Cooper County WIC

One of the biggest misconceptions I see in breastfeeding is the idea that every nursing parent needs a freezer full of breast milk.

You don’t.

The size of your milk stash should match your feeding goals.

Social media has made it seem like success looks like hundreds of ounces lining a deep freezer, but for many families, that’s simply unnecessary. In fact, building a large stash can sometimes create stress, oversupply, recurrent plugged ducts, mastitis, and a lot of pressure to pump when pumping wasn’t even part of the original plan.

If you’re exclusively breastfeeding and your baby is with you most of the time, there may be no need for a large stash at all.

Ask yourself:

“What milk do I actually need?”

The answer depends entirely on how long you plan to be away from your baby.

✨ If you’re planning an occasional date night, a doctor’s appointment, a wedding, or a gym class, having enough milk for 2-3 bottles is often plenty.

✨ If you’ll be away for a full workday, you’ll need enough milk to cover that separation period.

✨ If you’re returning to work in a few months, you do not need months of milk stored in advance. You only need enough milk for the first day or so while you begin pumping during work hours to replace what baby drinks. Having some extra can relieve stress for days you don’t pump as much or have other stress going on.

A simple way to think about it:

Your stash only needs to be as large as the amount of milk your baby will need while you’re apart.

Not enough to feed your baby for six months. (Unless that is a personal goal)

Not enough to fill an entire chest freezer.

Just enough to meet your family’s goals.

What about an emergency stash?

Many families feel more comfortable having a small reserve on hand for unexpected situations. An emergency stash is typically about 2-3 days’ worth of milk. This can provide peace of mind if a parent experiences an illness, an unexpected hospitalization, a temporary dip in supply, a natural disaster, or another unforeseen circumstance.

For some families, that emergency stash might be important.

For others, it may not be necessary.

Both are okay.

The goal isn’t to collect the most milk.

The goal is to feed your baby while protecting your mental health, your breastfeeding relationship, and your time.

If building a large freezer stash is causing stress, exhaustion, or making you feel like you’re constantly attached to a pump, it may be worth asking yourself whether that stash actually matches your goals.

Sometimes the perfect milk stash is not a freezer full of milk.

Sometimes it’s three bags in the freezer, a well-fed baby, and a parent who gets to enjoy breastfeeding without worrying about ounces.

❤️ Feed the baby in front of you. Build the stash that supports your life. Not someone else’s social media highlight reel.

One of the most overlooked aspects of breastfeeding is positioning.

Many parents are told to bring baby “nose to ni**le,” but what happens next matters just as much. During a deep latch, your baby’s chin should be pressed into the breast while their nose remains free and slightly away from the breast. This position allows baby to take in a larger mouthful of breast tissue, helps protect the ni***es from friction, and supports more effective milk transfer.

A helpful way to think about it is to imagine yourself drinking a glass of water.

If you tuck your chin tightly to your chest and try to swallow, it feels awkward and difficult. Instead, you naturally sit upright, keep your body aligned, and slightly extend your head back to drink comfortably.

Babies feed best in a similar position.

Rather than having their chin tucked toward their chest, their ears, shoulders, and hips should be in alignment, with their head slightly extended backward. This creates space for the jaw to open wide, allows the tongue to move freely, and helps them coordinate sucking, swallowing, and breathing.

When babies are positioned too low on the breast or are forced to tuck their chin, they often struggle to achieve a deep latch. This can contribute to ni**le pain, clicking, shallow sucking, frequent unlatching, or inefficient milk transfer.

So if breastfeeding isn’t feeling comfortable, don’t just look at the latch, look at the position.

A small adjustment in posture can make a big difference for both you and your baby.

✨ Chin buried in the breast.
✨ Nose free.
✨ Body aligned.
✨ Head slightly extended.

Sometimes the best latch starts with better positioning.

“When will my period come back after having a baby?”

The truth is: there is a huge range of normal.

Some parents see their period return just a few weeks after birth, while others may not see it for months or even years. Factors such as how often your baby feeds, whether you’re pumping, introducing bottles or solids, overnight sleep stretches, and your own individual hormone levels can all influence when ovulation and menstruation return.

