Whether you’re breastfeeding, bottle feeding, using formula or a combination of both we’ve got information about infant feeding for everyone. You’ll find articles on how to know if you’re baby is getting enough breastmilk, exclusive pumping, when to start solids, finding that “perfect bottle,” and more.

Mom is pumping with baby lying near her, exclusive pumping

Exclusive Pumping Tips & Sample Pumping Schedules

By Christie Collbran | November 3, 2024

Are you in your pumping era? Looking for more information about exclusive pumping and what that means for you as you return to work?  There are many reasons that parents feed their babies by exclusively pumping breast milk.  Maybe you chose it, or maybe it chose you.  Either way… If you’re returning to work soon… you…

newborn crying with gas, gassy newborn

Why Is My Newborn So Gassy? 10 Expert Doula Tips

By Christie Collbran | May 27, 2024

You might be wondering why your baby is struggling with gas. Digesting food is a new skill for your baby’s body to learn. Being immature and new, your baby’s digestive system needs time to adjust  Whether they are eating from the breast or bottle, their little tummies are still sorting out this new “eating arrangement.”…

Baby Eating in his highchair, Tips for Weaning from Breastfeeding

Feeling Emotional About Weaning? 3 Tips to Start Your Breastfeeding Weaning Plan

By Christie Collbran | March 25, 2024

You’ve worked long and hard to breastfeed your baby. For some, breastfeeding comes easy, while for others, not so much. After you manage to connect all the dots, breastfeeding still takes a large portion of your day. It takes time and energy to connect and learn your baby’s rhythm. As your baby grows and no…

Baby Hunger Cues, Baby with mouth open showing she is hungry

Hunger Cues | How To Tell Your Baby is Hungry

By Christie Collbran | November 6, 2023

Why is it important to know your baby’s hunger cues?  Understanding your baby’s signals helps you know when and how often to feed her. Newborn babies have tiny tummies and need to eat often. An average of 8 – 12 feedings in a 24 hour period is expected and necessary. A couple of those feedings…

Pregnant couple sitting with a laptop and a postpartum plan

Do You Have a Postpartum Plan?

By Christie Collbran | September 25, 2023

You’ve got your birth class done, your hospital bag packed and your car-seat safely installed! Have you considered what happens once you are home with your baby in your arms? Do you have a postpartum plan in place?  You may have heard a lot of talk about birth plans and much less discussion about a…

Expecting Parents in a Newborn Care Class

Why Take a Newborn Care Class?

By Christie Collbran | June 26, 2023

Welcoming a newborn into your life is a special adventure that can bring a mix of emotions – joy, love and yes, a little uncertainty. As a parent myself, I know firsthand that no amount of preparation can fully ready you for the arrival of your little one. Parenting is a complex blend of following…

Breastfeeding Class Instructor showing how to use a haakaa breast pump

Should I Take a Breastfeeding Class?

By Christie Collbran | May 8, 2023

I talk to a lot of expecting mothers and hear many of them say they hope to be successful at breastfeeding, but they aren’t sure it will work out. These hopes are mixed in with stories they’ve heard from friends and families. At least 80% of women initiate breastfeeding. That is a high percentage who…

Breastfeeding Red Flags, Mom holding newborn baby

Breastfeeding Red Flags

By Christie Collbran | February 21, 2023

As a first time mom, breastfeeding my newborn baby felt like a beautiful continuation of our connection during pregnancy. However it was not without challenges. It’s common to feel nervous or unsure, and it’s natural to have questions about what to expect. You’ve never done this before! In the first few weeks, both you and…

Baby on Mom's chest during the Golden Hour After Birth

The Golden Hour After Birth

By Christie Collbran | February 5, 2023

The Golden Hour (or hours) refers to the immediate hour after you have given birth to your baby and the connection that takes place during this time. This quality time between you and your baby will have lasting effects on your relationship and how your baby adapts to their new environment. Your beautiful baby arrives…

Black Mom Breastfeeding

Black Breastfeeding Week, An Interview with Deidra Washington, IBCLC

By Christie Collbran | August 22, 2022

For Black Breastfeeding Week, we are highlighting one of our favorite lactation counselors. In addition to having her own private practice, Deidra is a member of the Buddha Belly team supporting clients with breastfeeding counseling. We are so grateful to have her on our team sharing her wisdom and experience. 1. Tell us about your…

