I like to say in this my small corner of the internet, that it is important to keep the goal in mind. Ensuring you and baby are safe. Making sure you have the supply you need so that baby is hitting her growth milestones. These are vitally important.

Should we follow all the tips we get from our various communities, probably not. But we can study them, do our own research, and consult with professionals to be sure we are making the right decisions for US.

The goal of this post is to think aloud.

If I needed to increase my milk supply and someone suggested Blue Gatorade, or BodyArmor, or some other hack. How would I go about choosing if I should follow the advice or not?

Making that choice requires answering a few important questions.

Can Blue Gatorade Help Increase Breast Milk Supply?

There is an endless supply of blogs, online comments, forums, and mama groups who swear by this drink. So many moms have attested to drinking Gatorade to increase their supply, and seeing results within a short period of time.

Based on this alone, the answer to our first question would be a clear yes. Blue Gatorade CAN help increase milk supply.

How does it work?

Now, I have spent time with a lactation consultant either on a course or on a one-on one session. I know the ‘pillars of lactation’:

• Frequent compression/stimulation and draining the breast
• Lots of hydration and the right nutrition
• Enough glandular tissue
• Active hormones and hormonal receptors
• Clear milk ducts and nerve pathways

So, how this particular hack fit into the pillars? Is it the hydration? If so, should I just drink water? Are there nutrients that have hormonal impact?

These are the questions to think about.

Do the ingredients in Blue Gatorade boost lactation?

Gatorade contains electrolytes (potassium and sodium), sugar and water. That’s pretty much it. Could these ingredients help a mom produce more milk?

Water

Well duh!

Breastmilk itself is 75% – 85% water. While being dehydrated does not reduce production of breastmilk, it may lead to less frequent feedings. Which lead to less frequent stimulation and draining of the milk ducts and causes lower milk production.

Every medical professional will also tell you the importance of staying hydrated and maintaining a healthy diet.

I have heard of some moms who do not like to drink water. In this case, I can imagine getting your hydration from Gatorade or any other acceptable drinks.

Eat well. Drink water. Got it. Nothing to do (specifically) with Gatorade yet.

Potassium and Sodium

The Potassium content could have some impact? I guess? Maybe for moms with a potassium deficiency?

Electrolytes like potassium and sodium are important for nutrition.

The great thing is that the body has a fantastic ability to adapt to varying amounts of electrolyte intake. The body’s electrolyte requirement is also affected by your body temperature and activity level.

What this boils down to is that the scientific evidence suggests that unless there is a severe potassium deficiency, you are unlikely to get increased milk production from drinking Gatorade (Source).

Again, this is not to say you shouldn’t drink it. Its just not contributing much to your body.

Boosting Calories

Whenever you nurse your baby as a breastfeeding mother, your body uses up energy and burns more calories than it usually does. Replacing those calories is important to maintaining your own health and keeping your milk production at acceptable levels.

Does this translate into drinking 1–2 bottles of Blue Gatorade?

The way I would think about this point is based on the NIH Guidance

• On average, moderately active women need 2,000 to 2,200 calories a day
• In addition to the above, breastfeeding moms need an extra 450 – 500 calories a day

Again, calories are not the goal. Proper nutrition is.

What happens if you don’t get enough calories, you are likely to lose weight. It becomes more of a concern if the caloric deficit is combined with poor nourishment. For example certain diets may require taking vitamin supplements.

Blue Gatorade ingredients do not help milk supply

To summarise, the ingredients in Blue Gatorade don’t appear to play a big role in lactation. This means that the ingredients alone likely do not explain why breastfeeding moms everywhere love this hack.

So why are moms relying on this drink to increase milk supply?

The Placebo Effect

The placebo effect refers to the phenomenon where, if you believe a substance will cause an effect, it can!

This is a real thing! It has been well researched and is recognized by the medical and scientific communities. Placebos work. Could this be the secret to the effectiveness of Blue Gatorade in improving milk supply?

Probably.

In simple terms, the most likely explanation for why women around the world see an increase in their milk supply after drinking Blue Gatorade is not because it contains electrolytes or some other ingredient. It is because they truly believe it will increase their milk supply!

Are the Gatorade Sports Drinks safe?

While it is always important to discuss with your lactation consultant before making any changes to your diet or food, blue Gatorade can be considered safe when consumed moderately by breastfeeding moms.

I do not have any major concerns here. Gatorade has been on the market for decades and is a massive brand. The quality of production is likely very high, and consistent.

We have also seen that the ingredients are very basic, so not a lot to worry about in terms of safety.

What this means is that if you choose to include Gatorade into your diet (in moderation), it is not likely to do any harm.

In fact, I’ve seen some claim that Gatorade can help reduce engorgement by serving as a compress for sore nipples. This is not something I have given much thought or seen anyone try, but the point is that the drinks are safe… apparently for a variety of uses.

When should mama (pumping or nursing) avoid using the Blue Gatorade Drinks?

As we have seen, the Placebo Effect can be effective. And some may choose to use Gatorade as their preferred source of hydration if they dont like to drink water.

But, are there instances where the risks of using these drinks may outweigh the potential reward of an increase your milk supply?

If you have any concerns about your health or the health of your baby as regards the artificial coloring in the drinks, feel free to address these concerns with a medical professional before consuming this or any other food or drinks.

Additionally, if you have an allergic reaction to corn, soy, or wheat, then you should avoid Gatorade drinks as it contains these ingredients.

Does the ‘blue’ color of the Gatorade Drinks matter?

This is an odd one. I have not seen any research discussing the blue coloring as a factor in milk supply. in any way whatsoever because there is nothing special about the ‘blue’ in the blue Gatorade drink.

Conclusion

There are many reasons why mamas may feel they are not getting breast milk supply they need. It can be frustrating. And I understand why we all want to get tips about what works from others in our shoes or who have gone through what we are going through.

Although Blue Gatorade is recommend a lot as a way to boost milk supply, there is just no real basis for these drinks to help improve milk production.

The main ways that Blue Gatorade likely helps is by keeping you hydrated, and through the Placebo effect.

The post Does Blue Gatorade Help Increase Milk Supply? appeared first on Breastfeeding Confidential.

Various formulas on the market with different flavor profiles are more likely to be accepted by breastfed infants. Human milk is sweet, so use a sweet formula if possible, but keep an eye on the sugar levels.

So which formula tastes like breast milk? My list comprises the most nutrient-dense and tasty formulas available on the market. Because each infant is unique, be prepared for a lot of trial and error. The following brands have been well-tolerated by nursing infants so you may use any of them.

10 Formula Tastes Like Breast Milk

The best infant milk formulas that taste like breast milk in terms of nutrition and flavor are as follows:

1. Gerber Good Start

One key ingredient that separates Gerber Good Start from other brands is A2 milk. According to some experts, A2 milk has health benefits and is easier for lactose intolerant people to digest.

What does this mean for your child? If you’re concerned about feeding your infant formula because of a delicate stomach or fears over the safety of formula, try Good Start. It is great for babies’ with gas and who spit up often. The probiotic L. reuteri in this formula aids in the maintenance of a healthy digestive system. According to a 2011 study, taking this probiotic might help alleviate colic symptoms.

Gerber’s Good Start formula, also contains 2′-FL Human Milk Oligosaccharide (HMO), a prebiotic found in breast milk that is key for digestive health. Non-GMO Good Start also has DHA to enhance eye and brain development. Lastly, the product blends smoothly and doesn’t clump like some other brands.

2. Enfamil Enspire Infant Formula With MFGM & Lactoferrin

Enfamil Enspire is one of the most similar baby Formula to human milk, especially nutritionally. Although it often costs a little more than other options, it contains nutrients only found in mother’s milk, making it perfect for breastfed infants. First and foremost, it includes lactoferrin which is found in colostrum. Both colostrum and lactoferrin boost a child’s immune system and digestive function.

This formula also contains MFGM (aka milk fat globule membrane, choline, iron, and omega-3 DHA–all critical elements for cognitive development. If you’re looking for an infant formula that comes as close as possible to breast milk, give Enfamil Enspire a try!

3. Similac Pro-Advance Non-GMO Infant Formula with Iron

Similac’s Pro-Advance formula contains nutrients that have been shown to assist a baby’s health and development. Important ingredients like DHA, vitamin E, and lutein help support brain growth, eye health, and overall physical development.

Prebiotic 2′-FL HMO aids not only your child’s stomach but also their immune system. Unlike other formulas, this contains no growth hormones and is guaranteed not to clump. If you’re looking for a hypoallergenic option, Alimentum or Nutramigen are both great choices.

I debated including Similac in this list. The Similac brand has struggled recently, with some products sadly being in 2022 recalled due to defective packaging. I decided to leave it in, because of I am hopeful that the brand can recover trust and get back to the high quality it always represented.

Read more: How much milk does your baby need.

4. Enfamil A2 Premium Infant Formula

Enfamil A2 premium formula is based on A2 milk, which is beneficial for digestive health. Consider this option if your infant has a sensitive tummy. It’s free of GMOs and includes DHA, which is better for a baby’s brain development.

Your baby is more satisfied and comfortable after every feed when there’s less gas. Because it’s simple to combine and tastes wonderful, breastfed babies will enjoy it.

