Glass fishing floats, Kodiak Island, Alaska
Tips & Tools
Welcome to our Infant Feeding Library! Click on any topic for concise, practical and current information, compiled from our years of experience, current research, and links to other evidence-based websites. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, please contact us and we’ll get back to you. We are always working on expanding our library and keeping the information as current as possible. We hope these brief, up-to-date posts focus on the specific information you need, and save you time. Remember we are always a phone call away for individualized, personal KINDNESS support.
A
Cow’s Milk and Alternative Toddler Milk: When and How to Start
The field of pediatric nutrition is so exciting for us to work in! It is a constantly evolving discipline, with new information coming from cutting-edge research at a fast pace. KINDNESS has taught an infant nutrition class in Kodiak for almost 20 years now, and we...
Arsenic in Rice Cereal
A few years ago, concerns were raised about unsafe levels of arsenic in rice cereal. Rice cereal was the "go-to" first food for infants for decades, because it was thought to be one of the least allergenic foods. Current recommendations encourage the introduction of a...
Aromatherapy, Essential Oils and Breastfeeding
We hope you find this information helpful about using herbs, essential oils and aromatherapy during breastfeeding. Keep in mind that "natural remedies" are a largely unregulated industry. Read the labels, know the sources, choose reputable products, and research the...
Alcohol and Breastfeeding
We are often asked by conscientious parents about how to safely enjoy occasional alcohol when you are breastfeeding. The good news is that there are ways to enjoy an occasional drink while protecting your infant from harmful exposure to alcohol. We encourage you to...
B
Breast Refusal
It can be very distressing when your baby refuses to latch on your breast. There are many reasons why this happens, but ultimately it's a bit of a guessing game because babies can't talk and tell us why! Here are a few situations that may cause your baby to refuse to...
Breastfeeding after Breast Reduction Surgery
If you have had breast reduction surgery, give breastfeeding a try! It is difficult to predict the effect of reduction surgery; results vary widely between individual women. It is important to note that reduction surgery increases your risk of low milk supply; a...
Breast Implants and Breastfeeding
Most of the time, breast implants do not interfere with breastfeeding. Some women with implants may experience increased discomfort or engorgement pain around the time their milk comes in during the first week after birth, which usually resolves within a few days to a...
Bottle Feeding
Whether you put breast milk or formula in your baby's bottle, read this entire post thoroughly! There is a lot more to bottle feeding than one might think. In fact, until a few years ago we didn't give any specific teaching about bottle feeding other than not to prop...
Birth Control and Breastfeeding
The hormones of lactation inhibit ovulation and reduce fertility for the first 6 months if breastfeeding is exclusive, completely on the infant's schedule, and mom has had no break-through bleeding. Using breastfeeding as contraception is referred to as LAM...
C
Cow’s Milk and Alternative Toddler Milk: When and How to Start
The field of pediatric nutrition is so exciting for us to work in! It is a constantly evolving discipline, with new information coming from cutting-edge research at a fast pace. KINDNESS has taught an infant nutrition class in Kodiak for almost 20 years now, and we...
Cup Drinking: How and When to Start
WHEN to start your baby on a cup: About the time you start your baby on solid food, unlimited water (as much as your baby wants) or a small amount of diluted juice can also be given in a cup. Many parents are choosing to avoid giving babies juice altogether because of...
Colic and Food Sensitivities
Most of the time, fussy or colicky babies are not reacting to any specific food their mothers eat; their digestive discomfort or gassiness is due to the immaturity of their gut and the normal flora (healthy bacteria) that help them digest food. Mother's milk is always...
D
Donor Human Milk
We get many questions from mothers who either have extra milk to share or donate, or who are feeding their infants with donor human milk. This is a complex issue! You can either be a donor or a recipient, and the milk can be screened, pooled with others' milk,...
Dental Health and Breastfeeding
Dentists love breastfed babies! Many dentists can tell just by looking at a person's jaw structure whether they were breastfed as a baby. Breastfeeding promotes ideal jaw and tooth development. Breastfed babies have a statistically lower chance of needing braces. The...
E
Exclusive Pumping
Many parents for one reason or another end up exclusively pumping breast milk and feeding their babies by bottle instead of directly latching on the breast. If you find yourself in this situation, either by choice or circumstance, know you are not alone! It's...
