La Leche League of Jacksonville, NC

08/10/2026

08/03/2026

“If you want fattier breast milk, just eat more avocado.”

No.

“Drink whole milk.”

Nope.

“Eat more butter.”

Yeah, no.

One of the biggest myths in breastfeeding is that you can dramatically change the fat content of your milk by changing what you eat.

You can’t. Your body isn’t making a smoothie out of your lunch. The amount of fat in breast milk changes throughout a feeding, throughout the day, and from one pumping session to the next. The biggest factor isn’t whether you had salmon or ice cream yesterday, it’s how full the breast is and how long you’re going between feedings.

When the breast is very full, fat globules tend to stick to the milk-making cells, so the milk flowing out at first is relatively lower in fat. As the breast empties, more of those fat globules are pulled into the milk, increasing the fat concentration.

That’s why milk from a fuller breast often looks thinner than milk pumped after the breast has been emptied more. Babies cluster feed for this same reason. The more often they come back to breast, the lower the overall volume, but the higher the fat content. When they cluster feed at night, they’re getting a fattier milk to help them sleep and not p*e over night.

Can your diet affect breast milk? Absolutely. The types of fats you eat influence the types of fats in your milk, but not the amount in it. For example, eating more omega-3 fatty acids increases the omega-3 content of your milk. Your diet also affects some vitamins and micronutrients. But there is very little evidence that eating specific foods will magically make your milk significantly higher in total fat or calories.

So if someone tells you your baby needs “fattier milk,” the better question is: WHY?

Is baby transferring milk well? Is baby gaining weight well? Is milk supply adequate? Is there an oral motor issue? Are feedings effective? Is there an underlying medical concern?

Those questions matter far more than adding an extra avocado to your toast. And if your baby isn’t gaining weight on your breast milk the first step is to feed more milk to the baby or breastfeed more often. This naturally gives baby more milk and a higher fat content even in lower overall volumes.

Save this for the next time someone tells you to eat a stick of butter to make “creamier” breast milk. And if your baby isn’t gaining weight well on breast milk alone, work with a local IBCLC (or me in a virtual appointment!!!) to figure out why. Go to lalactation.com to book your appointment today.

07/06/2026

07/06/2026

Getting ready to breastfeed or looking for support along the way? You’re not alone. Join Breastfeeding 101 at the Onslow County Health Department and build confidence in a supportive, welcoming space. Learn the basics, get help with common challenges, and connect with resources to support you and your baby.

Classes are held Wednesdays from 9:00–11:00 AM on July 8, August 12, and September 9. No registration required—just come as you are.

Learn more at https://www.onslowcountync.gov/2024/Breastfeeding-Resources
or call (910) 347-5002. Classes are held at 612 College Street.

07/06/2026

07/03/2026

Parents are often told that they will experience an explosive kind of love when they first welcome their baby. While many do, it's not the experience everyone has. Birth can come with some unexpected challenges, as can the postpartum experience. If you have trouble connecting with your baby right away, know that you're not alone. For some, that feeling grows over time, after they've had a chance to heal both physically and mentally.

[Image Description] Fireworks exploding in the sky over a body of water. Text reads, "Sometimes you don't feel fireworks right away. Love may happen immediately or over time. Both can be normal."

05/10/2026

Even when the days (and nights) feel endless, the love you give in every moment speaks volumes. Thank you for the care you share so generously - for nurturing not only with your body, but with your whole heart - and for showing others the quiet strength that comes from caring for your family. Happy Mother’s Day!

[Image Description] Photo: Out of focus photo of a mother holding her infant. Text: You are such a good mother.

05/09/2026

While many lactation helpers have good intentions, a hands-on approach is often not well received by either the parent or the newborn. In the early postpartum period, when both body and emotions are especially tender, this kind of contact can feel intrusive and overwhelming. It may also interrupt a baby’s natural instincts to find the breast and latch.

It’s important that your wishes are clearly communicated and respected. Consent should always come first, and you have every right to ask for guidance that prioritizes verbal coaching, positioning suggestions, and small environmental adjustments rather than hands-on contact with your body or your baby. Support that empowers you to follow your own instincts can be more comfortable and even more effective.

If hands-on assistance does occur and seems to unsettle your baby, spending time in uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact can help restore calm and support a more natural reset.

[Image Description] Photo: An infant nursing at the breast. Hands of parent and a helper rest on baby and breast. Text: Hands-on assistance causes latching difficulties for some babies.

05/03/2026

Today, we honour mothers who have had a miscarriage, stillbirth, and/or infant loss.

We see you.

🫶

We know that Mother’s Day events/celebrations can bring up feelings that can be hard to cope with. Please be kind to yourself.

🩵💚

"What is International Bereaved Mother’s Day?

International Bereaved Mother’s Day occurs on the first Sunday of May, every year. It’s a day that honours mothers who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, SIDS, or any type of pregnancy and infant loss. Yes, Pregnancy & Infant Loss Remembrance Day is also a thing – but that’s more a day of remembrance for the little ones who have died, rather than a day to honour the mothers of those children."

04/22/2026

Happy Earth Day!

PS The benefits of breastfeeding, environmentally and for parent and child, extend well beyond the first six months!

[Image: Distant canopy of trees with sunlight poking through. Text: Happy Earth Day. Human milk is a uniquely sustainable, naturally renewable resource, produced with minimal environmental impact, while providing perfectly balanced, complete nutrition for infants throughout their first six months of life.]