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Monday 8am - 6pm Tuesday 8am - 6pm Wednesday 8am - 6pm Thursday 8am - 6pm Friday 8am - 6pm Saturday 8am - 6pm

LALactation, Los Angeles, CA (2026)

03/13/2026

When a baby refuses a bottle, cup feeding can be a gentle and surprisingly effective alternative. Babies are actually born with the ability to lap and sip milk, and even very young infants can take milk from a small cup with support. Cup feeding allows the baby to control the pace of the feeding, reduces the risk of ni**le confusion for babies who prefer the breast, and can be a helpful bridge when a caregiver needs to offer milk but the baby won’t accept a bottle. Many parents are surprised to learn that while newborns may only take ½–1 oz at a time, older babies can comfortably take 2–5 oz per feeding this way. It’s simple, inexpensive, and for some bottle-refusing babies, it can make separations from mom a whole lot easier. 🥛👶

03/13/2026

Cup feeding is a great alternative to bottles at any age and stage. When a baby refuses a bottle, cup feeding can be a gentle and surprisingly effective alternative. Babies are actually born with the ability to lap and sip milk, and even very young infants can take milk from a small cup with support. Cup feeding allows the baby to control the pace of the feeding, reduces the risk of ni**le confusion for babies who prefer the breast, and can be a helpful bridge when a caregiver needs to offer milk but the baby won’t accept a bottle. Many parents are surprised to learn that while newborns may only take ½–1 oz at a time, older babies can comfortably take 2–5 oz per feeding this way. It’s simple, inexpensive, and for some bottle-refusing babies, it can make separations from mom a whole lot easier. Even if baby takes a bottle, introduce a cup at 6 months when starting solid foods🥛👶 My favorite is the

When did your baby start taking a cup?

03/13/2026

Hormones are powerful little troublemakers sometimes. Your period is one of the classic times they show up and mess with milk supply. If you’ve ever noticed your baby suddenly fussier at the breast or your pump output dipping right before your period, you’re not imagining it.

Here’s what’s happening 👇

Why milk supply can dip during your period

When your menstrual cycle returns, your body’s hormone levels shift, specifically estrogen and progesterone. In the days leading up to your period, those hormones rise and can temporarily interfere with prolactin, the hormone responsible for making milk.

At the same time, many women experience a drop in calcium levels during the luteal phase of their cycle (the days before menstruation). That drop can affect the tiny muscle cells around the milk-making glands that help move milk through the breast.

The result?
• Milk may flow a little slower
• Pump output may decrease
• Babies may seem fussier or want to nurse more often

The good news: this is usually temporary and supply typically rebounds once the period starts or shortly after.

What La Leche League suggests if this happens

La Leche League often recommends a calcium and magnesium supplement during the second half of the menstrual cycle to help stabilize milk supply.

A common recommendation is:

• Calcium: 500–1000 mg per day
• Magnesium: 250–500 mg per day

Starting around ovulation and continuing until your period begins.

Some parents find this significantly reduces the pre-period supply dip.

Other helpful strategies:

• Nurse or pump more frequently for a few days
• Expect temporary cluster feeding (babies are very good at protecting supply)
• Stay hydrated and nourished
• Don’t panic if pump output drops. Pumps exaggerate hormonal dips more than babies do

One more thing that surprises a lot of parents:
Milk supply dips related to your cycle do not mean your supply is disappearing or that you’re “losing your milk.”

It’s a normal hormonal fluctuation.

Most babies ride through this little hormonal roller coaster just fine, sometimes with a bit more snacking along the way.

Bodies are amazing like that. 🩷

03/13/2026

The United States is the only wealthy country in the world with zero federally guaranteed paid maternity leave.

Not low leave.
Not short leave.

Zero.

Among the 38 OECD countries (the world’s wealthiest nations), every single one guarantees paid leave for new parents…except the United States.

Here, the only federal protection is 12 weeks of unpaid leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act.

And even that doesn’t apply to everyone.
About 40% of workers don’t qualify.

So what actually happens?

Many mothers are back at work 4–6 weeks after giving birth
Not because they’re ready
But because they have to be.
Now here’s where breastfeeding comes in.

Research consistently shows that when mothers have at least 3 months of paid leave, they are significantly more likely to breastfeed for six months or longer.

Because establishing breastfeeding takes time.

Time for milk supply to regulate
Time for babies to learn how to feed
Time for bodies to heal
Time for families to find their rhythm

You cannot rush that process and expect biology to cooperate.

And yet our system is built around a different timeline.

A timeline designed for workers, not recovering mothers
For productivity, not postpartum healing.

Women are expected to:

Recover from birth
Establish feeding
Bond with their baby
Regulate milk supply
Sleep in 90-minute increments

…and then return to work on a schedule that works for employers.

This gap between what mothers need and what mothers get?

