In December 2024, Jessica led this presentation at the Ann Arbor District Library on "Infant Feeding Must-Knows: Breastfeeding and Bottle Feeding Essentials" Description: Whether you plan to breast/chest-feed, bottle feed, or a combination of both, come learn important information from infant feeding experts. This session is designed especially for pregnant and expecting families, but those with …
General Breastfeeding
All Things Breastfeeding Episode 84: Jaundice and Infant Hypoglycemia
Jaundice and Hypoglycemia Did you know there are new guidelines for diagnosing and treating jaundice and infant hypoglycemia? In this episode, Barbara Robertson and Nancy Mohrbacher discuss updates to the clinical practice guidelines for safe bilirubin levels and when babies might need intervention. Nancy and Barbara review why bilirubin levels are important and some of the risk factors, like …
Fathers and Breastfeeding
From Barbara: Happy Father’s Day to anyone who identifies as a father! With breast/chestfeeding the bulk of the focus is on the birthing parent, typically the mother. But what about Dads? Where do they fit into this picture? From research, we know that father support is important to breastfeeding success. In a 2022 study looking at black families, the researchers found, “Participants who …
All Things Breastfeeding Episode 83: The Power of Words and Breastfeeding Success
How important are our communication skills as lactation professionals for our families' success? This episode is all about the power of words as lactation supporters to boost or undermine our nursing families self efficacy. Barbara and Jessica discuss how the social emotional state of breast/chestfeeding families plays a huge role in the postpartum period and whether or not a family will achieve …
All Things Breastfeeding Episode 82: All About Formula Feeding
Lots of families are using formula to feed their babies, either partially or fully, short-term or long-term. But there’s not a lot of info shared with parents on how to feed formula in the healthiest way. In today’s episode, we share some guidelines and ideas on bottle feeding techniques, appropriate amounts based on age and baby’s size, preparing formula bottles, and more. We also discuss the …
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 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 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 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 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 …
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 …
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 51: Breastmilk Changes Over Time
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 …