Motherhood Blooms Lactation™

Breastfeeding to sleep: why it’s not a bad habit

A Lactation Consultant’s Story

Updated January 23rd 2026

Breastfeeding and sleep looked very different from my first child to my second. It was dangerous sleep circumstances with my firstborn that led me to make changes and then completely changed how my second born slept.

When my first was born, I wasn’t really prepared for how frequently he would need to eat. That he would eat on a 24 hour clock. I knew babies ate often (even though I wasn’t a Lactation Consultant then) and I knew he would eat during the night (which meant interrupted sleep) but I didn’t really know how that would feel.

It didn’t take long before I was feeling the effects of changes to my sleep patterns. I had this perfect, new little human who was entirely dependent upon me for food, warmth and safety and he was hungry whether it was daytime or night time.

He needed me.

I set up a sleep space for him in my bedroom thinking he’d sleep there, next to me but on his own because that’s what people on the internet said would happen. Needless to say, that’s not what happened (at first). I set up his sleep space in my room because The World Health Organization recommends rooming-in for the first 6 months of your baby’s life. This encourages better breastfeeding rates because you can easily and quickly respond to their early hunger cues and for me, it felt best to have him near me all the time.

Despite having a bassinet for him in my room, I found myself in many dangerous and scary unsafe sleep situations with my first born when it came to breastfeeding and sleeping.

Your baby’s body doesn’t make melatonin (a hormone secreted by the brain in darkness to signal sleep) until they are 3 months old. They rely on your milk. The oxytocin release during breastfeeding is designed to make both you and your baby sleepy. Add a lack of sleep to that and things can get pretty hairy if you’re on an unsafe sleep surface like a couch or a rocking chair.

I would often fall asleep holding my newborn. Think about falling asleep for a minute. Your body relaxes. If you’re holding a new infant on a chair or on your couch, and your arms relax, it’s unsafe. I fell asleep on the couch, in the nursing chair and in my bed. None of these were a safe sleep space despite the fact that beds can be a safe space when set up properly. But mine wasn’t, at first, so falling asleep on these spaces significantly increases the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

The moment I realized I needed to make a plan

I remember waking one time (on my bed) to find he had slid down off my body and was wedged down by my waist, face down with a pillow next to him. I immediately grabbed him, held him up in the air and in that moment it felt like I watched his skin turn from a bluish hue at the time to pink. I will never know if it was my imagination or not but it was the scariest moment of my life. I knew something needed to change and from that moment, I practiced safe sleep with my baby as well as gradually worked on having him sleep in his bassinet and crib as he got older.

photo of father carrying newborn baby — Photo by Laura Garcia on Pexels.com

So how do you practice safe sleep?

Our western societies expectations don’t match normal infant physiology which makes becoming a new parent feel incredibly difficult at times. Sleeping through the night for example, is actually 5-6 hours (not 12) and is a developmental milestone, just like walking, it happens when baby is ready and not before.

This bugs the sleep trainors but sleep cannot be taught. If you think about it, all mammals know how to sleep. Dogs, cats, lions, giraffes – they all KNOW how to fall asleep and stay asleep. They wake up if they need something and then get right back to sleep. Same goes for you, me and our babies.

But the reality is, it’s hard to have your sleep interrupted so often. How are you supposed to feed your baby on demand and also sleep?! The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine recently released new evidence-based protocols around breastfeeding and infant sleep and sleeping within arms reach to your baby is best for you both (linked below).

It allows you both to return to sleep sooner and actually get more sleep overall. Arms reach could mean a bassinet in your room, a sidecar crib or safe sleep in your bed. The research shows that breastfeeding infants sleeping next to their mothers (in a side lying position in the absence of risk factors) ‘may be the safest strategy for maternal and infant wellbeing‘.

How do you set up for safe bed sharing?

Safe bedsharing literally means you’re sleeping on the same surface as your baby, usually your bed. There are many cultures throughout the world where this is the norm and for some families, it’s the only option because they don’t have multiple empty bedrooms in their home.

In order for your bed to be a safe space for your baby, you need to make a few changes including:

Having a firm mattress (your pillow top has to go) that doesn’t have any gaps around it (e.g. the gap between a bed and night table)
Removing pillows and extra blankets. The comforter should only cover you up to your waist so wear something up top that will keep you warm
Your baby needs to be exclusively breastfeed if you’re going to sleep together and they should be lying on their back if they are not nursing
You cannot be a smoker or consuming large amounts of alcohol or taking medications that will make you drowsy
Your baby should be lightly dressed to prevent overheating (a risk factors for SIDS)

La Leche League calls these the Safe Sleep 7

Nursing to sleep can be a superpower – don’t let anyone tell you it’s a bad habit

Nursing my first to sleep was my superpower. 99% of the time, I could nurse him before a nap or bedtime (or in the middle of the night) and he’d go to sleep. It made things easier

My second – not always. Sometimes I nurse him thinking “ok, great this is it. He’ll fall asleep now” only to have him stop and look at me and smile – and stay awake

But with my first, I used my superpower every chance I got, even when he was a toddler. Even when society told me not to. Even when some IG accounts told me otherwise. Even when I didn’t know anyone else nursing a baby. Even when I felt alone at the 3:30am feeding

I continued to use my superpower to nurse my baby to sleep because lactation is made to work this way

If nursing to sleep was a bad habit, your body wouldn’t adjust the hormones in your milk come night time.

The release of oxytocin wouldn’t make you both sleepy.

Prolactin levels wouldn’t increase at night to increase your production.

Your baby wouldn’t need to be 3 months before they were able to make melatonin and a circadian rhythm developed.

Human lactation would look very different if we weren’t meant to feed our babies to sleep and at night.

Don’t let anyone tell you nursing your baby to sleep is a bad habit (or a negative sleep association or a sleep prop or sleep crutch). If it’s working for YOU and YOU like it that way, then keep doing what’s working

ALL babies and toddlers stop breastfeeding to sleep at some point. I know it’s cliche for me to say but it’s factually true. For my oldest, he was 11 months. I would nurse him before nap and most often, he would still be awake. I weaned him completely around 17 months and it’s not a surprise that he was still able to fall asleep. We showed him love and connection in other ways.

My youngest at the time I’m writing this is 18 months and he nurses to sleep for his nap and bedtime. He’s able to fall asleep without nursing however and does so when he’s home with my husband and I’m not there. Supporting our children to sleep has always been important to us.

But what if it’s not working?

What if you feel like something is wrong or you’re having a really hard time trying to help your baby fall asleep all the time. What if they’re waking so often it’s making you feel like there are no other options?

There are people out there who want you to believe that leaving your baby to cry it out is the best way to support them. That somehow removing support is supporting. It doesn’t make any sense to me and we have research that tells us otherwise.

Our babies need to borrow our nervous systems to help themselves regulate. They co-regulate with us.

