Milk Clinic

08/06/2024

💪🔋🤱🎉 Celebrating World Breastfeeding Week and a global increase in exclusive breastfeeding rates by 11% over the last 10 years!

08/06/2024

Who else is loving seeing the incredible feats of pregnant and breastfeeding women at the Paris olympics?

Even more so, the way they are leading change and advocating for provisions to enable them to continue nurturing their babies without compromise. Now we just need to see more provisions made in every workplace, to enable women to continue breastfeeding and pumping without having to choose between their careers or breastfeeding their babies.

"I was going to breastfeed for three or four months which would still give me about two and a half months before the Olympics," Tuliamuk explained.

"But once my daughter arrived, I realised that stopping breastfeeding was not on the cards for me. It was just something I loved so much."

As a result, for one night she was separated from her baby who she was breastfeeding. "The first time I ever slept without Zoe was in the village. Zoe and my husband stayed in a hotel. That was really hard," Tuliamuk told BBC Sport Africa.

"I was so engorged. I was pumping and thinking 'My baby is not even here with me' - then I called them and she was crying, losing her mind because she didn't understand why her mum is not there."

It is why the Kenya-born American runner welcomes the new provisions for nursing mothers and child carers at Paris 2024, including a dedicated space for children in the athletes' village.

"I am just so happy that in only four years from when I couldn't be with my baby, it's now changed to where they have facilities for them. That is pretty incredible."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/articles/cn00nq66005o.amp?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1Wjqidh7dSZ7axTwolTW80vgkPH0Wx2uwuytGpcLOvdJA6BHQd67Tvk-M_aem__gdU0WZ6xmWNmomXC5IsTQ

For the first time in Olympic history, Paris 2024 offers a creche service inside the athletes' village for breastfeeding mothers and child carers.

05/06/2024

Amazing news! After analyzing hundreds of studies, this 2024 integrative review concludes that breastfeeding may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease later in life among nursing mothers. Just one more reason breastfeeding is not just good for babies! https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38568117/

02/21/2024

Human donor milk is vitally important, especially for premature babies. It reduces the risk of potentially fatal gastrointestinal disease Necrotizing Enterocolitis for preemies and other serious diseases such as sepsis and infections. It is also shown to make a significant difference in neurodevelopment. The Mother’s Milk Bank of Alabama does an amazing work providing over 100,000 ounces of donor milk to NICUs across Alabama. This milk all comes from amazing mothers donating their extra milk. If you have a ‘milk stash’ or spare milk in the freezer, please watch this video and consider donating it to this important cause!

02/20/2024

The Fresh Test is a great alternative for gestational diabetes screening. It’s organic, non-gmo and additive + preservative free.

Best of all, it actually tastes good - like a fresh natural minty lemonade 🍋💦
It contains a few simple ingredients: Non-GMO dextrose (D-glucose), Crystalised Lemon (citric acid, lemon oil, lemon juice) and Organic Peppermint Leaf Powder.

Gestational diabetes affects 5-8.5% of pregnant women, regardless of health or diet. Uncontrolled, it can lead to risks such as preterm birth, fetal anomalies, preeclampsia and microsomia.

The test determines whether your pancreas is able to produce enough insulin to control blood sugar levels, to meet your extra needs in pregnancy.

In the US, gestational diabetes screening is performed routinely between 24-28 weeks. It’s a bit different in the UK, where you are only offered screening if you have additional risk factors such as being over 40, BMI above 30, previous 10lb+ baby, or being of South Asian, Black, African-Caribbean of Middle-Eastern descent (if born in the UK).

I didn’t have to do the glucose test in the UK, and so felt reluctant to take the artificial additive and dye laden glucola test in the US 😵‍💫 There are so many artificial dyes and additives added to some of the foods over here that are banned in Europe! So I was 💯 relieved when my midwife suggested The Fresh Test!

Have you tried it? What’s been your experience?

02/09/2024

So you’ve just given birth to your beautiful baby. What now?

Most of us put a lot of time and thought into pregnancy, birth plans and that all important nursery design… but we often glance over how we’ll FEED our babies once they’re here in our arms.

This hero Hannah (isn’t she lovely?) is about to celebrate her baby’s 1st birthday and first year of exclusive breastfeeding!

Hannah attended our local prenatal breastfeeding course and has regularly joined our weekly mom and baby support group.

Research tells us that women who attend prenatal breastfeeding education classes have significantly increased breastfeeding rates at 6 months.

