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Breastfeeding Help/Links
Lactation Care Center RGV reserves the right to differ from the views, opinions, conclusions and information expressed on these websites. Click on the icons below for more information.
- COVID-19
- Baby Behavior
- Breastfeeding
- Breast Pump Use
- Breast Surgery
- Breast Milk Production, Low
- Dads
- Engorgement
- Hand Expression
- Medications
- Milk Bleb/Blister
- Nipple Pain
- Post Partum Depression- Anxiety
- Skin-to-Skin
- Tongue, Lip, Cheek Ties
Consider the fact that the benefit of breastfeeding outweighs the risk of your baby contracting coronavirus. Up to this date, there have not been any confirmed cases of babies contracting coronavirus through mother's milk. The World Health Organization reports of a research that suggest that this is not likely.
Hospitals/Healthcare Providers should take into consideration parent's wishes to breastfeed and/or room-in (have baby in your room at all times) with their infant. They should teach you steps that you can take such as wearing a mask while breastfeeding if mother is positive, along with washing your hands well before touching your baby. When either mother or baby is ill, pumped breast milk can be provided for your little one, thus protecting your milk supply while you are separated.
PREGNANCY / BREASTFEEDING & COVID-19 VACCINE
- the individual risk of contracting COVID-19
- the anticipation of how she would tolerate the illness of COVID-19
- any pre-existing conditions that would increase risk of contracting or severity of COVID-19
- the risks and benefits of the vaccine
Be informed.
Click on the links below to read more about the COVID-19 vaccine and pregnancy or breastfeeding.
WHO Vaccine Recommendations
The American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Infant Risk Center
The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine
American Academy of Pediatrics FAQ Covid-19 Vaccine
Not understanding what your baby is telling you with their cues can lead to increasing anxiety, frustration and even overfeeding your baby. We offer a class on baby behavior, call us at 956-292-7711 if your interested in signing up for it. Here are some videos that can be helpful in understanding just what your baby is trying to communicate to you.
WIC LITERATURE
Getting to Know Your New Baby Birth-3 Mo Getting to Know Your New Baby 4 -7 Mo
VIDEOS
TEXAS BREASTFEEDING HOTLINE
1-855-550-6667
Speak to a lactation consultant even after hours.
Answered 24 hrs/day, 7 days/week, including holidays.
Babies are born knowing how to nurse; mothers have to learn. Due to many factors, like the maternity care practices of hospitals, doctors and nurses, some mothers encounter many challenges to breastfeeding. These challenges seem to intensify during the nighttime hours. Don't hesitate to call the toll free number listed above for help during the night. With the help of a lactation consultant you can overcome many of these challenges. These links below will get you off to a good start!

WIC LITERATURE
Hospital Experience Breastfeeding Guide Colostrum Breastfeeding Questionnaire
Breastfeeding More than One Baby Breastfeeding in Public - Bilingual
Breastfeeding and Family Planning Breastfeeding as a Working Mom
Breastfeeding beyond 6 Months Bottle-feeding your Breastfed Baby
Late Preterm Babies Breastmilk for Preterm Babies Grandmother's Guide
VIDEOS
WIC LITERATURE
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Sometimes it is medically necessary to feed your baby more milk after nursing. Mom's own milk (expressed) is a priority. If a commercialized infant formula is used, proper preparation is important. Here are the instructions on how to prepare powdered infant formula. How to Mix Infant Formula
If your baby is hospitalized, you may call us immediately for a loaner, hospital-grade breast pump.
Call for more details 956-292-7711.
WIC LITERATURE
WIC & Breast Pumps Pumping Log Breast Milk Storage Guidelines
Federal Law Texas Law
Pumping Recommendations & Flange Fitting
Hospital Grade Loaner Pump Instructions
For the hospital grade Ardo Calypso Pro, please watch the Ardo video below in the "Personal Pump Instruction" section.
Personal Pump Instructions
Manual Pump Instructions
WIC LITERATURE
Making the Right Amount of Milk
/DocumentCenter/View/56281/How-Do-I-Make-enough-Milk-Poster-ENG
VIDEO
Dads, or support persons, play a vital role in supporting the breastfeeding mother. We provide a prenatal class for dads to empower them and give them suggestions on how to support the breastfeeding mother. Dads are welcomed at your private consultation after your baby is born. We give dads tips on how to help the breastfeeding mother after you leave our clinic!
WIC LITERATURE
Dad's Guide A Man's Guide Supporting Your Partner
Breast engorgement is an overfilling of the breast tissue with milk, blood or other fluids (IV fluids). This can cause your breasts to be very full or hard, painful and swollen. It can cause your nipples to flatten leading to difficulty latching your baby. Engorgement can also happen if your baby is not latching well and draining the milk from your breasts, if your body is making too much milk or if your baby sleeps longer then usual.
Helpful tips include:
- Speak to your physician about taking an anti-inflammatory medication
- Feeding baby often and on demand, not limiting time at breasts and latching deeply
- Warm shower or warm compress momentarily before nursing
- Hand express or reverse pressure (see video below) before nursing
- Cold compress to breast after nursing
- After nursing, if still very full, hand express or pump for comfort
- Call us for assistance at 956-292-7711
WIC LITERATURE
VIDEOS
Hand expression is a skill that all breastfeeding mothers would benefit from learning. It can help relieve engorgement, serve as a pump when you are out and about longer than you expected, further empty your breasts after pumping and help increase your milk supply.
In these videos you will learn how to perform hand expression. Call us at 956-292-7711 if you need further instructions or help learning this technique.
WIC LITERATURE
VIDEOS
Hand Expression - Stanford University
Hand expression starts at 10:03
Milk Bleb or Blister is when a bit of skin grows over a pore on your nipple trapping milk inside. This can be very painful. Here are some helpful tips below. If you cannot resolve it, you may contact your doctor so that it can be lanced. Once it is lanced, compress to empty the stringy milk. This milk will not hurt your baby, if you latch your little one. Follow your doctors instructions for after care.
How do you treat a milk bllister? Kellymom
VIDEO
VIDEOS
Your emotional health is very important. At delivery, there are many hormonal changes in your body that may affect your mental and emotional well-being. It is important to follow the recommendations of the links below. If you are still feeling overwhelmed by feelings of depression or anxiety, please see your doctor.
- National Women’s Health Information Center Telephone Number: 1-800-994-9662
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
- For deaf and hard of hearing persons: 1-800-799-4889
- CRISIS LINE: 1-877-289-7199
Holding your baby skin-to-skin is one of the most important things that you can do to help establish breastfeeding; it also stimulates your baby's social and emotional development! It is helpful in increasing your milk supply. You will find more information in the links below and by watching the videos.
Short frenums, whether under tongue, lip or cheeks, can cause difficulty latching, sore nipples and a decrease in your milk supply. If you continue with a painful latch, speak with a lactation consultant to ensure that you are achieving a deep, asymmetrical latch. If you feel that your baby, perhaps, has a tongue, lip or cheek tie, we recommend that you have your baby evaluated by the pediatrician. As nurses and/or lactation consultants, we recognize that we cannot diagnose your infant. We are trained in recognizing when the oral anatomy is not functioning normally i.e. restricted movement of the lip or the tongue. We ask that you do not interpret the information that we give to empower you as a diagnosis.
Please consult your baby’s health care provider for evaluation, diagnosis and guidance on choosing a provider. If so desired, you may request a second opinion. Please read the information provided on the websites and watch the videos as this information may give you more questions to ask your baby's doctor.