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!

How Can I Pump Enough for my Baby When I’m at Work?

How Can I Pump Enough for my Baby When I’m at Work?

Going back to work can be a very stressful time for many new moms.  It’s difficult to leave your baby for the first time.  You may feel nervous about returning to a job you’ve been away from for months.  Your schedule/routine may have changed due to child-care arrangements.  Plus, if you’re anything like me, none of your work pre-pregnancy work clothes fit yet!  A concern that often adds to this stress is the fear that you may not be able to pump enough for your baby’s bottles while you’re at work. Some moms find that they are constantly playing a game of catch-up, trying to keep up with their baby’s intake while with the caregiver.  Below are some things you can do to improve your ability to keep up with your baby’s needs.

Help a Mama Out: Dealing with the Biting Breastfeeder

Oh, that sweet infant gummy smile!  So serene.... so innocent.... so adorable.  But all toothless mouths must come to an end and teething starts another fun developmental stage for your little one.  Teething can also stir up some anxiety in the breastfeeding mama, which we are hoping to aleviate today.

Will my baby bite me?  

Do I have to stop breastfeeding?  

Most moms have felt a clamp down on their nipples from their teething babes once or twice, but it doesn’t mean that your breastfeeding relationship has to come to an end.  No need for those new teeth to be a deal-breaker!

We turned to the wise breastfeeding mamas on Facebook to offer some tips for dealing with a biting breastfeeder.  As always, your advice was amazing.  Here is what you had to say.

Was it Something I Ate? Food Sensitivities in the Breastfed Baby: Part 3

Was it Something I Ate? Food Sensitivities in the Breastfed Baby: Part 3

If your little one is showing signs of food sensitivity while breastfeeding, it may be time to remove foods from your diet. Explore how to make an elimination diet work for you.

Podcast and Personal Stories about Tongue Ties and Lip Ties

Written by Robin Kaplan, M.Ed, IBCLC

Last week on The Boob Group, I had the esteemed pleasure of interviewing one of the most prominent experts on tongue ties and lip ties, Catherine Watson Genna.  Catherine has written multiple articles and books about the mechanics of the tongue while breastfeeding, as well as the breastfeeding challenges that can occur when a baby has a tongue or lip tie.  One of her earliest articles was written for the American Academy of Pediatrics, helping to bring awareness to this subject for the practitioners who babies see the most.

Click here to listen to The Boob Group's podcast episode: Tongue Ties and Lip Ties: Symptoms, Treatment, and Aftercare.

 

I’ve Had My Baby - Now What? Breastfeeding During months 2 through 6.

Written by Ashley Treadwell, IBCLC

Welcome back to our 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 months 2 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?

You Know You Are a Breastfeeding Mother of a Toddler When....

Jenn: You can have a conversation with him WHILE he has a mouth full of boob!

Julie: Your boob is visibly lopsided because it’s full and you’re at the park so your kids is too distracted to nurse.

Tiffany: Your nipples start reminding you of Stretch Armstrong. 

Stacy: Your lap is full of toys and your toddler is dangling off the furniture while he eats.  You have to tell your utensil-obsessed kiddo that spoons are for the table, not mommy’s milk.  You laugh when people say that nursing a toddler is for YOUR benefits and not for the toddler.  They have obviously never tried to get a toddler to nurse who didn’t want to, or stop one who does.

Lindsay: Your toddler offers her mommy milk to her teddy bear, dolls, toy animals, and daddy.  It’s so nice she is willing to share!

Cat: They ask you to hold their cracker.

April: When he/she is hurt, the first words are, “Boob! Mommy! Boob!”

Julia: They announce, “That kid needs boo-boo” every time they hear a kid crying.

Laura: He’s dancing all over your chest, tummy, chair, the floor, the walls, the dog, WHILE nursing!

Colina: Nursing begins to feel more like a Cirque du Soleil performance.

Sarah: You see nothing wrong with sittin on the couch with your boobs hanging out for the quick ‘run by milking!’

Paula: After nursing you find gum on your nipple!

Laura: You are simultaneously a food source and a raceway for Matchbox cars.

Ariel: You get bras that are specifically padded to hide your nipples from twiddling hands.