It’s not because we don’t know better.

The science on maternal leave, breastfeeding duration, maternal health, and infant outcomes has been clear for decades.

The question has never been whether mothers and babies benefit from leave.

The question has been whether we are willing to build systems that actually support them.

03/12/2026

Let’s talk about which side to start with: start on the opposite breast you started with last time. That helps keep both sides getting regular stimulation and can help with even milk removal over the day. Babies usually take more than half of their feeding from the first side. And the more a side is stimulated, the more it will make. This is how a slacker can be created. If you already have yourself a slacker, you can start on that side more often to help even out the supply.

Some babies are “one breast per meal” kind of eaters, especially if there is a robust supply. They’ll nurse one side, feel satisfied, and that’s it. That’s perfectly fine: offer the other breast first at the next feeding. Other babies will graze, switch back and forth, or do one short snack and then go back for a full meal, especially during growth spurts. This is NORMAL behavior. Older babies also discover each side can taste and flow different in the same feeding. So sometimes they’re just experimenting with having dinner and dessert at the same time. All of those patterns are how babies FEED: sometimes they snack, sometimes they binge, and both are normal. Watch for active sucking and swallowing, follow your baby’s cues, and trust your body. As long as baby is making lots of wet diapers, p**ping daily or to their own routine, and gaining weight over time, you two will find a rhythm that works. And that rhythm may be different than someone else’s.

03/12/2026

There’s a biological reason for this…
If your sweet baby suddenly sounds like a tiny barnyard animal at night—grunting, straining, and squirming—you’re not alone. Around 6 to 12 weeks, many babies go through a phase of noisy sleep that can keep everyone up, even if they’re technically still sleeping!

Here’s what’s going on:

🔄 The Bowel Wants to Sleep, Too
Newborns often p**p multiple times a day, even overnight. But around 2 months, their digestive system starts to mature, and many babies stop p**ping at night. Their bowels are trying to rest—and that’s a big transition.

🍽️ Enter the Gastrocolic Reflex
This is a normal reflex where the stomach tells the colon, “Hey, we’ve got incoming—make room!” So when a baby eats, their colon gets the signal to move things along and maybe even produce a p**p. For newborns, this reflex is strong and helps them p**p while nursing or bottle-feeding.
But over time (usually by 3–6 months), this reflex begins to fade as the digestive system matures. That means p**ping becomes a more voluntary, coordinated event—something the baby’s body has to work at. And that can be… a process.

💤 What You’re Hearing Is the Effort
When babies stop automatically p**ping in their sleep, they might still feel those urges. But they don’t yet have the coordination to relax their pelvic floor, bear down, and actually go. So instead, they grunt. They strain. They turn red. They might even wake themselves (and you) up in the effort.

🧠 It’s not pain—it’s progress.
This stage is usually normal and temporary. As your baby’s nervous and digestive systems continue to mature, they’ll get better at knowing how to p**p, and their nighttime grunting will fade.

✨In the meantime, know this is a phase of growing up—even if it’s a noisy one.

03/12/2026

🔢Infrequent/Inefficient Milk Removal
Milk is made on a supply-and-demand system. If milk isn’t being removed often or completely—either by baby or pump—your body gets the message to make less. Skipped feeds, long stretches without pumping, or weaning off middle-of-the-night feeds too soon can all tank supply
⛓️‍💥Shallow Latch/Inefficient Baby
If baby isn’t transferring milk well, your body won’t get the signal to make more. Tongue ties, tight jaws, high palates, low tone, and prematurity all make suck less efficient. A baby on the breast isn’t the same as a baby feeding well
🚽Poor Quality Pump and/or the Wrong Size Flanges
Not all pumps (or fl**ges!) are created equal. A bad pump or the wrong size fl**ge can lead to ineffective milk removal—leading to clogged ducts and less milk over time. It’s not about the number on a ruler—it’s about comfort and output
💊Medications
Sudafed, antihistamines, and some decongestants can also dry you up. ANY birth control with a hormone can drop supply. Always check with an IBCLC or knowledgeable provider before starting something new
🩸Return of Your Period (but don’t panic—it’s temporary)
When your cycle comes back, it can cause a dip in supply—usually for a few days around ovulation or menstruation. It’s usually minor and bounces back quickly
🦴Calorie Deficit (especially during early postpartum)
Breastfeeding is calorie-intensive. If you’re skipping meals, dieting, or unintentionally under-eating, your body may not have the fuel it needs to make milk. This doesn’t mean you need to “eat for two,” but your body needs nutrients to do its job—especially if you’re also running on no sleep
🤰🏽New Pregnancy
Yup—being pregnant again while nursing will change milk supply. Hormonal changes (especially rising estrogen and progesterone) tell your body to prioritize the new baby. Milk will transition back to colostrum and decrease in volume

Remember: If your supply is dipping, it’s your body’s way of sending a message. The goal isn’t to panic—listen, adjust, and ask for help as needed

03/12/2026

We talk a lot about how beautiful the postpartum period is.

