Barbara is joined by Nancy Mohrbacher to talk about education, particularly about professional lactation education. In the field of education, the traditional method of lecture and Power Point stills dominates the trainings that are available. Research has show over and over again that this is one of the most non-effective ways to help people learn. The purpose of education is suppose to …
All Things Breastfeeding 74: Our North Stars
My work is extremely important to me and is a perfect fit for all of my beliefs and my personality. To me, what we do here at the Breastfeeding Center of Ann Arbor is to help families either become more attached to their babies (hopefully through breastfeeding but sometimes this isn't possible) and also help professionals learn how to best help families. Jessica, my colleague, has joined me …
Relactation Basics: For Parents and Professionals
Right now in Michigan we are experiencing a crisis in formula availability. This is leading many families to think about the idea of "relactation" so they can rely on their bodies instead of outside resources. This often comes from a "Desire to have a safe way to feed an infant during uncertain times, such as emergencies from natural disasters or disease outbreaks." Right now families in Michigan …
All Things Breastfeeding 73: Doulas and Breastfeeding?
Yes! Yes! Yes! We say birth and postpartum doulas are the front line defenders of breastfeeding along with nurses and midwives! I believe that the explosion of doulas in Detroit, MI is one of main reasons for this incredibly, too long time in coming change: "According to Michigan Department of Health and Human Services data, Detroit's infant mortality rate plunged from 16.7 deaths per 1,000 …
All Things Breastfeeding 72: 7 Must Know Changes in the Field of Lactation–A Conversation with Nancy Mohrbacher
In 2020 Nancy Mohrbacher published her latest book, Breastfeeding Answers, 2nd Edition. We jokingly call this book BA2 and it is one of the most important books in the field of lactation. I was honored that Nancy was willing to co-host a professional book group with me. I had hosted two other book groups before, Making More Milk, 2nd Edition with Lisa Marasco and Supporting Sucking Skills with …
All Things Breastfeeding 71: Miriam’s Story- Exclusively Pumping
So sorry for the delays in podcasts! COVID has done a real number on me and I have been struggling to get tasks done that are not critical. Jessica and I are committed to recording and releasing more often! Thank you for your patience. Barbara Back in May 2022 I got this email: "I don't expect you to remember, but 2 years ago we corresponded about writing a clinical perspective essay for …
All Things Breastfeeding 70: Anna’s Breastfeeding Story- Breastfeeding Twins!
Breastfeeding twins? Yes! Sometimes you feel like breastfeeding one baby is almost impossible but then you have TWO babies! Anna shares her story about how she is successfully breastfeeding her twins. It was not easy but also achievable with the right help and support. When you have babies who are early, even a little bit, it can make the process harder. Although Anna's babies were born "term" …
All Things Breastfeeding 69: Becoming an IBCLC- Jessica’s Story
Becoming an IBCLC is not easy! Many people are surprised to find out that to becoming an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) is hard. You need 8 college courses, 6 continuing education courses, 300-1000 clinical hours working with breastfeeding families, a 90 hour professional lactation course, and THEN you can qualify to take a four hour exam. It is a true profession! If …
All Things Breastfeeding 68: The Beauty of Hand Expression!
What is hand expression? Great question! Basically it means getting breastmilk out of a lactation breast without a baby or a breast pump. At The Breastfeeding Center of Ann Arbor, hand expression is a typical tool we review with most of our families because you never know when you might get caught with no baby, no pump, and a full breast! Literally a life saver. Practice does make perfect …
All Things Breastfeeding 67: Breastfeeding Book Groups!
Breastfeeding book groups? What on earth do I mean by breastfeeding book groups? So, fall of 2019 I had just finished helping Lisa Marasco with some final edits of her and Diana West' new edition of Making More Milk, 2nd Edition. The holidays were coming and I ordered a copy of the book for each of my interns. I thought to myself, we should read this together as a book group. Let me explain a …
Episode 66: Karen’s Breastfeeding Story
OMG. It has been too long! Karen and I recorded this back in June but due to Covid I haven't been able to get this to move to the top of my list to publish. Thank Jessica for pushing me (in the nicest way) to keep after this and get it done! We love breastfeeding stories. Karen's is very interesting because she is actually part of the health care system herself. She did great with breastfeeding …
Episode 65: Interview with Nancy Mohrbacher- New book group!
Barbara Robertson chats with Nancy Mohrbacher about her new edition of Breastfeeding Answers, 2nd Edition and their upcoming project. Do you want to unlock the secrets of Breastfeeding Answers, 2nd Edition? Barbara D. Robertson will be joined by Nancy Mohrbacher, the author of the book, to discuss their upcoming venture and break this down for you. Having a structured format of a book group …
All Things Breastfeeding 64: Oversupply!
