Having the right pump flange size can make all the difference in your pumping journey. Most pumps come standard with a 24mm and possibly a 27/28mm flange(s). Did you know I’ve only recommended the 28mm flange twice in the last 3 years? And the 24mm only maybe a dozen times out of hundreds of moms? The majority of the people I woke with need a 17, 19, or 21mm flange and often need a cushion to make it a half size. Too much areola in the tunnel can cause swelling that doesn’t let your milk empty efficiently, leading to plugged ducts and a drop in milk supply. (Ever pump but still feel like there’s milk in the breast? Most likely your flange is too big) Measuring your nipples can give you an idea of what size flange you’ll need. Use a ruler at the base of your nipple (not the areola!) and find the diameter. Add ~3mm and that’s a good place to start. Pumping should feel comfortable with no pain or rubbing of your nipples in the tunnel. It’s like trying to find the perfect shoe. It may take trying a few sizes to get the right fit, but trust me, it’s worth it!! Have you measured your nipples yet? Did you know there are still too many lactation consultants (especially in the hospital) who don’t know there are other sized flanges? There are lots of products (inserts, cushions, different shapes and sizes) to help make your pumping experience so much better.

So why wasn’t this considered when pump companies were making flanges? I read some where the original reason they made 24 and 28mm was for the size of baby’s mouth, not nipple size!

Do you nipples stretch a lot and swell into the tunnel? We call those elastic nipples. You may do really well with something like the Beaugen Mom Cushions which help hold the areola back. Or the Pumpin Pal flanges which have a different shape to help with the stretch.

What size flange do you use?

Oxytocin is the hormone responsible for making milk eject or “let down” during feeding and pumping. Milk is constantly being made and collected in little sacs (alveoli) at the back of the breast. When the breast and nipple are stimulated during feeding, oxytocin makes the cells around the alveoli contract in what’s called the milk ejection reflex (MER). This makes the milk that is already in the breast flow for baby.

You can train yourself to have MER through your senses and feelings, such as when you touch, smell or see your baby, hear baby cry, or think lovingly about them. If you are in severe pain, anxious, or emotionally upset, the oxytocin reflex may become inhibited, and milk may suddenly stop flowing well. With support, and recognition, once you feel comfortable and baby continues to breastfeed, the milk will flow again.

Signs that the oxytocin reflex is active:

• Tingling sensation in the breast before or during a feed

• Milk starts to drop when you think of baby or hear crying

• Milk flowing from the other breast when baby is sucking

• Milk sprays from the breast if baby unlatches

• Slow deep sucks and swallowing by the baby, indicating milk is flowing

• Uterine cramping in the first week after delivery

• Thirst during a feed.

If one or more of these signs are present, the reflex is working. However, if they are not present, it does not mean that the reflex is not active. Not every one feels or is aware of these sensations.

Breastfeeding isn’t the only way to get a dose of oxytocin. If you can feel milk in your breasts but are having trouble letting the milk down, try this:

◦ Keep baby in skin to skin contact for 1-2 hours prior to feeding or pumping

◦ Do yoga. A small 2013 study found after 1 month of yoga, people had higher oxytocin levels

◦ Listen to music. Multiple studies have found that listening to music naturally boosts oxytocin. This can be especially helpful when pumping at work

◦ Meditate. This helps reduce stress which increases oxytocin

◦ Touch. Physical touch releases oxytocin. This can be from cuddling, hugging or touching another person you love or getting a massage

◦ Laugh! Laughter really is the best medicine

◦ Sex. This is a hard one depending on where you’re at in your postpartum journey, but orgasm is a key way to boost oxytocin

◦ Pet you pet! Animal touch can release oxytocin just like human touch can

◦ Oxytocin nasal spray. Struggling with severe anxiety and nothing else is working? A prescription for an oxytocin nasal spray can help trigger let downs

👉🏼Pumping is NEVER an indication of supply

👉🏼Chances are you will need a pump flange size that didn’t come with your pump (We don’t all wear a 36C, why would pump companies expect us all to have the same nipple size?)

👉🏼You can NEVER empty the breast. It constantly makes milk. It takes at least 40 days of no stimulation for the breast to stop making milk

👉🏼Nipple damage is not normal. It is always a sign of something: Shallow latch. Tongue tie. Wrong size flange.

