The Boob Group
Encouraging Teen Moms to Breastfeed
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Please be advised, this transcription was performed from a company independent of New Mommy Media, LLC. As such, translation was required which may alter the accuracy of the transcription.
SUNNY GAULT: This episode of The Boob Group is brought to you by Rumina Nursingwear. Hands-free pumping and nursing tanks and bras to support your breastfeeding goals. Visit www.pumpandnurse.com and save 20% with promo code BOOBGROUP20.
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LEILANI WILDE: Are you a teen mother, pregnant and trying to decide whether or not you should breastfeed your baby? Why should you choose to breastfeed? What are the common concerns or fears related to breastfeeding your baby as a teenager? Allison Laverty Montag, an IBCLC is here to help you make an educational and informed choice. This is the Boob Group.
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LEILANI WILDE: Welcome to The Boob Group, broadcasting from the Birth Education Center of San Diego. The Boob Group is your online, on the go support group for all things related to breastfeeding. I'm your host, Leilani Wilde; I'm also an IBCLC and owner of Leilani’s Lactation and Doula Services. Thanks for joining us today.
If you enjoy listening to our shows week-after-week, please tell another breastfeeding mama about us. You can also help other mamas discover us through iTunes by leaving us some honest feedback about the show. Search the Boob Group and iTunes and click on our podcast to rate us and leave a comment. Now Sunny is here to tell us about some great ways you can get involve with our show.
SUNNY GAULT: Yes, we love to hear from our listeners. So if you guys have any comments about the show – things you like perhaps things that we can improve upon, we welcome all types of feedback and we’ll include some of those comments on the show.
Also, we have a couple of segments that you guys might really like. One is called: “Ask the Expert” where you can call in and ask our IBCLCs on some of your breastfeeding questions. Odds are, if you have that question someone else out there has that question as well. So we’ll basically get those questions answered and we’ll put it on a future episode.
We have a segment I really like called: “Boob Oops” as where we share our funny breastfeeding and pumping stories that have happened to us. Lord knows we all have some doozies out there. So we want to share the stories with other breastfeeding and pumping mamas just so they know that everybody goes through this at some point. If you want to submit for those segment, there’s a couple of ways you can do that. You can go through our website www.NewMommyMedia.com and click on the contact link to send us an e-mail.
Also, if you want to tell your story instead of us telling your story in your behalf, you can call our voicemail at 619-866-4775. Leave us a message and that way, you can actually tell your story yourself. So those are couple of good ways to get involve with our show.
LEILANI WILDE: Today we are here with one of our panelists – Lauren can you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about you and your baby?
LAUREN RONA: Hi. I’m Lauren. I’m 19 years old. I have a four-month old daughter. Her name is Elizabeth and we are pumping, nursing and supplementing right now. I have a low supply so that’s we really have to deal with. But we do what we can to give her what the best that she needs.
LEILANI WILDE: Excellent. Allison?
ALLISON LAVERTY MONTAG: I am an IBCLC and I work for WIC and I have four children that I breastfed. I didn’t always have an easy kind of things. I think that’s what got me in this line of work.
LEILANI WILDE: Excellent.
SUNNY GAULT: Okay, so before we get started with our episode today, we are going to talk about a news headline. This keeps popping of Facebook. I saw it so many times, I thought: “We need to talk about this on the show.” It involves Alyssa Milano. She’s like my new favorite breastfeeding advocate right now. Alyssa Milano, the actress about a year ago posted a breastfeeding photo online and it was right after her daughter was born. Her daughter’s name is, “Isabella Dylan.”
It kind of ignited some conversation online and now Isabella is a year old and Alyssa reposted that photo just to say: “Hey. My baby is a year old. I can’t believe she’s getting so big.” People are talking about it again. Obviously, it was a throwback photo of her nursing of her daughter. I believe it was in a hospital room.
