Megan Harrison, IBCLC

01/07/2025

Yes 👏🏼

The saddest truth to sink in. Parents deserve more time with their babies before returning to work, without having to worry about finances.

12/02/2024

Baby’s digestive system lays dormant in utero and they don’t p**p. Meconium is that thick, tarry first p**p that builds in the gut and colostrum is a high protein milk that acts as a laxative to p**p this out after birth. When babies are born they p**p a lot, even over night. The digestive system is waking up and maturing. The contents of colostrum and transitional milk aid in this process. Transitional milk includes high levels of fat, lactose, and water-soluble vitamins and is different in nutrient composition than mature milk. It contains more calories than colostrum. Around 2 weeks your milk transitions to mature milk, which has a higher water content than transitional milk, grange the steady increase in the volume of your milk. As your body and baby adjusts to this change, your baby will eventually stop p**ping overnight: usually around 3-5 weeks. Some will still p**p overnight for longer than that (some times months) and that is also normal! Our digestive system wants to rest at night. Even as adults we typically don’t p**p overnight. Your body is very smart. It makes a higher water content, higher volume milk first thing in the morning to help baby have their first p**p of the day since their system has rested over night. It’s like their morning coffee. In the evening, your milk volume drops and increases in fat to help baby sleep and digest for growth and NOT to p**p. Diaper companies are aware of this change, hence the 12 hour leak protection diapers. Your milk and your baby are going through many changes. Trust your body. Trust your baby.

**p **ps

11/24/2024

Baby formula is an adequate life saving food for babies. It should be treated as a risk and a last resort when breastmilk is not accessible.

But saying “It doesn’t matter” if your baby is fed breast milk or formula is just plain wrong.

Whether you are exclusively breastfeeding, or giving a little bit of both. You have to be made aware that it DOES matter and that even if you are not 100% exclusively breastfeeding, your hard work and effort is worth it!!!

Baby formula is a man made powder made in a factory. It has many missing ingredients such as, hormones, antimicrobial factors, digestive enzymes, growth factors, cytokines, and stem cells.

➖Does not protect against infection
➖Contains artificial ingredients and contaminants
➖Does not protect the breastfeeding mothers health
➖Is not environmentally friendly

Breastmilk is antibacterial, antiviral, anti-parasitic, and antifungal. 🦠💛

➖Antibodies to protect against illnesses
➖Hormones that promote bonding and regulate appetite
➖Stem cells that may support organ development and repair
➖White blood cells that fight infection
➖Beneficial bacteria that protect your baby’s digestive system
➖Prebiotics called oligosaccharides that support a healthy gut
➖Long-chain fatty acids to help develop your baby’s brain, nervous system and eyes
➖Enzymes to support his digestive and immune systems
➖Nucleotides and hormones that help develop healthy sleep-wake patterns

One of the benefits of breast milk over formula is that it’s a LIVING fluid. It adapts to your baby’s changing circumstances. So if your baby becomes ill, your body makes extra white blood cells and antibodies that travel into your milk and help fight infection.

Saying “it doesn’t matter” does a disservice to the moms who are trying their hardest to provide their babies with breast milk.

IT MATTERS.

11/23/2024

The idea that breast milk loses its value after age 1 is a common misconception, and unfortunately, it’s one that some pediatricians unintentionally reinforce when they recommend switching to cow’s milk. While cow’s milk can be a convenient source of calcium and fat, breast milk remains nutritionally superior and continues to provide immune-boosting properties, antibodies, and a host of other benefits well beyond infancy.

Toddlers can easily get calcium from a variety of foods. Breast milk, however, is uniquely tailored to meet their needs, adapting in composition as they grow.

The push to transition away from breast milk at age 1 often overlooks its continued value, especially when toddlers are picky eaters or need additional immune support. Breastfeeding past infancy isn’t just nutritionally beneficial—it’s also emotionally supportive for both mom and child. Don’t let outdated recommendations or societal pressures make you feel otherwise! 😌🤍

10/18/2024

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

In 1929 Ge**er began an advertising campaign to convince dieticians and pediatricians that canned baby food was just as nutritious as homemade food, and even better because it was scientifically prepared.
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As part of the campaign, doctors received free Ge**er products for patients. Ge**er also funded research touting the health benefits of their food. That research—vaguely worded and devoid of peer review—was published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, positioning it as scientific fact.
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Alongside these efforts, Ge**er stated that women who prepared their own baby food were neglecting their husbands—and babies. One 1933 ad read, “For Baby’s Sake, Stay Out of the Kitchen!”
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Alongside these efforts, Ge**er advocated for starting solids at 3 months old. And by the 1950’s—after 20 years of advertising—the average age of introducing solids fell to just 6 weeks old.💔
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Since then the medical community realized that too-early introduction of solids displaced valuable nutrition from breast milk/formula. The consensus among medical institutions today (AAP, U.S. National Institutes for Health, and World Health Organization) is that it’s best to introduce solids at 6 months old. It is at this time that most babies are developmentally ready to eat and need more iron. Conveniently, 6 months is also when babies are capable of feeding themselves.
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Baby food was invented. Mom guilt was marketed.
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There is no perfect order of introducing solids. No no need for “stages” of thickness. These were all constructs in the name of profit.
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Convenience has its place. I love a good yogurt pouch and rely on Cheerios when traveling. But the idea that real food has to be hard isn’t good for anyone. Babies don’t need banana pudding or pricey pouches—a banana is fine!
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There is a reason feeding feels complicated. Corporations spent the last century telling your grandmothers and great-grandmothers that they would be bad moms and wives if they didn’t buy pre-prepared baby food. So the next time you feel a twinge of guilt for feeding your baby YOUR way, remember that it’s not you. It’s history.

08/19/2024

Love it 😍🤣🤣

06/25/2024

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8mQy0zOAaw/?igsh=Mmx2d214Y2tzcW45

06/23/2024

It’s time for **gefridays! Still confused about what fl**ge size to use? Use a coin or battery to measure your pre-pump ni**le size. What ni**le size are you?

AAA Battery = 11 mm
AA Battery = 15 mm
Dime = 18 mm⁣
Penny = 20 mm⁣
Nickel = 22 mm⁣
Quarter = 24 mm⁣
Dollar = 26 mm⁣
Half dollar = 30 mm ⁣

06/09/2024

👏🏼

“I often see pictures on social media of freezers full of breast milk. The caption always reads something like “thankful for my freezer stash” or “stocked up to go back to work”. I wanted to show moms what a going back to work stash normally looks like.

It seems as though no one is posting about their completely normal and adequate “freezer stash”. This is 16 oz of milk, and it is completely adequate for a moms first day back to work.

The average baby takes around 1-1.5oz per hour while mom is away. This means that if baby is at daycare for 9 hours the maximum amount baby should need is about 13oz. This also leaves a 3oz cushion should the parents get stuck in traffic or if some is spilled.

If mom is pumping to make up missed feedings while away from baby she will get what she needs for the next day. Preparing to leaving baby is hard enough without the pressure to fill a deep freezer.”

~ Whitney Callahan

There is no right or wrong here. small stash, huge stash, no stash...We are all doing the absolute best we can and you should be proud of yourself for that! More often than not we see the huge freezer stash pictures, I thought it was important to see the other side of that. ❤️❤❤

(Shared from .life)