Christina Schaefer RN, IBCLC, CPD

09/28/2025

🫶🤩👏🏽

💯💯

09/27/2025

✨ Sometimes the simplest gift makes the biggest impact ✨

Today I had the joy of delivering a donated Willow pump to a family in need. 💗 Adequate milk removal is one of the most important foundations for keeping milk supply steady … whether that’s at the breast, with hand expression, or with a pump. Having the right tools can mean the difference between stress and confidence for a parent working hard to feed their baby.

🌿 If you have an unused pump tucked away, consider donating it—your generosity can truly change someone’s breastfeeding journey.

🌸 If you’re a family in need of a pump or extra support, please reach out. No one should have to walk this path alone.

Together, we can make sure every parent has what they need to nourish their little one. 💕

09/15/2025

Don’t mind us. We are just working our muscles over here. 💪🏋️

08/24/2025

🫶🤗🫶

07/23/2025

What a great resource! 🤩🤩

𝓢𝓲𝓬𝓴 𝓴𝓲𝓭𝓼 𝓸𝓷 𝓿𝓪𝓬𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷? 𝓘’𝓿𝓮 𝓰𝓸𝓽 𝔂𝓸𝓾.
I’ve got you covered — from the east to the west end + beyond! I bring pediatric sick visits straight to your vacation rental or hotel, so you can skip the crowded urgent cares and receive the pediatric focused care you can trust.

Whether it’s a fever, ear pain, rash, or anything in between — I provide expert care in the comfort of your own space.

📍 Serving all of 30A + surrounding areas
👩‍⚕️ Pediatric NP-owned and operated
🏡 In-home visits | 🧪 On-site testing | 💬 Text/Phone/Virtual support

Call or Text 850-303-6797 to book!
www.saltandsunpediatrics.com 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓶𝓸𝓻𝓮 𝓲𝓷𝓯𝓸

07/08/2025

🌞Morning Light = Mama’s Mood Reset🌿

Postpartum healing isn’t just about sleep and snacks (though yes, please). One of the most powerful yet overlooked mood-balancers?

Early morning sunlight.

Just 10–15 minutes of light exposure within the first hour of waking can:

✨ Reset your circadian rhythm, helping you fall asleep faster at night
✨ Boost serotonin, the “feel-good” hormone—yes, even when you’re running on coffee and cuddles
✨ Support healthy melatonin production (aka deeper, more restorative sleep when you do get it)

Bonus? Babies benefit too. Their little bodies begin syncing with day-night cycles through you. ☀️👶
So, cozy up near a window or step outside with that morning cup. It’s free medicine for your hormones, mood, and milk supply.

06/10/2025

There are interesting conversations surrounding microchimerism in mental health. 👀

During pregnancy, fetal cells migrate out of the womb and into a mother’s heart, liver, lung, kidney, brain, and more. They could shape moms’ health for a lifetime, Katherine J. Wu reported in 2024:⁠ https://theatln.tc/qozjIdje

During pregnancy, fetal cells migrate out of the womb and into a mother’s heart, liver, lung, kidney, brain, and more. They could shape moms’ health for a lifetime, Katherine J. Wu reported in 2024:⁠ https://theatln.tc/qozjIdje
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The presence of these cells, known as microchimerism, is thought to affect every person who has carried an embryo, even if briefly, and anyone who has ever inhabited a womb. The cross-generational transfers are bidirectional—as fetal cells cross the placenta into maternal tissues, a small number of maternal cells migrate into fetal tissues, where they can persist into adulthood. ⁠
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Genetic swaps, then, might occur several times throughout a life. Some researchers believe that people may be miniature mosaics of many of their relatives, via chains of pregnancy: their older siblings, perhaps, or their maternal grandmother, or any aunts and uncles their grandmother might have conceived before their mother was born. “It’s like you carry your entire family inside of you,” Francisco Úbeda de Torres, an evolutionary biologist at the Royal Holloway University of London, told Wu.⁠
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Some scientists have argued that cells so sparse and inconsistent couldn’t possibly have meaningful effects. Even among microchimerism researchers, hypotheses about what these cells do—if anything at all—remain “highly controversial,” Sing Sing Way, an immunologist and a pediatrician at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, told Wu. But many experts contend that microchimeric cells aren’t just passive passengers. They are genetically distinct entities. And they might hold sway over many aspects of health: our susceptibility to infectious or autoimmune disease, the success of pregnancies, maybe even behavior. ⁠
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If these cells turn out to be as important as some scientists believe they are, they might be one of the most underappreciated architects of human life, Wu writes.

05/11/2025

Wishing everyone a day full of love and appreciation whether celebrating or healing.

04/18/2025

Interesting research on childhood food allergies!
I truly believe in the importance of informed decision making when it comes to infant feeding. The first few days can be a challenge when attempting to wake a sleeping baby, issues with low blood sugar, excessive weight loss, just plain exhaustion and more. I often hear families say “Why did no one tell me?”

This study was conducted in Australia and presented at a conference in San Diego.

It concluded that babies who are supplemented with infant formula (rather than exclusively fed colostrum) in the first 3 days postpartum were at an increased risk of developing peanut, egg and other food allergies.

Some babies will need supplementation in the first 3 days. But for parents who have decided to supplement with formula, they may want to delay the its introduction, especially if there is a history of allergies in their family.

What I like about this finding, is that it reminds us that there are benefits to even a very short duration of exclusive breastfeeding. The World Health Organisation recommends six months of exclusive breastfeeding (for optimal maternal and infant health). But that doesn't mean there aren't significant benefits in exclusively breastfeeding for shorter durations. Any amount of breastmilk or breastmilk feeding is a good thing.

Editing to add - The study found that infants who were not exclusively fed colostrum in the first 3 days were 3.41 times more likely to develop an egg allergy and 5.66 times more likely to develop a peanut allergy, compared to infants who WERE exclusively fed colostrum.

Source:

Bhasin M, et al. Abstract 573. Presented at: 2025 AAAAI/WAO Joint Congress; Feb. 23-March 3, 2025; San Diego.

04/01/2025

Join us for the Global Latch!

On Friday, April 4th at 11 a.m., we will meet at Family Birthplace, suite 3, located at 7800 US-98, Miramar Beach Ascension Sacred Heart. Whether you nurse or pump, we welcome you to this supportive event to raise awareness about the importance of breastfeeding and make it a normal part of everyday life.

We look forward to celebrating and sharing the many benefits of breastfeeding with you!

03/22/2025

Mark your calendars! Coming soon to a coffee shop near you ... babies! Come show off those sweet cheeks. Bring a pal!

Send a message to learn more

03/14/2025

I don’t know who needs to see this but …