5. Earth’s Best Organic Dairy Infant Powder Formula with Iron

Earth’s Best is a well-known organic product brand. The infant formula is USDA-certified organic, and is made with non-GMO ingredients.

Earth’s Best combine a lot of great ingredients in their infant formula milk powder. Iron, essential for healthy growth and brain development. DHA and ARA help neuronal, ocular, and brain development. Lactose, whey protein concentrate, and corn syrup solids are other organic ingredients.

The organic, plant-based formula is perfect for infants who are sensitive to cow’s milk. This means that parents who use Earth’s Best formula don’t have to worry as much about gas, acid reflux, or yellow spit-up

6. Nestle Nan 1 Pro Infant Formula Powder

Nestle Nan is a great option for supplementing breastmilk with formula. This baby formula contains 2′-FL HMO and L. reuteri, which have been proven to aid digestion and help reduce infant gas or indigestion-related fussiness. One downside of the Nestle Nan 1 Pro is that it does sometimes clump up, which can be a hassle when compared to many alternatives on the market.

7. Happy Baby Organic Infant Formula

Another organic choice is Happy Baby. The are USDA certified organic and GMO-free. Their products are free from rice, wheat, or corn-derived maltodextrin. The formula also contains galactooligosaccharides and fructooligosaccharides (FOS), which nourish stomach microorganisms and aid digestion.

This product is complete with ARA, DHA, and other essential nutrients to promote growth in babies.

8. Enfamil NeuroPro Infant Formula

Enfamil NeuroPro also contains MFGM, which has been found to aid in newborns’ cognitive development and provide infection protection. A 2019 study showed that adding MFGM to formula positively affected babies’ cognition and well-being.

I have heard some moms worry that formula-fed babies are more susceptible to infection or illness. Hopefully this product helps reassure these moms that there are formula options available that might help.

Enfamil is a hypoallergenic and GMO-free cow’s milk replacement with prebiotics and DHA. Vitamin D3, calcium, and taurine are some of the other ingredients. If your kid has a fragile digestive system, try using Enfamil’s gentler formulation.

9. Baby’s Only Organic LactoRelief with DHA & ARA Toddler Formula

Baby’s Only Organic is a great choice if you’re thinking of formula options for your 12 to 36-month-old. It’s free of harmful pesticides, corn and glucose syrup, antibiotics, and other substances.

The firm does not use hexane, a hazardous chemical, to process DHA. This product will be pleasant to your baby’s taste buds and easy on her tummy, reducing fussiness and crying.

10. Pure Bliss by Similac

Similac is great for newborns. So great in fact that it is a staple in many hospital systems. Similac Pure Bliss includes everything your baby needs for the first year. It’s free of antibiotics and palm olein oil. Palm olein oil might contribute to constipation, which can be fatal to newborns.

Palm olein oil has also been shown to reduce bone density and calcium uptake, according to a study conducted in 2006. Pure Bliss includes DHA, ARA, lutein, and vitamin B12. Breastfed infants prefer pure Bliss’s flavor.

Conclusion

Which formula tastes like breast milk? Finding breast milk-tasting formulas might be tough, especially when purchasing online. Some babies are also more picky than others; if this is the case with your little one, be prepared to test different brands before finding one that works for you.

Breastfeeding is fantastic for babies, but it is not the only available path to ensuring baby is getting the right nutrition. When comparing components and brands, consider your baby’s digestive issues – for example, some parents have discovered that their babies prefer ready-to-feed formula to powdered infant food. The modern baby formula are better than ever, so you’ll still be giving your child the best possible start.

The post Which Formula Tastes Like Breast Milk? 10 Options appeared first on Breastfeeding Confidential.

TLDR:

The latest guidance from the United States Centre for Disease Control ( CDC ) and the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, is that breastmilk that has been thawed to room temperature after previously being frozen must be used within 2 hours. If the milk is defrosted in a refrigerator so that it was never brought to room temperature – you should use it within 24 hours. Do not re-freeze breast milk that has been thawed.

Moms everywhere are always multitasking. There are a thousand things to do for the little one, so finding time to pump can be difficult. Because of this, most of us pump and store milk so that we have supply handy when baby needs it – regardless of what may be going on with mama at the time. Getting that handy supply often means keeping a store of frozen breast milk within reach so that it can be warmed as needed. Whether its for work, long haul trips or just allowing mama some down time, planning and managing breast milk storage is a big part of the life of a breastfeeding mama.

Storage

In general, you will either hand express the breast milk or use a breast pump to get your breast milk into a feeding bottle or into storage bags for future use. Getting storage right is important. But. We will not spend a lot of time on storage best practice in this post. Our back-to-work guide has a section on storage do’s and don’ts, so it’s a great starting point and is worth a read even if only as a refresher.

Read more: YOUR GUIDE TO BREASTFEEDING AND RETURNING TO WORK

Read more: Breastfeeding and Traveling Tips

In this post we tackle the following questions :

• How long can you leave breastmilk out after warming it up?
• How long is a breast milk bottle good for after warming?
• What are some breast milk storage guidelines?
• How long will a formula last at room temperature?
• How long is warm breast milk good for?
• What can expired breastmilk be used for?

In today’s article, we will address these questions and more and also provide helpful tips; starting with a quick mail from a distressed nursing mother.

“Hello BreastFeedingConfidential

I just started back at the office after my maternity leave and as expected, the demands at work means I don’t always have enough time to breastfeed my baby on demand. I have planned my pumping sessions so that I always have a fridge, or freezer stash that’s available for on-demand use.

Today I read a sad story about a child that got sick after feeding from a freezer stash a day after it was warmed. I am now just a bit concerned about this, and would like to get your view on how to manage reheating milk for feedings.

I think I have a good process where I mark each milk bag with a date and time and I’m careful to use the first-in-first-out method. Is there anything else I need to be thinking about?

I am not usually a worrier, but I’m a first time, single mom, and I really want to get things right. Any advice you can share would be really great. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours Truly,

[Anna-Maria]”

There’s a lot to unpack in that message, but for the purposes of this post, we will focus on just the mechanics of safe handling of preserved milk.

• How long is warmed breast milk supposed to last? How long can we leave the frozen milk out after warming it up? Is it better to defrost previously frozen milk in the refrigerator or by heating it up directly?

This is actually one of the more straightforward aspects of milk handling.

The whole point of warming up breast milk is to get it from cold, to room temperature. Room temperature means 25 degrees Celsius or 77 degrees Fahrenheit. Room temperature is barely warm.

Some babies may prefer milk to be a little warmer since breast milk is warm when babies nurse.

HOW TO WARM A BABY’S BOTTLE TO ROOM TEMPERATURE

In course of warming up your baby’s cold breastmilk, here are a few guidelines to follow.

Air-tight is Alright

Whether the milk is in a bottle or a milk bag, its usually a good idea to check that the container is properly sealed.

You likely checked this before freezing or refrigerating the milk in the first place, but its worth another check before the milk is brought to room temperature. Its best to completely seal off the baby’s feeding bottle to avoid contamination from the environment and also prevent water penetration. If your pumped or expressed breast milk is in a storage bag then it’s best to repeatedly make sure that the zip lock is in place.

Hot is too hot

This particular warming guideline is vital to avoid the breakdown of the nutrients contained in human milk, as well as prevent chances that baby might be scalded, especially since ‘warm’ to you is a notch hotter for them.

Breastfeeding moms should try to avoid making the mistake of heating the baby’s feeding bottle or storage bags directly in hot water or even in the microwave.

In addition to increasing the risk of scalding, heating the milk causes more fat loss than accelerates break down of the milk. The end result is that the milk is less nourishing for baby.

The safest method of warming up a bottle rotates around either using a bottle warmer or by placing some warm water in a bowl or mug and then inserting the bottle or storage bags into it while making sure that the lid area is not covered by water.

Frozen milk can also be thawed by holding it under a running tap or lukewarm water for a couple of minutes till it gets to an optimum room temperature since frozen milk should not be thawed at room temperature. But if the breast milk defrosts first, then, you can slightly heat the expressed milk and use it immediately.

Based on medical advice, it is important to note that leaving the milk at room temperature for more than 4 hours or placing the milk in the fridge or in the refrigerator for more than 24 hours is unhygienic.

Milk Mix

After allowing the feeding bottle or the storage bag to sit in the bowl of water for 30-60 seconds, it should be retrieved and intermittently swirled or mixed to allow the even distribution of heat as well as the balanced spread-out of the fattish breast milk to prevent hot spots.

It is also important to note that the omission of this guideline might bring about an uneven distribution of heat which might lead to an ouch episode with your baby.

Temp. Test

This rule portrays the importance of testing out the temperature of the expressed breast milk by popping a few drops from the bottle or storage bags onto your wrist or the back of your hands since your skin tolerance cannot be compared to that of your baby.

Now, that your baby’s warm bottle is ready. How long can it be good for before being discarded?

HOW LONG DOES EXPRESSED BREAST MILK LAST AFTER WARMING?

Based on the report from experiential research as well as the general guidelines from the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, it could be said that the potent life cycle of a pumped or expressed breast milk is invariably mapped at 2 hours after warming. This expiration time of 2 hours is due to the scientific observation that a warm environment is a sweet spot for survival of numerous bacteria.

