Tag: breast feeding

Breast milk supply tips

- Julie Matheney

It's crucial to remember that every breastfeeding journey is unique, and breast milk pumping outputs can vary widely from person to person and even from day to day. Comparing your output to someone else's can create unnecessary stress and pressure.

Natural Variation: The amount of milk a person can pump varies based on factors like breast storage capacity, hormonal levels, baby's nursing habits, and more. Some people naturally produce more milk than others, and this doesn't reflect on their ability to nourish their baby

Frequency and Timing: Pumping output can fluctuate throughout the day and with different pumping sessions. It's normal for milk supply to be higher in the morning and lower in the evening. The timing and frequency of pumping sessions can also impact how much milk is expressed

Storage Capacity: Breast storage capacity differs among individuals. This affects how much milk can be stored in the breast at one time and consequently how much can be pumped in one sitting

Baby's Needs: Babies' needs vary, and not everyone needs the same amount of milk. Your baby's growth and development are better indicators of whether they're getting enough milk rather than the volume you pump

Typically, a newborn consumes around 1-3 ounces per feeding in the first few weeks. However, this can vary based on baby's age, appetite, and individual needs. Here are some general guidelines:

Early Days: In the first few days after birth, when your milk is transitioning from colostrum to mature milk, you might pump smaller amounts (e.g., 1/2 to 2 ounces per session)

Established Supply: As your milk supply regulates (around 4-6 weeks), you might pump around 2-4 ounces per session

Later Months: Pumping output can range from 2-5+ ounces or more per session as your milk supply adjusts to meet your baby's needs

Remember, the best indicator of successful breastfeeding is your baby's growth, diaper output, and general well-being. If you have concerns about milk supply or breastfeeding, it's always a good idea to reach out to an IBCLC for personalized support. And most importantly, be kind to yourself and focus on the special bond you're nurturing with your little one.

Nausea while breastfeeding

- Julie Matheney

The interplay between oxytocin and stress hormones is a fascinating aspect of our neuroendocrine system. Cortisol and oxytocin are both regulated by the hypothalamus, a critical part of the brain that helps maintain hormonal balance. The hypothalamus plays a pivotal role in maintaining the balance between these hormones.

Oxytocin is produced in the paraventricular nucleus inside the hypothalamus, a small but crucial part of the brain that regulates many autonomic functions. From the hypothalamus, oxytocin is transported to and released by the posterior pituitary gland into the bloodstream which then travels to the breast and causes the pulsatile contractions known as the Milk Ejection Reflex (let down).

In response to stress, the hypothalamus releases corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH). CRH prompts the anterior pituitary gland to secrete adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). ACTH then stimulates the adrenal glands to release cortisol and adrenaline into the bloodstream, preparing the body for a 'fight-or-flight' response. The hypothalamus coordinates the release of CRH and oxytocin, attempting to balance the stress response with mechanisms that promote recovery and resilience

These hormones counteract each other: cortisol increases alertness and stress, while oxytocin reduces anxiety and fosters calmness, helping to restore equilibrium in the body's stress response system

What Causes Let-Down Nausea?

The sudden surge of oxytocin, combined with fluctuating levels of other hormones released by the hypothalamus, can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which can sometimes trigger nausea. This response is similar to the body's reaction to certain stressors or stimuli

Breastfeeding is both physically and emotionally demanding. Anxiety, lack of sleep, and overall stress can exacerbate nausea during let-down

Blood Sugar Levels: Low blood sugar, a common issue for new mothers who might skip meals or eat irregularly, can also cause or worsen nausea as hormones are fluctuating during breastfeeding

Managing breastfeeding nausea

Hydration and Nutrition: Ensure you're staying well-hydrated and eating balanced meals regularly. Small, frequent meals rich in protein and complex carbohydrates can help stabilize blood sugar levels and reduce nausea, especially when eaten a few minutes before moving milk

Relaxation Techniques: Practice deep breathing, meditation, or gentle yoga to reduce overall stress. Creating a calm and comfortable environment during breastfeeding or pumping  can help

Exclusively pumping is like having unexpected twins

- Julie Matheney

The Double Duty of Exclusive Pumping:

🧑🏽‍🍼Time and Effort: Exclusively pumping requires significant time and dedication. You're not just feeding one baby directly; you're also spending extra hours feeding your pump. Not to mention all the set up and clean up that involves