Is breastfeeding always difficult

Is Breastfeeding Always Difficult? – One Mom’s Story

By Christie Collbran | August 8, 2022

In honor of National Breastfeeding Month, I wanted to share a little bit about my breastfeeding story. When I found out I was pregnant, everyone had an opinion about everything, including breastfeeding! I heard stories from my sister, who has had 4 children, about how her milk never came in, she didn’t produce enough milk…

healthy recipes for nursing parents

Five Healthy Recipes for Nursing Parents 

By Christie Collbran | July 11, 2022

While the breastfeeding journey with my son was successful and amazing, it did come with its own setbacks that I had to learn to work through. As a first time mom, I had no idea how demanding nursing would be in the beginning. Newborns have very tiny tummies and often feed at the breast every…

food allergies and your child sitting in high chair

Food Allergies and Your Child

By Christie Collbran | May 24, 2022

Did you know that about 6 million children have food allergies? That is a staggering number in my opinion. I never experienced a food allergy, so I was not very concerned about introducing my son to new foods when he was a baby. I followed our pediatrician’s recommendations until he was a certain age, but…

Breast-feeding and Birth Control

Breastfeeding and Birth Control

By Christie Collbran | January 21, 2022

We believe it’s just as important to understand your options and feel empowered in your decisions about birth control as it is for giving birth. In this post we share insight into breastfeeding as a form of birth control, called the lactational amenorrhea method (LAM).  Is breastfeeding my baby an effective form of birth control?…

Breastfeeding-Professional-Support

Breastfeeding Support Options

By Christie Collbran | January 6, 2022

Just like there is no such thing as “one size fits all” bras, breastfeeding help is no different. The best person that you can reach out to for breastfeeding support is a breastfeeding professional. Makes sense, right? In this article we will discuss the different types of breastfeeding support options that are available. As a…

Breast-milk-and-formula-storage-guidelines

Breast Milk Storage Guidelines and Formula Storage Guidelines

By Christie Collbran | September 27, 2021

Did you know the American Academy of Pediatrics recently updated its guidelines for storage of breast milk? You can count on your team of postpartum doulas and lactation counselors here at Buddha Belly to always keep you up to date with the latest breast milk and formula storage guidelines. We love that the guidance starts…

infant-feeding-schedule

Infant Feeding Schedule ~ How Often My Baby Needs to Eat & How Much

By Christie Collbran | August 15, 2021

If you are the parent of a newborn, you’ve likely heard this question from the pediatrician or others: how many times a day is your baby feeding? I remember when I had my first baby, I answered, “A million?” It certainly felt like my newborn didn’t do anything other than eat, sleep and fill her…

how-to-make-mom-friends

How Not To Make Mom Friends

By Christie Collbran | June 5, 2021

This story goes out to any new parents struggling to make connections and feel like themselves again. Lonely and isolated at home with an eight week old baby, I desperately longed for companionship with people in the same season of life. Instead of continuing to perfect my cyberstalker skills on Facebook, I convinced myself I…

helping-baby-accept-a-bottle

Helping Baby Accept a Bottle

By Christie Collbran | April 11, 2021

It’s a bit of a terrifying scenario for breastfeeding parents who are returning to paid work: your baby refuses to feed from a bottle. Everyone panics. Your caregiver is nervous about how they will take care of your baby while you’re away. You are scared about your baby getting the nutrition and hydration that she…

tongue-ties-and-breastfeeding

Tongue Ties and Breastfeeding

By Christie Collbran | March 15, 2021

Many families seek out the help of a lactation professional like me because they are struggling with breastfeeding. As a certified lactation counselor, one issue that I see frequently affecting breastfeeding is tongue ties. I’ve sent dozens of families for assessment and evaluation of suspected tethered oral tissue (TOTs.) Only a handful of times has…

foods-to-eat-when-breastfeeding

What Can I Eat When Breastfeeding? (updated July 2022)

By Christie Collbran | February 26, 2021

What foods can I eat when breastfeeding?  The short answer is: anything that sounds good! Shortest. Blog. Ever.  Oh, you’re still reading? Okay! When it comes to a mother’s diet during breastfeeding, we hear the craziest stories from our clients about foods they were told to avoid. (And as a reminder, we are not licensed…

how-long-should-my-baby-nurse

How Long Should My Baby Nurse?

By Christie Collbran | February 13, 2021

During the first few weeks of breastfeeding, you may wonder: how long should my baby nurse? How long should my baby nurse on each side? Does my baby need to nurse on each side, every time?  These are very common questions! How long should my baby nurse? Heads up that the info in next section…

Parents-Need-Help-Not-Judgment

Parents Need Help Not Judgment

By Christie Collbran | February 5, 2021

Raise your hand if you’ve ever had to deal with a Judgy McJudgerpants in your life? I recently wrote about coping with a colicky baby as a new parent – what made it better and what didn’t. Three aspects of the situation made it harder: lack of support judgment and unsolicited advice. I was exclusively…

coping-with-colic

Will My Colicky Baby Get Better?

