Cooper County WIC

03/09/2026

One of the coolest things about breast milk is that it isn’t made from the contents of your stomach. It’s made from your blood. Your mammary glands act like tiny, very sophisticated filters that pull nutrients, water, fats, sugars, and proteins from the bloodstream and turn them into milk. That means when you eat something with protein (like dairy, soy, eggs, etc.), the protein itself doesn’t just “fall into the milk.” First it’s digested, broken down into amino acids, absorbed into your blood, and then small pieces of those proteins can pass into milk. Because of that process, it usually takes a few hours for dietary proteins to show up in breast milk, and they gradually clear from the milk over about 24 hours or so after you stop eating them. For most babies this is completely fine. But some babies have immature or sensitive digestive systems and can react to certain proteins, most commonly cow’s milk protein, which can lead to symptoms like gassiness, mucus in stools, reflux-like discomfort, or fussiness. It’s not because the milk is “bad”, it’s just the baby’s gut saying, hey, this protein is tricky for me right now. The good news is that as babies grow and their digestive systems mature, many of these sensitivities improve over time. 💛

03/09/2026

Spring is in the air, and our WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselors are freshening things up in the office! They’ve been busy creating new bulletin boards filled with helpful, supportive information for our WIC families. Keep an eye out next time you visit, you might discover a helpful tip or encouraging message just when you need it! 💕

Our Breastfeeding Peer Counselors are moms who have breastfeeding experience and special training to support other moms. They’re here to listen, share tips, and offer encouragement through the ups and downs of feeding your baby.

And don’t forget—we also have an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) on staff for more advanced lactation support and guidance.

Have questions about WIC or breastfeeding? We’re here to help!
📞 Call our office anytime at 660-882-2626.

03/06/2026

“Why are there suddenly so many babies with tongue ties? It wasn’t a thing when I was a kid.”

Honestly… it’s a lot like stars and planets. Once we built better telescopes, we didn’t create more stars, we just got better at seeing them. And studying them. And understanding what they’re made of and how to classify them

The same thing has happened with tongue ties. Over the last few decades we’ve had:
• Better research looking at infant feeding mechanics and oral function
• Better training for providers on how to assess tongue movement, not just what the frenulum looks like
• More collaboration between lactation consultants, feeding therapists, dentists, and pediatric providers
• More babies surviving and thriving, especially those born early or with medical complexity, who might not have lived long enough to be diagnosed generations ago

Fifty years ago, if a baby struggled to breastfeed, the usual answer was simply to switch feeding methods. Not able to breastfeed? Here’s formula anda bottle. Pumps were not readily accessible and lactation consultants weren’t a thing. Today we ask why feeding might be hard. That curiosity, combined with better science and better assessment tools, means we’re identifying oral restrictions that may have been missed before.

So it’s not that tongue ties suddenly appeared.
It’s that we finally have a better telescope 🔭

03/03/2026

Occasionally I’ll hear of moms who had a well established milk supply and all of a sudden their supply drops. What can cause a late onset decreased milk supply?

🤰🏽Pregnancy. Milk supply drops during pregnancy because of hormone shifts to protect and grow the fetus. Domperidone or other milk making herbs/medications and more pumping or feeding will not work to increase supply

💊Hormonal birth control (pill including progestin only pill, IUD, etc)

🤱🏽Breastfeeding on only one side at a feeding or “block feeding” to correct an oversupply if done too long or with a small storage capacity

💊Some medications can decrease the milk supply (antihistamines, decongestants). Certain herbs in excess or as essential oils can, too (too much peppermint or sage)

🛌 Sleep training. Babies are supposed to wake often at night for the first 3 months and continue to wake through the first year. Night nursing keeps milk hormones high for making supply and sleep training can sabotage milk supply for some

😷Blocked ducts/mastitis as well as any illness with a fever may decrease the milk supply

