There are so many reasons learning how to hand express is a great idea! Hand expression is the best option for stimulating milk production if you are unable to latch your baby in the immediate postpartum (such as a NICU stay). Hand expression is preferred over pumping in these situations. Hand expression can also be used in addition to pumping and/or nursing to increase milk supply. If you are ever stuck somewhere without your baby or a pump, hand expression can help you to avoid clogged ducts a

Who is soooo tired of night time pumping? I see you❤️❤️ If you are exclusively pumping and your baby is still waking for a bottle you will need to keep pumping until they are sleeping longer stretches. If you are breastfeeding and babe is sleeping here is my rule of thumb: ➡️if you are working through a breastfeeding challenge (oral restriction, supply challenge or pain) I would not stop pumping until we resolve that. That extra stimulation at night may be key for maintaining your supply. ➡️if y

Night weaning can come with a surprise side effect, engorgement 😮‍💨 A few gentle ideas: • Reduce feeds gradually when possible • Hand express just enough for comfort • Cold compresses can help • If you have pain or fever, check in with your provider If night weaning has your routine out of whack and you need a plan, try these tips and comment "RESOURCE" to see my full library of guides. | Independent Sleepers

#WorldBreastfeedingMonth Let's talk about engorgement. This is when you start to feel like Dolly Parton as your breasts seem to swell and feel very full as your milk ‘comes in’. They will settle down but it can feel very strange and a bit sore! You may run the risk of getting mastitis if you don't express often, even it's a small amount. Sometimes milk ducts get blocked and if not cleared, can lead to a very painful inflammation of the breast tissue. You may have flu like symptoms as well as a h

How to manage engorgement at night⬇️ Your body is incredible- it can ebb and flow in terms of milk supply and how your baby sleeps. Many mamas feel nervous when their baby starts sleeping longer stretches that it will impact their milk supply. This can be true if you have a history of low milk supply. If this is you we want to make sure we have the underlying resolved so that you don’t run into issues. If you have no history of feeding issues what you will do when you wake up uncomfortable is ha