Amy Owen MA, IBCLC

11/24/2025

yep 💁🏼‍♀️👌🏻🩵

The Breastmilk Queen - Amy McGlade 🥰

11/16/2025

Let me say this louder for the moms in the back who are being sold teas, pills, cookies, powders, and every magical unicorn potion on the internet:

Milk supply is built by milk removal.

Not by a smoothie.
Not by a supplement.
Not by a drink someone swears “boosted them overnight.”

Your breasts respond to one thing above everything else: how often and how effectively milk is being removed. That’s it. That’s the physiology. When milk sits in the breast, production slows. When milk is removed frequently and consistently, production increases.

Yes, some things can support you. Hydration. Nutrition. Rest. Good fl**ge fit. Stress management. But nothing replaces the actual signal that tells your body “hey, we need more milk.”

If you’re struggling, it’s not your fault. You’re not doing anything wrong. You just need the right information, not false promises.

Remove milk often.
Protect your supply.
Trust your body.

11/16/2025

Slate grey nevus, also known as blue-grey spots or congenital dermal melanocytosis, are a type of birthmark that are typically flat and blue-grey, or sometimes purple, in colour.

They are most common on babies with Black and Brown skin and are generally found on the sacrum and buttocks, but can also be observed on arms and legs.

Slate grey nevus are NOT bruises. They are simply the result of pigment cells, or melanocytes, not reaching the surface of the skin.⁣ They do not hurt and generally require no treatment; they often fade by the age of 4.

If you identify a slate grey nevus when doing a baby examination, or NIPE, it is important to document it. This is to avoid it later being mistaken for a bruise.

Finally - you may have heard these birthmarks called ‘Mongolian blue spots’. This is derogatory, racially insensitive terminology and should NOT be used. If you hear it used in practice, please take the time to correct it. We can all play our part in decolonising language and midwifery education.

📸: 💕

10/17/2025

13 signatures are still needed! BCBS and Anthem - Let California Families Access the Lactation Care They Deserve!

10/10/2025

Many mothers hear the phrase “my baby was allergic to breast milk” …but here’s the truth: babies can’t be allergic to human milk.

What actually happens is that a baby may react to certain proteins that pass through breast milk from the parent’s diet, most commonly cow’s milk protein, soy, or eggs. When a baby shows symptoms like, blood-streaked stools, rashes, or reflux, it’s not the breast milk causing it. It’s their immune system responding to a foreign protein that slipped through.

Breast milk itself is designed for human babies. It contains living antibodies, enzymes, growth factors, and protective cells that actually reduce the risk of allergies long-term. It doesn’t create the allergy, it simply reveals what your baby’s body is sensitive to.

And here’s the empowering part… in most cases, you don’t have to stop breastfeeding. Once the allergen (like dairy or soy) is removed from your diet, the milk no longer carries that protein, and the baby’s symptoms often resolve beautifully.

So no, breast milk doesn’t cause allergies, it unmasks them. It shows you what your baby’s little body needs help processing so healing can begin. 💛

You and your milk are not the problem —
you’re part of the solution.

08/18/2025

Infant sleep can be a very controversial topic with lots of thoughts, opinions, and research. There are two primary methods families tend to follow:
•Safe Sleep Seven
Promoted by La Leche League to support breastfeeding dyads who choose to bedshare.
Goal: Minimize risk while recognizing the reality of bedsharing in many families.
•Safe to Sleep Campaign
Led by the U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).
Goal: Reduce SIDS and other sleep-related infant deaths through avoidance of all bedsharing.

•Safe Sleep Seven
Bedsharing may be safe if:
1. Baby is breastfed
2. Parent is non-smoking
3. Parent is sober & unimpaired
4. Baby is full-term & healthy
5. Baby sleeps on their back
6. Baby is lightly dressed and UNSWADDLED
7. Bed is firm with no pillows or blankets

•Safe to Sleep Campaign
Recommends:
•Baby sleeps alone in a separate sleep space
•Always on the back but they can be swaddled
•On a firm mattress with no pillows, blankets, or soft items
•In the same room as caregiver, but not in the same bed

•Safe Sleep Seven:
Cautiously supportive of bedsharing when all 7 criteria are met in breastfeeding families.
•Safe to Sleep:
Firmly discourages bedsharing due to increased risk of sleep-related death.

Common Ground
Both agree on:
•Back sleeping
•Firm, flat surface
•Avoiding overheating
•No smoking or substance use
•Room-sharing is safer than solo room or bed sleeping

In Summary:
•Safe to Sleep = strict avoidance of bedsharing
•Safe Sleep Seven = harm reduction framework for low-risk bedsharing in breastfeeding families

One of the major differences is swaddling. To reduce risk to baby, if you’re going to bed share, even accidentally from falling asleep while feeding, make sure baby is unswaddled.

06/24/2025

06/14/2025

🤣

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05/29/2025

Yes! Wonderful explanation!

05/24/2025

🔗: bit.ly/4kszgVp

A mother and marathon runner just took multi-tasking to a whole new level!

📷: Stephanie Case/Instagram

05/24/2025

Mixing formula and human milk in the same bottle is not recommended, and here’s why:
🧪 Different storage rules:
Formula must be discarded right after a feed, but human milk can be safely stored for 1–2 hours. Mixing the two could lead to wasting your milk if the bottle isn’t finished.
🛡️ Loss of protective properties:
Mixing formula with human milk can reduce lysozyme activity, an enzyme that helps protect against harmful bacteria like E. coli.
⚖️ Nutrient interference:
Added components in formula, like iron, may bind to the nutrients in your milk, reducing their absorbability.
💡 Best practice?
Offer human milk and formula separately to preserve the unique benefits of your milk.
For personalized support and ideas, reach out to a La Leche League Canada Leader.
🔗 Learn more: lllc.ca/should-you-mix-human-milk-formula

05/19/2025

Today is World Human Milk Donation Day! IBLCE thanks all IBCLCs supporting families’ unique feeding needs, as well as those who are able to donate to nonprofit milk banks around the globe!