🍼Giving bottles can very much decrease the milk supply if you’re not pumping to replace those feeds. When at all possible, pump whenever baby is getting a bottle, regardless of if it is formula or breast milk being given

🎡”Overdoing it”. Anything that interrupts feeding baby on demand, including too many visitors, too many errands, or making baby wait to feed by the clock

📌Periods. Supply can temporarily dip during periods

🚿An “abundant milk supply” associated with a less than “ideal” latch. The milk flows into baby’s mouth with little participation of baby. Baby may often choke while breastfeeding, especially during let down. Tongue tie is a common cause of baby having a shallow latch and can be a significant cause of decreased milk supply even if there were no problems early on. Baby was riding an abundant supply instead of stimulating milk supply

03/03/2026

Pinch.
Any one else getting pinched, grabbed and tugged on while nursing? With older babies its part curiosity, part boredom, part play, part of feeding. Pinching can be just that: exploration. It can also stimulate you to increase milk flow, send a new let down, or pay attention to the baby. If it’s happening often just for play, giving the baby something else to play with like a chunky necklace, scarf, sticker or little toy can help save your from bruises and scars.

02/27/2026

Drinking more water doesn’t increase milk supply

UNLESS… you were a little dehydrated to begin with

Hydration matters
But once you’re hydrated, extra water (or electrolytes, or coconut water, or that trendy sports drink) won’t turn into extra milk

Here’s what to watch for if you are a little dry:
• Dark yellow / straw-colored urine
• Headache or feeling blah
• A small, temporary dip in supply

We all need different amounts of fluid
Different body sizes
Different milk output
Different sleep situations (because… newborns)

So instead of forcing a specific number of ounces:
Drink to thirst
Aim for urine that’s light yellow to clear

If you have an emotional support water bottle that follows you from room to room like a loyal golden retriever? Perfect. We love her. She can stay. Just know she’s supporting you, not directly increasing your supply 😌

If your goal is more milk, the lever you pull is milk removal

Milk out = signal to make more

That’s the physiology

A genuinely helpful partner/friend job?
Refill the emotional support water bottle
Hand it over during a feed
No lectures required

Hydrate your body
Remove milk consistently
Trust the biology

02/25/2026

02/21/2026

‼️Perceived‼️low milk supply is the number one reason many moms will end their breastfeeding journey. Have you fallen prey to one or more of these traps?
👶🏼A fussy baby does not mean low milk supply
👶🏻Baby waking frequently for night feedings does not mean there is low milk supply
👶🏾Baby feeding for long periods of time doesn’t mean low milk supply
🤱🏽Your baby feeding for short periods of time or more frequently is not necessarily from low milk supply
👩🏿‍🍼Your baby taking a bottle right after a feeding doesn’t necessarily mean there is low milk supply
🤱🏻A baby who wants to soothe or fall asleep at the breast is not indicative of a low supply
🍼Pump output is not always indicative of low milk supply depending on how and when you are pumping, the pump and the fl**ges you’re using
🤷🏿‍♀️Not being able to feel your letdown is not indicative
of low milk supply
💦Leaking milk that stops leaking does not mean you have low milk supply
🌟No longer feeding full breasts between feedings does not equal low milk supply
📈A low percentile on the growth curve is not indicative of low milk supply as long as the baby stays on that curve

❌Baby producing less than 6 wet diapers a day can indicate low milk supply
❌Baby under 6 weeks old who isn’t pooping daily can indicate low milk supply
❌Baby has not regained birth weight by 2 weeks old can indicate low milk supply
❌Baby actively losing weight or going down on percentiles on the growth chart can mean a low milk supply
❌Signs of dehydration like lethargy, sleepy and hard to wake, and poor skin turgor are indicative of low milk supply.

If you have any doubts about your milk supply, see an IBCLC!
Don’t start supplementing or quit altogether on suspected low milk supply alone. You may actually have a normal supply. If you do indeed have low milk supply, there are many ways to increase and support it.

02/20/2026

02/18/2026