Motherhood Blooms Lactation™

Finding Your Fertile Window

Update May 1st 2026

Trying to figure out what day you’re ovulating on and trying to time your intimacy properly can feel really confusing. I hear this from my clients all the time and I think it has a lot to do with how little we’re taught about how our bodies truly work as women. I’ve worked with women for many years at many stages of their lives and it’s a common theme I see so please don’t blame yourself if finding your fertile days feels confusing. Add our modern world of LH strips, PdG, tracking apps and BBT to this and it’s a bit of a headache trying to understand it all.

But finding your fertile window can actually be easier than you think! Knowing which days are your most fertile is a crucial step on your TTC journey. For many women, once we get our periods, we’re taught how to prevent pregnancy. The conversation may go something like “you’re becoming a woman now and that means you can get pregnant” cue conversation about birth control. But the reality is, there’s only a few days a month where you actually have a chance of conceiving.

And if you don’t know how to find those few days (or you’re relying on an app to tell you), you can miss them completely and struggle with getting pregnant. But don’t be discouraged! Let’s cover some cycle basics every woman should know.

Menstrual Cycle Basics when you’re TTC

Follicular phase – your body is building the endometrium. The lining of your uterus where your future baby will grow. FSH is signalling to the follicles to begin to mature but the egg that will be released from the dominant follicle has been growing for the past 90 days! Which is why you need to give your body time to see cycle changes when you’re working to support your fertility
Ovulation – the main event of your period! A surge in LH triggers the release of an egg. Estrogen will also peak. You may see thin, slippery, clear cervical mucus (like raw egg whites) and have a high libido, during this time. Some women also feel slight pelvic pain or cramping. The released egg lives for about 12–24 hours if it does not meet a sperm that fertilizes it.
Luteal phase – happens after ovulation. Progesterone should rise during this time if you ovulate. It’s normal for you to begin to feel your energy start to decline.
Menstruation – some practitioners won’t consider this a “phase” of your cycle and they lump it into part of the follicular phase but having been in conversations with hundreds of women, we feel different during this time. Your body is literally shedding the endometrium. The thick lining it was building to prepare for pregnancy. It’s natural to have lower energy during this time.

In order to get pregnant you need to have an egg and a sperm that is already waiting for the egg which means it needs to be there BEFORE ovulation. To find out when you’re going to ovulate you want to get familiar with your body. Your body gives you signals and signs that ovulation is getting closer.

Using Cervical Mucus Changes to predict ovulation

The most obvious sign your body gives you is a change in cervical mucus. This natural discharge you experience changes over the course of your cycle. Your mucus will begin to get thinner and there will be a lot more of it. In the few days before ovulation including the day of ovulation it may resemble raw egg whites – very wet, slippery, clear and stretchy. This is fertile cervical mucus – it means ovulation is very near and actually helps the sperm reach the egg!

You can also use LH testing strips to help you find this timeframe especially if you’re not really seeing changes in your cervical mucus. And the only way to confirm ovulation aside from getting a blood test from your doctor 7 days after suspected ovulation is to use a tracking method called Basal Body Temperature tracking.

I break down how to use this method along with LH strips inside the FREE Finding Your Fertile Window Guide:

Inside this FREE guide, you will learn everything you need (and then some) to be able to pinpoint your most fertile days

Inside my free guide discover:

The simplest way to find your most fertile days
How to time your intimacy for the best chances of getting pregnant
How to troubleshoot if your tracking app or LH strips indicate you’re not ovulating when you think you are

GRAB THE GUIDE

How to Boost Your Fertility With Nutrition

Updated March 25th 2026

About 1 in 6 couples worldwide struggle with fertility. And while age, lifestyle, and genetics play a role, one major factor that’s often overlooked by many doctors is your nutrition.

Nutrition is one of the most heavily researched and easily modifiable factors when you’re trying to conceive. But it’s so easy to skip over because the education is missing almost entirely from our healthcare system. The advice of “take a prenatal vitamin” is hardly enough to ensure high quality eggs, consistent ovulation and robust progesterone levels. This is especially true when you consider that not all prenatal vitamins are created equally and most doctors will say something along the lines of “any one you can buy is fine”. This is simply not true.

And what about the male partner? That’s about 50% of the equation and almost never is a male partner told to prep his body for trying to conceive outside of IVF. Meanwhile there are several key nutrients (like selenium and zinc) AND lifestyle factors (like alcohol and vaping) that directly impact sperm health. If sperm health is poor, you will struggle with fertility.

Both your body AND your partner’s body require optimal levels of specific vitamins and minerals to support reproductive health. CoQ10 for example can help support both egg quality and sperm quality, especially when you’re over the age of 30. Choline is a nutrient essential for your future baby’s cognitive development and neural tube formation and yet most prenatal vitamins either don’t include it at all or sprinkle in amounts that aren’t very meaningful.

From regulating your hormones to preparing your womb for a baby (as well as supporting sperm health!) what you eat NOW and how your health is overall, can set the stage for an easier conception and a healthier pregnancy (and baby!).

I’m all for filling in the gaps in our diet with supplements but food has to come first. It’s easy to be swept up into buying different vitamins like vitamin D, omega 3’s and CoQ10 because everyone wants to be doing the best they can but skipping over the foundational building block of what you eat everyday could be making it more difficult on yourself.

This is why I teach my clients the PFF method. This is a simple way to reevaluate the food you’re eating and make a super simple shift so that it starts to work in your favour and support your fertility.

Nutrition affects both partners, so it’s a team effort.

