Breastmilk changes over time! Really, this is true! Yes, in this podcast Barbara and Jessica talk about how breastmilk changes over time. It is really quite amazing! Many health care providers tell families there is no nutritional value for babies from breastmilk after one year. Like it turns into water! Breastmilk is a living, dynamic fluid that works in real time to protect babies with the …
Were you ready for breastfeeding? Our breastfeeding check list could have helped!
How do you know you are ready for breastfeeding? Would a breastfeeding check list have helped? What do we mean by "breastfeeding check list"? While we don't have a lot of research on many aspects of breastfeeding one thing that has been studied is what factors seem to lead to families to being able to meet their breastfeeding goals. Here are some things on our breastfeeding check list that …
Bed Sharing: The Secrets to Help Make It Safer
Bed sharing Bed sharing and having young babies seem to go hand in hand. Little human mammals expect to sleep close to their parents and often won't settle if this doesn't happen. Up until the last 100-200 years babies commonly slept with their parent and around the world this is still common. It is more common for families who are breastfeeding to bed share but many families who formula feed …
All Things Breastfeeding 50: You’re being set up for breast feeding failure
Breast feeding failure? Most women in the USA want to breastfeed yet many of these women don't reach their breastfeeding goals which is often defined as "breast feeding failure". In some states, as many as 90% or more of families initiate breastfeeding. These states tend to be on the east and west coasts of our country. The lowest number of mothers who start out breastfeeding is Mississippi which …
Lies and the Liars Telling Them? Fed is Best
My dear friend Glenda sent me this today. Glenda and I met back in the day at a La Leche League meeting and have been friends ever since. Well, let me tell you, boy are my panties in a bunch! Fed is Best has been working on destroying the positive trend toward normal human feeding for over three years. I have been trying to ignore Fed is Best because I find them to be so hateful and filled with …
All Things Breastfeeding Episode 49: Nursing in Public
Nursing in public? Didn't we all decide that nursing in public was fine? Apparently not! There are still so many people who get their panties in a bunch when they see a family breastfeeding in public! Jessica and Barbara discuss the latest study on nursing in public. This article concerns the images of women nursing in public and how they are almost always of a woman by herself, not in a …
All Things Breastfeeding: All You Wanted to Know About Milk Banking with Kim Updegrove
Milk banking Non-profit milk banking in the United States is rapidly growing! We have the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA) here is the US, Mexico, and Canada. At this point we have 27 milk banks and 5 under development in North America. Milk banking was developed in 1985. These milk banks have donor screening, testing for bacteria, and pasteurize the donated breastmilk. …
Nursing Bras: Are You Comfortable?
Nursing bras that fit!!! I am so excited because I just received my first order from Cake. These are nursing bras in sizes that are hard to find! I have made it part of my mission to have nursing bras that fit almost any mother that walks through our door. Why am I so passionate about this? Let me tell you about how this came to be. My story (FYI TMI, don't read if you are interested!): When I …
All Things Breastfeeding 48: D-MER
D-MER? What is D-MER? This is a condition that every family should be aware of, not because it is going to happen to you. It is actually quite rare. But because when it does happen to a breastfeeding family the mother can feel like she is going crazy. So please listen to this podcast so you can help other families! D-MER stands for Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex. Let us explain. When a mother …
Nipple Shield Survey: For Parents, For Professionals
Nipple Shields The history of using nipple shields goes back in modern history for quite a long time. The debate about if they should be used, how they should be used, and why they should be used has caused many disagreements in our field. The research on nipple shields is limited. The purpose of these surveys is to get a sense of how and why nipple shields are actually be used by families and …
All Things Breastfeeding 47: Breastfeeding and Medications
Breastfeeding and Medications Breastfeeding and medications can cause a lot of confusion! Many mothers are told they cannot breastfeed while taking certain medications but this is often not true. We will discuss how medications can possibly get into breastmilk, a process called diffusion, FYI, and what families can do if they have questions or concerns about medication usage. Most …
Important Update! Changes to the IBCLC Credential
My dear colleagues Liz Brooks has a great summary of the new changes to the IBCLC credentialing process . I agree with Liz that most of these are a move in the right direction! I wanted to let people know about these changes and how they relate to my 90 hour course, the CCLS certificate. Proposed changes: The first change is to have specific required education credits for communication skills. …
All Things Breastfeeding 46: Busting Breast Feeding Myths
Barbara and Jessica are busting breast feeding myths! What have you been told about breastfeeding? So many things! People have all kinds of thoughts and opinions. Breast feeding myths come from many places. Family and friends have many old wives tales or assume that what happened to they must be going to happen to you, no matter how weird. Sadly, our health care providers can also harbor …
Quality in a Lactation Course?
