Scales!

An important part of any in-person lactation consultation is the "weighted feed." This is where we weigh baby on a sensitive scale before and after they feed, in order to see what they are able to transfer at the breast. This "snapshot" or "data point" provides information for what steps to take next. Is baby back to birth weight around the 2 week mark? Are they gaining about an ounce a day?

Want me to come do a weighted feed for your baby? I would love to! It doesn't have to only be in the early weeks either; some parents are curious to see what baby is getting at a variety of ages, like when planning to head back to work!

Poop!

Sorry about the poop picture! This is what I am hoping to see in the diaper of a breastfed baby after about day 4-5, and before the start of any supplemental foods (around 6 months). Yellow, seedy mustard ;)

And plenty of it...like 3-4 quarter sized or larger "servings" per day. Baby poop gives us a lot of information about baby health.

Deeper Latch

During consults, I often ask people to think back to geometry class...remember "obtuse angles"? When a baby is latched deeply to the breast, the corner of their mouths should be "greater than" 90 degrees (like 120 degrees!). It's a quick visual!

My quick tips for a deeper latch...nipple to nose, swipe, wait for a wide open mouth, then tuck baby in between the shoulder blades and take them back with you! Gravity works in your favor & you should be comfortable too (no sore backs or shoulders allowed ;)