Gold Dust Lactation & Sleep

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Gold Dust Lactation & Sleep

Attachment-centered lactation and sleep support for the fourth trimester and beyond.

31/12/2023

If you’re expecting a new baby, making the decision to breastfeed can feel daunting in a world of overwhelming access to constant information and opinions. If feeding our babies is supposed to be natural and instinctual, then why does it feel like every mom you know is so eager to tell you everything that went wrong on her breastfeeding journey?

We are still coming out of decades of downright bad breastfeeding advice and nearly nonexistent access to support and care. The tides are shifting, but misinformation still circulates and families who weren’t able to get the help they needed and deserved still fall through the cracks.

One thing we can do to actually support new and expecting families who wish to breastfeed is to normalize some really foundational topics like these ones. Skin to skin care, community care, the importance of normalizing asking for help when you’re learning a new skill, and valuing yourself and your body as your baby’s best bet.

If you’re expecting a baby in 2024, reach out to me about prenatal education, in-home postpartum lactation support, and other offerings to help get you set up to meet your feeding goals and know exactly where to turn when questions arise. DM me or check out the links in my bio to get in touch via my website, where you’ll find my prices and support options. January and February are filling up quickly!

19/12/2023

Just a few things…

13/12/2023

Bath time doesn’t have to be inherently stressful; in fact it may just become your favorite time of day.

Here’s a breakdown of the different ways to enjoy bath time with your baby, as well as some of my tried and true bathing tips.

What’s your bath time ritual? What is your favorite part about it? Share below!

09/12/2023

Tell her. 🤎
Tag someone who needs to hear this today 🫶🏻

30/11/2023

LOCAL FRIENDS!
Come hang out at the park, make new friends, and get free breastfeeding support on December 10th for our last meetup of the year! Let’s hope the weather is nice 🙏🏼

This group is free and open to anyone, including pregnant folks, partners, older babies/toddlers, and all other methods and stages of feeding. I do kindly ask that you let me know if you plan on coming via DM or email. 🫶🏻

Stay tuned for announcements about new support groups next year that can’t get rained out!! 🙌🏼

16/11/2023

Watch me equate making gentle sleep changes to pushing out a baby! 😂

(and no, in case you were wondering, I did not need any stitches the second time around 🙌🏼 thanks, I love you ❤️)

11/11/2023

I made this checklist to help remind me that connection at bedtime is just as important as toothbrushing. Here are some key points:

- Movement is a great way to get endorphins flowing, provide sensory input, and move out the end-of-day energy that many kids have. For babies, this is a great time to practice new milestones like rolling. For bigger kids, doing things like a kiddo burrito, or pushing/pulling heavy objects provides a specific kind of input that helps with regulation.

- Laughter! Because bedtime routines can get monotonous when we’re just going through the motions, but laughter releases stress and increases melatonin production. This can be a great opportunity to brush up on your joke telling skills, playing peekaboo with small babies, or having a silly dance party.

- A quick squeeze is a great way to signal that play time is ending and it’s time to calm down for bed. I love to snuggle with my kids and let them each pick a book.

- Eye contact gives our kids the reassurance that we are fully present with them; put away phones, focus our attention and really be intentional about connecting through our eyes and our body language.

- Positive praise and affirmations are another great way to verbally show that we are here for our kids during this time. I say things like, “I’ve been looking forward to this time with you all day!”, or “I love you no matter what”.

- I also take this opportunity to give some gentle reminders. With my little one I might remind her that after we nurse to sleep, my body will be resting and we can nurse again in the morning. For my bigger kid it might be that if he wakes up and needs us, he can come quietly get in our bed. It’s a great time to bridge over the separation of sleep by talking about your next chance for connection. Lots of families say a phrase like “I’ll see you in my dreams!”, or you could talk about your plans for the next morning.