Quality in a lactation course? What does that mean? First of all we have to look at what is the purpose of education in the first place. Then ask how can an instructor structure the educational content to make the time spent on it as valuable as possible. What is the purpose of education? Why do we bother with learning? In general, the purpose is to help facilitate positive behavior change. If …
All Things Breastfeeding 45: Top 5 Breast Feeding Concerns
What are the top 5 breast feeding concerns? Well, we have been busy bees figuring this out and helping to provide information to families! I have spent a lot of time and resources on marketing this past year trying to address the needs of my clients. This means a new website! I have created new sections on the website that address specific topics that many families have concerns about. The top …
Want More Breastmilk Later? Tell Your Body You Want It From the Beginning
Want more breastmilk later? Tell your body you want it from the beginning? What do I mean by this? Biologically, it makes no sense that women who get pregnant and give birth struggle with breastmilk production. Literally this would be a bad design from nature and nature is an amazing architect. The normal progression is you get pregnant, you give birth, you make milk. It is the mammal thing to …
All Things Breastfeeding 44: World Health Assembly and Breastfeeding
Why are we talking about the World Health Assembly and breastfeeding? Because world policy sets the priorities for money spent on support. And we all know we can use more breastfeeding support. The New York Times released a story about the news. Here is another story about this. What was the controversy? World Health Assembly and breastfeeding news was all about the USA trying to block other …
How to become an IBCLC
How to Become an IBCLC Note: These are Barbara’s interpretations of the IBLCE website to attempts to try and clarify this process. For more information about our dynamic 95 hour courses which fulfill the "Lactation Specific Eduction", please go here! Want to know more about becoming an IBCLC or our 95 hour professional lactation course, the CCLS? Contact us or email barbara@bfcaa.com for …
New 90 hour lactation course! CCLS- Clinical and Communication Lactation Specialist
What? A new 90 hour lactation course? Yes, a new 90 hour lactation course! Let me tell you about how this came to be. The thing I love most about my work is teaching. Whether I am helping one on one with a family, offering a prenatal course, or working with a group, I am a teacher at heart. When I was twenty-one years old, I literally had an epiphany out in a field in the upper peninsula of …
Could my lactation services or breast pump be covered by insurance?
Could my lactation services or breast pump be covered by insurance? This is such a common concern! Love it or hate it, the Affordable Care Act is great for breastfeeding! Breast pumps are a required benefit but your company could provide you with the best pump available or a simple hand pump. Covering lactation services is also a required benefit but insurance companies are still sorting out …
Why Women Really Quit Breastfeeding
Why Women Really Quit Breastfeeding When we talk about the reasons mothers quit breastfeeding in the early weeks those reasons are pain and worried about having enough breastmilk. However, after about 7 weeks or so, most of these issues have worked themselves out with time or by getting some expert help from an IBCLC. But then comes the next big challenge just as things are getting …
Hospitals Preventing Formula Feeding?
Hospitals preventing formula feeding? Are formula manufacturers just writing these articles themselves now? I have never had a hospital refuse to feed a crying newborn for 6 days. I am not saying this didn't happen, it's possible, but as I have said in the past, my families are having to beat off formula pushing in hospitals, even ones that are Baby Friendly. I have a lot of questions as well. …
All Things Breastfeeding Episode 43: Jessica’s Working and Breastfeeding Story
Jessica's Working and Breastfeeding Story! We are adding a new type of podcast to our collection beginning with our new intern Jessica! We have been having mothers share their breastfeeding stories but now we want mothers to hear from other mothers about the realities of going back to work while you are breastfeeding. Jessica's working and breastfeeding story is worth the listen as you consider …
All Things Breastfeeding Episode 42: Breastfeeding Missions
Breastfeeding Missions? What does this mean? I, Barbara Robertson, want to make Breastfeeding Missions a reality! I have always worked on giving back to the community. I have been hosting a weekly, free, breastfeeding support group for over 10 years, volunteer when I can for her local WIC office, and offer a sliding scale for her consultation services for families who need it. I am still a La …