Latch U.P

06/05/2023

I've been quiet here from a posting standpoint, but this space has served as a contact point for many. We've been consistently working with 1-4 mom/baby pairs a month since the beginning of this venture, and it's been an honor to provide guidance and support in any way that I can. I truly appreciate your patience as I've learned to balance parenting, nursing school, and lactation counseling. I've learned so much these last few years, and fully intend to continue my education in this field by pursuing an IBCLC certification as soon as I am an RN.

In the meantime I wanted to stop by to let you all know that I'm still here, and to share these awesome demonstration breasts that were made and donated by a local community member 🥰 My inbox is always open!

~Sarah

07/22/2022

Don't ever compare your milk stash to anyone else's. That way lies madness.

I have a great blog over how to start pumping and build a milk stash while breastfeeding. You should check it out on my website under blog!

Link below! 🔗

https://www.rachelobrienibclc.com/blog/how-to-start-pumping-and-build-a-milk-stash/

07/01/2022

You don’t need to wean your baby just because others think it’s time! You don’t need to wean your baby because someone thinks they are “too old” to be breastfed. If you want to continue breastfeeding, you can and should!

The AAP supports continued breastfeeding -along with introducing solids at the recommend time- for two years and beyond as long as it is mutually desired. Long-term breastfeeding is beneficial for you and your baby!

In their updated recommendations, they also stress the importance of policies that protect breastfeeding, including universal paid maternity leave, insurance coverage, the right of a woman to breastfeed in public and more.
🤱

02/13/2022

Here is a great video showing the steps of attachment. It also describes what to look for in order to determine if the latch is effective

By Global Health Media Project. Download link: http://globalhealthmedia.org/videos/Good attachment will help a baby get more milk and make breastfeeding more...

10/25/2021

Lip/tongue ties are getting a lot of attention these days, so I wanted to share this article written by a SLP/ IBCLC. The main takeaways that I wanted to point out are :

- Oral frenulums are a very normal part of our anatomy

- "ties" are when function is impeded. They can NOT be diagnosed by a picture.

- if you suspect a tie, but baby is gaining weight appropriately, and you are having no pain, most likely no action is needed. You can have your child's dentist take a look at a routine visit.

- if you are having pain and or baby is having weight gain issues, make sure to have the feeding evaluated to see if there is anything that can be adjusted as far as positioning and latch. Follow up with a pediatric dentist if oral ties are still suspected.

Lip ties (and their pictures on social media) drive me clinically nuts, because is so much confusion and misinformation about who actually has one. Too often medical professionals and lactation consultants say: “All babies have lip ties”“All babies have a band under there, there’s no such th...

10/24/2021

Mental dialog matters 💕

✨Breastfeeding Affirmations ✨

Whether sitting at your pump, or up in the middle of the night for the third time...your mental dialogue as you're feeding your baby is important.

Oxytocin is the hormone that allows for the let-down of milk, and unlike your milk production hormones (prolactin), oxytocin is affected by stress.

Breathe out the stress and worry and let the milk flow.

If you're struggling, the best thing you can do is know your resources. You are not in this alone, you don't have to learn this new skill at midnight with your new baby.

An instructor of mine so correctly stated that "Newly feeding breasts are like muscles learning a new sport...it takes time and practice to learn to do the sport well, no one starts out an Olympian."

09/04/2021

Pumping parents! You can now combine milk that is different temperatures and you are even encouraged to mix milk collected over a 24 hour period ! Exciting news!

However, I personally would recommend separating out the milk collected at night as it does contain higher levels of melatonin - your body's natural "sleepy hormone". If there's even a chance that it could help baby sleep better, I know I would go for it!

The new recommendations were first noticed on Reddit.

08/02/2021

It's World Breastfeeding Week🎉🤱👩‍🍼

Whether you spent an hour, a day, a month, or several years, share how long you've breastfed for 🥰

How did this time feeding compare to your expectations going in? Did you meet your goal? Exceed it? Could you have used more support?

I'd love to hear your stories and celebrate everyone's journey!

07/29/2021

Why is a good latch so important?

A deep latch with lips flanged out helps the baby achieve proper suction, and gives mom enough stimulation to get the milk flowing, which is known as a "let down".

