I often get asked how I became an IBCLC. Here’s my journey:

When I was 10 years old I told my mom I wanted to feed babies for a living. In high school I looked into becoming a nurse, but realized nurses in the NICU do more than just feed babies. Much of their job is shots, IVs, and other intensive medical procedures which I really didn’t want to do. I was on a competitive speech team in high school and my coach was a speech pathologist. She told me you could feed babies as an SLP. I shadowed some therapists in the NICU and was hooked. I became a speech pathologist because the same things you speak with, you eat with. I’ve been a speech pathologist in a hospital for over a decade with a specialty in feeding and swallowing disorders. In working in the NICU setting, I realized I wanted a more intimate approach to working alongside families as they worked to feed their babies. I became a board certified lactation consultant and have really fallen in love with what I do. There’s nothing better than empowering families to reach their feeding goals, wherever they are in their journey. Speech pathology has given me a unique lens for approaching breastfeeding and I’m grateful or my unique journey into working with breastfeeding families.

I started with the 90 credit hour program through Lactation Education Resources to become a CLC. I worked part time as an SLP in acute (with adult patients) and NICU (with babies). I then took the 45 credit hour course to be CLEC through UC San Diego. They brought Virginia Baker to my hospital in Los Angeles to teach the course live which was awesome. I was then hired by my same hospital to work per diem (on call) as a lactation consultant to help me get my hours with the expectation to be able to sit for the IBCLE exam to become board certified. I was able to sit under pathway 1 since breastfeeding was a large part of my role as SLP in NICU and in postpartum as a CLC. It took me the full five years to get all my hours and coursework done.

A few years ago my husband encouraged me to start my own lactation consultant practice. He could see my passion for working with families and my frustration at the hospital system. I launched my private practice in 2017. In teaching prenatal breastfeeding classes at several local natural birth centers, I was able to Network with midwives and doulas to help local families meet their feeding goals. I started taking more courses and conferences on evaluating and managing tongue and lip ties, meeting local dentists and helping families address ties in their babies.

I’m thrilled that after 14 years in the hospital setting I’ve finally reached my career dream. This past Friday (July 2, 2021) was my last day working in the hospital and I’m now full time in my private practice helping families feed their babies.

When you are nursing, you need to consume extra water in order to stay well-hydrated.– The IOM points out, “Given the extreme variability in water needs that are not solely based on differences in metabolism, but also in environmental conditions and activity, there is not a single level of water intake that would ensure adequate hydration and optimal health for half of all apparently healthy persons in all environmental conditions…” in general, lactating people need ~13 cups of water/day, but your body can use water from many sources, including veggies, fruit, soup, water, fruit/veggie juices, milk, tea and other beverages. The foods you eat accounts for about 1/5 of total fluid intake.

How much water should you be drinking while breastfeeding? There are some ridiculous answers out there. If your milk supply has dropped, helpful people may suggest chugging tons of water. Your lack of water intake is most likely not responsible for your decrease in breast milk and drinking too much water can inadvertently harm your milk supply.

When you drink too much water, your body tries to restore the electrolyte balance by dumping the excess water into your urine. This results in water being diverted away from your breasts, which in turn decreases milk supply.
🍉Water dense foods can be just as hydrating as plain water from the tap. The general rule is: drink to thirst, eat to hunger.
💧Keep a full water bottle by your favorite nursing spot 🛋. There is nothing more frustrating than desert mouth when you are stuck in a chair in the middle of let down with your babe.
💦Strategically place water bottles where you will see them as a reminder to drink: in your diaper bag, in your 🚗 car, by your desk at work and next to your 🔑 keys.
⏰If you really have mom brain, set an alarm for every hour and try to sip a few ounces each time the alarm goes off.
🍑Eat foods that have a high water content, such as melons🍈 🍉 , cucumbers 🥒, salad 🥗 and 🥣 soup
🧉Spice it up by adding fruit, a small amount of juice or a squeeze of lemon or lime to your water
☕️Coffee, tea and soda will dehydrate you, so try to limit caffeinated beverages

Breastmilk is 88% water. Babies do not need additional water, even in hot weather. Too much water, especially in the first 9 months, can be dangerous.

