BorntoRoar, LV Doula, CLC, CPST

09/23/2021

It's me, I'm friend.

This one boggles my mind. If it's a problem, why are we waiting? If it's not a problem, why are we saying this?

Trauma is not an acceptable treatment plan. A doctor wouldn't say this about anything else - why, oh why, do they say this about lip ties?

08/20/2021

I gets lots of questions about which bottles to use, here are a couple of my favorites.

While it is , it's important to recognize that MANY breastfed babies ALSO use bottles.

I am NOT a breastfeeding expert but often work closely with lactation consultants (e.g., CLC, IBCLC). We join forces to help babies successfully feed and meet the feeding goals of the dyad.

Taking into consideration the goals of those feeding the baby AND the baby's current abilities are key in a successful feeding experience. This looks different from one feeding dyad to the next.

So when it comes to choosing a bottle, what the heck do you choose? There are SO many options and it's easy to feel overwhelmed with all the choices (and *false* marketing).

The two most common bottles trialed and recommended to our patients include Dr. Brown's Narrow Neck & Lansinoh Momma.

Dr. Brown's narrow neck version is the "gold standard" among many infant feeding specialists when it comes to bottles. This bottle is vented and 100% vacuum free, which provides an air-free feeding experience helping to reduce gas build-up in infant tummies.

I love the narrow neck version because the entire bottle ni**le fits in the infants mouth and allows the lips to rest on the rim of the white base (ya know, the part you insert the ni**le into and screw on to the bottle). This provides needed support for so many of our infants!

Lasinoh Momma bottles are another fantastic option and highly recommended by my lactation colleagues because the Air Ventilation System (AVS) reduces air intake reducing gas build-up in babies' tummies. They also claim they are clinically proven to reduce ni**le confusion and use the same feeding actions learned at the breast; but I will caution you that NO bottle is the equivalent of breastfeeding (so be careful when buying bottles based on marketing claims).

The most important thing to remember when choosing a bottle is that not every bottle works for every baby. It really comes down to your infant's individualized needs and current feeding ability. We have to assess and take into consideration their oral sensorimotor feeding skills, current level of functioning, the goals of the feeding dyad and other involved caregivers...AND.SO.MUCH.MORE!

02/12/2021

Accurate! We call it liquid gold for more than one reason! 👏💰🍼

[Image: A tweet from Kera Lovell, Ph.D. that reads “Someone just told me she had spent roughly 4866 hours of her life breastfeeding and that breastmilk is only free if we think of women’s time, bodies, and careworn as worthless...” followed by a brain emoji and a spark emoji.]

02/06/2021

Such an important basic skill for many issues we run into while breast/chestfeeding

Need a hand with engorgement, clogged ducts or just a visual guidance with hand expression?
Here where you can find our videos

“The Basics of Breast Massage and Hand Expression”

https://vimeo.com/65196007

“The Basics of Breast Massage and Hand Expression” with Spanish subtitles

https://vimeo.com/73054360

“Breast Massage and Hand Expression Following Perinatal Loss”

https://vimeo.com/374951154

They are free to share on WHO compliant websites with credits to Ann Witt MD IBCLC and Maya Bolman IBCLC

01/30/2021

01/24/2021

Do you have a surplus of milk that you just don't know what to do with? Consider donating to a baby in need! Our wall is open to find posts from families in need and you are welcome to make your own post offering milk. If you need assistance or wish to remain anonymous, please contact our admin team. And a friendly reminder, we are strictly a platform, you will have to talk to donor/receiver directly to arrange donations.

10/26/2020

They may be common, but they aren’t normal. Lip blisters or two-toned lips are a red flag 🚩 that baby is having trouble. There can be a few causes, like tongue or lip ties, less than ideal positioning... It’s always worth checking in with an IBCLC and/or your pediatrician.

10/17/2020

Why do pediatricians push solid food at 4-6 months and some even earlier? Marketing.

In 1929 Ge**er began an advertising campaign to convince dieticians and pediatricians that canned baby food was just as nutritious as homemade food, and even better because it was scientifically prepared.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
As part of the campaign, doctors received free Ge**er products for patients. Ge**er also funded research touting the health benefits of their food. That research—vaguely worded and devoid of peer review—was published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, positioning it as scientific fact.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Alongside these efforts, Ge**er stated that women who prepared their own baby food were neglecting their husbands—and babies. One 1933 ad read, “For Baby’s Sake, Stay Out of the Kitchen!”
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Alongside these efforts, Ge**er advocated for starting solids at 3 months old. And by the 1950’s—after 20 years of advertising—the average age of introducing solids fell to just 6 weeks old.💔
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Since then the medical community realized that too-early introduction of solids displaced valuable nutrition from breast milk/formula. The consensus among medical institutions today (AAP, U.S. National Institutes for Health, and World Health Organization) is that it’s best to introduce solids at 6 months old. It is at this time that most babies are developmentally ready to eat and need more iron. Conveniently, 6 months is also when babies are capable of feeding themselves.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Baby food was invented. Mom guilt was marketed.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
There is no perfect order of introducing solids. No no need for “stages” of thickness. These were all constructs in the name of profit.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Convenience has its place. I love a good yogurt pouch and rely on Cheerios when traveling. But the idea that real food has to be hard isn’t good for anyone. Babies don’t need banana pudding or pricey pouches—a banana is fine!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
There is a reason feeding feels complicated. Corporations spent the last century telling your grandmothers and great-grandmothers that they would be bad moms and wives if they didn’t buy pre-prepared baby food. So the next time you feel a twinge of guilt for feeding your baby YOUR way, remember that it’s not you. It’s history.

08/29/2020