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 …
Breastmilk Supply Worries
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 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 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 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 …
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 …
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. …
6 Ways Blogs Make It Hard to Breastfeed: Breastfeeding Miss-information and more!
I just read the blog, 6 Conditions That Can Make It Hard to Breastfeed According to Science. Of course, the word science caught my eye! I love science about breastfeeding! So, what did it say? Here are the conditions they had listed that make breastfeeding hard: 1. Flat or inverted nipples 2. Nipple piercings 3. Postpartum depression 4. Having a c-section 5. Raynard's Phenomenon of the …
All Things Breastfeeding Episode 39: Breastfeeding Story: Dawn
As promised, we are back in business and Dawn is going to be sharing her breastfeeding story. Dawn's work with babies has led her down paths she didn't expect. Isn't this often the case? Who knew my own struggles with breastfeeding would lead to a whole career I never imaged? We encourage you to check out some of Dawn's resources that are below. Dawn tells us about her two experiences. With …
Is a lip tie real?
Tongue tie, lip tie, oh my! What to do about a possible lip tie? I just finished reading Why Upper Lip-Tie Isn’t a Thing Please don't slam me for this title! I didn't write it! I am also not sure what to think. I googled the author but couldn't find much about her. Her blog seems to be well thought out, well researched, and I do agree that in many areas casing the allusive cause of poor …
Increasing breastmilk?
As an IBCLC,one of the most common reasons mothers come to see me is that they are worried about their rate of breastmilk production. Increasing breastmilk. Notice my terminology. RATE of breastmilk production. All mothers make some breastmilk. However, some definitely make more than others. First of all, if you are struggling with the rate of breastmilk production, or just worried, wondering …
All Things Breastfeeding Episode 33: What’s In The Numbers?
What's in the numbers? This week on the podcast we talk about numbers! Birth weights, how accurate they might be, comparing one scales weight to another, and all the variables to take into consideration when looking at numbers. Sometimes the scales might not be calibrated properly. What if the baby was weighed with a full belly and full of poop? The next weight might have your baby starving and …
Overcoming All Odds-Jenny’s Breastfeeding Story
This week on the podcast we share Jenny's Breastfeeding Story. Jenny has overcome so many difficulties throughout her journey so far including a really rough start, and poor weight gain for baby Jett. Join us today to see how Jenny came through to the other other side, and where she is now. Jenny is our first out of area story that we have recorded! We are so excited to be expanding our …
All Things Breastfeeding Episode 26: Low Milk Supply
This week the topic of discussion is low milk supply. What exactly is a low milk supply and what can a mom do to help overcome this breastfeeding difficulty? Join us while we chat all things low supply! Resource of the day: The Breastfeeding Mother's Guide to Making More Milk Paced Bottle Feeding: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cvF1nawMNI Bronson Mothers' Milk Bank Tennessee …
All Things Breastfeeding Episode 24: Internet and Breastfeeding-Friend or Foe?
Breastfeeding and the internet-Is it a friend or foe? It can be both and this week on the show Barbara and Barb chat about how the internet has affected breastfeeding mothers today. Reliable breastfeeding resources: Kellymom , La Leche League , Jack Newman, Breastfeeding Center of Ann Arbor There are many other reliable websites, but these are a few of our absolute go-to's. You can …
All Things Breastfeeding: Laura’s Breastfeeding Story
This week on the podcast, Laura is sharing her breastfeeding story. Laura faced many challenges including having a baby who was small for gestational age at birth. Thank you so much for listening and if you would like to share your breastfeeding story, please contact Barbara at barbara@bfcaa.com ~Happy Breastfeeding! …
All Things Breastfeeding: Barbara’s Breastfeeding Story
We are excited to bring our first breastfeeding story this week! Barbara, Owner and IBCLC at The Breastfeeding Center of Ann Arbor shares the story of her first breastfeeding journey. Thank you for listening today! If you enjoy the podcast, please share with your friends! We would also love for you to rate and review the podcast on iTunes. Join in the discussion on our …
All Things Breastfeeding Episode 20: Supplementation
Supplementation? This week on the podcast Barbara and Barb discuss the ins and outs of supplementation. When is it necessary, and when might it not be necessary? We also discuss how to appropriately supplement your baby, if it is in fact needed. Sometimes we can be giving our babies extra food when we don't need to and sometimes we may need to give our babies extra food if needed. Knowing the …
All Things Breastfeeding Episode 19: Milk Sharing
Sharing breastmilk is not a new idea, but it is being discussed more and more these days. Milk sharing can be done both formally and informally and we will chat about both in this episode. Resource of the day: Human Milk Baking Association of North America and the Bronson Mothers' Milk Bank For more information on NEC, check out our podcast interview with Jennifer …
All Things Breastfeeding Episode 14: Bottle Feeding Your Baby
This week's podcast episode is for everyone- Bottle feeding breast milk or formula feeding alike. Learning how to bottle feed your baby whether you choose to breastfeed or formula feed is important information for parents and caregivers to have. How you give a bottle matters and we will discuss why! How can you make bottle feeding and breastfeeding work well together? Keep breast feeding the …
All Things Breastfeeding Episode 10: Pregnancy and Tandem Nursing
This week on the podcast, Barbara and Barb discuss pregnancy and tandem nursing. This is a topic that isn't talked about much, but is happening more than we might think! Some people plan on continuing breastfeeding while pregnant, while others it just happens unexpectedly. Either way, there are many misconceptions about nursing while pregnant and tandem nursing and that's what we dive into …