This video illustrates audible swallows by a newborn. The regular, rhythmic “kuh” sound is produced with each swallow. Notice the baby’s jaw drop right before the sound. The position of the baby is perfect. Their head is tipped back, mouth open wide, chin tucked into the breast and nose tipped away from the breast. Enjoy!
Infant breastfeeding well 1:1 Swallow from Renee Beebe on Vimeo.
Your milk is a living thing! It is rich in antibodies that are constantly killing off nasty bacteria. For that reason, it is very stable and remains nutritious and safe even after it’s been expressed.
You may find a wide spectrum of guidelines written about the safety of breast milk at various temperatures. It can be confusing to try to figure out which source is correct. Why is there so much variability? The simple answer is that research is conducted in controlled situations and different populations have different needs. For example, pumped milk will last longer in a refrigerator that is never opened. A hospital environment with fragile, premature babies requires that milk be handled much more carefully than a home environment with a healthy baby. Continue reading
This young mother called me at the urging of a friend who already knew and trusted me. Breastfeeding was very important to Marissa, but she didn’t know how she could go on with so much pain. Normally, I would have seen this mom and baby in person. She lives in another city, however, and she felt most comfortable working with me. I gave her guidance over the phone several times over the course of a few weeks. Since her baby was gaining weight and she had a great milk supply, she just needed some minor adjustments to make breastfeeding comfortable.
Here is a portion of her story: Continue reading
A mother writes, “I have to go back to work soon and my 3-month-old baby won’t take a bottle. What can I do? Help!”
Congratulations on exclusively breastfeeding your daughter! It can be challenging to transition back to the workplace, so it’s great that you are being thoughtful about helping your baby learn another way to receive your milk. Let me assure you it is perfectly normal for a 3 month old baby to initially refuse a bottle. It is a foreign object to her. Why should she suck on a silicone nipple? Remember she doesn’t know that it is common for babies to bottle-feed in our culture.
Some professionals maintain that if you give your baby a bottle every day from birth that she will happily take a bottle throughout her baby-hood. This is not necessarily true. Even if she had been given a daily bottle since she was born, she may still refuse at about 3 months. This is the age when babies start taking more control of their world! Continue reading
If you’re expecting twins, you may be wondering…Is it possible to breastfeed twins? Can my body make enough milk for two babies? Can I really nourish my babies without using formula? The answers are yes, yes and yes!
Your Dr., your doula and your childbirth educator may all have told you, “Most women can’t make enough milk for 2 babies.” Don’t believe them! If your body is equipped to breastfeed one baby, it is highly likely that you will have sufficient milk for two.