💦 Your Baby Isn't a Newborn Anymore: Breastfeeding Changes at 3–6 Months

💦 Breastfeeding Survival Tactics for the First Few Weeks | Spill the Milk Season 2, Episode 4 Those first few weeks of breastfeeding can feel like absolute chaos. You just had a baby. You're recovering. You're exhausted. Your hormones are everywhere. You're trying to figure out this brand-new little human—and meanwhile, everybody has an opinion about what you're supposed to be doing. How often should baby eat? How long should they stay at the breast? Should you wake them? Should you pump? Is your milk “in”? Is the latch good enough? Why do they want to eat AGAIN? Can we please give moms—and babies—a minute? In this episode of Spill the Milk, I'm giving you the breastfeeding survival tactics I wish every new mom knew before she started doubting herself. We're talking about: 💦 Why skin-to-skin shouldn't end after the golden hour 💦 Why colostrum IS milk 💦 Why you don't automatically need to breastfeed AND pump 💦 Why hand expression can work better for those tiny amounts of thick colostrum 💦 Why pump output is NOT a test of whether you have milk 💦 The learning curve of latch—and why neither you nor your baby needs to be perfect at it 💦 Normal newborn weight loss and why context matters 💦 Why my newborn rule is “When in doubt, guess hunger” 💦 Why I want you to stop timing the damn feed 💦 Second-night cluster feeding and why it doesn't automatically mean low supply 💦 What diapers can actually tell us 💦 Why I want everybody to LEAVE. THAT. BABY. ALONE. when they're peacefully feeding 😂 💦 And why I do NOT recommend swaddling your baby while breastfeeding I'm also talking about the difference between normal newborn behavior and something that really does deserve assessment. Because “This is normal” should reassure you. It should never silence you when something doesn't feel right. And maybe most importantly: You are not supposed to be perfect at breastfeeding on Day 1. You're learning your baby. Your baby is learning you. You're both going to get better with time and practice. The first few weeks aren't about doing breastfeeding perfectly. They're about learning your baby. 🤍 🎙️ Episode 4 airs Friday, October 9. 🤍 PATREON EARLY ACCESS — OCTOBER 7 Patreon members with early access can listen beginning Wednesday, October 7, before the episode releases publicly on Friday. Patreon members also get bonus conversations, Q&As, practical resources, behind-the-scenes content, and a community where we can keep talking about what feeding a baby actually looks like in real life. The podcast is where I share the education. Patreon is where we get to hang out a little more. 🤍 💦 Join Baby Whisperer Nicki on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BabyWhisperer?utm_campaign=creatorshare_fan 📖 GO WITH THE FLOW I created my Go With the Flow Breastfeeding Guide and Journal because I don't want you trying to remember everything you've ever been told about breastfeeding while you're exhausted, recovering, and learning your baby. It's a resource you can come back to when you're sitting there at 2 a.m. wondering, “Is this normal?” 📖 Get Go With the Flow: https://a.co/d/0eaKhuBn 🌐 Baby Whisperer Nicki: https://babywhisperernicki.com My goal isn't to convince you to breastfeed. That's your decision. My goal is to support your decisions with education and compassion. Nicki Davis, RN, BSN, IBCLC Baby Whisperer Nicki Helping Families Feed with Confidence. 💦