Our babies need to borrow our nervous systems to help themselves regulate. They co-regulate with us. So if you’re feeling like there could be some changes or improvements to your little one’s sleep and you’re not a fan of just leaving them to cry, I’d like to introduce you to Isla-Grace.

Sleep Without Sleep Training from Isla-Grace was created to help you navigate the challenges and frustrations around baby sleep in the first 18 months.

“There is so much information out there on parenting and sleep and it can be overwhelming. It can be hard to filter out all of the “should’s” and really follow your heart…we will walk you through 44 modules that cover everything you need to know about NORMAL INFANT sleep, common sleep challenges and how to navigate these, as well as making changes to the parts of your nighttime parenting routine that are no longer working. We will give you SCIENCE and FACT-BASED information to help you make your own decisions about what works best for your UNIQUE family.”
ISLA GRACE SLEEP

I support the approach that Isla-Grace has because it is evidenced based and designed to help you find the confidence that you need to follow your instincts and your heart to navigate your baby’s sleep, all without sleep training meaning you’re not ever leaving your baby to cry or taking away any connection, comfort or support from them.

GET SLEEP WITHOUT SLEEP TRAINING

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

References:

ABM Clinical Protocol #37: Physiological Infant Care—Managing Nighttime
Breastfeeding in Young Infants: https://abm.memberclicks.net/assets/DOCUMENTS/PROTOCOLS/Physiologic%20Infant%20Care%20Protocol%2037.pdf

Disclosure: The program link above is NOT an affiliate link. If you resonate with Isla-Grace and their approach to infant sleep and make the decision to invest in a course, I do NOT earn any money. I am sharing a resource I believe in from a holistic approach to postpartum, breastfeeding and motherhood.

How soon will my milk come in?

Updated July 30th 2025

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re pregnant and you’ve already heard some stories, from friends or family, about their milk coming in after birth. Some might have said it happened on day 3. Another might have shared it took almost a week. So what does it actually mean and why is there such a difference?

The thing is that your milk isn’t really “coming in”. It’s technically already there. It’s just that not many people realize this and too many people don’t get the help they need after birth to breastfeed.

Your body begins producing your baby’s first milk as early as 16 weeks during pregnancy! Yes, milk is already being made way ahead of your baby being born. But it’s normal if you don’t really notice because your body has a system in place that stops the milk from being made in large quantities or very quickly because baby isn’t here yet to feed.

This first milk is called colostrum. It’s often what people refer to as liquid gold because it can be a very deep yellow colour. But it’s also normal for colostrum to be a pale straw colour or even clear. This first milk is filled with antibodies to protect your newborn. Because this milk is made during pregnancy, it’s already there when your baby is born.

So why don’t some people see it or think it’s there? Well, there’s a lot if factors that impact this. The first is that it’s made in very small quantities. Your baby’s first feeding will only be about 5-7 mL total! That’s about one teaspoon! If you can imagine one teaspoon right now, it’s a very small amount. This is all your baby needs. Another reason is because this milk is very thick and sticky so it’s not exactly flowing. It takes effort to remove. When your baby is drinking, they may only swallow 4 or 5 times that first whole feeding so it’s very easy to feel like there isn’t milk or there’s not enough of iteven when there is.

Because colostrum is made during pregnancy, it’s there after you give birth. But because the volume is so low and it’s very thick, it takes a little while to begin to transition into thinner, faster flowing milk. This is what people will call “milk coming in”. It’s the change that happens turning colostrum (gradually) into mature milk. But it’s important to remember it’s a gradual change. And that you do have milk after birth.

Another factor is the types of interventions used during labour and birth. Things like IV fluids, a caesarean birth or separation after birth, can affect how quickly you see this milk start to increase in volume. This is why some moms experience a delay.

With my firstborn, I believe my milk volume increased (“came in”) around the end of day 3 maybe early morning day 4. This is pretty average for first time moms but now as a mom of two and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, I know there’s a common reason for this.

It’s because we’re not taught how to make it happen faster! With my second child, my milk started to increase (the colostrum started to transition) at the end of day 2. 48 hours instead of 72+ because I did something different.

My body had more milk making tissue because I already lactated once before but I made the effort to work with my body and make the transition happen sooner. I didn’t buy any specific supplements nor did I buy any device or gadget or tool to help it happen. I used hand expression. You can watch a video about how to do hand expression at the end of this post.

The reason most first time moms don’t know about this technique is because it’s often not covered in hospital prenatal classes and nurses and midwives aren’t talking about it early enough. Learning hand expression before your baby is born is the best time! It gives you time to practice to get comfortable with how to do it as well as get comfortable with your body.

Hand expression made a massive difference for me and it’s the key reason why my milk transitioned so much faster after the birth of my second child. This is why I teach all of my prenatal clients how to hand express. Because you should know how to do this before your baby is born to set you up for success.

The results below are from a first time mom who had a c-section birth. She used my method of hand expression and colostrum collection before birth as well as after birth and even with separation from her baby after birth was able to have her husband provide colostrum to their baby and have her milk transition sooner.

How to Hand Express & Collect Colostrum

If you found this helpful and want to help your milk come in sooner and get breastfeeding off to a strong start, I invite you to sign up for my free peaceful postpartum guide

You’ll get an amazing guide filled with ways you can support your physical recovery, make life easier, better understand your baby’s sleep and get breastfeeding off to a strong start

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE GUIDE

The Top 10 Must Have Baby Registry Items: planning to breastfeed edition

Updated November 23rd 2023

If putting your registry together has you overwhelmed, don’t worry! You’re in the right place. When I was putting together my baby registry for the first time, I had no idea what I needed to add. I relied entirely on google and random lists I found on the internet to help me figure out what I needed for my baby because it felt really overwhelming.

And to be honest with you, I ended up with several items that I didn’t ever use. There’s so much baby gear out there that you end up with registry items that you really don’t need. And on the flip side, there’s many that are invaluable that just don’t get included because the value of them isn’t seen right away.

But building your baby registry doesn’t have to be confusing. It doesn’t have to be overwhelming. It can be a streamlined process when you know what you’re looking for.

As a mother of three and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant I’m going to let you know the key items that you need to build your baby registry. While having cute onesies and burp cloths and the latest and greatest Tummy Time toys are helpful they’re not the best choice if you truly want to plan for your postpartum and create the breastfeeding relationship that you desire.

So the first item that you can add to your baby registry when you are planning to breastfeed is a baby carrier. Now this might sound a little unusual at first because why would you need a baby carrier to help you breastfeed but the reason behind this is because as humans we are carry mammals. Our babies are meant to be close to us. They are meant to be carried and be on our bodies for essentially that first year of their lives.

Having a carrier or something like a wrap or a ring sling in those early weeks when your baby is small can help facilitate breastfeeding. Your baby gets to spend more time on your body. You release oxytocin and this actually helps to foster the bonding experience and the breastfeeding relationship. Adding a baby carrier to your registry will actually be helpful for your breastfeeding relationship in the long run.

