Optimal Nurturing

10/31/2025

Happy Halloween from your Optimal Nurturing team!

Today’s reminder: support doesn’t stop when the costumes come off. Whether you’re spending the evening passing out candy or snuggling your little pumpkin, know that you’re doing an amazing job! 💜

10/30/2025

✨ Keeping It Real Thursday ✨

“At first it was fun, then scary, then fun again, then spooky, but in a fun way.” 👻💕

Breastfeeding can bring every emotion. It can be exciting, overwhelming, empowering, and sometimes a little spooky when you are not sure what comes next.

With time, support, and experience, it becomes something beautifully familiar. You start to see how incredible your body and your baby truly are. 🌿

Here’s to the moms in every stage — from “what am I doing” to “I’ve got this.” You are doing amazing. 💕

10/29/2025

💧 Many parents worry about low milk supply, but often there is more to the story.

Before assuming low supply, take time to meet with an IBCLC lactation consultant. A personalized plan can help you understand your unique situation and guide you toward solutions that truly fit you and your baby.

At Optimal Nurturing, we look at the whole picture. That means considering you as a whole person and your baby as a whole person who both need to work together. With support and understanding, we can create a plan that brings confidence and peace of mind. 💕

10/28/2025

✨ Did you know your body’s first milk has superpowers?

Colostrum, often called “liquid gold,” does more than nourish your baby. It coats and seals the lining of their intestines, creating a natural barrier that helps prevent harmful bacteria from entering their body.

This early milk is rich in antibodies, white blood cells, and nutrients that support your baby’s immune system during those first precious days of life. Even the tiniest drops make a big difference. 💛

Your body was beautifully designed to protect and provide. 🌿

10/27/2025

A new groundbreaking study provides the first global quantification of breastfeeding’s role in preventing chronic diseases.

The data is stunning 📈 and reinforces what we have long advocated: breastfeeding protection, promotion, and support are lifesaving, cost-effective, and essential.

Read the full results here: https://bit.ly/49fcYEc

10/27/2025

😴 Some babies really love their sleep. But if your newborn is not waking up at least 8 times in 24 hours to eat, it may be a sign that they are too sleepy and need a little extra help.

There are many reasons a baby might be more tired than expected, from being born early or having jaundice to simply conserving energy because they are not taking in enough calories yet.

If your baby is too sleepy to feed effectively, try gentle stimulation such as skin-to-skin contact, unwrapping baby, softly talking or singing, or rubbing their feet and back. These small actions can make a big difference in helping your little one stay alert long enough for a full feeding.

If sleepiness continues, or if weight gain is slow, it’s important to reach out for professional help. Your IBCLC and pediatrician can work together to find the cause and create a plan that supports both feeding and growth. 💕

10/27/2025

✨ Sometimes you just need to be seen right away, and we completely understand. ✨

We have last-minute openings tomorrow (Monday, 10/27) at 1:00 pm and 2:15 pm for anyone needing support with breastfeeding, pumping, or feeding concerns.

📲 Reserve your time here: optimalnurturing.intakeq.com/booking

📞 Or call us at 423-228-0303 — we’d love to see you tomorrow!

10/26/2025

🕐 What we expect nursing will look like: calm, predictable, and spaced-out feeds.
But what it actually looks like? A whole lot more frequent, flexible, and sometimes downright unpredictable.

Nursing on demand means following your baby’s cues rather than the clock. It helps support your milk supply, keeps your baby satisfied, and strengthens your connection through responsive feeding. 💕

And when cluster feeding begins, it can feel like you are living at the clock around the clock. Remember, this phase is temporary. Your baby is working hard to grow, and your body is adjusting beautifully to meet their needs. This too shall pass. 🌿

10/25/2025

🎃 A haunted house, but make it motherhood.

You know the type… sweet strangers popping out of nowhere, eager to touch or kiss your baby. It’s spooky season in more ways than one! 👻

As much as we love connecting with others, it’s important to protect little ones during RSV season. Babies’ immune systems are still developing, and RSV can be especially hard on young infants.

Here are a few gentle ways to help keep your baby safe:
🧼 Encourage clean hands before anyone holds or touches baby.
🚫 It’s okay to say “no kisses, please.”
😷 Keep distance if someone has a cough or cold.
🏠 Avoid crowded or enclosed spaces when possible.

You are not being overprotective. You are being a great parent. 💕

10/24/2025

🎉 We’re joining the celebration!

Come see us at ’s First Anniversary Event this Saturday, October 25th!

Stop by the Optimal Nurturing table to say hello, grab some resources, and learn more about how prenatal and postpartum lactation care can support you every step of the way. 🌿

We can’t wait to celebrate with you and connect with local families! 💕

10/23/2025

✨ Keeping It Real Thursday ✨

In the beginning, our bodies are designed to provide exactly what our babies need — not too much, not too little.

Colostrum comes in small amounts on purpose. It’s thick and sticky so baby can practice sucking, swallowing, and breathing before taking on larger volumes of milk. Every drop is filled with powerful antibodies and protection.

This first milk is part of a perfect design that allows your baby to learn how to eat at a gentle pace while your body prepares for the next stage of feeding. 🌿

You and your baby were made for this. 💕

10/23/2025

The evidence for immediate, continuous skin-to-skin after birth and daily is so strong that researchers determine it is no longer ethical to separate mothers and babies into typical care (newborn nursery, swaddling, etc) groups for research purposes.

👶 Skin-to-skin contact involves placing the naked newborn on the mother’s uncovered chest immediately after birth. This simple practice helps babies adapt to life outside the womb, keeping them warm, reducing stress and crying, and supporting vital functions such as breathing and heart rate.

New Cochrane evidence confirms what many already practice: immediate skin-to-skin contact between newborns and their mothers gives babies a better start in life.

Babies held skin-to-skin within the first hour after birth are more likely to:

🩵 Breastfeed exclusively
🩵 Maintain healthy body temperature and blood sugar
🩵 Breathe and adapt better outside the womb

Importantly, the evidence is now so strong that researchers argue it’s no longer ethical to conduct studies that separate mothers and babies after birth.

“Withholding skin-to-skin contact would now be considered unethical, as there is enough evidence to show that the practice improves newborn health and survival,” says Karin Cadwell, senior author and Executive Director and Lead Faculty of
Healthy Children Project Center for Breastfeeding.

Read more on our website: https://www.cochrane.org/about-us/news/strong-evidence-supports-skin-skin-contact-after-birth-standard-care