There are some people going back-and-forth on social media whenever a celebrity comes out and does something like this, that it kind of ignites a little fire storm. So I love this one quote though. There are probably many articles about this online but in one particular it says: “This is actually a quote from Alyssa.” It says: “I think people are more comfortable sexualizing breast than relating them to what they were actually made for which is feeding another human.”
I really commend Alyssa for coming out and being such a strong advocate. I know she didn’t really mean to like kind of be this face for breastfeeding but she’s standing her ground. I think her action of reposting it really just says: “I still believe in this.” Even a year after, she still believes on what she did for her baby. She even says – I think she’s still breastfeeding because the headline here: “She’ll breastfeed her daughter until she’s six.” I think that was just kind of a comment. She said like basically just say: “As long as my baby needs it, I’m going to provide it.”
I’m always proud when women are proud about what do their breasts are made for. Right? Originally, God created them to make milk and the perfect milk for our babies. So I am so happy anytime I see that. But also to have someone in the media like that-that does make things stand out a little bit more and hopefully, more people will be more proud and stand up for that as well. Yes, Allison what do you think?
ALLISON LAVERTY MONTAG: I love it when people stand out and do what they think is right. Even if they get the negative comments from people, it is so wonderful when people will standup because that’s the only way it’s going to get easier for other people. When they see someone that’s how I want to do it. I want to be able to do it wherever I am. It only gets easier with practice – the more people that do it, the better.
SUNNY GAULT: Lauren, do you have any thoughts on this?
LAUREN RONA: Yes, I think that because everybody else said it, it seems to me that – I think that people who are on the spotlight that it is really good when they do things like this because as much as I was surprised that a lot of people don’t know the breastfeeding. A lot of people actually don’t know about breastfeeding. So I think people who are viewed a lot can make a big statement like this. It’s good.
It gets people more interested and it helps inform people. Kudos to her because I have a really hard time nursing my daughter and you know what? My kid latched on like that, I would be posting pictures all over the place.
SUNNY GAULT: I love it. I think it goes along with that popular hash tag we have now circulating #normalizebreastfeeding and that’s what it is. So many times we put celebrities on a pedestal and we view them as being so different than us but they breastfeed their babies, they go to grocery store. They do all these kinds of stuff just like the rest of us. I love that Alyssa did this and instill stands by her decision.
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LEILANI WILDE: Today on The Boob Group, we’re discussing the importance of breastfeeding for teen moms. Allison Laverty Montag is an IBCLC who specializes in educating teen moms about the benefits of breastfeeding their baby. Thank you for joining us Allison and welcome to the show.
ALLISON LAVERTY MONTAG: Hi there. Thank you for having me.
LEILANI WILDE: Yes, you’re welcome. Allison, do many teenage moms struggle with the idea of their new baby?
ALLISON LAVERTY MONTAG: Some do. The idea of a baby sucking on their breasts may seem weird or strange. They find the father of the baby needing them so much overwhelming. So when we talk about skin-to-skin and how a baby can help with breastfeeding with their natural reflexes and the special bond they can have. Sometime they are really excited to give it a try. They leave my office and they were nervous when they arrived and then they leave just like anticipating on what’s coming.
The hormones from breastfeeding can erase the strangeness of things and I just tell the mom: “Even though you have these doubts, once the baby is on your chest, you just milk and you just gaze at your baby. It helps make it not seem so weird.”
LEILANI WILDE: Yes, I agree. I remember that first feeling of having my son on my chest. It was just everything just disappears and it’s just you and your baby. It’s an awesome feeling. Do you see a lot of moms prenatally then?
ALLISON LAVERTY MONTAG: Yes, I do. I find that many are hesitant to talk to me. I am not pushy at all and that’s something I just tell them: “I’m here if you need me.” Many don’t want to talk about it. They say: “I’ll have questions once the baby arrives.” But if I can get them to listen for just a little bit – all of a sudden, you can just see them kind of something quick and then they start to listen.