A breastfeeding pillow is something that could be helpful for your breastfeeding relationship but also may not be helpful. I still included it in this list because it’s important that you feel comfortable while you feed your baby and this means making sure that your back and shoulders and body is supported while you are nursing. Sometimes these traditional nursing pillows can be very helpful to get you through the learning curve of breastfeeding.

I use them in different ways in my private practice. I’ll use them behind my client’s head or behind her back instead of having them in front of her. Traditional nursing pillows can cause a lot of leaning over and bending down and being in uncomfortable positions. That ends up affecting how well your baby feeds and how well they latch. This is why it’s important to use them only to bring baby closer to your body and then recline if/when you can.

A nursing bra is a very helpful thing to have because it allows easy access to your breast when your baby need to feed. Having a nursing bra is something many new moms like to have. It’s normal for your breasts to leak for a few weeks after your baby is born sometimes even a few months after your baby is born and having a pad inside of a bra can help that situation.

Having a nursing bra is important because nursing bras are designed specifically for lactating breasts. When your body is making milk, your breasts weigh more. They are heavier. There’s more blood flow to them than when you are not breastfeeding and these bras are specifically designed to support the delicate tissue of the breast and not create restrictions. Having a nursing bra can be really helpful for your breastfeeding.

pregnant woman holding baby s shoes — Photo by Andre Furtado on Pexels.com

Breastfeeding is going to not only increase your hunger but also increase your thirst. This has to do with the release of oxytocin. This causes you to feel more thirsty. I would encourage you to add a reusable water bottle to your registry something that is stainless steel that is insulated that’s going to help keep your water cold. The second part of that would be to have some kind of drink mix rich in electrolytes. A mineral rich drink mix will help replete your body and provide the necessary minerals that your body needs postpartum to support your body’s healing and to support lactation.

Having a diaper caddy is another essential registry item but not for the reasons you think. This diaper caddy is for breastfeeding. In this caddy you can put the electrolyte drink mix and the water bottle. You can add clothes for your baby as well as diapers and cream if you need to change them without leaving to head to their room. There’s usually extra pockets where you could put the remote for the television or have a phone charger or earbuds. Having this diaper candy will ensure that you can stay where you are you can rest you can recover. It’s also a great place to put snacks like protein bars, energy balls, granola or trail mix because breastfeeding makes you hungry. Having this caddy allows you to nurse your baby and settle in for cluster feedings because you have everything that you need at the ready when you need it

Bottles are often added to registries especially for families in the US or elsewhere in the world that might have a short maternity leave. I know I added bottles to my registry and I never ended up bottle feeding my child so I didn’t end up using the bottles at all. If you are adding bottles to your registry because your feeding goals include bottle feeding, I would encourage you to add small bottles.

I would encourage 5 oz bottles because a breastfed baby does not need an 8 oz bottle. The average intake for a breastfed baby is about 2 to 4 oz of milk per feeding after they’ve reached 4 weeks of age so having an 8 oz bottle can actually make you feel like you’re not producing enough milk. Looking for a bottle that also has a gradual slope and looks very different than a human breast would be helpful as well. The bottles that are shaped like breasts at rest can promote a shallow latch and a shallow latch at breast is painful and often babies have a hard time drinking milk.

Another helpful item to include on your registry if your shower is happening before 36 weeks pregnant is colostrum collection syringes. These are oral capped syringes that you can use to collect colostrum after 36 weeks pregnant. This allows you to have extra milk hand for when your baby is born in case there is separation or in case your baby may need to be supplemented. This way you have your own milk and don’t have to necessarily intervene with formula supplementation right away.

person covering infant with swaddling blanket — Photo by Isaac Taylor on Pexels.com

The final item I think is a must have is prenatal education. This might seem unusual to add to a registry but you can take up a collection from your friends and family. You can let them know you want to work with a lactation consultant for a prenatal consultation or you want to take a prenatal breastfeeding class and ask your friends and family to help fund this for you. Create a lactation fund where your friends and family who would otherwise be buying something from your registry, could just donate the money that they would spend on the registry into this fund.

Believe it or not, breastfeeding can be hard. While it’s a natural way to feed a baby, it doesn’t come naturally for most. If you’re feeling like “I’ll breastfeed if I can” or “I’ll worry about it when the times comes” you can benefit the most from prenatal breastfeeding support. Either take a course outside the hospital or work one-to-one privately with a lactation consultant. Hospital courses tend to focus a lot on latch and positions which is GOOD and needed but not enough to set you up for success.

As someone who’s been there, it’s way less overwhelming to learn about feeding your baby BEFORE they get here rather than waiting until they’re in your arms. If you have a baby on the way and are ready to prepare for and learn about breastfeeding there’s two ways you can learn from me.

My FREE Peaceful Postpartum Guide. You’ll learn some very important ways to set yourself up to heal and have a successful start to breastfeeding

A private 1:1 prenatal breastfeeding session with me to ask me all the questions on your mind and learn about feeding your baby from a Lactation Consultant. This package includes access to my full online prenatal breastfeeding course AND 4 weeks of messaging support with me. We can also talk about registry items!

BOOK A PRENATAL CONSULTATION

Recap: Top 10 Baby Registry Items: Breastfeeding Edition

Baby carrier/wrap/ring sling
Breastfeeding Pillow
Nursing bra
Breast pads
Water bottle
Electrolytes/mineral mix
Diaper Caddy
5 oz bottles
Colostrum syringes
Prenatal class/Appointment with lactation consultant – ask family and friends to help fund this

There’s many other items that might be helpful to you but it depends on how you’re planning to feed your baby and how your journey ends up unfolding. Your breastfeeding relationship is unique to you and your baby.

Is it OK to drink alcohol while breastfeeding?

Updated November 22nd 2023

Whether you’re wanting a sip of champagne in the delivery room or trying to plan ahead for when you’re able to go out for a girls night, alcohol and breastfeeding can mix when you know the facts.

After the birth of my firstborn, a sip of ice cold beer hit the spot for me but that’s where I stopped. I wasn’t interested drinking anything (especially since my tolerance had dropped way down) until much later. I think I had my first glass of wine when my baby was about 2-3 months old and even then, it was half of what I would have drank pre pregnancy.

There are a lot of strong opinions on drinking alcohol while breastfeeding. You can find everything from “you’re irresponsible if you drink a drop” to “if you can find the baby you can feed the baby”. That second one makes me sick to my stomach. As you’ll find out below, alcohol does pass into your breastmilk and if you’re intoxicated, there’s no way you should be nursing your baby.

How can you tell if there’s alcohol in your breastmilk?

You don’t need to spend your money on the breastmilk test strips. It can be safely assumed that if you’ve had a drink and it’s been less than 2 hours, there’s a small % of alcohol in your breastmilk.

