Living the Dream Lactation

26/08/2025

The "pitcher method" of storing pumped breastmilk is a flawed approach, and I will explain why:

1. Milks should not be combined until they are all at refrigerator temperature. Pouring freshly pumped milk into chilled milk is not recommended.

2. Breastmilk is only good in the refrigerator for 4 days. If you have several days of milk in one container, then it is very hard to tell when it is time to freeze milk that has already been stored for 4 days. You run the risk of giving old milk to your baby.

3. Breastmilk changes throughout the day. Morning milk is not the same as evening milk, is not the same as night milk. If each pump is stored individually with the date and time on it, then you can give "morning pumped" milk in the morning on another day, etc. This is probably the least important, but your body changes the composition of the milk for a reason, might as well take advantage of it.

While I can understand the convenience of just pouring milk out in the quantity that you need it, keep these facts in mind.

If you don't care about time of day for the milk, perhaps it can be stored in a new container for each day, and then moved to to the freezer at the 4 day mark if it hasn't been used.

No matter how you store, you need to wait till the milk is all chilled before combining it.

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17/07/2025

I feel like the world has gone mad with pressuring moms to start pumping the minute their baby is born. Moms, what has your experience been? I meet many 2nd time moms who had a bad experience with their first and want to avoid pumping at all costs until much later in their parenting journey (like going back to work) Thoughts?

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29/05/2025

My son made this clock in shop class and I love it. But clocks can rule our initial breastfeeding journey.

I often hear, "I nursed my baby for 15 minutes on each side, but she is still hungry, what is going on?" A short way to know if baby is getting enough is to watch your baby not the clock. Baby should be actively feeding and swallowing, not just moving their mouth in a sucking motion. Swallows sound like a small "cuh" noise, and those should be heard, especially in the first 5 minutes or so of the feeding. Then, as baby slows down, and mostly pauses, and swallows/sucks less, then baby is finishing that side. If the breast feels nice and soft and baby is mostly stopping or has come off the breast, then give her a burp and switch sides.

Some babies feed quickly and others slowly. Give your baby the time she needs to finish her feeding.

10/03/2025

The number one influencer in breastfeeding success is the father/partner. With some prenatal education and solid teamwork, the breastfeeding journey is much more likely to succeed AND the relationship is likely to be stronger.

09/10/2024

Many are struggling with hurricane damage, etc. Here is a link to a page about breastfeeding in emergencies

02/10/2024

Had an interesting experience today with a primarily bottle feeding baby. I tried the Ruby slow flow non-drip ni**le and she really had to work hard! If you are trying to get your baby to work a little harder (more in line with what they do at the breast), this tool might be worth a try.

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19/09/2024

I love it when the baby goes right back to the breast. After a 4 day break, a 3 week old went back to breastfeeding with no fuss. Made my job easy! (this is not typical, but to be celebrated when it does)

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31/07/2024

If you are looking for breastfeeding, pumping or any human milk feeding help, finding a lactation consultant near you is easy. Click below for help with this.

Lactation consultant blog offers breastfeeding tips on feeding, nursing, weight gain; reviews on breast pumps & accessories, nursing bras & more.

22/07/2024

Will be attending this wonderful event for all families doing human milk feeding

07/01/2024

Sorry, this is long. For those of you who don't already know, I am a lactation consultant and LLL leader.
There was a recent NY Times article about tongue ties. This article made it sound like lactation consultants and ENT/Dentists who provide this procedure are somehow cashing in on a trend and not necessarily meeting a need for babies and breastfeeding mothers. While they may have found one such pair of medical "professionals", I felt that this article felt a bit like a smear on my profession. As a lactation consultant I have a couple things to say in response:
1. Tongue ties and other oral ties are a real thing. Releasing them can make a big difference in a baby's ability to breastfeed, speak and eat properly.
2. They can be, and sometimes are, over diagnosed. This article was a good reminder to me to be conservative on recommending a tie be looked at. Sometimes what looks like it could be caused by ties is just a baby that is learning how to nurse.
3. A mom's pain and breast damage is not something to take lightly. Many moms are all too willing to suffer in order to breastfeed. If a tongue tie is present and causing real pain, it should be addressed quickly. A mom's suffering should not take second place.
4. I do not, nor have I ever, gotten any financial gain from any referral to any professional. I would say that most lactation consultants can say the same. We are in this profession to help families meet their feeding goals, not to cash in on procedures that don't need to be performed.
5. Even though the revision of ties is a fast procedure, it does cause pain for babies for some time as it heals. This can be somewhat traumatizing for them, especially if followup stretches are not done carefully. We should be very aware that even though they are small, they are very sensitive and should be handled with care.
Anyone in any medical profession who knowingly takes advantage of a new family to perform any medical procedures that are not necessary or otherwise cause harm should think carefully about why they are in the "business" that they are in.
Our job is to do our best to serve others.