Then it’s like: “They’re being told from the beginning that they should be breastfeeding and it’s the healthiest for the baby.” They kind of push that. So if you kind of let it go and say: “This is your choice. Let’s just talk about it a little bit.” Then they’re much open to things.
LEILANI WILDE: Right. I don’t know if it’s a teenage thing because I have teenagers myself but whenever you tell a teenager that they have to do something, the push back happens, right? So I like your approach. It’s not about you have to but educating on these are options and something to consider. So that’s great. So what is the percentage of teenagers’ breastfeeding today?
ALLISON LAVERTY MONTAG: About 43% of teen moms initiate breastfeeding and that means: “They try at least one time.” About 95% to formula by the second week of life. Only 5% of them are breastfeeding to 12 months.
LEILANI WILDE: Wow. How do you think we can change that?
ALLISON LAVERTY MONTAG: I think we need to take away some rules. There are such a push for exclusive breastfeeding and I think that can be scary and overwhelming. So when I have a mom who’s thinking about breastfeeding, I emphasize that any amount is good. So if she doesn’t want to be breastfeed I say: “How about breastfeed in the hospital or how about just breastfeed for the first couple of weeks or until you go back to work?”
If they’re not so sure – I’ll let them know: “It’s okay to use formula.” But that breastfeeding still has benefits even if you’re only doing it a few times and you never know. Mom may have a baby but it’s just a natural. I thought moms that are absolutely were not go into breastfeed. Then they show up in the office and they have a one month old that’s exclusively breastfeeding. I asked them: “What happened?” This mom told me: “The baby knew what to do.” She just kind of taught me and we figured it out. She did it with no help.
LEILANI WILDE: Awesome. I love that. The baby taught the mom.
SUNNY GAULT: I know. Isn’t that great?
ALLISON LAVERTY MONTAG: Yes.
LEILANI WILDE: Yes, I love that. Lauren, did you have a hard time deciding whether or not you wanted to breastfeed your baby before you gave birth?
LAUREN RONA: Actually, not. For me, there was no question about it. My mom nursed all of her three children and I used kind of grew up with thinking that: “That was normal and that was just God-intended for us.” For me, it was very spiritual. It’s like the way I planned to give birth. I just wanted to be a very natural thing.
Formula was an option but I never really consider it. I have so many dreams while I was pregnant about like: “Latching my baby and having my baby feed on my breast.” It was just the minute that I gave birth, that was the most exciting thing for me like that’s all I wanted to do. But I had a lot of struggles with breastfeeding. Now, I have to supplement and I’m part of the every drop counts group because that’s kind of just of what I have to live with every day in my head to keep me going.
Every single drop counts for her. So even though she doesn’t get much, at least she’s getting something. I do think that I often said: “A lot of moms get intimidated by the whole exclusively breastfeeding concept either than just being taught that – it’s okay if you have to [inaudible].” It’s okay if you can’t do it all the time but just a bond of having your baby at your breast or the skin-to-skin that’s all important. It’s equally important with the bond.
I’ve had some many nutrition from breastfeeding. So yes, I mean it wasn’t a hard decision for me but I know that it is for a lot of moms and my best friend actually just had a baby and she being planned on breastfeeding I land up helping her and encouraging her. She gave it a try and she was like: “I’m so happy that I at least tried because I feel bad for the moms that don’t try because they don’t even know. They don’t know how great it is until they do it.”
LEILANI WILDE: Yes, you’re right. They don’t know what they’re missing because it is a unique bonding time for you and baby. So that’s great. I’m proud of you for encouraging your best friend.
LAUREN RONA: I actually have a –I made group on Facebook. This is a group for young moms and I have a file in there that’s all breastfeeding basics and information about breastfeeding because I know it is so intimidating and so I think that for young moms to hear from young moms. It’s really helpful.
LEILANI WILDE: Well, that’s inspiring. I’d love to hear more about that. That’s great. In fact, if you are interested, you can send me all that information and we can post it.
LAUREN RONA: Yes, great. Yes, definitely.
