Lactivist Activist

When I went into labor 3 weeks early with my 5 child (3 baby boy) I thought to myself, "SCORE!" I had just "shaved off" that extremely uncomfortable last few weeks of pregnancy. At that time I'd been an L&D RN for 7 years helping hundreds of mothers begin to breastfeed their newborns, and I'd already breastfed my 4 other children. Because of all of my perceived experience I didn't see anything wrong with delivering my little caboose 3 weeks before his due date! Well, guess what I learned during that next 3-4 weeks? Just how important even those last 3 gestational weeks are to a baby's ability to breastfeed effectively! In fact, I realized I had not been truly preparing my patients who delivered Late preterm infants for supporting the breastfeeding process until their baby was closer to his/her due date.  Many times these babies come spontaneously & unexpectedly. Occasionally the mother's labor is induced due to medical complications wit...

"I've tried and tied to feed him, but he only fed a little. Why he is so sleepy?" This is something I hear nearly every day.  I am either requested by a mother, or an RN who has been working with the baby but neither of them can get the baby to actively breastfeed; "My baby fed so well after delivery, but now he won't wake up to feed, or he falls asleep quickly into the feeding."   Now PLEASE remember that I am speaking of healthy full term babies, born with no risk factors.  The babies I'm speaking of have brown fat energy stores (formed in the last 1-2 weeks before delivery) that help keep their blood sugars stable while only eating infrequently during their first 24 hours. And this is the fact...full term, healthy babies are very tired and sleepy especially during the first 24 hours. However, a little sleepiness can extend into the first 1-2 weeks and still be considered normal...frustrating, but normal!  The "Golden Hour" of brea...

So let's talk a little bit about breast and nipple shapes. I have seen very large breasts with flat tiny areola and nipples~extremely small breasts with long everted nipples. I see nipples that point outward, nipples that point straight down, nipples that are the size of quarters in diameter! And nipples so extremely inverted that they wouldn't even extend into a pump flange or a nipple shield. Wouldn't it be nice if we all had perfect breasts/nipples for baby to latch onto, and produced a full milk supply. In reality, 28-35% of first mothers have issues related to flat, "shy", or inverted nipples. What can be done if you find you have flat or inverted nipples? Well, knowledge is power! You can start with knowing what type of obstacle you may face with nursing your baby. Ideally a prenatal appointment with an IBCLC where she can review any pertinent medical history, and examine your breasts and nipples. Now you will know what you need to do sometimes before...

#3 Plan to initiate breastfeeding within the "Golden Hour"   Why is this time frame so important? Well,  babies are fresh from a nourishing placenta (in most cases) and aren't "starving" to eat right out of their mother's womb. We all learn better when we aren't starving! Babies are awake and alert during this special time. They are soaking up this new environment. If I got a nickel from every mother who said, "He nursed really well right after delivery, but now I can't get him to wake up??" I'd be RICH! Yep, it happens, almost every single time. And Mother Nature created it this way. The hormone that stimulates milk production "Prolactin" has been inhibited by the two hormones produced by the placenta (Estrogen and Progesterone) Once the placenta is delivered, there is a significant change in prolactin levels i.e. They skyrocket!! 🚀 This causes colostrum (also known as mother's "first milk,"...

# 2 Things I wish mothers knew about breastfeeding before delivery Most mothers are told "Breastfeeding is easy. It just comes naturally." And this may be true for a very select few...however, most mothers struggle during the first 2 weeks, sometimes longer! I'm here to tell you It's can be ROUGH! Mothers may feel overwhelmed, frustrated, and like their  life is consumed by breastfeeding the baby...and it IS during that first 2 weeks. But generally speaking, if mom can hang in there, get professional help from an IBCLC if needed.  Here is a directory  In the majority of cases, with the support of a Lactation consultant, and more importantly her husband...mom and baby will prevail with their version of successful breastfeeding.

#1 TAKE A PRENATAL BREAST I  how happy you will be that you took your husband along to the very most important prenatal class of all...The Breastfeeding Class!!...This is because all of the other prenatal classes focus on things that will happen before and during your hospitalization that you will have an RN's help with. When we send you home with that sweet little baby, and she won't latch on at 2:30 in the morning, there is no nurses call light to ask for help...It's just you, your partner, and your sweet (but screaming) baby. The more you learn before hand, the calmer you will feel as you work through these rough first two weeks!  

Breastfeeding Perceptions   By Jill Lancaster RN BSN IBCLC   (Originally written 11/29/2012)   A few months ago I was at a local mall in the eatery with my family. As I was leaving, I noticed a young mother with several family members beginning to breastfeed her baby under a cute cover-up. I couldn’t contain my approval, and I walked up to this cute mom to tell her so. As I approached this young mother, I could see the faces of each grandmother turn leery. I think they fully expected me to chastise their daughter for breastfeeding in a public place. Instead, I simply told her how proud I was of her for breastfeeding her baby there. I wanted her to know how helpful it is for other breastfeeding moms to see. Thankfully each of their faces softened as I spoke to them, and I think my little talk was a good thing. But I wonder how often breastfeeding moms get comments that are negative or hurtful. The truth is the scientific evidence is overwh...