Okay, friends… I’m a little spicy in this one. Actually, I’m pretty pissed. 🔥 Tongue-tie revisions have become one of those breastfeeding conversations where I keep asking myself: How did we get here? I’ve been helping breastfeeding families for more than 20 years, and I remember practicing before it seemed like every breastfeeding problem led to somebody looking inside a baby’s mouth for a tie. Now a mom can post online: “My nipples hurt.” And within minutes: “Have you had your baby checked for a tongue-tie?” WHAT?! Nipple pain tells me we need to assess the feeding. It does NOT automatically tell me something in your baby’s mouth needs to be cut. In this episode, we’re talking about the rise in tongue-tie diagnoses and revisions, internet advice, babies being revised before leaving the hospital, repeat procedures, informed consent, potential complications—and something we don’t discuss enough: The baby. How many people need to put their fingers in this baby’s mouth? And because a baby can’t tell us, “Enough,” shouldn’t that make us MORE thoughtful about what we’re doing to their body? I’m also sharing two cases from my own practice that have stayed with me. This episode is NOT anti-frenotomy. Some babies with symptomatic tongue-tie may benefit from one. What I’m against is jumping from: “Breastfeeding isn’t working” → “Your baby needs a revision.” Before we cut anything, I want to know: 💦 Has someone watched an ENTIRE feeding? 💦 Has Mom been taught how to improve the latch? 💦 Is baby transferring milk and gaining appropriately? 💦 What is diaper output telling us? 💦 What is Mom’s milk production doing? 💦 What other causes have been considered? 💦 What FUNCTION is the frenulum interfering with? 💦 What are the benefits AND risks? 💦 What happens if we wait—or if the procedure doesn’t work? A visible frenulum is not automatically a feeding problem. Finding a frenulum is not the same thing as finding the cause of the feeding problem. I’m not anti-procedure. I’m pro-assessment, pro-informed consent, and pro-baby. Before we cut anything, ask: What problem are we actually trying to solve? 📖 BEFORE YOU REVISE If a tongue-tie or lip-tie procedure has been recommended for your baby, I created Before You Revise: The Parent’s Checklist Before Saying Yes to a Tongue-Tie or Lip-Tie Procedure to help you understand what should be assessed, what questions to ask, the potential benefits and risks, and when it may be time to slow down and get more information. 📖 Get Before You Revise: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HKDJNK95 🤍 WANT MORE SPILL THE MILK? Come hang out with me on Patreon for early access, bonus conversations, Q&As, resources, behind-the-scenes content, and our community. The podcast is where I share the education. Patreon is where we get to hang out a little more. 🤍 💦 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BabyWhisperer?utm_campaign=creatorshare_fan 🌐 https://babywhisperernicki.com 📚 RESOURCES & FURTHER READING American Academy of Pediatrics — 2024 Clinical Report https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/154/2/e2024067605/198022/Identification-and-Management-of-Ankyloglossia-and Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine — Position Statement https://www.bfmed.org/assets/Anklyloglossia%20position%20statement%202021.pdf American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry — Frenulum Policy https://www.aapd.org/research/oral-health-policies--recommendations/managment-of-the-frenulum-in-pediatric-dental-patients/ JAMA Otolaryngology — Feeding Evaluation & Frenotomy Rates https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaotolaryngology/fullarticle/2737712 The New York Times — Inside the Booming Business of Cutting Babies’ Tongues https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/18/health/tongue-tie-release-breastfeeding.html My goal isn’t to convince you to breastfeed. That’s your decision. My goal is to support your decisions with education and compassion. Nicki Davis, RN, BSN, IBCLC Baby Whisperer Nicki Helping Families Feed with Confidence.