When you drink alcohol, the alcohol level of your breastmilk matches the alcohol level in your blood because breastmilk is made from your blood. Because of this, the general rule is if you’re sober enough to drive where you would be under the legal limit you’re sober enough to breastfeed.

Anne Eglash is an IBCLC who likes to say “if your brain is tipsy, so are your breasts”.

Only time and your liver will clear the alcohol from your system. This is why pumping and dumping doesn’t work. What pumping and dumping does do is protect your milk supply but it does not remove the alcohol from your milk.

How much alcohol can I safely have while breastfeeding?

This is going to be different for each person. For most women, 1-2 drinks at a time can safely be enjoyed. This means you do not have to worry about the glass of wine you enjoyed with dinner, provided it was around 4oz. The general rule for alcohol consumption is a 4oz glass of wine, 1 oz of hard liquor or 8 oz of beer.

Remember to also drink water as alcohol is dehydrating and preferably enjoy the alcohol with a nutrient dense meal.

And remember that you went 10 months or more without drinking so your tolerance for alcohol has gone way down. You might have a glass half of what you’re used to and find that it’s too much. If you’re going to resume having a drink, start slow.

How long after alcohol can you breastfeed?

Of course I had to include this one as it’s a question on the mind of every breastfeeding mom who’s thinking about having a drink.

I’ll start by saying, alcohol levels in your milk will peak about 30-60 minutes after your drink. No you do not need to pump and dump. If you pump and dump, this will support your milk supply but it will not remove the alcohol from your milk.

If you’ve had a drink, or are planning to soon, there’s a few things to keep in mind.

If you are not sober, you should have someone else care for your baby. It’s dangerous to care for an infant while intoxicated.
You may also want to wait until you are sober to breastfeed. This could be several hours, if you find your breasts starting to feel very full, I would pump and discard that milk (since you were intoxicated) or freeze it clearly labelled for a milk bath and not consumption

Helpful info:

If you’ve only had 1-2 drinks and you are feeding your baby, you may find your breasts feel very full. This could actually be due to reduced transfer of milk (baby is drinking less)
The feeling of full breasts after drinking alcohol is because the baby is inefficiently transferring milk because it’s been found that alcohol blocks the release of oxytocin which is the hormone responsible for milk let down so it’s not that it’s increasing your supply but rather your baby is drinking less
Hand express after your baby feeds to ensure the breast is empty and offer your baby the breast frequently after you’re done drinking

What are the risks of alcohol while breastfeeding?

Because oxytocin is inhibited when alcohol is consumed, if you were to drink in excessive amounts, you could possibly end up with decreased milk production. The CDC reports that “excessive alcohol consumption could also affect the infant’s sleep patterns and early development”. And the obvious one I’ve mentioned is that if you’re drunk, it’s going to affect how you can care for your baby.

How much you choose to drink is a personal decision. Whether or not you have food with your drink, how quickly you drink your drink, how much you weigh, and how your body metabolizes alcohol will all affect how much is in your milk and for how long.

Here’s a link to a “Time to Zero” calculator from the Infant Risk Centre in Texas. This will help you determine how long it may take your body to eliminate the alcohol completely based off your body weight.

In summary, having a drink or two while breastfeeding is a personal decision. It’s a decision only you can make when you have all the information you need to feel informed enough.

References:

Alcohol and breastfeeding. (2023, April 18). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/breastfeeding-special-circumstances/vaccinations-medications-drugs/alcohol.html

Alcohol, Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK501469/ (Accessed 1//22/2023)

Alcohol & Breastfeeding: What’s your time-to-zero? InfantRisk. (n.d.). https://infantrisk.com/content/alcohol-breastfeeding-whats-your-time-zero

Hetzel Campbell, S., Lauwers, J., Mannel, R., & Spencer, B. (2019). Core curriculum for interdisciplinary lactation care. Jones & Bartlett Learning

Newman, J., & Pitman, T. (2014). Dr. Jack Newman’s guide to breastfeeding. Harper Collins Publishers Ltd.

Letdown Reflex: why do I feel tingling when my baby nurses?

Updated August 12th 2023

Have you ever felt a tingling sensation in your breast while your baby is feeding or you are pumping? This sensation begins a few seconds after your nipples are stimulated and you feel it within the breast. You might wonder what’s going on, why you’re feeling it and why it’s happening at every single feeding.

This “pins and needles” feeling is your letdown reflex. The letdown reflex happens when your milk starts flowing. Many describe it as a tingling sensation, feeling similar to “pins and needles” like when your arm falls asleep or feeling a warmth in your breast. It is triggered by the hormone oxytocin. Oxytocin is also called the “love hormone”. This hormones is not only responsible for your letdown but also fosters bonding and reduces the size of your uterus after birth.

photo of a beautiful mother breastfeeding her baby — Photo by MART PRODUCTION on Pexels.com

Oxytocin is released when your baby suckles at breast or when your pump turns on and the suction starts. It’s also triggered when you hear your baby cry or look at pictures of your baby (the reason you can let-down without your baby being on your breast!). It’s also released during orgasm so not uncommon to spray some milk then too.

Oxytocin causes the muscles around the milk sacs inside the breast to squeeze (contract) which effectively pushes out (ejects) the milk from the nipple. This can create a tingling sensation. Your letdown reflex is also known as the Milk Ejection Reflex.

When this happens, your baby isn’t actually sucking the milk out but rather working with your body and your let-down to remove the milk. They do this by creating a vacuum inside their mouth to effectively remove the milk as your body is helping by pushing it out. When there are challenges with latching, this can affect their ability to create a vacuum and effectively empty the breast. If you’re not sure if your baby’s latch is optimal, check out this post I wrote about 4 Signs Your Baby’s Latch Might Not Be Ideal.

Some have described feeling a warming sensation when letdown happens and some have described never feeling it and for some it’s painful or uncomfortable. Some women feel only one letdown during a feeding while often more than one happens.

What if you don’t feel your letdown?

This is completely normal as not everyone feels it. Your milk is still likely flowing and the best way to determine this if your baby is nursing is to watch them while they feed. Watch your baby for swallowing.

To watch your baby for swallowing, you want to be looking at their jawline from their chin up to their ears. When your baby swallows milk, you will see their chin drop down (lower than when they are sucking) and pause for a brief moment. This pause is a swallow. Depending how old your baby is, you may also be able to hear your baby swallowing. Hearing them swallow sounds like a soft “kah” sound.

What if my let-down hurts?

If you’re feeling pain with a let-down you first want to rule out any underlying issues with a lactation consultant (IBCLC).

Things that can block oxytocin can impact let-down

There are several factors that can interfere with oxytocin and therefore your milk letdown. This may translate into challenges with pumping or nursing. Pain, anxiety, fear, stress and fatigue can block and interfere with oxytocin. This is why it’s important to feel comfortable, relaxed and pain free while nursing or pumping.

