There is so much work still to be done to support mothers to breastfeed in 2021, which is why the theme this year is that protecting breastfeeding is “a shared responsibility.” We as a society are responsible for doing better in:

• mandating paid maternity and paternity leave
  
• providing funding for basic research on the causes and treatments for low milk supply and intractable nipple pain
  
• holding employers accountable for providing suitable pumping accommodations
  
• making the process of lactation a higher priority in medicine
  
• funding and increasing accessibility of human milk banks
  
• increasing consumer protection for lactation related products
  
• researching effects of medications and supplements on lactating parents and nursing infants
  
• helping mothers feel comfortable and safe breastfeeding in public
  

But every year, I feel conflicted.

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If you’re in the early stages of learning how to breastfeed, you may be wondering “WHY AM I DOING THIS?  It hurts,* I’m leaking everywhere, I feel trapped in a chair, and I’m constantly worried about my milk supply.”

I hear you, and it’s ok to feel that way.  You’re not the only one!  If you are conflicted about continuing, or just want to hear that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, here are ten reasons why you may want to consider pushing through the difficulties. 

[see more]

*It shouldn’t hurt, and there’s help available...but sometimes it just does, and it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re doing it wrong. For most mothers, it gets better over time.

There is a lot of misinformation on the internet about how breast milk protects babies from getting sick (protects, not prevents, so please vaccinate!).  This is an excellent article written by Jody Segrave-Daly, RN, MS, IBCLC about how immunities in breast milk work to help keep your baby healthy.

Should I exclusively breastfeed, pump, formula feed, or some combination? How to feed your baby is a personal and often emotional choice, and no one can make this choice for you. That means you have authority over what’s best for you, your baby, and your family...it also means this incredibly important choice is pretty much all on your shoulders. At this point, everyone knows that breastfeeding has health benefits for mother and child. But since feeding is an important part of your relationship with your infant, I’d like to talk about all the other aspects. [see more]

I saw a poster today that was geared towards helping new mothers be confident in their bodies’ ability to provide breastmilk for their newborn babies. It said:

Your body knows exactly what your baby needs. 

YOU ARE ENOUGH!

It’s a beautiful idea, that your body has made this tiny human and is 100% ready to provide life-giving milk to him. That’s exactly as it should be, as nature has developed over millennia, right?  [see more]

“Of all the breastfeeding tools that exist, the best is this one.”  With breastfeeding becoming more prevalent, and support groups accessible from your phone, the advice and companionship from other moms who have been successful is often the key to your own success.  Lactation consultants can help with both serious breastfeeding problems and minor annoyances, but we are no substitute for a community of other breastfeeding moms, especially as your nursling grows older. [en español]

There is often impassioned discussion among professionals and laypeople about the benefits and risks of nipple shields, nipple everters, bottles, haakaas, pacifiers, apps to track diaper count and weight gain, scales, pumps, breast shells, gel pads, etc. Feeding gadgets such as rudimentary nipple shields, breast pumps, and bottles have been around for centuries (millennia in the case of bottles), and honestly, I’m a fan.  [see more]

Lactivism started out as a sorely needed movement to support breastfeeding mothers and babies, at a time when they faced discrimination, criticism, and lack of support or even basic respect from the health care system. Unfortunately some mothers still experience these things (including me—I was once shamed for breastfeeding my toddler [see more]

The lactation literature talks about “perceived insufficient milk supply.” In my experience, any assumption that low supply is “perceived” rather than real is the modern equivalent of “it’s all in her head.” (Somehow this phenomenon of not believing patients tends to primarily affect women.) This is not to say it never happens that a mother blames “not enough milk” for unrelated fussiness or other symptoms; I’m just sharing my experience that mothers tend to have keen observations about their own bodies and their own babies. These observations should be taken seriously and investigated, not brushed off as “perceived.” [see more]

I don't remember how old my kids (now 19, 16, and 13) were when I figured out how to really enjoy holidays without all the stress.  But at some point I realized that I needed to start by asking myself "how can I make this holiday enjoyable" rather than trying to make everything perfect and hoping to enjoy it if I succeeded in that perfection.  The result was that I enjoyed holidays more, and my kids enjoyed my more relaxed stay-in-the-present attitude.  [see more]

Most mothers I have worked with have felt alone, like they're the only ones struggling over feeding issues.  On the surface it sounds irrational, given that there is a whole profession devoted to helping solve breastfeeding issues; and yet in a way each mother is alone with her particular feeding issue.   [see more]

I love working with moms and babies, but running a business is waaaay outside my skill set (and interest tbh).  Last time I did private practice (from 2005 to 2011), I don't even know if I made money, lost money, or broke even.  In addition, there are already many amazing lactation consultants that [see more]