Nurtured Guidance

10/29/2025

⚠️ “Can you wear your silicone pump ALL day?” 👀
Spoiler alert: Can and should are two different things. 😅

💭 MYTH: Silicone passive suctions pumps (like a Haakaa) should be worn for every feeding, on the breast you're not feeding on, to "catch drips."
💡 TRUTH: Using one of these too often can damage your nipples and cause/accelerate oversupply. It's not a dripc catcher, it's truly a pump!
⚠️ WARNING: removing milk from the second breast sometimes takes the "easy" milk out, so when baby switches to that breast they don't get enough milk.

✨ Tips & Tricks:
✔️ Use it for 5 minutes max — just long enough to catch letdown.
✔️ Break the suction gently before removing (don’t pull!).
✔️ ONLY use it on what I call the third breast- nurse on the first side, then latch baby to the second breast and put the pump on the side baby already finished on to increase supply if needed (and ONLY if needed)

Remember, its not just catching drips- it's pulling out milk. Use these CAREFULLY 💕

💬 Have you ever overused your silicone pump without realizing it? Comment “guilty 😅” below — or drop your best silicone pump hack for new parents!

10/29/2025

For those who experienced a traumatic cesarean birth, this is a great resource!

C-section birth is an interruption of key biological processes.

This is true whether or not your cesarean is planned, necessary or wanted.

So if you felt incomplete, like something core to your being was taken away or skipped over, your feelings are grounded in your biology.

You can’t just “get over” a process that has evolved for hundreds of thousands of years as an essential component of motherhood and the mother-baby bond.

So many important processes occur when v-birth is able to occur without interruption, intervention, or trauma…

Hormones are released that help mom and baby bond.

Hormones are released that help mom produce milk.

Hormones are released that are crucial for counterbalancing the hormonal crash that occurs within the first 24 hours after the baby is no longer inside the mother’s body. This makes mom more vulnerable to depression.

You can’t mindset shift your way through this.

Feeling better about your c-section is not a matter of having the “right” attitude about your birth.

And anyone who tells you this doesn’t understand the biology of birth.

❤️‍🩹 But all is not lost, mama.

I don’t want you to feel ashamed that you missed these things. Never.

And I don’t want you to feel hopeless.

I share all of this because I want to validate your experience.

And help you understand that your feelings are totally appropriate.

I want you to know that repair is always possible.

When we understand the impact of cesarean on our biology, we can try to give our body what it missed out on.
�(Even when a lot of time has passed.)

We can take action to reclaim the lost hormones - and the lost moments.

Want to learn how?

The Cesarean Mothers Circle is now enrolling.

This is a 4-month online support program for mothers who had emotionally difficult or traumatic cesarean births.

One of the things you’ll learn is the way cesarean impacts us. And you’ll learn how to repair - and complete - what was skipped or felt lost.

more info here:
https://www.cesareandoula.com/mothers-circle

We begin Nov. 19th 💕

10/27/2025

10/24/2025

Today I had the opportunity to present to high schoolers about doula work and lactation consulting. It was super fun, interactive and the kids did great participating in the fun (and sometimes silly) activities.

If your school would like to learn more about these careers in their health class or for career exploration, let me know!

10/23/2025

The 2025 Cochrane review on immediate and early skin-to-skin contact after birth highlights that further randomized controlled trials comparing skin-to-skin contact with ‘usual care’ are no longer ethical.

The findings show there is now enough evidence to make immediate skin-to-skin contact after birth the global standard of care, and as WHO already recommends skin-to-skin the standard of care, the authors argue that randomizing the separation of mother and newborn may no longer be justifiable.

Read more:
https://centerforbreastfeeding.org/cochrane-review-2025

10/21/2025

10/20/2025

10/17/2025

10/17/2025

This is an incredibly misunderstood mental health issue. A little education goes a long way.

10/15/2025

🌟 New Publication Alert! 🌟

We’re excited to share that our article, “Anesthesia Care of Lactating Patients,” by Sarah E. Dodd, MD and Kaytlin E. Krutsch, PhD, PharmD, MBA, BCPS, has been officially published in Advances in Anesthesia!

This publication provides evidence-based recommendations to help healthcare professionals safely manage anesthesia and surgical procedures in breastfeeding mothers—supporting both maternal recovery and infant well-being.

We’re proud to contribute to advancing safe, informed care for nursing families everywhere.

📖 Read the full article here: https://www.clinicalkey.com/?adobe_mc=MCMID%3D31879044485968398583311936067104810382%7CMCORGID%3D4D6368F454EC41940A4C98A6%2540AdobeOrg%7CTS%3D1760469473 #!/content/journal/1-s2.0-S0737614625000024

10/14/2025