Little Roo Lactation and Wellness

09/02/2026

This popped up today and is spot on as I had a mom recently tell me her therapist “laughed at her” and smirked after she said she was overwhelmed bc the baby needs her all day 24/7 and she doesn’t have a lot of support at home- then we had an OBGYN tell her “so you FAILED your postpartum “TEST” so you really should just stop breastfeeding or pumping and go back on your old meds bc you’re “not ok” if you can’t have this conversation with me without crying!!!”

I don’t get upset often but with the focus on mental health and in the news w this trial and my 29 years now of helping women and children in pregnancy, community and postpartum, this is a perfect example of how we are FAILING our mothers and we are not offering evidence based and guided ppd/ppa support to mothers by laughing, shaming and guilting them during their postpartum appointments!!
I’ve been through PSI training, I HAD postpartum depression and anxiety pretty significantly myself with one of my children and I was an LD and PP/Nursery nurse and IBCLC and didn’t want to admit at that time that’s what it was until I let it go on long enough, I too needed sleep and support and some chemical balancing with meds to help- THAT is OK! You can still breastfeed with MOST of these medications!!
Moms don’t always feel overwhelmed bc of breastfeeding or pumping- some do, some just feel overwhelmed and have sensory overload or a hard time balancing life and work and taking care of themselves and everyone else just bc we are asked to do sooooo much without help-
our society doesn’t move grandma in, provide pp doulas and moms and aunts and sisters to be in the home to make sure mom can get some sleep, adequate nutrition for her body to HEAL, have a feeding plan, say that formula feeding is ok bc guess what? I’m an IBCLC and RN that believes in supporting the mom, coming up w realistic systems and schedules to help her get support to maintain milk supply and or feeding bc FED is best and “not exclusive breastfeeding is OK!!”
This mom felt more defeated in 1 day bc of shame and lack of support from healthcare community members and she is a GREAT mom, doing the best she can and wasn’t coming in to the appt stressed over breastfeeding!!
I could put 100 moms in a room locally and I bet 90% or more of them if not all would at some point in their motherhood journey, would have said today I am overwhelmed, today I need help, today I feel like I can’t do it all- today I need a break!
it doesn’t mean she failed a test just bc for one day her score is high on the Edinburgh scale- and it doesn’t mean the answer is to blame it all on breastfeeding when maybe she has TONS of support there and was just trying to be honest for a day and now feels like she can’t trust anyone other than a few like me who really HEAR her, support her and understand… 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️😔 our community needs some massive help across the board with postpartum support, pregnancy support and education, birthing support and helping moms to feel validated and not shamed….
RANT over for now…this is happening way too often that moms feel like they aren’t being heard and their concerns are dismissed

Feelings of shame and failure can shape motherhood when planned breastfeeding gives way to premature weaning. All lactation helpers need to understand the insights in this 2026 scoping review so they can better support mothers experiencing breastfeeding grief and trauma. Free download here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42629586/

08/28/2026

We consider mental health and sleep a priority at Little Roo! Family support and sometimes a family plan for night feedings can help a mom’s supply come back, help babies gain adequately and preserve mental health!

Can I breastfeed AND sleep? So many parents feel like they have to choose. In honor of National Breastfeeding Month, Natasha Mom M.D., MPH, FAAP, FABM, PMH-C is tackling this exact question in her new PSI Blog post, and breaking down why it's not breastfeeding that harms mental health. It's the gap between what we expect and what actually happens, especially when that gap is filled with exhaustion and no support.

The goal isn't picking one over the other. It's building a plan that protects both 💙

📖 Read it now: https://loom.ly/iKNP6CY

08/27/2026

Tribute to Dolly. Love this dad’s quickness for songs and postpartum laughter!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Db6nfI8OKhx/?igsi=aTViZ2M1dGZuODE1

08/25/2026

Swaddling may help in the first few weeks to settle but it also constricts babies movements and needs to extend! They’ve been flexed for 9 months growing in utero- tummy time needs to start w kangaroo care and breastfeeding and early after delivery on mom or dads/ parents chest! So much of their tension is directly related to feeding difficulties!

The sleep industry is targeting your vulnerability. As a developmental speech therapist I have an unpopular opinion: your baby needs to be unswaddled for sleep starting by 2–3 weeks, not 2-3 months

Swaddling can feel like magic in the early days.
It quiets the chaos. It helps babies settle. It gives exhausted parents a moment to breathe.

But here’s the part we don’t talk about enough…

Babies are supposed to move in their sleep.