However, to avoid accidentally feeding your newborn baby; with expired breast milk, here are 3 clear guidelines for any warmed or thawed breast milk that may be best sent anywhere but baby’s tummy.

HOW TO TELL IF THAWED BREAST MILK IS EXPIRED AFTER WARMING

Some child care guidelines for discovering that breast milk is bad include:

Death Smell

The first telltale sign of expired breast milk is the dangerous odor it will emit. This sign enjoys announcing its presence with a foul smell that may be bad enough to force you a gag reflex.

There’s no missing it.

Again, to avoid this you want to make sure that warmed breast milk at room temperature is used within 2 hours while the cold milk in the fridge should be used within 24 hours. But, once you notice the smell. Do not feed it to baby.

No Swirl

The second clue of expired breast milk is its tendency to chunk up and not re-mix again. Whenever freshly pumped or expressed breast milk is left undisturbed, the fatty and less fatty constituents would separate into upper and lower regions, only to swirl or mix when touched or slightly shaken; unlike the expired breast milk.

Musty Taste

The last indication of spoilt breast milk is the sour taste it would leave behind which is a direct contrast to its natural taste.

A little more on storage …

At home, freshly expressed breastmilk can be stored in the back of the refrigerator for 4 days, in a standard freezer for 4 months, and in a deep freezer for 8 months.

When you are on the road, milk can be stored with the use of an insulated cooler or with the use of ice packs. The ice packs should be placed on the breastmilk which is to be kept in a human milk storage container. The insulated cooler should be properly sealed to prevent the escape of gas and the spoilage of the freshly expressed milk.

When thawed, the previously frozen breastmilk should be used within 24 hours, but when warmed, breastmilk should be used within 2 hours.

If the breastmilk shows signs of spoilage, then the milk within should be discarded and then thoroughly cleaned with soap and water. Close attention should be paid to the breast pump, bottle, and storage bag which is the equipment used for pumping and storing breastmilk.

Sometimes, especially after the rigor of pumping and storing breastmilk process, some nursing mothers may get sentimental when it comes to dumping out leftover breast milk that has been sitting out longer than the stipulated time.

We get it. And clearly its not ideal.

But we cannot overemphasize the fact that a baby’s health is priority number one. Nothing beats, protecting your precious little one by giving them the safest and best nutrition they deserve in the form of high quality breast milk. So, “If you are in doubt, throw it out!”

So, once the 2 hours or 24 hours time frame is up, all previously warmed breast milk, thawed breast milk, and leftover milk must not be consumed.

Clearly, the last thing anyone wants is to put themselves or their little one at risk. So what do you do if you have a stash of breastmilk that’s crossed the line? Well, you still have readily available options.

HOW TO USE EXPIRED BREAST MILK

There are ways to use leftover breast milk without discarding it. Uses range from breast milk baths, use in lotion, cremes or soap.

Breastmilk contains vital nutrition that many people believe it could serve as a body refresher, and can be helpful in the treatment for many kinds of skin allergies or infections – think rashes, bites, eczema, etc.

We won’t go into too much detail on this in this post, but remember that even if it is expired and cannot be fed to a baby, breastmilk may not need to be thrown out.

The post How Long Does Breastmilk Last After Warming? appeared first on Breastfeeding Confidential.

The short answer is yes.

You can donate plasma while breastfeeding! And many moms choose to do so because it’s a great way to help others while also making some extra money. There is no evidence that donating plasma while breastfeeding has any negative effect on either breastfeeding mothers or their children.

Donating plasma is fairly common, but it’s a little more complicated than donating blood. If you’re thinking of doing this for the first time, you might be uncertain what to expect. This is especially important as a breastfeeding mama. You likely have questions about the process and you need to be sure that it is safe for both you and your baby. This post will answer those questions and help you make an informed decision about whether becoming a plasma donor is right for you.

Again, if you’re interested in donating plasma while breastfeeding it’s probably safe to do so. But, there are a few things to keep in mind. First of all, it’s important to make sure that you’re healthy and well-nourished before donating plasma. This means eating a balanced diet and drinking plenty of fluids. It is also important to wait until your baby is at least 6 months old before becoming a plasma donor. This ensures that your body has enough time to recover after childbirth and has adjusted to breastfeeding.

What is plasma?

Plasma is the liquid part of your blood that contains proteins, electrolytes, and other substances. It makes up more than half (about 55%) of your blood. Plasma is used to treat many long-lasting diseases. For example, people with clotting or bleeding disorders may need scheduled plasma transfusions. Plasma is also used for emergency medical treatments like for burn victims, or for people who have contracted rabies. Plasma is also used in transfusions for dialysis patients or organ donation recipients. While you can’t control how your plasma will be used, know that it has the potential to save lives.

Why you might consider donating plasma

There are a few reasons you might consider donating plasma even while breastfeeding. First of all, it’s a great way to help others in need. Plasma is used to treat a variety of conditions, many of which are life-threatening. So, very simply, donating plasma could potentially save someone’s life! You could also make a bit of money from donating plasma. Many centers pay between $25 and $50 per donation, which takes about an hour to complete. So, if you donate twice a week, you could potentially earn $100 or more per week! This could be a great way to supplement your income while you’re at home with your baby.

When you should not consider donating plasma

Can you donate plasma while breastfeeding? Yes. Should you? Well, it depends. While generally safe, there are a few times when you should not donate plasma while breastfeeding. If you’re feeling sick or have any symptoms of illness, it’s best to wait until you recover before donating. You should also not donate if you’ve recently had surgery or been pregnant. Additionally, if you take medication for a chronic condition, you may not be eligible to donate. Be sure to check with the plasma donation center before making an appointment.

What to expect when donating plasma

If you’ve never donated plasma before, you might be wondering what the process is like. Well, the first step is to make an appointment at a local donation center. There are hundreds of organizations operating donation centers across the United States and Canada. A quick google search will help you find donation centers near you. When you arrive, you’ll need to provide some identification and complete a brief medical history. A staff member will then check your temperature, blood pressure, and pulse.

The screening process is important because it protects people who are receiving the donations. Many of these individuals already have underlying medical problems. The screening also ensures that the plasma donor is in good enough health so that they can handle the side effects of the plasma donation. Once you are screened and the attendants confirm everything is fine, you may be asked to sit in a reclining chair and given a needle in each arm. One needle will be used to draw your blood and the other will be used to return the remaining blood cells and blood components to your body.

Donating plasma happens in three stages

·       blood is drawn from your arm

·       the components of the blood are separated, and the plasma is put in a separate bag

·       the remaining blood components are put back into your arm.

The entire process will take about an hour. This includes registration, screening, plasma collection and refreshments.

What to eat if you plan to donate plasma while breastfeeding

A healthy diet is always a great idea for a breastfeeding mama, and it is extra important in the days leading up to your donation. You should still eat foods that help your body make milk. But a healthy, balanced meal before donating helps to ensure that you have enough energy. This will help prevent dizziness or fainting. It’s best to eat foods that are high in protein, high in iron and low in fat. Drink plenty of water too – 6 to 8 cups – the day before and the day you donate. Caffeine and alcohol are a no.

Do Eat

·       Grilled chicken or fish

·       Tofu

·       Legumes

·       Nuts, seeds and whole grains

·       Broccoli and dark leafy greens

·       Watermelon

Don’t Eat

·       French fries and other fried foods

·       Sweets

·       Pizza

What are the side effects of donating plasma?

The most common side effects of donating plasma are bruising, soreness, or aching at the needle site. You may also feel dizzy, lightheaded, or have a headache after donating. These side effects usually go away quickly. If you have any serious side effects, such as fainting or shortness of breath, call your doctor right away.

Can I breastfeed right after I donate plasma?

Yes, you can breastfeed immediately after donating plasma. In fact, breastfeeding helps your body replace the plasma you donated. You may have some bruising and soreness around your breasts for a day or two after donating. If you have any serious side effects, such as engorged breasts or pain that does not go away, call your doctor.

What are the risks if you choose to donate plasma while breastfeeding?

There are very few risks associated with donating plasma while breastfeeding. But you should always tell the staff at the plasma center if you are breastfeeding. This is because some medications used during the donation process can pass into your breastmilk. If you have any concerns, talk to your doctor before donating.

Conclusion

So, can you donate plasma while breastfeeding? Yes, you certainly can. It is a great way to help others while also getting some extra money. But, it’s important to make sure that you are healthy enough to donate, and that you understand what you need to do throughout the process. If you are considering donating, be sure to talk to your doctor first. They can help you decide if donating is right for you. Be sure to eat a good meal and drink plenty of fluids before donating, and plan on taking it easy for the rest of the day.

The post Can you donate plasma while breastfeeding? appeared first on Breastfeeding Confidential.

When your breast milk is different colors, it can be concerning. Moms have often asked me, why is my breast milk different colors?

What does it mean if I have green or yellow or blue breast milk? Is it safe for my baby to drink it?

Some of the reasons for different color breast milk are normal, and some can be concerning.

In this blog post, we will discuss the different reasons your breast milk may be the different colors of the rainbow and what it means.

