Category: lactation
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Navigating Pacifiers: Intention Matters
Learn how to navigate thoughtful pacifier usage and reduce negative impacts on baby’s development!
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The Truth About Smart Bassinets
As a lactation consultant, it’s my job to provide the families under my care with evidence-based information about parenting choices that can impact their baby’s feeding and development. New parents often assume this is generally limited to how to position the baby for nursing, how to hold a bottle, and…
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Why Your Pumping Experience Might Be Sucking More than Necessary
In hundreds of pumping consults and pump fittings, I have yet to meet someone who loved the experience of pumping. I’m sure they’re out there! But it’s certainly not a common phenomenon. Most parents find pumping neutral at best, and annoying, uncomfortable, and/or painful at worst. My goal as your…
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We Need to Talk About Poop
One of the most controversial topics in infant care is: do babies (especially breastfed babies) need to poop daily? When it comes to their baby’s health, parents often have questions about what is normal vs. what isn’t. what constitutes normal GI function and how to manage any gastrointestinal (GI) issues…
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Signs Your Baby Might Have a Tongue Tie
Many parents are unaware that a tongue tie can manifest in a variety of different ways, depending on their individual baby. These symptoms are ones I see commonly dismissed by pediatric care providers who lack a comprehensive understanding of infant feeding, sleep, & oral function. Read on to see if…
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Why All Birthing Parents Need Postpartum Labs
Pregnancy and birth are transformative, and influence the physiology of the body in significant ways. Assessing postpartum levels of hormones, micronutrients, and other markers is essential for ensuring optimal health of the birthing parent (and by association, the baby, too!). Hormone dysfunction and/or micronutrient deficiencies can cause or exacerbate issues…
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Bottle Refusal Isn’t Your Fault
I have started seeing more clients for bottle refusal over the last few months and the consults often start the same way: “I should have done X”, or “We just didn’t try hard enough at Y”, and it breaks my heart because bottle refusal isn’t the parent’s fault. It’s not…
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Is it a food allergy, or something else?
One of the most misunderstood issues in infant feeding is food allergies. Tell your pediatrician, your friends, or folks on social media that your baby is fussy, gassy, refluxy, or colicky, and often the first recommendation you’ll get is: have you tried cutting out dairy? Cow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA)…
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Most Baby Bottles Suck – Here’s How to Pick a Solid One
I remember when I added bottles to my baby registry as an expecting, first-time parent five years ago. There were SO MANY CHOICES (and this was 2019 – there’s even more now) and all of them said the same thing. “Breast-like” “Reduces colic” “Natural flow” I picked one that was…
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Prenatal Colostrum Expression: An Underused Superpower
Let’s talk about the *pure magic* that is human colostrum and why you should consider prenatal colostrum harvesting! Prenatal colostrum expression refers to the practice of manually expressing and collecting colostrum during pregnancy. This is usually done by hand, but can also be done with a pump. Colostrum is the…
Integrative Lactation Care 