New Jersey Breastfeeding Coalition

04/09/2026

Have you ever been told this?
Breastmilk never loses its nutritional benefits

Have you ever been told this?
Breastmilk never loses its nutritional benefits!

~Laura

04/09/2026

: April 7, 2026 by Yael Breimer

What Does Breastmilk Letdown Feel Like?
Nursing parents may experience a unique sensation when nursing their babies right at the beginning of the nursing session. This feeling is called the milk letdown or milk ejection reflex. Whether you can feel a letdown or not, both are normal. It can feel different for every nursing dyad. Some have a peaceful feeling, some describe a tingling sensation, and others even experience varying levels of physical or emotional discomfort.
According to The Art of Breastfeeding, “You can’t always tell when your milk has released. You might have several releases (milk ejections) in a feed or pumping session, but it’s common to feel only the first one or two—or none at all. If you watch your baby, you might see him start to suck more deeply when a new rush of milk releases.” (page 133). Do not worry if you don’t feel anything particular; this has no relevance for your milk supply.

A recent Facebook post on the La Leche League USA’s page asked parents to discuss what their letdowns felt like. Some of their descriptions are very expressive.:

Angeline S. wrote that letdown felt “almost like what I imagine TV static would feel like!”

For Chelsea T., “it felt like stinging or like when your foot has fallen asleep, and it’s all tingly when it wakes back up.”

Jen L. had a different experience nursing twins. “The oxytocin (from letdown) felt like warm water being poured over my head. Then it would just be my breasts, but yes, tingly!”

Ariel T. remarked that “it felt like soda, or a fizzy drink, was coming out of her breasts, rather than milk!”

What about when the sensation of your letdown is uncomfortable? “For some people, nursing (or expressing) is accompanied by a wave of strong negative feelings just before the milk releases. These sensations, thought to be caused by hormones, have been named dysphoric milk ejection reflex, or D-MER for short. There are strategies that can help, including deep breathing and relaxation, distraction, drinking something cold when your milk releases, vitamin supplements, and antidepressant medication.” (The Art of Breastfeeding, page 516)

La Leche League has some great further resources about D-MER. You can check them out below:

Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex (D-MER), La Leche League Canada
What is D-MER?, La Leche League International

https://lllusa.org/what-does-breastmilk-letdown-feel-like/

04/09/2026

Researchers have discovered an extraordinary biological response that occurs during pregnancy. When a pregnant mother has a heart att@ck, her unborn baby may send stem cells through the bl*odstream to support healing in the damaged heart. These cells travel naturally and appear to help repair injured tissue, offering a unique example of how deeply connected mother and child are even before birth.
Scientists explain that these fetal stem cells can settle in the mother’s heart and begin assisting with tissue recovery. They are highly adaptable, which allows them to respond to areas of injury. This natural process has been observed in several studies and suggests that the fetus can play an unexpected role in supporting the mother’s health.
This phenomenon is part of a broader process known as microchimerism, where fetal cells remain in the mother’s body long after pregnancy. Some of these cells may continue offering benefits by helping the body respond to damage or stress. The full extent of these effects is still being studied.
The discovery highlights the remarkable biological connection between mother and child. It reminds us that pregnancy involves more than growth. It also includes shared support systems that can influence health in powerful and surprising ways.

04/09/2026

Breastfeeding patterns in India differ between slum and non-slum neighborhoods
"University of Toronto
Apr 8 2026
A new study from the University of Toronto shows that where a mother lives in an Indian city – in a slum or a non‑slum neighborhood – is linked to how she breastfeeds her baby.

Breastfeeding within one hour of birth helps newborns fight infection and lowers the risk of death, especially in low‑ and middle‑income countries. Giving babies only breastmilk (no water or other foods) for about the first six months protects them from diarrhea, pneumonia, and poor growth and supports their brain development.

Using data from India's 2015–2016 National Family Health Survey, the researchers compared breastfeeding practices among more than 3,200 mothers living in urban slums and in other urban neighborhoods across seven states.

