investigating the tongue and breastfeeding
Lifting the Tongue: Arguably the most important skill is lifting the tongue. Not only does a baby need to learn how to lift the tongue, but the tongue needs to have the mobility necessary to do this. If there is a restriction of some sort, it may prevent your baby from lifting the tongue adequately no matter how hard they try. This restriction could be from a variation of anatomy (an "oral tie" would fall into this category). But it also could be a functional inability due to strength, tightness of the neck or jaw, or something else that is keeping that tongue from moving up as needed.
pumping to empty
I was recently listening to a podcast. One of the people interviewed had mastitis and was talking about how she was always pumping to empty her breasts because she was so scared of getting another mastitis. This is a common misconception. You get mastitis after going a little longer between nursing or pump sessions, and therefore you start to pump or nurse more and more in order to prevent another mastitis. This thinking is based on a theory that plugged ducts or mastitis happen due to stagnant milk that's been sitting in the breasts for too long. If that’s the case, we need to empty, and empty, and empty, more frequently and more completely to make sure that we don't get another plugged duct or infection.
Understanding and Managing Fast Letdown in Breastfeeding
Some women experience a fast or forceful letdown when breastfeeding. While this isn't always a problem, it can be challenging for some babies to cope with milk flowing out faster than they can comfortably handle. Babies need to coordinate sucking, swallowing, and breathing during feeding, and a forceful letdown can disrupt this delicate balance.
NEW REcommenda-tions for treating plugged ducts
If you’ve ever had a plugged duct, you know how miserable they can make you. They are painful, sometimes provoke anxiety, and can lead to decreased milk production (temporarily). Contrary to what you might think, plugged ducts are not little clumps of milk but Instead they are areas of obstructed milk due to inflammation that has developed in or around a milk duct. This inflammation gradually narrows the duct, making it difficult for milk to flow freely. While there may be a bit of congealed milk involved, it's primarily inflammation that's causing the blockage.
Understanding Baby Reflux: A Guide for Worried Moms
As a Breastfeeding and Lactation Medicine physician, pediatrician, and mom, I understand that the journey of motherhood comes with a myriad of concerns and questions. One common issue that often troubles new parents is baby reflux. It's natural to be worried when your little one spits up frequently. In this article, I'll shed light on the world of baby reflux, explain its causes, when to be concerned, and offer some practical tips to make both you and your baby's life easier during this phase.
Understanding Engorgement in the Postpartum period
Breast engorgement is characterized by the breasts becoming hard, swollen, and painful. It happens not only because milk production increases but also due to inflammation and fluid buildup in the breast tissues. This swelling can make it difficult for babies to latch onto the breast and for milk to flow easily, causing frustration for both the mother and the baby.
Finding the Balance Between Rest and milk Production
Being a new mom is exhausting. When you add breastfeeding to the mix, it becomes even more demanding. Breastfeeding is a unique responsibility that only you can fulfill, and it can take a toll on your energy levels. It's important to be prepared for the fact that it might be more challenging than you initially thought.
Have you Ever felt Mom Guilt?
Just remember - we as parents are doing the best that we can with the information that we have at the moment that we're in. And that's a different moment and different information than other people may have, or that we may have 10 years from now. So let's try not to be so hard on ourselves. Let’s learn from these experiences and give ourselves the grace that we cannot be “perfect” all the time. I love the social media reels that show other people’s messy houses or talk about times when they “lost it” with their kids, or times when stressed-out moms have locked themselves in the closet to get a few moments of peace and calm. It makes me realize that we are all just doing the best we can and we’re all just muddling through.
Tween angst
Yesterday we picked up a very dirty tween from a week at sleepaway camp. His proud report was that he hadn’t showered once during the week. I could see inklings of his rosy cheeks peeking out from the grime. And I’m not even going to share the tooth-brushing report, which really gave me the heebie jeebies. Despite the layers of dirt, we were very happy to have him back and to hear about his amazing week. We also were quickly reminded of the tween phase he is going through, from the mini meltdowns to the quick angry outbursts and also the fierce love that peeks through here and there. And immediately we were sprinkled with penis jokes again. Or perhaps I should say we are sprayed with a fire hose?
Letter to a burnt-out doctor
As I leave a conference organized for a group of physician entrepreneurs, I have so many thoughts running through my head. Some of these thoughts revolve around how to make my small, fledgling medical practice run more smoothly, reach more people (and serve them better), and always remember my why. These are the “business mastermind” skills I signed up to learn at the conference. But I may have come out of this with something way more valuable in the long run. I was also reminded of why I left what I was doing before and why I am continuing to follow this incredibly challenging path of being a medical practice owner “outside the system” even when the odds are against me.