Nurture Lactation

Life as a mom is all about balance. In the past three years, as Nurture has grown, it has become more difficult to step away and protect family time and REST when I need to. For this reason, we will be closing for the month of December!

It is with extra gratitude this season that I can step away knowing you all will be well taken care of by awesome lactation professionals in the area …

In the meantime, if you are an established patient, reach out with non-urgent issues through the portal or email. For urgent issues, call your (or your baby’s) P*P or seek emergency care!

May we all find rest and restoration in this busy season! See you Jan 1!

Jeanette is a new IBCLC to join our group this fall! She is the warm voice on the phone, your cheerleader 📣 at visits, and mom super ⭐️( ) with so much knowledge to share!

Here’s a bit of her story …

“I discovered my life’s calling in my mid-thirties after enduring both heartbreaking and beautiful feeding journeys. My path to parenthood began with infertility struggles due to PCOS and an early miscarriage. In December 2017, my daughter, Ellie, was born at 25 weeks weighing 1 lb. 10 oz. At once, I became an exclusive pumper, but high levels of stress led to repeated mastitis and low pump output. We endured many challenges during her months long NICU stay. My feeding journey with Ellie caused the deepest despair, but also made me stronger and more determined than ever.”

Need lactation or infant feeding help? Go to the link in bio and click “BOOK NOW”!

Wondering how much caffeine gets in your breastmilk?

For most families, moderate caffeine intake of 300mg or less has not been associated with adverse outcomes. A very small amount of caffeine (approximately 1% of the maternal dose) does transfer into breastmilk. While it is generally well tolerated by baby, each family should monitor their infant for unfavorable side effects such as sleep disturbances, fussiness, and/or jitteriness.

Keep in mind that the caffeine recommendation includes all caffeine sources in your diet: coffee, tea, chocolate, energy drinks, etc. If your infant is premature or has a medical condition that makes them high risk, consult with their medical team before consuming coffee.

As always, feel free to reach out to the Nurture Lactation team if you have any questions about breastfeeding that we can help you with, and be sure to say hello if you happen to bump into one of us at one of our favorite coffee shops!

Hmmm…seems like a good morning for a coffee giveaway! (Check our stories!)

Open Milk Drop Hours! 🍂🍁🍂🍁
MONDAYs 10am-2pm

If you have a donor number from , feel free to drop by anytime during those hours and we’ll be ready and waiting for your 🍼.

Interested in learning more? Visit donate milk.org

Managing stress is an important (and hard!) part of the postpartum experience. Having a newborn is one of the most stressful changes a family can go through!

Unfortunately, prolonged & high levels of stress have been shown to cause less favorable outcomes for milk supply. Stress inhibits the release of oxytocin, which is the hormone that causes milk to be released into the ducts. There have also been studies that show that the stress hormone cortisol can pass into human milk and cause babies to be fussier.

Overall, stress has been associated with reduced milk supply, changes in milk composition, and inability to meet breastfeeding goals. Mindfulness practices can be a very helpful tool to reduce stress levels and manage discomfort you may feel when starting to breastfeed.

One of our IBCLC’s on staff, Jeanette, is a mindfulness expert…helping center our patients and ourselves can help to keep our visits calm and peaceful…despite crying babies!

Meet our Mom’s Group leader, Cora! Cora is the warmth, joy, and magic behind our 4th trimester Moms groups! I have known Cora since the start of her motherhood journey and it has been such a joy to watch her transform and I can’t wait for you to meet her!

In her own words…

"Hey there! ✨ I am Cora and I am the lucky momma of two sweet and rambunctious toddlers. I know firsthand how rewarding, joyous, challenging, messy, and real motherhood is… I also know just how important it is to make connections and find a support system when the huge adjustment to motherhood occurs!

I have a huge passion for everything related to pregnancy, childbirth, and parenthood. After I had my first baby and "retired" from teaching middle school, I decided to follow my passion and pursue a career in the world of birth work… How perfect is that?!