Breast milk is usually white or off-white.

That doesn’t mean there is anything wrong if your milk is a different color.

Breastmilk can be an unusual color all the time. Or, it may be a one-off occurance. It may also have intermittently to some women.

A variety of things can affect the color of breastmilk.

The maturity of the milk affects its color. Maturity refers to how long it has been since you gave birth.

The first milk you have is called colostrum.

Colostrum is often talked about like it is a different substance than mature milk. While it does have a different composition, it is just early milk.

After your milk comes in it will usually be a different color than your colostrum. And the color often changes over the next couple of weeks as it goes from transitional milk to mature milk.

Other things can affect the color of your breast milk.

• Your diet
• The time of day
• Whether you pump before or after a feeding
• Illness – both in you and in your baby
• Herbs
• Supplements
• Some medications

Colostrum is the first milk that a woman produces. You start producing colostrum during pregnancy, and it is the first milk your baby will get when he is born. Colostrum is the perfect food for a brand new baby.

Colostrum has a different composition than mature breast milk. It contains more protein and fat-soluble vitamins – A, D, E. It also has a lot of antibodies to help protect your baby from getting sick during the early weeks of life.

Colostrum is usually yellow. It can also be clear.

Sometimes colostrum is brown or red. When it is brown, we suspect that it is because of “rusty pipe syndrome.”

During pregnancy, there is increased blood flow to your breasts. As the milk ducts and the cells that make milk grow that extra blood flow can leak into the ducts. The result is colostrum that has a brownish color, similar to water from rusty pipes.

When colostrum is red, it is usually because of an injury to the nipple from breastfeeding or pumping.

The small amount of blood your baby may ingest is not harmful, and you can continue to breastfeed even if you experience some bleeding of your nipples.

You will have colostrum the first few days after birth. Then your milk will come in typically between 48-72 hours after you give birth.

What is produced after your milk has come in is called transitional milk. It is what your breasts make as they transition from making colostrum to mature milk. Transitional milk is often a yellow-orange color.

After a couple of weeks, it will become more of the white color you expect it to be.

Your milk will have a pink tinge if you have bleeding nipples after your milk comes in.

If breastfeeding is causing your nipples to bleed, I encourage you to contact a lactation consultant ASAP. It is never normal for your nipples to bleed while breastfeeding.

If your nipples are bleeding when pumping, you may have the suction turned up too high, or your pump flanges may not fit properly. It is also possible that both of these problems are occurring at the same time.

Consuming foods or drinks that contain red, yellow, or orange food dye can result in you having pink, orange, or red-tinged breast milk in your breast milk.

Foods that often contain these artificial colors include:

• Soda
• Sports drinks
• Jello

Eating beets or drinking beet juice can result in pink breast milk.

There have been some cases of bright pink milk being caused by a particular bacteria (Source). This is unusual, but if you have not been eating any foods that can cause pink milk, it is worth investigating this possible cause.

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As mentioned above, breast milk can be a yellow color in the early days when it is in the transitional phase.

The fat content of breast milk can also give it a yellow color.

As your breasts drain, the fat content increases. If you pump after breastfeeding, you will usually be pumping the milk that has a higher fat content and will likely have a yellowish color to it.

If you pump a little before breastfeeding, you will usually get milk that is white or may even have a bluish tint to it.

If you eat yellow or orange foods in color, like carrots or sweet potatoes, you may produce yellow breast milk.

The milk that flows at the beginning of a feeding or pumping is called the foremilk. It is high in water content and may have a bluish tint to it.

Sports drinks or candy that has artificial blue dye in it can cause your milk to be blue.

Green breast milk is not as unusual as you might think.

Eating green food is the most common reason for producing green breast milk. Think kale, spinach, or seaweed. If you use powdered green food like Purely Inspired Organic Greens, that may be the cause of your green milk.

Adding powdered green food to smoothies is an excellent way to sneak some extra greens into your diet.

Just like the other colors mentioned, artificial colors in foods and drinks can turn your milk green.

Moms have reported that their breast milk gets very yellow or yellow/orange when their baby gets sick. This may be an indication of a mother producing milk that will help her baby fight the infection.

When a breastfed baby is sick, his mother’s milk responds by increasing the number of white blood cells that help fight infection. It is believed that this helps the baby’s immune response to the illness (Source).

Researchers have seen a similar response when mom gets sick (Source). So, if you or your baby are under the weather and your milk seems to be more yellow or yellow/orange than it typically is, this may be the explanation.

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The antibiotic Minocin (minocycline) has been associated with breast milk that is black in color. This medication has also been associated with darkening of the skin and staining of the teeth. It is probably not a good choice for a mom who is nursing.

Other medications can change the color of breast milk. Check with your health care provider or lactation consultant to find out if any drugs you are taking can cause changes in the color of your milk.

Although it can be unsettling to pump and see milk that is an unexpected color, most of the time there is no reason for concern. And if it’s because you are eating lots of colorful vegetables, all the better!

 

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Has breastfeeding not been the weight loss magic that you’d heard it could be?

Are you getting frustrated with the slow rate at which you are losing your baby weight?

If you have looked into the many different ways to lose weight, you have probably heard about this thing called intermittent fasting. It’s getting a lot of buzz these days.

Are you interested in experiencing the many benefits you have heard about this weight loss method but are worried if intermittent fasting while breastfeeding is safe?

Although I am not a breastfeeding mom, I did start intermittent fasting last year, so I have researched it. I have had a very positive experience with it.

It sounds like a dream diet. Eat what you want, just during certain times. Can you really lose weight doing that?

I know that many moms are anxious to get their body back to its best version but don’t want to put their baby or their own health at risk.   

I will try to answer the question is intermittent fasting safe for breastfeeding moms.

Intermittent fasting is a cyclic pattern of eating and not eating. You have a period of time where you don’t eat and a defined window of time when you do eat. 

Most people naturally have a fasting period while they sleep. With intermittent fasting, you extend that block of time.

Common questions about intermittent fasting and nursing include:

• Can you fast while breastfeeding?
• Is intermittent fasting safe while breastfeeding?
• What unique concerns are there regarding intermittent fasting for breastfeeding moms?

What we know about intermittent fasting for breastfeeding mothers is primarily from anecdotal reports. There is, however, some research that also helps to guide us.

• It is often referred to as IF.
• It has also been called time restricted eating.
• There are no restrictions to foods or calories during your eating window.
• Intermittent fasting can be combined with specific diets like low carb or keto.
• While calories do not need to be counted and are not restricted, eating an excessive amount of calories will undoubtedly affect weight loss.
• Individuals are encouraged to eat to satiety. This may sound simple enough, but it can take some time to learn the difference between satisfied and full for many. And if you’ve been part of the clean your plate club, you may need to get over that habit.
• Most things that have calories will break your fast.
  • This includes infused water like lemon or cucumber, or fruit.
  • Breath mints, including sprays and strips, can break a fast.
  • Black coffee and black tea have a small number of calories, but most experts in the IF world considered them okay to drink during the fasting period.
  • Some IF experts think it is okay to put things like heavy cream or butter in your coffee or tea. Others believe this breaks your fast.

• Artificial sweeteners can stimulate an insulin response. They should be avoided during the fasting period.
• Flavored sparkling waters can have the same effects. 
• For some sensitive individuals, even smelling food or scented candles can cause an insulin response. 
• Many who practice IF call it a way of life as opposed to a diet.

An excellent and well-researched book on Intermittent Fasting is Fast, Feast, Repeat by Gin Stephens.

 

 

THE MOST COMMON INTERMITTENT FASTING SCHEDULES

 

• 12/12 is considered the minimum fasting/eating window.
• 16/8 would be 16 hours of fasting with an eight-hour eating window.
• 18/6 is 18 hours fasting and six hours when you can eat.
• 20/4
• OMAD stands for one meal a day and may also be considered the same as 23/1.
• 5:2 is where you eat normally for five days, and on two days of the week, you restrict your meals to no more than 500 calories. Alternatively, some people will fast entirely two days of the week.
• 4:3 is like 5:2; only you have four days of regular eating and 3 of fasting.

 

 

As you can see, there are a lot of various approaches to intermittent fasting. Most people experiment to find what works best for them and their goals for IF.

 

 

WHAT DO I NEED TO CONSIDER ABOUT INTERMITTENT FASTING WHILE BREASTFEEDING?

 

There are primarily three things for a nursing mother to be aware of with intermittent fasting.

• Milk production – calorie restriction can result in a decreased milk supply. Breastfeeding mothers are advised not to consume less than 1500 to 1800 calories each day.
• Potential for release of toxins due to the fat breakdown that occurs with IF.
• Can IF make a nursing mom feel even more tired during her fasting cycles?

 

 

IS IT SAFE FOR BABY?

 

One concern about intermittent fasting is the potential for toxins, and environmental pollutants could be released into the mother’s system and end up in her breast milk.

To be clear, breast milk is not free of toxins because every living being is exposed to them in our environment and through our diet. This includes cows that produce the milk from which formula is made.

One study confirmed that toxins can be released into your system but also that there was an increase in antioxidants (Souce). It should be noted that there were no breastfeeding mothers among the study participants.

