Blog & Podcast

From Barbara: Unresolved breastfeeding pain? How about this for a starting point, “Scientists know more about what’s in a tomato than what’s in human milk, according to Katie Hinde, a lactation researcher and associate professor at Arizona State University. (And we know twice as much about erectile dysfunction.)” Are you joking? I wish. We haven’t …

From Nancy: Worries about foremilk and hindmilk are very common. This is where a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing.  This has never been so true as in the ongoing debate about foremilk and hindmilk and their impact on breastfeeding.  The misunderstandings around these concepts have caused anxiety, upset, and even led to breastfeeding …

Breastfeeding during emergencies used to be a topic about something that was happening somewhere else to someone else. However, now with the rise in tragedies that are happening everywhere in the world, breastfeeding during emergencies affects all of us. We know these emergency situations are increasing and will continue to do so as time goes …

From Nancy: I had the privilege of meeting April Foster, the author of this post, when I spoke in Napa, California about adoptive nursing.  After my talk, “Transitioning to the Breast,” April approached me to tell me that many of the strategies I described had worked for her and her son, who she adopted at …

In this parent interview episode, we focus on Emily‘s experience with returning to work and breastfeeding, specifically going back to work after maternity leave, pumping at work, and continuing to breastfeed her baby. She worked as a hospital pharmacist in a fast-paced and high-pressure role, the type of job where taking a “break” for pumping at …

From Barbara: People often ask me what are the differences between breastmilk and formula? The short answer: a million. The long answer: are you ready for a whole lot of science? Often I will write about the benefits of breastfeeding but often people will say, “but I was formula fed (or I formula fed my …

From Nancy: Green poop? Baby poop is high on many new parents’ worry list. How often should baby poop? Does baby’s poop provide clues to how breastfeeding is going? What do color and consistency mean? When should you worry? Normal Color and Consistency Baby’s first stools are the black and tarry meconium that was in …

In this episode, Barbara Robertson and Nancy Mohrbacher review recommendations and outcomes of parental leave policies around the world.  Paid parental leave varies by country, but the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) has issued a new position statement for maternity leave guidelines, recommending at least 6 months of paid leave. Nancy and Barbara dive into …

From Nancy: Time and nursing? The clock looms large in the lives of many nursing families. When a new baby is born, some parents are told or make assumptions about: How many minutes their baby should nurse How long their baby should be satisfied between feedings The longest stretch of time their baby should sleep …