Frenotomy–Parent Perseverance Pays Off

20140828_095301Breastfeeding always hurt for first- time breastfeeder, Tina. She was given a nipple shield to help with the pain. And it did help. Even so, she knew a nipple shield was not a long-term solution. She kept trying to get rid of the shield. She hated the thing! But every time baby latched without it it, it resulted in intense nipple pain and wounds—her nipple was painfully creased after feedings as well. So, understandably,  she continued to nurse with the shield.

Meanwhile, baby Carolyn wasn’t gaining weight well. At every appointment she was gaining about ½ of expected weight gain. Baby was breastfeeding frequently—over 10x/day and still not gaining appropriately. She was having infrequent bowel movements, was gassy, and uncomfortable. Tina felt that something was very wrong. Continue reading

Guest Post: Why Pediatricians Recommend Rice Cereal (and Why I don’t Agree)

The following is a guest post from Beth Martin. Beth is a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP) in Seattle, and the owner of Small Bites Wellness. She is passionate about whole food nutrition for the whole family and believes that ANY change you make in the pursuit of your health, or your child’s health, is worthy. Health is a journey, not a destination. Please contact Beth for questions about your family’s nutrition.

IMG_0117For decades, rice cereal has been the recommended first food for infants, sometimes as early as two months of age. In recent years, some doctors, nutritionists and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) have begun to change their stance on rice cereal. Continue reading

Low Milk Supply: Tricky to Treat!

Supplementing at breast

Supplementing at the breast.

When a mom is experiencing difficulty making enough milk for her baby, the usual suggestion from well meaning professionals is often, “Nurse your baby more —your body will rally and you will make more milk in just a few days.” This suggestion is based on the law of supply and demand. When more milk is removed from the breast, the breast will respond by making more milk. While this advice can be legitimate in some situations, many times it can result in an exhausted baby who, despite mom’s best efforts, can’t get enough milk to gain well. Continue reading

Adrienne’s Story–Tongue Tie and Beyond

This is a story from a former client. She wants to encourage other moms to aggressively seek help for breastfeeding challenges. She wants you to know that if you’re having trouble, it’s not your fault! And, finally, she wants you to know that you and your baby don’t have to suffer and struggle in order to breastfeed

20131224_140733By the time I saw Renee, I’d already been to 4 lactation consultants and I was losing hope I’d be able to breastfeed my baby girl for even another month, let alone her first year. We were on week 9 of pain, frustration, and tears. When Renee said my girl had a tongue tie, I didn’t quite believe her for a moment. Then I wanted to cry, I was so relieved to have a concrete, fixable solution. Continue reading

Thankful for Breastfeeding

Thankful for baby bliss.

Thankful for baby bliss.

Recently a client sent me a nice note with a generous check. She had been feeling gratitude for the help she received to breastfeed her son. There were multiple lactation consultations in her home, a frenotomy (the procedure to release a tongue tie) and body work for baby. There were many up-front costs–some of which were not covered by insurance. Here’s what she wrote: Continue reading