Furthermore, the women in the study were only eating 1200 calories each day. That is significantly fewer daily calories than is recommended for a woman who is breastfeeding.

Because of the lack of research, no one can say for sure if there is a risk to a breastfed baby if her mother practices intermittent fasting. Risk can probably be minimized by shorter fasts and consuming the recommended minimum of 1800 calories a day.

This will result in gradual weight loss, which should minimize toxins being released into the fat.

Dr. Jason Fung is a trusted source in the intermittent fasting world. He wrote the book The Obesity Code. It should be noted that he does not recommend intermittent fasting for postpartum women who are nursing moms.

 

 

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

 

Proponents of IF extoll a long list of potential benefits. 

• Weight loss
• Lowers your insulin levels and may decrease insulin resistance.
• It may have a beneficial effect on metabolic syndrome
• May reverse Type 2 diabetes (Source)
• Decreases inflammation (Source)
• May have a beneficial effect on autoimmune diseases
• People who practice IF have reported better focus
• Increases autophagy, which is how our bodies get rid of damaged cells.
• Many people report improved energy levels. 

I couldn’t find any research on it, but personally, my reflux has disappeared since I started intermittent fasting eight months ago.

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WHAT FASTING SCHEDULES CAN A NURSING MOM USE

 

Due to the lack of research, recommendation on the best intermittent fasting while breastfeeding schedule are based on best guesses and common sense.

You will want to start out with a short fasting period, and you can gradually increase your time fasting. Monitor your baby’s weight gain, your milk supply, your overall energy levels, and your weight loss to guide you.

Alternate day fasting schedules are not recommended. Severe calorie restrictions can result in decreased milk supply.

 

 

 

TIPS FOR INTERMITTENT FASTING WHILE BREASTFEEDING

 

If you want to try intermittent fasting while breastfeeding, you should wait until your milk supply is well established. For the average nursing mom, this will happen by six to eight weeks postpartum.

Having an established milk supply does not mean a woman won’t experience a decrease in supply. It just means that if she does see reduced milk production, she can make some changes to increase it relatively quickly.

Drink lots of water while you are fasting. It is essential to keep hydrated. Get a water bottle like the Hydracy Water Bottle With Time Marker to help you meet your hydration goals.

Plain water and unflavored sparkling water are both fasting approved beverages.

Make your food choices count by opting for foods that are a high quality source of nutrition.

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DOES FASTING AFFECT BREAST MILK PRODUCTION?

 

Severe restrictions in caloric intake can result in a decreased milk supply. 

Because IF does not automatically mean restricting calories. And it definitely does not require severely limiting calories, so intermittent fasting while breastfeeding does not have to have a negative effect on your milk supply.

 

 

WILL INTERMITTENT FASTING WHILE NURSING AFFECT MILK QUALITY?

 

The research that is out there indicates that the breast milk composition of macronutrients is not affected by fasting. However, micronutrient levels were impacted (Source).

 

 

WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH SAY ABOUT INTERMITTENT FASTING WHILE BREASTFEEDING?

 

Much of the research that has been published has looked at fasting by breastfeeding mothers during Ramadan. Ramadan is a month of fasting from sunrise to sunset. 

One study showed that Ramadan fasting did not have a negative impact on the growth of breastfed babies (Source). This would seem to indicate that this type of fasting does not result in a reduced milk supply.

As previously mentioned, there have been differences in the micronutrient composition of breast milk after fasting.

 

 

BREASTFEEDING AND INTERMITTENT FASTING FOR RELIGIOUS REASONS

 

 

Various religions practice some form of fasting. The rules for fasting vary depending on the faith.

However, most religions exempt breastfeeding moms from being required to fast.

• Islamic Ramadan
• Jewish Yom Kippur
• Hinduism
• Buddhism
• Christianity

 

 

FINAL THOUGHTS ON INTERMITTENT FASTING WHILE BREASTFEEDING

 

Intermittent fasting appears to have many health benefits. The nursing mother should proceed with caution due to the lack of research on intermittent fasting and breastfeeding. 

If you want to give intermittent fasting while breastfeeding a try, I would recommend starting with a short fasting period. Keep a close eye on your baby’s growth and your milk supply. 

If you have tried IF as a nursing mom, leave a comment below and share what your experience was.

 

 

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The post Intermittent Fasting While Breastfeeding – What You Need To Know appeared first on Breastfeeding Confidential.

Nipple shields for breastfeeding are frequently recommended for a variety of nursing problems.

I have seen this happen when a well meaning nurse gives a new mom a nipple shield when she is having difficulty latching. I have also seen them recommended in Facebook groups. They often how up on Pinterest “breastfeeding essentials” lists.

Pinterest is where so many new and expectant moms go to see what accessories they will need for breastfeeding. They want to be ready. I find it somewhat alarming that a nipple shield is considered an essential item.

Once upon a time if I recommended a nipple shield to a mom she would respond that she had heard they were bad to use.

That is clearly no longer the popular thought.

But not every mom needs a nipple shield for breastfeeding. The truth is that most moms won’t need one.

Continue reading to determine if a nipple shield can help you with breastfeeding and what safety precautions you need to take if you decide to use one.

A nipple shield is a covering that goes over a mother’s nipple while she is breastfeeding. Most are made of thin, flexible silicone and have holes at the end for the milk to come out.

They kind of look like a Mexican sombrero.

Many of them have a section that is cut away in one area to allow for skin to skin contact. This is called a contact nipple shield.

There are different situations where it can be helpful to use a nipple shield for breastfeeding.

They can also cause a variety of problems with breastfeeding.

A nipple shield is merely a tool to use for certain problems with breastfeeding. If it is the right tool it can be helpful and result in a mom breastfeeding for a longer duration.

If it is the wrong tool it can be harmful to breastfeeding and cause a variety of problems.

Even if it is the right tool a shield needs to be used properly.

Back in the day nipple shields were made of thick latex. Sometimes even a rubber bottle nipple was used as a nipple shield for breastfeeding. A shield like that usually caused a lot of problems with poor nipple sensation and a baby’s ability to get milk out.

The result was often a poor milk supply and a baby with insufficient weight gain.

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There are several situations and conditions when a mom and baby can benefit from using a nipple shield for nursing.

• Inverted nipples
• A mom with flat nipples who can’t form a teat
• Latch difficulty because a baby has a posterior suck. That means he doesn’t respond to the nipple until it is further back in his mouth.
• Premature babies
• Overabundant milk supply
• A mother with a forceful let-down because a shield can slow down the flow of milk.
• Nipple Pain – it is important to determine what is causing the nipple pain and work on correcting the problem.
• Babies with a bottle preference who are exhibiting breast refusal.

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A mom should avoid reaching for a nipple shield for breastfeeding in these circumstances.

• You are having difficulty latching and feel like everything else has been tried.
• You heard that everyone should have one on hand.
• You have sore nipples but the problem that is causing your pain has not been fixed.
• A friend used one and said it helped her
  • It truly may have helped her. However, the reason your friend used a nipple shield for nursing may be completely different than your problem.

In most of these situations it is best to just say no to using a nipple shield for breastfeeding.

There can be significant disadvantages to using a nipple shield.

• Your baby may not be able to suck strongly enough to pull enough milk through the shield (Source). This can result in inadequate weight gain.
• There is the potential for a mom’s milk supply to decrease with nipple shield use. This can happen for two reasons. If a baby can’t pull out enough milk her body gets the message to not make as much milk as her baby needs. Her nipples may also not get enough stimulation.

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If you are struggling with breastfeeding the best thing to do is have a lactation consult. A lactation consultant can help you determine if a nipple shield would be helpful for your situation.

If you can’t see a lactation consultant in person, do a virtual lactation consult.

There are different sizes of nipple shields. These are the most common nipple shield sizes:

• 16 mm
• 20 mm
• 24 mm
• 28 mm

They may be labeled as extra small, small, medium, or large.

It is important to use the correct size.

The right size is determined by both the baby’s mouth size and the size of the mother’s nipple.

A baby needs to be able to latch onto the shield so that he has the entire top part in his mouth. You should not be able to see the part that bends.

A mom’s nipple should fit comfortably in the shield.

The Medela Extra Small is used for babies with very small mouths, usually babies who were born prematurely. An extra small nipple shield might also be used for a mom with very small nipples.

I almost always use a nipple shield small size for the average size newborn. These are 20 mm.

An older baby or a mom with larger nipples may need a 24 mm nipple shield. This size may be called medium.

Mamivac makes a large size shield that is 28 mm.

It is important to use the right size nipple shield.

A nipple shield that is too tight on a mom’s nipple can cause nipple damage. A nipple shield that is too large for a baby to latch properly will result in the baby getting little or no milk.

You should avoid using a nipple shield that doesn’t have any size. Nipple shields are definitely not one size fits all.

A contact nipple shield has an area cut away so that the baby’s mouth can have direct contact with his mother’s breast.

A regular nipple shield is round all the way around.

Do these three important things every time you breastfeed using a nipple shield..

1. Learn how to put on a nipple shield correctly.

The nipple shield should be partially inverted and then rolled over the mom’s nipple. This creates a little bit of suction which helps the shield stay in place. It also helps draw the milk out.