Do you need to find a different room to nurse or pump in to feel more comfortable? Are you experiencing pain with latching or pumping? Are you worried about how much milk you’re producing? All of these can impact your body’s ability to let the milk flow.

How you can support having a letdown

If you’re pumping and you don’t start to see the milk flowing or you’re nursing your baby and you’re noticing they are frustrated or not swallowing, connect with a lactation consultant to help you rule out something else that might be going on.

If it’s related to your milk not letting down due to anxiety, pain or stress blocking oxytocin, you can try a few of the following techniques:

Find the root cause of the pain and address it with a lactation consultant
Hand express or massage your breasts before baby latches to encourage a let down
Back rubs stimulate nerves that serve the breasts (central part of the spine), these too can help so ask your partner for some support on this one or find a Registered Massage Therapist trained to support those who are lactating
Increase skin to skin holding time with your baby and relax together for at least 30 minutes everyday
Take a warm bath/feed in the bathtub (if you have one) or pump after having a relaxing bath
I also like suggesting a version of the box breathing technique to my clients. Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 4 and exhale for 6. You can do this anytime during the day where you’re feeling overwhelmed
Laugh – watch a funny show or listen to a funny podcast. Laughter will help the oxytocin flow

mother using phone while breastfeeding her child — Photo by William Fortunato on Pexels.com

Intense negative feelings with let-down

There are people who experience a wave of intense negative emotions when their milk begins to flow. This is known as dysphoric milk ejection reflex or D-MER. The feelings can range from sadness, despair, homesick, anger, irritability, anxiousness or a hollow feeling in the stomach. These feelings are often experienced in the 30-90 seconds before the milk begins to flow.

D-MER can be experienced at breast feedings or when pumping. Those with D-MER feel fine prior to let-down and fine after the let-down.

To learn more about D-MER and how to manage it (as well as find helpful resources) visit https://d-mer.org/understanding-d-mer

Your let-down reflex can also change overtime. It may start off feeling more intense on those early newborn weeks and become much less noticeable as the months go on. Everyone’s experience is different.

If you’re feeling like you need some support around feeding your baby, you can click here to view my services and work with me.

Explore My Services

References:

(2023). Understanding Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex. D-Mer.org. Retrieved August 12, 2023, from https://d-mer.org/understanding-d-mer

Understanding Breast Changes During Pregnancy: What’s Normal and What to Expect

Updated March 21st 2025

Pregnancy is an exciting journey that brings about many changes in your body. If you’ve noticed changes in your breasts and are wondering if they’re normal, you’re in the right place. Breast changes are a common occurrence during pregnancy and are often one of the first signs of this incredible journey. Let’s explore what’s normal and what to expect when it comes to changes in your breasts during pregnancy.

Tenderness and Sensitivity: Experiencing the Hormonal Shifts

One of the initial changes you may experience in your breasts is tenderness and sensitivity. This sensitivity, especially on your nipples, can become quite noticeable early on in your pregnancy. These changes are primarily influenced by the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which start to increase in your body as you grow your baby and placenta.

You may find that this tenderness and sensitivity persists throughout your pregnancy, although it may fluctuate in intensity. Sometimes you’ll feel the sensitivity when you’re getting dressed and for others, it shows up more as you get into and out of the shower due to the temperature changes and pressure of the water. Rest assured, these sensations are entirely normal and expected!

Size and Shape: Preparing for Motherhood

Another common change you’ll notice is a physical increase in the size and shape of your breasts. It’s completely normal for your breasts to become larger during pregnancy. This change occurs as your body prepares to nourish and feed your baby. The average change in size is going up 1 cup size though many people experience a much more significant change in size.

Around 16-18 weeks is when the network of milk ducts grows and your body begins to produce your baby’s first milk, called colostrum. This rapid growth of milk making tissue can also lead to some of the sensitivity you’re experiencing.

If you don’t notice much of an increase in breast size throughout your pregnancy, this isn’t something to necessarily worry about right away especially if you’re experiencing some of these other changes. For some, the growth happens much later in pregnancy. If you do have any concerns, do bring them up with your Midwife/OB/Lactation Consultant.

Areola Changes: Guiding Your Newborn

Alongside the increase in size, you’ll notice changes in your areola—the darker-colored skin surrounding your nipple. The areola becomes much darker in color during pregnancy, serving a purpose: helping your newborn locate the breast. Since newborns have limited eyesight and can only see a short distance, your body prepares for feeding by darkening the areola. This color change helps your baby find the breast, ensuring they can access their nourishment easily.

Montgomery Glands: Nature’s Lubrication System

One potentially surprising change during pregnancy is the appearance of small bumps on the areola. While these bumps may not have been noticeable before, they might become more prominent or even appear for the first time during pregnancy. These bumps are known as Montgomery glands and serve a crucial purpose. They secrete a substance that lubricates your nipple once your baby is born. The secretion has a scent similar to amniotic fluid, further aiding your baby in finding nourishment. While these glands may undergo further changes after your baby’s birth, their appearance or enlargement during pregnancy is totally normal.

Visible Veins: Increased Blood Volume

As your pregnancy progresses, you may observe more visible veins across your chest and breasts. This increased visibility is a result of your expanding blood volume. When you’re pregnant, your body experiences a significant increase in blood volume, rising by almost half to support your growing baby and changing body. While the sight of these veins may be new and surprising, they are positive signs that your body is preparing to nourish your baby.

Leaking Colostrum: Your Baby’s First Milk

Around 16 to 18 weeks into your pregnancy, you may notice your breasts leaking a substance known as colostrum. This thick and sticky fluid is your baby’s first milk. While the leakage may seem unusual, it’s perfectly normal and indicates that your body is producing this essential milk well ahead of your baby’s arrival.

Colostrum is produced in small amounts since newborns require only a small volume of milk in their first 24 hours. Some individuals may notice dried crusts of colostrum on their nipples or in their bras, which is nothing to be concerned about. However, if you don’t experience leakage, that’s also perfectly normal and doesn’t indicate any issues with milk production.

After your baby and placenta are born, your body gets the hormonal signal to ‘turn on’ an increase in milk production and the volume will slowly begin to increase over the next few days following your baby’s birth provided they are nursing often.

Signs Requiring Attention: Possible Red Flags

While most breast changes during pregnancy are expected there are some other signs to watch out for and then get in touch with your primary care provider (OB or Midwife) as well as a lactation consultant if you see them happening.

If you’re feeling any new lumps or bumps it’s something to bring up with your care provider. If your breasts are feeling very tender or swollen or tight that is also something to bring up with your care provider and may also be helpful to also see a lactation consultant. If you see any changes in the texture or colour of your skin (any changes in the color other than the areola) these would all be scenarios to bring up with your primary care provider and then bring on the support of an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant.

Also, if you’re not really noticing any of much of the above signs, it may be helpful to see an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant while you’re still pregnant. We can talk about your health history and any previous experiences that may impact your body’s ability to produce milk such as breast or chest surgeries. We can also go over your plans and goals for feeding your baby. If you’d like to book a prenatal consultation or learn more about working with me during pregnancy, you can click here.

