The frequency of breastfeeding varies from mother to mother, and depends on multiple factors including milk supply, milk extraction abilities of the baby, as well as the mother’s response to infant’s hunger and satiety cues. A mother’s ability to feed on demand means that she is able to breastfeed her infant in response to the
Many patients ask me if drinking coffee is safe during pregnancy. The answer is YES! However, the amount of caffeine we recommend during pregnancy is different from non-pregnant women. Excess Caffeine In Pregnancy And The Effects On Fetal Development A study published by the British Medical Journal in 2017 suggested that while there are health benefits to drinking
I found breastfeeding very challenging. I struggled with low milk supply early on, fortunately, as the weeks passed my milk supply improved. However, there are some mothers that struggle with breastmilk oversupply. The production of breast milk is determined by the infant’s demand. A woman’s breast will often produce enough milk to feed an infant, but
Accidentally losing urine in the months and years after having a baby is either not talked about at all, or laughed off as normal. Approximately 1 in 3 women will experience urinary incontinence in their lifetime and two of the most significant risk factors for it are pregnancy and vaginal childbirth. Although common, leaking urine
I was asked a very interesting question by a patient a few years ago “Dr. Liu, I’m almost 40 weeks pregnant and I want to go into labour, if I eat lots of dates will that help kick-start labour?” I had no idea what the answer to her question was, so we looked up the
If you are a nursing mother, at some point you may consider pumping your breast milk and storing it for future use. This will allow you to leave your baby in the care of others with a supply of breast milk for bottle-feeding. Whether you are manually expressing, or using a battery or electric pump, the
I was a big baby. My mom had gestational diabetes when she was pregnant with me, and as a result I was nearly 11 pounds at birth! During my own pregnancy with Madi, I worried frequently that I was going to have gestational diabetes since my mom had it. Gestational diabetes is when a woman
In so many ways, Motherhood starts in pregnancy. From the moment we learn about our pregnancies, we prioritize our own health for the benefit of our babies, such as taking prenatal vitamins, avoiding certain foods, and choosing an appropriate prenatal pregnancy exercise plan. Because pregnancy is such a unique period in a woman’s life, with
When I was pregnant with Madi I smelled like coconut oil constantly. I was told by my mom and her friends to slather my belly with coconut oil to prevent stretch marks. I suspected that this may not have been the best method to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy, but I did it anyway because
After getting to know some of the parents, I have learned that there are those who do not want their child to be vaccinated for HPV. Some parents may be worried that their child is too young to receive the vaccine, or believe they’re not in a high-risk group. Worldwide, over half a million women