When we connect before bedtime, we open the door for our kids to share anything about their day that they are processing or are excited about, or anything about the next day they might be anticipating. Most of all it’s a special time for you and your child to share. ✨

26/10/2023

SpoooOOOoooKy 👻 🎃💀

19/10/2023

I’m only being partially sarcastic 😉

Here’s the thing: Babies breastfeed for many reasons and it still stuns me how many moms think they’re spoiling their babies by breastfeeding for comfort and not just the calories. Chances are, if your baby is upset, breastfeeding is going to be the answer more often then not. Its regulating to their bodies and their nervous systems. It’s a full sensory experience. And yeah, they get a delicious made-to-order milkshake too.

Beyond being such a powerful tool to nourish and nurture your baby with, it’s a parenting tool as well. So my first line of defense with a little one who needs help finding their calm is to offer the breast. It isn’t to do “5 S’s” or swaddle them tighter or stick a pacifier in their mouth or separate them from their mom. Its to connect, slow down, and see if the b**b will fix it.

Now sometimes babies need extra help calming down, especially if they’re uncomfortable. Babies with reflux or symptoms of colic might want to breastfeed to sleep but physically can’t, so this is when we try everything else while bumping up our connection and co-regulation skills. Most of the time, if the breast didn’t work at first, one of these things will.

But if they don’t, then we go right back to the breast because that’s our home base. We always try again if feeding wasn’t the answer or didn’t work the first time we offered.

There is *nothing* wrong with this approach to comforting babies. Yet many parents feel like they’re doing something wrong; they’ve spent so much money on gadgets that are supposed to do the job for them that they feel obligated to use the stuff first, not second or third or even not at all.

Because most of the time YOU are the answer. Your arms, your milk, your voice, your smell. These are the best soothing tools money can’t buy.

Drop a ♥️ if you agree!

18/10/2023

Could someone please explain why we hold little babies- who have the single most underdeveloped brains at birth of any mammal species- to a higher standard than grown adults? Make it make sense!

Adults can understand big concepts like independence. Babies and young children can NOT. They simply aren’t designed for it. What they ARE designed for is to be deeply dependent on their attachment figures because from a survival perspective, their very existence depends on it. So they keep us close, which again, when we look at it primitively, would ensure that we were right there to meet their needs and protect them from that wolf outside of our cave. Catch my drift?

The fact that babies prefer to sleep on (or as close as they can possibly get to) a warm body isn’t a problem to fix or a habit to break, it’s just their biology. It’s their innate wisdom, which by the way they rarely get credit for.

We don’t talk about our spouses or even our pets this way. We don’t blame ourselves for creating a rod for our back or blame them for seeking out our presence and support. We understand that this kind of intimacy comes with being in relationship to someone you love with your whole heart, and we embrace it because it just feels right.

When we extend that same grace to our babies and to ourselves for responding to them and parenting in the way that our bodies and brains know exactly how to do when we shut off that external noise, then raising these babies becomes so much more enjoyable and easy.

What do you think? Share some encouragement below!

11/10/2023

✨FREE EVENT✨ This Saturday! In partnership with my friends at and , come join us for a free discussion all about optimizing breastfeeding outcomes for dyads. Learn my top tips for success, building a support team, tapping into your community, and feeling empowered on your journey.

Saturday October 14th at 1pm at , link in bio to register!

06/10/2023

Join us for a morning at the park to receive guidance and support while connecting with other parents. This free group meets monthly and is open to all ages, stages, and methods of feeding. Expecting families are also welcome to come, ask questions, and connect with their community before welcoming their babies. Siblings and toddlers can play on the playground while younger babies and newly postpartum mamas can relax in the shade. Please bring a blanket and water for yourself and any snacks you or your littles might need. Feel free to invite a friend!

RSVP is not required but is encouraged so I know how many to expect ♥️
email Lauren@golddustlactation.com

We will meet right next to the playground at Richland Park Library. There is ample parking available in the big parking lot in front of the park/library entrance as well as on surrounding streets. See you on Sunday, October 29th!

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+19313688032

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http://www.golddustlactation.com/

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