Nearly all nursing mothers worry at one time or another about whether their babies are getting enough milk. Since we can’t measure breast milk intake the way we can formula intake, it is easy to be insecure about the adequacy of our milk supplies. The “perception” of insufficient breast milk production is the most common reason mothers give for weaning …

Sore nipples are one of the most common reasons new mothers give for discontinuing breastfeeding, often during the first week of nursing. This is quite unfortunate, for nipple soreness is almost always a short-term problem, and can usually be corrected in a matter of days. Breastfeeding isn’t supposed to hurt, but the fact of the matter is that most mothers …

Ask Anne… Question: This is my third pregnancy. Even though all have been drastically different from each other, I am quite sure that with the past two I started “leaking” breast liquid by now. I’m approximately 23 weeks along. Is there a set time for this to happen, or is it different for every pregnancy? Answer: There is no set …

Worldwide, more than 15 million babies are born prematurely each year. In the US, that number is close to 500,000. Due to the increased incidence of multiple births resulting from fertility treatments, as well as medical technology that has increased the survival rates for extremely preterm babies, the numbers are rising. Between 5% and 18% of babies worldwide are born …

Nothing about breastfeeding has gone the way that I planned and weaning is no exception. I have been breastfeeding for more than 3 years and tandem breastfeeding for 5 months. The magical days of breastfeeding are over. Now it’s just another part of life that I sometimes enjoy and sometimes despise. At 3 years and 3 months old my oldest …

Ask Anne… Question: When my baby was born at 38 weeks, I wanted to breastfeed her immediately after birth. I had written into my birth plan that I didn’t want her to be taken away to be washed before I held her, but when she was laid on my chest after birth, she was covered with this weird creamy stuff …

Ask Anne… Question: I stopped nursing my baby six months ago, but my breasts are still leaking milk. Is this  normal? Answer: Many moms find that their breasts continue to leak long after they wean. They may be able to express drops of fluid for months or even years after their baby weans, especially during a shower. The fluid that leaks …

Ask Anne: Question:  My baby girl weighed five pounds when she was born. Now she is fifteen months old and weighs only seventeen pounds. The doctor (who I have since dropped) told me she is not gaining enough weight and that I should give her formula. She is walking and stays very busy. She nurses in short spurts during the …