Being a parent is hands down one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Being a breastfeeding parent waking up for cumulative years for MOTN feedings while being a working mom added sleep deprivation. Pair that with grief over multiple miscarriages and losing my mom to brain cancer while pregnant with Peach and I was a big ball of postpartum depression and anxiety. I am not posting this for sympathy. I’m posting this because you’re not alone in doing hard things. And feeling hard feelings. Being a parent (and breastfeeding) isn’t always the glamourous screen shot seen on social media. It’s raw and gritty and smelly and hard. And you’re not alone. I see you and all the work you’re putting in to feed your baby and stay level. Keep going. I’ve found for me being able to admit I’m in a hard spot, grieving, lost expectations is actually what helps me keep my sanity and start to get the help I need. Don’t give up on a hard day. Reach out for help. You’re not alone.

• One of the most common and traditional ways of boosting milk supply is through drinking herbal teas. Tea is an easy way to reap the benefits from powerful herbs while staying well hydrated. The primary herbs with reported lactogenic properties include alfalfa, blessed thistle, fennel, fenugreek, goat’s rue, milk thistle, and stinging nettle. While these products are considered safe for consumption in amounts traditionally found in food, remember that many herbs could still clinically be classified as drugs. In fact, many commercial drugs originated from herbs. You should use the same care when taking an herb as you would in taking an over-the-counter or prescription drug. Some herbs and supplements are known to interact with medications, and some infants can be sensitive to what you’re ingesting. Fenugreek, for example, can negatively interact with thyroid medications and decrease blood sugar, so should be avoided if you have hypothyroidism. It can also make mom and baby gassy. When considering drinking milk boosting teas, such as Mother’s Milk Tea, you usually need to drink at least 3-5 cups per day to really have it make any true difference on milk supply. Taking a pill form of an herb is a much more potent way to boost supply. As with any supplement, speak with your health care provider and/or an IBCLC to make sure the teas or herbs you want to take are appropriate for your individual situation as everyone responds differently to them.

There is no right or wrong age, it is completely up to you. Breast milk does not lose nutritional value (ever), so you get to decide how long you want to breastfeed. You also get to decide when you stop and all reasons for wanting to stop are valid. It is OK to wean for your emotional or mental well being and you do not have to justify your choices of how you feed your baby to anyone.

The age of your baby and how quickly you want to wean can play a role in how you wean.
Be prepared that some may experience mood changes and feelings of depression when weaning as your oxytocin and other hormones are dropping to stop milk production. If you need a specific plan to help you quickly wean, schedule a consultation with me to develop a plan that works for you.

Tips for gentle weaning:
✏️Start when your baby has already naturally started to wean, ex. only a quick snack before nap or waking up at 2am to pacify to sleep
✏️If transitioning from breast milk to formula, you can add formula to your breast milk bottles in slowly increasing amounts to make the transition easier on baby’s tummy (ex mix 2oz of breast milk with 1oz of prepared formula for several days, then mix 1.5oz each if breast milk and formula for a few days, then 2oz of formula with 1oz of breast milk)
✏️Don’t offer, don’t refuse
✏️Wear clothing that makes accessing the breast/chest more difficult.
✏️Distract child with favorite activities or offer alternatives like a favorite snack
✏️Change your routine
✏️Postpone: “After we play”
✏️Shortening the length of feeding or space feedings out
✏️Talk to your toddler about weaning. Older children (2 years and up) can be part of the process by talking to them about what is happening.
✏️Alternate between offering bottles and the breast
✏️Be consistent – this is a hard one but it can be even more confusing to your baby if you allow them to nurse one time and not the next.
✏️Lots of cuddles. Your breast/chest is more than just food but also a great source of comfort. Showing them you are still a source of that comfort despite not nursing is incredibly important

Picking a bottle can be tricky. DON’T FALL FOR THE MARKETING. So many bottles claim to be most likely the breast. In reality, look for a round nipple that gradually tapers from tip to base. Bottles that go from nipple to wide base sharply or that have pinched, flat, or misshaped nipple tips promote a shallow latch and bad tongue posture. If your nipple came out looking like that we’d have to do some serious wound care. Look for a flow that matches your breast milk flow. Babies that gulp at the breast and feed in 5-10 minutes are fine on a faster flow. Babies that take their time at the breast and newborns should use the slowest flow possible to help go back and forth from breast to bottle.

