Latched

It’s week 3 of National Breastfeeding Month! We hope to help bring awareness to the lack of EQUITABLE lactation services available to Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander individuals this week.

How should a person describe breastfeeding difficulty without speaking the primary language of the only available lactation consultant?

How would you feel if your traditions were overshadowed by those who settled upon land that belonged to your ancestors?

Many inequities are coming to light by simply empowering more people to use their voices. You are sure to find wisdom in stories and tradition this week.

We would love if you took a few minutes to read the article that is linked in our profile. It will tell you just how significant this week is to our AANHPI friends.

Also, this week’s giveaway is around the corner 🎉

It’s been 2 months since I last posted!? I miss you guys!

Going back to work and trying to balance home life has really had an impact on my course with Latched. I went from going full speed to searching for time to continue developing my dream: free, accessible lactation education.

I’ve been messaging with some special moms about their struggles and triumphs. Having challenges with lactation is so very common and I’m still here to support you in any way I can.

Love is the best food for your baby.

I’ll be in touch soon.
With love,
Jenn

Follow if you’re enjoying Sarah’s tips for The Latched Community. She has more to share in the way of home organization.

I started one of these bins a few days ago because of Sarah’s recommendation and it’s already made my brain feel less busy. Thanks, Sarah!

“Welcoming a new baby means there will be a new stack of important papers to keep track of: birth certificates, immunization card, hospital keepsakes, etc.

Starting out with a clear system can ease the worry of losing track of important documents and makes it easier to refer back to them if need be.

As your baby enters pre-k or kindergarten, you can even keep the same system going for school papers and artwork!”

Being “good” earned us a B in school. Let’s ditch the idea of being perfect and let good be enough. You in?

It can be frustrating to hear input about what you should do as a mother. 🤨

I worked with a mom recently who was experiencing severe ni**le pain while breastfeeding. Been there ☝🏼

Together, we worked on a deeper latch for her baby. I explained expected vs. unexpected ni**le pain and how level of pain is experienced differently by every mother.

She shared with me that during a conversation with her grandmother regarding the pain she felt while breastfeeding, her grandmother’s advise was to “grin and bear it.” This new mom shyly asked me if maybe she should just deal with the pain. We talked about her right to have a positive breastfeeding experience and also how the advice of people we love can be hurtful, even when it’s meant to help.

All of this made me think about her grandmother and the generations of breastfeeding women before us, dating back to, uh, eternity. What must they have gone through in not having professional help when issues arose?

I admire breastfeeding mothers of the past for withstanding ni**le pain to feed their babies. I’m also glad times have changed!

Mild ni**le pain at the onset of breastfeeding can be normal, but is expected to begin resolving soon after birth. Severe, sharp, or intense pain or mild pain that is not resolving are all reasons to consult with a trained lactation professional. Pain can progress to wounds and cause emotional turmoil..so please find help right away! Better yet, find someone you trust prior to delivery so you know just who to call.

The passing down of advise among family and friends was a means of survival for babies once upon a time. Most people intend to offer support when they share their opinion. But, if it’s making anything worse for you as a new mom it’s also ok to say, “I’m following up with a Lactation Consultant, my doctor, etc. about this issue so will let you know how it goes..” or something to that affect.

Personally, I didn’t like hearing how pregnancy, delivery, breastfeeding, sleep, and the next 18 years of my life would be hell 😄. There was so much more in between but few talked about the good parts 🤷🏻‍♀️.

What unwanted advice did you receive?

Happy Holidays from my family to yours ✨

❤️Jenn

✨ I feel extra thankful this year because of this community. I’ve gotten to know several of you and it has given my life so much meaning to walk this mommy road with you. We accept, include, and support one another 🙌🏿🙌🏼🙌🏾🙌🏻🙌🏾

I’ve been taking some time off to take care of a very sick little guy and it looks like he’s finally coming around after a week of a high fever. I am always thinking about you guys! Wishing you and your families a healthy, safe, and happy Thanksgiving!

