Lactation Land Podcast

Your milk supply can decrease or drop for many different reasons! I'm going to walk you through what types of situations and circumstances can reduce your milk production and how to avoid them.

In today's episode, I'm talking about:

• Primary low milk supply
• Secondary low milk supply
• Why my supply was low
• Health factors that can impact supply like PCOS, diabetes and thyroid issues
• Common supply sabotages
• How you can increase your supply

Your milk supply shouldn't suddenly dry up. You should be able to maintain your milk production for as long as you'd like.

In today's episode I'm going to walk you through how you can maintain your milk supply.

Covered in today's episode:

• Why supply drops
• How the feedback system works
• Why milk supply slows down or "dips"
• How night feeds affect supply
• How to maintain your supply
• How milk supply stops entirely

Collecting colostrum and having it available if your baby needs, can help you feel more confident in the early days and help ensure your baby is getting enough milk while you're both learning breastfeeding.

In today's episode:

• What is colostrum
• How much can you expect
• Why I collected colostrum during pregnancy
• Other reasons for collecting colostrum
• What you need to collect colostrum
• How to store it
• What happens if your baby doesn't need it

Domperidone is a prescription medication used in Canada (and other parts of the world by a different name) off-label to help moms with their milk supply. This is because the side effect of its intended use is higher prolactin. Prolactin is your milk making hormone. So theoretically, more prolactin equals more milk.

In today's episode I'm going to share with you why I chose not to take this medication when it was offered to me and how the Lactation Consultant responded.

I'll also cover:

• Domperidone side effects
• Why moms use the internet for lactation help
• What to do if you're worried about your milk supply

Today's episode is an Ask Me Anything and I'm answering questions about weaning, night time pumping, baby's sleeping longer stretches at night, heading back to work and babies who bite.

Power pumping is a short term solution to increase milk supply. This type of pumping works to mimic cluster feeding to help increase your supply

Covered in today's episode:

• What power pumping is
• The importance of flange fit
• Pumping bras
• Hands on pumping
• Relaxation tips for pumping
• How to do power pumping

Milk supply can be increased (for most people) when we've resolved the root cause of why it's low.

Covered in today's episode:

• How milk supply works
• Underlying factors that affect milk supply
• Getting a good latch
• Skin to skin & oxytocin
• Stress
• Hand Expression
• On demand feeding & hunger cues

If you're supplementing with formula and are hoping to move away from it or use it less, this episode will give you some tips to make that happen.

Sharing my personal experience needing to supplement my firstborn with formula.

In today's episode I'm talking about:

• Informed decision making
• Why I had to supplement
• A supplemental nursing system
• How milk production works
• Ways you can continue to support your breastfeeding relationship while supplementing

You're not alone if you're feeling extra Christmas pressures now that you have a baby or more children.

This episode is real experiences and stories from me, as a mom and some of the pressures I'm feeling this holiday season.

Some of what I talked about:

• Making memories
• Taking a step back to evaluate what's important
• My 4 year old decorating our tree
• Babies at Christmas
• Family Photos

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a joy filled holiday season

I had a newborn at Christmas in 2019 and it made for a very interesting holiday that year. In today's episode I'm chatting about what to expect as you navigate the holidays with a newborn/young baby

Covered in today's episode:

• My first Christmas as a mom
• Hunger cues
• Family boundaries
• Milk production
• Plugged ducts & mastitis
• The benefits of maintaining your daily patterns/schedules a as best you can

Mentioned in today's show:

Mastitis is no fun (it sucks) and after 15 months into my second nursing journey, I figured I wouldn't ever experience mastitis again. Well, I was wrong. In today's episode, I share how I ended up with mastitis and what I did as an IBCLC to have myself feeling back to normal in 48 hours without antibiotics.

