Mothers are often told to wake their newborn for feedings every two hours, and there is a very good reason for this. Newborns are notorious for sleeping through feedings, and it is easy to assume that a sleepy baby is a full, satisfied baby. This is not always the case with newborns (I define newborns as babies two weeks old …

Breast fullness is a normal part of lactation which nearly all women experience when their milk ‘comes in’ 2 – 5 days after birth. This feeling of fullness, which may be accompanied by a feeling of heaviness, tenderness, and warmth, is caused by swelling of the breast tissue as blood, lymphatic fluid, and milk collect in the ducts as the …

Because jaundice is such a common condition, some medical professionals don’t take the time to explain all the details, because they deal with jaundiced babies every day. However, when the baby in question is your own precious newborn, you need to get as much information as possible to put your mind at ease. Nearly all infants are jaundiced to some …

Over the past thirty-five years of experience working with nursing mothers whose breasts came in an amazing variety of shapes and sizes, I have discovered that breastfeeding can present special challenges for the large breasted woman. Breast milk production is a function of the glandular tissue inside the breast as well as the baby’s appetite and suckling ability. The fatty …

 Ask Anne… Question: I started smoking when I was in high school, and smoked 10-15 cigarettes a day until I found out I was pregnant and I quit cold turkey. Now my baby is 6  months old and exclusively breastfed. Over the past few months, I have gradually started smoking again. My husband still smokes, and it’s hard not to have a hit …

Ask Anne… Question: I have a one month old baby who only wants to nurse on one breast – is that normal? Also, about once a day, she spits up after she nurses.  Please let me know what to do. Answer:  Is this something that just started recently, or has she had a preference for the right side from the …

Many new mothers tell me that they plan to nurse their babies for six months, or until they get teeth. With the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) now recommending nursing for at least a year, it makes sense to re-examine our ideas about breastfeeding babies with teeth. I have had two babies out of six who got teeth at four …

Ask Anne…   Question:  My baby is three days old, and my milk is really coming in. He is nursing well, and I know he’s getting enough milk because he has already gained two ounces and is having lots of wet and poopy diapers. The only problem I’m having is with burping. I try to burp him after every feeding, …