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! 

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.

If you are in at least one breastfeeding support group (outside of the Successful Breastfeeding one, of course), then I have no doubt you’ve run into mothers swearing some dark ale or pink colored drink will dramatically increase your supply.

While a dark ale, a pink drink, Body Armour, or simply drinking more water will not actually increase your supply of milk is already talked about on our blog (this blog explains why), the question still remains: Why do all these women swear it works?! There’s no way all these women can be wrong about their supply increasing, can they?!

If you find yourself asking these same questions then YOU ARE IN LUCK because we have some answers for you. You’re about to hear from not one, but TWO lactation experts, who can explain why all those women swear by all the fancy drinks.

My baby has a confirmed allergy to dairy (cow’s milk protein) and not a single one of his pediatricians caught it. Even after cutting out dairy for weeks and noticing an accidental intake of it would cause my son’s symptoms to return 12-24 hours later, one of his doctors said, “Oh, sounds like he might have a dairy allergy or intolerance.” MIGHT! HA!

At first, his symptoms were concerning but repeated trips to his doctor’s office left me with instructions to just keep putting lotion on him because it was normal and he would outgrow it. I believed them, although I often felt like they didn’t care, but what else was I to do? Surely his PEDIATRICIANS should know how to treat my son. I knew these doctors. I knew they were very smart people and well-educated physicians. I was also a first-time mom so who was I to question to their judgement?

Now I’m over 6 months into my dairy free diet, my son is symptom free and happy, and I’ve learned that too many physicians will blame a sneeze on a dairy allergy before they recognize a baby who actually has one.