The Breastfeeding Dietitian

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The Breastfeeding Dietitian

I'm Robyn, a Registered Dietitian and mother of two. My passion is all things babies - prenatal, breastfeeding and pediatric nutrition.
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I am here to meet you where you are and support your unique journey in feeding your family.

08/03/2022

3 reasons why your baby coughs and sputters from your milk flow…
Because the symptoms you see… coughing/choking, sputtering, pulling/tugging on breast, clicking sound, and alllll the gassy discomfort (and maybe green frothy p**p?)… don’t ALWAYS mean overactive letdown (and/or oversupply). Let me hash it out for you!
Your milk making sacs hold your milk, and around them is a muscle that squeezes that milk out. So then why would your baby have a tough time with it?
Reason 1️⃣ (+ most known via Dr. Google): Oversupply. The milk making sacs are so full that milk shoots out very fast even with the smallest squeeze of those muscles around the sacs.
Reason 2️⃣: Overactive letdown. Your milk making sacs are just normal full (not over full) and the muscles are squeezing SUPER HARD causing milk to flow SUPER FAST.
Reason 3️⃣: Ineffective latch. Your milk making sacs are normal full and your muscles are normal squeezing, but it’s actually your baby not able to drink well due to improper positioning, oral ties, or something else.
Too often I see the struggle isn’t with you at all. It’s with your baby. That’s why the first line of defence is to HELP YOUR BABY handle the flow with a good latch and with positioning that slows the flow.
So you can prevent giving yourself low supply if you never had oversupply to begin with 🖐🎤
But for reals, drop a 🙋‍♀️ in the comments if you’ve soaked your little one’s face mid-letdown! 😅

21/02/2022

Part 2 of constipation in your breastfed babe: top 3 tips for daily💩

Let me be clear on two things for this post:
👉this is for babies who have NOT started solids
👉this is NOT medical advice or implying any diagnosis - it’s just info.

So first off - do NOT go for these quick fixes:
❌Laxatives
❌Prune juice (or pear/apple/ANY juice)
❌Corn syrup
❌Probiotics

These can more often than not create more problems without fixing anything (but probiotics CAN be helpful, just certain ones in certain amounts in certain situations and not the first choice)

Here’s what to do instead:

1️⃣Optimize intake

When not enough comes in, not enough comes out; BUT don’t jump to conclusions that your baby isn’t getting enough (this is why I said OPTIMIZE intake, not increase). Check that they are feeding well and assess all the signs of getting enough. Also, improper mixing of formula can also lead to constipation. So again, it’s not always about increasing - it’s optimizing. Not sure? Get help from an LC!

2️⃣Check for tension

Body tension can affect gut motility (the nerves that turn on the gut become “slow”) and a common reason I see for tension is TOTs. It’s important to note there can be other reasons, so consider the whole picture and other possible causes for tension. You can check off box 1+2 by getting a tie-savvy LC on your team!

3️⃣Modify baby’s diet to match gut function

If 1+2 check out, then maybe the lack of💩 is on the gut function side, where many factors (illness, meds/supplements, gut bacteria shifts, allergies/sensitivities) can play a role. You can tailor their diet to their gut function. No, the answer is NOT just switching to formula (but if you use formula, changing the type can help). You can modify your baby’s breastmilk diet by changing YOUR diet.

Don't be afraid to ask questions with your healthcare provider. See what you can tweak to get your babe regular💩

✨Psst. Join the FREE event starting this week so you can learn the must knows of new mom life just like this from 26 diff professionals. Check out my story highlight for deets!

26/01/2022

Part 2 of diaper counts: 💩 DIAPERS. But there’s so much more to it than numbers!⤵️
Counts are a helpful piece of the puzzle to knowing your baby is “getting enough”, but there is SO MUCH beyond it that baby💩 can tell you.
It is a direct reflection of what’s coming in (nutrition) and what’s happening in between (gut function).
For me, it’s one of the most important things I look at. Of course, the whole picture matters, but this one tells me A LOT!
So when looking at 💩frequency (i.e. counts) specifically, you also need to factor in HOW OLD your baby is.
1 day old = 💩+
2 days old = 💩💩+
3 days old= 💩💩💩+
But in these first few days of life, arguably what’s more important about baby p**p is COLOUR. You’ll notice when these counts are met, your baby’s p**p colours will change:
⚫️ first p**ps will be black meconium,
🟢 then green transitional p**ps happen,
🟡 then mustard yellow p**ps are here to stay by at least day 5 of life (it can happen earlier though).
If that’s not happening… Red. Flag.
Beyond day 3, your baby will continue having at least 3💩 per day. Still yellow.
If that’s not happening… RED. FLAG.
Even beyond 6 weeks, your baby’s p**p pattern may (or may not!) decrease to just 1 big💩 per day (nothing close to “loonie-size”), but still expect it every day or every other day. And probably still yellow until solids.
If that’s not happening… STILL. A. RED. FLAG.
Remember, baby p**p tells us about what’s coming in (nutrition) AND what’s happening in between (gut function). So p**ping *regularly* can tell you:
✅ Your baby is getting enough milk amount
✅ Your baby is eliminating waste effectively
Need more details? Watch my story highlight called 💩💩💩
Tag a friend who needs to see this 🥰
**p **p

