Where did 10,000 steps a day to better health come from? The 10,000 steps concept was initially formulated in Japan in the lead-up to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Because the Japanese character for “10,000” looks like a person walking, the company called its device the 10,000-step meter. Thus the 10,000 steps a day was not based on science, but a marketing strategy to sell step counters. Modern research has actually shown that 4,00-7,500 steps a day can be just as beneficial to health and a more realistic goal without discouraging people from walking fewer steps than the elite 10,000. So what doe ..read more

Will nipple piercings impact breastfeeding? In my experience, the majority of people who’ve had a piercing will have absolutely ZERO issues with breastfeeding. But every body is different in how it reacts to taking out the jewelry out prior to breastfeeding. Just like with pierced ears,  occasionally the hole left by jewelry will scar closed, or partially closed, which can inhibit milk from coming out certain nipple pores. Often, the longer the time since the piercings were initially placed the better the outcome as the nipple has had time to properly heal. Other concerns may include ner ..read more

Did you know that babies use completely different muscles to feed from the breast than from a bottle? They use more of their tongue and jaw at the breast and more lips and cheeks on a bottle. Breastfeeding is also a more complex feeding process where a vacuum is made in baby’s mouth from the tongue forming a seal against the roof of their mouth. Babies don’t need to create as strong a vacuum in the mouth to still bottle feee, as they can compress the nipple and milk still flows. Bottle feeding is not a developmental skill. There is no age when a baby needs to take a bottle if breastfeeding is ..read more

Nipple shields are a commonly used tool in the lactation world. They may help a premature baby latch to give the baby time to mature and learn how to suck, prevent nipple damage from a tied baby, or be used when a nipple is flat/inverted (either from normal anatomical variations or because the breast is fluid overloaded from interventions during birth).  While there are many benefits to using a shield, are also risks, like the potential for decreased milk supply. Hopefully if you were given a shield, you were also given an exit strategy for weaning off of it. With any tool, make sure the ..read more

Navigating the realm of breastfeeding grief is a poignant journey that many mothers undergo, a journey often unspoken. Whether faced with unexpected hurdles, feelings of inadequacy, or the necessity of early weaning, the emotional weight can be profound. The image of the envisioned breastfeeding experience might clash with reality, evoking a sense of loss. In these moments, seeking support becomes paramount. Opening up to friends, family, or professionals allows for a healing dialogue. It's crucial to validate these emotions, understanding that not every breastfeeding journey follows the expe ..read more

Can you overfeed a baby? The answer is absolutely yes. You have a tiny human with a tiny human stomach. All of our stomachs can stretch to hold more capacity than what we actually need to take. The question is, is over eating a problem? We’ll take a look at this and strategies to understanding if whether your baby is over feeding and if it’s a problem or not. Now we all know that it is very easy to overfeed from a bottle. Bottles have a hole in them that are instant and constant and absolutely yes, many bottle fed babies are over fed. Many times parents are watching the volume in the bottle ..read more

For the first few months after delivery, when hormones are balanced and the breast is well stimulated, the breast makes lots of milk. Research shows at any given feeding, breastfed babies take 65-80% of the available milk in the breast. When feeding is well established, most babies eat until they are full, not until the breast is “emptied”. In fact, the breast is constantly making milk and can never truly be emptied. Your body knows a young baby is growing quickly and frequently cluster feeding, so your body has milk available all the time. This is why people can create a stash. They are pump ..read more

You would think that the stronger a breast pump can suction, the better. But before you crank that pump to the highest setting, make sure you know the benefits (and risks) of doing that. Breast pump suction power is measured in mmHG (millimeters of mercury), the standard unit of measuring vacuum pressure. Studies were done on babies sucking at the breast and breasts pump suction levels are based off what we know of how babies remove milk from the breast. The suction level, or vacuum, is different than the cycle speed, which is how fast it pumps. This is why breast pumps should have two setti ..read more

My baby has a tongue tie and we’re going to have it released. What should I expect? First, having a tongue tie clipped isn’t always a magic fix to breastfeeding issues. While 80% of mothers report a significant decrease in nipple pain after the procedure, there is still a recovery and healing proceess that needs to take place. That tissue under the tongue has been there since 8 weeks gestation and depending on how baby has learned to use their tongue, some unlearning and relearning is necessary. Bodywork, suck training and lactation support are still crucial for the few days to weeks after ..read more

We are a survivalist species. Our babies are born with instincts to survive. They cry when they are put down because they know they are vulnerable to temperature and can’t feed themselves. They use their senses to find their food source and are familiar with their parents over strangers by sound and smell. They have reflexes to help them learn critical motor patterns for development. When a baby isn’t feeding well, it isn’t because they are lazy. Lazy is a character trait for someone who volitionally doesn’t want to do something. If a baby didn’t feed well, historically that baby may not surv ..read more