That startle reflex everyone is trying to “fix”?
It’s not a flaw. It’s part of how their undeveloped nervous system organizes and matures.

When we tightly swaddle day after day, night after night, we dampen that process. We override the very movements that help babies learn where their bodies are in space. Research has also shown that dampening the startle which reduces arousability also increases the risk of SIDS

Stretching. Startling. Bringing hands to face. Kicking. Turning the head.

That’s not disruption.
That’s development.

When movement is restricted for long stretches:
– Reflexes can take longer to integrate
– Muscles don’t get the same opportunity to strengthen
– Head position stays more fixed, increasing risk of flat spots (which can lead to needing a helmet later on) or increase the risk of tortícolis
– Babies have fewer chances to practice natural repositioning

And over time, that “good sleeper” can become a baby who struggles more with movement, strength, and coordination. Or who struggles for longer to sleep without aids

Swaddling has a place, especially in the earliest days.
But it was never meant to be a long-term sleep solution.

By 2–3 weeks, babies benefit from more freedom than we often give them.

Because sleep isn’t just about rest. It’s also an active time of growth, wiring, and learning. So by the time they are developmentally able to roll they’ve already practiced all the skills they need to get there

Your baby doesn’t need to be stilled to sleep well.
They need the space to move, to startle, to stretch
To become strong in their own body.

How long did you swaddle for?

Dixley A and Ball HL (2022) The effect of swaddling on infant sleep and arousal: A systematic review and narrative synthesis. Front. Pediatr. 10:1000180. doi: 10.3389/fped.2022.1000180

Dixley, A., & Ball, H. L. (2023). The impact of swaddling upon breastfeeding: A critical review. American Journal of Human Biology, 35(6), e23878. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.23878

Nelson, A. M. (2017). Risks and Benefits of Swaddling Healthy Infants: An Integrative Review. MCN: The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing, 42(4), 216–225. https://doi.org/10.1097/NMC.0000000000000344

08/24/2026

After being a labor and delivery nurse and IBCLC in the hospital for 14 years- this is very true! Do you know that most insurances cover a prenatal one on one bf class in the home or we can provide prenatal office visits!
Reach out to learn what’s normal and what’s not in the first 2 weeks-

One of the biggest misconceptions about breastfeeding is that the hospital lactation consultant is going to “teach you how to breastfeed” before you go home

And I need parents to understand this with love and honesty:
Most hospital lactation consultants simply do not have enough time 😞

Not because they don’t care
Not because they aren’t skilled
But because hospital systems are stretched thin

One lactation consultant may be covering:
• Multiple postpartum floors
• NICU
• New admissions
• Discharges
• Pumps and paperwork
• Babies with medical complications
• Moms recovering from surgery
• Charting and insurance requirements

Meanwhile you’re 24 hours postpartum, exhausted, bleeding, learning a brand new human… and someone pops in for 12 minutes while your baby is asleep 😅

Breastfeeding is not a one-time lesson
It is a learned relationship that unfolds over days and weeks

The hospital is often just:
✨ “Here’s how to latch”
✨ “Baby has jaundice start supplementing”
✨ “Baby lost too much weight start pumping”

And then parents go home thinking:
“Why does this suddenly feel impossible?”

Because the real challenges often start AFTER discharge:
• Milk coming in
• Engorgement
• Cluster feeding
• Ni**le pain
• Pumping
• Bottle refusal
• Oversupply
• Low supply worries
• Weight gain concerns
• Sleep deprivation
• Learning your actual baby

This is why postpartum lactation support matters so much 💛

Here’s what I wish every family knew:
• Take a prenatal breastfeeding class BEFORE birth
• Follow evidence-based lactation accounts during pregnancy
• Have a lactation consultant lined up before delivery if possible
• Don’t wait until things are “bad enough” to ask for help
• One good postpartum visit can change your entire experience

And if breastfeeding felt harder than you expected after leaving the hospital?
You did not fail a class everyone else passed

You were discharged from a major medical event while learning one of the most biologically complex things humans do

That deserves support

08/14/2026

Four our prenatal Little Roo Mamas delivering in the next month!

08/14/2026

For all the mamas and babies up late rocking and feeding- this is a great song to hear! Every drop, every kiss, every tear- YOU GOT THIS!

08/14/2026

Do you know what is normal for typical milk removal? Most moms don’t know this can greatly affect supply but it’s the first thing we look at when moms feel like they aren’t making enough!