🎛️Logistics:Managing the logistics of pumping and feeding your baby involves intricate planning and organization—keeping track of pumping schedules, milk storage, sterilization, and bottle preparation

🎢Physical and Emotional Demands: Exclusive pumping can be physically and emotionally demanding. It requires resilience and perseverance to maintain a steady milk supply while

Remember, You Are Incredible:

- Your dedication is extraordinary. Unlesss they’ve done it before, people don’t understand that exclusive pumping (or triple feeding) is like having twins. It’s not **just pumping**, it’s feeding two babies, one is just electronic

- It's okay to feel overwhelmed or exhausted at times. Stay hydrated. Make sure you have plenty of snacks. Naming your pump can help some feel more connected to the process. Find support to make sure you have a quality pump and the right size flanges as well as help with pump schedules to make sure you reach your goals

- Celebrate your achievements. Every ounce of milk pumped is a testament to your determination to reach your feeding goals

This message is a reminder of the incredible dedication and love that goes into exclusive pumping. It's important to acknowledge the challenges while also celebrating the immense strength and resilience of parents who undertake this journey

Breast vs Bottle Feeding

- Julie Matheney

Did you know that babies use completely different muscles to feed from the breast than from a bottle? They use more of their tongue and jaw at the breast and more lips and cheeks on a bottle. Breastfeeding is also a more complex feeding process where a vacuum is made in baby’s mouth from the tongue forming a seal against the roof of their mouth. Babies don’t need to create as strong a vacuum in the mouth to still bottle feee, as they can compress the nipple and milk still flows.

Bottle feeding is not a developmental skill. There is no age when a baby needs to take a bottle if breastfeeding is going well. Historically, babies went from breast to cup. Bottles are a relatively new invention with the formation of rubber nipples. It is developmentally appropriate to start open cup drinking by 6 months. That means if you’ve been exclusively breastfeeding and need to go back to work or your baby is starting table foods, you can skip the bottle and go straight for a cup. Starting with a small cup, like a medicine cup, shot glass, or @ezpzfun Tiny Cup are great ways to start. Your baby has been watching you drink from a cup for months and understands how it works. Straw cups are also great at this age and many babies will get the hang of it in a few tries. Using a straw cup like the Honey Bear has the advantage of you being able to squeeze the milk up to baby to teach baby how to get the milk by sucking.

When did you start cup feeding? Want to learn more? I have many videos of cup and straw feeding on my YouTube channel. Link in bio!

Want to learn more? Consider taking my parent class, LATCHED

 

#cupfeeding #cupfeedingbaby #honeybear #honeybearstrawcup #6monthsold #6monthsbaby #6monthsoldbaby #breastfeeding

Drinking and Breastfeeding

- Julie Matheney

Milk is made from your blood, so what you drink can impact your milk supply. 

💦 How much water should you be drinking? There are some ridiculous answers out there. If your breast milk production has decreased, helpful people may suggest that you chug tons of water. Your lack of water intake may contribute to but is not completely responsible for your supply drop. Drinking too much water can inadvertently harm your milk supply

💦 When you drink too much water, your body tries to restore the electrolyte balance in your body by dumping the excess water into your urine. This results in water being diverted away from your breasts, which in turn decreases your milk supply. Water dense foods can also be just as hydrating as plain water from the tap. 

💦 You will lose up to 30oz of water through your breast milk to your baby; so do try to drink 8-12 glasses of water a day

☕️ Coffee is safe to drink: 300-500mg of caffeine per day max

☕️ Younger babies (< 6 months), preterm and medically fragile babies process caffeine slower and they may be sensitive to it. 

☕️ If you consistently drank coffee during pregnancy you baby is already used to caffeine

☕️ It takes 15-20 minutes for coffee to hit your bloodstream and is usually completely gone by 4-7 hours. So if you’re concerned or having it for the first time after birth, either breastfeed baby first and then have your coffee or have it while breastfeeding

🍷 According to the CDC, moderate alcohol (up to 1 standard drink per day) is not known to be harmful to baby

🥂 Less than 2% of alcohol reaches breastmilk and typically peaks within 1/2-1 hour after consumption *however* factors such as food, weight & body fat need to be considered

🥂 Alcohol does not accumulate but leaves breastmilk as it leaves the bloodstream. There is no need to pump and dump when consuming limited amounts of alcohol

🥂 If you are feeling like you NEED to consume large amounts of alcohol regularly, speaking to a qualified professional is admirable and a very good option

ALCOHOL AND BREASTFEEDING

Is it ok to have alcohol and breastfeed? The short answer is yes, in moderation. No, you don’t need to pump and dump for 1 standard drink. Yes, those alcohol testing milk strips are kinda dumb. 