Somewhere along the way, the breast pump went from being an incredibly useful tool to something breastfeeding moms started believing they have to use. And I have questions. 😂🔥 Since spending more time talking with moms on social media, I’ve been surprised by how many are nursing their babies and pumping—not because they’re returning to work, separated from their baby, or exclusively pumping, but because they’ve been told they need to pump to “protect their supply.” And every time I hear that, I want to ask: Protect your supply from WHAT? 👀 In this episode of Spill the Milk, we’re talking about the new pumping culture and all the extra work we may be giving breastfeeding moms without ever stopping to ask whether they actually need to do it. We’re getting into: 💦 Why directly breastfeeding your baby can be enough 💦 Boob, bottle, and pump—and why they don’t automatically all have to go together 💦 When pumping actually makes sense 💦 Why some moms end up owning multiple pumps without ever being taught how to properly use the one they have 💦 Returning to work and planning for bottles 💦 Freezer stash culture and the pressure to collect more and more milk 💦 Why pumping extra can sometimes create problems you never needed in the first place And yes, we need to talk about those freezers packed from top to bottom with breast milk. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being proud of milk you worked hard to collect. But seeing someone else’s freezer stash without knowing the context can quickly turn into another breastfeeding expectation. Suddenly, you’re doing two jobs: You’re feeding your baby AND you’re feeding your freezer. Friends, moms already have enough jobs. I’m not anti-pump. I’m not anti-bottle. I’m not anti-freezer stash. I’m anti-unnecessary work for moms. 🔥 The breast pump is a tool. Sometimes it’s incredibly helpful. Sometimes it’s essential. But it is not a requirement for being a successful breastfeeding mother. So before you add another pumping session, buy another pump, or decide you need another 100 ounces in your freezer, I want you to ask yourself one simple question: WHY am I pumping? Because the plan should match the reason. 🤍 Want more Spill the Milk? Come hang out with me on Patreon! Patreon members can get early access to Spill the Milk episodes, plus bonus conversations, Q&As, practical resources, behind-the-scenes content, and a community where we can keep talking about what feeding a baby actually looks like in real life. The podcast is where I share the education. Patreon is where we get to hang out a little more. 🤍 💦 Join Baby Whisperer Nicki on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BabyWhisperer?utm_campaign=creatorshare_fan Nicki Davis, RN, BSN, IBCLC Baby Whisperer Nicki Helping Families Feed with Confidence. 💦 babywhisperernicki.com

Welcome to Season 2 of Spill the Milk. 🥛 And fair warning—you may notice I'm a little spicier this season. After more than 20 years of working with moms and babies, I've become pretty protective of you and your feeding goals. I'm not here to convince you to breastfeed. I'm here to help you understand what's happening, make informed decisions, and fight for the feeding experience you want. And sometimes that means I have a few things to say. 😉 We're starting Season 2 with something I see all the time: moms who are terrified they aren't making enough milk. We have more breastfeeding information available to us than ever before. We can track ounces, minutes, feeds, diapers, sleep, pump output, freezer stashes, weight, and just about everything else. Then we open social media and see another mom pumping eight ounces, a freezer overflowing with breast milk, or a baby following a picture-perfect feeding schedule. But here's the problem: You're seeing the data. You're not seeing the context. In this episode, we're talking about supply anxiety, pump output, unrealistic expectations, conflicting breastfeeding advice, social media comparison, and why one number—or one TikTok—cannot tell you the whole story of a breastfeeding relationship. Sometimes we need to stop staring at one feed, one pump session, or one number and zoom out. How is your baby doing? How are you doing? What does feeding look like over 24 hours? And is there actually evidence that something isn't working—or are you afraid because your experience doesn't look like what someone told you breastfeeding was supposed to look like? Your baby is an individual. So are you. Let's look at the whole picture. 🥛 Spill the Milk with Baby Whisperer Nicki Nicki Davis, RN, BSN, IBCLC Helping Families Feed with Confidence. 🌐 Visit Baby Whisperer Nicki: babywhisperernicki.com

What if some of the most common breastfeeding advice isn't helping moms at all? In this episode, we're talking about the things we need to stop telling breastfeeding mothers. From "feed 8–12 times a day" and "don't feed your baby to sleep," to "pump to see how much milk you have" and "just push through the pain," we're taking a closer look at where these messages come from, why they can be misleading, and what evidence and normal infant behavior actually tell us. We'll cover topics like: Feeding by the clock vs. feeding your baby Why "full feeds" aren't as simple as they sound Normal night waking and cluster feeding Why pump output doesn't measure your milk supply The problem with routine triple feeding Pain during breastfeeding Tongue tie referrals Feeding to sleep And more... My goal isn't to shame parents or healthcare providers—it's to replace fear and rigid rules with practical, evidence-based information that helps you better understand your baby and trust your instincts. Whether you're expecting your first baby, currently breastfeeding, or supporting a breastfeeding family, this episode will help you separate breastfeeding facts from breastfeeding myths. Connect with me: Find my breastfeeding classes, virtual consultations, podcast episodes, and resources here: https://linktr.ee/babywhisperer77 If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the podcast, leave a rating and review, and share it with another parent who could use evidence-based breastfeeding support.