Ask A Lactation Consultant: Vitamin D For A Breastfeeding Baby

“Does my breastfed baby need vitamin D? My pediatrician says I should give my 4-month-old a vitamin D supplement. What should I do?”

The short answer is yes. However, there is a lot more to it. Parents sometimes assume that they will need to supplement their baby with additional Vitamin D because human milk is deficient in Vitamin D. This is usually what they are told. Nothing could be further from the truth. The truth is human milk does have Vitamin D, but it is rarely enough for both the parent and the baby. There are many variables to consider about this as well. The most efficient way we get Vitamin D is from the sun. Was your baby born during winter months(not that we recommend having your newborn out in the sun anyway)? Do you live in a colder climate? Do you or your baby have darker skin color? All of these things can affect how much Vitamin D you and your baby are exposed to. If you are breast/chest feeding and you are deficient in Vitamin D, the chances are good your baby is as well.

Learning From Mistakes: 6 Reasons It’s Important To Let Your Kids Struggle

Parents see themselves as their child’s number one protector. They kiss the scrapes and bumps and help chase away any monsters under the bed. However, parents must also allow their children to problem solve on their own and simmer in the struggle. While it can be uncomfortable to see your child frustrate, there’s power in making mistakes. Here are six reasons it’s important to let your kids struggle.

1. Makes Them Learn How to Cope

The most healthy parent cycles allow children to go out into their environment and try new things. Then, after adventuring, they come back to the parent to show their unique skill or what they learned. Teaching this plays out best when trust levels allow the child to leave their parent’s side to venture a little further on their own. This skill continues into the teen years and beyond. Even college often embraces the cycle of security, allowing the child to go off to college, returning intermittently for support but continuing to foster newfound independence.

Breastfeeding and Zoloft

Dr. Samantha Radford is a chemist with expertise in Public Health. She focuses on how mothers and babies are exposed to chemicals, and what the effects of those chemicals are. In addition, Samantha owns Evidence-based Mommy, where she helps mothers and their kids to thrive using science and wellness. Samantha has four children of her own.

Is Zoloft safe for breastfeeding?

Whether you’ve dealt with mental health challenges in the past, or it’s a new experience for you due to postpartum hormone changes, anxiety and depression can be debilitating for a new mom. And while there’s several ways to help with PPA or PPD, one of the most common remedies is to prescribe Zoloft (sertraline).

You Need Me

By Cydney Damo,

9 months postpartum. This is the real, raw image of my life 9 months into motherhood. No, my body didn’t “bounce back” and that’s ok. I probably eat more carbs than I should. I probably eat more sweets than I should. Most of the time I don’t eat breakfast and then sometimes I don’t eat lunch until 3pm and then eat supper at 7 but that’s ok. Sometimes I scarf my food down while my baby girl is sitting in my lap trying to slap the food out of my hand… and that’s ok. I promise you, despite what social media may tell you.. it’s not all “rainbows and butterflies” babies cry. babies scream. babies want YOU and sometimes ONLY YOU.

Confronting Medical Professionals About Bad Breastfeeding Advice

There is really nothing that gets me more annoyed than a medical professional giving out misinformation about breastfeeding. Unless they have gone through specific lactation training then they do not have the information needed to advise you about breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is not a part of medical curriculum; that round they did through labor and delivery or the anatomy class does not count. Our doctors, pharmacists and dentists are an important part of our lives, but they are not to be used for breastfeeding guidance.

Lopsided Breastfeeding Breasts and Shitty Titties

I got an email last week from a Badass who needed help. She said that her baby prefers one breast over the other and that her breasts have become lopsided. As a result of baby breastfeeding more one side, that breast mow makes more milk. Her other breast, as she calls her “shitty titty” makes less milk and is smaller in size.

Asymmetry in the body is very normal. Hold up your thumbs; they’re different aren’t they? Most breastfeeders make different amounts of milk in each breast. We just don’t usually notice! If your baby prefers one side over the other then you might notice more.

You can try the football hold or lying down to help your baby become more comfortable nursing from the other side. But don’t worry, your breasts will even out as your breastfeed longer or when you wean. And there is no problem with breastfeeding your baby more from one side.

For more of this candid and hilarious conversation listen to this week’s episode of The Badass Breastfeeding Podcast!