The biggest mistake I see when milk supply starts to drop? Trying to fix the supply before figuring out WHY it dropped in the first place

When milk production changes, it can be tempting to grab the first solution someone recommends. A supplement. More water. Lactation cookies. A new pumping schedule. Eating oatmeal. Whatever worked for your mom friend, your sister, or someone on TikTok

But milk production is a physiological process. If milk isn’t being removed effectively or frequently enough, adding random “milk boosters” doesn’t fix the reason production changed

Here are some of the most common mistakes I see:

1. Ignoring fl**ge fit

A fl**ge that is too large, too small, or simply doesn’t work well for your anatomy can cause pain, swelling, ni**le trauma, and inefficient milk removal. And no, 24 mm is not a universal fl**ge size

2. Using a pump that isn’t working well for you

Pump performance matters. A pump can be technically functioning and still not be effective for your body. Worn pump parts, damaged valves or membranes, clogged tubing, water getting into the tubing, or a pump that simply doesn’t provide effective milk removal can all matter

3. Assuming the baby is transferring milk well

A baby can nurse frequently and still not remove milk efficiently. An inefficient latch, oral-motor differences, or a tongue restriction can sometimes contribute to ineffective milk transfer. If baby isn’t removing enough milk, your body isn’t receiving the same production signal

The answer isn’t always “feed more.” Sometimes we need to figure out why feeding isn’t effective

4. Dropping night feeds or pumping sessions too early

Your breasts don’t know that you’re trying to sleep through the night. They respond to milk removal. For some mothers, eliminating a nighttime feeding or pump session can be completely compatible with maintaining supply. For others, especially earlier postpartum or when supply is already vulnerable, suddenly removing that milk removal can cause production to decrease

5. Treating a sleep-training schedule like a milk-production schedule

A schedule designed to help a baby sleep isn’t automatically a schedule that protects milk production. If longer stretches of sleep mean substantially less milk removal, your supply may respond accordingly. This doesn’t mean you can’t sleep. It means we need to look at the whole feeding picture and make sure your milk removal is adequate for your goals

6. Not allowing cluster feeding

Cluster feeding can be exhausting, but it is also a normal way babies increase milk removal. If you’re following a rigid feeding schedule that tells you to stretch feeds or prevent frequent nursing when your baby is clearly asking to eat, you may inadvertently reduce the stimulation your breasts are receiving

Your baby isn’t a robot. Neither are your breasts

7. Following someone else’s protocol instead of your baby’s physiology

Moms on Call, schedules, routines, feeding plans, and advice from friends can be helpful tools. But no protocol knows your baby’s milk transfer, your breast storage capacity, your pumping response, your supply history, or your individual goals. A schedule that worked beautifully for someone else may not be the right strategy for you

8. Not eating enough

Your body needs energy and nutrients to support lactation. If you’re chronically under-eating, especially while recovering from birth and caring for a baby, it’s worth looking at whether you’re getting enough overall calories, protein, fat, fiber, fluids, and micronutrients

You don’t need a magical lactation diet of expensive cookies, chalky oats or herby teas

You need enough food

9. Reaching for supplements before fixing the problem

This is probably my biggest pet peeve. If your supply is dropping because your fl**ge doesn’t fit or your pump parts need to be replaced, a supplement your friend swears by probably isn’t going to fix the problem. If your supply is dropping because your baby isn’t transferring milk efficiently, chugging a gallon of water isn’t going to fix the problem either. And yes, drinking excessive amounts of water beyond thirst can actually be counterproductive. Hydration matters, but more water does not equal more milk

The same goes for lactation cookies, teas, powders, tinctures, and every other “milk booster”. Sometimes they aren’t addressing the problem because they aren’t the problem

‼️The most important question when milk supply starts to dip isn’t:‼️

“What can I take to make more milk?”

It’s:

“What changed?”

Did milk removal decrease?
Did baby start transferring less effectively?
Did you change pumps?
Are your pump parts worn?
Did your fl**ge stop working well?
Did you drop a feeding or pumping session?
Did you start sleeping longer stretches?
Are you restricting feeds because of a schedule?
Are you eating enough?
Are you experiencing pain?
Is there an underlying medical or hormonal issue?
Did your period start back?
Did you go back to work?
What is baby’s feeding schedule?

There are MANY possible reasons milk production can decrease

And the best strategy depends on the reason

So before you try the thing that worked for your mom friend, take a step back and figure out your root cause

Because you don’t fix low milk supply by throwing solutions at it

You fix it by figuring out what your body is responding to and changing the thing that needs to change