Nighttime feeds are very important for informing the breasts how much milk to make for the next day. The level of a mom's milk-making hormone Prolactin is highest between 2AM and 6AM. This means that if your baby nurses during the night, it will help you release high levels of Prolactin in the night, which will result in more milk the next day. Here are a few other great points that may help you view night feedings in a more positive light. http://breastfeedchicago.wordpress.com/2013/05/24/5-cool-things-no-one-ever-told-you-about-nighttime-breastfeeding/
Sharen Medrano, Yummy Mummy Support Group IBCLC (www.nycbreastfeeding.com)
Boob Scoop: Almost all babies will spit up after some feedings. If your breastfed baby is gaining weight well and has good urine and stool output (6-8 wet ones and at least 3 bowel movements in 24 hours; in babies over 6 weeks old, fewer bowel movements are normal), then spitting up is more of a laundry problem than a medical issue. Most healthy babies will outgrow the spitting up stage within 4-6 months. For tips on how to minimize spit up and to help determine if the spitting up is, in fact, NOT just a laundry problem, check out this helpful link: http://kellymom.com/health/baby-health/reflux/
If transitioning your baby to using a cup, consider one with a straw. Breastfed babies tend to do better with a straw cup since it's more similar to how they extract milk from the breast. Cups with a straw are also said to be better for speech development, since they allow for the tongue to move into a more natural position. Dentists love them too since liquid flows quicker through the mouth, and therefore spends less time on the teeth. Despite these benefits, some moms think their babies' experience gassiness from using a straw cup. So if your baby prefers the spout for starters, that's fine too! Eventually, we all learn to drink from a straw. Here are some great tips on how to introduce a straw cup: http://www.parentingstartshere.com/index.php/2011/12/13/how-to-introduce-a-straw-cup-to-your-baby-or-toddler
Having a sense of what to expect throughout your breastfeeding experience can help alleviate unnecessary worry and give you a heads up on what’s to come as your baby gets older. Check out this helpful breastfeeding timeline, which you may want to bookmark on your phone or simply keep handy: http://www.thealphaparent.com/2011/12/timeline-of-breastfed-baby.html?m=1
There is no need to get your eyes checked out if you notice changes in the color of your breastmilk! In general, human milk tends to be clear or have a bluish tint when it first starts to flow and becomes more creamy and white by the end of a pumping or nursing session. In addition, certain foods, herbs, nutritional supplements and medications can change the milk's color to shades of pink, orange, red, brown, green and even black. Although the colors may be strange to see, the changes in the color of breastmilk are usually diet-related and not at all dangerous.
Boob Scoop: After months of pumping and washing bottles, at the end of each workday, a mom may be ready to hang up the pump but want to continue breastfeeding. If you're not ready to wean but are ready to ditch the pump, this piece is for you! ttp://hygeiainc.com/im-not-ready-to-wean-my-baby-but-im-ready-to-ditch-the-pump/#sthash.CHA5Y6aN.6jvqFJlQ.dpbs.
Moms Only: New and expectant moms on the Upper East Side now have a shop just for them. This month, New York City mom and lactation educator Amanda Cole is opening Yummy Mummy, a breastfeeding emporium selling all the essentials, including breast pumps and extra parts, nursing tops and bras, nursing pads, and cover-ups, as well as more unusual items like post-cesarean panties and fashionable hospital gowns. The store will also host classes and support groups led by lactation consultants.
See a PDF of the item as it appeared on page 22 of the May 2009 issue
M is for May and mammaries! This month, the first and only breastfeeding store on the Upper East Side opens its doors. Its name should make you giggle: Yummy Mummy. This self-described one stop shop for the breastfeeding mom, at 1201 Lexington Ave. between 81st and 82nd, will have everything that nursing moms need to be their very best at breastfeeding: nursing bras, breast pumps, pads, DVDs, reference books and even weekly classes, special seminars and breastfeeding support groups.
Pumping and dumping, latching, proper positioning—you're learning all the techniques, but breastfeeding is not going so swimmingly. Stop by Yummy Mummy, a just-opened uptown boutique that focuses on everything related to breastfeeding. This full-service, one-stop-shop for new and expectant parents focuses on nursing products and resources, as well as classes on lactation-related topics taught by Certified Lactation Consultants. From nursing bras and pads to books and DVDs, the specialty store run by an UES native and mother is all about making the breastfeeding experience a little easier.