By Christie Collbran | January 24, 2021

My baby boy was beautiful, healthy, and perfect in every way. Except — he had colic and it was really, really hard.  Prior to this I didn’t really know what colic was, but I was about to find out first hand. The first two weeks were fine. He slept. He ate. He made silly and…

when-should-baby-start-solid-foods

When Should Baby Start Solid Food?

By Christie Collbran | December 11, 2020

I was so excited to start solid foods with my first baby. With ingredients from our community-supported agriculture delivery, I made her baby food with love. I ordered special spoons (to help with her ergonomics) and bowls, plates, cups and storage containers. And then guess what? She hated pureed food. Finally I tried giving her…

best-baby-formula

What’s the Best Formula for My Baby?

By Christie Collbran | November 25, 2020

We are often asked, as lactation counselors, what formula is best for my baby?  (Yes lactation counselors are experts in ALL modes of infant feeding, not just breastfeeding.) This also comes up when we are supporting families as postpartum doulas. For us, the best baby formula should follow three simple rules. As a reminder, we…

healing-damaged-nipples

Healing Damaged Nipples

By Christie Collbran | November 2, 2020

Breastfeeding should never hurt. Breastfeeding should never hurt, but that doesn’t mean it actually never does. How can you heal damaged, cracked and bleeding nipples? Fix That Latch! First, you’ll need to take corrective measures to stop the damage from reoccurring. This almost always means encouraging your baby to latch more deeply. In a shallow…

home-lactation-visit

A Home Visit from a Lactation Counselor

By Christie Collbran | October 12, 2020

When I had my first baby in North Carolina, we had significant breastfeeding challenges right away. Each time the frustration (and tears) became more than I could bear, I’d schlep my sore postpartum body back to the birth center to visit with the IBCLC (international board-certified lactation consultant) for help. In fact, I clearly remember…

Breastfeeding-Class

Breastfeeding Myths

By Christie Collbran | September 17, 2020

Is taking a breastfeeding class a good idea? We say – Yes! There are so many myths and silly ideas swirling around about breastfeeding. Sometimes these myths can deter you from even trying or succeeding at breastfeeding your baby. Getting the facts at a breastfeeding class can help you get a good start on your…

exclusive-pumping

Exclusive Pumping 101

By Christie Collbran | August 19, 2020

Breastfeeding: the most natural thing on the planet, according to many loud opinions on the internet. Right? What happens when breastfeeding proves to be a challenge? Some families turn to exclusive pumping as a means to feed their babies. Can we tell you a little secret? It’s still breastfeeding. You are providing your baby with…

Postpartum Support from my Mom

Why Is Postpartum Support Important?

By Christie Collbran | June 24, 2020

Photo: My mom, Liz, with my newborn baby, Shane, in January 2007 “All you need is one person, just one person who trusts and believes in you, and then you feel you can do anything.” Esther Wojcicki Here is a little story about how postpartum support was important for me. My first son was born…

Infant reflux and spit up

Infant Reflux: Why Does My Baby Spit Up So Much?

By Christie Collbran | December 23, 2019

Infant Reflux seems to be one of the most diagnosed issues we see among our clients today. The rise in diagnosis could be contributed to many factors, one of which is the internet. Hop onto any forum and ask about your baby crying and you’re likely to hear “it’s probably Reflux!” from at least a…

newborn and infant bottle-feeding in hospital after birth

Newborn and Infant Bottle-Feeding | Formula Fed Babies

By Christie Collbran | November 11, 2019

Newborn and Infant bottle-feeding can be daunting! Feeding their newborn is one of the first things in most new parents’ minds, right behind a birth plan! No matter which option is chosen, most parents need to use a bottle at some point. From leaving baby with a caregiver to get a well-deserved break to letting…

bottle-feeding

There’s No Perfect Bottle for Your Baby

By Christie Collbran | October 9, 2019

Have you been searching for the perfect bottle for your baby? Some babies take right to bottle feeding with no problems. Some babies have a bit harder of a time with bottle feeding. Marketing and commerce have convinced us that there is a perfect bottle out there and if we only spend $653 trying all…

When Should I Start Pumping Breast Milk?

When Should I Start Pumping Breastmilk?