Under 6 months, water can be dangerous:

• In the first days after birth, water may increase bilirubin levels (jaundice) and cause excess weight loss
• Fills baby up without adding calories, resulting in weight loss
• Makes baby less interested in nursing, which may delay milk coming in or prevent establishing an optimum milk supply
• Increases the risk of diarrhea and malnutrition

Older babies

• Too much fills baby up, sabotaging milk supply from not nursing enough
• Breast milk has the nutrition and calories babies need to grow – water does not.
• Breastmilk has all the water your baby needs, even in very hot weather.
• At 6 months, baby can learn to use a cup at the same time as starting solid foods. Giving a few sips of water a couple of times a day (no more than 2-3 ounces per 24 hours) is fine and can prevent constipation
• Breastmilk supplies plenty of fluids and older babies (9+ months) who breastfeed without restriction can get the fluids they need through breastfeeding. Some may need a little water with solids to prevent constipation (4-6oz/day).

If you feel you must give baby (6-12 months) water, offer limited amounts in a cup (not bottle) and only after baby has satisfied hunger with breastfeeding.

The breast only makes one type of milk. But how milk is released from the breast can change the fat content throughout the feeding. Foremilk is the higher water milk that gets to baby first to rehydrate the baby. Hindmilk is the creamier, higher fat milk near the end of a feeding/pumping session that helps baby grow and feel satiated. Babies need both for healthy growth and development.

There is no switch that gets flipped during the feeding, it’s a gradual change throughout the feeding. Like turning turning up the heat on the thermostat. The room will gradually feel warmer as time passes.

Depending on your nursing pattern, it’s possible for fat content to be higher at the beginning of a particular feeding than it is at the end of other feedings. The longer the time between feedings, the lower the fat content at the beginning of the next feeding. If feedings are closer together, you’re starting off with a higher fat content.

Having a true foremilk/hindmilk imbalance is rare but can happen. It usually happens when:
🤱🏽A robust oversupply
🤱🏼An overactive let down
👼🏼Baby is being limited in their time at the breast
👼🏼Switching breasts too quickly in the feeding 📝 Combination of all of these

Signs of an imbalance include
💩 Really watery, foamy, green poops
👼🏼Baby nurses often and transfers high volumes of milk but doesn’t gain weight as expected

How to help:
🥛Regulate the over supply (bring it down to just what baby needs). This may include reducing pumping.
🥛Shake your breasts and do some massage before feeding. Milk is a liquid. By shaking prior to feeding you can activate the fat to flow faster
🥛Feed baby one side until they are finished on that side. You may need to block feed, or offer one breast for a set amount of time, to help increase fat content from that side
🥛 Work with a qualified IBCLC to figure out the root of the imbalance and get feeding back on track

While it seems counterintuitive, the emptier your breasts are, the faster they make milk. A full bread has no place to store or hold the milk, so milk production slows to prevent plugged ducts and breast discomfort. Cluster feeding on an emptier breast actually tells the body to make more milk at a faster rate!! Some incorrectly assume you have to wait for the breast to “fill up” before feeding your baby or for pumping while at work. This will eventually lead to less milk, as a fuller breast tells your body baby isn’t eating very often and to slow milk production. The more frequent you empty the breast, the higher the fat content in that milk and the faster milk is made. The longer often you wait and the fuller the breast, the higher the water content in that milk and the slower your body will make milk overall.

