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Congratulations, you're expecting another baby. I'm sure you're excited, and looking forward to watching this baby grow up with your other little one. Aaannnd I'm sure you're also nervous about how to survive these early days with two little ones in tow. Toddlers are pretty needy themselves, and there's nothing like a new baby to revert them back to a baby like stage themselves. Little babies require a lot of breast time, so how the heck are you going to do it with two (or more!)? How do you keep your toddler busy so you can still enjoy nursing your new little one too? As much as you're excited, the nerves from these unanswered questions are there too. Believe me, I know these complicated emotions you're feeling right now. I've been there... a few times. My husband and I have 4 littles, and I know these feelings well. I remember going from excitement, joy, and visions of my kids being best friends as they grow up together, to feelings of insecurity in my ability to handle two little kids at the same time. But guess what? I did survive, and it wasn't as bad as I was expecting it to be. It did take some savvy and a few tricks. In this post, I'm going to share those tricks with you. 
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I’ve been there, too. I remember my pumping output decreasing by HALF. It can happen to anyone pumping, especially since it’s easier to actually see a difference compared to exclusively nursing at the breast. Here are some easy troubleshooting tips we often share with our own clients.  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!  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).  Are you going back to work soon? It might not be what you want to think about while holding your precious and perfectly adorable baby, but it’s probably a reality for you if you’re here. You've probably put a lot of time and effort into establishing your breastfeeding relationship, some of you more than others if you're really struggled. You might have JUST FINALLY found your stride so the idea of going back to work might be the last thing you want to worry about. I have some good and bad news for you. The bad being you do need to start thinking about it before you actually go back. The good news is that everything you need to plan for your SUCCESSFUL transition back to work has already been researched and put together for you. You need to start preparing yourself ahead of time because the truth is, 80% of women give up breastfeeding within just weeks of going back to work. Those might sound like really scary odds, but it doesn’t have to be if you prepare yourself and come up with a plan for success.  Ouch! Breastfeeding hurts, and no matter what you do the pain just isn't going away. Your pediatrician says everything is fine, your lactation consultant said everything looked great, but something just isn't right. Why is this happening? Well, very often, there's a sneaky culprit that, YES, even your pediatrician and lactation consultant missed. I'm talking about a tongue tie (sometimes lip tie, too). This sneaky breastfeeding problem is very often under-diagnosed, shrugged off, or missed altogether. Unless your lactation consultant or pediatrician has specialized training to recognize the specific markers of oral restriction related to tongue tie, you're likely to end up on google searching for answers yourself (hey, is that how you found us?). If your baby does have a tongue tie, you'll need supported through a revision and follow up care necessary to breastfeed successfully, without pain, milk supply issues, and/or weight gain issues that are commonly associated with ties. So, what are the signs and symptoms of tongue tie? Nipple pain definitely isn't the only one (and sometimes it's not a symptom at all). There are quite a few different symptoms, and you could have some or even most of them. There are signs of a tongue tie you may be experiencing and others your baby may be experiencing. Let's take a look at some of the unexpected symptoms you probably don't know about!  11/24/2019 0 Comments Two Frustrated LCs Compare Breastfeeding Support Disparities in the UK vs. USA“You wouldn't go to a dermatologist when you need to seek support from an oncologist, you wouldn't ask a gynaecologist for support if you really need to speak to a urologist. These are all specialists that have studied their area specifically and have a bank of knowledge so extensive in their area.” -J'Nel Metherell, IBCLC  You’ve probably heard teaching sign language to your baby can help lessen frustration for them (and possibly save you from some tantrums) by allowing them to communicate things to you they don’t have spoken words for just yet. This sounds amazing, right?! But teaching your baby sign language is so much more than avoiding tantrums. You might not know it now, but there’s another BIG benefit to this early communication with your little one.  |
 AuthorKelly Maher, CLC, CLE Categories:All Advice For Your Partner Birth Bottle Feeding Breastfeeding Twins Child Care Co Sleeping Education Latching Milk Supply Podcast Episodes Preparing To Breastfeed Pumping Recipes Self Care Sleep Successful Breastfeeding Stories Supplementing Support Tips! Weaning Working And Breastfeeding Archives
January 2020
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