LEILANI WILDE: That would be wonderful. Allison, why should a mom choose to breastfeed?
ALLISON LAVERTY MONTAG: Well kind of like just what I said: “Mom is the boss.” She gets to decide how she is going to mother and feed her baby. I have way too many young ladies tell me: “I’m the only person to tell them that.” From the time that they get pregnant, they’re told what they should be doing and what they need to do in the next nine months.
I like to emphasize: “Breastfeeding is something only they can give their baby.” The body knows exactly what the baby needs and makes special milk for their baby at this specific point in time. Their milk protects baby from germs that mom and baby were exposed to today. Mom is making antibodies to protect her baby within hours of being exposed.
LEILANI WILDE: We love that. Breast milk is awesome. How does the mom benefit through the breastfeeding?
ALLISON LAVERTY MONTAG: Especially for teen moms, I like to emphasize how much more rest and sleep they get when they breastfeed. Breastfeeding lowers mom’s blood pressure and it helps her to relax. Then she gets sleepy when she breastfeeds from these hormones. They showed in a study that moms are exclusively breastfeeding directly get about 45 more minutes of sleep a day. That is just a such a huge selling point for a mom that feels like she’s getting no sleep at all.
Moms recover from birth factor. Breastfeeding will help them lose weight. They have lower risk of breast cancer and diabetes and breastfeeding is so convenient. It’s always the right temperature. There’s no rushing around to fix the bottle. When you hear your baby in the middle of the night, you just pick up your baby and you nurse your baby. Then they fall back to sleep hopefully and then you get some more sleep. I really encourage them to sit back, put up their feet and feed the baby.
LEILANI WILDE: Lauren, I know that you mentioned that your mom breastfed but did you know all the benefits for breastfeeding?
LAUREN RONA: Kind of. I know about nursing health benefits but I learned so much more once I actually had the baby and started breastfeeding and talked to more moms about it. I didn’t know exactly what that benefits. But I definitely had a good idea of what I imagined on how it would go. But things are also like I know that nursing and pumping are totally different.
Actually, yes I expect and know some that you’ve mentioned in weight loss because for some reason, well I need not for some reason to get kind of understand why young moms want to get their body back after the baby. Whatever mom wants to do that but it’s specifically young moms because they have this idea of: “Going back out once baby is old enough and still having to socialize and stuff.” So I think that specifically really touching young moms that they’re going to lose weight quicker.
Yes, I got my body back like two weeks after giving birth. Granted that I have good genes and everything. I am a petite woman but so, I was shocked at my body shrunk all over again.
LEILANI WILDE: That’s awesome.
ALLISON LAVERTY MONTAG: That is so awesome.
LEILANI WILDE: Yes, that’s great. Okay when we come back, we’ll discuss some of the benefits for the baby to be breastfed by a teenage mom. We will also talk about some of the concerns or fears that are common amongst the teenagers, we’ll be right back.
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LEILANI WILDE: Welcome back to the show. We’re here with Allison Laverty Montag, an IBCLC and we’re discussing: “Breastfeeding among teen moms.” Allison, what are some of the benefits the baby will receive as they breastfeed by their teenage mom?
ALLISON LAVERTY MONTAG: Breast milk is easy to digest. So the stools are soft and easy to pass. They don’t have as much diarrhea or constipation and the stools don’t smell so bad. Mom’s milk will protect your baby from germs and illness. There’s a good chance the baby’s going to have fewer ear infections, colds and allergies than as the baby will formula-fed.
Mom’s baby will have a decrease risk of diabetes, childhood cancers and the baby is less-likely to be overweight as a child and as an adult. Moms milk compositions changes throughout the day. So the way it is in the morning is different than how it is at night. Then the milk changes over the weeks and months. So that although the baby isn’t drinking a lot more at six months, the baby is receiving a very specific kind of milk that mom’s body knows the baby needs.
LEILANI WILDE: I love that. Do the moms that you tell this kind of stuff too, are they all kind of surprised or actually think logically like: “Wow. I didn’t know that and that sounds like a really good option.” Does that something that crosses over the barriers when you’re communicating with them?