The main reason - it teaches you what to expect, what normal biological infant behaviours and feeding looks like, and explains when and how to reach out for help… ie. the earlier the better!

Joining a breastfeeding class is one of the best things you can do to protect your and your baby’s long term health!��Where to find classes:
- Check with your local hospital
- La Leche League International offers free virtual breastfeeding classes in some areas. I’m running a virtual LLL class towards the end of Feb. Watch this space for more info!
- Join a local breastfeeding support group before your baby arrives
- Get in touch with me! Many families are eligible for a 1-1 free prenatal consultation through their health insurance.

Research study: Rosen et al (2008) Prenatal breastfeeding education and breastfeeding outcomes.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18758336/ #:~:text=Results%3A%20Women%20who%20attended%20prenatal,45).

02/06/2024

Quick fixes and small wins 🤌

Sometimes the smallest hints and tips can make a huge difference from feed to feed.

I’m sharing some simple tricks and ideas .clinic to help make your feeds and pumping sessions easier.

❣️Remember, breastfeeding - latching at the breast or pumping - should never ever be painful! So if you’re experiencing sore nips, reach out for help.

And in the meantime, start a nursing session on the least sore side. When babies are hungry at the beginning of a feed, they will often suck more voraciously. If you start the feed off on the breast that feels most comfortable, by the time you switch and offer the other breast, your baby will be more relaxed and calmer with gentler sucks.

Do you have a more comfortable side to nurse on?

01/22/2024

Forget the diaper cream 💁‍♀️

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/SJmRfitsQ5b4BvcV/?mibextid=WC7FNe

The evidence is mounting for the use of human milk as an effective topical treatment for diaper rash. Click here to read a brand-new integrative review: https://journals.lww.com/advancesinneonatalcare/abstract/9900/topical_use_of_human_milk_in_the_neonatal.109.aspx

08/03/2023

A fantastic tool from Infant Risk to calculate alcohol levels while breastfeeding - included with 6 months free subscription to Infant Risk’s Mommy Meds app in honor of World Breastfeeding Week! 👏

08/03/2023

Sign up for MommyMeds **OR** InfantRisk HCP during World Breastfeeding Week and get 6 MONTHS FREE! No code necessary.

08/02/2023

✍️ written by Sarah Carley McDavid

**If you are hesitant to sign because you are unsure about how the US would afford paid family leave, please READ ON for more information.
**Many women quit breastfeeding because they have to return to work. According to the National Institute of Health, “A recent study showed that current suboptimal U.S. breastfeeding rates cost the U.S. economy $13 billion per year in 2007 dollars for pediatric health cost and premature death. Cost data of excess maternal disease are not yet published but are thought to be substantial. Little is known about other costs.
The approximate annual costs of many entities that impact breastfeeding or are impacted by breastfeeding were calculated and converted to 2010 dollars. Calculations assumed the United States went from 2007 breastfeeding rates to 90% compliance with medical recommendations. We included pediatric health costs, formula costs, cost of extra food for lactating women, paid leave, and additional factors.
If 90% of mothers could comply with current medical recommendations around breastfeeding, our economy could save $3.7 billion in direct and indirect pediatric health costs, with $10.1 billion in premature death from pediatric disease. We would spend $3.9 billion less per year on infant formula. Additional food for nursing mothers would cost up to $1.6-2.1 billion, and more Baby-Friendly® (World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland/UNICEF, New York, NY) births would cost $0.145 billion. Paid leave would cost $6.2 billion for 12 weeks at 55% pay. Note that current formula company rebates of $2 billion to Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) are equal to 32% of net WIC expenditures.
Even including paid leave, the net cost to our economy of our suboptimal breastfeeding rates would still be at least $8.7 billion. Paid leave would be expected to improve breastfeeding duration and reduce disparities. The WIC budget is dependent on formula company rebates, a conflicting situation.”
**If you are already supportive of paid family leave, scan QR code in pic or click on link in comments to raise your voice, by signing the petition, and let our politicians know that we want better for our babies and families. . .

Access to paid leave has a big impact on rates. Take action this National Breastfeeding Month by calling on your legislators to create a national paid leave program by passing the FAMILY Act: https://bit.ly/43EUHtJ

05/11/2023

How engorged did you feel postpartum? Balloons 🎈🎈 or melons 🍉🍈 ?

Save these tips for when baby arrives, you’re weaning from nursing or pumping, or send to a pregnant friend!

Got a question? Drop it in the comments 👇