Eastern Shore Lactation LLC.

10/21/2025

Many insurances are covered. Check link here.

The Lactation Network

10/20/2025

First, let’s normalize this: your baby isn’t “spoiled” or “manipulative.” They’re just being… a baby. Here’s what’s going on:

✨ 1. Your body feels like home.
Your heartbeat, warmth, smell, and breathing patterns are all your baby has known. When they’re pressed against you, all their senses say “I’m safe.” That safety allows their nervous system to relax and that’s when sleep comes easily.

🧠 2. Regulation happens through connection.
Babies aren’t born able to regulate their body temperature, heart rate, or stress hormones well. When they’re on your chest, your body literally helps stabilize theirs. They CO-regulate to us. Our heart rates sync, stress hormones drop, and melatonin (the sleepy hormone) rises. In a bassinet, they have to work harder to maintain that balance.

💤 3. The startle reflex is real.
That little full-body jerk that wakes them up just as you set them down? It’s called the Moro reflex. It’s stronger when they’re flat on their back in an open space. Being snug in your arms helps dampen that reflex, so they stay asleep longer.

🍼 4. Survival instincts run deep.
From an evolutionary standpoint, babies who stayed close to caregivers survived. Their biology still says “stay near a warm, breathing adult = safety.” The bassinet? It doesn’t give those same cues, so they wake more often to check in.

You’re not doing anything wrong if your baby sleeps best on you. You’re doing something right. You’re meeting a biologically normal need for closeness and regulation.

Over time, as your baby’s nervous system matures, they’ll slowly be able to handle longer stretches on another sleep surface. Until then, it’s okay to find what works for both of you. Baby wearing, contact naps, or contact snuggles followed by a slow transfer are all normal.

Does your baby sleep better on you than anywhere else?

08/05/2025

Tips for Producing enough Milk:
**Milk production is supply and demand. The more often you empty the breast, the more you make. So breastfeed often- at least 10 to 12 times in 24 hours- with newborns that can be every 1 to 2 hours sometimes. Cluster feeding and growth spurts mean frequent nursing. It won't always be this frequent, just in early weeks and months, and not all day. They have longer stretches of sleep.
**If there are issues with Milk transfer (tongue tie, preterm, not active at breast, etc) then you will need to pump after most feedings to build and maintain your milk supply). Make sure to get breastfeeding help, and ensure baby is getting weekly weight checks.
**Make sure baby is active at the breast. Newborns are sleepy so watch for swallowing. If baby falls asleep and is not feeding, wake them up.
**Start Early! The first 3 weeks of baby's life, you are setting up how much Milk you will make for the rest of the year- by how often you empty breast. So frequent nursing (pumping too if needed), are critical in early weeks to Producing enough Milk. If you are having problems, get Lactation help early!
**My name is Katie and I am a Lactation Consultant. Please call me if you need help with breastfeeding. I have 15 years of experience helping hundreds of breastfeeding moms overcome difficult issues and meet their breastfeeding goals. 410-463-1026
https://eslactation.wixsite.com/breastfeeding