ALLISON LAVERTY MONTAG: Yes and they get excited about it. I have all these like kid bits floating around on my hand and I just kind of spot them out and people they tell me: “How come nobody tells you this?” I’m like: “Well, I am telling you this.”
Because not enough people talk about breastfeeding in my opinion and I’m willing to talk about it with just about anyone – a man in the hallway, a young mom; anyone because we’re not going to know about great it is unless we’re talking about it. The fact that a mother can protect her baby from germs that the baby was exposed to and mom wasn’t exposed to within hours – that is just amazing.
LEILANI WILDE: Can you explain how that happens?
ALLISON LAVERTY MONTAG: I learned one way and hen just recently I heard another. So the way I’d originally learned was if the baby is nursing and the baby exposes mom to the germs through the breast. Well just more recently I read that it’s kind of back wash. So that when the baby is nursing, some of the germs in the baby’s mouth actually go back into the breast. So then, the mom’s body starts fighting that off or making the antibodies for it within hours.
LEILANI WILDE: Right. One of the things that I always tell my clients is: “When the baby goes to the breast which is important to know that any suckling, any licking, anything, any saliva that goes on to the nipple on to the breast is beneficial because sometimes moms might use nipple shield.” So the baby is not able to transfer that bacteria through the saliva.
So that I explain it this way – I just tell them: “Mom, dad comes home after being away from mom and baby and they miss him.” They start kissing on the mom and they kiss on the baby. Then the next morning, the dad is woken up and he is sick. He didn’t realize that he was already had exposed the mom and the baby.
Meanwhile, while everyone’s sleeping that baby’s body is being exposed to this bacteria. It starts growing inside and then when they go to the breast and they pass the saliva through the nipple into the breast milk, breast milk makes anti bodies and gives back to them through the breast milk once again.
So before anyone even knows that baby’s already being protected. I love that part. I love telling parents and they are so excited about that. They never knew that. So I’d love-love-love that nature.
ALLISON LAVERTY MONTAG: The human body is so amazing.
LEILANI WILDE: It sure is. Lauren, did you know that? Did you know about the benefits for both you and your baby?
LAUREN RONA: I learned that in my daughter’s second week of life when I was actually hospitalized with a really bad infection. I was so worried that I had gotten the baby sick because I didn’t know that I was sick. I just felt that: “I was really stressed out and my hormones are changing.” That’s why overheating and um I’m glad you’re not nervous about that and I was in the hospital for like two days and have pumping the whole time. Actually my baby had end up being fine because she was getting on breast milk. It just amazed me. God never fails to amaze me but the things that our bodies can do is just: “It’s insane.”
But I wish I had known more prior to having her. I did do a lot of research while I was pregnant because I was so excited about breastfeeding but like Allison said: “Not enough people are talking about it.” My daughter’s pediatrician doesn’t even know enough about breastfeeding to have a discussion with me. So I think that it’s just really important that we keep informing people and now, keep talking with each other.
LEILANI WILDE: I agree. It is sad that the doctors don’t all understand. They’re not educated. They don’t get the opportunity because they’re studying so many different aspects of pediatrics that they don’t actually know enough about breast milk. So you’re right about that. Sometimes the doctors don’t always have all the most current information or all the details. So it’s great that as a mom, you’re an advocate again speaking out and educating not only your friends but your also educating your doctor. That’s awesome.
ALLISON LAVERTY MONTAG: I tell moms things and they will tell the doctor what I said and the doctor will tell them. Boy, she doesn’t know what she’s talking about. I know I’m right. It’s not like I’m looking things up.
LEILANI WILDE: Right. It’s good to even give the information that you are learning and pass it on to your doctor, pass it on to your OB. Pass it on to your pediatric doctors and spread the word because sometimes just having it in, writing is more powerful than just your words. Allison, what are the common concerns or the fears that are often talked about amongst these young women?
