“One tip we want expecting parents to know and how Little Nursing Company can help!”

TIP 1: Don’t expect breastfeeding to come easily or “naturally”!

No matter what you see from social media, movies, moms at the mall, your friends and family- breastfeeding is generally a learned skill.  It takes practice and usually requires assistance. Put money aside prenatally to hire a private International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (an IBCLC has the highest level of knowledge with breastfeeding issues). Or ask for gift cards to a private IBCLC from grandparents, family or friends.

If you do not have the resources, there is free breastfeeding help. Edmonton has a few publicly funded breastfeeding clinics plus the La Leche League.  Most likely you will need your family doctor to refer you for a free breastfeeding clinic, and unfortunately the wait time can be weeks to months.  In our experience, breastfeeding concerns need immediate attention.  When you do go to your appointment, you need to pack up and drive, haul the carseat and sometimes wait in a waiting room. Based on the allotted time for the appointment, you may or may not get to show the Lactation consultant or Doctor a full feed, especially if you had to feed while waiting.  The space is not what you are used to. A different chair, maybe no breastfeeding pillow, distractions for your baby. Your setup and environment play a big part in your and your baby’s comfort.

With Little Nursing Company, we come to you. In any room that you are comfortable feeding in. Sometimes we are in bed with you, sometimes we are in the living room and sometimes in the nursery. We go where you are comfortable.  We watch an entire feed and suggest different positions or latch techniques. We do a pre/post feed weight to see what the baby transferred from you (so many minds find confidence in numbers!).  We have specific training in oral restrictions/tongue/lip ties and do assessments on all babies. If we do see something concerning we refer you to other professionals for proper care and revision. Being in the home we get to see where the baby sleeps (we’ll discuss safe sleep) and we see breast pump parts (which leads to discussing pumping) and we get to talk about it all without the rush!! Any questions you have! You can easily book on our website and we can guarantee you will see us within 24-48 hours of booking. If you have insurance through Sun Life and Blue Cross you can submit our receipts for reimbursement. When you book a package with us we keep in touch with you through text, which most moms find the most helpful! Check out our Google Reviews

We look forward to meeting you and easing your transition into breastfeeding

Can my stress affect lactation?

Simply said, stress and breastfeeding don’t mix well.

When you are scared, stressed or anxious, the adrenaline release by your system can inhibit oxytocin. And since oxytocin is what causes your milk to “let down” that adrenaline messes with your milk flowing freely from your breasts. 

“Let down” or the “Milk Ejection Reflex” (MER), is governed mostly by the hormone oxytocin.  When the mothers nipple is stimulated, smooth muscles surrounding the alveoli contract and milk is then ejected. Moms usually have more than one MER in a feeding.  Some moms are aware of their MER, some are not.  Most moms seem to be aware of a MER when their breasts are fuller.  

In the infant, you’ll notice a change in rate of suckling.  Going from more frequent little sucks to a pattern of longer, slower, more rhythmic sucks followed by swallowing. In the mother, sometimes she’ll experience breast tingling or a “pins and needles” sensation, dripping from the other breast, sense of calm and tranquility, relaxation, drowsiness and thirst!! (always have a big glass of water near you before you sit down to feed!)

So now what? 

Most new, dare I say ALL mothers have some stress…

Here are some ways to increase MER

• Drink warm liquids- tea, coffee, hot toddy..(just kidding)

• Use warm moist heat directly on the breasts- warm washcloth, warm packs (2 to 3 minutes) have a shower/bath

• Warm the flange of the breast pump before applying 

• Before your baby is ready for a feed, get yourself comfortable.  Find your most relaxing place in the house- warm up the room,  dim the lights, light candles,  find your favourite essential oil, your favourite music, look at pictures of relaxing memories or visualize a relaxing place that you visited, meditate.  Have your partner bring you the baby before he/she is starving and screaming!

• Do lots of skin to skin with baby before feeding

• Use the fingertips to massage the breasts toward the nipple to raise oxytocin levels

• There is such a thing as exogenous oxytocin nasal spray out there in the world.  I have never seen it and I'm pretty sure we can’t get it in Canada.  But if you dig deep enough you could probably find it.

• Laugh! Find something that makes you laugh- a movie, something on your phone, a picture, maybe you have a funny husband! Laughter does so much good for our tension!

#1 Most Important thing to do: PROTECT YOUR MILK SUPPLY

Empty those breasts! 8 to 12 times in 24 hours (depending on your baby’s age). Full breasts don’t make milk. Your milk supply is driven by supply and demand. 

Check out this video:

How To Increase Milk Supply - Relaxing Breastfeeding Meditation

Resource

Marie Biancuzzo. Breastfeeding the Newborn Clinical Strategies for Nurses. Second Edition. 2001

Is My Baby Getting Enough Breast Milk?!

There are so many amazing things about a woman's body. Mainly the intense, miraculous, overwhelming, amazing world of reproduction. We get pregnant, we anticipate for 9(+) months, we manage to gently ease these little angels into the world (eye-roll, maniacal laughter, sarcastic snort here- your choice) and then the “dot, dot, dot”. 

The story of how we got from there to here is as individual as snowflakes but I’m pretty sure I can say all of us, not long after having those little bundles of joy, start the never ending question period that is, AM I DOING THIS RIGHT??? 