If you’re thinking about growing your family, now is the perfect time to assess your nutrition and overall health. Small changes today can lead to big rewards tomorrow. I typically recommend prepping your body about 3-6 months before trying to conceive. This can help address any nutrient deficiencies, improve menstrual cycle concerns etc.

If you’re currently trying to conceive, here’s a 14 min video I recorded about the PFF method that I use with my clients to easily begin to support your fertility

If you don’t want to keep figuring out nutrition on your own, or you can’t deal with another cycle going by piecing together advice you find online, let’s chat about how I can help you.

My clients eat real foods and get real results like ovulating for the first time in months, inches lost around waist and hips as a side effect of becoming healthier, cycles regulating and more confidence in themselves.

Apply to Work With Me Here

Resources:

Derbyshire, E., & Obeid, R. (2020). Choline, Neurological Development and Brain Function: A Systematic Review Focusing on the First 1000 Days. Nutrients, 12(6), 1731. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12061731

Shang, Y., Song, N., He, R., & Wu, M. (2024). Antioxidants and Fertility in Women with Ovarian Aging: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 15(8), 100273. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advnut.2024.100273

Easy, Extra Income Streams for Moms on Mat Leave

The unfortunate reality is that most families need two incomes. And in Canada, sometimes that doesn’t even feel like enough. So when you’re pregnant or postpartum and on mat leave, things feel even tighter.

Whether your dream is staying home with your babies, bringing some extra income into your household to cover everyday expenses or taking the entire family on an all expenses paid holiday, starting a side hustle could be your answer.

There are probably hundreds of different ways you can earn an additional income, especially online, that work really well for busy moms.

The reason I’m writing about this is because I’ve experienced first hand how helpful a side income can be, even as someone who owns a business.

Selling old items on marketplace, becoming a dog walker, doing mystery shopping, affiliate marketing, starting a virtual assistant business, selling handmade items – these are just a few ideas! But there are others that will allow you to earn more without trading much of your time.

I’ve tried a few options myself as well as considered many others. It wasn’t until June 2025 when I found one that stuck and helps me earn passive, residual income month after month. I’m sharing about that one at the bottom of this post.

Print on Demand

Some of the ideas I considered included print on demand. I thought this one was great because I didn’t have to handle any inventory or shipping. I could simply come up with designs (super easy with platforms like Canva and VistaPrint) and use a third party company that would look after the actual printing and shipping of the item.

It would mean passive income because sales could some in anytime of day and I wouldn’t have to trade my time for money. The downside was marketing. I couldn’t magically have money pouring in through mugs and t-shirt sales if I wasn’t all over my socials promoting the products.

Yes, I could invest in ads to do the marketing for me but I was looking for something that wasn’t going to cost a lot of money to operate and was going to be a fairly simple and straightforward set up.

Virtual Assistant

Another side hustle/extra income making idea I considered was being a virtual assistant.

Being a virtual assistant is a fantastic option for a lot of people. If you have some basic marketing and email skills, just about anyone can do VA work in some capacity. There’s even entire businesses built around training people to become VA’s as moms!

For me, it didn’t quite resonate. Again, I was looking for a low start up fee and if you don’t set up a website you could probably become a VA for a fairly low investment. But I also wanted to earn passively. Being a VA meant taking time away from my clients and kids as I was already a busy mom of 2 at the time and a business owner. Our household needed more income though so I kept looking.

Network & Affiliate Marketing

In March of 2025 a friend introduced me to direct selling. Essentially, network marketing where you’re doing the marketing on behalf of the company. It met the criteria of a low start up cost — which isn’t typical in network marketing so I appreciated that. It also met my personal standards of a very high quality product that I could feel good about taking. Also, I had done affiliate marketing for a supplement company several years prior so thought I could be good at it. And even though I said yes, there was still something missing.

I wanted to earn extra money passively. I didn’t want to hustle and work extremely hard to get sales and have an amazing month only to start the next month over at zero again. My primary focus was my business and clients and I didn’t want to take time away from either.

And while this specific company had a subscription plan in place, it ends for the customer after 4 months unless they chose to renew. So because it still wasn’t a perfect fit, I continued looking.

Subscription Based Systems – Memberships

Just a few months later in June, I was invited to learn more about a subscription model business where passive income was not only a possibility, it was almost a guarantee. “Sign me up!” is what I thought so I took a closer look. What I found next blew my mind in the best way possible.

A company built on the subscription model of business. The best examples are Netflix, Costco, Spotify — companies with millions of members making billions in revenue every year because of the recurring payments they receive. But this company was different. This company was paying people to be members! And even profit sharing. They were paying their members 7 different ways and all you needed to do was buy the $9.95/month subscription.

Every month I receive more and more passive income and I’m not trading my time for money.

Sounds too good to be true, right?! Well this company now has well over 2.3 million members and they’ve been growing faster than Netflix did in their early years. They’re in their fourth year of business and are globally ranked when it comes to work from home. Every month I receive more and more passive income and I’m not trading my time for money. I honestly only spend about 30 mins a day working on it. Which means I can still focus on my current clients and growing my business.

I love that I don’t have quotas to meet or that I don’t have to start every month back at zero. I love that the initial set up was only $49.95 and then I just pay my monthly membership. I love that all the training I needed to work the subscription as a business was included in my set up fee. And I love knowing that for years to come, this company will continue to pay me and my family will benefit.

If you’re looking for an extra income while you’re on maternity leave or you need a future escape plan from your 9-5, this is worth having a look at. Working smarter and spending more time with my kids while they’re little is important to me as a mom and entrepreneur and this side hustle makes that a reality.