Historically, breastfeeding helped delay the return of fertility and periods. However, this was most effective when very specific conditions were met: baby was exclusively breastfeeding, feeding frequently day and night, receiving little to no supplementation, and typically under 6 months of age. This is known as the Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM), and strict guidelines must be followed for it to be effective.

Even then, every body is different. Some exclusively breastfeeding parents get their period back at 8 weeks postpartum, while others may not see it return until long after their baby’s first birthday or even until baby is full weaned!!

A returning period doesn’t mean your milk is “drying up,” and the absence of a period doesn’t guarantee you can’t get pregnant. Your body has its own timeline, and there is a wide range of normal after birth.

One of the most common things I hear from parents is, “My toddler is still breastfeeding, but are they actually getting anything from it anymore?”

The answer is a resounding yes.

Breast milk doesn’t suddenly lose its nutritional value on a baby’s first birthday. In fact, breast milk continues to provide calories, fat, protein, vitamins, minerals, immune factors, hormones, enzymes, and comfort well into toddlerhood.

Research has found that breast milk composition actually changes over time. As breastfeeding frequency decreases, the concentration of fat, protein, and many immune-protective components increases. Breast milk remains a living, dynamic food designed specifically for your child.

For toddlers, breast milk can contribute meaningful amounts of:
• Energy (calories)
• Healthy fats for brain development
• Protein
• Vitamin A
• B vitamins
• Immune factors such as antibodies and lactoferrin
• Hydration during illness
• Comfort and emotional regulation

While toddlers obtain most of their nutrition from solid foods, breast milk continues to be a valuable nutritional and immunological supplement.

The recommendations from major health organizations support this:

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends breastfeeding for 2 years and beyond, alongside complementary foods.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for about 6 months, continued breastfeeding alongside complementary foods for 2 years or longer, as mutually desired by parent and child.

There is no medically defined age when breastfeeding stops being beneficial.

Many parents are surprised to learn that breastfeeding during a healthy pregnancy is often safe. Milk supply commonly decreases during pregnancy due to hormonal changes, and the flavor of the milk changes as it gradually transitions back to colostrum at the end of the first trimester. Some toddlers naturally wean during this time, while others continue nursing throughout the pregnancy.

It’s also common for breastfeeding to become uncomfortable due to increased ni**le sensitivity and breast tenderness which is driven by pregnancy hormones.

Some families continue breastfeeding their older child after the new baby arrives. This is called tandem nursing.

Tandem nursing can look different for every family. Some toddlers nurse occasionally for comfort while others continue frequent feeds.

A few important things to know:
✔️ The newborn should always have first access to the breast and unrestricted feeding opportunities.
✔️ Your body will continue producing colostrum for the newborn after birth.
✔️ Nursing both children does not “take away” milk from the baby. Milk production works on supply and demand.
✔️ Many parents find tandem nursing helps ease sibling transitions and strengthens connection during a major family change.
✔️ Some parents love tandem feeding, while others find it overwhelming. Both experiences are valid.

Breastfeeding a toddler is not a sign that a child is overly dependent, spoiled, or failing to grow up. Around the world, breastfeeding into the second and third year of life has been the biological norm throughout human history.

Whether your breastfeeding journey lasts weeks, months, or years, there no requirement to continue longer than is right for your family.

The goal isn’t to meet someone else’s timeline.

The goal is to find the feeding relationship that works for you and your child.

🐨 Have You Tried the Koala Hold?

When most people picture breastfeeding, they think of cradle hold or football hold. But one of my favorite positions to introduce families to is the koala hold!

In the koala hold, baby sits upright facing the breast, almost like they’re straddling your leg or sitting on your lap while nursing. It may look a little unconventional at first, but many babies absolutely love it.

Why?

🐨 It works with gravity instead of against it.

When babies are more upright, milk doesn’t flow toward the back of the throat as quickly. This can be especially helpful for babies who cough, choke, or seem overwhelmed by a fast letdown.

🐨 Great for reflux.