🧡💛Jenn

Shouldn’t we all own pants with a stretchy waistband? Does anyone have a favorite pair of postpartum pants? I’ve gotta get myself into something other than sweatpants, at least occasionally 😄

When a mom sees her engorged breasts for the first time, her eyes (and that of her partner’s) often mirror in their fullness what she is seeing in her breasts 😳. ⠀
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The biggest takeaway from this post is that engorgement is normal (not fun, but normal). Next, the amount of engorgement you experience isn’t associated with the amount of milk you’ll produce. So don’t worry if what you experience is closer to fullness or heaviness of the breasts. ⠀
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Engorgement usually happens between days 3-5. It means that milk production has begun! Mom might awaken to full, swollen breasts that can vary between mild to very firm. Pain can be mild to moderate, or not experienced at all. The breasts can appear reddish and might feel warm. Milk glands are producing breastmilk BUT they are also inflamed. It is the inflammation that is causing most of the swelling within the breasts. ⠀
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The glands are inflamed because more blood is flowing to them. Breastmilk is made of water and nutrients from mom’s blood so it makes sense that more of it is needed. You might even see large blood vessels just under the surface of the skin. ⠀
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Ways to relieve the discomfort of engorgement are actually aimed at treating the inflammation that is occurring—NOT removing the milk that is being produced. The first thing that occurs to most moms (including me prior to becoming an IBCLC) is to get the MILK OUT. In doing this, you are actually increasing the demand for your body to make milk and potentially causing further discomfort. I recommend only removing small amounts of milk for comfort or to help baby latch. The good news is that engorgement usually starts to resolve in 24-48hrs. ⠀
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The picture above shows how engorgement affects the shape of the ni**le. The ni**le has flattened in the picture on the right, making it more difficult for baby to latch. One intervention that can be used to help baby (in addition to removing small amounts of milk) is reverse pressure softening, the teacup hold, or a ni**le shield (as a last resort). More to come on engorgement remedies in the newborn series of posts!
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earned this joyful smile! She shares her encouraging story with the Latched family below:

"I’m a mom of three beautiful girls- Elle is 5, Maeve is 2, Quinn is 3 weeks old. I’ve been lucky to breastfeed 2 of my children. I think it shocked me that being able to breastfeed wasn’t a given or would happen without effort.

It seemed to come so easily to those around me that I didn’t think to prepare for any alternative or nursing support for my first child. For me, there are many things I wish I had known to advocate for as well as hearing that it was OK to feel different things.

I had my oldest in a bustling NYC hospital & suffered a massive migraine after her birth. I missed that “golden hour” of the baby on my chest. Elle never latched. I’d hold her to my breast in tears, still trying weeks after birth, with no education on how. I pumped alone in a chair while my family fed the baby. I suffered from intense postpartum & DMER (dysmorphic milk ejection reflex) while pumping. I felt lonely, homesick & constantly like I wasn't enough.

I wish I had the mom group support I do now to give me a comforting nod, to hear that my experiences were normal, or a point in the right direction for support.

We supplemented with formula right from the beginning with Elle & that’s OK! Elle is a healthy brilliant child- I was the one that deeply missed the bonding & comforting transition experience of nursing. I also think that nursing wasn't for Elle; to me breastfeeding requires willing participation of both mom & the baby.

Supports like Jenn’s Latched group would have been a life line for me. For the birth of both Maeve and Quinn I loudly stated I wanted the golden hour after birth secured (if possible) & help with breastfeeding in those first days. I also lined up lactation support through a program at work. For me, that was doing what I could. I’m so proud & grateful that Maeve & I nursed till she was 2yr, 9m & Quinn now just 3 weeks is nursing so well.

I believe it is a wonderful time to be a mother; I’ve never felt so uplifted, supported, and comforted by fellow moms and I learn so much from their shared experience."

