La Leche League of Longmont

02/21/2026

02/14/2026

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Let’s put to rest for good the false assumptions that bottle-feeding is “easier” for preemies than breastfeeding. Acording to this 2026 RCT, at their first feeding by mouth, preemies breastfed had measurably better oxygen levels and heart rates compared with those whose first oral feed was by bottle. The breastfed preemies even took more milk! Please share these findings far and wide! https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41318959/

02/10/2026

Join us on Friday for our monthly coffee meetup. Check our Events for more info. 🙂

12/31/2025

In my last blog post, I told a military mother who had returned to work at six weeks postpartum that she was making as much milk as her thriving baby would ever need. To meet her breastfeeding goal of one year, I told her, “all she had to do was maintain her milk production.” But maintaining mil...

12/19/2025

Any mamas without power out there? 💨⚡
As our community is facing high winds and power outages, here is some helpful information about frozen breast milk, expressing milk without power, and managing stress to support milk ejection.
But before we dive in, please remember: La Leche League Leaders are here for you.
Don’t hesitate to reach out if you need support as we navigate this challenging time together.

1️⃣ Frozen breast milk during a power outage

If the freezer door stays closed, frozen breast milk can usually remain frozen:

Up to ~24 hours in a full freezer

About 12 hours in a half-full freezer

Breast milk that has thawed but still contains ice crystals can be safely refrozen.

If the milk has fully thawed but is still cold (refrigerator temperature), it should be used within 24 hours.

If the milk smells sour or spoiled, it’s best to discard it.

💡 Tip: Group frozen milk containers together and avoid opening the freezer unless absolutely necessary.

2️⃣ Expressing milk without electricity

If you can’t use your electric pump:

A manual pump can work very well. It may take a bit more time, but adding breast compressions while pumping can help drain the breast more efficiently and protect your milk supply.

Manual pumps are often available at stores like Target or Walmart, usually around $30–$40.

Hand expression is always an option. It can feel tricky at first, especially if it’s new to you, but it’s a very effective skill — especially in emergencies.

If you’d like guidance on hand expression, an LLL Leader can walk you through it.

3️⃣ Stress, oxytocin, and milk flow

When we’re overwhelmed or stressed, it can be harder for our bodies to release oxytocin, the hormone that helps milk flow.
In emergency situations, some moms worry their milk has “dried up.”
💗 The milk is still there — it just may be harder to let down.
To help oxytocin do its magic:

Lie down somewhere warm and comfortable

Take a long hug from your partner, older child, or baby

Try slow breathing exercises

Gentle movement or stretching

Anything you know helps calm your nervous system

Even small moments of comfort can make a difference.
Hang in there. We’re all in this together, and we’ll do everything we can to help you feel supported and safe. 💗

12/12/2025

Interesting! What about you guys? Have you used one? Was it helpful or detrimental? For how long?

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In 2019 Barbara sent out a survey on ni**le shield use so she could report her findings in the journal Clinical Lactation. She had a whopping 4500 families and 500 lactation professionals fill out the survey!

What was found?
Some of the things that were found were surprising! One of the most surprising pieces of information was that many families use ni**le shields far longer than the professionals who completed the survey imagined. Quite a few families used a ni**le shield for over a year. The longest professionals thought ni**le shields would be used was a few months at the most. More than 10% of our families used ni**le shields for over a year. No professionals thought families used them for this long.

Read the full article here -> lactalearning.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/1-ni**le-shield-use.pdf

Listen to Barbara talk about the survey findings here --> lactalearning.com/ni**le-shield/

**leshield

06/10/2025

Do fully breastfed babies need extra iron? Not even the MDs in the AAP can agree. Now, we have new findings from a 2025 meta-analysis that compares iron with no iron breastfed babies. What did we learn? While at 6 months, the iron group had higher hemoglobin levels, by 1 year there was no difference and the iron group gained less weight and had less growth in head circumference. Read more about it here:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40464050/

06/02/2025

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