GTA Breastfeeding (Lactation Consulting)

12/03/2025

✨ New Journal Publication! ✨

Huge news for breastfeeding mothers with ADHD — our study on atomoxetine is published!

Our study shows that only very small amounts of atomoxetine enter breast milk. Most mothers had an RID under 0.2%, and even the highest level found was only 0.65%, suggesting very low risk while breastfeeding.

Because of this new evidence, we are updating atomoxetine’s lactation safety rating from L4 to L2, reflecting a much safer profile than previously thought.

A few reports of infant fussiness have been noted, so monitoring is still important. Any concerns should be reported to systems like FAERS to help strengthen safety data.

This research provides encouraging evidence that atomoxetine may be a safe, viable ADHD treatment for breastfeeding mothers.

https://journals.lww.com/psychopharmacology/fulltext/9900/atomoxetine_as_a_viable_adhd_treatment_in.482.aspx #:~:text=Conclusions:,of%20ADHD%20in%20lactating%20women.

11/28/2025

11/25/2025

"Did you know that in Japan, over 70% of infants and toddlers co-sleep with their parents?
It’s not controversial.
It’s not something they hide.
It’s a tradition called *soine*, a sleep arrangement where baby sleeps between mother and father, like the character for “river.”
It’s done to promote security.
Not independence. Not training.
Security.
And in Japan, “sleep training” doesn’t even exist as a concept.
Night waking isn’t treated as a problem, no matter how a baby is fed.
Their SIDS rate?
0.2 per 1,000 births.
Compare that to the U.S., where SIDS rates are more than 30 times higher.
Some research suggests Japan’s low SIDS rate is related to their high rates of co-sleeping.
Dr. James McKenna, the world’s leading infant sleep researcher, spent 30 years studying this.
His research shows,
Babies who sleep close to their mothers have more stable breathing.
They wake more easily, which helps protect against deep, risky sleep.
Their sleep cycles sync with their mother’s.
They regulate better.
It’s not broken sleep.
It’s biologically normal sleep.
But somewhere along the way, Western culture sold us a different story:
That babies should sleep alone.
In a crib.
Through the night.
By 6 months.
That story was built in the 1950s
based on formula-feeding, isolated sleep, and adult centered routines.
It wasn’t based on biology.
It wasn’t based on connection.
And it’s not working.
Most babies don’t sleep through the night by 6 months.
Most parents who try sleep training eventually stop, because it doesn’t feel right.
Maybe the problem isn’t your baby.
Maybe it’s the expectation that babies should sleep like adults.
Your baby isn’t broken.
They’re waking because that’s what human babies do.
They’re following instincts that have kept our species alive.
Waking. Reaching. Responding.
That’s how connection grows.
That’s how brains build.
That’s what safety feels like to a baby.
So if you’re contact napping, co-sleeping
if you’re tired, touched out, and wondering if you're doing it wrong...
This is your reminder
You’re not failing.
You’re doing what humans have always done.
And your baby is doing exactly what they’re meant to do."
Words and photo Credit
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1401557014666049

Reference:
Lee T. Gettler & James J. McKenna: Evolutionary perspectives on mother–infant sleep proximity and breastfeeding in a laboratory setting.
Am J Phys Anthropol. 2010;144(3)454‑462.
Mao, A. et al.: A Comparison of the Sleep–Wake Patterns of Cosleeping Infants. 2004.
What biological anthropology has discovered about normal infant sleep and pediatric sleep medicine. McKenna J.J. et al. 2007.

