Successful Breastfeeding Blog
Evidence based advice, support, and education for modern families.
Part of pregnancy is trying to prepare for everything! You research the best car seats, cribs, and even laundry detergent! But one thing you may not have considered researching is your future pediatrician. So many times, we hear from clients that they wish they had known their provider’s stance on breastfeeding before they brought their baby to them.
Many pediatric practices offer tours or complimentary consults for expectant parents. Take advantage of these! Take this opportunity to find out in advance how their practice handles breastfeeding challenges and how up to date the doctors are on breastfeeding recommendations. Unlike IBCLCs, doctors receive very little lactation education and are not required to stay up to date on the latest research in the field of lactation unless they choose to seek out that knowledge on their own. It’s not their fault; it just isn’t their area of expertise! Human lactation is an ever-evolving field as new research emerges! If a pediatrician was licensed 25 years ago, their knowledge of breastfeeding might be 25 years old! This list can help you choose a pediatrician who will be an active and supportive member of your breastfed baby’s Care Team!
0 Comments
Having a baby can be really hard on your self-esteem. You go through a massive hormone shift after delivery which leaves you susceptible to depression and anxiety, AND your body does change. Even if you’re one of the fortunate women who end up looking practically the same as before babies, without any extra skin or stretch marks, your body cannot change for 9 months and “bounce back” overnight.
I’m 12 months postpartum and I’m definitely not back. Is it even “postpartum” anymore? Or am I back to simply not being pregnant? I don’t know. I’m going to say 12 months postpartum for now. By some pure miracle which likely involved lots of money spent on advertising, I found the perfect pair of underwear to help me feel more comfortable in my unbounced back body. It’s perfect for wearing under anything I’d like to not look 4 months pregnant in and it’s also helping me to not continue looking the said 4 months pregnant. “Your baby isn’t gaining enough weight because you’re producing skim milk.” First of all, the idea of skim milk comes from cows who produce milk, which is then processed and turned into skim milk, allowing you to enjoy your cow’s milk with less fat. COWS DO NOT PRODUCE SKIM MILK. It is a drink only possible because humans processed that cow’s milk. Nobody is processing your milk; it’s coming out whole human milk.
There are a lot of reasons I cannot stand when someone tells a mother she is producing “skim milk,” but the biggest reason is that the person (who is clearly uneducated in lactation) can often invokes feelings of “not being enough” for a mother. This FALSE statement can lead to discontinuing breastfeeding before she is ready. Some mothers will discontinue their journey earlier than they had hoped for and some others will fall prey to products marketed to increase fat content of their milk. It doesn’t even have to be products you find on Facebook or Pinterest. I’ve heard of medical professionals advising mothers to consume a lot of fat (good and bad!) or even to put coconut oil directly in a baby’s bottle (seriously, don’t do this). Before you spend your hard-earned money on a product you found recommended online from someone who is NOT a lactation expert, let me explain to you how the fat content in breastmilk works and the couple of ways you can change it. It’s 2019, we’re sending emojis every day because it’s basically our new language, but where are all the breastfeeding emojis?! Apple systems come with a pregnant emoji and also a mother nursing her child. I also have another app that allowed me to have an avatar that was pregnant which was fun for a while. Super thankful for that little bit of breastfeeding being included, but there’s so much more to it!
You’ve probably felt this way too. Maybe you’ve found yourself searching for the right emoji to describe how you’re feeling and just couldn’t find one? Fruit can only represent so much… Thank goodness for Tit4Tot, the App for breastfeeding moms filled with fun emojis to express your ups and downs perfectly. Sarah Pagura, co-founder of Tit4Tot, came on the Successful Breastfeeding Podcast to tell us how the App came to be and all the inspiration behind it. Her own story with breastfeeding was really touching and explains her own inspiration so much. She also talks about just some of the many ways you and all your friends can use it (here’s a hint: it’s not JUST for breastfeeding moms). |
![]() I'm Kelly Maher Carvell, Successful Breastfeeding LLC's founder, and lactation expert.
I've made it my personal mission to reach as many parents as possible (like you!) to prepare you for your Successful Breastfeeding Journey. Thank you for allowing me and my team to support you.
Before you leave the blog grab one of my FREEBIES like my Prenatal Success Kit or the Pump More Milk for Your Stash Guide.
You've got this and I'm here to help!
AuthorKelly Maher, CLC, CLE Categories:All Advice For Your Partner Birth Bottle Feeding Breastfeeding Twins Child Care Co Sleeping Dairy Free Dairy Intolerance Education Latching Milk Supply Oversupply Podcast Episodes Preparing To Breastfeed Pumping Recipes Self Care Sleep Successful Breastfeeding Stories Supplementing Support Tips! Weaning Working And Breastfeeding This website uses marketing and tracking technologies. Opting out of this will opt you out of all cookies, except for those needed to run the website. Note that some products may not work as well without tracking cookies. Opt Out of CookiesArchives
November 2020
|