🙌🏼🍾❤️ Much love

Time for the DEEP LATCH series of posts.

A deep latch is important. Try this! Run your tongue along the hard palate at the top of your mouth. Start at your front teeth & stop at the back of the mouth where the tissue turns soft. This is the soft palate. Your ni**le should ideally stretch this far back when baby is suckling. The ar**la is able to stretch along with the ni**le to get it back that far. Impressive, right?

Pain and skin breakdown is usually felt by breastfeeding moms when the ni**le isn't far enough back in the mouth. Imagine baby suckling and your ni**le being compressed by the hard palate versus the soft palate in the back of the mouth..OUCH!

If you aren't planning to use baby-led breastfeeding (previous post), the DEEP LATCH series is for you. This advice is for mother-led breastfeeding.

Tip 1: COMPRESSING the breast can help baby latch deeply. I call this tip the “BOOBIE BURGER”! You’ll see what I mean in the reels following this post!

You’ll note in the post's pictures that mom is compressing the breast in different locations. This is to show how important it is to find the “sweet spot” on your breasts that creates the best boobie burger. We are looking to flatten the breast so baby can more easily get the ar**la in his or her mouth.

First, mom compresses without noticing much of a difference in the flattening of her breast near the ar**la. So, she moves her hand a little further forward without noticing much change. Next, she finds "the sweet spot." In the last picture, she is compressing too close to the ar**la--because this is roughly where she'll want baby’s mouth to be.

OF COURSE, this isn’t how it will look for everyone because anatomy and breast tissue density vary. Your compression will look different based on how soft or firm your breast tissue is and the size and shape of your ni**le and ar**la.

If you experience engorgement, compressing the breast might be difficult. I have latch techniques coming up that will help!

Please like if this is helpful and leave questions or comments below. I always appreciate you tagging other moms if you are liking what you see here!

I needed to see this, write this, and live this today!

We talked in a previous post about baby-led breastfeeding.

With mother-led breastfeeding, mom helps position and guide baby to the breast. While this type is more common, baby-led feeding is gaining popularity. It’s a great idea to research both to see what appeals most to you before having baby.

If you already have a baby, try both to see if either you or your baby do better in one position versus the other.

Latch tips are coming up!



Of the 2 types, mother-led breastfeeding is done by most moms. Baby-led breastfeeding is gaining in popularity so you might want to do some research on both.

Most of my tips apply to mother-led breastfeeding because it is most common.

✨Welcome new followers! My page is organized according to stages of lactation, starting with info that is good to know prior to delivery.

So far, I've covered the following in the prenatal series. These would be good to look at before moving forward:

1. How to find lactation help & support. I can't give individual advice on social media but am happy to help find that support for you! Always feel free to message me.

2. Emotions during pregnancy that aren't often talked about

3. What you NEED vs. what you might WANT for breast/chest/body feeding

4. Importance of MOM's position

5. Options for BABY's position, including letting baby find his or her own position with baby-led breastfeeding

6. Ni**le & ar**la shapes & sizes

The DEEP LATCH series of posts begins tomorrow! This will include ways to hold and compress the breast, the importance of baby opening wide for a deep latch, my favorite techniques for getting a deep latch, and more!

Talk soon!

💛 Jenn

✨ Future breast/chest and pumping moms need your help!

We NEED to help people understand the kind of support that is needed for new mothers who are breastfeeding. For most moms, it is far from easy.

The world is getting on board with breastfeeding, but essentially leaving moms to do the job alone. What other skill in life is assumed to come naturally? Eating solid food? Using a toilet? Walking, bike riding, reading, etc.? These things are learned—not born in us.

Please share your story (or vent) in a comment or private message to help Latched illustrate the need for high-quality, free lactation resources for all families. Did you feel alone? Overwhelmed? What kind of support did your have?

Tag friends in this post if they also had breast/chest or pumping challenges.

