Cooper County WIC

04/28/2026

Did you know our WIC breastfeeding counselors host quarterly Breastfeeding Coalition meetings? These gatherings bring community partners together to share updates, talk through current breastfeeding trends, and learn from one another’s experiences across our community.

Today was our largest meeting yet, and it was exciting to see so many partners at the table. We’re grateful for the continued growth of this coalition and the opportunity to support families together.

Thank you to our partners from PAT, CMCA, MU Health Clinic, Boonslick Center for Women’s Ministries, and Baby Grace for being part of the conversation we appreciate all that you do!

04/25/2026

04/25/2026

Everyone talks about engorgement when milk “comes in”… rock hard b***s. Night sweats.

…but far fewer people talk about the hormonal shift that arrives with it

For many mothers, this starts somewhere between 24–72 hours postpartum

You can go from an emotional high (relief, adrenaline, even euphoria after birth) into a sudden drop that feels surprisingly intense

This is the same window when your body is rapidly transitioning from colostrum to larger volumes of milk
But it’s not just about your breasts, it’s a full hormonal recalibration

After the placenta is delivered, estrogen and progesterone fall quickly
Prolactin rises to build milk supply
Oxytocin pulses to release milk

That rapid shift can land in your body as:

* Weepiness that seems to come out of nowhere
* A sudden mood drop after feeling “up”
* Waves of anxiety or uneasiness, often around feeds
* Feeling emotionally raw, overwhelmed, or shaky
* Night sweats or chills

Some mothers describe it as a wave. Something that builds, peaks, and then passes
Others notice they’re crying without a clear reason, especially in those early days when everything is new and intense

This experience is often called the “baby blues,” and it lines up closely with the timing of milk transition and engorgement. It’s not postpartum depression, it’s a temporary wave of emotions

It’s a reflection of how quickly your hormones are shifting while your body initiates milk production

For most, these feelings are temporary and begin to ease as milk supply regulates and hormone levels stabilize

If emotions feel constant instead of wave-like, are getting heavier instead of lighter, or come with intrusive thoughts or persistent dread, that’s a sign to bring in more support

This early postpartum window is not just about feeding your baby, it’s also a major physiological and emotional transition for you

Feeling weepy, sensitive, or not quite like yourself during this time is a common part of that shift 💛

04/25/2026

“This baby is just using you as a pacifier.”

It sounds practical. Reasonable, even.
Until you stop and actually examine what that phrase suggests.

It implies that the breast is only good for one thing: a nutritional exchange. And that all else is separate.
That milk is the purpose and everything else has a different solution or strategy

But infant biology doesn’t work that way.

At the breast, a baby isn’t just transferring milk.
They’re regulating their nervous system in real time.

Heart rate steadies.
Breathing synchronizes.
Stress hormones decrease.
Digestion organizes.
The brain wires safety through repeated, predictable contact.

This isn’t extra. This is feeding. This is regulation. This is comfort. This is pacifying.

We’ve created a cultural split between “nutritive” and “non-nutritive” sucking, as if one matters more. But for a newborn, those systems are integrated. Sucking, holding, smelling, hearing your voice, feeling your skin: these are all part of how a baby organizes themselves physiologically and neurologically.

Even the idea of a “pacifier” came after the breast; not the other way around. The breast isn’t replacing something. It’s the original.

So when someone says “just comfort,” what’s actually happening is a minimizing of a biological process that is foundational to infant development.

Your baby isn’t confused.
They’re doing exactly what their body is designed to do.

And if it feels like your baby wants the breast for more than hunger; that’s because they do. And they SHOULD!!!!

For mothers looking for grounded, evidence-based support around infant feeding and behavior this is your reminder:

A pacifier is something that soothes and settles a baby. That aids them to sleep. That helps them calm and regulate. And that’s exactly what the purpose of the breast is

Keep on b**bin’

04/21/2026

WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselors provide basic breastfeeding information, encouragement and support to WIC participants, particularly pregnant and breastfeeding women.

