Let’s talk about different types of commercial formula milk: which are the most suitable, when is it necessary to change the type of milk, which formula should a baby that is intolerant to cow’s milk protein have, and can they have plant-based drinks? Here, we clarify some of these questions. I don’t want or can’t breastfeed; what milk can I give my baby? During the first year of a baby’s life, the main food should be milk, either breast milk…
Breast engorgement is a situation that can complicate lactation at the time of its establishment. It appears during the onset of lactogenesis II and can endanger the continuation of lactation. What is lactogenesis II? Lactogenesis is the physiological process in which the ability to secrete milk is developed, which is divided into 3 phases: Lactogenesis I, secretory initiation. This occurs during gestation. Lactogenesis II, secretory activation. This begins immediately after delivery, reaching its maximum peak at 48-72 hours, and is…
Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is a common occurrence in babies. It is the return, spitting up or regurgitating stomach contents to the mouth, usually without effort and occasionally. It is most common after feeding. Reflux occurs in about 1 in 5 healthy babies. It is considered a physiological and normal situation and should not be a cause of concern. Generally, it resolves without any treatment before the age of one year. It is important to differentiate between physiological gastroesophageal reflux (GER)…
It is well known that ankyloglossia can hinder stomatognathic functions such as sucking, chewing, swallowing, speaking, and breathing. Although frenectomy (tongue-tie release) is an effective solution to free the tongue from the floor of the mouth, this outpatient procedure is sometimes only the initial step in the tongue rehabilitation process. The tongue rehabilitation process aims to improve the tongue’s tone and proprioception and requires expert help from a neonatal speech therapist. When the tongue is released through this procedure, the…
It is very common for breastfeeding newborns to develop jaundice, the yellowing of the skin and mucous membranes, in the days or weeks after birth. Jaundice can become a serious health problem for babies, and it is important to get familiar with the situations related to breastfeeding that can cause a baby to get excess bilirubin levels in the blood. What is jaundice exactly? Before they are born, babies have more red blood cells in their blood. This helps them…
Our IBCLC lactation consultants are often asked if cabbage leaves are recommended to relieve breast engorgement in breastfeeding, as some of you might have seen or heard of this either in person or on social media. In this article, you can learn more about breast engorgement and the reverse pressure softening technique (RPS) to relieve it. First of all, as with many topics related to breastfeeding and women’s health, there is practically no scientific evidence, and it is very limited,…
Practicing skin-to-skin contact is not exclusive to the early hours of postpartum, but this can be performed at any time in the newborn’s life. It is a practice that is considered safe under normal conditions, but it is not without risk, with sudden unexpected postnatal collapse (SUPC) being the most worrisome. The presence of a pathology or medications are the main factors that increase the risk of this condition. Therefore, it is essential to perform skin-to-skin contact after birth safely,…
Miscarriage, stillbirth, and bereaved breastfeeding. This week is baby loss awareness week, and you may be wondering what baby and pregnancy loss grief has to do with breastfeeding… Well, a lot. When the placenta separates from the womb, breast milk supply begins. And this happens always, no matter what happened to the baby. But our body does not understand death; it does not seem to contemplate that option. This is why breast milk still appears after the death of a…
Today, the 10th of October, is World Mental Health Day, and we wanted to take the opportunity to spotlight the mental health of mothers and, this year, especially, the mental health during pregnancy. Generally, when a woman is pregnant, all questions and resources about her well-being are related to her physical well-being. However, the emotional part seems to lose importance and is often overlooked. What if the pregnancy was unplanned? To begin with, we tend to think and take for…
How can we maintain (or try to maintain, depending on the severity of the case) lactation in situations of cleft lips, teeth, and palate? What is cleft lip/palate, and how does it affect breastfeeding? During pregnancy, the lips are formed between weeks 4 and 7, and the palate between weeks 6 and 9 of pregnancy. Labial, alveolar and/or palatal clefts occur when the tissues that form these oral structures fail to unite. There is a great variation in the presentation…