never put your boob away.

April: All your shirts open in the front.

Amy: You go to run a 10k and pack your pump as part of your post-race routine.

Kelly: Every shirt you own had a stain from leaking over one or both breasts.

Amy: You workout and apologize to your friends for smelling like a mixture of sweat and milk due to random let downs.

Dana: You are happy to have limo tint on the back windows of your car because you spend so much time pumping in the back seat.

KC: Your husband wakes up to a ‘peep show’ and you’re passed out.

Christine: Your knit shirts are all stretched out because of your toddler reaching down and grabbing for self service.

Bethany: You feel your boobs all day to see which one needs to be nursed from next.

Angelique: You fear the mailman has had a free peep show, but you don’t even care.

Melissa: You question how much milk spillage is acceptable on a shirt before you change it.... and the answer is A LOT!

Ruthii: When sitting next to you becomes a splash zone.

Jennifer: You catch your toddler breastfeeding her dolly.

Jennifer: You walk out the front door and reflexively grab your chest to make sure your boobs aren’t hanging out!

Julie: When you cry over spilling an ounce of milk on the counter.

Suzanne: You use your milk as a cure everything from sunburns to eye and ear infections. Breast milk is the equivalent to Windex from the film "My Big Fat Greek Wedding."

Ashley: You’re excited for a date night because it means you don’t have to choose your clothes based on which are the easiest to take off in public.

Jacqueline: Your boobs are often lopsided.

Alethra: When hunger, tiredness, getting hurt, or any other dilemma is solved and smoothed over with whipping out the boob.  Problem solved!

Brittany: You’re in public and when you hear a baby start to cry, your first thought is, “Oh, man!  I hope I put on my breast pads today!”

Angela: When you bring your breast pump on your Vegas trip and plan everything around your pumping schedule.  Times have changed!

 

Advocating When Your Baby has a Tongue or Lip Tie

To help parents understand a bit more about how tongue and lip ties can affect breastfeeding, over the next few weeks we will be featuring stories from moms whose babies experienced these challenges.  We would like to extend a HUGE thank you to the brave mamas who submitted their stories for our blog!  We know you went through a ton of challenges and we are so appreciative that you were willing to share your stories!  If you have a story you would like to share on our blog, please send it to robinkaplan@sdbfc.com.

For more information about tongue and lip ties and how they can affect breastfeeding, please see our article: Does Your Baby Have a Tongue or Lip Tie?

I’ve Had My Baby - Now What? Breastfeeding During Weeks 3-6

I’ve Had My Baby - Now What? Breastfeeding During Weeks 3-6

Welcome back to our new series, I’ve Had My Baby - Now What?  This is a guide with basic information to help you navigate the first days, weeks, and months of breastfeeding your new baby.  

Today we’d like to talk about weeks 3 through 6 of your baby’s life, and what breastfeeding looks like.  What can you expect for normal behavior from your new baby, and when do you know there’s a problem that you should seek professional help for?

Mother Kicked Out of LA Fitness for Breastfeeding in the Locker Room

It happened again in San Diego!  How is this possible?  Another nursing in public incident that clearly violated California state law!  An incident where a mother felt violated and shamed for nursing her baby in a public place.  Another reason that reinforces the need for our San Diego Nursing in Public Task Force.

 

Here is Monique Golueke’s story, in her own words. 

"It had been over a year since I had been to the gym and after what happened today, it's not likely I'll be returning, at least not to LA Fitness. I was so excited to attend a step class alongside one of my best gals.

On April 22, 2014, I reinstated my membership, paid the fees, and signed my boys up for the unlimited Kids Klub pass. Forty-five minutes into our class, I was notified that the boys had been crying and they weren't able to settle down. I swooped them up and took them directly to the ladies’ restroom/locker room where I washed both of their little hands. My 9-month old still seemed upset so I decided to nurse him while my toddler sat next to me and played with my phone. About five minutes later, I was approached by an LA Fitness employee.  She told me that we needed to leave and that children were not allowed in the locker room.

Was it Something I Ate? Food Sensitivities in the Breastfed Baby

Was it Something I Ate? Food Sensitivities in the Breastfed Baby

From a gassy gut to red inflamed skin, breastfeeding moms often question the impact of their diet on their little one. Learn more about food sensitivities in breastfed babies.