If I didn’t fully believe in it, I would not have published a blog post about it on my own site. I’m not being paid for this post in anyway. I’m sharing it because I think it can help. I’ve seen many women turn down my services because of pricing and because our current healthcare model doesn’t always cover my services, it breaks my heart to see a woman go without optimal care because of finances.

If you’re curious to learn more and how it could work for you, click on the button below. You’ll be invited into our private group where you can take your time and discover more about this opportunity as well as connect with me personally.

You’ll need my name Alex Wachelka to pop into the space where it asks who invited you but once you do that, you’re halfway to learning more!

Learn how to earn extra income here

As moms, we’re all just trying to do the best for our babies 🤍

Getting Pregnant Again After 30: when it’s feeling harder the second time around

Updated January 16th 2026

You’re not alone if getting pregnant again is feeling difficult. If it’s been a few years since you last had a baby and you’ve been trying to get pregnant for several months (or years) this is your sign that there could be something deeper going on.

When my husband and I decided to try for our third baby it didn’t happen right away. With my firstborn I got pregnant the second cycle after coming off oral birth control (likely due to a surge in hormones). And with our second, he was conceived the month we decided to try. Needless to say I was used to it working out for us.

So when we decided to try for our third and it didn’t happen, I started to get a little anxious. I was tracking my cycle. I was ovulating most months (big sign right there – it should be every month) and we were timing our baby dance around ovulation.

But month two came and went as did my period. Another cycle and nothing. I felt heartbreak when those two pink lines didn’t show up because I knew our family wasn’t complete but at the same time, I felt guilty because I already had two beautiful children I loved.

But month two came and went as did my period. Another cycle and nothing. I felt heartbreak when those two pink lines didn’t show up because I knew our family wasn’t complete but at the same time, I felt guilty because I already had two beautiful children I loved.

I had basic blood work done for vitamin D levels and iron and all was well. So we continued trying based on tracking and timing. And about 4 months in, I had a chemical pregnancy. I was heartbroken, again. Why wasn’t my body doing what I knew it could. What happened between me giving birth to our second and now? What could I be doing differently? Was I getting too old?

If you’ve been wrestling with these same questions too, please know you’re not alone. Secondary infertility like I experienced has been on the rise in both men and women for several years now. And male infertility specifically is projected to rise faster than female infertility by the year 2040! (1). So what’s going on?!

First I want you to know that your body is not broken. I know how easy it is to blame yourself. But here’s the thing, after you’ve had a baby, your body changes and it can affect your fertility.

Hormones Shift

Your body goes through the largest hormonal shift it will ever experience when you transition from pregnant to postpartum. And when you’re postpartum, your body systems are still working hard to repair your tissues, create milk from your bloodstream and keep you functioning on broken sleep.

Your adrenals might be feeling overwhelmed, your thyroid might need some support and if you’re exclusively breastfeeding, you might not even have a period for up to two years! These are big changes and fertility doesn’t work in isolation. It’s a reflection of all your body’s systems — how nourished you are, how rested you are, how stressed you are and how supported your body feels as a whole.

This is why I take a wholistic approach, focused heavily on nutrition, when it comes to supporting fertility.

Nutrition Status Changes

It takes a big nutritional toll on your body to grow a baby. Even more so if you breastfeed postpartum. Your minerals (calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron for example) can become depleted which can then affect your body systems including your thyroid, hormones and gut health. Hormones like estrogen and progesterone will also affect ovulation and your cycle.

If your body is depleted and you’re trying to conceive again, you may need to spend sometime replenishing it first.

But how do you know if you’re depleted?

Besides having a baby, you may be feeling very fatigued, have brain fog, have mood swings including experiencing anxiety or depression. It’s important I share that not *all* postpartum mood disorders are because of nutrition depletion. It is multi-factorial. However, there is enough research showing deficiency in key vitamins and minerals such as iron and B12 (for example) do affect mood postpartum.

So having a plan to replenish your lost nutrients and deeply nourish your body in the 90 days (minimum) prior to trying to conceive again is a great place to start.

Stress Levels Change

Parenting a toddler is no joke. If you’re not stopping them from climbing onto something you’re trying to stop them from choking on something. This alone is stressful. Add our modern day stresses – finances, job, family, (the global news!) – and most of us are experiencing some level of stress everyday. This chronic, ongoing stress can increase inflammation as well as cortisol in the body and can be a barrier to getting pregnant.

When the body is stressed, reproduction is not optimal and sometimes shut down completely. If you think about it, it makes sense. For our ancestors, if there wasn’t enough resources (food, shelter, clean drinking water, safety) then having additional people to take care of doesn’t make sense.

There’s many more possibilities for why you’re now struggling to get pregnant

There’s many more possibilities for why you’re now struggling to get pregnant after having a healthy pregnancy. These are only a few of the most common I see in my experience working with women. But this is also why I wrote the Fertility Foundations Guide because trying to conceive shouldn’t take over your life.

I see these common themes when I’m working with clients who are trying to get pregnant and when they build a solid foundation, they improve their chances of conceiving. This is not a medical protocol. It’s the missing lifestyle foundation most fertility plans overlook.

Inside the guide I’ll walk you through everyday habits that work against fertility and what to do instead to support blood sugar, cortisol, sleep, and hormone signaling all without giving up your life.

You’ll learn about the most fertility supportive foods to start adding and why these foods matter, how they support egg and sperm quality, and how to include them without overthinking meals.

