Using Stored Breast Milk

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photoThe milk that we buy at the grocery store has been pasteurized and homogenized. The pasteurization process kills all the bacteria and live cells in the milk—making it safe for us to drink, but also less stable. Homogenizing the milk blends in the fat so that it doesn’t separate and float to the top. Most of us don’t have experience using fresh milk straight from the source. Fresh milk from any mammal—including humans—looks very different from the milk we buy at the store.

After your milk has been expressed and it has been sitting on the counter or in the refrigerator for a while, the fat will begin to separate. You may notice a thin layer of cream on top of milk that looks quite watery. That is perfectly normal. Your milk has not gone “bad.” Continue reading →

Breastfeeding and Work-Clothing Crisis?

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My friend and teaching partner, Holli Harris,  generously shared the following article. Thank you, Holli, for your contribution and insight!

If you plan to combine breastfeeding with a job, double the need for breastfeeding and pump-friendly clothes. It’s one thing to not want to bare your breasts to your family and friends, and/or want to retain your sense of pre-motherhood style, but it’s another situation completely when you require combining the need for looking professional with quick and discreet access to breasts for pump (or breastfeeding) breaks in often semi-private locations…and in a situation where every minute away from work counts.   It’s no wonder there is a steep decline in breastfeeding when women return to work. Continue reading →

Is Breastfeeding Good for Business?

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Are you wondering if health care legislation that includes provisions for breastfeeding is a good idea?  How do you feel about requiring businesses to accommodate mothers who want to pump at work? Consider the following:

Every year, more than 3 million mothers in America breastfeed. These provisions are good public policy for not only the baby and the mother, but also for the business community and our overall economy. Breastfeeding can improve more than 10% of the Healthy People 2020 health goals for the nation. Continue reading →

Crying Babies

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You may wonder why a lactation consultant–someone who considers herself somewhat of an expert in the art and science of breastfeeding–is writing an article about crying babies. I have been moved to address this topic because every day parents ask me about hunger cues, sleep and crying. Specifically, new parents want to know, what does that cry mean?

Crying is your baby’s way of letting you know that something is not right. She may be hungry or thirsty, lonely, cold, afraid, uncomfortable or maybe she doesn’t even know. She just knows she needs something–now! Parents are sometimes told to ignore their baby’s cries–particularly as a way to “train” the baby to sleep longer or go longer between feedings. Continue reading →

Pacifiers and Newborns

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Nearly every new mother I see asks the question, “Is it ok for my baby to use a pacifier?”  Here is the simple answer: Yes and no!

What these mothers want to know is whether pacifier use will interfere with breastfeeding. I can say with confidence that I have never seen a baby prefer a pacifier over a breast filled with nummy milk! In addition, in over 20 years of helping resolve breastfeeding issues, I have never named the pacifier as the source of the problem. Continue reading →