They found a split pattern:

About half of mothers in slums (50.4%) started breastfeeding within one hour of birth, compared to just over a third of mothers in non‑slum areas (37.4%).​
However, exclusive breastfeeding in the first five months was more common in non‑slum areas (55.8%) than in slums (50.0%).

"While these percentages are broadly consistent with national urban estimates, they also show that there is room for improvement in both settings. Both early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding need to increase overall, but the barriers and the solutions will differ depending on where mothers live."

Suliat Fehintola Akinwande, lead author and PhD student, Factor‑Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto

"These findings tell us that a universal or standard approach will not work for every neighborhood," added Akinwande. "In slum communities, mothers are doing relatively well at starting breastfeeding quickly, but need more support to continue breastfeeding only breastmilk for longer. In non‑slum areas, more help is needed right after birth to get breastfeeding started in the first hour."

More than 90% of mothers in both settings delivered in health facilities, which the authors say is a major opportunity. India has already invested in hospital‑based breastfeeding programs such as the Mother's Absolute Affection (MAA) initiative, which encourages early breastfeeding and mother‑baby contact.

"India has made huge progress in getting women to give birth in facilities," said Akinwande. "The next step is to make sure every mother leaves the hospital with practical, culturally sensitive breastfeeding support that fits her living conditions.

The study also found that in slum areas, mothers whose previous child was born more than two years earlier were less likely to start breastfeeding within an hour. "This suggests that counselling and information mothers received in the past may fade over time," said Chiamaka Okonkwo of the State House Medical Centre in Abuja, Nigeria. "Regular contact with health workers between pregnancies could help keep breastfeeding knowledge fresh."

The research team used a social–ecological lens to look beyond individual mothers to the wider environment, including family support, community norms, and health services.

"Breastfeeding decisions are shaped by social norms, caste‑based inequalities, work conditions, and how easy it is to reach services," said Thabani Nyoni, co‑author and faculty member at the School of Social Work, Dalhousie University. "Policies have to meet mothers where they live – whether that is in a crowded informal settlement or a more resourced urban neighborhood."

In non‑slum areas, giving birth in a health facility was strongly linked to starting breastfeeding within the first hour, underlining the importance of bedside support from nurses and counsellors. "Hospitals are a crucial starting point for breastfeeding," said Kehinde Oluwatosin Akinwande of Lagos University Teaching Hospital. "Strengthening post‑delivery support can turn each birth into a powerful teaching moment."

​Although the study did not find strong predictors of exclusive breastfeeding after adjusting for other factors, the authors say the clear differences between slum and non‑slum areas point to the need for targeted programming rather than a single national message.

Source:
University of Toronto

Journal reference:
Akinwande, S. F., et al. (2026). Prevalence and social determinants of breastfeeding practices in urban slums and urban non-slum areas in India: A comparative analysis. PLOS One. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0323861. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0323861

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20260408/Breastfeeding-patterns-in-India-differ-between-slum-and-non-slum-neighborhoods.aspx

04/09/2026

09 Apr 2026
Breastfeeding Linked to Long-Term Weight Benefits
"Several studies in the past have looked at how the mother's weight develops in the first year or two after giving birth, depending on whether she breastfeeds.

Researchers at the University of Oslo have now also looked at what happens to her weight in the longer term, up to 50 years after she has stopped breastfeeding. They will use these findings in further research on mothers' risk of cardiovascular disease.

And the findings are clear: for many women, breastfeeding each child for at least three months has a positive long-term effect on weight.

The researchers used data from the Women and Health Study, in which over 170,000 women in Norway have taken part. The study was recently published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Greatest difference among women with overweight
he researchers found the greatest difference among those who had overweight or obesity as young adults, before pregnancy.

"We compared women in this group who were otherwise similar in terms of education level, physical activity and smoking. We then found that those who breastfed for three to 15 months gained on average up to 6.5 kilos less from young adulthood to middle age, compared with those who breastfed little," says PhD candidate Thorbjørn Brun Skammelsrud. He is doing his doctorate at the Department of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo.
For women with normal weight, the difference was up to 3 kilos
For those who had been of normal weight as young adults, the difference was up to 3 kilos if they breastfed for three to 15 months. For women who had been underweight, breastfeeding made little difference to later weight.

