River Valley Lactation

01/29/2026

Is your baby refusing a bottle? 🍼

If your baby is refusing a bottle, you are not alone — and it’s absolutely something I help families work through.

Bottle refusal almost always has an underlying cause. During a visit, I do a full oral assessment to look for possible reasons and bring a large assortment of bottles to try, so you don’t have to spend money buying every option yourself.

One of the best ways to help prevent bottle refusal is to introduce a bottle before 6 weeks of age and keep it in regular rotation after that — even if breastfeeding is going great.

If you’re feeling stressed about returning to work, an upcoming appointment, or just wanting flexibility, please don’t hesitate to reach out. There are solutions, and we can make a plan together. 💛

01/28/2026

Did you know I offer in home lactation consultations in our area and throughout the greater River Valley? 🤱✨

Many families qualify for visits covered by insurance with no out of pocket cost.

Whether you’re learning to breastfeed, dealing with low milk supply, navigating bottle refusal, or wondering if lip or tongue ties could be affecting feeds — you don’t have to figure it out alone. I’m here to provide personalized, compassionate support for whatever feeding challenges come your way! 🫶🏼

⬇️ See below to schedule or check if you qualify for a free consultation! 👶🏼

01/27/2026

Most of my patients are shocked to hear I didn’t swaddle my babies arms in 😱

Swaddling can be a helpful tool for newborn sleep—but did you know when it’s used all day long, it can actually quietly impact breastfeeding and milk supply!!

Here’s what many families aren’t told:

✨ Swaddled babies often feed less effectively✨
When babies are tightly swaddled, their hands can’t come to their mouth or chest—movements that help with rooting, latching, and staying actively engaged at the breast.

✨ Feeding cues can be missed ✨
Early hunger cues are subtle: stirring, hand-to-mouth movements, head turning. Being swaddled for long stretches can hide these cues and delay feeds.

✨ Sleepy feeds = less milk transfer ✨
A very cozy, very swaddled baby may latch but not feed actively, which can mean baby takes in less milk.

✨ Less frequent or less effective feeding can affect milk supply ✨
Milk production works on supply and demand. When feeds are delayed, shortened, or spaced out because baby stays swaddled and sleepy, the body may get the signal to make less milk over time.

✨ Daytime swaddling usually isn’t necessary ✨
Swaddles are most helpful when mom and dad are actually to sleep. During awake times, being unswaddled helps babies move, cue, feed more often, and support healthy milk production!

💡 What can help:
• Fully unswaddle for feeds
• Allow baby to be unswaddled and alert during the day
• Use swaddles for nighttime sleep (or not at all!), not all day wear
• Feed based on early cues

Swaddling isn’t “bad”—it just works best when used intentionally. In the early weeks, frequent, effective feeding is one of the most important drivers of a healthy milk supply.

If feeding feels sleepy, stressful, or confusing, support can make a big difference. You’re not doing anything wrong—and you don’t have to figure it out alone. 🤍

01/26/2026

Sharing my availability for lactation support this week 🤱

If you’re struggling, need guidance, or know someone who does, I have a few appointments available!

Send me a direct message to get scheduled 🗓️

Please feel free to pass this along to someone who may need it 🤍

01/23/2026

Are you due in March or April? 🌷🤰

Now is the ideal time to schedule your in home prenatal lactation education—before baby arrives. 🏡 🫶🏼

Here’s why learning during pregnancy makes such a difference:

Knowledge reduces anxiety 🧠
• Understanding how milk supply works, what a good latch looks like, and what’s normal in the early days helps you feel calm and confident instead of overwhelmed.

You build your support toolbox early 🛠
• You’ll recognize common challenges, red flags, and when to ask for help—so you’re not panic-Googling at 2 a.m.

Your partner/support person learns too 🤝
• Prenatal education helps them understand how to support you and advocate for your feeding goals from day one.

Realistic expectations = better outcomes 🎢
• Many parents stop breastfeeding not because they can’t—but because they weren’t prepared for the normal ups and downs.

💬 It opens the door for ongoing support:
• Starting this relationship before birth makes it easier to reach out once baby is here. Lactation help isn’t a one stop shop, we are here to support in all stages!

👉 Schedule your prenatal lactation education now! Your insurance may even cover the visit! 🗓️

01/22/2026

It’s easy to point out what doesn’t work well for some babies — but what’s more helpful is knowing where to start! 🙌🏼

Some commonly LC-preferred bottle options include:
• Evenflo Balance+
• Lansinoh
• Pigeon
• NUK Perfect Match
• Dr. Brown’s Narrow

Just as important as the bottle itself is how it’s used and side laying paced bottle feeding can be a helpful bottle feeding technique!

How to pace feed 🍼:

1️⃣ Hold baby in a supported side-lying position. If they have good head control, upright works too — but never flat on their back. Side-lying is my preference.

2️⃣ Keep the bottle mostly horizontal — just enough tilt so there isn’t air in the ni**le. Don’t tip straight down.

3️⃣ Let baby gape widely and draw the ni**le in — don’t push it into their mouth. Check positioning like you would at the breast. Ex: is their chin slightly lifted off the chest?

4️⃣ Give breaks, burp, switch sides, and try not to rush the feeding.