Oversupply? Too much breastmilk? Is that really a problem? The answer is, YES, oversupply is a big problem for people who are struggling with this. Milk everywhere, choking babies, are there answers? For sure! Listen to this podcast to get more information. Symptoms: Baby choking Baby clucking at the beginning of feed (when the milk is flowing fast) or during let downs Fussy babies Milk …
All Things Breastfeeding 63: Melissa’s Breastfeeding Story
Another breastfeeding story! This one is particularly dear to Barbara's heart. Melissa came to see Barbara after the birth of her first baby and was struggling with her rate of breastmilk production. Although Melissa was able to increase her supply a bit, she still needed to supplement her baby. Second baby When Melissa was pregnant with her second baby she called Barbara to set up a prenatal …
All Things Breastfeeding 62: Updated COVID updates
Here are our COVID updates! Barbara accidently published the unedited version of this podcast! Here is the edited version. Sorry! Jessica COVID updates Jessica is at home with her two your children trying not to miss a beat while being a full time parent and having her and her partner continue to work full time. This sadly, is a common theme. Although this is very challenging, Jessica is very …
All Things Breastfeeding 61: Conversation with Laurel Wilson IBCLC!
A conversation with Laurel Wilson IBCLC! Yes, we were lucky enough that Laurel Wilson IBCLC reached out to us to do a podcast. We have been big fans of Laurel for a number of years. I attended a talk to hers in Grand Rapids a number of years ago and was hooked! Don't know Laurel Wilson IBCLC yet? Laurel has the site Mother Journey. "Tens of thousands of research articles are published each year …
All Things Breastfeeding 60: Your Breastfeeding Support Network
What is your breastfeeding support network? Who do you need in this team? Partners Partners are a critical player in your breastfeeding support network. A partner can make or break a breastfeeding relationship. Not necessarily because they don't support breastfeeding but if you are struggling with breastfeeding, this struggle can be hard to watch if your partner is suffering. Helping make sure …
All Things Breastfeeding 59: Lauren’s Breastfeeding Story
A new breastfeeding story! Lauren is a very experienced breastfeeding mother. She joins us today with baby Luke today to talk about her breastfeeding story. She has nursed four children! When you have more than one child it is important to remember that each breastfeeding experience will be different. Each breastfeeding journey is a unique journey. In her breastfeeding story you will hear how …
All Things Breastfeeding 58: Part 2 Jessica’s Story- Not latching baby!
Caleb not latching? Oh no! We continue Jessica's breastfeeding story. Please don't worry, it has a happy ending! We ended with Jessica in the pit of despair and Caleb not latching. Even with all the support and knowledge that Jessica has, she is ready for the final hoop to become an IBCLC, taking the exam, she really struggles with what her instincts tell her to do to help with a not latching …
All Things Breastfeeding 57: Part 1 Jessica’s 2nd Breastfeeding Story
Jessica's second breastfeeding story is a dozy! When we have our second baby we think, well this has to be easier than the first time. Right? In Jessica's case this was not true! Her breastfeeding story is powerful! Yes, those baby worries weren't there (you rarely worry that you might accidentally kill your second baby like you do your first), you know the signs of a well fed baby, and your …
All Things Breastfeeding 56: New Breast Pumps
New Breast Pumps? What are these new pumps? Jessica and Barbara are going to talk about two types of relatively new pumps that are on the market now. We wanted to make sure that these pumps were reliable before we gave our thoughts. In the pump market that takes 2-3 years! The first few thousand families who buy these pumps are essentially paying for the privilege to be a tester! The …
Haakaa Survey: For Parents, For Professionals
The Haakaa The Haakaa is new tool for breastfeeding families and our profession. The research on this tool does not exist at this point in time. The purpose of these surveys is to get a sense of how and why the Haakaa is actually be used by families and how lactation professionals play into this data. Here are the links to the survey: Parents: …
All Things Breastfeeding 55: Is it time to wean your baby?
Know when it's time to wean your baby is not always easy. When is it time to wean your baby? Only you get to decide! Once a baby is over six months of age you can start to get pressure from others. Is that baby STILL nursing? Yes! Remember, the World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding for at least 2 years! Here at The Breastfeeding Center of Ann Arbor we think the longer the …
Differences between breastmilk and formula
People often ask me what are the differences between breastmilk and formula? The short answer: a million. The long answer: are you ready for a whole lot of science? Often I will write about the benefits of breastfeeding but often people will say, "but I was formula fed (or I formula fed my child) and I (they) are fine!" But are they really? For one thing, I think we have to turn this whole …