The witching hour
What is the witching hour? How to avoid it? And what to do (or not to do) when your baby is caught in it? Strategies for coping.
The finger-syringe technique of supplementing
When a baby needs to receive additional milk, whether breastmilk or artificial milk, we always think of a bottle as the only way to do it. And of course, you can offer milk in a bottle, you just need to know the advantages and disadvantages of each supplementing method. In this post, we will explain the finger-syringe technique. What advantages does it have over other methods? The finger-syringe method is ideal for training babies’ suckling motions. It allows your baby…
Weight stagnation when breastfeeding is already established
Sometimes we find that the reason for a consultation is weight stagnation in infants who had previously had adequate weight gain for their age. When faced with these cases, it is important to make a thorough assessment of the situation, not only of breastfeeding but also of other reasons for this possible slow down of weight gain. It is also important to monitor changes in the infant’s behaviour. The mother’s sensations and perceptions can also provide us with valuable information….
The ABM protocol on mastitis
The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) publishes protocols to make it easier for health care professionals who care for breastfeeding mothers to stay up-to-date and promote best practices in care for breastfeeding mothers and their children. In 2014 the Academy published a protocol on mastitis, the ABM Clinical Protocol #4: Mastitis (1), written by Dr Lisa Amir, who has also been one of the speakers in the 1st LactApp Medical Congress last May. This year, the ABM has published a…
“Breastfeeding hurts, but I have been told the latch is ok”
So many times mothers come to us with this situation: “Breastfeeding hurts, but they say the latch is ok. They’ve checked everything and they tell me my baby is latching on well”. And that’s when we dissimulate and realise how difficult it is to combat the persisting myth of normalizing pain. Breastfeeding has to be pleasurable and effective, breastfeeding does not hurt, sore nipples are not normal, and pain always indicates that something is wrong. We would not have gotten…
Nipple ischemia during breastfeeding
Nipple ischemia in breastfeeding (vasospasm) is a phenomenon that occurs in certain situations. Raynaud’s syndrome, or intermittent ischemia, typically affects the extremities of the body (fingers and toes). It occurs in 20% of women between 21 and 50 years of age. Its symptoms are blanching (becoming white) of the area (local vasoconstriction) followed by cyanotic discolouration, ending with erythema (local vasodilatation). Other added symptoms are pain, burning, numbness, pricking or stinging. Nipple ischemia during lactation is underestimated. It can occur after…
Pain and nipple shields: review of a research study
Pain and nipple shields: when professional techniques to reduce pain in breastfeeding are not effective, the use of nipple shields can be considered one of the resources for nipple pain management. It is well known that pain, and especially sore nipples, are one of the leading causes of women stopping to breastfeed earlier than they planned to do so (1). To reduce pain, professionals who accompany mothers in their breastfeeding journey should evaluate and help mothers to improve their breastfeeding…
My baby has a white tongue, is it thrush?
Our maternity experts get many questions from concerned mothers about their baby’s white tongue. And indeed, many parents are in doubt about the colour of their baby’s tongue and whether the white colour that can be seen in breastfed babies, means that the baby has thrush in her mouth. In this post, we will gradually explain the topic. What is thrush? There is a type of thrush sometimes presenting in babies’ mouths, that is also known as candida or oral…
How do I know if I have mastitis?
Mastitis is a word many women have never heard of until they become mothers. In this post, we explain what mastitis is, what different types exist and what causes them. We will explore the consequences and what you should or should not do when the first symptoms appear. What is mastitis? Mastitis is an inflammation of one or more areas of the mammary gland that can occur with or without infection. It is one of the most common complications in…
Eczema of the nipple and/or areola
The term eczema is defined as an inflammatory skin condition with erythema, inflammation, papules, vesicles, exudates and crusts, lichenification, skin erosion, fissures, excoriations and desquamation, located in the area of the nipple and/or areola. This definition covers several types of dermatitis (seborrheic and atopic) and irritation or hypersensitivity at contact. In addition, this lesion often occurs concomitantly with Staphylococcus aureus skin infections. Symptoms commonly manifested by women who suffer from it are: itching, burning and pain both when breastfeeding and…