Watch the baby, not the clock. Breasts may feel really full between feedings in the first few weeks after birth, but they’re also not supposed to stay engorged. There will come a time when they stay soft and don’t feel full between feedings or pumping, so waiting for that as a cue to feed will also sabotage your supply. Don’t be alarmed when your breasts no longer feel full between feeding. You’re entering a new stage where you’ll still make plenty of milk for your baby as long as you’re routinely emptying that milk. Trust your body. Trust your baby.

The dreaded witching hour. Have you heard of it? The time typically in the evening when baby is inconsolable. On and off the boob. Doesn’t want to settle. Cries and nothing works. Can last for two hours or more. You may think you’re doing something wrong or you don’t have milk. You check your breasts and milk is still there. You become panicked when baby will take a bottle but refuses the breasts. Babies have been doing this as long as babies have been around. You are not alone. It usually starts around 2-3 weeks and can last 6 or more weeks. We suspect it happens when baby has been over stimulated throughout the day and now doesn’t know how to self soothe. Most likely they wanted to sleep but missed the magic window and now their still developing brain goes haywire.
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Unfortunately it also coincides with a natural dip in supply at the end of the day which gets baby ready for sleep at night. However most mamas blame their breasts and a perceived low supply as the cause of the crying and often reach for a bottle. If this happens every night for multiple nights, moms body thinks baby doesn’t need that milk and what was a perceived low supply turns into a real one. What can you do instead?
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Know what’s actually going on! If your baby normally takes the breast through the rest of the day and over night, DON’T BLAME THE BREAST. If you know around the time the baby becomes fussy each night, try to jump the gun and get baby down for a nap before the fussiness begins. If the baby is already in a meltdown, offer the breast. If baby won’t take it, don’t push it. Rock, cuddle, snuggle, bounce and soothe. It may take you a few days or even weeks to figure out how your baby likes to be soothed, but this too shall pass. If baby is making lots of wet and poopy diapers and latching well the rest of the day, don’t blame the breast as the culprit for your baby’s melt down.
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My little peach went through this for over a month until I figured out it always happened around dinner time when I was trying to make food for my older daughter and had the baby in the kitchen with me. I changed my routine to put her in her sleep sack in her bed twenty minutes before dinner prep and it changed the whole mood of the night. She outgrew it around 9 weeks.
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Are you in the witching hour phase? You’re not alone.

Milk supply and sleep are the biggest concerns of new parents. One of the top reasons to wean before one year is perceived low milk supply, whether or not there actually is a true low supply. Our expectations of how much milk we should make may not actually be true of how much baby really needs. When baby wants to feed more often, fusses at the breast, or tugs/pulls on the breast, this gets misinterpreted that milk is not adequate, either in quality or quantity.
Signs of plenty of milk:
💩 6+ wet and 1-2 daily poops
💕Pain free latch
⚖️Consistent weight gain over time

🤱🏽Baby nursing frequently does not equal low milk supply
🤱🏾Baby not settling after a feeding does not mean you have low supply
🤱🏿Occasional long, frequent, endless feeding, especially during growth spurts, are not a sign of low supply
🤱🏼Waking frequently at night and changes in sleep or nap routines are normal
🤱🏻Babies don’t like being put down
🤱🏻 Breasts no longer feeling full between feedings is normal. Your body gets more efficient as time goes on. They go back to pre pregnancy size and still make plenty of milk 🤱🏾Not every one leaks. Some never leak. Leaking stops over time while still maintaining a full supply
🤱🏼 Some never feel their let down. Many stop feeling let down as baby ages
🤱🏽Baby fussing at the breast, pulling away, but still wanting to nurse does not mean you have low supply
🤱🏾 Babies want to nurse for more than just nutrition. It is comforting, pain relieving, soothing, and bonding. Being on you is safety.
🤱🏿Pumping is NEVER a good indication of your true supply as baby is way more efficient at accessing you milk (unless there is a tongue tie or oral motor weakness)
🤦🏽‍♀️It is possible for a baby to refuse the breast and still take a bottle. You can’t force a baby to latch the the breast but you can make a baby latch to a bottle.
💕If breastfeeding has been going well for several weeks/months, don’t blame the boob as the root of your baby’s behavior unless there is a justifiable cause (like taking medications or birth control, starting your period, reducing your number of feedings/pumps)