Many babies with reflux are more comfortable feeding in an upright position. Keeping the head above the stomach can help reduce spit-up and discomfort during and after feeds.

🐨 Supports babies with airway concerns.

An upright posture can help some babies better coordinate sucking, swallowing, and breathing. This is one reason feeding therapists and lactation consultants often explore upright feeding positions when babies seem to struggle with flow management.

🐨 Encourages active participation.

In this position, babies often have more control over their head, neck, and body movements. As they grow, many become quite skilled at finding and latching to the breast independently. It’s also great for practicing to get ready for baby wearing breastfeeding in a ring along or structured carrier.

🐨 Helpful for older babies.

As babies become more mobile and curious, many naturally transition into more upright nursing positions. The koala hold can be a comfortable option for babies who seem frustrated with more traditional positions.

🐨 The best breastfeeding position is the one that works for you and your baby. Babies come with different preferences, different body types, and different feeding needs.

If your baby struggles with reflux, a fast letdown, frequent coughing at the breast, or simply seems unhappy in traditional positions, the koala hold may be worth trying.

Sometimes a small change in positioning can make a big difference in feeding comfort.

Have you tried the koala hold? I’d love to hear whether your baby loved it or preferred another position! 🐨❤️

As a speech therapist, I started my career bottle feeding babies in the NICU. In my private practice, I’ve researched and studied bottles and their impact on infant feeding. Here’s what every new parent need to know when bottle feeding their baby:
1. Don’t fall for the marketing. There are a lot of bottles that are designed to look like a breast. They don’t work like one. You want to pick your bottle based on the shape or the ni**le. A tapered ni**le like the Pigeon, Lansinoh, Gulicola, or Evenflo Balance promote and optimal latch. Dr Brown’s narrow is decent for some, but the long ni**le can gag many babies. Evenflo Classic and Life Factory are alternatives to Dr Brown’s narrow. Straw like bottles like Como Tomo, Tommee Tippee, Avent and Boon promote a shallow, narrow latch. While some babies can function on these, they’re not optimal
2. Offer your first bottle between 3-6 weeks if you have to go back to work. Babies rely on reflexes for the first few months to practice sucking. This reflex integrates and shifts to chewing around 3-4 months. If you need to give a bottle for returning to work, offer it early and keep offering it routinely. The muscles for breast and bottle feeding are different and it can be difficult for older babies to learn the new skill. Offering too close to going back to work can be really stressful for both parents and baby
3. Offer the slowest ni**le your baby tolerates. Bottle feeding should take 15-20 minutes to take a 2-4oz bottle until baby is 4+ months. It takes 20 minutes for the stomach to tell the brain it’s full. Feeding a baby too fast increases the likelihood baby will be over fed
4. If baby is struggling to take a bottle, get help sooner rather than later

Have a baby and don’t want another? If you’re still breastfeeding or if breast milk is the goal, be aware that hormone based BC can impact milk supply.
Anything with hormones can affect breast milk supply, but how much varies from person to person. Some notice no change, while others (especially those who are hormone sensitive) may see a big drop.

Here’s what we know ⬇️
•Mini pill (progesterone-only pill): ✅ Often the preferred option if you want hormonal birth control while nursing. Lowest risk of impacting supply. If you see a supply drop, switching to a non hormonal method and increasing feeding and pumping should bring supply back

•Hormonal IUD: 📉 Hormones are more concentrated in the uterus, but they can still lower supply for some people. Typical methods of increasing supply like more feeding and pumping won’t work against the hormones

•Depo shot & implant: ⚠️ Higher risk of messing with supply and harder to “undo” if supply drops.

•Combination pills (with estrogen): 🚫 Estrogen is especially known to reduce supply, sometimes pretty quickly.

💡 Everyone responds differently. If your milk supply is steady and you want to try hormonal birth control, start with the lowest-risk option and monitor your supply closely. And remember: non-hormonal methods (like condoms or copper IUD) are always an option, too.

✨ You deserve birth control that works for you AND your feeding goals. Don’t be afraid to ask your provider about choices that protect your supply.