Aromatherapy, Essential Oils and Breastfeeding
We hope you find this information helpful about using herbs, essential oils and aromatherapy during breastfeeding. Keep in mind that "natural remedies" are a largely unregulated industry. Read the labels, know the sources, choose reputable products, and research the...
F
Tasting Flavors: Importance for Babies
The field of pediatric nutrition is so exciting for us to work in! It is a constantly evolving discipline, with new information coming from cutting-edge research at a fast pace. We didn't even think about the difference between tasting and eating until a few years...
Formula
Formula is not evil, unless it is marketed and used inappropriately. Formula is simply a different kind of infant food, and although it is indisputable that human milk is the best nutrition for human babies, KINDNESS firmly believes it is more important how you love...
G
Gluten, Celiac Disease and Breastfeeding
Celiac disease is a type of food allergy specific to gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye and some oats. Some people are sensitive to gluten-containing foods without having celiac disease, and there is a lot of confusing information on the web about...
H
I
Iron Rich Baby Foods
If your baby is breastfed, the iron in your milk meets your baby's needs completely for the first 6 months. Iron in breast milk is highly bio-available and stable, meaning it is easy for babies to absorb and does not change throughout the duration of lactation. It...
J
K
L
Overactive Letdown, Oversupply and Lactose Overload
Although most moms worry they don't have enough milk, some moms have too much milk, and/or their milk flows too fast during the initial let-down. This sounds like a "good problem" to have - the more milk the better, right? Well, having too much milk can be almost as...
Tongue-Tie and Lip-Tie
We have worked with dozens of babies with tongue-tie and lip-ties. We have learned it is important to go by what a baby can do (functional assessment) rather than what it looks like (visual assessment). If you have a family history of tongue and/or lip-tie, your baby...
Lipase in Expressed Human Milk
Sometimes, some mothers' pumped milk tastes "off" or "soapy" when stored for a few days in the fridge, or if frozen then later thawed. These moms often have a high amount of lipase in their milk, an enzyme that breaks down fats. The broken down fats taste and smell...
Latching and Positioning
Overwhelmed with all the information out there on latching and positioning? So are we! You'll find a ton of different advice because every mom and baby is different, and finding the right positioning for you and your baby is your own journey. We've done our best to...
M
Medications and Breastfeeding
Frequently, we get questions on whether a prescription or over-the-counter medication is safe to take while breastfeeding. Many factors affect the transfer of medications into breast milk, including the molecular size of the medication, the age of your baby, the...
Milk Supply
Questions and concerns about milk supply is by far the most common reason families call our warm-line. Low milk supply is cited in the breastfeeding literature as the number one reason why mothers start supplementing with formula. It's hard to have faith in something...
Maternal Nutrition and Weight Loss
Many nursing mothers worry about their own nutrition during breastfeeding, knowing that their health and what they eat can affect their baby. Rest assured that unless you are severely malnourished or dehydrated, your own nutrition has very little impact on the quality...
N
Safe Sleep, Co-Sleeping, Night-Time Parenting
One of the most common issues a family faces is handling night-time parenting. The most important thing to remember is that there are no right or wrong answers on this topic. We encourage you to understand normal infant sleep behavior and patterns (which are...
Nipple Shields
Nipple shields are artificial nipples usually made of silicone that you place over your own nipple to help your baby latch on. They can salvage breastfeeding when moms are ready to completely give up on trying to latch. We recommend only using a nipple shield after...
O
Overactive Letdown, Oversupply and Lactose Overload
Although most moms worry they don't have enough milk, some moms have too much milk, and/or their milk flows too fast during the initial let-down. This sounds like a "good problem" to have - the more milk the better, right? Well, having too much milk can be almost as...
P
Poop Scoop
Before you had a baby, did you ever think that you'd be so interested/horrified/fascinated/worried/excited/relieved to see what shows up in their diaper? That you'd be counting poopy and wet diapers and examining each one closely? You are not alone. Almost every new...
Pumping, Handling and Storing Human Milk
You might find all kinds of different recommendations for when and how to start pumping when you are breastfeeding your baby. Ultimately, it's completely up to you and your circumstances...some women never pump, while others exclusively pump...or everything in...
Latching and Positioning
Overwhelmed with all the information out there on latching and positioning? So are we! You'll find a ton of different advice because every mom and baby is different, and finding the right positioning for you and your baby is your own journey. We've done our best to...
Q
R
Reflux in Infants
Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is the medical term for spitting up. It happens when stomach contents reflux or back up into the esophagus and/or mouth. Because the stomach naturally produces some acid, reflux is sometimes called acid reflux. Reflux is a normal process...