Without a good latch baby may not be able to empty your breast all the way possibly leading to issues with supply, or could lead to other issues like clogged ducts or mastitis (ouch !)

Often, even though the baby isn't latched optimally, they may still be able to extract milk but at the cost of pain to mom.

BREASTFEEDING SHOULD NOT HURT! A strong tugging sensation, yes... but pain? No!

Here is a quick checklist of things to look for when latching babe.

1. Belly to belly. Baby's belly should be facing yours so they don't have to turn their neck to reach

2. Nose to nips, and chin in first. Aim for baby's nose so that his chin reaches the breast first. *attached a visual for reference*

3. Baby a breast height. Most people will need to boost up baby on a pillow for support. The boppy and "My brest friend" nursing pillows are super nice for this but any ol pillow will do!

4. Pain free. If something is off, it's OK to unlatch and reposition for your comfort. Often the cause of pain is too shallow of a latch, so focus on making sure babe opens up nice and wide before bringing them all the way in.

07/29/2021

What is a certified lactation counselor?

A CLC is someone who has received training and competency verification in breastfeeding and lactation support. This includes assessing the latching and feeding process, providing corrective interventions, counseling mothers, understanding and applying knowledge of milk production including in special circumstances and other commonly encountered situations.

CLCs are members of the health care team who can provide knowledge and counseling about optimal and sub-optimal breastfeeding. We understand that breastfeeding decisions are made by the mother, and our role is to support those decisions, whatever they may be. CLCs work as part of the health care team, assuring appropriate referrals and recommendations. CLCs are qualified to provide education, counseling and clinical management.

I'm a CLC but I'm also a mom of 3. I understand that things don't always go according to plan, and that things aren't always as simple as it seems.

Have any questions or want to chat? You can always get a hold of me by messaging the page, or I can give my number to anyone who wants it. I'm available for messaging & texting almost anytime, and can also do phone calls, zoom, or meet in person depending on the day. I'm here to help if I can!

~ Sarah

07/16/2021

Person - "Aww look at him!! Is this your first?"

Mom with a newborn - "No. he's our 3rd."

Person - "Ohh! Well you're a pro then! You got this stuff down!"

"You're a pro then!" .... No. Maybe you're not a pro. You are a new mom like everyone else who just had a baby. You may be sitting there bawling your eyes out because you cant get your emotions in check and your husband looked at you wrong or said something in the wrong tone at the wrong time. Your ni***es may be bleeding and chapped and have you hating breastfeeding and wanting to quit... Your b***s may be engorged and sore. What if you had your first c-section 4 days ago and can hardly walk through the pain? You cant sleep. You cry looking at him. You struggle with having patience with your other children who don't understand that you just need a few extra minutes alone and that you just can't play right now... You don't have complete control. You don't have any control. You are a mess. You hate giving up responsibility around the house and relying on others... You are scared. You're hurting. You are tired. You may not be sure if you are even OK, but you're Supposed to pro .... ?

You are a new mom, first baby or 10th... relearning all of this all over again together. 🤱

You are not expected to make it look easy

Different babies have different challenges, and you both will need time, and SUPPORT, to work through these challenges together. If something isn't quite right or is causing pain, don't just suffer through. Reach out.

You were never meant to do this alone, and there are no "pros" in motherhood.

07/01/2021

This is a video of my first nursling, Lilly, in the hospital about 24 hours after she was born.

At the time, I had no idea I was looking at a HUNGRY baby! I was a brand new mom and just super excited to see she had her eyes open.

Crying is actually one of the last signs a little one will give when they are trying to let you know they want to nurse. Lilly below is displaying quite a few hunger cues in the video below. Can you spot what stage she's in?

Early cues: these mean "I'm hungry"
- stirring
- mouth opening
- turning head to seek the breast (known as rooting)

Mid cues: these mean "I'm REALLY hungry". In addition to the cues above, you could see...
- stretching & increased physical movement
- hand to mouth movements
- lip smacking
- sucking on hands

Late cues: these mean "I'm really upset! You need to calm me first, THEN feed me"
- crying
- red color from being upset
- agitated movements

Learn something interesting or just like the video? I'd love a ❤️ or comment 🤱

As always, If you have any questions or just want to talk, let me know!