Breastfeeding Your Baby with Jaundice

Written by Danielle Blair, IBCLC

The term jaundice gets used a lot regarding babies.  It can have many different meanings depending on the context.  From the Mayo Clinic website:

“Infant jaundice is a yellow discoloration in a newborn baby's skin and eyes. Infant jaundice occurs because the baby's blood contains an excess of bilirubin, a yellow-colored pigment of red blood cells.”

 

I’ve Had My Baby - Now What? Breastfeeding During the Second Week

I’ve Had My Baby - Now What? Breastfeeding During the Second Week

Welcome to our new series, I’ve Had My Baby - Now What?  This is a guide with basic information to help you navigate the first days, weeks, and months of breastfeeding your new baby.  

Today we’d like to talk about the second week of your baby’s life, and what breastfeeding looks like.  What can you expect for normal behavior from your new baby, and when do you know there’s a problem that you should seek professional help for?

Now that my milk has increased in volume, what should feedings look like?  How much does a baby need at each feeding and how long should it take?

What a Difference a Tongue Tie Revision Can Make

To help parents understand a bit more about how tongue and lip ties can affect breastfeeding, over the next few weeks we will be featuring stories from moms whose babies experienced these challenges.  We would like to extend a HUGE thank you to the brave mamas who submitted their stories for our blog!  We know you went through a ton of challenges and we are so appreciative that you were willing to share your stories!  If you have a story you would like to share on our blog, please send it to robinkaplan@sdbfc.com.

For more information about tongue and lip ties and how they can affect breastfeeding, please see our article:Does Your Baby Have a Tongue or Lip Tie?

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Written by Nina Jacobs 

Aubrielle was born on August 3rd, 2013 at 36 weeks due to my preeclampsia. She was 5lbs 13 ounces of tiny beautiful joy. I knew from the moment I found out I was pregnant that I wanted to breastfeed (my goal being for a year). I had no idea then, that it would be such a wonderful, beautiful, bonding, humongous part of my life. We were in the hospital for 5 days because of Aubrielle being considered a "late premie" and all of the meds I had to come off of to make sure I didn't have a seizure. Aubrielle was immediately diagnosed with a severe tongue tie by the pediatrician and two lactation specialists. We made an appointment to have her tongue tie snipped at 4 days old with ENT. In the mean time, she was latching, and eating as best as her little mouth could while we supplemented with pumped milk and feeding her through a tube and syringe. 

Breastfeeding After a Tongue Tie Revision

To help parents understand a bit more about how tongue and lip ties can affect breastfeeding, over the next few weeks we will be featuring stories from moms whose babies experienced these challenges.  We would like to extend a HUGE thank you to the brave mamas who submitted their stories for our blog!  We know you went through a ton of challenges and we are so appreciative that you were willing to share your stories!  If you have a story you would like to share on our blog, please send it to robinkaplan@sdbfc.com.

For more information about tongue and lip ties and how they can affect breastfeeding, please see our article:Does Your Baby Have a Tongue or Lip Tie?

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Written by Cinda Brown

Lily and I had a rough start with our breastfeeding relationship from the very beginning. She latched soon after she was born and in that instant I felt sharp pain and noticed there was blood. She had caused damage with her first latch. We stayed at the hospital for about 24 hours, and in that time she had pretty severely damaged both of my nipples. I consulted with friends and professionals who had breastfed before, but didn’t get the kind of guidance I probably should have. No one’s fault, but no one had seen or experienced what I was going through so they gave me what they thought was very well meaning advice. Unfortunately I really needed to see an IBCLC, but I didn’t know that such a person existed.

Combining Lactation and Maternal Nutrition

Today, I'm thrilled to introduce a new guest blogger, Lindsey Hurd, MS, RD, LDN, IBCLC.  Lindsey is the owner of Angel Food Lactation & Nutrition, LLC, a business in Wilmington, NC that specializes in perinatal nutrition and lactation services.   Over the next several months, Lindsey will be sharing her brilliant knowledge about breastfeeding and nutrition, including multiple articles about breastfeeding children who have food intolerances.  

Before Lindsey starts writing her monthly articles, we wanted our readers to have the opportunity to get to know her first.  Welcome to our blog, Lindsey!  We are so excited to have you share your passion and expertise!