Skammelsrud explains that the extent to which breastfeeding affects weight will in any case vary from woman to woman.

"Breastfeeding increases energy expenditure, so in theory breastfeeding should contribute to weight loss. But precisely because energy expenditure increases, some women will also experience increased appetite when they are breastfeeding," he says.

Breastfeeding patterns traced back to the 1940s
The women who took part in the study had children as early as the 1940s. The association between breastfeeding and lower weight was clearest among women who had children after 1980. These women are also more representative of today's mothers in terms of breastfeeding patterns and diet.
What happened when whole milk was replaced by semi-skimmed milk?
Breastfeeding is positive for public health
Norwegian guidelines generally recommend that mothers partially breastfeed for one year or more if both mother and baby are comfortable with it. Skammelsrud points out that Norwegian women breastfeed for longer compared with many other countries.

"This is positive for public health. At the same time, the study shows that some women may need extra follow-up after giving birth, particularly those with overweight or obesity," he says.

"In this study, we see that breastfeeding for at least three months has a positive effect on women's weight later in life. It is therefore important that breastfeeding is facilitated, and that women who wish to breastfeed are offered qualified support," the researcher emphasises.

Reference:
Skammelsrud TB et al: Breastfeeding duration and maternal weight change through adulthood in a population-based cohort study

https://www.miragenews.com/breastfeeding-linked-to-long-term-weight-1652629/

04/09/2026

HIV No Longer Absolute Barrier to Breastfeeding
BY Lara Salahi April 08, 2026
"Postpartum patients with HIV can breastfeed their infants with consistent antiretroviral therapy and support from clinicians, according to updated guidance from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists ( ACOG).

The change reflects growing evidence that the risk for HIV transmission through breastfeeding is low when patients are treated with antiretroviral therapy and have a controlled viral load.

“As further evidence emerged related to use of antiretrovirals and viral suppression, we thought that this evidence is provocative enough that the recommendation really needs to be changed,” said Christopher Zahn, MD, chief of clinical practice and health equity and quality at ACOG, who helped draft the guidance. “This should not be a decision made by the clinician for the patient.”

The updated clinical practice update marks a departure from earlier recommendations to treat HIV as a contraindication to breastfeeding. Instead, clinicians are now encouraged to provide options and support patients’ informed decisions.

“It’s really an opportunity to have a discussion with our patients about the risk of transmissions and really allow the woman to make an informed decision,” said Maria Luisa Alcaide, MD, professor of infectious diseases and ob/gyn at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Florida, who was not involved in the guidance.

Monitoring
The risk for transmission while on antiretroviral therapy is less than 1%. But even with a low risk for transmission, patients with HIV who breastfeed should be more closely monitored for levels of viral load than if they choose formula feeding, Alcaide said.

To maintain that low risk, clinicians should monitor viral loads every 4 weeks and advise strict adherence to antiretroviral therapy.

Clinicians should clearly and in neutral terms distinguish between eliminating risk and reducing it, Zahn said.

“The only way to completely eliminate the risk is to not breastfeed,” he said. But “we should not be qualifying whether that 1% is low, that’s really up to the patient.”

Should a patient decide to breastfeed, clinicians should also monitor for factors that could increase risk, including lapses in adherence to treatment or development of breast conditions such as mastitis, Alcaide said.

If a patient develops detectable viral levels while breastfeeding, the update advises temporarily stopping breastfeeding and switching to replacement feeding while reassessing. The infant should also be started on prophylaxis.

ACOG continues to recommend formula or pasteurized donor milk for patients who are not on antiretroviral therapy or who have not achieved sustained viral suppression during pregnancy or after giving birth.

Implementation
While the guidance reflects current evidence, implementation may be challenging as clinicians adapt to a major shift in long-standing thinking.

“We’re going from ‘don’t do this’ basically to ‘you can do this,’” Zahn said. “It does take time for that to get built into normal day-to-day practice.”

Zahn added that coordination across specialties will be critical to avoid conflicting advice.

