MILC - Mother-Infant Lactation Consulting Okanagan

10/29/2023

How did we get so far from biological norms that we think feeding at night is something to stop as soon as possible?

If we aren’t suppose to feed our babies at night then why is prolactin, the hormone responsible for milk production, highest at night? If we aren’t suppose to feed our babies at night then why does our milk have a higher fat content at night? If we aren’t suppose to feed our babies at night then why does our milk contain hormones and other properties that are specific or increased at nighttime that are necessary for a baby's function and development? If we aren’t suppose to feed our babies at night then why does breastmilk at night contain tryptophan, an amino acid that helps babies make melatonin which helps babies develop their circadian rhythm which gives babies the ability to distinguish day from night (which babies are born without)?

Think about that. Your nighttime milk helps your baby recognize the difference between day and night which could help your baby sleep better and more “scheduled.” Isn’t that the reason they tell mothers to stop feeding their babies at night, so they can sleep better and more “scheduled?”

I think the question we should be asking is… if our milk is so obviously designed this way, then why are mothers constantly being told to stop feeding their babies at night?

10/28/2023

Love this description!

😒 It’s not exactly what you think…

What is a “Clogged” or “plugged” duct? 😣

👉 A small area of swelling in the breast
👉 Milk duct narrows and milk may back up/have difficulty coming out
👉 Localized pain or discomfort just in that area
👉 Firm or tender knot that may get a little softer after pumping/nursing
👉 Breast may feel warm to the touch in the swollen area
👉 No flu-like symptoms

⛑️ Treatment:

💗 Continue breastfeeding or pumping as normal
💗 Very gentle lymphatic breast massage before pumping/feeding can help ease swelling so the milk can flow more freely
💗 Cold packs for 10 min AFTER nursing/pumping to help ease swelling
💗 Increase choline intake
💗 Anti-inflammatory foods and herbs can help

❌ No longer recommended ❌:

❌ heat (will make inflammation worse)
❌ extra pumping or nursing (will make inflammation worse)
❌ vigorous massage, squeezing, vibration, or “working out” the clog (you guessed it, will make inflammation worse)

‼️ If you are experiencing a clogged duct, consult with an IBCLC (along with your doctor) to not only treat but also address the root cause. I offer consultations to specifically help with treating mastitis or a clogged duct. 🥰 Book yourself a consultation using the link below! 💕

https://www.rachelobrienibclc.com/lactation-consultant-services-sudbury-ma/

Have you ever experienced mastitis or a clogged duct? 😞 How did you treat it? Comment down below ⬇️

09/09/2023

Fun fact: one teaspoon of mama's milk contains over 3 million germ killing cells.

One teaspoon of artificial human milk substitute (aka 'formula') has none.

💦
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https://kellymom.com/nutrition/milk/immunefactors/

09/07/2023

A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing.  This has never been so true as in the ongoing debate about foremilk and hindmilk and their impact on breastfeeding.  The misunderstandings around these concepts have caused anxiety, upset, and even led to breastfeeding problems and prem

06/10/2023

The topic of Nurture vs. Nature is very fascinating!

Infants are born with a brain that is 25% the size of an adult brain. In the first year of life the size doubles so that at one year a baby’s brain is 50% the size of an adult brain. It continues to rapidly grow. By three years old a baby’s brain is 80% the size of an adult brain.

Infant brains make one million connections per second!

They make 86 billion 400 million connections each day.

Nurture is profoundly influencing this growth and the way the cells form brain circuits.

Nurture grows baby brains towards brain circuits to create mental health.

When you’re holding, connecting and co-regulating your baby - you’re doing massive work to build the most complex structure known to humankind. You’re building a brain 🧠

Image created by

05/25/2023

Several studies have found that the larger the volume of IV fluids a mother receives during labour, the more weight her baby loses in the first 24 hours. This is because the IV fluids pass to the baby’s body and increase the baby’s birth weight. In the first 24 hours after birth babies, whose mothers received IV fluids during labour, produce more wet diapers than babies, whose mothers do not receive IV fluids. The extra wet diapers result in an extra weight loss.

05/20/2023

Just so beautiful and SO NORMAL!!

Milk Bar, Open 24/7⠀⠀
📸 ⠀
Please follow for more!

05/20/2023

This is such an important message... "If your baby is crying, it's because they need you".
The Canadian Pediatric Society states that "Secure or healthy attachment is the foundation that lets your child explore the world and have a safe place to come back to. Attachment is the first way that babies learn to organize their feelings and their actions, by looking to the person who provides them with care and comfort. Attachment is essential to long-term emotional health."
We need to respond to our babies for their long-term emotional health.

Are you being told that your baby is manipulating you? Crying for attention?

It’s amazing what people think a young baby’s brain is capable of, when it’s not even capable of moving their limbs in a coordinated way to grab something!
In order for someone to manipulate you they need to be able to do the following things:

1. Know what they want to happen in this situation (Young babies don’t know what happened 1 hour ago or what’s going to happen next - they just know how they feel in this momen).
2. Know what you want to happen in this situation (Young babies don’t even know you are a separate person or have brain processes which are different from theirs!)
3. Know what to do in order to change your thought process to do what they want (Again - how can they do that if they don’t even know that you have thoughts? )

It takes years for babies to be able to consciously put the steps in place to try to manipulate situations. Years.
If your young baby is crying to be held - it’s because they need it at that moment. Not because they are trying to make you do something

05/09/2023

Trust your baby…

Yes babies communicate all of the time. Starting from birth. They have lots of needs and they signal and cue us to meet their needs.

They vocalize or talk, they have gestures, facial expressions and body language.

When they tell you they are hungry believe them. It doesn’t matter if they just ate.

When they tell you they are sleepy believe them. It doesn’t matter if it’s not their usual sleep time.

When they tell you they are sad, angry, scared or hurting believe them. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know why or if it’s for something you see as small.

When they tell you they need you believe them. It doesn’t matter if they’ve just been with you or if they are usually fine without you.

There is no expert, book or program who can tell you what your baby should or should not need.

You are the expert on your baby and your baby is the expert in what they need.

When you get support - and we all need support. Make sure the support is helping you listen and respond to your baby's needs and your needs.

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05/05/2023

A great reminder that breastfeeding through 2 years and beyond always has benefits and is not weird or selfish or whatever else people come up with to deter us from the biological norm of feeding our babies as long as they need or want to...

There is no point at which the benefits of breastfeeding suddenly “run out”. Breastmilk does not turn into water overnight on your baby’s first birthday. As long as you nurse, your baby gets valuable immunities, as well as the security and emotional advantages of nursing. ❤

http://www.breastfeedingbasics.com/articles/breastfeeding-benefits-how-they-add-up

04/29/2023

The next Breastfeeding support group drop-in is coming up next Friday, May 5. Looking forward to a supportive group again!

03/20/2023

So very true! We need to support parents to make informed decisions about their infant feeding and support them to reach their goals.

100% this 👏🏻