👉🏼Breasts/chest are NOT supposed to stay engorged

👉🏼That full feeling between feedings goes away around 6-8 weeks

👉🏼Babies become efficient feeders, so a 3 month old may get a full feeding in 5 minutes even if they fed for 30 as a newborn

👉🏼Some times they’ll want one side. Sometimes they’ll want both. Sometimes they want both sides multiple times 🤷🏽‍♀️

👉🏼This is eating. We may want a snack, a buffet, a meal, a treat, dessert or a thirst quencher. Same goes at the breast

👉🏼Some leak, some don’t. Leaking is not an indication of supply. Leaking may slow or stop at any point and is NOT an indication that you’re losing supply

👉🏼Not everyone feels their let down. Many stop feeling their let down with time.

👉🏼The longer you go between feedings the higher the water content of your milk. The shorter you go between feeding the smaller the volume but the higher the fat concentration

👉🏼Every baby feeds differently

👉🏼Your body is amazing!!!!

👉🏼Trust your body. Trust your baby

.

.

#breastfeeding #breastfeedingisbeautiful #breastfeedingtips #motherdaughter #motherhoodunplugged #lactationconsultant #lactationsupport

OATMEAL

Oatmeal is commonly recommended to breastfeeding parents as a breast milk booster. Many report pumping more milk on the days they have oatmeal for breakfast instead of something else. 

🥣Oatmeal is a good source of iron. Anemia/low iron levels can result in a decreased milk supply as breast milk is made from your blood. 

🥣Oatmeal is a comfort food. Comfort foods tend to encourage let-down which boosts milk supply.

🥣Many of the herbs known to increase milk supply also decrease cholesterol levels. Herbs that both increase milk and decrease cholesterol include fenugreek and alfalfa, which are found in many lactation products. Oat bran, found in oatmeal, can help lower cholesterol

But you don’t HAVE to eat oatmeal to make breast milk. I’ve known more than a few moms who are choking down oats even if they hate them. There are other things you can eat that are just as supportive. 

🥬Eating foods high in iron or being supplemented with iron can help you make more milk. Especially if you had a large blood loss at birth or tend to be anemic. High iron foods include beans (they won’t make your baby gassy), dark leafy greens, red meats, dried fruits like raisins and apricots. 

🥄Flax seed and chia seeds can work just as well as oats. They can be added to cookie recipes, used as an egg substitute in homemade breads, and are tasty and filling in smoothies. 

🥕Here’s another list of seemingly random foods that are actually known to boost milk supply: Garlic, carrots, barley, asparagus, brown rice, apricots, salmon, sweet potato, almonds, moringa, chickpeas, lentils, beets, tofu, watermelon, and grapefruit.

Herbs. Supplements. Boobie boosting bars and milk making teas. There’s a lot of products on the market now to help increase your milk supply. Vitamin C is great for preventing a cold, but too much can give you diarrhea. Iron is amazing for keeping you from going anemic and feeling weak, but too much makes you constipated. Fenugreek is known to help boost milk supply, but if you’re on thyroid medication, are hypoglycemic, or have a peanut allergy you shouldn’t take it. Every person is different in how they respond to herbs and even foods. I’m not opposed to lactation supportive products. But if you’re going to buy any of those products guaranteed to help you pump gallons of milk a day, here’s my best advice:
💡Do your research. Know what’s in it and any possible side effects
💊If you’re taking any prescription medications ask a pharmacist about drug/herb interactions.
💉Start with the smallest dose possible and gradually increase the amount you’re taking
🧪Don’t add in 10 different supplements at once. If you have a bad reaction you won’t know which one is from. Start with one at a time.
🩺Try them at home and first thing in the morning, on a weekday before you go back to work if possible. You wouldn’t want to have a bad reaction at work or when the doctors office or pharmacy are likely to be closed.
🧫We all can have different reactions and side effects to herbs and supplements. Some women find that taking fenugreek has the opposite effect and drops milk supply. Some women may notice an increase in gassiness in baby with certain herbs. If you notice any weird side effects, stop taking the supplement.
🤱🏽There is no replacement for frequently removing milk from the breast. The best way to make milk is to frequently feed your or pump your milk from your breasts
🔑If you’re struggling with low supply, schedule an appointment with an IBCLC to help get to the real root of the supply issue and form a plan to get back on track.
🗓If you take something for 3 days and don’t see a milk increase, most likely the herb isn’t effective for you. If you see a decrease within 3 days, stop taking it.