Great bottles: Dr Browns (wide and narrow neck), Evenflo Balance Standard bottle, Lansinoh, Pigeon SS

Ok bottles if you can get a really deep latch: Como Tomo and Tommee Tippee. These still tend to get pockets of air and babies tend to latch just to the nipple or colapse them. Be cautious when using these and make sure to get a good, deep latch every time

Bottles that promote a shallow latch or incorrect tongue placement or oral motor pattern: Minbie, Nuk, Mam. These nipples are pinched, flat, or misshaped. If your nipple came out looking like that you would have pain and damage. If these are the only bottles your baby will latch to, that’s fine, but be cautious when trying to go back to breast as these bottles don’t promote good latch or use of the tongue. Some do just fine, but for many it can cause damage at the breast.

Work with an IBCLC or pediatric feeding therapist if your baby is struggling with feeding from either breast or bottle.

I’ve seen several posts now circulating about blue breast milk having more antibodies for baby when mom or baby is sick. It’s become viral in some circles but it’s not actually based on fact. Breastmilk can be many colors. Breast milk can have a natural bluish hue caused by the presence of whey protein (which accounts for 50-80% of the protein content in your milk depending on your stage of lactation). This blue hue is usually more visible when the volume of your milk is high and the fat content relatively lower. This can happen for many reasons: You may notice this blueish color more when you’ve has gone a longer time between pumpings, like first thing in the morning, when your breasts are fuller from sleeping longer at night. A blueish tint in expressed breast milk is mainly due to the higher whey protein composition which is seen at the beginning of feeding. As the breast continues to empty, the composition gradually increases the casein protein, which is higher in fat, giving it that creamier, white or yellow color. It’s a gradual change as the feeding progresses. When using a pump to empty the breast, you may not see the blue color when you more fully empty the breast. Those that use a Haakaa or a milk catcher like a @lacticups may note a more blue color in the milk they collect as these devices often only catch leaking drip milk, which is a higher whey protein, lower casein content milk.

Be assured, the bluish watery milk and white creamier milk have the SAME components and are the same milk. There are not two different types or kinds of milk. It’s just the ratio of the various components like water and fat that can change based on how you’re feeding and pumping.

Those who feed their babies frequently or empty their breasts often and more thoroughly tend to have thicker milk. Those with an exceptionally robust milk supply or those who go long stretches between feeds tend to have a more bluish hue to their milk.

Regardless of the color of your milk, it is safe and perfect to feed your baby

For more information on fore milk/hindmilk imbalance or lactose overload CLICK HERE

We are carry mammals. Like kangaroos and monkeys, our milk has very little fat and protein and our babies come out extremely immature. So we are meant to carry our babies around for frequent feeding and all cares until they are able to fend for themselves (which is years). Kangaroos stick their babies in a pouch to do this while monkeys hang on their mamas backs. Our strong arms and curvy bodies are designed to hold on to our young.

Nest mammals, like dogs and cats, have a higher protein and fat content in their milk. They leave their babies in a nest for several hours a day and come back frequently to feed. While we are carry mammals, our society tries to make us think we are nest mammals. How often are we told a baby should be able to sleep in a crib away from us only to be picked up and cared for a few hours later and then put back down again?

There are also cache mammals such as rabbits and deer. They find a safe place to leave their babies and return every 12 hours or so to feed them. Because this is how their bodies are designed, their milk is much higher in fat and protein in order to sustain them for long periods. While we would like to think our young babies will be cache mammals overnight and nest mammals during the day, our milk does not have this capacity to sustain our young in this way.

There is a clash in what our biology wants and what society dictates. Your baby doesn’t know it’s a carry mammal in a nest society. It expects to be a carry mammal and will behave that way from all of its instincts. Don’t be surprised if your carry mammal wants LITERALLY carried for years and finds the best soothing and comfort when held in your strong arms on that gorgeous, curvy body.
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