Little Loves Lactation - Lisa Holwerda IBCLC

07/07/2023

😆

18/03/2023

If you are having trouble with your baby’s sleep or struggling to manage excessive crying, you don’t have to go through it alone. Our social worker and postpartum doula, Julia, is here to help 💚

Visit www.lotushp.com.au to find out more about Julia.

Call (07) 3132 8584 or email admin@lotushp.com.au to book an online consultation with Julia.

10/12/2022

If you’ve been unfortunate enough to have had mastitis in the past, have a look - our management of mastitis has changed for the better.

15/09/2022

Did you know I can provide private breastfeeding education prior to the birth of your baby? We can sit down and go through the how's and why's of breastfeeding, or discuss in-depth any area of your concern. This can be especially helpful if you are nervous about breastfeeding or have medical complications that could make breastfeeding difficult.
Click here to book: https://app.squarespacescheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=24258758&appointmentType=27108347

27/08/2022

I love this beautiful story. 💕

‘I've been rocking and cuddling my baby to sleep since that day he was born. I mentioned this to a nurse at my clinic recently. She said that she did the same thing with her son, and everyone warned her that she would still have a teenager sleeping in her bed. And then she told me that, a few weeks ago, her teenage son came home from school very upset. He didn't want to talk, and just went to his room and listened to his music, typed on his phone and cried. The mother gave her son space, and night time came and she went to bed. Just as she was about to turn off her side light, the door opened, and her 15 year old padded into the room. He climbed into the bed with her, laid his head on her shoulder and cried. He told her all about the girl that broke his heart, all about the friends who laughed, all about the stresses of being him. She told him about her first broken heart, about friends who'd been cruel, and told him she understands. They talked in the dark for hours, until he feel asleep in her bed. Still sad but relieved after their talk.
'So you see' she said to me, when she finished the story. 'I was so scared that I wound wind up with a teenager who would 'need me' at night, that I never stopped to consider how beautiful that would really be.' 🌟
One of my favourite stories ever. Had to .
Words by the beautiful
Photo

21/08/2022

This is a photo of the cells that make up alveoli of the mammary gland. Fat cells are stained black. The white in the center of the circular alveoli is milk. I talk about it on my website in more detail here: http://www.drjen4kids.com/breastfeeding/oversupply.htm

The photo helps to illustrate why “foremilk” and “hindmilk” are unhelpful terms. And it’s a useful illustration for why breast massage or the use of vibration (I recommend a vibrating kid’s toothbrush) can increase the fat content of breastmilk.

The amount of fat in the milk varies with the amount of milk in the breast: a full breast has less fat and a less full breast has a higher fat content. This has a lot to do with the resistance of fat to being removed from the breast.

The fat cells hang on to the walls of the alveoli and it takes more energy to move them from that spot when the alveoli is full of milk compared to the energy needed when there is less milk being made. When the alveoli is not as full of milk, the fat is easier to remove.

So, when we start to remove milk, the alveoli first releases milk with a lower fat content, and as milk is removed, more fat enters. We have a higher milk volume in the morning, which then is lower in fat, and a lower milk volume at night, which therefore has more fat. This often leads to discussions of "foremilk" and "hindmilk"- unhelpful terms that are used to describe lower fat milk and higher fat milk respectively. The use of those terms makes it seem as if there are two types of milk (low fat and and high fat) and as if there is a point at which we switch from one type to another. Neither is true. If you look at the picture, there are some alveoli full of milk with no fat in the center and others that are completely collapsed and full of fat. The picture demonstrates nicely that the fat content is not all -or -nothing. The increase in fat is gradual over the course of the feeding. “Foremilk” and “hindmilk” are terms that lead to confusion about lactose concentration as well. (yesterday’s post).

Dr. Jane Morton, working with premature infants, showed that vibration and hand expression could increase both milk volume and calories in the milk better than pumping alone. In babies struggling because of maternal oversupply, I suggest vibration to help remove fat earlier than it would be released. More suggestions here: http://www.drjen4kids.com/breastfeeding/oversupply.htm

30/07/2022

💕

Hold the mother, not the baby.⁣
⁣
Because the baby’s being taken care of—⁣
fed, snuggled, and given all the love in the world—⁣
by not only the mother,⁣
but her partner, grandparents, siblings, cousins, and friends.⁣
⁣
But the mother,⁣
may have gaps in her mind from lack of sleep,⁣
may be mechanical in her motions as she’s healing,⁣
may feel more like a mess than a mother,⁣
may be sitting in bed, crying, feeling overwhelmed in her body and life,⁣
may be full of mom guilt because in her mind, "she's not good enough,"⁣
and she’s bleeding, wincing in pain, swollen and emotional.⁣
⁣
And the mother’s that baby's whole world and needs to be seen, so she doesn't disappear into that postpartum fog.⁣
⁣
So, hold the mother, not the baby.⁣
⁣
A mother agrees that her baby matters more.⁣
But she’s hurting, while she’s the person behind the baby,⁣
in the background, making it all happen:⁣
feeding her baby at all hours,⁣
snuggling her baby close to comfort newborn cries,⁣
and being that baby’s everything.⁣
⁣
So, it’s the mother who needs your love.⁣
⁣
And a mother will remember who held her up.⁣
⁣
So instead of “I’m coming to see the baby,”⁣
try saying, “I’m coming to see you 𝘢𝘯𝘥 meet the baby, too.”⁣
⁣
Because the mother needs to be held more.⁣

📸: This Mama Doodles

13/07/2022

It’s been a long time coming.😍❤️
For the next three weeks I am away visiting family. 🇺🇸✈️
Can you see the joy? Three generations together again after three years. 💕

28/06/2022

I've seen a lot of people in the last few weeks who are having problems due to their use of a Haakaa (or equivalent silicone flexible one piece milk catching vacuum driven device :P ). These tools are often GREAT and I do love them, but people need to be more aware when using them! I wrote this in the hopes that it helps prevent any issues for a couple of you out there.

16/06/2022

Another common concern I hear from parents is worry about how much gas is coming out from baby's bottom. Parents worry it's because baby must be swallowing lots of air during feeding but not burping it out. What's actually happening is gas is produced as a byproduct of digestion - just like adults! Any air that he might have taken in with feeding would naturally be burped out - again, same with us adults!