And I’ll show you the most overlooked activities that can support conception because they regulate your nervous system — one of the most important fertility factors of all.

Most importantly, each point is clearly explained so you understand why it matters, not just what to do. I wrote it to help you take the stress and guesswork out of trying to get pregnant.

Have A Closer Look At The Guide Here

References:

(1) Liang, Y., Huang, J., Zhao, Q., Mo, H., Su, Z., Feng, S., Li, S., & Ruan, X. (2025). Global, regional, and national prevalence and trends of infertility among individuals of reproductive age (15-49 years) from 1990 to 2021, with projections to 2040. Human reproduction (Oxford, England), 40(3), 529–544. https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/deae292

Have a closer look at the fertility foundations guide here.

Apply to work with me 1:1 here.

Top Tips for Breastfeeding Your Baby in the Summer Heat

Updated May 16th 2025

If you’ve been googling because you have older family members telling you that your breastfed baby should have extra water on those really hot days, you’re in the right place. As an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, breastfeeding is my specialty. And I can tell you, if your baby is under 6 months old, they don’t need any extra water no matter the temperature. They just need you!

Breastmilk is almost 90% water (87.5% if you want the specifics) and meets all of their hydration needs. If your baby is formula fed, even partially, they too do not need any extra water under 6 months old. The water required to mix formula will be enough for your baby.

The reason this extra water could be harmful is it may lead to water intoxication. Young babies do not need the additional water as it can shift their mineral (electrolyte) balance. This is the same reason formula has very specific preparation instructions when it comes to how much water to use.

The other issue with giving babies under 6 months old water on hot days is it displaces breastmilk. Breastmilk is filled with energy from carbohydrates, fats and proteins as well as vitamins and minerals (and so much more) and it’s essential for a baby’s growth.

So what do you do instead? Here’s 3 tips for breastfeeding your baby in the summer heat.

1. Feed on Demand (nurse or bottle)

When the weather is hot, you’re thirsty. This is just normal for all human so yes, your baby will be thirsty if they’re out with you on a hot day. What do you do when you’re thirsty? You drink more often. So your baby is the same. Offer them a drink (nursing or bottle) more often in the warmer weather.

They may also just have a bunch of really short feeds (same way you take several sips of water). This is normal. If your baby is bottle fed they may also do the same, smaller amounts more often. Additional water on a hot day is never recommended for a baby under 6 months old.

If your baby is older than 6 months, you can offer 2-4 oz of water in a 24 hour period usually alongside their solid foods. You don’t need to go much beyond this as breastmilk will still be the primary source of their water intake. I love using an open cup like the EZPZ silicone feeding cup to practice their drinking skills around 6 months when they start solids.

2. Keep Yourself Hydrated (with minerals)

First things first, drinking more water is not a way to increase your milk supply. When drinks like bodyarmour, coconut water and gatorade work for *some* people, it’s because of the minerals in there. Minerals (like potassium, sodium and magnesium for example) are needed to bring the water you’re drinking into your cells to actually hydrate your body.

So being hydrated while breastfeeding means you’re focusing on your minerals as well as water. This is a mineral drink recipe that I use with my clients. It’s super easy to make, delicious, hydrating and breastfeeding safe!

The coconut water provides an excellent source of potassium as well as magnesium.

Orange Breeze – 1 serving

4oz (120 ml) coconut water
4 oz (120ml) orange juice
4-8oz (120-250ml) water
pinch of sea salt (about 1/8 tsp)

Directions:

Mix everything in a large glass or shaker cup, add ice and enjoy! I also love to swap the plain water for sparkling water for a nice “mocktail’ effect

3. Stay Cool (shade and breastfeeding clothes)

Keeping both of you cool is also important. Try spending as much time in the shade as you can when you’re out and bring a little battery powered fan if you have one. Covering your baby’s car seat or stroller with a blanket has been shown to actually increase the temperature inside (the greenhouse effect) so it’s best to leave it uncovered, dress your baby appropriately for the warmer weather and find some shade.

When you’re nursing in the summer, especially out in public, it’s hard to have multiple layers on without getting too hot yourself. I’m always quite warm in the summer so am not a fan of multiple layers but sometimes that makes nursing feel a little more challenging. Everyone has a different comfort level with nursing in public. What I find personally helpful is the two-shirt method where you wear a tank top under your shirt. This way, if you lift your shirt to nurse, your stomach/midsection isn’t exposed

I wear The Naked Nursing Tank because it’s made exactly for this and it’s super comfortable. They are made from cotton and bamboo so they are breathable too. This nursing tank is designed to cover your midsection and accommodates any bra type or size and with sizes from XS to 5XL they are size inclusive. You can check them out here and if it’s something you’d like to add to your collection of nursing clothes, you can save 10% off your purchase with affiliate code MOTHERHOODBLOOMS at checkout.

I hope you’re feeling all set to enjoy a summer with your baby!

References:

Williams H. G. (2006). ‘And not a drop to drink’–why water is harmful for newborns. Breastfeeding review : professional publication of the Nursing Mothers’ Association of Australia, 14(2), 5–9.

World Health Organization. (2024 October 2). Breastfeeding Questions and Answers. who.int online: https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/breastfeeding

How I healed Mastitis Without Antibiotics

The story of how I ended up with mastitis as second-time breastfeeding mom (and IBCLC) and how I cleared it in 48 hours using gentle, evidence-based care

How I ended up with mastitis at 15 months postpartum

I experienced mastitis with my first born when he was somewhere between six and 12 weeks old. It sucked. I was so tired and so sore and completely exhausted. Once I was over it, it was smooth sailing.