Alcohol passes freely into breast milk and peaks around 30-60 minutes after consumption (60-90 minutes if you drink with food) so what you would breathalyze you would “breastalyze”. This does not mean your milk has an much alcohol as you consumed or as a straight up alcoholic beverage. It means you milk has the same amount of alcohol as your blood. For instance, if your Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) is 0.10 (or 0.10%, 1/10 of 1 percent) from drinking, you breast milk has 0.10% alcohol in it. In comparison, a typical beer has 4.5% alcohol, a glass of wine has 15% alcohol, and a shot of vodka has 40% alcohol. 

Let’s interpret that: if you breastfeed while you’re having your first drink, your baby will most likely be finished feeding before the alcohol hits your system. There’s no need to pump and dump your milk. Only time clears the alcohol from your system. If you’re breastfeeding a newborn, premature or medically compromised infant, you’ll want to be more cautious of the alcohol you consume and may want to consider waiting longer to breastfeed than an older baby. Such a small portion of alcohol gets into your milk, if you have an older baby and have only had one drink there’s really no need to wait to pump or feed. 

If you want to have an occasional drink, I will never judge you!!! Go for it!! If you need alcohol, large quantities or alcohol or are struggling with alcohol, please find a qualified counselor to work with ❤️ 🍻

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

- Julie Matheney

If you’re still breastfeeding and become pregnant, your mature breastmilk will transition back to colostrum around the end of the first trimester in preparation for whenever the new baby is born. By 4 months gestation, the placenta is large enough to suppress most milk production. Your body will prioritize your fetus over your nursling in terms of milk and produce the appropriate milk for the more vulnerable child. Colostrum is a high protein, laxative milk to help newborns poop out meconium. It is saltier in taste and thicker in consistency. Many older babies don’t care if it tastes different, but some will and may wean themselves. The supply is not likely to be able to support an infant 10 months old and younger. But if the older infant (11+ months) or toddler is eating solids and drinking other liquids, those babies may not care if they are getting milk or “dry nursing” until the next baby comes. Some choose to supplement younger babies with donor milk or may transition to formula until the new baby arrives and then continue to tandem feed with their own breastmilk again. 

Pregnancy hormones can make breasts and nipples more sensitive and uncomfortable. And these sensations often will make one want to wean or experience a nursing aversion. Toddlers may still aggressively want to nurse and it’s ok to put boundaries on your nursing. 

The typical things recommended to increase supply (additional feeding/pumping, herbs and supplements, etc.) are not appropriate and are ineffective since the placenta will continue to increase in size. Hormones supported by the placenta are what impact milk production and there’s not much you can do to combat the hormone shift as it’s needed to support the pregnancy. 

How to use my Spectra Breast Pump: Maximizing settings, suction and cycle levels

- Julie Matheney

Different stages of pumping require different pump settings. The wonderful thing about the Spectra pumps is their cycle variability.

Check out my video on YouTube for how to set and use the Spectra pump.

Colostrum is thick and sticky. Pumps are great for stimulating milk but they’re not the best at removing it from the breast and it can be very frustrating to pump and not see anything filling the bottles. Don’t be discouraged. Stimulation is super important in the early days after birth and the work will pay off. hand expression is the key to emptying colostrum when pumping. The pump will do a good job to stimulate your hormones to make milk and your hands will help empty it.

If you’re engorged or have an oversupply, you may need to pump to relieve the pressure in your breasts. Using the pump wisely can reduce your engorgment while not causing you to make too much milk and perpetuate your problem.

You can also pump to increase milk supply by pumping for an extra 5 minutes after milk stops flowing to signal to your body that it needs to produce more milk. If you’re breastfeeding and pumping after, aim for a 10-15 minute pump. If you’re exclusively pumping, shoot for a 30 minute pump.