I am a certified holistic birth and postpartum doula and it is a constant goal of mine to build loving and supportive bonds by bringing women in our community together. 💪🏼🩷 When you join Nurture Lactation's Fourth Trimester postpartum mom group, expect to be welcomed with open arms!"

Interested in registering? DM to sign up!

World BREASTFEEDING week brings with it ALL the feels.

If the barrage of posts leaves you feeling inadequate, sad, or lonely, I want you to know that YOU are SEEN.

You are enough for your sweet babe. Your worth is not dependent on the amount of breastmilk you have provided.

LOVE is LOVE. ❤️❤️❤️

Have you felt triggered by all the posts? Share below how we can help celebrate breastfeeding while also honoring the pain that it can cause so many parents!

Are you or your partner due in the fall? Well don’t miss these important events to help prepare you for the big changes ahead!

🤱🏼 breastfeeding and newborn care classes with

👯‍♀️ 4th trimester Moms Group and 3-6 month infant Group… think of these like a “new mom school”. A place for learning, community, and understanding around the transitions of new motherhood. Registration for fall groups opens to the public Aug 1! DM to get early access to register! These small groups fill up quickly!

Preparing for your 4th trimester and start of your parenting journey is one of the ✨ BEST ✨ things you can do to help make it smoother and more enjoyable!

When you are sleep deprived and healing from your delivery, breastfeeding can seem really overwhelming. Sometimes it’s important to get back to the basics. If you do these three things, you can’t go wrong!

This baby here started my journey to ! He is my first-born, the one who showed me what being a mom really means. He made his own way. He showed me that being a GOOD mom meant so much more than I had thought…that breastfeeding wasn’t the ultimate goal, that connection with my little guy, was. As a new mom I believed I had failed at my first job. Now I know that isn’t true and I try to help all moms I visit with to see the bigger picture. Yes, your goals and desires matter. And we are here to help you achieve them. But if your sweet baby is never exclusively breastfed, that doesn’t mean you have failed. YOU are their comforter, their place of safety, their person, no matter what.

This little guy just turned 7. You know what I’ll say next, I’m sure…

Enjoy the snuggles mamas. Don’t fret so much that you miss the beauty of the season go motherhood you are in.

There are so many suggestions out there, but did you know most aren’t evidence based treatments to help sore ni***es?

First, always work with a trusted lactation consultant to ensure the latch is the most comfortable it can be. This is absolutely the most important thing to do to help your discomfort!

In the meantime, while your ni***es are healing, use an oil based ni**le balm (I love and ). If pain continues despite this, consider using Avoid the cheaper versions on Amazon, often they contain more nickel, which many people are sensitive to!

If those things don’t help over the course of a few days, or if you get a fever, drainage, or redness of ni**le or breast, seek care with someone who knows lactating breasts! Often a short course of steroid cream can help heal things up, but this should only be done under the care of your provider who will also evaluate you for symptoms of an infection (or us )

Things to avoid at all costs: salt soaks, needles 💉 (ouch!), and over the counter creams designed for other skin issues!

Don’t suffer in silence and “wait it out”. Make an appt and get the help you deserve!

We posted a story this week about this art in our office and I wanted to share more about them. was able to take some photographs I (Kaleena) had of my own feeding experiences and turn them into these beautiful images.

As a new mother, breastfeeding did not come easily. My son was hungry and starving and needed supplemental bottles of formula and we briefly, (because they are AWFUL!) used a SNS. I used a ni**le shield, likely due to an undiagnosed tongue tie, but my supply never increased and then I got pregnant and breastfeeding gradually ended for us. Before I wanted and never really going well.

It was not the feeding experience I expected and contributed to my postpartum depression and anxiety.

When I see these beautiful renditions of those photos that were sometimes accompanied by shame and embarrassment, I realize how full circle this clinic is. Without my own breastfeeding challenges, I likely would have never realized the impact of breastfeeding on maternal mental health. It sparked a desire to learn more, mental health and lactation courses, and, eventually the establishment of this clinic. This place that provides space for all experiences and feeding journeys. To honor new parents and bring comfort in a time of uncertainty.