The Milky Way Breastfeeding Services

07/01/2025

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Breastmilk changes constantly in relation to your child’s needs.

When your body becomes aware of a virus or bug that your baby has picked up, either through contact with your baby’s saliva, or their skin, or from sharing the environment and picking up the bug yourself too for instance, your body immediately starts to make the antibodies tailored to that infection, and delivers it through your milk.

The more milk your child drinks, the more antibodies and protection they receive.

Levels of prolactin, the hormone that supports milk production, are highest at night, making night feeds an important part of establishing your milk supply.

Levels of melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep, also increase at night. When we’re born, it takes several months for our body to start making its own melatonin, so your milk helps your baby to start establishing their own sleep rhythms.

Though disclaimer, it can take years for children to sleep through the night. That is natural - if exhausting - too.

The concentration of Human Milk Oligosaccharides, sugars that feed good bacteria in our baby’s gut and protect our children against infections, changes in relation to our children’s age, and even to the seasons.

The concentration of fats and proteins increase as a baby grows into a toddler, along with increased levels of antibacterial and antiviral components such as lysozyme, which is an anti-inflammatory, and destroys bacteria.

Lysozyme increases in concentration from about 6 months old, when babies become more mobile and everything (toys, sand, cats biscuits?) goes straight in the mouth, and keeps increasing after the first year.

The concentration of Lactoferrin also increases over time. Lactoferrin inhibits the growth of some cancerous cells. It also binds to the iron in our baby’s body, preventing it from being available to harmful microorganisms that need iron to survive. Lactoferrin also kills the bacteria strep mutans, a cause of tooth decay and cavities.

Our baby’s immune system takes months to start to become able to fight pathogens effectively, and around 6 years to become fully mature, so the support of the protective factors in breastmilk for as long as possible, ideally 2 years at least, is natural.

The longer we mothers breastfeed for, the more our risk of certain diseases, including breast cancer, ovarian cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, is reduced.

All this can be summed up this way: your breastmilk is unique and can’t be replicated.
Breastfeeding is really hard work. But you are doing an incredible thing, and you are BRILLIANT.

More incredible science, references and support at https://human-milk.com

06/17/2025

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05/11/2025

Happy Mother’s Day to all you Mom’s who work tirelessly everyday to care for and nurture your families. Mothers are amazing people who do so much work for nothing monetary,but are the life blood of the family. The reward is watching your child grow,learn and bloom,only to one day,leave the nest and fly on its own.
Hope you all now how important you are.

04/14/2025

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Breastmilk kills all sort of viruses and harmful bacteria, and it does it in many different ways. It starts with your body detecting an illness in your baby or your baby's environment, by skin contact, kisses, your baby suckling at your breast…

Then a microscopic army essentially gets to work, with antibodies tailored to the virus or infection detected.

Leukocytes for instance (from the Greek leuko: white, and cyte: cell), white blood cells, locate infections and diseases and defend your babies against parasites, harmful bacteria, cancer cells, debris, viruses, fungi, injuries and allergens.

These cells in your milk transfer through your baby’s gut wall into their blood stream, where they essentially patrol, looking for problems to fix.

When a problem is located, they signal to more white blood cells to come and fight the problem, cells like macrophages. Macrophages can make up to 80% of the total cell numbers in colostrum and milk in the early weeks.

Extra geekiness; the word macrophage is from the Greek words "makros" (meaning large) and "phagein" (meaning to eat).

Macrophages detect, engulf and destroy harmful pathogens and substances, remove dead cells, and can modify themselves to form different structures in order to fight different microbes. They can also initiate inflammation, an essential part of the tissue repair and healing process.

There’s a Marvel Avengers movie to be made of what goes on in your milk to protect your child.

There are more protective components in your milk, stay tuned.

Our babies’ immune systems are very immature at birth and need time to develop and learn from exposure to pathogens. Your milk helps to protect your baby during that process.

I mean, how incredible are you!!!!?

References and further incredible science at https://human-milk.com/pages/science-of-breastmilk

03/07/2025

Miraculous!

Let's take a moment to appreciate just how beautiful breastfeeding is 💚

02/18/2025

It was great to meet all the amazing Professional Moms today at the February meet up this morning. The venue,Le Village in Des Plaines,was beautiful. Great concept and a much needed environment for working Moms!
As an RN, my focus has always been on caring for women and children, and now, as an IBCLC, I am privileged to continue my passion.

I have always been proud of being a “ working Mom”! It hasn’t always been easy. I have to give my husband , and my children , a lot of credit. Without their support, I would not have been able to continue working while raising my wonderful family.
Meeting all these busy women today reminded me of the times when the kids were small and a lot of juggling was needed. All these women have children and families who need them , and still they are able to give to others.

Remember to support all the women in your lives…. they are hard at work nurturing their families and their communities !

02/01/2025

The nature of breastfeeding is nothing short of miraculous.

10/17/2024

I was privileged to attend The Lactation Network 2024 Summit in downtown Chicago recently. There were nearly 600 IBCLCs , wonderful speakers, breakout sessions and lots of networking and exchanging of ideas! I was able to learn so much from the many wonderful women who are devoted to helping families grow by supporting their Moms and babies in their breastfeeding journey, as I do. Parents across America need access to excellent support and education with regards to breastfeeding, and TLN is working very hard to make this a reality.
I want to thank TLN for this Summit and for all the support they give us, as IBCLCs,so that we can support our young families and assure a better future for all.
Check out The Lactation Network to see what they are doing for families across the country.

09/24/2024

07/30/2024

Did you know that Thursday, August 1st is IBCLC Day, during World Breastfeeding week?
IBCLC’s,Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultants,are recognized as the leading care providers of lactation, with complete clinical training and knowledge to be recognized as experts. IBCLC’s help families to navigate the breastfeeding process in the days, weeks and months after birth.
Breastfeeding families are empowered and feel more comfortable and confident because of IBCLC’s.
I became an IBCLC because I believe in breastfeeding and the benefits for mom and baby,and I want to help people succeed in their lactation journey.
Cheers to all the IBCLC’s out there working to promote the natural feeding skills necessary to make breastfeeding a success!

07/23/2024

Did you know....
"In Greek mythology, the Milky Way is called Galaxias, which comes from the Greek word gala, meaning "milk". One story that explains the origin of the Milky Way is the myth of Heracles' milk:
Heracles' milk: As an infant, Heracles, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, breastfed from Hera, Zeus's wife and the goddess of marriage, while she was asleep. When Hera woke up and realized she was breastfeeding an unknown infant, she pushed Heracles away, causing some of her milk to splash and create the Milky Way.' (Wikipedia)