Strong as a Mother

11/29/2025

In case you were thinking about booking with us! We would love to see you! Book now at www.strongasamother.net

11/27/2025

Happy Thanksgiving to All! 🦃✨

May your turkey be juicy, your relatives be chill, your baby naps be long(ish), and your milk supply stay stronger than your willpower around pie.

Grateful for this community of badass moms who keep it real every day.
Cheers to stretchy pants, full hearts, and maybe—just maybe—a hot cup of coffee.

🧡 Lauren Cascone, MSN, RNC-OB, IBCLC
Strong as a Mother, LLC

11/22/2025

🌟 BIRTH PREP EXPRESS!

A concise, confidence-building class for busy parents-to-be — $150 per couple

Expecting a baby but short on time? Our streamlined 3-hour Birth Preparation Class gives you everything you actually need to feel prepared for labor, without the overwhelm of an all-day course.

This class focuses on the essentials: what labor looks like, how to cope, how your support person can help, and what to expect from your care team. You’ll walk away with practical tools, a calmer mindset, and a clear plan for your birth day.

Book now at www.strongasamother.net

What You’ll Learn

✔ Understanding Labor

Signs labor is starting

When to head to your birthplace

What contractions feel like

The stages and phases of labor

What to expect on arrival

✔ Comfort & Coping Tools

Hands-on practice with:

Effective breathing techniques

Labor positions & movement

Counter-pressure and partner support

Relaxation and mindset strategies

✔ Medical Support & Options

A straightforward look at:

Pain relief choices (epidurals, IV meds, nitrous)

Induction basics

Common hospital procedures and when they’re used

✔ Cesarean Birth: What to Expect

A brief, reassuring overview so nothing feels like a surprise.

✔ Immediate Postpartum Essentials

The basics you need to know about recovery and early hours with baby—plus additional resources to explore at home.

Perfect For

First-time parents

Busy families who want a high-quality, efficient class

Anyone who wants to feel capable, prepared, and supported during labor

Included

✓ Instructor-led hands-on practice
✓ Downloadable postpartum & newborn handouts
✓ Support person participation
✓ Q&A time

11/22/2025

Please share and donate if you can! Most needed items include self care items for parents!

🎁 Each year the Empowered Beginnings community provides holiday gifts for families in need. Last year we supported 14 families, making their holiday wishes come true. This year we hope to support even more! We appreciate any contributions.

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2CBSWUAPW3NLX?ref_=wl_share

Scan for this year's wishlist 💜

11/20/2025

Spotlight on us from Newtown Moms !

11/11/2025

✨ ☃️❄️You’re invited! ✨☃️❄️

I’m hosting a special FREE Mom-osa & Mingle Holiday Gathering for all the amazing mothers I’ve had the joy of supporting this year. 💛

Join me for a relaxed, cozy morning of connection with other local moms and their little ones (or just you, solo!)— no partners this time, just space for you to sip, laugh, and celebrate motherhood. 🥂👶

✨ Mimosas (and mocktails!)
✨ Light bites & holiday vibes
✨ A chance to meet other Strong as a Mother families
✨ Fill out an ornament on our 'gratitude tree' and write one thing you're proud of from your feeding/pregnancy/postpartum journey

📅 Date: Sunday, 12/7/2025
📍 Location: Strong as a Mother, LLC (4 Hitfield Rd. Newtown, CT)
⏰ Time: 10 am - 12 pm

Space is limited — please RSVP by 12/1

Let’s toast to how far you’ve come and the beautiful community we’ve built together. 💫



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11/10/2025

Important Byheart Formula recall notice!

10/25/2025

💜 **Let’s talk about one of my favorite tools for breast comfort — the Lansinoh Hot & Cold Therapy Packs!**

As an IBCLC, I recommend these often because they’re so versatile:

🌸 **Warm** – helps with milk flow and letdown before or during pumping or feeding.

❄️ **Cold** – reduces swelling, engorgement, and tenderness in those early days or during weaning.