Some of my favorite places for herbs while breastfeeding:

https://mountainroseherbs.com The best place for raw herbs

https://wearerasa.com Amazing adaptogenic coffee alternatives

https://milksta.com The best taste ever. I love these products

https://www.motherlove.com Great herbal supplements specifically for lactation

https://www.legendairymilk.com Quality lactation supplements.

While there are foods you should not eat while pregnant, all bets are off while breastfeeding. When pregnant, food goes from your mouth, to your stomach, to your intestines, to your blood stream when it goes directly to your developing baby through the umbilical cord.

Undercooked/raw fish like sushi, hot dogs, lunch meats, and unpasteurized milk (certain cheeses) increases the risks of exposure to certain types of bacteria during pregnancy. Listeria, a bacteria that causes listeriosis, is a type of food poisoning that can pose a serious health risk for you and baby. You are at a higher risk of getting listeriosis when pregnant and passing that bacteria directly to baby via your blood. When breastfeeding, food goes from your mouth, to your stomach, to your intestines, to your blood stream, to your breast milk, to your baby’s stomach and finally to their blood stream. The process is much longer. Foods that may make you sick from food poisoning will make you feel sick, but won’t usually cause the same symptoms in baby because the process to their blood stream is so much longer. While your baby may have individual food sensitivities, there is no master list. You can eat the lunch meat, hot dogs, sushi, soft cheeses, cabbage, beans, and coffee to your hearts content.

Asking for medical advise from social media forums, especially mommy groups, is like asking a mother who’s had a baby to deliver yours. Just because she has experience in the field does not make her qualified to give technical advice in that area. She can give you her opinions or share her experience, but she did never be relied on as a trustworthy source when providing care to YOUR child.

Breastfeeding is especially one of those areas that we need to tread wisely into when asking for help and advice. Or culture has hidden breastfeeding from the norm and made it this mysterious, murky action where myths and misunderstandings abound. So much of the information found in quick Google searches are anecdotal, antiquated, or based off formula feeding data which is completely distinct and sometimes totally opposite of true breastfeeding. We should be seeking community support for breastfeeding, but not when medical advice is being solicited.

When mothers give out advice on social media platforms, they are not taking into consideration the whole breastfeeding picture and may inadvertently give advice that could care harm or actually negatively impact breastfeeding. For instance, when a mother of a one month old asks for advice on increasing her breastmilk supply and mother start giving advice on herbs, lactation cookies, or teas, they may not be considering WHY she is needing to increase her supply. Is her baby in the NICU? Is she going back to work and stressed with the pumping? Did her pediatrician have her supplement which impacted her supply? Is she trying to sleep train and sabotaging her own supply? Is she ALLERGIC to the herbs in those teas and supplements? How often is she feeding? Does she have a thyroid disorder? Does she have enough glandular breast tissue to even produce sufficient milk supply? Does her baby have a tongue tie? Does baby simply have a poor latch? These are the questions that are crucial in giving appropriate breastfeeding advice to protect the breastfeeding relationship. The best advice a mother can give on the social media platform is to have the questioning mother contact a lactation consultant.

The gold standard for breastfeeding advice is the International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). There are other forms of lactation consultants that teach and serve out of a variety of backgrounds (http://www.healthychildren.cc/PDFs/positionPaper_compRoles.pdf). The IBCLC is the top most coveted professional because of the extensive education and rigorous testing they need to go through in order to be able to assist lactating mothers. In order to sit for the FOUR HOUR board exam, candidates must have extensive education in specific health science subjects, like nutrition, psychology, and childhood development; 90 college level credit hours of education in human lactation and breastfeeding, and hundreds to thousands of clinical practice in providing care to breastfeeding families (ihttps://iblce.org/certify/eligibility-criteria/). They must also maintain a high level of continuing education courses and continue to sit for the board exam every 10 years.