I had the pleasure of participating in this webinar with a midwife and lactation consultant, and we talked about how parents can get breastfeeding off to a great start in the hospital and beyond. Stay tuned for Part 2 later this month ..read more

​ ​Most lactation consultants, including those working in outpatient hospital clinics, have switched exclusively to virtual modes (video and phone) as a way of protecting everyone during the COVID-19 outbreak. You may be wondering if it’s possible to get good lactation support without sitting in the same room as a lactation consultant, and the answer is definitely YES! During a video consult, I can still: Offer reassurance, empathy, and emotional support (always important, now more than ever) Take a complete history Visually assess breasts and nipples Visually assess baby’s mouth and latch He ..read more

Do I really need to take a breastfeeding class? Can’t I just watch YouTube videos about latching instead? My clients often say that breastfeeding is more difficult than giving birth. They wish someone had told them this when they were pregnant. The difficulty is not necessarily pain-related (although breastfeeding can be quite painful for some at the start), but rather the day-in and day-out intensity of nursing a baby again and again and again. And each session goes a bit differently, ranging from beautiful aha moments to tears of frustration for everyone involved. A lot of new parents te ..read more

“So, how does the latch look?” I get this question a lot. Many new moms tell me that the hospital nurse or lactation consultant talked with them about what to look for when baby is latching: baby’s wide-open mouth and smooth cheeks (no dimpling), upper and lower lips flanged out, a generous amount of the areola in baby’s mouth, no clicking noises or loss of suction, a round and elongated nipple after breastfeeding, and no pain. Often, moms are tripped up by the last item on the list. If the latch looks good, why is it still painful? Because in breastfeeding, looks aren't everything. Pain i ..read more

Positioning a newborn for breastfeeding can be an awkward affair. Their little bodies are wiggly and floppy. They love to put their hands by their faces and sometimes bat at the breast, sabotaging their own efforts to latch. After a few minutes of getting baby into the right spot and (presto!) achieving that latch, they come off the breast after a few sucks. And so the process starts again. Once baby is finally sustaining the latch, a lot of moms still have a “pinchy” sensation. They usually consider two choices: A) unlatch the baby and start over, or B) grin and bear it. Neither option is p ..read more

I’m excited to share a brand new resource that I’ve contributed to, More to Mother, which launched today! Check out my article, Fourth Trimester: Lactation Consultant, which explains why you might want to hire a lactation consultant, what to expect, and more. More to Mother was created by two San Francisco-based women who saw a need for more resources on their journey to becoming parents. The site provides evidence-based guidance from preconception through the postpartum period. Please follow along with @moretomother on Instagram, and sign up to get updates when they launch their City Guides ..read more

Looking to increase your milk supply? Want to pump more, and in less time? Breast massage and compression are your best tools. Invest in a pumping bra, or make one yourself by cutting holes in an old sports bra. The idea of going “hands-free” is very appealing so that you can text or unlock the next level of Candy Crush, but using your hands may make all the difference! Experiment with where and how you massage your breasts and see how your body responds. Some people need only a light touch to get the milk flowing, while others find that placing a fist on either side of one breast and pressin ..read more

“I need to drink more water to increase my supply!” I hear this and similar statements from the moms I support all the time. Or, their obstetrician or their baby’s pediatrician told them that hydration is the key to milk production. I know a doctor who prescribes a gallon of water a day to new moms! So the moms chug, chug, chug, hoping that all of this water will transform into milk. Or they blame their low milk supply on their lack of commitment to staying hydrated. But is dehydration really the cause of low milk production? No. At least, not the kind of severe hydration that any of us are ..read more

I see a lot of families in the early days and weeks of their babies' lives. Most new parents are contacting me because they need support feeding their babies, both at breast and by other means (mostly bottle and syringe). Common worries revolve about baby's weight gain, milk supply, feeding cues, and the stress and discomfort of figuring out breastfeeding. Often when I arrive for a home lactation consultation, the family is already using a feeding plan recommended by a hospital lactation consultant or pediatrician. The plan involves some combination of breastfeeding for a set amount of time ..read more