Sisters, not twins. This milk is from the same pump session. Each breast made different colored milk!!! Did you know your breasts work together and independently? Here’s some fun facts about your girls:
⭐️70% of us make more milk on the right side, often significantly more (up to double for some!!)
⭐️Each breast can have its own flow rate. Some babies prefer the flow from one side over the other
⭐️ Breasts and nipples are not symmetrical. The left is usually slightly larger than the right. Nipples can be different sizes and lengths. For a significant size difference, you may need to pump with different sized flanges
⭐️Milk during the same feeding can taste and be a different color from side to side. The fat content can also be different based on which side baby fed from last. I once had a toddler tell their mom that they preferred milk from one side because it tasted like oatmeal, and the other tasted like tea!!
⭐️When you have a milk let down, your milk will let downs on both sides, which is why many will leak from the opposite breast while feeding. It’s also why we usually recommend pumping both breasts at the same time to take advantage of those let downs.
⭐️ You can successfully breastfeed from only one breast. One side can make enough milk to feed you cold.
⭐️ If you tandem feed and we’re to keep the other child on one side and the younger always on the other, your breasts would make different milk for them based on how often each child feeds.

💤 Prolactin, the major milk making hormone, is rises when we sleep, so it is naturally higher at night. Prolactin rises about 90 minutes after sleep begins and peaks around 4-5 hours later and stays high for about 2 hours after waking up. This helps you make more milk throughout the rest of the day

🛌 For most, milk removal in the middle of the night is essential for maintaining milk supply. If your exclusively breastfed baby under 12 months is waking at night, most likely they want to feed. If your baby is naturally sleeping longer on their own (with no sleep training or sleep devices to help baby sleep longer), they are telling you they are getting enough milk from you at other times to not need milk at night for growth.

Breast storage capacity has a LOT to do with whether or not you need to wake up to pump. If you have a large breast storage capacity you may be able to go longer between pump or feedings without dropping supply or feeling uncomfortable. You may be able to get a 4, 5, or even 6 hour stretch of sleep and not see your supply drop. Baby also has more milk available at other feedings and may take very large, less often feedings.

Those with low supply, small breast storage capacity, or baby struggling to feed efficiently may need to take advantage of higher night time prolactin levels made during REM. Even if you feel like you have a healthy supply in the first 4-6 weeks, a sudden drop in supply can happen if insufficient milk removals start too early into your breastfeeding journey when supply regulates around 3 months.

If you’re not sure what your storage capacity is, if baby is sleeping longer and you’re waking up engorged, or you’re waking up and pumping and then baby wants to feed and you have now pumped that milk, there are Lots of options:

✏️ Dream feed. If you’re waking up engorged and baby is still sleeping, some times you can sneak in a dream feed to relieve the breast and help baby sleep even longer. Bring sleeping baby to the breast to root and usually they will latch and feed while still sleeping. Lay them back down when you’re done. Don’t burp or change diapers as this will wake them up.
✏️ Pump 30-45 minutes after your last breastfeeding ends when you anticipate baby to take a longer sleep stretch. This will help you go a little longer before the next feeding without getting as engorged, seeing as drastic a supply dio, or pumping too close to the next feeding.
✏️ Pump when you feel uncomfortable but only pump enough to feel comfortable and not to empty the breast. If baby wakes up, you can always offer the breast and top off with what you pumped if they’re still hungry
✏️ Do nothing. If your baby is naturally sleeping longer at night on their own with no sleep training, your body will naturally regulate your supply.
✏️ If you are sleep training baby or using something like the Snoo to help baby sleep longer, you may need to still get up every few hours over night to maintain your milk supply.