Breastfeeding Requires Swallowing!

This video illustrates audible swallows by a newborn.  The regular, rhythmic “kuh” sound is produced with each swallow.  Notice the baby’s jaw drop right before the sound.  The position of the baby is perfect. Their head is tipped back, mouth open wide, chin tucked into the breast and nose tipped away from the breast. Enjoy!

Infant breastfeeding well 1:1 Swallow from Renee Beebe on Vimeo.

Breast Milk Storage Guidelines

DSCN1910Your milk is a living thing! It is rich in antibodies that are constantly killing off nasty bacteria. For that reason, it is very stable and remains nutritious and safe even after it’s been expressed.

You may find a wide spectrum of guidelines written about the safety of breast milk at various temperatures. It can be confusing to try to figure out which source is correct. Why is there so much variability? The simple answer is that research is conducted in controlled situations and different populations have different needs. For example, pumped milk will last longer in a refrigerator that is never opened. A hospital environment with fragile, premature babies requires that milk be handled much more carefully than a home environment with a healthy baby. Continue reading

Updated: Breastfeeding Help Long Distance

This young mother called me at the urging of a friend who already knew and trusted me. Breastfeeding was very important to Marissa, but she didn’t know how she could go on with so much pain. Normally, I would have seen this mom and baby in person. She lives in another city, however, and she felt most comfortable working with me. I gave her guidance over the phone several times over the course of a few weeks. Since her baby was gaining weight and she had a great milk supply, she just needed some minor adjustments to make breastfeeding comfortable.

Here is a portion of her story: Continue reading