Struggling with bottle or breast feeds? See if your consult is covered below🔗 ⬇️

https://intakeq.com/new/fxkpn3?fbclid=IwRlRTSAPe_iJleHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEes8AMCgmEk91jnTXRxf7MWj33Pye05nMkDe_6mxf3uLF6WYwazdWIsIYDGOU_aem_ifSzx0Qs4evBz2bjRg-Tbw

01/21/2026

Do you use this bottle? 🍼

If so, have any feeding challenges shown up?

Some things I commonly see:
• Needing to move to a faster ni**le (often a size 2) just to get through a bottle in a reasonable amount of time
• Jaw chomping or changes in latch at the breast after bottle feeds
• Increased air intake, fussiness, or discomfort
• Slow or inconsistent weight gain

I see this bottle in nearly every home I visit — thanks, Amazon registry boxes 🫠 It’s widely marketed as supportive of breastfeeding and easy transitions between breast and bottle. In practice, many lactation consultants find the opposite can be true for some babies.

In many consults where families are struggling with the back-and-forth between breast and bottle, this bottle often shows up. Are there babies who do great with it? Absolutely, and if that is you, no need to worry!

If you own this bottle, try a quick experiment with me:
Fill it with water, fl**ge your lips around the ni**le, and try to draw water out — no biting allowed.

I’d love to hear how it goes 😆

Again, if this bottle is working well for your baby, no changes are needed, however, if feeding feels harder than it should, I can help determine a better bottle fit. 🫶🏼👶🏼

01/21/2026

It isn’t too late to sign up for a free group prenatal education course with me this weekend!

Expecting a baby? Join us for Prenatal Education at OMC!
This two-day class is open to anyone who’s expecting, and bringing a support person is encouraged. We’ll cover labor and delivery, newborn care, pain management options, breastfeeding, and more to help you feel prepared and confident.

January 24th and 25th from 9:00 AM – 1:30 PM

Jan 24:
Labor & delivery, third-trimester aches and pains, newborn care and testing, and postpartum care.

Jan 25:
Car seat safety, Family Resource Center services, pain control options, and breastfeeding education with River Valley Lactation.

👉 Register here:
https://myomc.typeform.com/JanuaryPrenatal

01/19/2026

✨THIS WEEK’S AVAILABILITY ✨

Lactation support can be helpful at many points throughout a feeding journey — not just once, and not only in the newborn stage. 🤱

If you’d like to work through feeding questions or concerns, or know of anyone who might—these are the hours available this week. Please don’t hesitate to reach out! 🗓️🫶🏼

01/18/2026

➡️ Marketing would tell you that babies should move up ni**le sizes as they age — but age alone is not a reason to increase flow.

I get the question frequently, “When should I increase to the next size ni**le?” Bottle ni**le flow should be based on how a baby feeds, not how many weeks or months they’ve been alive.

Here’s why we often don’t size up automatically:

• A flow that’s too fast can make bottle feeding very different from breastfeeding and may impact latch or preference
• The speed of the feeding being fast may cause them to eat more milk than they would have before realizing they are full, making it harder to keep supply high enough
• Babies regulate milk intake best when they can suck, swallow, and breathe comfortably
• Faster flow can overwhelm babies and lead to coughing, choking, clicking, leaking milk, or gulping which can contribute to reflux-like symptoms, gassiness, or discomfort
• Many babies do perfectly well on a slow or newborn flow often for the entire bottle-feeding journey
• The flow from mom at breast does not change drastically over time

Instead of asking “How old is my baby?”
We ask “How is my baby feeding?”

** If your newborn needs to size up to a 2+ to effectively remove milk from the bottle, this bottle is probably not a good fit for them. **

If you’re unsure whether your baby’s bottle setup is supporting them well, an individualized feeding assessment can make a big difference 🤍 🍼

01/15/2026

🤱Introducing: Free Community Lactation Support Visits

Every week, I will be offering one free virtual lactation visit to a St Croix River Valley family who would not otherwise be able to access IBCLC care. While I would love to help everyone, this offering is intentionally meant to give back to my local community and support families right here at home.

This visit is for families who may:
• Not have insurance or lactation coverage
• Have tried the support they have access to without result
• Are unable to currently pay out of pocket

Each family will receive one full virtual consult, allowing me to keep this accessible to as many families as possible.
✨ If this is you — you are worthy of support.
✨ No judgment. No pressure. Just evidence-based lactation care.

How to seek this care:
👉 Send me a private message or book via my scheduling link (selecting free visit)

Anybody who knows me is aware that volunteering in my community is my jam. I'm passionate about giving back to others so feel it is important to do this in my business also. Please share this resource with anyone you think may benefit! 🤍

01/02/2026

As I wrap up my first full year in business, I can’t help but pause and reflect with so much gratitude.

This year looked like 666 lactation visits, 21,005 miles driven to families’ homes, and December being my busiest month yet. But more than the numbers, this year was filled with incredibly meaningful moments—quiet feeds, tired parents, wins big and small, and the privilege of being welcomed into families’ lives during such a tender postpartum season.

Spending time with parents in those early days is something I will never take for granted. Thank you to every family who trusted me with their care, their stories, and their feeding journeys.

I am so proud of how far this business has reached in just one year, and I am beyond excited to step into year two with even more heart, knowledge, and passion. 🤍