I thought for sure there was no way I was going to experience mastitis again because I know exactly what to do to make sure that it does not happen. BUT at 15 months into breastfeeding my second, I ended up with mastitis. And the way that it happened was a little unconventional in a sense.

My toddler kicked me straight in the chest! It was an accident but he kicked me right in the boob. It hurt so much. And I honestly didn’t think anything of it at the time, other than like, “oh my gosh, this hurts!” And that was kind of the end of it as it was in the middle of the night.

By the next afternoon, I had some soreness, particularly around my nipple, but I chalked it up to the impact. But he kicked me so hard that he likely damaged the delicate breast tissues. It was leading to swelling and in the lactating breast that starts to narrow the milk ducts, setting the stage for mastitis to develop.

The symptoms I had

By mid-afternoon the next day, I was feeling off. Exhausted. No energy to make dinner. I started feeling cold and thought maybe I was catching the cold my school-aged child had brought home (because, if you have a kid in school, you know germs are nonstop).

By that evening I had:

full-blown chills
body aches
sore breasts that felt bruised, and I realized what was happening; I was getting mastitis

mother breastfeeding her child — Photo by Wendy Wei on Pexels.com

Why I didn’t need antibiotics

Mastitis is an inflammatory condition of the breast. It can become infectious, but not every case needs antibiotics.

In my case:

No nipple trauma (which is a risk factor for infection)
No latching issues
Happened from trauma to the breast (my toddler’s karate kick)

So I put my knowledge as an IBCLC to work with the goal of calming inflammation and supporting my body. And within 48 hours, I was feeling back to normal

What I Did to Clear Mastitis in 48 Hours

1. Warm shower

I hopped in a warm shower NOT to apply heat to my breast, but to warm up my whole body and calm the chills. I specifically avoided massaging or expressing milk in the shower.

2. I nursed as usual

I didn’t try to remove extra milk. Nursing continued as usual. Overexpressing can sometimes make things worse due to increased inflammation

3. Lymphatic massage + Breast Gymnastics

I used gentle, light massage techniques focused on moving fluid toward the lymph nodes (especially in the armpits) to reduce swelling. Some of this included Maya Bolman’s Breast Gymnastics technique. She’s an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. Her technique is a form of lymphatic drainage which involves gentle movement of the breast. You can find her video below

https://www.mayabolman.com/videos/v/breastgymnastics

4. Rest and fluids

With two little ones, rest isn’t always easy, but I did my best:

My husband took over dinner
I hydrated a lot including adding electrolytes (minerals) to my water
Supported my immune system with supplements
I went to bed at 9 p.m. for some solid early rest

5. Kinesiology Tape (K-Tape)

By the next morning I was feeling much better. I had seen other IBCLCs suggest K tape so I looked up a video of how to properly apply it. I applied K-tape (physio tape) to my breast to further support drainage and reduce swelling. This made a big difference in speeding up recovery.

Why what I did worked

Many people assume a plugged duct or mastitis is caused by trapped milk but in reality, inflammation narrows the milk ducts, and that’s what blocks flow.

Think of it like a kinked garden hose: the flow is blocked not because there’s something stuck inside, but because the walls are squeezed shut. So when we support reducing the “squeeze” (the inflammation if you’re following) then we begin to have more room for milk to flow.

Pain relief options

The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) has updated guidelines that recommend:

Breast rest– not pumping excessively
Ibuprofen (Advil) for inflammation
Tylenol for pain
Ice packs (after feeding)

This is a good BASIC approach but everybody is different and the root cause will differ. Not everyone is getting kicked in the boob by their toddler for example. This working 1:1 with an IBCLC is your best support

The Takeaway: You Matter

Yes, it’s helpful to know how to treat mastitis, but here’s what I really want you to take away from my story:

How you feel matters. If you’re in pain, exhausted, or just not being heard, trust yourself. Protocols are helpful, but healing happens faster when your care plan includes your needs, your preferences, and your comfort.

If you’re navigating mastitis or another breastfeeding challenge and feel lost, dismissed, or pressured to “just push through it” please know this:

You don’t have to suffer in silence
You don’t have to follow advice that doesn’t feel right for your body
You deserve care that’s responsive, gentle, and centered around you

References:

Mitchell, K. B., Johnson, H. M., Rodríguez, J. M., Eglash, A., Scherzinger, C., Widmer, K., Berens, P., & Miller, B. (2022). Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine Clinical Protocol #36: The mastitis spectrum, revised 2022. Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine. https://abm.memberclicks.net/assets/DOCUMENTS/PROTOCOLS/36-mitchell-et-al-2022-academy-of-breastfeeding-medicine-clinical-protocol-36-the-mastitis-spectrum-revised-2022.pdf

Eating Dairy Free While Breastfeeding: what nutrients might be missing and how to get them

Updated February 27th 2025

Tons of breastfeeding moms cut out dairy. Whether they think (or know) their baby has an allergy or an intolerance, many of the moms I work with are worried a food is contributing to their breastfeeding challenges. And if a baby does have an allergy or an intolerance to something you’re eating, it’s to the protein in that food.

Here’s a popular example (and specific to this post) – dairy. If a baby has a dairy intolerance, it’s to the protein in the cows milk not the lactose. Baby’s are born with the ability to digest lactose because lactose is the primary carbohydrate (energy source) in human milk. Lactose intolerance in babies is exceptionally rare and is a genetic defect in metabolism. It’s called galactosemia and happens in about 1 in 50,000 live births. So while it’s true that your baby can have an allergy or an intolerance to something you’re eating, it’s not likely to be a lactose intolerance.