Whether you’re pumping at work to maintain supply or trying to increase your supply, using the settings on the Spectra can help you reach your goals. Have you played around with your settings? What works for one person may not work for another. Try alternating back and forth between the settings and play around with the suction and cycle levels. If you need to have the suction cranked to the top, you’re most likely using too large of a flange.

Everyone responds differently to pumps. Play around the settings and cycles. What works for one person may not work for every person. Make sure your suction level is comfortable and you’re using the correct sized flange. If you have to crank the suction all the way up, you’re pumping with a flange that’s too large. Pumping should be comfortable. You should not have pain or damage from pumping. If you have any pain or damage, try a different range size, shape or cushion and try lowering the suction. If you’ve been pumping on a particular set of settings and start to notice a decrease in supply or suction, change the soft pieces of the pump like the duckbill or membranes and the tubing.

Breastfeeding weaning

- Julie Matheney

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

Ways to quickly wean:

⚓️Empty the breast only to comfort, trying not to stimulate the breast to make more milk

⚓️Breast gymnastics/“milk shakes” often to keep milk from sitting in the breast and clogging the ducts

⚓️Epsom salt soaks of the entire breast for soothing

⚓️Drinking 2-4 cups of sage or peppermint tea per day

⚓️Green cabbage leaves in the bra until they are soggy and then replacing the leaves

⚓️Cabocream (an alternative to the cabbage leaves

⚓️Cold packs on the breasts after feeding or pumping to reduce swelling

⚓️Starting on a hormone based birth control, especially The Pill (estrogen based) will drop supply

⚓️A last resort would be to take an antihistamine like Benadryl or Claritin-D as these are also notorious for dropping milk supply. This should be done with caution and under the direction of your primary care physician

True SELF-weaning by the baby before a year old is very uncommon. In fact, it is unusual for a baby to wean before 18-24 months unless something else going on (work, inefficient feeding, tongue tie, etc). A self weaning child is typically well over a year old (more commonly over 2 years) and getting most nutrition from solids, drinking well from a cup, and has been cutting back on nursing gradually.

Reasons a baby under a year may be perceived to self wean:

🔑Solids were introduced too soon

🔑Scheduled feedings/sleep training/pacifier use (all decrease time a baby would naturally want to be at the breast/chest)

🔑Lactating parent loses a lot of weight fast which can decrease milk supply

🔑Medications or hormonal birth control which will decrease supply

🔑Lactating parent is pregnant

🔑Baby taking lots of solids before one (human milk should be the primary nutrition source through one year of age)

Empty breasts make milk faster than full breasts

- Julie Matheney

FULL/EMPTY BREASTS

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.

W atch 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 science vs the art of breastfeeding

- Julie Matheney

SCIENCE AND ART

Breastfeeding is the perfect blend of science and art. There are basic principles that apply, but within those principles is a lot of variation

🔬Science says you should switch which breast you start with at each feeding to keep milk supply balanced

🎨Art says this mom always starts left to try to increase supply on the slacker boob while that mom only feeds one breast per feeding. This mom needs to block feed and that mom offers whatever breast passes the boob shake fullness test

🔬Science says babies should poop at least once a day

🎨Art says some babies poop every time they sit in the car seat and others in the bathtub🤷🏽‍♀️ Some babies poop after every feeding and others have just one a day (or every other day)

🔬Science says eat whatever you want

🎨Art says one can eat dairy without a problem for baby and for another it causes a rash and digestive upset in baby

🔬Science says having baby in a good position will get you a deep latch.

🎨Art says you over here love koala hold a rolled up wash cloth supporting your breast to help reduce reflux. While you over there do better in cross cradle sitting up.

🔬Science says as baby ages they can sleep in longer stretches at night

🎨Art says many babies still wake up 1-3 times a night to nurse until 18 months and need help from an adult to transition back to sleep

🔬By understanding the science behind breastfeeding, we can understand typical patterns of behavior which helps guide us when things aren’t going well.

🎨By appreciating the art of breastfeeding, we can celebrate the unique differences of every feeding baby within its own family dynamic.

🔬If you’re struggling with the science of breastfeeding, find help.

🎨If breastfeeding is going well, appreciate the art of your own masterpiece that you’re creating with your little one.