All mammals have nipples as they feed their live young milk from their bodies. Marsupials and eutherian mammals typically have an even number of nipples arranged in pairs on both sides of their bodies, from as few as two to as many as 19 pairs. Some 5,600-6,000 species of mammals feed their young milk, and thus have mammary glands, but not all mammals have breasts (or nipples!!). In humans, areola surrounds the nipple in a round shape and comes in varying sizes, on average 3 to 6 centimeters. It has sebaceous (oil) glands that make projections on its surface (those little bumps that form in pregnancy). Those little bumps secrete an oil that smells like amniotic fluid to help baby use smell to find the nipple to latch to. In the center of the areola is the nipple, again in a wide variety of sizes shapes and lengths, and can be 10 to 27 millimeters (mm) wide by 1 to 10 mm in height. Its skin is similar to the areola, but has no oil glands. It has 4 to 20 pores where milk can come out. The skin of the nipple rests on a thin layer of smooth muscle, called areolar muscle fibers which are distributed in two directions: radial and circular. The muscle of Sappey responsible for circular fibers and the muscle of Meyerholz, formed by the radial fibers. Contraction of these muscles is responsible for the erecting of the nipples during stimulation and breastfeeding as well as the ejection of milk from the breast.

Our bodies are not symmetrical. Most people make more milk on the right and have a slightly larger left breast. Did you know even your nipples can be different sizes, shapes, and lengths? They may be positioned in slightly different places on your breast. This can sometimes make latching on one side more difficult than the other. You may also need to pump with different size or brand pump flanges to maximize pump comfort and output. Each breast can have a different flow, volume and TASTE of milk even in the same feeding or pump session. We also have hand preferences and can find it easier to latch on one side versus the other. Some times trying different positions or angles of bringing baby to breast can be helpful when practicing.

Tandem breastfeeding is when two or more children breast/chestfeed or receive expressed milk at the same time.

It is possible to continue to breastfeed throughout pregnancy; however, there are some important things to know. Some may experience nipple sensitivity or a feeding aversion to the point that they want to stop feeding the older. About 1/2 report their milk supply drops, sometimes significantly. This is from hormonal changes and there is little that can be done to prevent this. If the first baby is less than one year old, supplementation may be required until after the birth of the baby. Milk can transition back to colostrum as early as the end of the first trimester. Colostrum is salty and some toddlers not drink it. Colostrum also acts as a laxative to help newborns poop meconium. It may have the same laxative effect on your toddler, so be warned!

Once the new baby comes, some will feed both children together at the same time, rotating which side they start on each time. Others may take turns to feed one child at a time. If the babies are of different ages, they’ll usually feed the newborn first to optimize milk supply. Many tandem feeders say that breastfeeding their toddler helps with the transition of having a newborn.

Tummy Time is one of baby’s first exercises! It is a crucial exercise for baby’s motor, visual, and sensory development. Baby can begin Tummy Time as a newborn. This can start on your body while you lay down. This can be done in bed, on a couch or in the bathtub! Wearing your baby in an infant carrier or ring sling also counts as tummy time! We’re encouraging baby to use their core strength and rotate their head from side to side. Once baby gets a little bigger and stronger, tummy time can be done on a firm, flat surface. Start with small increments of a few minutes at a time, several times a day. Eventually, try to do longer Tummy Time sessions, eventually building up to a full hour.

• Newborn-2 months old – spend a minimum of 30 minutes per day during awake periods, this can be broken up into multiple sessions instead of doing it all at once
• 2-4 months old – spend a minimum of 45-90 minutes per day during awake periods
• 4-6 months old – spend a minimum of 1-2 hours per day during awake periods
• 6-8 months old – the majority of waking hours will be spent in tummy time or sitting/learning to sit. Babies should learn to sit before they learn to stand.

It’s important to note that babies are not 100% immune to any disease for which they get antibodies via breast milk. Antibodies in our milk to flus, colds and viruses that we’ve been exposed to help reduce the severity and length of time our babies may get sick. When we get sick or get vaccinated against certain diseases, antibodies pass through out milk to provide PASSIVE immunity to our babies. This does NOT mean that our babies won’t or can’t get sick. We still need to take precautions to minimize risk of and exposure to viruses and germs.

If you’ve had COVID or the vaccine, it doesn’t mean baby is automatically immune to getting it. Antibodies passed on via breast milk aren’t permanently circulating in baby’s system to forever protect them against a disease. The antibodies, which are found after a feed in the baby’s mouth, nasal cavity, and gut, are eventually washed away by baby’s saliva, mucus, or gastric juices. Within few hours after nursing, antibodies will have disappeared from the baby’s mouth and nasal cavity, while a small amount may stay in the gut. Antibodies are replenished in your breast milk every time baby feeds. The more often a baby breastfeeds, the more chances they have to get those antibodies and passive immunity. Meaning, a 2-year-old who only breastfeeds 1-2 times a day isn’t going to be as consistently protected as a 2-month-old feeding 10+ times a day. So if you’re thinking about adding in breast milk to your dinner casserole to give immunity to your preschooler, it doesn’t work like that. Partial protection is still better than no protection, so if it makes you feel better, so for it.

A rainbow baby is a child born after a miscarriage, stillbirth, or death in the first weeks of infancy. Although rainbow babies represent joy after a devastating storm, many people expecting a rainbow baby still struggle with mixed emotions including anxiety, excitement, fear, worry, and hope. August 22 is National Rainbow Baby Day and offers families a chance to share their experiences, grieve, reflect, and celebrate the joy for their rainbow babies.

Pregnancy loss is defined differently around the world, but in general a baby who dies before 28 weeks of pregnancy is referred to as a miscarriage, and babies who die at or after 28 weeks are stillbirths. Miscarriage is the most common reason for losing a baby during pregnancy. Estimates vary, although estimates are as high as 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage. Every year, nearly 2 million babies are stillborn. However, miscarriages and stillbirths are not systematically recorded, even in developed countries, suggesting that the numbers could be higher.

Peach is my rainbow baby. After two miscarriages within 4 months of each other in 2018, I found out I was pregnant with Peach the day before my mom was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. Peach is the rainbow that kept me going through the hardest storm of my life.

Miscarriage and infant loss is something that is not talked about enough even though it occurs often. It can be healing to acknowledge the loss and know you’re not alone as you grieve your loss. Feel free to share your rainbow baby stories here.