Advanced Lactation

02/12/2026

Agree! My take on wearables is what makes people feel they need one? I absolutely believe wearables can be a convenient tool when needed, but generally give yourself a true pumping break. Sit down, focus on pumping milk for your baby, relax.

01/27/2026

Having a baby 👶🏼 is hard. Sometimes harder than we ever thought possible. I remember having a thought in my early postpartum days with my first born and thinking, "is this some kind of a test?! This is literally the hardest thing I have experienced in my life". At the time I was in my mid-30's and felt like, for the most part, my life was put together. Never in a million years did I think having a baby was going to be THIS hard.

It seems that asking for help is sometimes perceived as a sign of weakness 👎🏼. That we as parents are supposed to be able to do it all *and* look perfect 💃🏻💅🏽 doing it.

I want to normalize asking for help. Yes, you can ask someone to grab you a coffee ☕️ on their way over because you literally can't imagine getting dressed and leaving your house with a newborn first thing in the morning ☀️.

Ask for help with the housework because you are so enamored by and entrenched in learning and communicating with a new little human that you haven't had time to sweep 🧹 , wipe counters or empty the diaper pail.

You can ask someone to bring you a meal 🥘 because the thought of having to not only plan a meal, but also shop 🛒for ingredients, and then prepare ⏲️ said meal feels overwhelming. And that's ok.

Inherently, I believe people truly want to help 💕when they can. We as a society so often feel accepting help is a sign of weakness. I say asking for help is a sign of STRENGTH 👊🏼!

When you know you need support or a helping hand, you are not only prioritizing yourself and your baby, but you are communicating your needs and acknowledging your limits. This is a sign of strength. ❤️

01/14/2026

Excited to offer in-home 🏠 lactation🤱support. Most private insurances covered! 🙌🏼

Ashland, Talent, Phoenix, Medford and surrounding areas - appointments limited.

Advancedlactation.net for more info and to request an appt!

01/11/2025

We are collecting baby items such as breast pumps, diapers, wipes, baby clothes, and other essentials to assist families affected by the fires.

Please email Brenda (bvieyra@breastfeedla.org) if you're able to donate supplies, free lactation services, or space for donation drop-offs.

Thank you to everyone in our community who has already offered their support.

11/28/2024

Truly thankful for the privilege and honor to support the Olympia community over the last several years! ❤️

09/20/2024

Having a nearly 10 year age gap between my oldest and youngest has made me realize so much truth in this 🩷 hold them, love them, snuggle them. Savor every moment.

all children will eventually sleep alone. all children will eventually stop asking to be carried or cuddled.

before we know it, the toys will disappear as they outgrow them, and they won't need us quite as much as they did the day before.

so don’t let anyone make you feel bad for wanting to soak up every ounce of parenthood that you get. 🤍

04/27/2024

Such a wonderful resource for the community! 🩵

Dr. Shaw's next community clinic for Infant Craniosacral Therapy (CST) is next week on Tuesday, April 30th! The clinic will take place in the Wellness Center of True Self Yoga. These appointment slots are completely FREE and must be scheduled by calling (360) 302-6285. We hope to see you there!

🌈

04/16/2024

So excited that starting THIS week we are expanding our local coverage area to include south Pierce county! We now have a beautiful office in Steilacoom to support more families in DuPont, Lakewood, Steilacoom, and south Tacoma. Book here 👉🏼 http://www.olympialactation.com/schedule.html

09/04/2023

Did you know Olympia Lactation offers fl**ge fittings? Properly fitting fl**ges have a huge impact on pumping comfort, volume of milk output, and overall duration of breastfeeding.
More often than not, people fit better in a different size than what comes with their pump. We keep many sizes of fl**ges in stock so you can go home with the best fitting size for you.

Our consultants have been trained in fl**ge fitting and are happy to help you on your pumping journey! Schedule an appointment online here: http://www.olympialactation.com/schedule.html

05/03/2023

This study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition this month - May ’23. While lactation cookies are marketed to help with milk supply, there’s no evidence that supports this claim. Yes, they often contain galactagogues, substances believed to help milk production, however, the amount in the cookies is often too low to have a therapeutic effect. Not to mention, these cookies are high in sugar and empty calories.

If you are concerned about milk supply, please talk to an IBCLC. And if you want a cookie, have a cookie - you earned it!

03/08/2023

Enjoy those snuggles 💕

You stopped napping six months ago. But yesterday, out of the blue, after an all-consuming tantrum, you fell asleep on me at 4pm. This was beyond a danger nap. Catastrophic!

Initially, I tried to rouse you. But my efforts were half-hearted. Because it felt like a gift. This daytime cuddle that I didn't realise I had missed so much.

So I submitted instead. I sank lower down into the couch and breathed you in. As though it were the last time. Because there will be a last time for everything.

You seem to be edging out of toddlerhood all of a sudden. The baby in you is leaving. A little boy now. Your face has changed so much, but somehow not at all.

My mind raced to all the shoulds. 'I should be making dinner', I thought. 'Bedtime's going to be so late'. I thought of all those articles that push the importance of a consistent bedtime.

Then I thought too about how the constant quest for routine drove me routinely mad in the early days.

And so I let go of my weird fixation with the 7.30pm bedtime. You woke as daddy came through the door. We all ate spaghetti together. Then we danced about the living room to 90s R&B in an effort to tire you out. We saved ourselves the stress of a long-drawn-out bedtime and you went to bed the same time as us.

It felt forbidden. I felt momentarily like a bad mum somehow. But mostly like a happy one. Maybe I'm finally starting to relax into this motherhood gig.

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Words: Karen McMillan (Mother Truths)
Art:

Words taken from: "Lessons: Reflections on Early Motherhood".
Available to buy worldwide: https://linktr.ee/mother_truths