Mama Knows Breast

Your delivery experience is something you think upon, dream up and form in your mind, far before it ever occurs. You hope for the mode of delivery you feel most comfortable with. You desire for as minimal pain as possible and that you deliver within a reasonable time frame. You think of who might be most important to you to be in the room as you welcome your baby. And if you choose to breastfeed, you hope for success and ease as you begin that journey. Some may take a class. And others may inform themselves by reading breastfeeding blogs, watching popular Youtube influencers videos and asking other friends' experiences as they began their personal feeding journey with their baby. But in today's world - you may find yourself coming across the buzz words 'Baby Friendly' and wonder what that entails, if it is a positive or negative experience to encounter and if your hospital has made it a priority to receive that prestigious designation for the sake of you...

I am all about sharing life, motherhood & breastfeeding hints with one another! I am guessing you are too, if you are here reading this blog and wishing for some recommendations, camaraderie & sharing of similar likes. It's so cool to me that we get to walk alongside other as mamas while building one another up by simply sharing what has worked for me, you and the mama across the room. Meanwhile, when it doesn't work for one but does for the other - it's ALL OKAY because as long as baby is happy and mama is surviving, that's all that counts! Its only an added bonus when a product steps in to save the day when you think you've done everything you can to remedy a situation. So... here by popular demand is a blog completely devoted to my personal favorites  - in hopes that you find a product, two or five ;-) that make your breastfeeding life easier, more fun and a bit more predictable to navigate! I have personally used, tried, loved and lived w...

Let's talk 'all things' clogged milk ducts, shall we? Because, as much as you want to hope you will never face this scenario in the time you spend breastfeeding your baby, the unfortunate chances are that you might & when you do, it is hardly anything fun to endure. According to Medical News Today, "a 2011 study of 117 breastfeeding women found that 4.5 percent experienced clogged ducts at some point during the first year of breastfeeding." And furthermore, that 10-33% (varying research and studies results) of moms will deal with mastitis - a breast infection during the time frame they spend breastfeeding. Frankly, I found the clogged duct statistics surprising - in that, this is a commonly sought out topic when a mom contacts me in my lactation nurse educator position because of how frequently women are finding themselves dealing with one. So- let's talk about why you may come upon experiencing this breastfeeding speed bump, how you identif...

As we are walking through these unfamiliar times as a nation and world, we find ourselves with modern medicine being ever present - enduring a pandemic none of us ever thought possible. Living isolated from one another which seemingly we have never done before in our lifetime has allowed for a surmountable amount of uncertainty, fear, anxiety and a general nature of feeling unsure in regards to how to best care for an infant, particularly when a mom has made the important choice to exclusively breastfeed her baby prior to this world change occurring. It is important to clearly delineate the things we can utilize in order to best care for patients with principles that will provide the highest likelihood of safety for a baby in the initial weeks and months of life. For both mom and healthcare provider alike, being informed and up to date is the best way to feel prepared, feel some control over certain aspects of care and ensure complete health, when and if at all possible. Similarly,...