La Leche League of Clay County

10/19/2023

My colleague Debbie Novak is holding twice monthly breastfeeding support groups in Middleburg. I have a client who is attending regularly and says it’s lovely. Just wanted to share for folks in that neck of the woods!

04/01/2022

Did you struggle to tell if your baby was eating at the breast?
If your newborn is listless and difficult to wake, consulting with your healthcare provider to rule out extenuating circumstances is recommended.
Need help? Find your local LLL Leader at lllusa.org/locator


[Image: Close up photo of a newborn baby latched. Text: Is Baby Eating? How to tell if baby is eating at the breast
A common question new parents have is, "How can I tell if my baby is even eating at the breast?" Unlike a bottle, you can't visually see how much milk is leaving the breast, but that doesn't mean that you can't tell if your baby is eating. Here are some things to check:
Diapers tell you a lot. There cannot be output without input. Once mature milk comes in, expect at least 6+ wet diapers and 3-4 stools that are the size of a US quarter or larger per 24 hours.
By three days or when mature milk comes in, you'll probably start to notice swallowing. Good swallowing with ample milk sounds like a small "keh...keh...keh" sound with about one "keh" per second. You may even hear gulping.
If you don't hear swallowing in the first few days, don't be alarmed. Colostrum is very nutrient-dense and very small amounts are enough for the first few days.
While at the breast, you may notice that your baby's lower jaw drops a little lower and there is a pause when it drops. That drop-pause-close motion is also a swallow.]

03/12/2022

Did you notice that unrestricted access to nursing helped you get off to a good start with breastfeeding?


[Image: Close up photo of a newborn baby nursing. Text: Parent and baby need to be together early and often to establish a satisfying relationship and an adequate milk supply.]

03/07/2022

CLICK FOR FULL GRAPHIC
Do you have a breastfeeding tattoo? Have you wondered about the safety of tattoos and breastfeeding? Have you been tattooed while nursing?
Find more info here: https://kellymom.com/.../can-i.../lifestyle/body-mods/


[Image: Photo of a tattooed person. Text: Tattoos + Breastfeeding. It is generally assumed that ink molecules are too large to pass into breastmilk during the tattoo process. It is unknown whether ink can pass into breastmilk when it slowly breaks down in the body months to years later. Most tattoo artists will not knowingly tattoo someone who is pregnant or nursing. It is very important to screen the artist and shop carefully. General risks of tattooing include infection and possible allergic reactions to the ink.]

02/26/2022

How many of you have nursed past baby’s first birthday?

Did you or do you plan to nurse past age 1? Were you aware that toddlers nursed before having your own children? What’s your favorite benefit of nursing a toddler?


For more info (with citations) on nursing past infancy: https://kellymom.com/ages/older-infant/ebf-benefits/
For toddler nursing myths: https://kellymom.com/ages/after12mo/ebf-myths/

[Image: Photo of a toddler and a cupcake with a number one candle. Text: Did you know... You can nurse past 1. There are many reasons to breastfeed a toddler including nutritional, emotional, and developmental benefits.]

02/26/2022

We love this stunning mural in Inverclyde, Scotland - what a great way to
🤱🏿🧜‍♀️ 🤱
The artist is Sam Bates (aka SMUG), the mural was created through a partnership between Inverclyde Health and Social Care, their infant feeding team, and funding from the Scottish government 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
📷 Image via and , shared with permission.

[Image description: mural of a breastfeeding dyad painted on the entire gable end of a building. The mama is a mermaid, her long red hair swirls around her face. She looks down at her little mer-baby with a tender expression.]

02/23/2022

"Nurse only every 4 hours"
"Eat, play, sleep"
Schedules may seem helpful to parents, but they don't always meet the needs of nursing parents and babies. Rather than allowing milk production to be driven by baby as nature intended, schedules artificially determine when feedings will take place. Parents with abundant production and vigorously nursing babies may be okay, but mothers with marginal supplies or babies with difficulties often are not. Even if all looks well in the beginning, a sudden drop-off in production can happen later if an insufficient number of hormone receptors were established in the early weeks.
Letting baby nurse on cue allows breastfeeding to get established from the beginning. Having loose routines rather than strict schedules can be helpful for parents looking to add more structure to their days.

Information credit to Lisa Marasco and Diana West, from "Making More Milk", 2nd ed.


[Image: Photo of a mirror reflecting a baby in a smiling person's arms. Text: Schedules can negatively impact milk supply.]

01/30/2022

01/17/2022

Did you continue to nurse past your baby getting teeth?

[Image: Photo of baby smiling up at the camera. Text: What NOT to say to a nursing parent. No.7 "Aren't you going to stop now that she has teeth?"]

01/03/2022

Newborn babies wake up. End of story.

11/24/2021

Have you had trouble keeping baby close and nursing during the holidays?
The holidays often mean family and friends visiting including many who want to hold the new baby. Many parents find that it helps to set limits and say no to family and friends if you feel that you (or your baby!) can’t cope.
- Try to make sure that your baby is nursing according to their usual pattern.
- Be alert to your baby’s cues.
- Be prepared to intervene if your baby is getting over-stimulated or needs to nurse.
- Try finding a quiet place to nurse so that your baby is less distracted.
- Don’t allow yourself to feel guilty if nursing is preventing you from “helping out”.
- As an added bonus, baby is less likely to become sick especially thanks to the protective antibodies in your milk.

[Image: Photo of a table filled with platters of food. Text: Pass the gravy, not the baby.]