We read books, look up websites, we talk to our mothers, sisters, (dare to even ask the mother in law?!) we cry with friends and snap at our partners and we stress! We didn't have a lot of control during that incubation time but now we are in the driver's seat and it is scary! But we do it, one day at a time, one NIGHT at a time, one feed at a time. And with those feeds, while we sit and “relax” we think, how, on Earth, do I know if this little lovey is getting what he/she needs from me? IS MY BABY GETTING ENOUGH MILK? Well mama, let us tell you a few signs to watch for to ease your mind and help those shoulders come down a notch.

The 3 main areas to pay attention to are weight gain, feeding technique and behaviour, and output/diapers.

During a postpartum visit with your doctor or midwife, they will weigh your baby and compare it to the birth weight. Now there is a bit of number play here but the general idea is that your baby will lose a bit of weight (5-7-10% depending on who you talk to) in the first 4 days after birth. By day 5, your baby should be gaining weight (20-35 grams/day) instead of losing and have regained that lost weight by 10 days to 2 weeks of age.  After 2 weeks, your baby will gain 120-240grams/week. 

Personal story, my third and heaviest baby did not regain her birth weight back by two weeks and I felt like a failure. It was my job to do this “one” main thing. So I started drinking the suggested teas and took a shot of something that tasted terrible every day (don't ask what, I have no clue what it was now) and I pumped and bottle fed just so I could see how much she was getting then I supplemented with formula (I just had to know she was getting enough!) and fed any time I thought she might be hungry and I stressed. This was my third, I should know what to do, right?! Then her chiropractor asked me how I was during a visit, as I complained about my tea, and she said, “Do you think there is a problem?” and I frustratingly replied “No! She looks fine and acts fine and I'm spraying her in the face for goodness sake!” She said, “Stop with the tea, you are doing a great job.”. For whatever reason I needed permission to listen to my gut and from then on her weight wasn't a problem. Which brings me to feeding.

Once you have established a good latch, there are a few things to look for that show your baby is getting enough milk. At the start of the feed your baby's eyes should be open and  baby alert. During the suck their mouth should be wide and have slower periods with intermittent  pauses while the milk is going in. The longer the pause, the more milk is going in, so fast “open, close” sucks are taking in less milk. It is drinking vs sucking (or sipping!). Imagine chugging through a straw and what happens in your mouth. That’s a bit difficult to put into words but there are great videos on youtube. Here’s one of them:  Good Drinking At Breast

During the first 2-3 days pauses are difficult to detect as they are quite short due to colostrum having less volume than milk. Feeding times should be approximately less than 30 minutes (can vary) and end with softer breasts and a content baby. Baby may be gently falling asleep and have limp hands or an unworried expression, this is that “milk drunk” state we all love and miss!   MINIMUM breastfeeds are 8x in 24 hours but in the first few weeks it is more like 10-12x/24hrs.  Don’t forget those very important night time feeds-at least 2-3x.  Babies have tiny tummies that hold a small volume and breastmilk is easily digested - which is why they feed ALOT! And that is normal.   

If what goes up must come down, we know what goes in must come out! Since we can't visualize the precise volume the baby is taking in, we monitor their diapers. After the meconium (sticky tarry first poops) have cleared the baby's system, usually around day 3-4,  the colour and consistency changes to a seedy yellow/brown stool. See below. To tell if the amount in each stool is adequate we use the “O-K” method, as in make the O-K 👌🏼👌🏾👌🏿 sign with your hand and the amount in the “O” (forefinger to thumb) is considered one good poop! This amount is what you watch for during the first month. Now it's difficult to monitor wet diapers amongst all of this colourful solid waste but ample stools generally translate to ample milk and also wet diapers, see below. Very concentrated urine during the first few days of life can contain urate crystals (uric acid crystals). These urate crystals can cause a pink, red, or orange-colored, powdery stain in your baby's diaper called brick dust. Tell your care provider as this is a sign of not enough milk and find someone to help you with breastfeeding/formula feeding, like an IBCLC! 

Day 1- 1 Wet/ At least 1-2 black or dark green poops

Day 2- 2 Wets/ 1-2 black or dark green poops

Day 3- 3 Wets/ 2-3 brown, green or yellow poops

Day 4- 4 Wets/2-3 brown, green or yellow poops

Day 5-7- At least 5 wets/ 2-3 soft and seedy, yellow poops

2 weeks on- 6 wets/2-3 soft, seedy, yellow poops

Breastfeeding My Baby Guide is a helpful guide of “How do I know if my baby is getting enough breast milk?”

The first 24 hrs are different for all babies. Give yourself time to snuggle and celebrate and rest. Have a water bottle handy because you will be thirsty with all of this milk making! 

TIP: From day 1- Keep a very simple log: one column for pees, one column for poops, checks when you change!” If you have more questions or comments, let us know!

Get some extra “milk drunk” cuddles in for us! 

Here is a list of some of our favourite links:

Is Baby Getting Enough Milk? • KellyMom.com

Attaching Your Baby at the Breast

Resources

La Leche League International. The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding 8th Edition. 2010

Dr Jack Newman & Teresa Pitman. Dr. Jack Newmans Guide to Breastfeeding Revised Edition. 2014.

British Columbia Ministry of Health. Breastfeeding my Baby.