Strong as a Mother

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

10/15/2025

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day 10/15/25. Thinking of every family carrying love and loss in their hearts today. 🕯️♥️

10/14/2025

New Video!

🌟 What to do if your newborn won't latch in the First 24 Hours 🌟

Not every baby latches right away — and that’s okay! There are *gentle and effective* ways to ensure your newborn still gets that liquid gold.

Here’s what I teach families when latching is tricky in the first day of life:

👐 **Hand Expression > Pumping for Colostrum**
Colostrum is thick and sticky — most pumps can’t remove it well. Your hands are the most effective tool! Massage, compress, and collect in a clean spoon, cup, or syringe.

💧 **How Much Do They Really Need?**
A newborn’s stomach is *tiny* — about 5–7 mL on Day 1 (think marble or grape-sized).
✅ 3–5 mL of colostrum is typically a *full feed!*
No need for extra supplements unless medically indicated (like hypoglycemia).

🍼 **Feeding Options When Baby Won’t Latch:**
✔️ 3 mL syringe — let baby suck as you gently push
✔️ Medicine cup or clean spoon for colostrum collection
✔️ Skin-to-skin in an upright position to encourage natural feeding reflexes

⏱️ **Milk Storage Reminder:**
Room temp: 4 hours
Fridge: 4 days

✨ Bottom line: Your baby doesn’t need ounces — they need consistency, closeness, and *colostrum.*

Need help with expression or latch? I’d love to guide you. 💛

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

10/04/2025

✨ Lactation & prenatal education support made affordable, accessible, and evidence-based with Strong as a Mother.

🤰 Prenatal lactation prep
🤱 Postpartum consults (home, office & virtual)
🍼 Bottle refusal, back-to-work & weaning support
👶 Breastfeeding, pumping, birth prep & baby care classes on demand
🌐 Virtual doula & birth coaching services

📍 www.strongasamother.net
📱

DM to book your consult or class!

10/02/2025

✨ New Self-Pay Lactation Packages ✨
Because every mama deserves support, no matter what insurance covers. 💕

🤱 **Start Strong Package – $400**
✔️ Prenatal + postpartum visits to help you feel confident from bump to baby.

🤱 **Strong Mama Visit Pack – $500**
✔️ One extended postpartum visit + two follow-ups to keep you supported when challenges pop up.

🤱 **Stronger Together Membership – $150/month**
✔️ Monthly consults, unlimited portal messaging, and priority booking — ongoing peace of mind when you need it most.

🤱 **Strong as a Mother Support Group – FREE**
✔️ Every other Tuesday in Newtown, CT. Come as you are, connect, and know you’re not alone.

💜 At Strong as a Mother, we’re here to make lactation support accessible, compassionate, and personalized.

📍 Learn more or book at www.strongasamother.net. Link to site is in page bio.

09/25/2025

Please sign and share!

Dear CT Friends,

I have put together this petition to help ensure equitable access to skilled lactation care in our state.

📣 Please read and consider signing.
📣📣 Then send it to your friends and ask them to consider signing.
📣📣📣Then have them send it to their friends for signing... you see what I mean!

We can make change.

Everyone deserves access to care.

https://form.jotform.com/252674030495155

09/20/2025

BCBS has made it absolutely impossible to get in network as an IBCLC in CT without an advanced practice degree. It's deplorable. Up until 7/14/25 I was able to use a third party biller to work with BCBS, but now I can only take self pay clients and offer a superbill, for POSSIBLE reimbursement. This is disgusting lactation care for a major insurer to offer to many the many employees they cover in our state. We need to mobilize. This is unfair to new breastfeeding parents and their infants. This is limiting access to care as it places a huge financial burden on families for what is a preventative care service. Disgusting. We must mobilize like Virginia did to advocate for access to lactation care!

Richmond lactation consultant successfully advocates for Anthem insurance coverage changes, helping mothers like Rebecca Saur access critical breastfeeding support services.