Planning your post birth supply list? My Peaceful Postpartum Guide lays out what you need after birth for your recovery as well as how to set yourself up for breastfeeding success and transition into postpartum with more ease

Get The FREE Guide Here

Alex Wachelka is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, mother of two, educator, writer and podcast host. She works with families locally and across the globe to help them feed their babies.

Advice for Transitioning from 1 to 2 kids

May 29th 2023

I always knew I’d have kids someday. It wasn’t a burning desire but I knew I wanted to have a family and I knew it meant one than more child.

I have two younger sisters so maybe that’s why I wanted more than one. My sisters and I are all quite close in age with just about two years between each of us. I felt I wanted the same for my family.

When the time came to think about a second child, and to have that child be as close in age as my sister, it meant conceiving when my first was about one year old.

That thought alone was entirely overwhelming. Here I was with an infant who literally just became a toddler. Wearing a diaper just learning how to walk and I was supposed to go through another pregnancy while parenting this little child?

Needles to say, we did not plan our second baby at that time but rather waited an entire year and conceived him just before our first turned two years old. This was perfect timing for our family but I was facing a huge transition, moving from caring for and parenting one child to two.

I’m not sure anyone is really prepared for children. Yes you can plan ahead and learn about labour and birth and breastfeeding and everything to expect in that first year but it’s entirely different when you’re living it.

I knew what to expect after having one child but what I didn’t know was what to expect with two. Would my first child be jealous of my second? Would he be upset at the fact that my newborn would need me 24/7and his time with mama was now split?

I also wondered how I would be able to give myself to two children. What would this mean for my relationship with my husband? Life was already so busy with one baby, how would we have time for each other with two? Needless to say, I had a lot of internal questions.

The physical preparation

As my pregnancy progressed and once I had a noticeable belly, we told our toddler he was going to be a big brother. At age two I don’t think he quite understood but as that year progresses he understood mama had a baby in her belly and that baby was going to be a part of our family.

We talked about how’s mamas body would make milk for the baby and how mama would spend a lot of time feeding the baby. We told him how new baby’s eat often and mostly do a lot of sleeping and pooping.

We had him be as involved as possible when it’s came to setting things up for the baby. This meant transitioning him to a single bed and moving the crib into mama’s room for the baby. He did really well with all of it. I was more emotional than he was.

The day our toddler met the baby

When the day came and our second baby boy was born, our toddler wasn’t actually part of the birth. I chose a home birth but made the decision after labour started to have my toddler be with family.

He came home just a few hours after our birth team left and came into the bedroom to meet me and our littlest addition. I highly recommend filming your older child’s reaction. It was precious. He instantly loved his baby brother.

Navigating life with two children

Everyday we would have our toddler be a part of the new baby’s life whether he joined me in the bedroom for a diaper change or watched his baby brother have his first bath. I spent a lot of time talking to him, asking him how he was feeling and having him talk to his brother.

We quickly discovered he liked to sing to his brother as well as talk to him and tell him that he was his older brother. He never demonstrated any jealousy towards the baby and I’d like to think us helping to prepare him had some influence on that.

As I write this they are now just over 3 years old and almost 11 months old and it’s heart bursting to watch the two of them together. Little brother loves watching his big brother and when his big brother jumps up and down, he gets the cutest giggles. The baby can also cruise around and take a few steps so they love chasing and playing with one another.

There have been a lot of ups and downs these past 11 months. Whenever someone would ask me “so how’s it with two?” my response was honest and usually something like “it’s crazy some days but it’s been easier than I thought. The transition from 1-2 was easier for me than 0-1”. Going from zero children to having my first, rocked my world more than adding a second and I believe it’s because I had been through it once before.

So after having two children for the past 11 months, here’s a few pieces of advice I can share if you’re planning or already pregnant with your second.

Give yourself some grace. You will feel like you’re failing your oldest at times. When they ask you to play and you’re nursing the baby or they ask you to come to help put them to bed but you’re nursing the baby it will hurt your heart but you are the best mom for these children and will figure out a balance.
Lower your expectations of what you can accomplish. And then maybe lower them once more. Seriously. At least for the first few months.
Meal prep ahead of time (in the 3rd trimester) including foods your toddler/older child will eat. If you have a husband or partner that’s not kitchen savvy, write the cooking directions on the freezer packages.
Arrange for help wherever possible especially if your child isn’t in daycare and if you have a dog that needs walking or another house pet that needs care.
Don’t worry too much if your older child’s screen time goes up. You’re not a bad mom. You can create a special play basket of toys/games/activities your toddler gets when the baby is nursing.
Spend time with your oldest before your baby arrives. Day trips with both parents or 1:1 time with each parent, or just you if you’re a single parent.
Talk about the baby and tell your older child what to expect in terms of feeding and sleeping and the baby’s needs
Sometimes dinner will be take out and that’s ok
Don’t shy away from feeding your baby in front of your toddler. My son knows the baby drinks milk from mama and that sometimes I have to pump the milk for baby. He knows breastmilk is for babies and boobies feed babies.
If you breastfed your first or wanted to but had a struggling time, plan ahead for baby number two. Taking a prenatal breastfeeding course will not only remind you of what newborns eating and sleeping patterns are like but it will help you feel more confident and prepared. I have a free 5 day mini e-course you can sign up for here that will be sent straight to your inbox and help set you up for more breastfeeding ease.

Overall, it’s been a wonderfully amazing, joyful, messy, exhausting, overwhelming, love filled adventure adding a second child to our family.

Overtime, you’ll find your groove and before you know it, you’ll have a hard time remembering what life was like before your newest addition joined the family.

Can I still breastfeed if I’m Sick?

Updated February 3rd 2025

Every year around cold and flu season, I get questions about breastfeeding while sick. Moms will ask me what they can take for their cold while breastfeeding that won’t affect their milk supply or how to keep up their milk supply while they’re feeling so run down. So I’m going to share with you a few things I do personally when I have a cold and I’m breastfeeding.

What do I do?

Nurse (or pump) on demand or whatever your usual schedule/pattern is
Rest
Hydration, supplements and nutrition

Keep Nursing or Pumping

Try your best to continue nursing your baby on demand or following your current pumping schedule

This will keep supporting your milk supply

If your baby has caught your cold… continue nursing or bottle feeding whenever they cue because they’re likely having difficulty breathing. This may also mean lots of night time nursing and lots of “breaks” while feeding because babies need to be able to take a breath through their nose.

Breastmilk is alive and it’s filled with even more immune factors to support my baby through the cold. If you’re ever pumping/hand expressing while sick and it’s not milk your baby needs right away (meaning it’s going in the freezer) label the bag with ‘sick’ and use it for the next time!

REST when you can

I find this one to be the most difficult especially having more than one kid but resting will only help you recover faster.