S
Supplementing – Best Practices in the First Month of Breastfeeding
Sometimes, breastfeeding doesn't go smoothly right from day one. Many factors can thwart your learning curve with positioning and latching, and or interfere with your body's natural ability to produce enough milk. Some examples include difficult birth circumstances,...
Solid Foods: When and How to Start
WHEN TO START SOLIDS: Ah, the million-dollar question. Ask 5 people and you'll get 6 answers. The best person to ask is your baby! It is more important to go by your baby’s developmental signs rather than their age to know when they are ready to start solids foods....
Travelling and Breastfeeding, Shipping Human Milk
In Kodiak, with so many families moving on and off the island for a variety of reasons, we've assembled a great toolkit of resources for shipping your hard-earned stash of frozen breast milk, travelling with a breastfed baby, or travelling with pumped milk....
Sore Nipples
There are many reasons why some mothers experience sore nipples during breastfeeding. The most common cause for sore nipples in the early days and weeks of nursing is a shallow latch. Read our post on positioning and latching or call us for in-person help. When women...
Safe Sleep, Co-Sleeping, Night-Time Parenting
One of the most common issues a family faces is handling night-time parenting. The most important thing to remember is that there are no right or wrong answers on this topic. We encourage you to understand normal infant sleep behavior and patterns (which are...
Pumping, Handling and Storing Human Milk
You might find all kinds of different recommendations for when and how to start pumping when you are breastfeeding your baby. Ultimately, it's completely up to you and your circumstances...some women never pump, while others exclusively pump...or everything in...
T
Tasting Flavors: Importance for Babies
The field of pediatric nutrition is so exciting for us to work in! It is a constantly evolving discipline, with new information coming from cutting-edge research at a fast pace. We didn't even think about the difference between tasting and eating until a few years...
Thrush and Yeast Infections
Yeast infections in breastfeeding mothers and babies are relatively common. The hallmark symptom is a sudden onset of burning or needle-like nipple pain after a period of pain-free nursing, without any other obvious cause. Mom's pain may start on one side and then...
Travelling and Breastfeeding, Shipping Human Milk
In Kodiak, with so many families moving on and off the island for a variety of reasons, we've assembled a great toolkit of resources for shipping your hard-earned stash of frozen breast milk, travelling with a breastfed baby, or travelling with pumped milk....
Tongue-Tie and Lip-Tie
We have worked with dozens of babies with tongue-tie and lip-ties. We have learned it is important to go by what a baby can do (functional assessment) rather than what it looks like (visual assessment). If you have a family history of tongue and/or lip-tie, your baby...
Toddler and Tandem Nursing
Many parents who nurse beyond the first year in our culture wonder if they are doing the right thing...or if they are spoiling their babies... Nursing a toddler and tandem nursing (breastfeeding a newborn and a toddler) are actually very normal biologically, and much...
U
V
Vitamins for Infants (D, Iron, Fluoride and more)
Vitamin D: Current CDC recommendations are for all infants to receive 400 IU of vitamin D unless they are consistently drinking at least 32 oz of formula per day. Vitamin D is not technically a vitamin by strict definition, it's a hormone that our bodies can make with...
W
Weaning from Breast or Bottle
If you are breastfeeding, see our post on toddler nursing...wean whenever it feels right to you! Remember there are no right or wrong ways to wean your baby from the breast; every baby and family are different and may use different strategies. Gradual weaning is...
X
Y
Thrush and Yeast Infections
Yeast infections in breastfeeding mothers and babies are relatively common. The hallmark symptom is a sudden onset of burning or needle-like nipple pain after a period of pain-free nursing, without any other obvious cause. Mom's pain may start on one side and then...
Z
DISCLAIMER: We know when you surf the web for information, you can get conflicting results, and it’s not easy to know whether you are finding evidence-based, high quality recommendations. That’s part of our job here at Kodiak KINDNESS; we are here to support your informed decisions about infant feeding through your baby’s first year. We’ve done some background work, and to the best of our knowledge, this post reflects current best practices. However, the information contained in this post and any links contained herein is for your informational use only; it is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Furthermore, Kodiak KINDNESS is not responsible for the accuracy of any information contained in this post or links contained herein; it is for you to review at your own risk and discuss, as needed, with your health care professional in order to make a plan that suits your individual circumstances.