Is it really dairy, or something else?

The other aspect to consider is understanding normal newborn behaviour. Behaviours like fussing, crying, grunting and waking frequently are normal newborn behaviours. You want to know if what your baby is experiencing is related to a food OR their functional ability to feed (or something else) BEFORE you start eliminating foods, especially ones you may love! This is where an IBCLC can help you sort through what’s happening with your baby and help you determine if it’s related to a food or not. But for this post, I’m focusing on YOU and what happens nutritionally, when you remove dairy from your diet.

Let’s look at dairy from a nutrition perspective

Nutritionally, dairy is a source of calories, fat, protein, and vitamins and minerals like Vitamin D, B12, Calcium, Iron and Iodine. So when you cut out an entire food group like dairy, you need to ADD foods to make up for it because your nutrient needs when you’re postpartum and breastfeeding are higher than pregnancy.

Reducing calories and protein postpartum can also slow down your healing and recovery process as well as impact your milk supply. Protein is the building block of our tissues so when your body is physically recovering which may include healing from surgery (a c-section birth), incisions (c-section, episiotomy) or tearing – even a mild “scrape” – your body NEEDS protein.

Protein as well as eating enough calories are also important for your milk supply. Your breastmilk is made from your body so you’re quite literally still growing your baby when you’re breastfeeding. This takes energy! It takes about 20 calories on average to produce 1 ounce (30mL) of breastmilk. The average baby over 4 weeks eats about 25 oz (750mL) or more in 24 hours. This is why the average requirement when lactating is an extra 500 calories per day.

So what can you add?

Sesame seeds

Why? Sesame seeds are a good source of calcium which is a well known mineral in milk. The calcium levels in your breastmilk will stay consistent no matter what you eat. How is that possible you ask, especially if you’ve cut out a source of calcium? Your body will take it from your bones! So adding calcium source to your diet like sesame seeds or tofu (see below) will help! Sesame seeds are also a source of fat and protein helping to replace lost calories.

You can add sesame seeds via homemade protein balls, adding to smoothies or dips, sprinkling them on your lunches or dinners . There’s so many possibilities!

Eggs

When you think about an egg, it has all the nutrition needed to sustain life. Eggs are a source of vitamin D and B12, two vitamins that are also found in dairy. In addition eggs are a good source of protein and fat, replacing lost calories when dairy is eliminated. Eggs are also an excellent source of choline, a nutrient needed for you baby’s brain development.

Frittatas and egg cups are an easy postpartum breakfast or snack. If you don’t like eggs on their own you can eat them via muffins or pancakes.

Salmon

This amazing fatty fish is a source of vitamin D as well as protein and iodine. Additionally it’s a great source of omega 3 fats – essential for building your baby’s brain and protecting your postpartum mental health.

Salmon cakes are an easy way to eat this type of fish. You can also make salmon bowls with some rice or quinoa, cucumber, mango, carrots, sesame and soy.

Red meat

An excellent source of iron as well as B12, fat and protein. I have a recipe for meatballs as well as a steak stir fry inside my Blood Building Blueprint for pregnancy; a free guide to boosting your iron and energy levels. Download it here.

Tofu

A plant based source of protein and calcium. You want to look for one that is organic as soy is a crop heavily sprayed with pesticides.

Tofu is quite versatile. Marinating it helps give it flavour. If you’re not ready to try it on it’s own, find recipes using a soft or silken tofu as it can be easily baked into muffins.

Kelp

This sea veggie is a rich source of minerals including iodine. Iodine is needed for proper thyroid function which can begin to affect your milk supply and hormones if you don’t have enough postpartum.

Sea veggies can be sprinkled onto your meals, added to soups or broths as well as eaten in sheets commonly called “seaweed snacks”.

Is dairy free possible while breastfeeding?

You can absolutely eat a dairy free diet when breastfeeding AND have it be nutrient dense to support your postpartum recovery and milk supply. This is exactly why I have a food first approach in my practice. We focus on ADDING foods to increase the nutrition. Even if a food needs to be eliminated because of an allergy, I look at what foods my client can easily incorporate into their busy life to meet their nutritional needs to have more energy, less brain fog and enjoy their pregnancies and postpartum.

Want to take the next step towards your postpartum or pregnancy nutrition?

Download my FREE Blood Building Blueprint

You don’t have to accept ‘being tired’ as just part of having a baby

This blueprint is your how-to when it comes to boosting your iron and energy levels. I’ll walk you through:

✅ why iron is so important in each trimester

✅ what foods you can eat to get more iron (including recipes!)

✅ and how to put this into practice in your day-to-day life

References:

Berry GT. Classic Galactosemia and Clinical Variant Galactosemia. 2000 Feb 4 [Updated 2021 Mar 11]. In: Adam MP, Feldman J, Mirzaa GM, et al., editors. GeneReviews® [Internet]. Seattle (WA): University of Washington, Seattle; 1993-2025. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK1518/

Collagen Hot Chocolate for pregnancy or postpartum

Updated January 14th 2025

When I was pregnant with my firstborn back in early 2019, I chose to stop drinking coffee. I know, crazy right?! – and yes, caffeine is safe during pregnancy (up to 200mg) I just chose not to drink it from coffee anymore.

