Wildflower Breastfeeding

11/24/2025

11/24/2025

Struggling with a pinchy, painful or uncomfortable latch?😩 Wondering how to get your little one to latch more deeply? A wide open mouth is a great start! Check out the tips below to help you make the most of each latch with your little one. Need a few more tips? We're here to help! Join us for our next Latch & Learn session - you'll find answers to your questions about latching, milk supply and more! Visit the link in our bio for more information about our FREE online Latch & Learn workshops, or to connect with FREE In Person support.📲🥰

🫄Pregnant and planning ahead? Check out our FREE Prenatal Lactation workshop "Me Breastfeed". It will give you the tips, tools and information you need BEFORE your baby arrives. Visit the link in our bio to register!

**les

11/22/2025

𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐤?
𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫: 𝐲𝐞𝐬. 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫: 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐮𝐬.
A new metabolomics study (Calcaterra et al, 2025) had lactating parents do a 30 minute moderate treadmill session at 1 month postpartum and compared their milk to rest days.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝:
Exercise shifts milk “signals,” not fundamentals.
Milk volume and macros (fat, protein, lactose) stayed the same.
What changed were 28 of 511 metabolites related to energy and amino acid metabolism.
Some metabolites aligned with infant body composition, including links with fat mass and early BMI. As always, this is correlation, not causation. Context matters.
𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐝𝐝 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐤 “𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬.”
Other research shows exercise can raise helpful milk factors like adiponectin and certain milk sugars (including 3′ sialyllactose) that support healthy metabolic development.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬:
You do not have to choose between moving your body and feeding your baby. Moderate exercise is fully compatible with human milk feeding and does not harm supply.
Human milk is not fragile. It is dynamic, adaptive, and built to respond to your life. Encourage families to walk, stretch, or squeeze in a dance break.
𝘕𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘴 “𝘋𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘦, 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘬,” 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘢𝘺, “𝘈𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘴.”
𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐤 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤? 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭: 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬@𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐬𝐨𝐧.𝐜𝐨𝐦
Calcaterra, G., Sinigaglia, G., Pinti, M., Bucciarelli, V., Martini, C., Moscucci, F., ... & Mattioli, A. V. (2025). Breastfeeding and Maternal Exercise: A Synergistic Approach to Improve Cardiometabolic Health. Clinical Nutrition ESPEN.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405457725029870

11/20/2025

𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐤 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬 – 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐃𝐨
New data from a recent study (Demirci et al, 2025) shows that 9.4% of U.S. parents are feeding their babies donor or shared human milk.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝:
6.1% used pasteurized donor human milk (PDHM)
3.7% used shared milk from:
friends or family (2.7%)
milk sharing networks (0.9%)
other sources (0.3%)
0.5% used both PDHM and peer shared milk

Out of 1,909 participants (average maternal age: 29.6). This reflects a care model that leaves many families without support, limited insurance coverage for donor milk after discharge, and low awareness about milk bank donation.

𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡:
Families are resourceful, but should not have to crowdsource basic nourishment. The rise in peer to peer milk sharing is not a rebellion. It is a need driven response saying:
We do not have universal postpartum care.
We do not have equitable PDHM access.
We do not fund lactation support like it matters.

Parents make intentional choices based on what they can access. When institutions stay silent, parents turn to each other. 𝘓𝘦𝘵’𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱 acting like milk sharing is strange or dangerous. It has existed as long as mammals have fed their babies.

We need clear, evidence based pathways for milk access, whether from a bank, a friend, or a trusted network, and we need to share the 5 Pillars of Safe Milk Feeding widely. 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞, 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐝𝐞, 𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜.

Demirci, J. R., Waymouth, M., Ray, K. N., James, K. F., & Uscher-Pines, L. (2025). Informal Human Milk Sharing Among US Mothers. JAMA Network Open, 8(11). https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.42036

https://tinyurl.com/yhmstws5

11/19/2025

11/19/2025

So many moms stop breastfeeding long before they ever wanted to not because they “failed,” but because it hurt and nobody ever taught them what a proper latch looks or feels like. A shallow latch can make every feed feel like torture, and far too many new moms are told to just “push through it,” when in reality all they needed was someone to show them how to get a deeper, more effective latch. This is why breastfeeding education isn’t optional it’s essential. A good latch protects ni***es, helps milk transfer, keeps babies growing, and keeps moms going. And when you think about it, better breastfeeding support actually saves insurance companies money. Breastmilk is the ultimate immune system booster: fewer infections, fewer sick visits, fewer hospital stays. Supporting breastfeeding isn’t just good for moms it’s economically smart. If insurance companies actually invested in real lactation support from the start, imagine how many moms could meet their breastfeeding goals instead of giving up from preventable pain.

11/18/2025

If my hair is up just know I tried.

11/17/2025

You got this!🥰
📸

11/17/2025

Your milk is amazing - right from the start! Colostrum (your first milk) is highly concentrated & nutrient dense, rich in living components that protect your baby from infection & illness & support the development of their immune system & gut function. Colostrum is extremely important for all babies, especially those born prematurely!

Your milk can also be a powerful medicine for your , even if they aren't yet feeding by mouth! Medical providers know the power of your milk too! Gently swabbing a few drops of freshly expressed or inside a baby's mouth is known as "Oral Immune Therapy" or OIT for short. This therapy is used to support premature or sick babies who are fed by tube or who are receiving nothing by mouth (known as “NPO” in medical settings).

The positive effects are not limited to young babies either! Sick babies over 12 months old also benefit from OIT - your milk is constantly changing to meet their needs so each time you express, your baby has access to a uniquely beneficial & highly specialized milk freshly tailored to their age, stage & situation - no colostrum needed, your milk is perfect for them just the way it is!

How does OIT work? When your milk comes in contact with your baby’s mouth, it is absorbed into their body, & reacts with their saliva - allowing the specialized components contained within to:

🛡️ Protect your baby from illness & support their immune system - your milk provides them with localized & whole body protection!
🛠️Support their gut development.
🪴 Enhance their growth!
🥰 Give them positive oral & sensory stimulation
🏃🏽 Help them reach full feeds faster & begin latching & nursing sooner.
🍽️ Help them accept a wide variety of flavours as they grow by developing their tastebuds.

It also promotes increased bonding & attachment for you & your baby too!

Have questions about your or latch? Looking for tips to help make hand expression, pumping, or nursing easier? Looking for support from someone who really gets it? We’re here to help! Visit the link in our bio to connect with our FREE Virtual & In-Person support options.

11/16/2025

Human milk is the only biologically active food on the planet.
It contains living cells, stem cells, immunoglobulins, lysozymes, lactoferrin, HMOs, hormones, cytokines, enzymes, microRNA, antimicrobials, antivirals, and over 1,000 molecular components that scientists are still discovering.

Every single feed triggers a biochemical feedback loop:
your baby’s saliva signals your mammary glands, your glands adjust the concentration of antibodies, and the composition of your milk shifts within minutes to meet that exact need.

Breast milk is not “liquid gold” because it’s cute it’s liquid gold because it is a dynamic, species-specific, immunologically active substance engineered by human evolution to protect human infants.

The more we study it, the clearer it becomes:
breast milk isn’t just nutrition it’s a living system.
A biological masterpiece that no lab has ever been able to duplicate.