In today's episode I cover:

• What mastitis is
• How I ended up with it
• What mastitis feels like
• My treatment protocol for myself
• The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicines' treatment protocol

If you’ve noticed changes in your breasts and are wondering if they’re normal, you’re in the right place. Breast changes are a common occurrence during pregnancy and are often one of the first signs of this incredible journey. Let’s explore what’s normal and what to expect when it comes to changes in your breasts during pregnancy. In today's episode we cover:

• Sensitive nipples
• Changes in breast size
• Why your areola is so dark
• Why there's bumps on your areola
• What's up with the veins
• Why your breasts are leaking (and why they're not)
• Signs you need to speak to your care provider

Teething and biting does not mean the end of your breastfeeding relationship or that you need to wean onto bottles, though it may feel like that initially! In today's episode I'm giving you some tips and tricks to get through the teething stage.

Covered in today's episode:

• What happens when baby's bite
• Difference between actively drinking and biting
• How to tell if a bite might happen
• What to do and say if baby bites
• How to manage teething pain naturally
• What to do if baby did bite and now there's a small wound

This is one of the top questions I get from new parents. There are ways you can tell if your baby is getting enough and in today's episode, I'll teach you what to look for.

Covered in today's show:

• How to tell if your baby is drinking
• Milk drunk/milk comas
• Wet and dirty diapers
• Weight gain and growth curves

Breastfeeding sabotage happens all the time by formula companies, by providers and looking to the wrong people for support. In today's episode I'll give you a very specific example of how a breastfeeding relationship can be sabotaged.

Also covered in today's episode:

• Formula marketing
• Formula is not the same as breastmilk
• Normal baby behaviours
• How I evaluate a dyad
• Influencers
• Importance of prenatal breastfeeding education
• You deserve support

Mentioned in the show:

Perceived low milk supply isn't actually low milk supply. It's the perception that your supply is low based on beliefs about what milk supply should look like and/or how your baby is behaving. In today's episode I'm going to walk you through several factors that make you think your supply is low when in fact, it's not and what real support can look like including a look inside my group support program.

Covered in today's episode:

• What perceived low supply is
• Let-downs
• Cluster feeding
• Bottles & top ups
• Soft breasts
• Frequent feedings
• Night time wake ups
• The Bumps + Breastfeeding Academy

Perceived low milk supply isn't actually low milk supply. It's the perception that your supply is low based on beliefs about what milk supply should look like. In today's episode I'm going to walk you through how society influences your ideas about milk production as well as how companies influence you and what real support can look like including a look inside my group support program.

Covered in today's episode:

• What perceived low supply is
• What normal milk production looks like
• Bottles & pump collection cups
• How breastmilk changes
• Lactation cookies
• The Bumps + Breastfeeding Academy

It's not about shaming or shoving breastfeeding down your throat. Breastfeeding and breastmilk is the biological norm for human babies. In today's episode I'm sharing how I feel and what comes up for others often during this time of year.

Covered in today's episode:

• What World Breastfeeding Week IS and IS NOT
• Formula companies
• Lactivists
• My plans for World Breastfeeding Week

Join me live every Monday this summer to chat all things baby feeding including milk supply, pumping, latching, mastitis, pacifiers and more! It's free and it's happening inside my private Facebook group, Breastfeeding Mavens.

You can access breastmilk even if your baby is not in the NICU. Milk donation is something available to many people but it isn't talked about often. It can be done safely and in today's episode, I'll share more about how to receive or donate milk and what you need to consider.

Covered in today's episode:

• What is informal donation
• What is formal donation
• How to find people to donate to/receive from
• Requirements for formal milk donation
• Questions to ask your milk donor before accepting
• My milk donation story

Join me live every Monday this summer to chat all things baby feeding including milk supply, pumping, latching, mastitis, pacifiers and more! It's free and it's happening inside my private Facebook group, Breastfeeding Mavens.

Lactation cookies and coconut water aren't the answer. When you know how milk production works, you can take the steps to increase it. In today's episode I'm going to walk you through how you can increase your milk supply by working with your body's natural ability.