We think our Breastfeeding Peer Counselors are great! We'd love to hear how a Breastfeeding Peer Counselor has helped you. Please comment or send us a message!
https://health.mo.gov/living/families/wic/

04/16/2026

Sunflower lecithin is having a moment… and I get why
When you’re dealing with recurrent “clogs,” you’ll try anything to make it stop

But sunflower lecithin is not fixing the problem. At best, it’s a support tool. At worst, it delays you from actually solving what’s going on

Because what we call “plugged ducts” aren’t little chunks of milk stuck like a cork. They’re inflammation in the breast tissue

And inflammation always has a reason

So if you keep getting the same spot over and over… we need to zoom out 👇

Common root causes I see every day:

• Pump fl**ge that’s too big or too small → tissue trauma
• Suction set too high → swelling + micro-injury
• Shallow latch → inefficient milk removal + ni**le damage
• Oral restrictions (hello tongue tie) → poor drainage of the breast
• Going long stretches without feeding/pumping → milk stasis
• Tight bras, sports bras, carriers → external pressure on ducts
• Sleeping positions that compress the breast
• History of breast surgery (implants, reduction) → altered drainage patterns

👉 Lecithin doesn’t fix any of these

It may help make milk a little less “sticky” for some people
That’s it
It’s not treating inflammation
It’s not correcting milk removal
It’s not preventing recurrence if the root cause is still there

Don’t wait this out if:

• You’re getting recurrent clogs in the same area
• The breast is becoming red, hot, or more painful
• You feel flu-like symptoms (chills, body aches, fever)
• Things aren’t improving within 24–48 hours

04/15/2026

Week 6 is a shift. Not just in crying… but in development

In the early weeks, your baby is mostly operating on reflex and instinct. Rooting, sucking, grasping, startle are all automatic to lay the foundation of volitional skills later on

They don’t have to think about anything, the body just does what it needs to survive outside the womb

But around 6 weeks, something starts to change. Their nervous system is waking up in a new way
They’re moving from mostly reflexive → toward more awareness and early self control

And that shift is loud. Crying peaks. Not as a coincidence, but as part of the transition. This phase is often called the Period of PURPLE Crying

Your baby is starting to:
• Take in more of the world around them
• Stay awake a little longer
• Notice faces, light, sound, movement
• Have the beginnings of social connection

But they don’t yet have the ability to organize or regulate all of that input. So it builds and crying becomes the outlet

This looks like:
• Longer wake windows that end in overwhelm
• Crying that ramps up quickly, especially in the evening
• A baby who seems alert one minute, then inconsolable the next
• Feeding that feels less sleepy and more active or even distracted

It’s a nervous system in transition

From automatic → to aware
From reflex → toward connection

Most babies will start to settle more around 8–10 weeks as their system becomes more organized as their brain and body are catching up to each other

Support the shift:
• Watch wake windows, overtiredness stacks quickly at this age
• Layer calming input: swaddling, rhythmic movement, white noise
• Put them in water or take them outside. It acts as a reset button
• Babywearing can give them contained, predictable sensory input
• Keep stimulation simple. You don’t need the black and white cards and educational activities all day, every day

And as their nervous system organizes you’ll start to see more of those connected, calm moments stretch a little longer

04/15/2026

You have a latch master. You and your toddler have been in a breastfeeding relationship for months and the relationship has settled into a comfortable place. You both have flexibility in your position and your b**b is your superpower for all things emotional and nutritional. But suddenly it all feels off…

Clicking
Popping on and off
A latch that feels shallow or even painful
Fussiness…pulling…arching…maybe even biting

And you’re sitting there like:
“Wait…how did we go backwards??”

Here’s the part most people don’t tell you:

👉 This might not be a breastfeeding problem at all
👉 This might be teething. Again.

