Moving toward Breastfeeding your Baby

If you are partially breastfeeding, continue and contact a La Leche League Leader or lactation consultant for help

• Increase nursing to 8-12 breast feedings in a 24-hour period. Expect baby to be hungry every 1-2 hours.  

• Give formula supplement with a small cup or the drip-drop method rather than a bottle.

• Watch diapers for signs of baby receiving more breastmilk. Stools will become more yellowish, looser, and softer             the more breastmilk is present.

• Avoid pacifier use. If baby needs to suck, offer breast again.

• Lots of holding: skin to skin, bathing together, wearing baby in front carrier or sling against bare chest, as close to continuously as possible.

If you stopped breastfeeding in the past 2-6 weeks, it is possible to start again.

• Contact a La Leche League Leader or lactation consultant for help!

• Feed baby with a cup or the drip-drop method, not a bottle, using formula that you have.

• Offer the breast to the baby. See if baby will take the breast for comfort nursing. If baby latches at all, this is helpful. It’s not about the milk yet.

• Lots of skin to skin, bathe with the baby, wear in a sling or front carrier against bare skin. If baby will not comfort nurse at the breast, offer a clean finger with pad against the roof of baby’s mouth instead of a pacifier.

• Keep baby’s primary care provider and your lactation consultant closely informed along the way during this process. Ask for signs where they would want an immediate call.

• If you are using hormonal birth control, it may interfere with getting your milk back.

If it has been longer than 6 weeks since you stopped breastfeeding, or if you have never breastfed, it may be possible to relactate or induce lactation, but it presents more challenges. Contact a La Leche League Leader or lactation consultant and try the suggestions above.

Relactation on the LLLI website

https://www.llli.org/breastfeeding-info/relactation/

Milk banks and milk sharing on the LLLI website

https://www.llli.org/breastfeeding-info/milk-donation/

Cup Feeding a baby

https://www.llli.org/cup-feeding/

Drip-Drop method of feeding at breast

https://www.llli.org/drip-drop-feeding/

To find an Internationally Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) near you

https://uslca.org/resources/find-an-ibclc/

To find an Accredited La Leche League Leader near you

https://www.llli.org/get-help/

Thanks to Linda J. Smith, MPH, IBCLC for sharing her article and information on this topic.

Susan Mocsny Thomas, PLDA     Professional Liaison Department Administrator, La Leche League Alliance, May 2022  

Daddy and Me! Papa y Yo!

Autumn Harvest Family Craft Night 

Family Art Night is back. Come together as a family to explore how art can bring a family closer.  Join Daniel Resto as he guides your family on an exciting journey with color. Paint vibrant watercolor paintings using the colors of fall. Invent and build a spider of beads and pipe cleaners. You can follow along or go freestyle. Activities will be provided for all ages. Pre-registration is required. 

One Night Only EHALC Thursday October 7, 2021 6:00 - 7:00 PM Fee: Free 

Giving Thanks Craft Event 

Join Daniel Resto as he guides our families using their hand as a base and finally design a turkey panel collage using a variety of textured materials. You can follow the example or go freestyle. Activities will be provided for all ages. Pre-registration required. 

One Night Only EHALC Thursday November 4, 2021 6:00 - 7:00 PM Fee: Free 

Glitter Snowflake 

Daniel will help our class create an easy and fun snowflake painting using stampers and glitter paint. In this class you will also learn to cut snowflakes out of folded paper and draw lines of glue to make snowflake patterns on a pastel sky. You can follow the example or go freestyle. Activities will be provided for all ages. Pre-registration required. 

One Night Only EHALC Thursday December 2, 2021 6:00 - 7:00 PM Fee: Free