Latest Articles
How to start solids for a breastfed baby
January 16, 2026 • 7 min read
Welcome to the next frontier in infant feeding–adding table food to the booby buffet. This article will guide you through how and when to introduce solids to your baby’s diet. Signs of readiness The approximate age to begin offering solids is 6 months, but as with all things, individual babies reach different milestones at different times. […]
Why you should give nursing at least six weeks to work
August 31, 2025 • 6 min read
In the first weeks, it can be nerve-wracking to know if your baby is eating well at the breast. While pumping and bottle feeding offers critical relief and reassurance, it may not always feel that way. An incredibly common breastfeeding scenario is this: baby is born to parents who desire to breastfeed. They’re told in […]
Latch On for The Letdown Protest: Highmark’s Big Letdown
August 3, 2025 • 3 min read
To celebrate World Breastfeeding Week, this August 4th we’re latching on to your federally-mandated rights to breastfeeding support. As the biggest insurer in Delaware, Highmark Blue Cross has a big responsibility to get it right. Yet families employed by massive DE enterprises that are insured by Highmark, like Christiana Care, Brandywine School District, and University of Delaware, have lost […]
Help for You at Postpartum Support International
July 12, 2025 • 3 min read
Depression, anxiety, and even OCD are all too common in the perinatal period, particularly in those who have previously been affected. Postpartum Support International provides a variety of channels to find help. As I was renewing my perinatal mental health certification (PMH-C) this month, I got a fresh review of the offerings of Postpartum Support […]
Your Doula is Worth Every Dime
June 19, 2025 • 4 min read
Couples may like the idea of labor support but have sticker shock when they see the cost. When all is accounted for, however, it’s obvious that being a doula is a labor of love. In Wilmington, Delaware, private doula services average $1,200 to $1,500. Expecting parents tend to estimate how many hours they might be […]
Breastfeeding and Maternal Mental Health
June 2, 2025 • 6 min read
You’ve heard breastfeeding will leave you a train wreck, but you’ve also heard the hormones are supposed to help with mental health. The truth, as usual, lies somewhere in between. During prenatal visits, I ask expecting parents what their vision is for feeding their baby. What would an ideal scenario look like for them? The […]
Wilmington’s network for you and baby
May 20, 2025 • 5 min read
Feeding difficulties can be rooted in disciplines outside an IBCLC’s scope, or you may simply want support in another area–for you or for baby. Here’s a list of wonderful providers dedicated to helping you along your way. Body people It may seem surprising, but newborns often have areas of tension in their bodies that can […]
Why is breastfeeding so hard?
March 7, 2025 • 5 min read
You’ve heard the horror stories. What gives? How can something natural be so overwhelming? Here’s how: yes, nursing is natural. But nursing is a human behavior, which is learned. And how do humans learn human behavior? By mimicking other humans in the act of that behavior.
Is My Baby Moving Milk?
March 6, 2025 • 3 min read
There will be diaper trackers and feeding logs, but how can you know during a feed if your baby is actually eating? The number one comment I heard in postpartum units went like this: “She had it in her mouth, but I couldn’t tell if she was doing anything.” Despite the feeds tallied in their books, new moms felt unsure their babies were nourished.
Where do partners and fathers fit?
January 21, 2025 • 6 min read
Successful breastfeeding takes a lot more than breasts, people. Partners play an essential role. Only one of you has the mammaries up and running, but how to feed is a co-parenting decision and learning to breastfeed takes a team. Just because you won’t be making the milk doesn’t mean you won’t have a critical part in keeping this critter alive and thriving.