Molars are big, wide teeth that come in the back of the mouth
And when they’re cutting through, the gums get swollen, tender, and sore. So now your toddler is trying to latch and nurse with a mouth that doesn’t feel normal to them

That changes everything
•They can’t maintain suction the same way → clicking
•They keep adjusting to find a comfortable spot → popping on and off
•They may clamp to stabilize → ouch
•They get frustrated because they want to nurse but it feels weird → fussiness

Instead of trying to “fix” the latch, support the mouth
•Offer something cold to chew before nursing
•Nurse when they’re sleepy or more regulated
•Let them come on and off without pressure
•Play with positions to reduce gum pressure
•Set gentle boundaries if biting happens
•Use pain relief if needed (this can be a game changer)

When a toddler who knows how to nurse suddenly seems like they forgot everything, look at their gums. Because sometimes the breast didn’t change, their mouth did

Did you experience this with a teething toddler?

04/15/2026

Breastfeeding with autism: the parts no one talks about

We talk a lot about latch, supply, and schedules.
But we don’t talk enough about the sensory and neurological experience of the mother. For autistic moms, breastfeeding can be deeply meaningful and also incredibly overwhelming.

• Sensory overload
The constant touch, movement, and unpredictable nature of babies needing to feed can feel like too much. What looks like “just nursing” can feel like your nervous system is on fire.

• Aversion that brings confusion
Loving your baby doesn’t always mean loving the feeling of breastfeeding. Aversion can show up suddenly and intensely. You probably weren’t warned that aversion is common for the ND and it is something that is actually neurological, not emotional. It can also look like loving breastfeeding one minute then needing a break the next

• Need for control and predictability
Breastfeeding is inherently unpredictable. Timing, duration, frequency are continuously shifting with each new developmental stage baby enters. That loss of control can create real distress

• Masking through feeds
Some moms push through discomfort, smiling and staying still while internally overwhelmed. The cost? Burnout and nervous system dysregulation

• Communication differences
Advocating for your needs, whether that’s less touch, more structure, or different feeding methods, can feel hard in a world that expects breastfeeding to look one specific way

You are allowed to need accommodations.
That might look like:
• Nursing in a dark, quiet space
• Using headphones, watching a show, or reading a book to regulate sensory input
• Setting limits on frequency or duration
• Combining breast and bottle feeding, pumping and direct breastfeeding, using formula

Support should not just be about feeding the baby.
It should be about supporting the dyad

We can hold both:
Breastfeeding can be beautiful.
And it can be hard in ways people don’t see

Both are valid

04/09/2026

Fl**ge sizing isn’t a “pick it once and you’re done” situation. It can shift quite across the course of your lactation journey

Right after birth, your body is in a very different place than it will be a few weeks later. Between early latch learning (often a bit shallow at first), ni**le irritation, and primary engorgement, everything is a little more swollen and full. The breast tissue itself is fuller, and ni**les can be more elastic or puffy. In this stage, a larger fl**ge size can actually feel more comfortable and work reasonably well because that extra pressure from fluid inside the breast helps move milk out to a learning baby or pump

As the days and weeks go on, things start to settle
Swelling decreases
Breasts soften between feeds
Milk production becomes more efficient as supply regulates

This is usually when sizing issues become more noticeable. A fl**ge that felt fine early on may suddenly feel too big. Fl**ges that are pulling in too much ar**la, causing rubbing, or making output less efficient become more apparent. Sizing matter across time

Ni***es themselves are not static
They can:
• Change in diameter over time
• Become more elastic with ongoing pumping or feeding
• Respond differently to stimulation as tissue adapts
• Vary throughout the day depending on fluid shifts or pumping frequency

So it’s very normal to need to reassess fl**ge size more than once, especially:
• After engorgement resolves (around 1–3 weeks)
• When supply regulates (around 6–12 weeks)
• once the breasts are soft all the time at 6+ months
• If output drops without another clear reason

A good fit is usually where there is only the ni**le in the tunnel with minimal ar**la being pulled in, without rubbing or pain during or after pumping

If something feels “off,” it usually is. Bodies change. Ni***es change. Your pump setup should change with you

This is one of those quiet adjustments that can make a big difference in comfort, output, and overall pumping experience. Your baby’s mouth grows and adjusts to these size changes. Unfortunately hard plastic doesn’t make the same adjustments in its own

**ges