ALLISON LAVERTY MONTAG: Many of them think breastfeeding is gross or creepy. They’ll tell me: “Weird, nasty, disgusting.” I use those words to them: “If they are hesitant to put into words, I think that’s kind of weird. It’s kind of gross.” They’ll look at me and like: “Yes.” I like to say it because then I kind of take away some of the power of that words that is so strong.
Many moms will hear it first and then it’s harder to breastfeed than to use formula. They may find it embarrassing and they’re worried about breastfeeding in front of their family or their friends or what they’re going to do when they go out. Many worry they’re not going to have enough milk and then I have some that tell me they’re worried about what’s going to happen to their breasts and the changes that are going to happen.
LEILANI WILDE: Right. I think a lot of women think of that too, right?
ALLISON LAVERTY MONTAG: Right and so many people think: “It’s from breastfeeding” but everything that they’re coming out with that I read about it says: “It’s the hormones from pregnancy. That it’s gravity, it’s weight changers. That is not actually the breastfeeding.”
Some people find that when they’re done with breastfeeding, they feel like they’ll deflated or smaller. But I don’t know because even though women are saying this happens, all of the literature says: “It is not from breastfeeding.”
LEILANI WILDE: I wonder how much – I mean I know we all do. We all know how many women sometimes come out after breastfeeding say: “My breasts are larger.” Right and some were saying: “My breasts are smaller.” It is different from each person and maybe it has a lot to do with just how they’re nurturing their body during that whole process too.
ALLISON LAVERTY MONTAG: Right and maybe what kind of bra they’re wearing or if they’re wearing a bra at all.
LEILANI WILDE: Yes and genetics. A lot of that has to do with genetics too. So Lauren, were you experiencing any of these fears or did you have anything that you experienced in regards to that?
LAUREN RONA: No. I think I was curious about how mostly people body is going to change and how my breast should be after breastfeeding. But my mom, she has a very small breast now. She breastfed all of her kids and she said that: “It was because she breastfed.” But I also know other moms who had breastfed like two kids or four kids and they still have big breasts. So I don’t think that-that really has much to do with it.
We’re so worried about what other people are going to think. When you’re young or a teenager, you really see what people are going to think and being a young mom itself is kind of scary because you already know that there is so much judgment on the fact that you’re a teen mom. That you don’t want that added judgment and for me, I wasn’t really too concern with it but I’m a different type of teen mom. I have an emotional demand and I’ve been looking for a while.
My daughter wasn’t planned but I wasn’t that ready. So it’s a little bit of a different situation for me. But I understand where the fears come from.
LEILANI WILDE: What did your friends and your fellow students, did they make any comments or were you ever concerned about what they thought about the whole process of you being a mom that wanted to breastfeed?
LAUREN RONA: Not really. I keep myself a lot but the people that I do talk to and the people that I’m around, they are on board. You tell them. This is it’s what’s important and this is what nurture my child. So it’s kind of like: “If you don’t like it, well get over it and I’d do it anyway.” Either be on my way so I’m excited or you cannot accept it and you don’t have to be around to see it.
ALLISON LAVERTY MONTAG: I knew a young mom then she breastfed because it is healthier for her baby and she was sure that formula-feeding is going to be easier but she decided she was going to breastfeed. So she exclusively breastfed for months and she at first was very hesitant to do it around for friends. But then she did and she would nurse in the park and she would nurse in people’s houses.
For medical reasons, she stopped breastfeeding at about a month and she was amazed at how much harder formula feeding works. She was stunned because it’s in her mind that was going to be easier. So it was okay to have to stop breastfeeding because this is going to be easier anyway. The getting up in the middle of the night, the washing of the bottles, making the bottles and doing the spit up – all babies spit up.
But she was just surprised at how much of hassle it was going out-and-about and having to worry about bringing the supply she needed to feed her baby.
