The Birth Song Botanicals Blog

How to Achieve A Proper Breastfeeding Latch

How to Achieve A Proper Breastfeeding Latch
A good latch is the strong foundation you need to have a successful breastfeeding experience. A healthy latch will reduce nipple soreness and encourage your baby to suckle deeply, which stimulates your milk to flow. Sometimes a good latch comes easily, but in many cases, you will need to work with your baby to get the latch you need. This is the first time for your baby to breastfeed too! And don’t worry, soon enough you and your baby will be breastfeeding easily, and you won’t even have to think about it. It may take some work to get there, but you can most likely meet your breastfeeding goals. Continue reading

Breastfeeding a Pre-Term Baby

Breastfeeding a Pre-Term Baby

For all of the planning and dreaming we might do, birth is never quite what we think it will be. When the unexpected brings baby out sooner, plans can change in dramatic ways. The good news is, the milk you make for a pre-term baby is just as good as for one born closer to term. Actually, it’s even better.

Breastfeeding a pre-term baby has its challenges, and it might not even look like normal breastfeeding for awhile. But the antibodies and nutrients that your milk provides are life-saving and worth every drop of effort.

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Breastfeeding A Baby with Tongue or Lip Tie

Breastfeeding A Baby with Tongue or Lip Tie

The severity of complications from a lip- or tongue-tied latch can range from clear and frustrating to hardly noticeable. In generations past, wise women, midwives, and mothers knew to check the lips and tongues of babies at birth when they first learned to breastfeed. We lost some of that wisdom in the middle of the past century, so the most recent generation of care providers have fallen out of the habit of checking and correcting ties when helping a mama breastfeed. If you are struggling with your baby’s latch, your milk supply, or their weight gain, a lip tie or tongue tie could be at the root of the problem.

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Breastfeeding with Flat or Inverted Nipples

Breastfeeding with Flat or Inverted Nipples
Everybody is unique and beautiful. No two people are exactly alike. Yet, many of us share similarities. When we notice a physical trait in our bodies that isn’t considered “normal,” we feel alone. Too many mamas with inverted nipples feel alone and are worried that this problem means they are somehow broken and unable to breastfeed. In truth, inverted and flat nipples are relatively common. And you will most likely be able to breastfeed. There are solutions, and your breastfeeding support team has helped other mamas overcome this same problem, and they will help you too! Continue reading

Pumping Breast Milk to Return to Work

Pumping Breast Milk to Return to Work

The postpartum phase is such a time of mixed emotions, from the bliss of getting to know your new little one to the struggles of learning to care for them. When you add the impending return to work, all of those emotions and stresses seem to be amplified. Don’t let a fear of pumping keep you from continuing your nursing relationship. It can feel like a lot of work, but you can do it. Yes, you really can do it!

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