Michelle Kunschke IBCLC

02/27/2024

I often say that we don’t give babies enough credit for what they have experienced in the womb or during their birth. The parent can verbalize how they feel, but the baby can’t let us know how they are feeling the way an adult can.

When I see a baby who cannot comfortably feed, who has difficulty with range of motion, or marked asymmetries, I like to refer the family to my favorite manual therapists. They help baby to feel better, have improved neuro-signaling, and often feed better afterwards. One of these manual therapists gems in the Sacramento area is Marie Xiloj. Please check out her website to find out more about her and Bowen therapy:

Marie Xiloj

06/28/2023

This is only compounded when you’re trying to use the ni**le size printables to make sure your pump kit is the right size! 😅

05/17/2023

Cold weather coughs are giving way to springtime sneezes. Did you know there are many gentle and effective remedies to ease your symptoms that are compatible with lactation? One of my favorite go-to articles to share with lots of ideas is here at KellyMom: https://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/meds/cold-remedy/

[Image below of various illustrated flowers in bloom against a white background. The text reads: What Can I take for allergies while breastfeeding?”]

04/03/2023

As I leave a family after a session, I remind them to, “Enjoy your baby!” We can get caught up in the difficulties and exhaustion of new parenthood, but the truth is, babies are only babies for 1 year. We need to be intentional to savor the sunny moments.

[Photo of white blossoms on a tree in springtime with fair weather blue sky and wispy white clouds. The caption reads: How do you enjoy your baby in the springtime weather? Drop a photo if you like!]

03/02/2022

08/20/2021

Great event for local friends! 🤱🏾

To help us celebrate Bookstore Romance Day and , Mayor Bobbie will be reading two books for us during our popup at savvyhousecoffeebar ! At noon, Bobbie will be reading Julian at the Wedding and Mama Feeds Me All the Colors. Come, take a seat, and celebrate with us at Savvy August 22 at 11am.

08/18/2021

Seeing is believing! Look at the milk spillage too at the bottom lip.

Bottle ni**les may all look alike, but picking one can be overwhelming. I help many of my clients choose a ni**le that works well for their babies. Some are for the occasional bottle of pumped milk, some are for 50/50 combo feeding, some are for exclusive bottle feeding. I have a few criteria that we look at:
💙 A gradual slope from tip to base. 💙 A flow rate that engages baby, but does not overwhelm them. 💙 Fits on the bottles that go with the pump my client is using, if they are pumping. I love seeing babies optimizing their oral function, and I love seeing my clients’ faces light up when we see progress in their babies’ abilities! **le

10/14/2020

For all the sweet 2020 babies who are the highlight of the year 🌟

I wonder how the babies born during this tumultuous year will think of the year of their birth some day. As they hear us all talk about the "worst year ever" will they possibly internalize it? Maybe. Maybe not. I hope not.

I've decided to be mindful of how we talk about this year in our family to try and balance validating how difficult it is/has been/was with how amazing and wonderful that our littlest joy came to us in 2020. The best part of this difficult year has been the new person that come into the world and our family.

Here's the message I hope my baby grows to know.

To my baby born in 2020,

There are a few things I need you to know:

You are the brightest spot of what has been a difficult year.

That 2020 has sucked is not your fault nor is it your burden.

You are not cursed or bad luck or in any way a problem because you were born in 2020.

When you hear people say that the year you were born was terrible, know this, that has nothing to do with you.

You make 2020 one of the best years of my life.

Yes, there was a pandemic, civil unrest, a bizarre election, school was super strange, the economy struggling, and people were obsessed with a weird animal abuser and criminal collector of big cats but none of that defines who you are.

Whenever I feel overwhelmed by all of that in this "unprecedented" year, I have loved that I can hold you and for a moment be lost in the wonder that is you.

Though there have been disappointments and heartaches, loss and grief, you have softened that pain and I have never been disappointed that you are here making this world even more beautiful.

You are not responsible for any of the difficulties of 2020 and you are not tied to them.

People will say that it was the worst year ever and in many ways that is true but that is not true for me because 2020 brought you.

I am grateful you were born in this year even though it was with some unique challenges, this year will always be special for me because you are one of my greatest joys.

There were aspects of the year you were born that I did not love and that brought significant hardship for our family, you were what made this year better.

In many ways you represent hope, a rainbow of promise but that doesn't mean you have to be our hope and live up to some expectation of carrying our healing- our recovery is ours to bear and commit to as our promise to you.

It is not your job to make up for any of the hardship of the year you were born and it is not your job to make it better for us, you just being here does that already.

2020 brought a lot of change and challenges and you brought joy, hope, peace, promise, and so much love. You are the beauty amidst the chaos.

I love you. Thank you for being you. I'm so grateful to be your mommy.

Love,

Mommy

Photo credit: Meghann Street Photography

Back The Leaky B**b and be a part of helping families feed their babies, normalize breastfeeding, and find information, support, and community when you join our Patreon: https://bit.ly/300FPrL

04/09/2020

This is huge! Provisions for keeping mom/birthing parent and baby together, plus more.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/inpatient-obstetric-healthcare-guidance.html

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a virus (more specifically, a coronavirus) identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China.

03/18/2020

Is your grocery store out of your WIC infant formula? Please contact your local WIC clinic and ask for help. Do not try to make homemade infant formula, as it is dangerous for your baby. Please know that WIC is always here to help and support you during these difficult times.

03/16/2020

To my community, if you are struggling with feeding your baby, I can help. All consultations can be provided virtually, and especially right now I want to make my services more accessible to all. I am reducing my fee for the remainder of March by $40, automatically, you don’t even have to ask.

03/09/2020

Spot on

I had another post planned for today, but with the news circulating that breastfeeding should be temporarily stopped for lactating parents diagnosed with Covid-19, I felt it necessary to discuss this. More parents are being diagnosed with Covid-19 in the United States and as more people get teste

03/05/2020

Did you know that when it comes to cavities, breastmilk does not have the same risks as formula?

*NEW BLOG POST!!*

"Parents often have questions about caring for their breastfed children’s teeth, particularly if the child is feeding at the breast to go to sleep or through the night."

Read more here: https://www.lllc.ca/breastfeeding-and-dental-caries-0