Question: From I`ve started breastfeeding my daughter she has favored the left of my two breast and I guess due to me wanting her to be comfortable while feeding. I have been giving her that breast that she wants and yes a whole 15mths later I`m witnessing the results of that decision. My right brea . . .

Answer: It is not uncommon for women to have breasts which are not the same size, even by a whole cup size. If you are still breastfeeding, you may find that the left breast will get smaller as you wean your daughter. Otherwise, you can learn to accept your body as it has changed due to childbearing or see . . .

Ask an Expert: Barbara Morrison PhD, CNM, FNP, Breast Feeding View full article

How to stop lactating

Question: My daughter just had a baby which, sadly, only lived a few hours. She had started pumping before we knew the baby wouldn`t survive. Now, her milk has come in and she is very uncomfortable, physically and emotionally. How can she stop lactating? Thanks,

Answer:

First, let me express my sincere condolences on the loss of your little one.

There are a few things your daughter can do to stop lactating.

Pump only to comfort but not to empty the breasts.

Try to pump less and less frequently as your breasts make less and less milk.

The less . . .

Ask an Expert: Jeanne Ballard MD, FAAP, FABM, Breast Feeding View full article

Mixing breastmilk and formula in a bottle

Question: I had read an excerpt that is NOT recommended b/c the formula can change the chemical makeup of the breastmilk, therefore, possibly negatively effecting the infant`s kidneys. Is there any fact to this? We have been doing this for about 1.5mos & made our peditrician aware of this. There were no n . . .

Answer: I know of no literature to this effect. This belief does not seem to be based on fact.

We advise this (mixing with formula) frequently when there is not enough breast milk for the baby, both in and out of the hospital.

No problems have been reported to my knowledge, for any organ system, i . . .

Ask an Expert: Jeanne Ballard MD, FAAP, FABM, Breast Feeding View full article

When to stop pumping after nursing

Question: My daughter weaned herself off from breast feeding at 10 months...I was told to pump every now and then and not stop cold turkey. I have been pumping just in the mornings when I get up...when can I stop all together??? I`m just a fraid of an infection...and what should I expect?? a build of milk and . . .

Answer: If you are pumping only once per day and are quite comfortable, you are almost there.

You might try shortening the pumping time by about 5 minutes for a week or so, then pump only every other day or daily only if you are uncomfortable. Then shorten the pumping time by another 5 minutes, until y . . .

Ask an Expert: Jeanne Ballard MD, FAAP, FABM, Breast Feeding View full article

Ending breastfeeding

Question: My baby is 4 months old now and I have breastfeed her the entire time. I originally wanted to breastfeed until she was 6 months old, but my milk supply is not lasting. It`s still there, but not meeting her demands. She`s stopped sleeping through the night and is extremely fussy all the time. Therefo . . .

Answer: When the baby sleeps through the night, the milk supply will diminish unless the mother pumps during the night to keep up her supply.

When the milk supply goes down, the baby cannot get fully satisfied during the day.

Mothers who wish to continue to nurse longer need to start pumping durin . . .

Ask an Expert: Jeanne Ballard MD, FAAP, FABM, Breast Feeding View full article