(we won’t share comments in any future efforts without your explicit permission).

Talking to Sarah with is fun for me so I want to share her wisdom and energy with all of you.

Join us for a talk about the do’s and do-nots about nesting. Baby’s stuff will take up space but it should not take over your home!

See you Friday! 💛

"I've got this mom!"

Did you know babies can crawl, arch, wiggle, and essentially move themselves to the breasts? They can mold them with their hands and shape the ni**le to achieve a deep latch. Amazing right?

Have you wondered why your ar**la and ni**le darkened during pregnancy? Your baby’s eyes see in shadows and blurs in the newborn phase. The dark ar**la and ni**le contrast with the surrounding skin to help your baby see it! 🎯

How about those tiny bumps around your ar**la? Confession: I used to think milk was expressed through these so no judgement if you thought the same. But, breastmilk is expressed through openings in the ni**le 📚. The bumps are called montgomery tubercles—glands that release oils to keep germs away from the breast. THIS IS SO COOL-babies can also smell the oils—another tool they use to find and latch onto the breast!

Some professionals feel that baby-led breastfeeding prevents breastfeeding problems, simply because no one is intervening to use latch techniques. This might be true but it arguably doesn't work for everyone and in every environment. You probably can’t have your baby crawl to the breast at a dinner party.

But, this might be something to explore when baby is born. If you are already breastfeeding, try it! Instincts generally aren’t forgotten.

If you search “breast crawl” videos on youtube, you can see how a brand new baby can move their way to the breast without help (but always with physical support). I apologize ahead of time for a few of the search results that pop up 😳.

Here is another link from .net.au that you can copy and paste into your browser to find out more about baby-led nursing.
✨https://raisingchildren.net.au newborns/videos/baby-led-attachment

For those who appreciate research, results of a randomized control trial published in the International Breastfeeding Journal, showed that biological nursing was effective in preventing breast problems after birth. Link to article:
✨https://internationalbreastfeedingjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13006-020-00261-4

Showing support for felllow whose posts (especially reels 😂) I love!

You may not know this, but I’m breastfeeding my 3y.o. son, so yes, I am a 24hr milking machine!

Providing breastmilk is a full time job. So is promoting it! Let’s support each other as moms, professionals, and women! 💪🏽🙌🏼

I did this with some friends recently and thought I would share. Motherhood is hard--I hope this helps some of you today!
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It’s mid-week and I don’t know about anyone else but I can use some inspiration!

This working mom manually pumps in the car, and despite the challenges, takes great pride in what she is accomplishing. Thanks, , for sharing your story!

“The items in photo #2 are so much more than what they appear.

My son is 7mos old. I’ve been able to nurse with this one! It’s an experience that I will never be able to fully put into words but here are a few; beautiful, amazing, time consuming, hard, tiring, rewarding & did I say HARD?

One of the reasons it’s been so hard for me is due to my career. I spend half my week behind a desk and the other half on a roof or in a mechanical room. If I’m within 20 miles of my hometown for work, that’s a short day for me. When I went back to work in May I tried to use my Spectra pump and quickly realized I couldn't set it up quickly enough in my car, wait my car? Yes, my car!

When I’m not in the office my car is MY office. To keep up with my supply I have to pull over or go hide in a secluded parking lot to pump! After a week of not being as successful as I had hoped due to time or just not getting enough power from my car outlet, I picked up a Medela manual pump and with my Haaka I was able to figure it out. I could easily get access to them in my car and get the job done and get my supply put away in my Yeti Daytrip.

The items in photo 2 are lifesavers. Hands down the best money I’ve spent since my son was born. These items represent the dedication and hard work I’ve put forth during the last 4 months and they also represent the days I was not sure I was going to pump enough to replenish my stash or the actual tears I cried bc I accidentally spilled some of this liquid gold.