LEILANI WILDE: Yes and you know what? Having to go to the store in the middle of the night because you’re out too right? Unlike breast milk with always available and at the right temperature. Okay, great. Well, thank you so much Allison and Lauren for sharing with us today your experience and your knowledge about breastfeeding as a teenager.
For Boob Group Club Members, our conversation will continue after the end of the show as Allison talks about how nutrition should be adjust so that you can better nurture your body as well as your baby. For more information about our Boob Group Club, please visit our website at www.NewMommyMedia.com.
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SUNNY GAULT: All right, it’s time for a fun segment on the show called: “Mama Hacks” and you guys have submitted some great responses on hacks that you have discovered while breastfeeding and pumping for your babies. This one comes from Jackie Gonzales.
Jackie writes:
“If pumping, always wait for a second let-down. You can get up to two ounces of more milk depending on your production if you just wait a little bit more.”
- Jackie Gonzales
Leilani, I would love to have your perspective on this. I mean you don’t always have a second let-down, right?
LEILANI WILDE: Actually you do. You have multiple let-downs during your breastfeeding experience. So if you notice that your baby is – because the pumping is about how baby is working at your breast so it’s supposed to mimic breastfeeding.
SUNNY GAULT: Right.
LEILANI WILDE: If you notice when you’re breastfeeding your baby that at first your baby starts sucking and swallowing quite frequently. It’s suck-swallow; suck-swallow is what I always call it. Then all of a sudden, it started to go: “Suck-suck-suck, swallow.”
SUNNY GAULT: Yes.
LEILANI WILDE: It kind of goes up-and-down. But when you have a let-down, you have suck-swallow. Suck-swallow. Suck-swallow. If you notice that when you go to put your baby back on the breast, it finishes that first half of your feed maybe 15 or 20 minutes on the breast and then you could burp your baby. Maybe change your baby’s diaper and then you get your baby back on the breast.
Also you go suck-swallow, suck-swallow, and suck-suck-swallow and then all of a sudden it’s feeding frequently when you just had another let-down. So when I have mom’s pump in replacing breastfeeding, I often tell them to: “Pump for 15 minutes. Rest for 10 minutes.” That is just like if you were burping your baby, changing baby’s diaper and then when you start pumping again, I’ll tell them to pump for 15 more minutes.
So you’re actually stimulating your breast twice but you have a second let-down at the second pumping with a break.
SUNNY GAULT: So I would just think those are two separate breastfeeding moments or experiences, I wouldn’t even think – I wouldn’t consider that to be part of the same breastfeeding session if you will. But I guess you know.
LEILANI WILDE: Yes because you’re doing it all in one segment. So you just have a 10 minute break and or a five minute break depending on what kind of supply you have. Sometimes I tell mom to pump for 10 minutes. Rest for five minutes and then pump again for another 10 minutes, you’re going to have the second let-down. Sometimes moms have more than two let-downs. Sometimes they have multiple three or four.
So it depends on:
- What kind of supply they have
- How the stimulation
- How they are affected hormonally by the stimulations too
SUNNY GAULT: It’s very interesting. Well Jackie, thanks so much for sending this in.
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LEILANI WILDE: That wraps up our show for today. We appreciate you listening to The Boob Group.
Don’t forget to check out our sister shows:
• Preggie Pals for expecting parents
• Newbies for postpartum moms during baby’s first year
• Parent Savers for moms and dads with infants and toddlers
• Twin Talks, for parents with multiples.
Thanks for listening to The Boob Group: “Your judgment-free breastfeeding resource.”
[Disclaimer]
This has been a New Mommy Media production. Information and material contained in this episode are presented for educational purposes only. Statements and opinions expressed in this episode are not necessarily those of New Mommy Media and should not be considered facts. Though information in which areas are related to be accurate, it is not intended to replace or substitute for professional, Medical or advisor care and should not be used for diagnosing or treating health care problem or disease or prescribing any medications. If you have questions or concerns regarding your physical or mental health or the health of your baby, please seek assistance from a qualified health care provider.
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