Coffee was never really about the caffeine for me; it was more about the ritual of a warm beverage every morning. So when I decided to give it up cold turkey, I replaced it with a deeply nourishing (and delicious!) alternative that was helping me grow my baby and ultimately helped me recover postpartum.

Before I get to the recipe, I want to talk to you about why I chose collagen and its importance during pregnancy and postpartum recovery.

The Benefits of Collagen

Collagen is beneficial for your growing uterus and skin especially if you’re over 25 – unfortunately your body’s production of collagen starts to decline a little bit every year once we pass this age.

Collagen is an important protein that supports the skin’s elasticity and structure as it grows and stretches and then ultimately shrinks back down.

This nutrient is also important for your growing blood vessels when you’re pregnant and it helps keep your skin looking plump and youthful (which I appreciate as someone in her mid 30s).

When you’re postpartum, collagen helps to heal and repair your tissues no matter if you had a c-section or a vaginal birth.

Collagen can do all of these things because it contains the building blocks your body needs to heal and recover – amino acids.

Where can you get collagen?

You can find collagen in animal based foods like slow cooked meats, bone broths and soups made with bones like chicken, beef or turkey.

Collagen does not come from plant foods. There are many supplements on the market as “vegan collagen builders” but these labels are specific to say “builders” because the product itself does not contain any collagen. Just the building blocks to help your body produce its own (like vitamin C for example).

Alternatively, you can find animal based collagen in a powered supplement source but to be collagen, it does need to come from an animal source like cow (bovine) or fish (marine).

In my recipe, I use bovine collagen but you can use any powered collagen you prefer. Just look for one that is grass fed (if it’s bovine) or wild (if it’s marine) as well as third-party tested and free from any artificial sweeteners or additives.

The Recipe: Collagen Hot Chocolate

Ingredients: makes one serving

1 1/2 cups unsweetened non dairy milk of choice
2 scoops of your favourite collagen powder
1 tbsp raw cacao powder
2 tsp honey or maple syrup
1 tbsp butter ghee or coconut oil
Pinch of sea salt
Splash of vanilla (1/8 – 1/4 tsp)

Directions:

Add everything except milk directly into a mug or blender. Heat or steam the milk and pour into the mug or blender.
If using a mug, whisk until dissolved or frothy. If using a blender pulse just until blended and frothy. Enjoy!

Did you know most pregnant and postpartum moms are not meeting their nutrient requirements? Any many aren’t satisfied with the nutrition advice they’re getting from their care providers.

This leaves most of us feeling tired, moody, overwhelmed and confused.

There is so much information out there about what you can’t or shouldn’t eat and not enough about what you should ADD to help you have your healthiest pregnancy and postpartum.

Supporting your nutrition needs during pregnancy and postpartum doesn’t have to be complicated. You can make small changes, especially by ADDING certain foods to your diet to see big shifts happen.

I have a food-first approach when working with my clients. We focus on adding specific foods based on their goals to help them meet their nutrition needs rather than limiting or cutting out certain foods altogether.

If you want to explore what personalized nutrition coaching with me looks like, whether you’re trying to conceive, pregnant or postpartum, click here.

Newborn and Baby Skincare: products to keep their skin healthy

Updated December 2nd 2024

This post contains affiliate links

If you’re not new to my blog, then you may know I’m an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) but what you probably don’t know is that before that, I spent 7 years in the Holistic Nutrition and natural wellness industry.

Helping people who wanted to improve their diet and lifestyle habits, including education about supplements and natural care products was literally my job . So using natural products in my own home and on my own body quickly became very important to me because your skin is your largest organ!

Basically, what goes onto your skin, ends up in your body. And it’s no different for your baby. Their skin will absorb what goes on it but it’s also much more sensitive than our skin and sensitive for a longer period of time. It can take your baby’s skin a few weeks to adjust to life outside the womb.

Which is exactly why in this blog post, instead of sharing how I can help you on your breastfeeding journey, I’m sharing how I can help you and your baby’s skin with Shoosha Organic skin care.

Who is Shoosha?

“Shoosha is a Canada-based organic skincare brand, providing babies and kids with exceptionally safe and efficacious products for their skin and overall health” https://shoosha.co?sca_ref=6235621.AUvoZHqn0x

Shoosha’s entire line of skincare products meets the USDA organic standards for food – containing at least 95% organic content which means they’re practically food-grade! The products do NOT contain any synthetic preservatives or petrochemicals. Choosing plant-based alternatives over petroleum jelly or mineral oil products is better for sensitive skin and in my opinion, better in general – especially for our babies.

Vaseline and petroleum jellies as well as mineral oil are petroleum bi-products and can irritate the skin and clog pores, especially the sensitive skin of babies and kids. Shoosha Truly Organic makes their products with soothing and nourishing ingredients like coconut oil, shea butter, jojoba oil and chamomile extract.

And in 2019, Shoosha was awarded “Best Organic Family Skincare Brand Canada” by Parent & Baby Awards. They also ship across North America and if your order is over $50, shipping is free.

And their products work great. I’ve used the baby wash, the calendula oil, the body lotion, the diaper balm, the nipple cream, the stretch mark serum and have loved them all.

Why I love the Shoosha Diaper Balm

We’re changing our newborns bums a LOT. After their first 7 days of life, it’s up to 10+ diapers per day! So the ingredients of the cream/balm I’m applying really matter to me. I love the Shoosha diaper balm because it’s formulated with Evening Primrose Oil which is rich in nourishing omega essential fatty acids which helps reduce inflammation and the organic calendula oil in it helps moisturize and heal the skin.

