Ugh, this weather is for the birds.  And for those of us who deal with Raynaud’s Syndrome, an exaggeration of vasomotor responses to cold or emotional stress, it’s enough to want to fly south with them. Also called vasospasms (constriction of peripheral blood vessels, leading to discoloration of fingers and toes and, oftentimes, pain), those who have this disorder and who are also breastfeeding may find that they have nipple vasospasms.  Nipple vasospasms are quite painful and I’m particularly sensitive to moms who suffer from Raynaud’s Syndrome because I suffer from it, as well.  It’s easy for me to wear… More…

On my laundry list of “Things I Hear Every Single Day” is “[Someone] told me I’m going to have a hard time breastfeeding because I have flat [inverted, retracted] nipples.”  This drives me about as crazy as those who tell me that “the nurse in the hospital told me I have perfect anatomy for breastfeeding.”  Perfect anatomy to me?  That means you have a breast.  That’s it.  That’s all it takes.  If you happen to have flat nipples, where they do not protrude with stimulation; retracted nipples, where they pull back slightly; or inverted nipples, where they pull inward when… More…

“Help! For Baby #1, I didn’t give a bottle until 3 months, at which point he refused it until I left him home with his father screaming for 8 hours before finally taking one!  How do I avoid this scenario for Baby #2?  Should I give a bottle on Day 1? If so, how often, so he likes nursing and bottle-feeding?  And, should a bottle strike ever happen again, how do I avoid 8 hours of crying before he takes a bottle? Thanks!”

When it comes to introducing a bottle, my general recommendation is to offer it between weeks… More…

Anyone who knows me knows that I don’t mince words and that I’m very realistic.  The topic of sex is always a hot one (no pun intended!) in my support group and in my private practice, and I’m the last one to say, “Oh, it’s going to be a wonderful experience.”  (Sorry, dads…If you’re mad at me, reread the first sentence…)  There are so many breastfeeding issues surrounding sex and I wanted to touch upon some of the more popular ones today.

“Honey, aren’t you going for your 6-week postpartum checkup tomorrow?  From what I understand, they should give you… More…

Eons ago, before I had my own children, I remember my Aunt Debby talking about how she gave my cousins, Jared and Jessica (now engaged and pregnant with #2, respectively), “roots and wings”.  It’s one of my favorite metaphors on so many different levels.  For my children, I’ve seen how they’ve developed over 14, 11, and 8 years—they know that they always have the comfort, love, and support of home, yet they have the confidence to make good decisions (um, well, aside from the call my daughter made to 911 because she got into a fight with my older son…)… More…