Join with other local Mamas and their babies for some encouragement and relaxed community time at our monthly Friday morning get together We have a new venue as we outgrew our other room, but it is close by. Please RSVP for details and to reserve your spot. See story for link or use the QR code

Teaching about pumps and flange sizing to new mamas today. We talked about which pumps are best for which situations, cautions with milk collectors and how to use them wisely, safe milk storage and cleaning of pumps and bottles. So many questions and different situations for these moms. The answer is not always the same and there is always someone who is having pain and doesn’t realize it shouldn’t be like that. Are you pumping and have pain or not pumping as much as you want to. Reach out for help and accurate information from a well trained lactation consultant. Grateful for extra training and resources like the Flange Fits Guide from @babiesincommon

This year it has been a sweet joy to partner with Reba from Raincross Family Counselling to co-host our Mama Circle Cafe groups on a Friday morning. There are laughter, tears, shared joys and struggles. Some months there’s 4 of us and other times there’s 8, plus the sweet babies of course. There's always a spare pair of hands to hold a baby or entertain them for a few minutes. Some of the most helpful memories I have from my first year of motherhood are times like these. I made some wonderful friends and realized I was not the only one who worried about and celebrated each small milestone along the way. . This month there will be coffee, tea and homemade muffins of course, as well as a cute craft and we’ll be talking about sleep. . Come and join us! . RSVP in stories and highlights for location.

Google, AI Chat Bots, or even your favorite lactation influencer have a few things in common with a real live Lactation Consultant. They also have very important differences. Here’s some things they can’t do for you! . Respond to the nuances of your baby’s latch in real time, how adjustments help or make things worse. There are so many strategies for a baby who is struggling to feed effectively. Being able to see your baby’s response in real time helps me know the next best option to try OR not try. . Respond in real time to your body language as you interact with your baby or support people. It might include a change in your facial expression, holding tension in one shoulder more than the other or taking into account your home environment options. . Ask the questions that could prevent going down the wrong rabbit hole of what you think might be the cause of your concern. . Avoid giving outdated or incorrect information along with good suggestions. There is such a mixture of good, old but good or old and out of date; new helpful or newer awful advice. Knowing which is which requires discernment. . Discern when an influencer’s advice might not work for you and your situation. Even if they are an IBCLC Lactation Consultant. Each mom is unique and each baby is unique - put those together and it doesn’t always mean a particular pumping schedule or strategy will work for you. . Help you grow in confidence when your normal doesn’t fit the suggested norm. It might be yours or the baby's health, your family situation or your preferences. All these influence your goals and capacity. . Give you a hug if you want one. You make the call - if you want a hug I’m always happy to respond. Sometimes it’s the one thing you really need to keep going. A recent research study in Turkey found that while ChatGPT can offer reassurance and confidence for everyday infant care, parents agreed it should serve only as a complementary resource rather than a replacement for individualized professional healthcare, especially in serious or complex situations. (Experiences of Primiparous Mothers Using ChatGPTfor Breastfeeding and Infant Care) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42517659

Back to school happening in your house? Are you doing preschool and school drop offs and pick ups or getting into a new year of homeschooling? I remember those busy seasons! Juggling new routines and a baby can be tricky. Give yourself some grace in the first weeks as you figure out the best way to balance everyone's needs. . Sometimes the baby’s normal feeding and sleeping rhythms get upset. Try and take a moment to consider how you can be proactive so that your milk supply and your baby can keep up and not get overwhelmed. . Changes in routines and feeding or pumping patterns can also make you more vulnerable to inflammation or congestion in your breasts. This might result in lumps (from narrowed ducts and inflammation) or engorgement and possible mastitis. Try to minimize drastic changes as much as you can. Think ahead for days when an upset routine might need an extra nursing or pumping session . Don’t forget to eat and hydrate! That’s the first thing that gets forgotten when I get busy. . What can you get ready the night before? . What can your children do to get themselves ready? Even toddlers and preschoolers can help or learn to do something for themselves. Make up a silly song or change words to a familiar song tomake it fun. . Preparing easy meals such as using the slow cooker or picking up a cooked chicken and salad are good healthy options for busy days. . Hang in there!