19/01/2022

PSA: it doesn’t matter what your baby’s tongue looks like. Here’s why⤵️
Let’s say you run. After a certain time, you find yourself limping around in pain and can’t even run anymore.
So you ask for help.. “I’m in pain when I walk and can’t run - HALP”
Then imagine being met with a “oh your leg looks fine, and you’re able to walk.” 👋
You give it time, your leg heals from literally barely using it. But then you go to run again and BOOM. Pain. Can’t run. Sure you can get by walking, but how’s life going? Not so great.
The moral of the story? It never mattered what the leg looked like. Even though it looked okay, you couldn’t run and you were in pain. Because the leg was not able to FUNCTION. But that wasn’t assessed.
You can really draw parallels with this story to a tongue tie…
🚩 Symptoms show up: like the pain with walking or not able to run (maybe it’s misshapen ni***es and a baby with reflux)
🚩People don’t know how to assess: like saying it looks fine and you can walk (maybe it’s “there is no tie” after only looking under their tongue and “baby is gaining fine”)
🚩Compensations and bandaid fixes don’t solve the underlying problem: like not using your leg to heal it, but then hurting it again once you want to use it (maybe having to nurse baby 24/7 just to keep them growing or maybe it’s a baby falling off their curve because their ineffective demand can’t keep up supply)
🚩Function > Appearance: what the leg looked like didn’t matter, it was about what the leg could do (what the tongue looks like doesn’t matter, but rather what it’s able to do)
The symptoms you see are a reflection of how the tongue functions, not what the tongue looks like.
So if you have symptoms of a tongue tie hitting you in the face:
👅reflux
👅colic
👅gassiness
👅clicking sound
👅”lazy” feeding
👅lipstick shaped ni***es

👅+ many others
Get a second opinion by someone who can assess the tongue’s FUNCTION.
This is a KEY step I discuss in my FREE class to solving gas, reflux, colic and 💩 problems, because too often moms are avoiding food after food without getting their baby relief. Learn more at the link in my bio!

23/12/2021

ON HOLIDAYS 🥰🎄 See you all in 2022! Thanks for being part of my little corner of the internet!

22/12/2021

Has your baby’s green p**ps stuck around for weeks?⤵️
Honestly, there are a few specific times where breastfed green p**p may actually be normal. I cover that in another post.
But more often than not, the green p**p that mamas are seeing constantly for weeks is NOT normal.
What’s further frustrating is that your intuition is on point with this, but you’re dismissed with a “it’s normal” when you express concerns that you can’t remember the last time you saw a yellow p**p.
Well. If you’ve made it this far, let me point you in the direction of some help.
First off… the TYPE matters.
Frothy 💩 type = feeding issue = seek help from a lactation consultant to get your breast draining more effectively.
Mucousy 💩 type = food issue = seek help from a provider with the experience to walk you through the right* diet changes (if it IS diet related).
If you want more details on how to solve these “food issues”… head to the link in my bio and watch my FREE class (instantly!) Root Cause Remedy for Baby Gas, Reflux + P**p Problems
Put an emoji in the comments that describes your reaction to baby p**p pics!🤣 (Mine is tooootally 🧐or🤩)
**p (but actually not) (but it’s NOT)

13/12/2021

MILK SHARING CHALLENGE. ‘Tis the season of giving - but it’s more than that. There is no giving without receiving! 🎁
I love this statement by LLL: “Milk-sharing is a special relationship that can require much thought and effort. The aim is to support the health of the baby, enhance the relationships between all the participants and share the love inherent in the act of breastfeeding and chestfeeding.”
Did you GIVE milk? Did you RECEIVE milk? Share in the comments! ❤️❤️
Better yet? Join in the challenge - now until Dec 20, post this part of your journey with the hashtag ! 🥰
There is more info and some swipe up links for how to donate or how to use donated milk in my story highlight called “Milk Sharing” at .dietitian

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