This also means you can use it as MORE than a diaper balm! You can use it on any areas on your baby affected by irritation. For example, irritated skin folds? – use the diaper balm!

If you’d like to try this product, you can save 15% by using my affiliate code: ALEXW15% at checkout. Shop here: https://shoosha.co?sca_ref=6235621.AUvoZHqn0x

AND Shoosha offers FREE shipping when your order is over $50 in both Canada and the US.

Why I love the Shoosha Calendula oil

Shoosha Organic Calm Baby Calendula is an amazing upgrade from the traditional mineral-oil based products. It’s much cleaner because it doesn’t contain any additives and it moisturizes and protects your baby’s delicate skin.

It also calms redness and flakiness caused by irritation or dryness. Calendula is known for its healing, nourishing, and anti-inflammatory power which makes this product super versatile!

For example, it can be used as a stand-alone moisturizer or a massage oil after a bath for babies or adults! You can also use a capful in your baby’s bath or mix it with a body lotion or face cream (also available from Shoosha)

It’s available in fragrance free or French Lavender (scented with pure essential oils) and if your baby is under 6 months old, Shoosha recommends using the fragrance free version.

If you’d like to try the calendula oil, you can save 15% by using my affiliate code: ALEXW15% at checkout. Shop here: https://shoosha.co?sca_ref=6235621.AUvoZHqn0x

Shop ALL Shoosha Organic Products Here

If the quality of what goes onto your skin matters to you…

If you’ve been wanting to try natural, organic skin care products on your kids…

If you’re looking for a skincare line safe for the whole family that’s free of harsh chemicals and hormone disrupting ingredients…

Then Shoosha Organic is for you!

This company’s entire line of products meets the USDA organic standards for food – containing at least 95% organic content! Trying Shoosha’s Organic skincare products is a decision I was so happy to make and I wouldn’t share about them or accept an affiliate link if I didn’t believe in and use the products personally. If you have any questions about the products let me know in the comments.

Storing Breastmilk: what to do when the power goes out

Updated October 22nd 2024

It’s the worst feeling. Finding out that your freezer wasn’t shut all the way, or you came home from a weekend trip to find out the freezer stopped working or a storm hit and you’re out of power for who knows how long!

Each of these sends your heart sinking as you think about all of that precious liquid gold you have stored in your freezer. But don’t worry! If you’ve found yourself in any of these situations, all hope is not lost. You might just be able to SAVE YOUR BREASTMILK.

It’s going to depend on how your milk was stored and if it’s thawed out completely or not.

Check for ice crystals

What does your milk look like? If your previously frozen milk is looking a little slushy still or has a few visible chunks of frozen milk (aka ice crystals) you can go ahead and re-freeze it! There’s no need to stress about this milk as it’s still quite cold enough (and almost a bit frozen still) that it can be safely refrozen.

If the milk did thaw out completely, unless you know how long it’s been thawed, it’s safest to use this milk for baths instead of feeding it to your baby. Just clearly label it and refreeze it for a later time to be used in a bath and not for consumption.

When you’re home and the power goes out

When the power goes out – keep the door to your freezer closed as long as possible! Do not open it unless absolutely necessary. This will help your freezer keep its temperature longer which will in turn, help keep your milk frozen.

Depending on how long you are or will be without power you could:

Transport some in a cooler with ice packs (provided they are frozen) and store it at a neighbours or friend/family members house who has power
- Frozen milk can be stored in an insulated cooler bag with frozen ice packs for up to 24 hours when you are traveling
Check your milk when the power comes back on for ice crystals (and see above)

General Breastmilk Storage Guidelines (for healthy infants at home)

Freshly expressed milk should be frozen within 4 days, roughly. It’s best to label the milk bag with the date it was expressed so you can use the oldest milk first. You’ll also want to label how much is in the bag. You can consider freezing the milk in small amounts such as 2 to 4 ounces to avoid wasting any.

Breastfed babies consume an average of 2-4 oz per feeding of milk from 1-6 months old – depending on how often they feed in 24 hours. After 6 months it actually doesn’t change much either this is just when solids are introduced to help meet their nutritional needs.

Ideally, store milk in the back of the freezer (or refrigerator before it’s frozen) and not in the door. This is because the temperature is most consistent at the back. When freezing, leave an inch of space at the top of the container; breast milk expands as it freezes. Lay the bags down flat to freeze them as a “brick”. This makes for easier storage later.

For a few ways you can thaw out breastmilk to feed to your baby, check out my video below:

Thawing: Always thaw the oldest milk first. Thaw milk under lukewarm running water, in a container of lukewarm water, or overnight in the refrigerator. Never thaw or heat milk in a microwave as this can create hot spots which can burn a baby’s mouth.

What about warming breastmilk to feed to your baby?

Milk can be served cold, room temperature, or warm! All babies have different preferences. To heat milk, place the sealed container into a bowl of warm water or hold under warm running water. Alternatively, you can use a bottle warmer if you have one but you can make do without one. Test the temperature before feeding it to your baby by putting a few drops on your wrist. It should feel warm, not hot.

These general guidelines will help you feel more confident about storing your baby’s milk but if you ever have questions or concerns, especially around feeding your baby, work with an IBCLC.

References:

CDC. (2023, November 27). Breast Milk Storage and Preparation. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/breast-milk-preparation-and-storage/handling-breastmilk.html

Mohrbacher, N. (2015, October 26). Why Do Milk Storage Guidelines Differ? nancymohrbacher.com. https://nancymohrbacher.com/blogs/news/why-do-milk-storage-guidelines-differ