The Natural Root Lactation

07/19/2026

I have a project I’m working on! Email me your most unhinged nursing, parent and baby photos. 🙏🏼

Proudest moments, darkest times, crazy positions (breastfeeding only, please 😵‍💫), raw footage, family forward, quiet moments, share worthy drama, support staff, or anything that YOU find endearing or valuable.

[email protected]

07/12/2026

♥️🙏🏼♥️

Meredith Van Ness Therapy and Coaching

07/09/2026

06/25/2026

It’s so very important to have parts that fit you well. I often find that people don’t know how good it can feel to pump! P.S. You’ll likely get more milk 😯

Measuring ni***es for pump fl**ges.
It's NOT just simply "use a smaller fl**ge".
It's finding the perfect fl**ge size, shape, and material for that side of the chest.

To read more on this, see our Blog! You've heard it here first...now is the reboot of the blog, but more posts (goal is weekly)...what are the questions you would like to see me answer in blog posts?

~ Jeanette

https://www.babiesincommon.com/blog/post/measuring-ni***es-just-a-minor-part-of-the-story

04/09/2026

New research shows that milk made after a preterm birth isn’t the same as term milk. It adapts. In those early weeks, it’s higher in protein and electrolytes for growth, rich in immune factors that protect the gut, and full of fats that support rapid brain development.

It’s amazing our bodies know how to adapt for our babies

The “nutriome”: human milk as biological software.

New research shows that milk made after a preterm birth isn’t the same as term milk. It adapts. In those early weeks, it’s higher in protein and electrolytes for growth, rich in immune factors that protect the gut, and full of fats that support rapid brain development.

This is more than nutrition. It’s targeted support for a baby who arrived early.

When we help a parent provide milk, we’re not just supporting feeding. We’re helping deliver the exact biological tools that baby needs.

Our role is to protect that system from the very beginning.

If your team wants to better understand and support this work, I’d love to connect.

Alexandre-Gouabau, M. C., Moyon, T., Douarec, C., Moulazem, Y., Croyal, M., Gourdel, M., ... & Cano-Sancho, G. (2026). An Exploration of the Breast Milk Nutriome, Exposome and Microbiome and their Links to Early Growth in Preterm Infants. The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 110268. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955286326000100

04/08/2026

Breastfeeding is a public health initiative. Being fined for advertising formula is a bold move!

Vietnam has introduced sanctions on individuals and organizations involved in the advertising and marketing of breast milk substitutes, with fines of up to US$760, under a new government decree meant to protect breastfeeding practices and reduce commercial influence in healthcare settings.

The government promulgated Decree 90/2026-ND-CP on March 30, which sets out penalties for administrative violations in the health sector, including a wide range of fines for the promotion of breast milk substitutes targeting vulnerable groups such as pregnant women and mothers of young children.

Read more in comments 👇👇👇

04/07/2026

Bring all your gently used items!

03/13/2026

Be safe out there! Car seat inspections tomorrow in Crestview.

03/03/2026

It’s nice to see the things we’ve been talking about for some time *finally* reaching the “news”!

🚨 Recent research is challenging the CDC's strict guidelines on breast milk storage—especially for partially used bottles after feeding.

The CDC currently recommends using or discarding leftover breast milk within 1–2 hours after a baby finishes feeding from the bottle, to limit bacterial risks.

A 2026 German study (preprint on medRxiv, with 44 healthy full-term infants) tested this directly by measuring bacterial growth in leftover human milk after actual bottle feeds.

Main findings:

• Bacterial levels rose after feeding due to contact with the baby's mouth, but showed no meaningful further increase at 4 hours or 8 hours—whether kept at room temperature (~20°C) or refrigerated (4°C).

• Significant growth appeared only after 24 hours at room temperature.

• Refrigerated leftover milk stayed low-risk and stable for up to 24 hours.

For healthy, full-term babies, this suggests it's generally safe to:

• Refrigerate a partially used bottle and reuse it within 24 hours, or

• Leave it at room temperature for up to 8 hours when needed.

Unused pumped milk also proved more stable than the CDC's 4-hour room-temperature rule, with very little bacterial growth even up to 24 hours in many cases, consistent with other recent studies.

The current guidelines are understandably cautious, especially for preterm infants, NICU babies, or those with health issues, who should stick to stricter rules and check with a doctor.

For most parents with healthy babies, though, this new evidence provides real relief: less wasted breast milk, fewer stressful discards, and guidelines that better match actual safety data and everyday feeding life.

🔗 Full preprint: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.13.26346179v1.full-text

02/25/2026

😘

So many people are told, even by health professionals, that breastmilk is no longer nutritious or beneficial after 'insert random age here'

Not true!