It is easier but will not be nearly as helpful to just place the nipple shield over the nipple.

2. Make sure your baby is getting a good flow of milk.

• You should hear swallowing every 1-2 sucks after your milk has let down.
• If you start using a nipple shield before your milk has come in you won’t hear swallowing that frequently. It may be only every 5-6 sucks.
• There should be milk or colostrum in the shield when the baby comes off your breast.
• Before your milk comes in you should see colostrum in the end of the shield. If you just see bubbles that is probably saliva.
• You want your baby to get a deep latch.
  • He needs to draw a lot of the areola into his mouth.
  • You shouldn’t be able to see the part of the shield that covers the nipple when he is sucking
  • He should not be bopping on and off the shield.

3. You should be using a breast pump after breastfeeding with a nipple shield.

The exception to this is if you are using a nipple shield for an oversupply of breast milk.

Too much milk can be overwhelming to some babies. They choke and sputter and sometimes won’t breastfeed.

If this is why you are using a nipple shield you do not want to pump after feedings. You wouldn’t want to do anything that is going to increase milk production.

If you use a nipple shield long-term chances are good that you won’t have to pump throughout your entire breastfeeding journey.

It’s best to be safe and pump after feedings when you first start using a shield. You should pump for ten to fifteen minutes. Pumping should start within twenty minutes of the end of the breastfeeding session.

You do not pump with the nipple shield in place. The nipple shield is only for breastfeeding.

There has been conflicting evidence about the effects of a nipple on milk supply and milk transfer (Source 1) (Source 2).

A mom is usually using a nipple shield for breastfeeding because there are problems. It seems wise to prevent the occurrence of a supply problem by pumping after feeding in the early weeks to ensure adequate emptying and stimulation.

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A visit with a lactation consultant is strongly encouraged.

• She can ensure the latch is correct.
• She can determine milk transfer by weighing your baby before and after breastfeeding with the nipple shield. This will let you know if your baby is able to get enough milk out with the nipple shield. If your baby can’t get enough milk with the shield then it will not be a good tool to use.
• She can follow up and help you track your baby’s weight gain when you are using a nipple shield for breastfeeding. This is important.
• Weekly weight checks are recommended. Normal growth lets you know that your baby is continuing to get enough of your milk with the nipple shield.

You only want to use a nipple shield for as long as it is needed.

In most cases, the shield will be a temporary solution.

However, some moms will use a shield the whole time they are breastfeeding.

To wean off the shield:

• Every few feedings offer the breast with no shield.
• If that doesn’t work offer the breast with no shield only every few days.
• If your baby still won’t breastfeed without the shield then decrease your attempts to latch without it to every few weeks.
• Still need it? Wait a month to try breastfeeding without it.

This is a very common question. The answer is an unequivocal yes. If it is what you need to continue breastfeeding you absolutely can use a shield the whole time you are nursing.

I have talked to moms who felt constant pressure to stop using a nipple shield. Moms have told me that they felt like failures using it. Some even said they felt like they were cheating by using a nipple shield for breastfeeding.

Don’t ever feel bad for using a nipple shield if it is helping you have a good breastfeeding experience.

A lactation consultant will have them. They also sell them at Target and Amazon.

Medela is the brand that I have used for 25 years. They are very thin. A nipple shield should look like a person’s nipple. It should never look like a bottle nipple.

Using a shield that is shaped like a bottle will result in almost no nipple stimulation and a mom could end up with a low milk supply or losing her milk altogether.

• Get 2 or 3 shields. Nothing strikes fear in a woman’s heart like not being able to find her nipple shield when it is time to breastfeed.
  • Put them in the places where you will be breastfeeding. Put two! If one drops on the floor you want another to be ready to go.
• Get a nipple shield case to help keep it clean.

• Your nipple shield needs to be washed after each use.
• Wash it in soapy water.
• Then rinse with warm water.
• Allow to air dry.

It is best to work with a certified lactation consultant before you use a nipple shield for breastfeeding.

• She can help you determine if it is the right tool for you.
• She will show you how to properly apply it.
• She can help you determine if your baby is getting enough to eat with a nipple shield.
• She can show you how to tell if your baby is getting your milk out with a nipple shield.
• She can help you monitor your baby’s weight.
• She can help you figure out when you should try to wean off of it.
• She can answer your questions about how breastfeeding is going.

Nipple shields are an awesome tool for moms who have certain breastfeeding problems. Just like any tool, they are only useful in the right situation.

In the wrong situation, they will create more problems. And who needs that?

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There are millions of women of childbearing age who have had a breast reduction, breast augmentation, and breast biopsies. All of these procedures can affect breastfeeding.

Breast surgery has the potential to affect milk supply and whether your baby can get out the milk that you make. These surgeries can also affect how much impact engorgement has on the milk-producing cells.

Some women have these surgeries at times when they are so far from having babies that whether or not it may impact breastfeeding is the furthest thing from their minds.

Surgeons don’t always provide information about how the procedure may affect breastfeeding. Surgeons are getting better at trying to preserve a woman’s ability to breastfeed.

Some plastic surgeons tell women that they probably won’t be able to breastfeed after some of the procedures. Other surgeons say to women that it won’t have any impact on breastfeeding.

Neither is entirely true.

Other women, usually other mothers, can be a source of information as well as misinformation too.

• Breast augmentation
• Breast reduction
• Breast lift
• Lumpectomy
• Biopsy

Breast Reduction

• Very large breasts can cause back pain, neck pain, and hunched shoulders because of the weight
• The weight of the breasts can result in a woman’s bra straps creating shoulder grooves
• Large breasts can affect the type of exercise women with large breasts can comfortably participate in
• Some women have asymmetric breasts and they choose to make one breast smaller.
• Cosmetic reasons

Breast Reduction Methods

There are two different ways to decrease the size of a woman’s breasts

• Liposuction
  • While liposuction removes only fat tissue, the glandular tissue can be damaged from liposuction since they can’t see the inside of the breast during the procedure
  • It is not very effective for very large breasts in reducing breast size significantly
• Surgery
  • Surgical methods can vary as to where the incision is made and therefore, what type of scar a woman will have
  • Surgical methods also can vary regarding what they do with the nipple

Nipples After Breast Reduction and Breastfeeding

• Nipples are how the milk gets from the glands in the breast out of your body.
• If the nipple is completely removed and repositioned, this will sever ducts
• If the nipple is left attached, this will help preserve those connections
• There are variations on how that procedure is done and referred to as inferior or superior pedicle techniques
  • Inferior pedicle techniques are believed to result in better breastfeeding outcomes

You can begin to see how complicated this can get and how there are so many factors that can affect breastfeeding after breast reduction. This explains why some women with reductions have full milk supplies and other women who have had reductions don’t produce any milk.

Breast Augmentation

One of the first things I ask women who have had breast augmentation is why they had it done. I’m not just nosy.

While most women have implants so they will have larger breasts, there are some women who get implants because they have very abnormally shaped breasts or one breast is very small compared to the other. This can be a sign of insufficient glandular tissue, which means there just are not enough glands to produce milk.

Breasts like this are sometimes referred to as tubular-shaped.

How Do Breast Implants Affect Breastfeeding?

Some people mistakenly think that since no breast tissue is being removed, breast augmentation should not affect breastfeeding. This is not the case. Just as with breast reduction, breast augmentation has different procedures.

Breast Augmentation Incision Locations

• Under the breast, in the crease
• In the armpit
• Through an incision just above the belly button – I rarely work with women who have had this incision, so I am not sure how frequently this procedure is done
• Areolar edge – this is great for concealing the scar but can sever a lot of the ducts and is considered the method that can have the most significant impact on breastfeeding. It is called a periareolar incision

How Implant Size Can Affect Breastfeeding

Implants can range in size from 80 ml to 800 ml (Source).

Larger sizes can increase the impact of engorgement.

The pressure from the implant can mimic severe, unrelieved engorgement. This puts pressure on the milk-producing cells, which can damage those cells if it is prolonged. 

Engorgement welling can decrease with the application of ice packs, the pressure from the implants will not.

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As with most things related to breastfeeding, education can make a significant difference in how breast surgery can impact breastfeeding.

Some excellent books on breastfeeding after breast surgery are:

• Defining Your Own Success by Diana West
• Breastfeeding After Breast and Nipple Procedures by Diana West and Elliott Hirsch

It’s essential to have a plan for what you are going to do after your baby is born.

• Breastfeed early and often
• Start using a breastpump within 12 hours of giving birth
• Use a breast pump 4-8 times every 24 hours
• Continue pumping at this rate until your baby is thriving on your breastmilk alone
• Herbs or medications can increase milk production

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With any breast surgery, you will not know what the impact it is going to have on your supply, until you have a supply.

I have had moms who had breast reductions who never saw a drop of milk. I have also had moms who had a full supply with their first baby.

With breast augmentation, most moms will see drops at a minimum. Many will have full milk supplies.

With both breast reduction and breast augmentation, most moms will fall somewhere in between.

Moms can do a lot to optimize milk production resulting in full supplies.

Seeing colostrum is encouraging, but not a guarantee that you will not have issues with your supply.