“It’s really important that the clinician community is all on the same page so that the patients are not getting mixed messages,” he said.

Some uncertainties remain, including how long breastfeeding can safely continue and how evolving HIV treatments may affect maternal and infant outcomes such as HIV transmission risk, medication exposure through breast milk, and infant growth and development.

“We should continue monitoring the risk,” especially as more patients choose to breastfeed and longer-term data emerge, Alcaide said. "
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/hiv-no-longer-absolute-barrier-breastfeeding-2026a1000ark

04/08/2026

Sometimes we need this reminder. ❤
[Image: photo of a parent in a dim room holding a young baby. Text: You can't spoil a baby.]

Sometimes we need this reminder.

04/08/2026

Completely loving this partner support! …

04/08/2026

2 for 1! Niplash + twiddling!
According to legend, Yamauba was a witch-like woman who lived deep in the mountains and possessed unusual psychic powers. The nursling Kintaro is usually depicted as naughty and up to mischief.
Twiddling is when a nursling plays with, twists, or pinches the opposite ni**le while nursing.

Yama-uba Nursing Kintoki. Artist Kitagawa Utamaro, Tokyo, 1802. Nishiki-e wood block print.
[Image: Print of a woman looking down at her nursing toddler while he twiddles her other breast.]

04/08/2026

Enloe Health Earns Lactation Award
Apr 08, 2026
"CHICO, CA (MPG) - Enloe Health has been named the 2026 Hospital of the Year Lactation Impact Award recipient by the California Breastfeeding Coalition, recognizing its efforts to expand access and support for lactating individuals.

The award highlights measurable contributions in workplace policies, education, advocacy and clinical care. Enloe Health will receive the honor May 9 at the Lactation Impact Awards Gala in Davis.

Enloe was also a finalist for the award in 2025.

“From comprehensive prenatal education to compassionate support during birth and postpartum and continuing with high quality outpatient lactation care after families go home, our team is committed to helping every parent feed their baby with confidence and connection,” said Jamie Bracewell, Enloe’s lactation program coordinator.

Bracewell said the program focuses on a continuum of care that supports families from pregnancy through the postpartum period.

Nancy Gagon, director of Enloe’s Mother and Baby Services, said the recognition reflects the team’s broader goals.

“This award reflects our team’s deep commitment to equity, visibility and care — and we’re grateful to be recognized by the California Breastfeeding Coalition,” Gagon said.
The California Breastfeeding Coalition, a nonprofit organization, works to increase access to lactation support and reduce barriers for families, particularly in underserved communities. The group focuses on advocacy, education and collaboration across the state.

“The Lactation Impact Awards were created to honor the leaders and organizations who are making lactation visible, supported, and celebrated in every space,” said Jasmine Pettis Marquez, executive director of the coalition. “We know that real change happens when lactation is woven into the fabric of our communities.”

The annual gala recognizes organizations and leaders working to improve lactation support and outcomes across California.

https://www.gridleyherald.com/2026/04/08/569099/enloe-health-earns-lactation-award

04/08/2026

What is it like to work in a Baby-Friendly designated facility? Staff told us:
"I love that we ALL have the skills to help, not just the IBCLC."
"I love knowing that we provide outstanding breastfeeding education. It’s an ongoing thing that's embedded in our culture."
"I love that we have great relationships with the moms who deliver here. Our mothers feel informed and supported, not judged."
Designation changes how a team works together, and how patients experience care.
🔗Curious about what the path to Baby-Friendly designation would look like for your facility? Learn more: www.babyfriendlyusa.org

What is it like to work in a Baby-Friendly designated facility? Staff told us:

"I love that we ALL have the skills to help, not just the IBCLC."

"I love knowing that we provide outstanding breastfeeding education. It’s an ongoing thing that's embedded in our culture."

"I love that we have great relationships with the moms who deliver here. Our mothers feel informed and supported, not judged."

Designation changes how a team works together, and how patients experience care.

🔗Curious about what the path to Baby-Friendly designation would look like for your facility? Learn more: www.babyfriendlyusa.org

04/08/2026

Normalize Breastfeeding