Covered in today's episode:

• Your body makes milk while you're pregnant
• The roles of oxytocin and prolactin
• The "push-pull" of a baby drinking at breast
• Prolactin receptor theory
• Empty breasts make milk faster
• How you can increase your milk supply

Foremilk and hindmilk are all over the internet when you’re trying to find the answers to if your baby is getting enough milk. Some sources suggested keeping your baby at breast for a specific amount of time but what’s actually most important is how your baby feed. It’s much more important than how long they feed for and I’ll explain why.

In today's episode I cover:

• What foremilk and hindmilk are
• If your baby should spend a specific number of minutes feeding
• How fat content changes
• How to best tell if they're drinking milk
• Why your baby's diapers matter

Currently nursing or pumping?

If you're currently struggling or feeling confused about breastfeeding information, the community inside the Bumps + Breastfeeding Academy is your solution. You can create your own unique relationship with breastfeeding that supports both you and your baby. And inside this 12 month program, I’ll be there every step of the way to support you!

Having a freezer stash seems to be something on every new parents mind. Even if you’re returning to work quickly (to anyone in the US or anywhere with a short maternity leave) you still don’t need a huge stash⁣. You may be thinking there’s no way this applies to you and that you do in fact need a large supply in the freezer but I’m going to share with you why you may need less than you think.

In today's episode we'll cover:

• How much milk a baby drinks in a day
• How much your baby needs if you're away from them
• How to begin collecting milk for the freezer
• What to do "just in case"

More importantly than what a latch looks like is how it feels. In today's episode we'll talk about how you're supposed to know if your baby has a good latch when the most common thing you hear about breastfeeding is that it can hurt.

Social media and the content we consume on a regular basis significantly impacts our thoughts on breastfeeding and our perception of what’s biologically normal whether we realize it or not. In todays episode, I’ll open your eyes to how social media (and baby product marketing!) is influencing you. You'll also have the chance to learn more about why a prenatal breastfeeding class is so important and what I, as an IBCLC, include in mine.

Have a baby on the way?

Nipple shields are a breastfeeding tool that are often just handed out or suggested without any real guidance as to how to use them correctly and how to wean from them when the time comes. In today's episode I'm talking about the benefits of nipple shields, the considerations to make before or while using one and how to wean from them.

If you're currently using a nipple shield and you need some guidance around how to wean or you're looking for support along your feeding journey, the community inside the Bumps + Breastfeeding Academy is your solution. You can create your own unique relationship with breastfeeding that supports both you and your baby. And I’ll be there every step of the way to support you inside this three month group program. 

In today’s episode I’m talking about busy babies. Nursing the 7-11 month olds who are starting to get mobile and might be nursing less often or for shorter periods of time. I'm also sharing a real life example from nursing my 8 1/2 month old (at the time of recording) and sharing with you how I managed a time when he was so fussy he didn't want to nurse.

This episode is all about what can happen when you "top-up" your baby after a feeding just in case. The effect it can have on your milk production and what that could mean for your breastfeeding relationship. 

You *can* breastfeed while you're pregnant (and get pregnant while breastfeeding for that matter) but what can you expect? 

Why does everyone always tell you breastfeeding hurts when it's really not supposed to?! In this episode I share a bit about the stories I hear from clients (and heard myself) from other people who had painful experiences. I'll share the most common reason I see for a painful latch and talk about some common remedies and whether or not they work and what I choose to use with my clients. 

What does being a Lactation Consultant mean and how is it different from an IBCLC. I'm shedding some light on the different types of lactation professionals and a peek inside what it looks like to become an IBCLC. 

Share a screenshot to social media and tag @motherhoodbloomslactation

I never imagined I would be spending my days helping people feed their babies. But before I got here, I had to go through a huge personal transformation. This is the short story of how I made the life changing decision to change careers, become an IBCLC and launch a business. My passion for lactation and breastfeeding runs deep and I can't wait to share more with you!