Elisa: Your aren’t phased by nursing with a baby standing up!

Shannon: When you actually pray that he will sit and nurse longer than 4 minutes at a time so that you can rest for just a minute!

Cindy: You have to remind your kid to unlatch BEFORE walking away from you.... or jumping on the bed!

Ariel: When they know you’re touched out, so they ask for ‘just a little bit’ oh, so sweetly.

Kristin: They are constantly upside down.

Jamelle: Sometimes they just want to hug their boobies.  They play ‘Tune in Tokyo” on whichever one is not being used.

Lisa: When you can’t make it from the dining room table to the shower without a nursing break.

Maryjane: When they put your boobs away after nursing! (I actually really appreciate this one!)  When they tell YOU having milk (just a tiny little bit) will make them feel better.

 

Check out some of our fantastic articles about breastfeeding a toddler:

Toddler Nursing Part 1: How it Helped Me Manage My Circus

Toddler Nursing Part 2: Toddler vs. Breastfeeding

Toddler Nursing: Part 3: Super Breastfed Baby!

 

Check out some of our awesome podcasts about breastfeeding a toddler:

Breastfeeding Beyond Two Years

Breastfeeding Toddlers: Frequency, Biting, and Staying Motivated

Breastfeeding Toddlers: Night Nursing and Weaning

 

How would you finish the following sentence: You know you are a breastfeeding mom of a toddler when....

 

 

A Resolution to the LA Fitness Nursing in Public Harassment Incident

Last month I shared a story about how a breastfeeding mother had been involved in a nursing in public harassment incident at a local LA Fitness.  During this incident, Monique Golueke was told that her only option for breastfeeding in the Oceanside LA Fitness facility was in the Kids Klub restroom.  After some media coverage, a nurse-in, and several cordial email exchanges between the San Diego Nursing in Public Task Force and Jill Greuling (Vice President of Operations for LA Fitness), I am elated to report that we have come to an incredibly positive resolution!  

Today, I received an email from Ms. Greuling, stating that the following memo will pop up for every LA Fitness employee in California when they log on June 5th, requiring an acknowledgement that they read and understand the information contained in the memo:

"According to California Civil Code, section 43.3, “Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a mother may breastfeed her child in any location, public or private, except the private home or residence of another, where the mother and the child are otherwise authorized to be present.”  To accommodate breastfeeding women in LA Fitness facilities, staff members may recommend reasonable places for her to do so, such as the foyer, the sales area or in the Kids Klub. It is not reasonable to tell a woman that the only place she can breastfeed her baby is in the Kids Klub restroom."

The San Diego Nursing in Public Task Force would like to commend Monique Golueke and Ms. Greuling for having the initiative to take tangible, practical actions that will prevent any incidences like this from happening in the future.  We are thrilled we were able to collaborate with her to bring forth such a positive resolution.

Defining my Breastfeeding Experience: Inclusive Breastfeeding

Defining my Breastfeeding Experience: Inclusive Breastfeeding

Written by Aran Tavakoli

It has been nine months and I just put away my pump. Getting it ready for storage was bitter sweet. How many hours have I spent with that machine in the past 9 months? Its usefulness outweighed the annoyance.  Once again, at this point in time, I am redefining my breastfeeding relationship with my baby. 

Breastfeeding has been an extraordinary journey. I have experienced and learned so much. I keep searching for a word that captures and defines my experience, but I can’t find one. I believe the breastfeeding community is actually missing a term for mamas that fall into their own camp. There is the exclusively breastfeed group and the formula group. Research often distinctly divides mamas and babies into these two groups. But, there is an ever-growing group of mamas that breastfeed and give formula to support their breastfeeding relationship with their baby. The current words used to describe this group include combo feeding or more commonly, low supply needing supplementation. 

Witching Hour vs Colic

Colic is a word that is often used for a baby who cries for any length of time, but did you know that it’s normal for babies to have a fussy period every day, often called the witching hour?  While it’s distressing for any parent to hear her baby cry, sometimes understanding that the behavior is a normal part of infant development can be helpful.  However, there are times when the behavior may be caused by something else, and even though the cause isn’t always immediately understood, there are measures that can be taken to reduce the symptoms of colic.