Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is filled with pain points, but with a little guidance from our Motherboard and a sprinkle of Parent Intuition, we help you jump over most of the hurdles—or find your pivot.
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Breast Milk: It’s The Tits
From lowering risks of disease for parent and baby to exhibiting literal shape shifting properties (!), discover why breast milk really is the tits.
Ways to Feed Your Babe
Swehl goes back to the basics as we explore our four ways to feed your baby: Exclusive Breastfeeding, Pumping, Formula Feeding and Mixed Feeding.
Breastfeeding Positions - Because Options.
Swehl’s Lactation Advisor Morgan Dixon explores five common breastfeeding positions including Cradle, Cross-Cradle, Football Hold, Side Lying and Laid Back.
Latch On, Latch Off
The 101's on getting that perfect breastfeeding latch (and its lesser-known counterpart, the "unlatch").
The Stages & Phases of Milk
Explore the stages of breast milk, with a spotlight on colostrum (i.e. liquid gold!), an explanation of hindmilk vs. foremilk and more.
The Lowdown on Letdown
Letdown, AKA "Milk Ejection Reflex (MER)": what it is, what causes it, and what it feels like (it's a wide spectrum, ranging from no sensation at all to D-MER.)
The Burping Bible
Burping your baby can be trickier than it looks. Our go-to positions for getting the gas out? Over the Shoulder, Noes to Toes, Lying Down and Forearm Straddle.
Breastfeeding is Hard AF Sometimes
Despite what you may have heard, breastfeeding is a learned skill. Whether you’re feeling isolated or imperfect, we never want you to feel alone in it.
Express Yourself (How to Hand Express)
This up close and personal video shows you the technique to efficiently hand express your breast milk in (and with) a pinch.
How to Spot Hunger Cues
The key to avoiding full-on newborn meltdowns? Catch early hunger cues, including rooting, yawning, and gnawing before the tears erupt.
Handy Dandy Newborn Feeding Schedule
The early days with a newborn are often coupled with decision fatigue. We remove some of the friction around feeding with a simple schedule (and rationale).
Is My Baby Getting Enough Milk? (Probably Yes.)
How much breast milk a baby gets in a feed is one of new parents' top concerns. We explore some easy indicators—plus, how to tell if your babe is swallowing.
Pro Tips: Keeping Babe Awake for Feedings
So sleepy, so cute—til the extra daytime zzz's turn to frequent, ravenous night feeds. Discover our tried & true tips for keeping your baby awake on the boob.
Cluster Feeds: What They Are (and When They'll Stop)
Witching hours and cluster feeds are a frustrating duo that accompany a baby’s growth spurt. We share tips for making it through to the other side.
Send Help: Boob Emergencies
Clogged ducts, mastitis, thrush, oversupply: we’ve seen it all and it ain’t pretty. Check out how to avoid these issues, and when you need to call the pros.
The Connection Between Breastmilk and Sleep
Newborns feed around the clock. As they get older, there is a direct correlation between sleep and milk intake. This one's for all you sleep deprived parents.
Oversupply: Too Much of a Good Thing
Oversupply = too much of a good thing. And while some struggle with low milk supply, there are other parents who produce so much that it’s downright painful.
How to Turn Up Your Supply
Undersupply is one of the most common worries during breastfeeding. Lucky for you, it's mostly about supply & demand—with a dash of intuition.
High Lipase, No Stress.
Learning that you have high lipase breast milk can be one of the more sour moments in breastfeeding. Here is the 411 on high lipase—and how to deal with it.
Tongue Tied
Tongue ties can be an impediment to breastfeeding, causing issues for both parent and baby. Check out your options and ways to treat it.
How to be an A+ Partner
A little known fact: partners are a vital part of breastfeeding. We list out clear ways for our other halves to get involved in the experience from day 1.
Two (or more) is a Party: Multiples
Discover our key considerations for the early days with multiples—from planning for your hospital stay, to mapping out success for your breastfeeding journey.
NICU Support
Though the NICU is common, we rarely prepare parents for the journey. Swehl helps you prepare and navigate when things don’t go as planned or expected.
C-Section Parents, We See You
All births are natural births! C-sections can be complicated for parents, both around recovery and adjusted expectations. We’re here to rewrite the story.
Get Pumped Up: The Basics of Pumping
Breast pumps can be super confusing. We demystify assembly (um, what is a "duckbill"?), functionality, and of course, how to clean each of the parts.
WTF Even is a Flange?
Identifying the right flange size can make or break your pumping experience. We explore how flanges work and how to find the perfect fit for your nipple.
Milk Storage & The 5 / 5 / 5 Rule
Learning how to store your breast milk is foundational to pumping. From storage options, to proper labeling tips, our 5 / 5 / 5 rule simplifies the process.
Bottles 101: The Sh*t You Need to Know
Introducing the bottle is key to avoiding bottle rejection and nipple confusion. Plus, it has the added benefit of providing a little break from breastfeeding.
Formula Feeding Enters the Convo
In our official guide to formula, our experts detail the different types of formula and the reasons to use it. Swehl POV: there is no shame in this game.
Spitting Up & Acid Reflux
A teething babe should not affect the breastfeeding relationship. Avoid feeling that toothy grin on your nips with a few tweaks—and a bit of self-restraint.
Dream Feed: How to Get a Few More Zzz's
A dream feed means aligning your baby's longest stretch of sleep with yours. Here's how execute it for a night of, well, dreamier sleep.
Mixed Feeding: It Takes Two
Newsflash: you can breastfeed and still use formula. Explore what "mixed feeding" is and how it might work for you.
Breastfeeding in Public: Know Your Rights!
Breastfeeding on the go is a fact of life. Know your rights, identify your community and trust your gut. As is always the case in parenting, let intuition lead.
Postpartum Mood Disorders
Recognize the tell-tale signs associated with different mood disorders, including baby blues, Postpartum Depression or Postpartum Anxiety.
Shit Talk: Poop & Its Cycles
Everybody poops, it's true. But what’s normal? From blow outs, to grainy mustard seeds, our experts navigate some serious shit talk.
How to Deal with Haters: Criticism While Breastfeeding
We believe every parent is the expert of their baby, so we're here to arm you with ways to deal when people give you their unsolicited—and unwanted opinions.
Partners are People, Too.
This one’s for the papas and partners! Dads are people too. Get real with new dads about how their first year is going.
Parenting in COVID
COVID parents unite! As if parenthood isn’t hard enough, enter a global pandemic. Our experts share their POV on COVID and how to best navigate through it.
Inequity in Parental Care
Inequity in maternal care is determined by race, income, and so much more. Our experts unpack how this relates to breastfeeding—and how we can do better.
So You Have A Slacker Boob...
An under-producing breast, also known as a "slacker boob" is actually a totally normal occurrence. We offer some tips to—err—even things back out.
That Bites: Teething
Breastfeeding a teething babe should not affect the nursing relationship. Avoid feeling that toothy grin on your nipples with a few small adjustments - and a little self-restraint.
Am I Tired or is It Time to Wean?
When the going gets tough, the tough get help. Here’s how to assess it if you simply need a break from breastfeeding or you are ready to stop altogether.
The Best Way to Wean (For You Both)
Just when you've mastered breastfeeding, another hurdle comes along: weaning. Swehl provides our top recommended method to wean with both you and babe in mind.
Meet Swehl's Motherboard
Meet the Motherboard, our incredible group of doctors, doulas and lactation experts behind the magic at Swehl.