Are you traveling this summer or just enjoying some fun days out? Breastfeeding is the best fast food option for your little one. Always available with no long wait times in the drive thru line or for a table. There is no need to make sure you have clean bottles and enough safe water either. . Here’s a few tips for summer travel and on the go breastfeeding: . Summer days out and about can make us all thirsty - sometimes your baby will just need an extra feed for hydration. . Beware of altitude situations - you and baby may both need some extra hydration at higher elevations. . Watch for fussiness and be careful about overheating in the sun or a baby carrier that doesn't breathe well. Babywearing can be convenient but sometimes just gets too sticky 😉 this can include breastfeeding covers depending on the material. . Being out of our normal familiar places and routines is fun but can also be over-stimulating for babies. Try and allow some flexibility in your plans or space in the day to stop for a rest or nap. . Breastfeeding out and about can be tricky with older distractible babies. Sometimes staying in the car for a few minutes to feed can work better than trying to find a quiet spot in a busy place. Layer dressing can also make it easier to access for baby. . Remember to keep hydrated and eat well yourself mama! Nothing like exhaustion, hunger and dehydration to drop your milk supply...she says speaking from experience! . When you are on the go and eating out more consider that caffeine is a diuretic (makes you pee more and is dehydrating) . Try giving your child a breast milk popsicle for an icy treat on a hot day. It's a great way to use that freezer stash. Happy summer days!

We have just a couple of spots left for next Friday 7/17 for our free monthly Mama Circle Cafe. * We'll start with delicious homemade muffins and tea/coffee, then music time with your babies, and encouraging conversation. You can also do a free weight check. * Led by Mom Encouragers Linda Gage (IBCLC Lactation Consultant)and Reba Marchado (Family Therapist) * See story and highlights for RSVP and venue details RSVP form: https://forms.gle/CkKjjq36XxCRDe8J8

Join us this Friday 6/19 for our free monthly Mama Circle Cafe. * We'll start with delicious homemade muffins and tea/coffee, then music time with your babies, and encouraging conversation. You can also do a free weight check. * Led by Mom Encouragers Linda Gage (IBCLC Lactation Consultant)and Reba Marchado (Family Therapist) * See story and highlights for RSVP and venue details RSVP form: https://forms.gle/CkKjjq36XxCRDe8J8

Happy Mothers Day mamas, soon to be moms, grandmothers and to those special mother figures in ours, and our children’s lives. 🤰 👵 👩 👨&zwj;🍼

This year has been extra special as I have had the sweet privilege of caring for so many moms for

Happy Mothers Day mamas, soon to be moms, grandmothers and to those special mother figures in ours, and our children’s lives. 🤰 👵 👩 👨‍🍼 This year has been extra special as I have had the sweet privilege of caring for so many moms for the second, third and fourth times with their babies. Thank you for trusting me to be a part of such a special time in your family journey. Every baby is unique and our family situations also change with older siblings in the mix. Some next babies have been really challenging and others have benefited from lessons learned with their older siblings. . There is a lot that has changed in the last few years while you have all been busy having babies. We’ve seen better lactation research, policies, education (and some not great ones too 🙂). There have been some good improvements in law provisions for lactating parents here in the USA and there are some more in process. . We've also seen a tsunami of new products. It is pretty hard to keep up with all the gadgets and pumps, but we have certainly benefited from better flange sizing options! Many of these products are not needed for most mamas. Consider not ordering things in the middle of the night 🌙 think about it again when the sun is up! 🌞 . As you go into another year of motherhood, there will be lots of laughs and sweet moments, joy, loss, and challenges along the way. Let’s continue to support each other and give ourselves grace as we grow on our mothering journeys. . Congratulations to all the mamas celebrating your first Mother’s Day, and those of us further on the journey of loving and nurturing our children - whatever age they are. You are changing the world one caring moment at a time. It’s a privilege to be part of cheering you on! Congratulations 🥳 . Picture with my sweet second granddaughter

Can you imagine life without recording all your baby’s input and output? Can you trust yourself to know that your baby is doing well without tracking feeds, diapers and naps? How does the thought of not tracking everything make you feel? Technology can be so helpful, including tracking apps for breastfeeding and diaper counts. I have noticed however that often it can become overwhelming or contribute to anxiety for many new parents. Keeping a record on an app can be very helpful to remember how things are going with a new baby, but if feeding is now established you don’t need a record of how many minutes of nursing on each side anymore. Now you can keep it more simple. A count of wet and dirty diapers and the number of feedings in a day (full or more of a snack) and maybe approx nap length is all you need, if that. This can help you see changing patterns such as with a growth spurt. After this maybe simplify even more what you are recording. Maybe use the notes section on your phone or a paper notebook to record anything else out of the ordinary such as abnormal fussy days, onset of illness, or change in diaper patterns. You can refer back to that if you are looking to see a pattern related to food sensitivities, feeding frequency and output or if you visit the doctor. A paper version might work well for you and can be less anxiety inducing than the app versions. It can be better with less notification and phone stress overall. Alternatively Dad or another support person could record the feeding times giving you one less thing to do so you can focus more on your baby. A paper version can also be used to wean yourself off a tracking app. You write your own feeding log or comment BABY LOG below and I will send you my free Baby Feeding Log to print out. Do you need help building confidence to wean yourself off using tracking apps or to understand what is normal at your baby’s age. DM me for a consultation or special email support package

Not sure what you need? Let’s talk!

InJoyLC ~ Linda Gage, IBCLC

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