Tracey Carolan IBCLC

08/23/2025

I walked in to a consult the other day to see my client using this.

A ni**le shield attached to a feeding tube and syringe, perfect for those needing to supplement in the first few days but are also using a ni**le shield.

Why have I never seen this before!

Thank you @lghfoundation for supporting supplementing at the breast!

08/22/2025

All babies lose some weight in the first 24 hours. If you received IV fluids during labour, your baby may lose even more, not because of feeding, but because the fluids make the birth weight look higher than it really is.

That’s why the 24-hour weight is the most accurate starting point for tracking growth.

Researchers in Canada found that using the 24-hour weight instead of the birth weight helped more babies stay exclusively breastfed in their first few days of life.

Growing well = getting enough milk. ❤️

08/21/2025

While I am not against giving formula when the situation calls for it I am against

- care providers not giving options
- not asking their patients what their feeding goals are
- not referring to an IBCLC.
- not following up in a timely manner

The WHO recommends that when baby needs supplementation it is first done with the parents own milk, then donor milk, then formula, in that order.

Proper education needs to be given to families on how to support their milk supply while ensuring their baby receives adequate amounts

Families should be given follow up so they are not left supplementing forever

Our current medical system is failing new parents.
Please contact an IBCLC for support that is going to help you reach all your feeding goals

08/20/2025

✨ We’re Hiring: Doula to Join Our Collective ✨

Ridge Meadows Doula Services is excited to welcome a new doula into our collective! If you’re passionate about supporting families through pregnancy, birth, and beyond, we’d love to hear from you.

Requirements:
• Doula training completed
• Experience supporting at least 5 births
• Reliable car and reliable childcare (if applicable)
• Ability to be on call 2–4 days per week on a rotating schedule
• Willingness to work collaboratively with a team

What We Offer:
• A supportive team with hundreds of births of experience and 14+ years serving the community
• Flexible on-call rotation, allowing time for family, self-care, and continuing education
• Work primarily in Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Langley, and the Tri-Cities, with occasional travel for the right families

If you’re ready to grow in your doula practice while working alongside a strong, supportive team, we’d love to connect with you.

📩 Send your interest and details to ridgemeadowsdoula@gmail.com

08/18/2025

08/17/2025

Did you know that Im also a sleep educator.

Sleep training is definitely not a new practice but it has become so popular that every parent now just assumes they have to do it, that their child will never sleep independently or for longer stretches if they dont.

But guess what,
They will

Sleep training especially before 3 months can lower your milk supply. Milk removal at night is important to keep prolactin high.

There are other ways to support your childs sleep and make changes without sleep training.
Its never all or nothing.

08/15/2025

Did you know that breastfeeding reduces risk of the #1 killer of women—heart disease? How does this work? And how does lactation also lower risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and other cardiometabolic problems? This fascinating 2025 review explains the mechanisms underlying these amazing health benefits of breastfeeding, which its authors call “a cornerstone of maternal health.” Free download here:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40689046/

08/14/2025

Pumping is not a science.
Most people cant take it out of the box and get amazing output from day 1.

Flanges need to be sized, modes and suction levels need to be played with, maybe even a different pump needs to be purchased.

And yet still some people dont respond to a pump like they want to.

Trying Silicone flanges is something that many of my clients find works when nothing else did.

Have you tried them yet?
What were your results?

08/13/2025

Finally!

Do any of the herbs thought to boost lactation have scientific backing? Yes. This 2025 systematic review analyzes the effects of malunggay (moringa oleifera) on milk volumes and prolactin levels. Its consistently positive findings set this botanical apart from the rest. Free download here:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40724308/

08/12/2025

We absolutely love this visual by The Breastfeeding Dietitian 🙌⁠
⁠
Most babies feed like the blueberries. Some big feeds and some small feeds. Some feeds close together and others spaced further apart. And then there's 'cluster feeding' – where your baby feeds very frequently (or almost continuously!) over a period of a few hours.⁠
⁠
A rigid breastfeeding schedule can compromise a healthy milk supply. By offering the b**b whenever your baby 'asks' for it, you'll be stimulating your breasts to make more milk because breast milk production works on a ‘supply and demand’ basis – the more milk you remove, the more your body is signalled to make.⁠
⁠
So watch your baby, not the clock and feed according to your baby's hunger cues. This way you'll support a healthy milk supply that's attuned to your baby’s needs.⁠

shared via Boobie Bikkies

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08/10/2025