When I’ve been sick, I ask for help whether that was from my husband or my mom to spend some time with our older kids so I could prioritize resting/sleeping as needed. The laundry, dishes and housework went to the wayside for a few days.

Hydration & Supplements:

I make sure I’m not just drinking water but also consuming minerals (electrolytes) to hydrate myself

I love adding a pinch of pink salt and lemon to water. I also make soup or bone broth, enjoy collagen hot chocolate, and tea.

I also take daily supplements prescribed by my ND but it includes vitamin C (safe for breastfeeding just watch out for how much your taking. At really high doses, your baby may end up with diarrhea)

When I’m sick I also take Echinacea because it is considered safe while breastfeeding and doesn’t run the risk of reducing supply like some of the over counter cold medicines do

And if that just surprised you – over the counter cold medicines with a decongestant in them run the risk of dropping your milk supply. In a situation like that, you can try a saline nose spray instead.

I’ve linked a resource at the bottom of this post you can use to check the safety of medications while breastfeeding.

Eat Enough Food

Make sure you’re eating! Which can be tricky when you’re sick because you can lose your appetite but your body needs the food

Adding things like soups, protein smoothies, oatmeal, muffins – easy to make and easy on the stomach – can help you continue to eat enough calories which will be important for your recovery and your milk supply.

Drinking bone broth will provide your body with essential minerals to help you recover and adding calorie dense foods like nuts and seeds will help protect your supply by giving your body enough calories.

Breastfeeding Safe Medications

If you’re wondering what cold medicines are safe to take while breastfeeding check out e-lactancia.org It’s a very user friendly website where you can look up different medications, substances, herbs and vitamins and find out if they’re safe for breastfeeding or not.

You can also use InfantRisk.com as a great resource to find out if medications are safe and if they’ll reduce your milk supply or not (as some decongestants will do this to some people).

Alex Wachelka

Alex Wachelka is a women’s wellness practitioner specializing in pregnancy and postpartum care. She offers personalized nutrition and lactation support for moms, guiding them through breastfeeding challenges and helping them feel more confident in their pregnancy and postpartum nutrition. Her approach is rooted in understanding, compassion, and practical advice tailored to each mom’s unique needs. Whether you’re navigating the early days of motherhood or looking to optimize your nutrition, she’s here to support you.

Breastmilk: how many ounces should my baby drink

and how do I know if it’s enough?

Updated December 23rd 2025

Are you constantly wondering if your baby is drinking enough breastmilk? Do you find yourself on Google trying to figure out how much they should be eating? If you are, you’re not alone! I am frequently asked about this subject especially from first time breastfeeding moms. I know you just want to make sure your baby is getting enough so let’s take a closer look.

This a common worry among those nursing because you can’t see the milk going into your baby. So there are things you want to be looking for and paying attention to when your baby is nursing. They include how your baby is feeding and whether or not they are swallowing milk, what their demeanour is after feeding, how many diapers they are producing in 24 hours and their weight gain. Taking notes of these things will help you determine if your baby is getting enough milk.

1. Looking and listening for swallowing

When a baby is taking in milk, they have to swallow it. 4-5 swallows per feeding of colostrum is what we’re looking for. When milk transitions, and the volume goes up, we’re looking for a 1:1 ratio of suck:swallow after let-down (the flow of milk) has started.

But what are you actually looking for? When a baby swallows milk, you will see their jaw drop slightly lower and pause momentarily. You can also have a look at your baby’s ears or the side of their face as you may notice the bottom of the ears move when the jaw drops down. This is a swallow. You can also listen for a swallow. A baby’s swallow sounds like a soft “kah” sound.

2. Generally content after feeding

Your baby should be alert prior to feeding and generally more sleepy and content after a feeding. Every baby is different and not all babies experience a milk coma right after feeding which is why we pay attention to their behaviour. If they are no longer showing those early hunger cues and seem relaxed, you can take it as a sign that they are content after the feeding. Many babies will also have their hands in fists prior to feeding and then relax to a more open hand afterwards. Sometimes their arms get really floppy after feedings too. This is just another sign they are full and relaxed after a feeding.

3. Diaper output is age appropriate

Newborns produce a lot of wet and dirty diapers. During the first week, we look for 1 wet and 1 dirty diaper for each day of life. On day 1, or within the first 24 hours we are looking for 1 wet diaper and 1 dirty diaper. Baby’s first poop is called meconium and is very dark, sticky and tarry. After this, on day 2, we are looking for 2 wet diapers and 2 dirty diapers. The poop will still be dark but may resemble a darker green than brown. As the days progress, by day 5 your baby’s poop should have transitioned to a mustard yellow in colour and you should be seeing 5+ wet diapers and 3-4 yellow dirty diapers. If there’s so many that you’ve lost track, chances are your baby’s diaper output is appropriate.

It’s always important to track during that first week because it’s a question all lactation consultants will have for you. The first couple of poops your baby has should be about the size of a toonie (if you’re Canadian) or larger.

4. Your baby is gaining weight

This is a clear sign that milk intake is enough. What is most important though is that your baby is sticking to their own growth curve. The growth percentiles are not report cards. A baby in the 50th percentile is not doing poorly nor is a baby in the 95th doing better than others. This is just simply comparing their size and weight to other babies of that age. Humans are different sizes. It’s normal! We’re not all supposed to be the same size so the same goes for babies.

Your doctor/pediatrician should be using the World Health Organization (WHO) growth velocity charts and not the CDC charts. These charts take into account infant growth and development from all over the world and use the growth of a breastfed baby as the norm.

If you can see or hear your baby swallowing for a few minutes each feed, they seem content afterwards and are producing lots of wet and dirty diapers while gaining weight, your baby is getting enough milk.

But how many ounces should they drink?

If you’re doing any pumping at all (even if you’re not) you may still have this question. This is something that’s going to be different for each and every baby, though there are averages. After 1 month, breastfed babies consume an average of 24-32 oz in 24 hours. Some babies needs less than this, some need a little more and many fall right within this range. Prior to one month, they are eating less.

For a baby eating 8-10x per day this averages to about 3-4 oz (90-120mL) per feeding. Now, some feeds they may only take 2.5oz (70ML) and some feeds could be up to 5 oz (150mL).

This volume doesn’t change in the first 6 months! Whatever you produce after the first month (assuming you’re exclusively breastfeeding and not experiencing low supply or over supply) will be what you continue to produce*

The reason for this is quite cool (but I’m an IBCLC so think human lactation is really interesting). Your body changes your milk to meet your baby’s needs! This is how a 2 month old and 5 month old still only need about the same amount of milk in a 24 hour period.

Yes, even if you exclusively pump your body will still be changing the antibodies and make other adjustments to your milk because you and your baby are sharing the same environment.

So what about after 6 months?