Filed Under: Breastfeeding // Tagged: Abby Theuring, attachment parenting, baby, baby prefers one breast, badass breastfeeder, badass breastfeeding podcast, breast, breast makes more milk, Breastfeeding, breastfeeding misinformation, breastfeeding myths, breastfeeding podcast, breastfeeding problems, breastfeeding support, breastfeeding tools, breastmilk, Dianne Cassidy, feeding, infant, infant feeding, lactation consultant, lopsided breastfeeding breasts, lopsided breasts, motherhood, nursing, parenthood, parenting

Vitamin D and Iron Supplements For Breastfeeding Babies

There’s nothing scarier than thinking your baby isn’t getting the nutrients that they need. As adults we take vitamins all the time because we are told we are deficient. Does this mean our breastfeeding babies are too? Were you told to give Vitamin D or Iron to your baby?

The information out there right now is confusing, contradictory and misleading. Your breastmilk is enough. Period. Know that. Your breastmilk has everything your baby needs and it’s absorbed much better from your breastmilk than in any other form.

Vitamin D is low in breastmilk, but that’s because most of us are deficient. It’s not a problem with your breastmilk. The option here is to supplement your baby or yourself. Supplementing yourself is a win-win!

Let’s talk about this more! Click here to hear the full conversation!

Filed Under: Breastfeeding // Tagged: Abby Theuring, attachment parenting, baby, badass breastfeeder, badass breastfeeding podcast, breast, Breastfeeding, breastfeeding misinformation, breastfeeding myths, breastfeeding podcast, breastfeeding problems, breastfeeding support, breastfeeding tools, breastmilk, Dianne Cassidy, feeding, infant, infant feeding, iron, iron for breastfeeding babies, iron for newborns, iron in breastmilk, iron supplements, lactation consultant, motherhood, nursing, parenthood, parenting, vitamin d, vitamin d for breastfeeding babies, vitamin d for newborns, vitamin d in breastmilk

Milk Supply Myths That Hurt Breastfeeding

I am always amazed at all the myths that still circulate about breastfeeding. At first glance they seem like an annoyance, but in reality they actually ruin breastfeeding relationships. When we do not have the correct information about what’s going on with our bodies and our babies we cannot possibly reach our breastfeeding goals!

I Hope It Amounts to Something

Abby Theuring, The Badass Breastfeeder

I feel like we’ve reached a new level of chaos in this house. I’m constantly trying to keep up, make up for mistakes and be a good mom, but the chaos grows faster than I can work. I think back to right after Exley was born. Jack was 3 years old. It was an utter disaster around here. Jack hit the ceiling and I was trying to care for a newborn. But Exley napped. And during those naps I spent time with Jack. We played cards, board games, built things out of cardboard or towers with magna tiles. I know that I have always felt like I wasn’t doing enough, I’ve always felt like the chaos I was in was the biggest chaos that would ever exist in life. But looking back on that time now all I remember are the good times. I probably did a ton of things wrong, but I guess I did some things right too. And looking back it seems like it wasn’t so bad compared to now! Now once again it seems like the chaos is over my head. I feel like I am doing all the things wrong. I hope looking back on this some of the good times will come more into focus. It’s an insanely chaotic string of events and I don’t understand how it can turn out to be anything. I don’t understand how it can amount to anything, but I suppose it does. I hope it does. I hope it’s good.

Photo taken in between the first disastrous part of the day and the second explosive part of the day. This was the only way that they wouldn’t completely meltdown in the museum. I don’t like posting this happy photo because it doesn’t really match what I’m saying and it contributes to all the misrepresentation that goes on over social media, but it’s frowned upon to post tantrum photos. This is what I want to be even if I never feel like the person here.

Filed Under: Attachment parenting // Tagged: attachment parenting, motherhood, parenting advice, parenting stress, parenting struggles

Ask A Lactation Consultant: Vitamin D For A Breastfeeding Baby

Learning From Mistakes: 6 Reasons It’s Important To Let Your Kids Struggle

1. Makes Them Learn How to Cope

Breastfeeding and Zoloft

Is Zoloft safe for breastfeeding?

You Need Me

Confronting Medical Professionals About Bad Breastfeeding Advice

Lopsided Breastfeeding Breasts and Shitty Titties

Vitamin D and Iron Supplements For Breastfeeding Babies

Milk Supply Myths That Hurt Breastfeeding

I Hope It Amounts to Something

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1. Makes Them Learn How to Cope

Is Zoloft safe for breastfeeding?

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