But we don’t always talk enough about how heavy it can feel for many women.

Postpartum depression affects about 1 in 7 mothers, and it doesn’t always look the way people expect. It’s not always obvious sadness. Sometimes it’s numbness. Sometimes it’s rage. Sometimes it’s feeling disconnected from yourself or your life.

And one of the cruelest parts of postpartum depression is the story it tells women:

That they’re failing.
That they should be happier.
That everyone else is doing this better.

None of that is true.

Your brain and body have gone through enormous hormonal shifts, sleep deprivation, physical recovery, and one of the biggest identity changes a person can experience.

Struggling doesn’t mean you’re weak.
It means you’re human.

And you deserve support just as much as your baby does.

If this resonates with you, you’re not alone and you’re not the only mother quietly carrying this.

Help exists. Healing exists. And you are worthy of both 🤍

03/11/2026

Helping babies move their arms, especially across the midline of their body, is a big deal for their development! Here’s why:

1. Brain Development & Coordination
•Moving one arm across the body (midline crossing) helps connect the left and right sides of the brain, which is essential for coordination and future skills like reading and writing.
•It strengthens bilateral coordination, meaning both sides of the body learn to work together (important for crawling, walking, and using both hands efficiently).

2. Core Strength & Postural Control
•When babies reach across their body, they’re engaging their core muscles, which helps with balance, sitting, and eventually standing.
•This movement also preps them for more advanced motor skills, like twisting, rolling over, and eventually walking.

3. Fine Motor Development
•Midline crossing is crucial for hand dominance and skills like holding a spoon, coloring, and later, handwriting.
•Babies who don’t practice these movements might struggle with activities that require coordinated hand use (think: buttoning clothes, catching a ball, or using scissors).

4. Visual & Cognitive Growth
•When babies track objects with their eyes and reach across their body, they’re strengthening their visual tracking skills (which later helps with reading and scanning a page).
•These movements also support problem-solving and spatial awareness.

5. Prepares for Crawling & Walking
•Before babies crawl, they start learning opposite-side movement patterns (like reaching with one arm while shifting weight). This is a stepping stone for crawling, which further develops brain connections and coordination.

Ways to Encourage Midline Crossing

✅ Play with toys just slightly out of reach so baby has to reach across
✅ Gently bring baby’s hands together in clapping or hand-to-mouth movements
✅ Offer both hands a toy, then encourage transferring between hands
✅ Tummy time reaching: place a toy slightly to the side so baby has to stretch across
✅ Singing games like Pat-a-Cake or peekaboo with hands crossing the face

03/10/2026

The most commonly misdiagnosed issue in lactation is thrush. With modern research we actually know thrush is not very common. Thrush is a yeast infection and the highest risk factor is antibiotic use and a gut dysbiosis. While it still happens, it’s not common. But the symptoms of thrush are equal to a very common issue: vasospasm. Has your ni**le looked waxy or dull white right after baby unlatched? Did it feel like burning shard of glass or pins and needles after feeding baby? That’s because the blood vessels have gone into spasm and are not letting blood through. This is a vasospasm and it occurs because the ni**le is being pinched between baby’s tongue and the hard roof of their mouth. The arteries go into spasm and stop letting blood through.
When it happens in the ni**le it really HURTS. Some say it feels like fire or ice. Others describe it as a pinchy, slicing feeling, or pins and needles. The ni**le often turns pale and become painful right after the baby unlatches. It often gets misdiagnosed as thrush but will not respond to medications. So if you’ve been on multiple rounds of medications for thrush and it’s not working, you may actually be having vasospasm caused by your baby’s latch.

The two main ways to help: massage and heat.

🤲🏼Gently massaging, rubbing, or pinching the ni**le helps. Immediately cover your ni**les with your shirt/bra/nursing pad, then gently rub or massage them through the fabric.
🌞Heat is important because of science: evaporation is a cooling process. When liquid turns to gas, it uses heat energy from its surroundings to transition. When milk and saliva evaporate off your ni**le, the skin and surface tissue cool rapidly, causing the vasospasm.
🌞To slow evaporation, place heat on your ni**le as soon as baby unlatches. Use dry heat like a lavender pillow, microwaveable rice/barley/flax pack, hand warmer/Hot Hands (like you use in snowy climates for skiing), or a heating pad can help. Leave heat on for a few minutes until the pain subsides.

Figure out what is causing the spasms ASAP.

LALactation

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Monday	8am - 6pm
Tuesday	8am - 6pm
Wednesday	8am - 6pm
Thursday	8am - 6pm
Friday	8am - 6pm
Saturday	8am - 6pm