I said that the volume of milk a breastfed baby will consume in 24 hours stays the same for the first 6 months. This is because around 6 months, solid foods are introduced. These foods are complimenting what your baby is getting in milk so the volume of milk stays about the same and their increase nutritional needs are being met by the small volume of solids.

Your baby’s milk intake will remain fairly constant for a few months before it gradually starts to decline as they consume more solids. When solid foods are introduced, breastmilk remains their primary source of nutrition. It’s not until they’re about 12 months old that solids will make up most of their daily intake of calories and nutrients. Many toddlers (12+months) may still consume 12-19oz of breastmilk daily in addition to their solid foods (meals and snacks) as well as water.

*If you are having challenges and are not producing enough (supplementing with donor milk or formula) you may be able to increase your supply depending on the underlying cause. An IBCLC can help you with this.

Motherhood has its challenges and breastfeeding can bring more of its own challenges.

But breastfeeding isn’t all or nothing. No ones breastfeeding journey is exactly the same as another but all mothers share in their love of their babies. You don’t have to navigate this journey alone. We are in this together.

If any of this has you worrying about your milk supply, connect with an IBCLC for a full assessment. You deserve expert lactation support.

References:

Bonyata, K. (2018 January 15). Hunger cues: when do I feed my baby? Kellymom.com. https://kellymom.com/bf/normal/hunger-cues/

Hetzel Campbell, S., Lauwers, J., Mannel, R., & Spencer, B. (2019). Core curriculum for interdisciplinary lactation care. Jones & Bartlett Learning

Newman, J., & Pitman, T. (2014). Dr. Jack Newman’s guide to breastfeeding. Harper Collins Publishers Ltd.

Wilson-Clay, B., & Hoover, K. (2017). The breastfeeding atlas (6th ed.). Manchaca, Tex.: LactNews Press.

What is an IBCLC?

And how does it differ from other lactation consultants?

Updated September 3rd 2024

When you’re expecting a baby, you might have people tell you about lactation consultants and how they are people who can help you breastfeed. Or, you might not discover this kind of support until after you give birth if you didn’t plan for feeding ahead of time.

Some people assume the nurses in the hospital are lactation consultants. Some people assume La Leche League leaders are lactation consultants. Both of those assumptions could be correct given the fact that anyone can use the term Lactation Consultant. It’s not a protected title. It’s not one that requires a specific skill set or education. Essentially, anyone after completing a short course or breastfeeding their own babies could call themselves a “lactation consultant” which can be a dangerous thing. Most people who use that term to describe what they do however, have some kind of education or experience in lactation.

Clinically difficult circumstances call for the support of an IBCLC. For example, weighing a baby before and after feeding to determine how much milk was transferred is out of scope for someone other than an IBCLC. If someone sees you for an in home visit and has a scale with them for weighted feeds, they need to be an IBCLC.

What is an IBCLC?

An IBCLC is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. They are a healthcare professional that specializes in human lactation and human milk feeding which includes breastfeeding/chestfeeding/body feeding/bottle feeding and infant supplementation with human milk or formula milk. They hold the highest credential possible in lactation care. It is the gold standard because it is a globally recognized certification. IBCLCs have met a set of very specific requirements and passed an internationally administered board exam (more on this below).

IBCLCs can work in hospitals, clinics/medical offices and some go into business for themselves and open a private practice. Some IBCLCs are also nurses or doctors but it’s not a requirement to become an IBCLC.

How do you become an IBCLC?

Becoming an IBCLC requires years of work. It’s requires 14 specific health and science courses, a minimum of 95 hours of specific lactation education, Basic Life Support Certification and hundreds if not thousands of clinical hours (hands on experience) working with and supporting breastfeeding and human milk feeding families before you’re even eligible to apply for the board exam (you can learn more about this below). So while it’s a certification, there is still a globally administered board exam that needs to be passed and it’s issued by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE).

This board also holds everyone who is certified to practice within a Scope of Practice and act according to Code of Professional Conduct.

After someone is certified, they have to re-certify every 5 years proving they’ve continued supporting families as well as continued learning by earning a minimum of 75 continuing education credits. We also have to keep our Basic Life Support up to date.

What does an IBCLC do?

An IBCLC goes far beyond just helping you get a good latch. In addition to helping you and your baby get a comfortable latch, myself and other IBCLCs can also:

Teach you how to increase your pump output
Teach you what to look for to know your baby is getting enough milk
Help you with bottle feeding
Help you through a nursing strike
Teach you how to support your teething baby
Help you heal nipple damage (or prevent it from happening in the first place)
Help you suppress your lactation if you don’t want to lactate
Help you induce lactation if you want to co-nurse, nurse an adopted or surrogate baby
Help you end your feeding relationship and wean
Help you navigate medications and breastfeeding
Help you nurse your multiples
Teach you how to assemble your pumps
Teach you about proper pump cleaning and sanitizing
Teach you individually about safe formula preparation
Teach you how to introduce solids to your little one
And more!

IBCLCs are certified infant feeding experts who promote, protect and support breastfeeding. We can also be your sounding board, a trusted member of your healthcare team, your advocate and help you advocate for yourself and support you every step of the way to reach your goals for feeding your baby.

What about other certifications?

The only globally recognized certification is an IBCLC. There are many other forms of lactation certifications out there. Several types of certified educators and counsellors, each with their own scope of practice. The widest scope of practice, supporting you with the most challenging situations is the IBCLC.

Some people complete these other certifications as a stepping stone to becoming an IBCLC. The lactation education that happens within these certifications helps to fulfill the lactation education hours required to write the IBLCE board exam.

Used with permission from Victoria Munro, RMT, IBCLC

In summary, an IBCLC is a specialized healthcare professional dedicated to promoting, protecting and supporting breastfeeding and helping you reach your infant feeding goals.

You can have a closer look at the resource below which is IBLCE.org, the best place to begin if you’d like to learn more about becoming an IBCLC yourself.

If you’re curious about working with an IBCLC you can search this database to find one globally as well as this database to find one in Canada. You can also click the “work with me” tab and book a consultation with me.

To learn more about the specific steps and necessary requirements, check out IBCLE.org website below:

Start Your IBCLC Journey

Alex Wachelka is a member of the Canadian Lactation Consultants Association.

Listen to the Lactation Land Podcast

Updates & Exciting Announcement for 2025 – Lactation Land Podcast

I have an exciting announcement to share as there are some changes and something brand new coming to Motherhood Blooms Lactation in 2025! In this episode I'm covering: Why I'm taking a mini break from the podcast How I can help you on your breastfeeding journey A BRAND NEW offer for 2025 Thank you so much for being here! Enjoyed the episode? Screenshot the episode and share on social media: ⁠⁠@motherhoodbloomslactation⁠⁠ Join my free weekly email list with even more tips and support for breastfeeding ⁠⁠HERE.⁠⁠ Additional resources: ⁠My Youtube Channel⁠ My Blog My Courses http://www.motherhoodbloomslactation.com