You have to wait and see what happens when your milk comes is. If a lot of your breast tissue has been removed, you may not experience a lot of fullness or engorgement.

If you have had a breast augmentation with an incision around your areola, you may get very engorged.

When your milk comes in, you have to see if it can get out. If a lot of the ducts have been severed, there is no way for the milk to get out.

Engorgement can be severe and eventually, the milk dries up.

Be vigilant with managing engorgement. Breastfeed frequently and apply ice packs for 15-20 minutes (never longer) every couple of hours.

When your baby breastfeeds, listen for a lot of swallowing. If you are pumping, look to see how much milk is spraying out. Pay attention to whether your breasts soften with feedings.

It’s best to work with a lactation consultant. Unfortunately you can’t just make a check list to figure out if everything is working the way it should.

• Your breasts get noticeable fuller at 48-72 hours after your baby is born.
• Baby starts swallowing more frequently within 24-48 hours of this fullness.
• Baby has weight loss that is considered normal and then has weight gain that is considered within normal limits.

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The stimulation your breasts get the first time you breastfeed after breast augmentation or reduction can result in the ducts that were severed reconnecting.

One of the first things that I tell a mom who has had breast surgery is that it is not uncommon for much of the work she does with the first baby to have a significant impact on her milk production with subsequent babies.

I had one mom who’d had a breast reduction with an anchor scar. She only knew that the nipple had not been removed, but she didn’t know the specific technique.

This mom had an extremenly low milk supply. She was making only 2/3 oz. every 3 hours.

That was enough for her to keep working at it.

She pumped at every feeding so that once a day her baby could get a bottle of just her breast milk.

She used an SNS much of the time when she supplemented her baby.

She took medications and herbs and saw an acupuncturist.

When she had her second baby, she made 2-3 oz. every 3 hours, and eventually had to supplement as her baby’s needs increased.

With her 3^rd baby she had a full milk supply the whole year that she breastfed.

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There can be other reasons than breast surgery when a woman has a low milk supply

Your breasts are amazing and complex. There can be more than one reason why you have a great milk supply and your friend struggles with hers. It is no different after breast surgery.

Another mom I worked with who’d had a breast reduction had a low milk supply. She worked very hard at trying to bring it up to what her baby needed so she could exclusively breastfeed.

After weeks of disappointing weight checks, she was ready to concede that she never would be able to exclusively breastfeed.

Both she and I assumed her low supply was because of her breast reduction.

I had just returned from a conference where one of the speakers advised checking prolactin levels in moms with low milk supply.

I recommended that she get her prolactin level checked. It came back very low. She went on a medication, Domperidone, which can increase milk supply. It worked beautifully for her and she went on to breastfeed for over 18 months.

Breastfeeding after breast augmentation surgery or breast reduction has improved over the years.

Whether you make a full supply or not, every drop of breastmilk that you give your baby is beneficial. Any length of breastfeeding is also tremendously valuable.

If you want to breastfeed after breast surgery you should educate yourself, have a plan to breastfeed and work with a lactation consultant. Then, wait and see how it goes.

 

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Biting and breastfeeding are two words that no mom wants to say in the same sentence.

Biting during breastfeeding can happen not only when a baby is teething. Even a baby just born can bite while nursing.

A baby biting your nipple while breastfeeding can be incredibly painful even when they don’t have teeth.

I’ll talk about the different reasons a baby bites and what you can do about it.

Don’t worry, mama, this does not have to mean the end of your breastfeeding journey.

Most moms think of teething as the time when biting can be a problem. However, a baby biting while nursing can happen at any time during your breastfeeding journey.

Biting while breastfeeding happens for different reasons. The reason for the biting will affect what you will do to resolve it.

Newborn Biting While Breastfeeding

Many mothers are surprised when their newborn bites while nursing. They assumed biting during breastfeeding was something they wouldn’t have to deal with for several months.

The birth process affects babies in different ways. For some babies, the result is biting or clamping down when trying to breastfeed.

Even though they don’t have teeth, it can still be quite painful.

Doing gentle massage at their jaw can help. 

• Do jaw massage for 1-2 minutes before breastfeeding.
• First, put your fingers at your baby’s jaw joint and gently massage in a circular motion, keeping your fingers in one spot.

• Next, stroke down the sides of your baby’s jaw toward the chin.

Most of the time, biting or clamping by a newborn will resolve in a day or two.

If your newborn continues to bite or clamp down while breastfeeding, I would recommend that he be evaluated by a speech or occupational therapist who is experienced in working with breastfeeding babies.

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Baby Bites During Breastfeeding To Try To Slow Down Fast Flow

If you are a mom who has a forceful let-down reflex or an overabundant milk supply, biting can be a way that your baby tries to manage your milk flow. 

Strategic positioning will be your best tool if your baby is biting due to a fast flow or overabundant milk supply. Position her so that her head is above your breast. This can slow the flow and give her more control over the flow. 

Laid-back Breastfeeding Position

Straddle Nursing Position

Football Hold with Baby Sitting Very Upright

Baby Is Trying to Increase Milk Flow

It might seem counterintuitive that if a baby bites to slow down your flow, they may also bite to try to get more milk. However, this is a common reason for biting and pulling on the nipple.

If you suspect your baby is biting during breastfeeding in an attempt to increase the milk flow, try doing breast compression to increase the flow. 

Biting Because of Poor Positioning

Your baby wants to be comfortable during nursing. If his nose is pressed into your breast or his head is tilted down, this results in pushing his jaw together and increases the likelihood that he will clamp down on your nipple.

• Before latching make sure baby is “nose to nipple”. 
• Baby’s tummy should be facing your body so that he doesn’t have to turn his head to breastfeed.
• Make sure your baby is positioned correctly, tummy to tummy.

Avoid positioning your baby so she has to turn her head like this.

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Baby Is Bored or Distracted

If your baby is not hungry or has fed and feels like she has eaten enough, she might bite out of boredom.

Another common occurrence is when a baby starts nursing for a shorter time than she used to. Mom sometimes thinks her baby can’t possibly be finished nursing in such a short time. She keeps trying to bring her baby back to her breast, and the baby just isn’t interested. Biting may happen at times like these.

If your baby comes off your breast and resists attempts to go back, trust that she has had enough and let the feeding be over.

Your Baby Thinks Your Reaction to His Biting Is Funny

Another lactation consultant I worked with shared a story about her experience when her daughter was teething. She said that the first time her daughter bit down, mom told her “No” in a firm voice.

For the rest of the day, her daughter would gently bite down and then look up at mom and grin. She thought it was a game.

Baby Wants Your Attention

Some babies want you to pay attention to them during feeding sessions. If you are looking at your phone or your attention is elsewhere, they may bite down in an attempt to regain your undivided attention. 

Some moms have found success weaning nursing necklaces to distract their baby if they cannot give their little one their undivided attention during every feeding.

Baby Is Not Feeling Well

If your baby has an ear infection or a cold, she may bite while nursing.

Clues that this is the cause is if they have a runny nose, a cough, or are pulling their ear or rubbing the side of their head.

The biting should stop once your baby is feeling better.

Baby Is Experimenting

As a baby becomes more aware of his body, he will try different behaviors out. Biting is one of those things he may experiment with. 

This is one of those times when you tell your baby firmly that biting is not okay and end the feeding.

Biting Due to Teething

Teething is the most common reason that we expect a baby to bite while breastfeeding. Their newly emerging teeth are irritating to them, and biting makes them feel better.

Try rubbing your baby’s gums right before breastfeeding. 

Offer a breast milk popsicle before nursing.

You could also offer a teething ring that you can keep in the freezer. 

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Whatever the reason for biting during breastfeeding, it is no fun.

First, try to determine the reason for the biting. That will have a significant effect on what you need to do to stop the biting.

There are things you will want to do and there are also things you will want to try to avoid doing to put an end to biting during breastfeeding.

If you have a biter, then you will need these tips on how to stop biting during breastfeeding.

How you respond will depend on the reason for the biting.

For a baby who is old, four months or more, I think it is always important to say, “No biting. Biting hurts mommy. It is not okay to hurt mommy.”

If biting occurs at the end of a feeding, you can watch for signs that your baby is done. A baby will often start to move their head back and forth, and if you see this, you can quickly detach your baby.

If your baby bites at random times during a feeding, immediately detach her from the breast and say, “No biting. You can’t nurse if you’re going to bite.”

Try not to yell out. Admittedly, that is easier said than done when it takes you by surprise.

I do not recommend that you bite them back. 

While some people think this will show your baby that what they are doing hurts, it is probably confusing to them when you say don’t do this and then do it to them. Plus, I just don’t think you should do something intentionally to cause pain to your baby.

Nipple damage from biting doesn’t happen all the time. When it does, you would care for it as you would for any kind of nipple trauma.

• Keep the area where the cut is clean
• Apply some OTC antibiotic ointment.
• Gel pads for sore nipples can provide some soothing relief.

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It is rare that biting would require you to wean. Most babies will learn not to bite.

Biting does not usually mean that your baby wants to wean either.

Biting during breastfeeding is a challenging part of your breastfeeding journey. In the vast majority of cases, it will be a temporary bump in the road. You should be able to go on to nurse for as long as you want to.