11/22/2025

just saying 💁🏼‍♀️🩷👌🏻

The Breastmilk Queen - Amy McGlade

09/12/2025

If your baby isn’t growing well on breast milk alone, it’s not because your milk is missing nutrients. Breast milk is designed to be complete nutrition for babies. It’s the gold standard. 💛

When we see slower weight gain, the issue is usually volume, not quality. Babies may not be getting enough ounces because of things like:
⏳ Limiting time at the breast: cutting feeds short can mean baby doesn’t get enough. 15 minutes a side can limit some from getting a full feeding
📅 Strict schedules: bodies don’t run on timers, and babies especially need flexibility. Babies want to eat every 1, 2, or 3 hours and not in perfect increments. They cluster feed more often during growth spurts as well
🔄 Eat/play/sleep routines: these can unintentionally space feeds too far apart. Most babies eat a breastfeeding meal when they wake up, play and socialize, and breastfeed a snack before going down to nap
🌙Sleep training or skipping night feeds: some babies still need those calories overnight. Night feedings account for 20% or more of breastfeeding baby’s total calorie intake through the first birthday! Over 80% or babies wake to feed!!

👉 The takeaway: breast milk doesn’t come in “skinny” or “fatty.” If baby needs more growth, we look at how often and how much milk they’re actually getting, not whether your milk is “good enough.”

Your milk is enough. 💪 Sometimes babies just need more access to it.

09/01/2025

Did you know...

Your baby is not using you as a pacifier. They are using the pacifier as you!

08/28/2025

In the 1970s, Nestlé was at the center of one of the biggest public health scandals in history. They handed out free formula samples in hospitals, hired saleswomen dressed as nurses, and convinced mothers that formula was modern and superior to breastfeeding. Once breastfeeding was disrupted and the free samples ran out, families had no choice but to buy more. Many mixed it with unsafe water or diluted it to stretch the supply. The result? Malnutrition, illness, and preventable infant deaths.

Fast forward to today, and formula marketing has simply evolved. Instead of saleswomen in hospitals, we see influencers on social media. Instead of “healthier than breast milk,” we hear “breast milk inspired.” Instead of white coats, we get pastel cans and empowerment slogans. But the underlying strategy hasn’t changed: convince parents that formula is equal to breast milk, normalize its use, and profit from mothers’ vulnerabilities.

Different faces.
Different language.
Different marketing.

But the exploitation remains the same.

08/15/2025

Did you know that breastfeeding reduces risk of the #1 killer of women—heart disease? How does this work? And how does lactation also lower risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and other cardiometabolic problems? This fascinating 2025 review explains the mechanisms underlying these amazing health benefits of breastfeeding, which its authors call “a cornerstone of maternal health.” Free download here:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40689046/

05/23/2025

….They’re back! Book now ✅ Spaces for these dental appointments will fill up fast!

👩‍⚕️Dr. Mercedes - Saturday May 24th
👨‍⚕️Dr. Aaron - Monday May 26th
👨‍⚕️Dr. Gideon - Tuesday May 27th

To book please fill out the contact us form linked to our bio and specify which date you are interested in 😌

These events are only open to NEW PATIENTS who book an appointment with the dentist and/ or hygienist OR existing Toronto Kids Dental patients who want to drop by (but please RSVP!)

🦷

05/12/2025

Lactoferrin is a protein which has been found to inhibit the growth of some cancerous cells. Not content with that, it does some other incredible stuff too.

It binds itself to the iron in our kids’ system, and helps our little ones to absorb the iron. Whilst it’s there, it also prevents harmful bacteria and other micro-organisms from consuming that iron, which they need in order to survive.

Lactoferrin also kills the bacteria streptococcus mutans which can cause serious infections, and causes tooth decay and cavities. This does not mean that breastfed children can’t get cavities. Other factors, such as genetics, play a role.

But there is no evidence that breastfeeding causes cavities or decay, despite what some dentists tell distraught mothers. In fact, there is evidence that breastfeeding up to 12 months reduces the risk of tooth decay.

Lactoferrin also inhibits infection by Hepatitis B and C, Cytomegalovirus (Herpes family), Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), the common cold, Poliovirus, Enterovirus (diarrhoea virus, which can be fatal if severe), and others.

Again, this doesn’t mean that our kids will never contract any of these. But it does mean that the severity is likely to be lessened, if they do.

There’s a whole superhero film to be made about Lactoferrin. But the real star of that movie is you, mama.

Find more astonishing stuff about breastmilk, alongside references, on our website https://human-milk.com/pages/science-of-breastmilk