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Answers and advice for feeding's highs and lows. Connect with MDs, PhDs, fellow parents, and more and get the support you need.

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Feeding is made up of moments. Get the answers and advice you need to get through each and every one, with the help of MDs, PhDs, doulas, fellow parents, and more.


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This is such a wonderful and common question. It can be considered normal for babies to go back and forth from bigger gulps to light suckling throughout a feed. Essentially what they are doing when they lightly suckle, is calling for another "let down" or heavy flow of liquid GOLD! Signs that a baby may be done are they release from the breast on their own, relax their fists and body, are seemingly relaxed and content, your breasts feel "emptied", baby may be sleeping. Specific signs of feeding efficiency vary so greatly from baby to baby and feedings may even vary from feed to feed. Since it is so variable, it is always best to respond to hunger cues and feed on demand while looking at the milk transfer as a whole. We know babies are getting enough breastmilk when they have at least 6-8 wet diapers with some juicy poopies within a 24 hour period, are gaining weight daily and pediatrician is happy with growth and development. 

Hey Deanna! Such a great question! Caffeine consumption is a really hot topic and the notion that a mama cannot consume caffeine while BFing is a myth!! Typically, depending on your individual health provider's approach, it is said that pregnant and breastfeeding people can have up to 200mg of caffeine per day which pretty much equals one cup of coffee. Our comeback for that is: Are we talking your grocery store bought Folgers in my coffee maker cup of coffee? Or are we talking a grande flat white with an add shot cup of coffee? Do energy drinks count? What about a 5 hour energy shot? ...basically, no two caffeines are created equal and if you had been consuming caffeine before you got pregnant and now you have a little sleep ninja taking away your precious moments of rest, most likely you NEED CAFFEINE! We have a Moment coming up about this very subject but to round it out let's just say that the most important thing when you decide to consume ANYthing while breastfeeding, including caffeine, are adverse effects in your baby. If there is some extra fussiness or crankiness that day and you had an extra cup, maybe cut back tomorrow. It's most important not to restrict yourself of anything that brings you joy or helps you maintain a balanced mental an emotional state, but to pay more attention to your baby's behavior and then make educated guesses about what needs to used in more moderation. Hope this helps! Love, Candice Nicole   

Hey Deanna! Our friends (and lactation experts) over at GoldiLacts love recommending the Wonder Weeks App and Medela's new App. They say they both keep getting better and better. Hope that helps! :)  

 It’s a great question. The short answer is that it should be fine to have a Botox treatment while breastfeeding. Check with your medical provider who is administering the Botox to verify that you are following their prescribed care plan and that they are comfortable as they are responsible for your care.   The following is an excerpt from a published review regarding this question:   No data exist on the medical use of botulin A (botulinum toxin) during breastfeeding. However, it is not detectable systemically after intramuscular use, thus excretion into breast milk is considered unlikely. Since the doses used medically are far lower than those that cause botulism, amounts ingested by the infant, if any, are expected to be small and not cause any adverse effects in breastfed infants. No special precautions are required. - Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed) [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US); 2006–. Botulin A. 2020 Sep 21. PMID: 30000459.   -Reed Kuehn MD FACS