Breastfeeding/chestfeeding should not be painful! Ongoing and significant breastfeeding pain is a sign that something is wrong. Unfortunately, Julie‘s feeding journey was full of pain for the first few months! She was in a lot of discomfort both while the baby was feeding, later in between feeds and throughout the day as well. It turned out this was from multiple causes. If you are a lactation professional, this is a great episode to learn from a case study around how to navigate a complex case of pain. If you are a parent, this could be a good episode to learn what kinds of things can cause b ..read more

This is part two of Tara’s breastfeeding story! This one got really long, so we made it into two parts. That’s what happens when Jessica’s best friend is the guest. They just kept going! Tara‘s original vision was to exclusively breastfeed Evie for at least a year. But as she says, even though these were her “best laid plans,” the reality ended up quite different. She struggled with low milk supply, and Evie struggled with feeding at the breast and was mostly bottle fed with pumped milk and formula. Tara eventually made the choice to wean, and finished producing milk around 6 months. So the ..read more

This one got really long, so we made it into two parts! That’s what happens when Jessica’s best friend is the guest. They just kept going! Tara‘s original vision was to exclusively breastfeed Evie for at least a year. But as she says, even though these were her “best laid plans,” the reality ended up quite different. She struggled with low milk supply, and Evie struggled with feeding at the breast and was mostly bottle fed with pumped milk and formula. Tara eventually made the choice to wean, and finished producing milk around 6 months. So the headline is, “Baby Receives Mom’s Milk for 6 Who ..read more

Barbara is joined by Nancy Mohrbacher to talk about education, particularly about professional lactation education. In the field of education, the traditional method of lecture and Power Point stills dominates the trainings that are available. Research has show over and over again that this is one of the most non-effective ways to help people learn. The purpose of education is suppose to lead to change, in one’s thinking, beliefs, and behavior. In order for this to happen, the brain needs to be engaged, not passively listening to a person talk. In this podcast, Barbara and Nancy talk about wha ..read more

My work is extremely important to me and is a perfect fit for all of my beliefs and my personality. To me, what we do here at the Breastfeeding Center of Ann Arbor is to help families either become more attached to their babies (hopefully through breastfeeding but sometimes this isn’t possible) and also help professionals learn how to best help families. Jessica, my colleague, has joined me whole heartedly in this work! In this post, we are discussing what we consider our North Stars. The foundational and guiding principles that keep us on the right track for our work. Enjoy! The post All Thin ..read more

Used with permission from USBC Yes! Yes! Yes! We say birth and postpartum doulas are the front line defenders of breastfeeding along with nurses and midwives! I believe that the explosion of doulas in Detroit, MI is one of main reasons for this incredibly, too long time in coming change: “According to Michigan Department of Health and Human Services data, Detroit’s infant mortality rate plunged from 16.7 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2018 to 11 per 1,000 live births in 2019, representing a one-third rate reduction.” How amazing! We know that breastfeeding is important for helping save babies ..read more

In 2020 Nancy Mohrbacher published her latest book, Breastfeeding Answers, 2nd Edition. We jokingly call this book BA2 and it is one of the most important books in the field of lactation. I was honored that Nancy was willing to co-host a professional book group with me. I had hosted two other book groups before, Making More Milk, 2nd Edition with Lisa Marasco and Supporting Sucking Skills with Catherine Watson Genna, and this format had worked really well to help me (and apparently many others!) to read the other entire book. Having a book group allowed for time discuss the findings and implic ..read more

So sorry for the delays in podcasts! COVID has done a real number on me and I have been struggling to get tasks done that are not critical. Jessica and I are committed to recording and releasing more often! Thank you for your patience. Barbara Back in May 2022 I got this email: “I don’t expect you to remember, but 2 years ago we corresponded about writing a clinical perspective essay for Clinical Lactation about Exclusive Pumping and lessons I gained as an IBCLC from being an exclusive pumper. I really appreciate you reaching out when you did to acknowledge how important my experience was, and ..read more

Breastfeeding twins? Yes! Sometimes you feel like breastfeeding one baby is almost impossible but then you have TWO babies! Anna shares her story about how she is successfully breastfeeding her twins. It was not easy but also achievable with the right help and support. When you have babies who are early, even a little bit, it can make the process harder. Although Anna’s babies were born “term” for twins, 37 weeks, that is still early! These babies often need some supplementation while they transition to the breast. Getting started with breastfeeding twins Anna had taken a prenatal breastfeedin ..read more

Becoming an IBCLC is not easy! Many people are surprised to find out that to becoming an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) is hard. You need 8 college courses, 6 continuing education courses, 300-1000 clinical hours working with breastfeeding families, a 90 hour professional lactation course, and THEN you can qualify to take a four hour exam. It is a true profession! If you want to learn more email barbara@bfcaa.com to learn more! We have monthly Zoom meetings to review the process and help answer questions. Jessica and I first met when she had her first baby five year ..read more