 

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Using infant formula when breastfeeding can happen by necessity or by choice.

For some nursing moms the need to use formula when breastfeeding can feel defeating. You may be worried that supplementing breastfeeding with formula can mean the end of breastfeeding.

Formula is not necessarily a bad thing. There are times when a breastfeeding mom needs to use some formula. Some families decide that combining breastfeeding and formula is what works best for them.

Whatever the reason is that you find yourself reading this blog post, by the time you are finished you will know when formula use is necessary and how to ensure that it doesn’t have to mean the end of breastfeeding.

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Any discussion about formula use when breastfeeding can be confusing because how breastfeeding is defined can vary from source to source.

So that we are all on the same page, this is how I generally define these terms.

• Breastfeeding is exclusive breastfeeding
• Formula feeding is exclusive formula feeding
• Mixed feeding is any combination of both. It is best to establish a good milk supply before doing this. That usually takes 4-6 weeks of exclusive breastfeeding.
• Token breastfeeding is breastfeeding 1-2x/day and formula feeding the rest of the time
• Bottle feeding includes bottle feeding formula or expressed breast milk.
• Supplementing can mean combining direct breastfeeding with bottles, either with breastmilk, human donor milk, or formula. Therefore, it needs to be specified what is being put in the bottle
• Topping off is when a baby is offered a bottle after breastfeeding and usually refers to formula but can include a bottle of expressed breast milk.
• “Just in case bottles” means there is no medical reason to give a bottle.

There are different scenarios where a breastfed baby receives formula. I’ll go over those in a bit.

Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months is considered optimum by the American Academy of Pediatrics (Source).

It is natural to be concerned if your breastfed baby receives formula. You may wonder how it will affect both your baby and breastfeeding.

There are different reasons a breastfeeding baby might receive formula.

Some reasons make sense, and some are just silly.

There are even reasons that formula is given that are harmful. That would include overfeeding so your baby will sleep longer. It is also harmful if anyone feeds your baby formula without your consent or even your knowledge.

• Your baby may have experienced low blood sugar in the hospital and his health care providers believed formula was needed to bring his blood sugar to a safe level.
• Your baby may have lost too much weight before your milk comes in.
• Your baby may not be gaining weight at an adequate rate while exclusively breastfeeding.
• You are a working mom and are unable to pump the amount of milk your baby needs while you are separated.
• An emergency comes up and you do not have a breast milk stash or you don’t have access to it.
• You have to take a medication that is contraindicated with breastfeeding and you don’t have an adequate breast milk stash.
• You may have made the decision to do mixed feeding.
• You have a medical condition that is contraindicated with breastfeeding.
• You may be considering having your partner, mother, or night nanny give a bottle of formula for the night feeds. This can result in a low milk supply.
• You want to combine breastfeeding and formula feeding because you believe this will work best for you. You should wait to attempt this until after your milk supply is well established – at 6-8 weeks.

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Stash

Some people may read my list and come up with a situation where they believe it was very justified to give formula. I don’t know the specifics of everyone’s case. For the most part, though, these are valid vs. silly reasons.

• You may feel unsure that your baby is getting enough from breastfeeding and you offer a bottle of formula “just in case.”
• Someone is pressuring you to let them feed the baby and you are unable to pump.
  • A pump is not available.
  • Mom has trouble with her let-down reflex when she tries pump.
  • Any reason that pumping is problematic
• Someone else doesn’t have confidence the baby is getting enough from breastfeeding and offers formula. This could be your partner or a grandma.
• To let a mom rest or sleep. This can especially be harmful when her milk is coming in or she is establishing her milk supply
• Someone wants to prove that formula is just fine so they give the baby formula when mom is not around.

I had a co-worker whose mother-in-law watched her baby when mom when back to work. The mother-in-law had always been very vocal about thinking the whole breastfeeding thing was nonsense. She told my co-worker that she had fed her son formula and he turned out just fine.

My co-worker provided plenty of pumped milk when she dropped her baby off with her mother-in-law. At the end of the day when she picked him up her mother-in-law informed her that she had fed the baby formula to prove that he would be just fine and didn’t need to breastfeed.

I often hear from breastfeeding moms that they are going to give one bottle of formula a day. They may do it because they are worried about their supply. Or their partner is concerned about whether the baby is getting enough.

If there is no documented problem with supply and the baby is gaining enough weight, then the baby should not be supplemented with formula. This is a classic case of a slippery slope.

One bottle often turns into two, and so on. Before you know it, you are exclusively formula feeding or only token breastfeeding.

Some moms think there might be something in formula that is not in breastmilk and they want to make sure their baby has the best of everything.

There are things in formula that are not in breastmilk, but it’s nothing good.

You may have heard that breastmilk changes as a baby gets older. You may wonder if it is better to give formula if the only pumped milk you have available was pumped when your baby was younger.

It is not!

Formula is the same for babies of every age; it doesn’t change. And don’t be fooled by the marketing by formula companies. Formula is never going to be better than breastmilk.

Topping off usually happens when a mom or the other parent, or grandma, doesn’t believe that breastfeeding is enough.

Topping off is different than supplementing. Supplementing is when a baby needs more food due to an inadequate milk supply

Topping off is when a baby is offered formula after breastfeeding “in case the baby is not getting enough.” If the baby takes the formula it is thought that confirms the baby wasn’t getting enough from breastfeeding.

Just because a baby takes more food, doesn’t necessarily mean that he needs more food. Do you ever eat when you don’t need to? Do you ever eat too much, and feel uncomfortably full?

Babies can eat too much just like anyone. And it’s not true that a baby will just spit up if he takes too much. The excess milk can just push through the other end.

If a baby is repeatedly overfed, it can teach him that feeling overfull is normal.

If you know your milk supply is normal it is better to put your baby back to your breast if he is still looking hungry after breastfeeding.

Because you know “breast is best” if you do need to supplement with formula you will want to give your baby the best formula available.

The truth is that there are very few differences between most formulas.

The exceptions are specialized hypoallergenic formulas.

While the formula companies may give their formulas fancy names the ingredients that are important for growth and development are mandated by the FDA.

The one thing that sets some infant formulas apart are those that are organic. Organic formulas are made with pure cane sugar as opposed to high fructose corn syrup. They do not have any GMO’s and are made with organic ingredients.

• Cow’s milk based
• Soy based
• Plant-based soy-free

Always check if a formula is labeled for infants or toddlers. Infant formula should be used throughout the first year.

I had a co-worker who was raised on a homemade formula. That is actually how the term was coined. Her doctor told her mother to feed her baby a combination of evaporated milk and corn syrup.

She even showed me the card it was written on.

My co-worker was a very smart person. The truth is that a baby can not only survive on substandard food, but they could even thrive on it. But we know how much better they can do on food that is intended for human babies.

I don’t recommend feeding your baby a homemade formula.

You can not be sure that you have included all the things your baby needs in homemade formula.

While formula will never be as good as breastmil, there is a lot of science that goes into the ingredients.

Some moms have asked me whether goat’s milk is better than cow’s milk? I have yet to be convinced that a goat is any closer to humans than cows. I am open to research though.

If you are not using ready to feed, it is important that you mix formula safely. There is a guide written by the World Health Organization with step by step instructions.

World Health Organization Safe Infant Formula Preparation

The instructions call for boiling water and adding the powdered formula when the water is no cooler than 70 degrees Centigrade. This is 158 degrees Fahrenheit.

The reason for using water this temperature is so that the hot water will kill any bacteria in the powdered formula. It has nothing to do with whether bottled water is used.

The formula companies are unable to eliminate the risk of bacteria in powdered formula. If you are unable or unwilling to do this, you should use ready to feed or concentrated formula.

These recommendations are supported by the Centers for Disease Control

Formula and breastmilk should not be mixed together if it can be avoided (Source).

There is something about the formula that decreases the valuable properties of breastmilk.

However, it will not always be possible to avoid mixing formula with breast milk. This is one of those “don’t stress about it” guidelines.

The best way to supplement breastfeeding with formula is to breastfeed first and then offer the formula by an SNS or bottle.

However, for the mom who has a very low milk supply, her baby may get frustrated if the milk is not flowing fast enough. In a case like this, it can work better to offer the formula first and breastfeed as dessert.

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Using A Supplemental Nursing System (SNS)

There may be the option of using human donor milk.

Human donor milk has been donated by breastfeeding women to milk banks. The mothers and the milk goes through rigorous testing. The milk is pasteurized.

Human donor milk is an excellent option. However, it is admittedly an expensive option and there is not always enough available. Milk banks will give priority to premature and sick babies if their supply levels geet low.

You can find out if there is a milk bank near you on the Human Milk Milk Banking Association of North America site. Milk can also be shipped.

Because there is the potential for transmission of diseases and viruses through human milk it is not recommended to use milk donated by family or friends. It is definitely not recommended to use milk from someone you do not know personally.

Some breastfeeding moms will need to use formula. If this is your situation mama, please remember that the most important thing is that your baby is fed enough so he can grow properly.

If you are experiencing low milk supply I encourage you to work with a Lactation Consultant so that you can make as much milk as possible.

Breast milk is so valuable. Any amount of breast milk you give your baby is important.

 

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