I’m not a 1st time working mom but I’m a 1st time working BREASTFEEDING mom. Although it brings a new set of challenges, I’ve learned so much about time management and multitasking, and most importantly I've learned so much more about myself!

To all of you working mamas whether you are breastfeeding, formula feeding, cooking lunches, making baby food, buying baby food, packing lunches, buying lunches(you get the idea), I SEE YOU! ALL OF YOU!”

If you’re not sure what else to do…

Take it away, Sarah!


“All the “stuff” that comes along with welcoming a new baby home can be very overwhelming (for you, your partner, and your home)!

Setting up your home environment to have designated spots for all the new baby things can help contain the clutter and make it easier to reach for what you need, when you need it.

A favorite organizational item of mine= the clear spinner. These can be used anywhere: bathrooms, offices, pantries, playrooms, you name it. They are a wonderful way to keep everything contained while still able to see what you have and have easy access to each item. For these reasons- they work wonderfully for baby lotions and essentials.”

Sending love and support to all NICU moms during these last two days of NICU Awareness Month!

A good friend, , shares her story of encouragement with us today!

“When I became pregnant with twins in January 2020 after a successful round of IVF we were ecstatic, not yet knowing what the future held for us. Who could’ve predicted that we’d be welcoming our remarkable babies into this world 10 weeks premature, during a pandemic!

Because of visitation restrictions, the NICU did feel isolating at times. Experiences that I thought I’d get to share with my mom and older sisters- learning to breastfeed, adjusting to motherhood- could only be shared virtually from multiple states away (thank goodness for FaceTime!).

The NICU staff became our surrogate family. My husband and I appreciated how much love they had for our little ones and how excited they were to see each tiny achievement. They supported me throughout my lactation journey—from hand expression to pumping around the clock and eventually to bottle and breastfeeding. I became a pro at tandem feeding from all the help I got from our lactation consultants.

Delivering babies prematurely can be daunting, especially during a pandemic. But knowing that they were receiving the best possible care by the best providers was all the reassurance I needed that they would be ok.

My best advice to all NICU families is to reach out to family, friends, and the NICU staff for help and support during this difficult time. It will make all the difference!”

✨Wednesday Wisdom from the NICU!

⭐️If you tend to be sensitive to photos of babies in a medical setting, or if NICU stories are triggering in any way, you are encouraged not to continue reading this post or view its images ❤️
bester1 wants to share the MIRACULOUS story of her daughter's delivery & subsequent admission to the NICU with our followers. She wants to give hope to families in the NICU & bring awareness to the power of breast milk!

"Delilah was born by emergency c-section at 38wks and 5 days. I had told my doctor she wasn’t moving and they went ahead and took her. It was rushed. She was born 30min after my appointment. Once born, they had to resuscitate her several times and she was put on a ventilator. The hospital we were at just didn’t have the equipment to help her so she was taken by ambulance to the UK the next morning.

Once here, they decided to put her on ECMO for her heart and lungs-they had stopped working. ECMO is a form of life support that acts as a pump and takes over the function of the heart and lungs. She was on ECMO for 6 days, until her heart was strong enough on its own.

Slowly, she was weaned off her ventilator to a CPAP machine, and is now breathing on her own! The pictures in this post show her progress through these stages. We are now working on getting her to take a bottle, in hopes that we can go home soon! We have been in the NICU with her for 38 days today.

A few days after her ECMO cannula was removed, we were told she has a rare genetic deletion that may be the cause of her problems.

The very first time Delilah woke up and looked around was minutes after being given her first drops of breast milk. The 2nd picture in this post is of her opening her eyes that very 1st time while on the ECMO machine.

I had always wanted to breastfeed, but had given up hope with as sick as she was. I pumped some for her just in case, and it woke her up! I have been working hard to keep her milk ever since."

Hannah, from the bottom of our hearts, congratulations on the birth of your beautiful daughter and on the progress she has made💗! We wish you every blessing possible and a smooth path to taking Delilah home! 🙏🏼