You can even wrap them around your pump flanges for a little extra relief during pumping sessions...their cloth covers have small snaps to secure them.

✨ Pro tip: Always use with a cloth barrier and never apply extreme heat or cold directly to your skin.

Comfort matters, mama — small tools like these can make a *big* difference. 🤱

Lauren Cascone, MSN, RNC-OB, IBCLC

10/22/2025

🎗️ Breast Cancer Awareness Month Spotlight 🎗️

This week on the blog, I had the honor of interviewing Dania Francis, FNP-BC — a triple negative breast cancer survivor, mom of two, and recipient of the 2025 Courage Award from the TNBC Foundation.

We talked about:
💗 Breast imaging while breastfeeding — yes, it’s safe and important
💗 Key breast cancer risk factors that may mean earlier screening
💗 The importance of “knowing your normal” and trusting your instincts
💗 Dania’s powerful story of self-advocacy that saved her life

Her message is clear: Don’t delay. Trust your gut. Advocate for your health.

Read the full interview on the blog 👉 https://www.strongasamother.net/post/breast-cancer-awareness-month-a-conversation-with-fnp-survivor-dania-francis (link in page bio on Instagram)



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10/20/2025

👻👻👻A haunted house....but through the eyes of your favorite lactation consultant.

10/17/2025

✨ Ever wonder why your newborn seems to be constantly at the breast? This incredible visual perfectly illustrates why frequent feeding is not just normal, but essential for your little one! ✨

As an IBCLC, I often get asked about newborn feeding frequency. Let's break down what this guide shows us:

👶 Day 1: Tiny Tummy! Your baby's stomach is about the size of a cherry or marble (5-7ml). Colostrum, your body's first milk, is perfectly designed for these tiny capacities – rich in nutrients and antibodies, and just the right amount!

🌰 Day 3: Walnut Size. Their stomach has grown slightly to about the size of a walnut (22-27ml). Your milk supply is likely starting to come in more fully around this day.

🍑 Day 7: Apricot Size. By a week old, their stomach is closer to an apricot (45-60ml). They're able to take a bit more at each feed, but still not a huge amount.

🍈 1 Month: Lime Size. Around one month, their stomach is roughly the size of a lime (80-150ml). While larger, it's still relatively small, necessitating frequent feeds.

Why does this matter?

Small Capacity, Frequent Feeds: Those tiny stomachs mean newborns need small, frequent meals – often every 1.5-3 hours, or 8-12+ times in 24 hours. This establishes your milk supply (if breastfeeding), ensures adequate hydration and nutrition, and provides comfort.

Rapid Growth & Development: Newborns are growing at an astonishing rate! Frequent feeding fuels this incredible development.

Hormonal Regulation: For breastfeeding parents, frequent feeding stimulates hormones essential for milk production and let-down.

Cues, Not Clocks: Rather than watching the clock, follow your baby's hunger cues! Rooting, mouth movements, hand-to-mouth, and alert fussing are all signs they're ready to eat. Crying is a late hunger cue.

Understanding your newborn's stomach capacity can bring so much peace of mind during those early weeks. You're doing an amazing job responding to your baby's needs!

If you have any questions about feeding frequency, latch, or milk supply, reach out to us here , we are here to help!

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10/16/2025

Want confidence and guidance for your breastfeeding journey before baby arrives?

Absolutely! ✨

Your prenatal prep checklist should include:

➡️ Scheduling a prenatal consultation with a board-certified lactation consultant (IBCLC)! They can help you:
* Review your medical history for potential impacts on supply (such as history of breast reduction, thyroid, anemia, PCOS, gastric bypass, among others).
* Strategize for birth interventions that could impact breastfeeding
* Understand insurance coverage for care & pumps.
* Develop a personalized feeding plan!

➡️ Connecting with local support groups like La Leche League.

➡️ Talking to your support system (family/friends) about your breastfeeding goals.
Invest in your peace of mind! Your IBCLC is your go-to expert. 💖

Ready to book your prenatal consult? Visit link in page bio. www.strongasamother.net