By Christie Collbran | May 2, 2019

Unless you need to be separated from your baby early on or circumstances require you to start pumping immediately (such as having a preemie in the NICU), it is recommended to wait about 4-6 weeks before you begin pumping. During these first few weeks your body is acclimating to the needs of your baby. When…

Breastfeeding Support Tampa Bay

Breastfeeding Support in Tampa Bay

By Christie Collbran | August 11, 2018

Let’s just start this conversation by saying if you don’t want to breastfeed, that is OKAY. It is your body and you get to make the choice about everything that happens to it. If you want to breastfeed and then change your mind, that is OKAY too. You don’t need to defend that choice to…

Breastfeeding Can Be Challenging

Breastfeeding Can Be Challenging

By Christie Collbran | August 5, 2018

Breastfeeding can be challenging, that’s true. It can take time to establish the breastfeeding relationship between you and your baby. Most women find the challenging parts to be in the beginning and early weeks. Once breastfeeding is established, it can be a breeze and any hiccups can be addressed with little fanfare. So how can…

Breastmilk - Is My Baby Getting Enough

Breastmilk: Is My Baby Getting Enough?

By Christie Collbran | August 2, 2018

Is my baby getting enough breastmilk? This is the number one question we get from new parents. This is a totally normal question to have – after all, most of us have seen bottle-feeding and it is very easy to measure baby’s intake from a bottle! Your newborn should be drinking breastmilk at the breast…

About Breastfeeding

What Should I Know about Breastfeeding?

By Christie Collbran | April 30, 2018

“What should I know about breastfeeding?” Of course, every woman is unique AND each breastfeeding journey is, too. It’s good to be cautious of advice that is applied like a cookie cutter to each and every person. But in this case, I feel confident that these three things will help every mother-baby breastfeeding pair.  …

An Oversupply of Breastmilk

An Oversupply of Breastmilk?

By Christie Collbran | February 16, 2018

Breastmilk oversupply? Before it happened to me, I really didn’t realize it could be a problem. How could any mother have an oversupply of breastmilk and how could that possibly be a problem? I’d heard about mothers who struggled to keep their milk supply abundant enough for their baby, but oversupply? It sounded like a…

When is the right time to wean?

When Is the “Right” Time to Wean?

By Christie Collbran | February 5, 2018

In America, most babies (approximately 77%) wean – that is, stop breastfeeding – by one year of age, according to the CDC. However, that doesn’t mean YOUR baby will or has to follow this same timeline. The book Breastfeeding: Biocultural Perspectives surmised that the human biological age for weaning from breastfeeding is between two and…

Lip & Tongue tie in relation to breastfeeding

What’s a Lip/Tongue Tie? A Dentist’s Personal Story

By Christie Collbran | December 18, 2017

Last week we visited with Dr. Maggie Davis, a pediatric dentist in Palm Harbor. She has a fantastic practice tailored to the needs of families with infants and small children all the way through adolescence. We are happy to have her as a guest blogger providing this helpful information. – Christie & Amy The topic…

Breastfeeding and Pumping in a hurricane

Keep Calm and Feed On!

By Christie Collbran | September 6, 2017

Are you worried at all about the potential impact of Hurricane Irma on you and your baby? Here’s some helpful tips from one of our postpartum doulas: If you are currently breastfeeding- continue to do so. There is no need to stop breastfeeding because of a storm. Just do the best you can to care…

Breastfeeding Talk Plugged Ducts

Breastfeeding Talk, Plugged Ducts

By Christie Collbran | August 2, 2017

Who knew there was so much to know about breastfeeding?! Breastfeeding mothers experience varying issues that are worthy of discussion to help in having a successful breastfeeding experience and prevent more serious conditions from happening. Today we will discuss plugged ducts! While breastfeeding, occasionally the milk flow becomes obstructed in one of the milk ducts.…

Breastfeeding Support

My Newborn Wouldn’t Latch

By Christie Collbran | August 1, 2017

Nursing, although natural, can be nothing short of a beautiful struggle. It is a delicate dance between mother and baby at first breath earthside, and quite frankly an acrobatic adventure as time moves forward. It moves through its phases but you’ll always remember those eyes staring up at you, the mumbling as they feed, dropping…

breastfeeding advice

Breastfeeding Advice from a Tampa Bay IBCLC

By Christie Collbran | November 12, 2016

First, congratulations on choosing to learn more about breastfeeding! Getting educated on breastfeeding will help you get off to a great start. Read books, talk to friends and professionals and ask questions; you are going to do great at this!  You probably already know that breastfeeding is the biological norm. This is how we have…

mom breastfeeding

My Breast Wishes

By Christie Collbran | August 2, 2016

A new mother shared her breastfeeding struggles with me this week. Her baby is three months old and she has tried every position without being comfortable. As we worked together on how to nurse upright in her ring sling, I was reminded of my first nursling, born almost six years ago. In honor of World…

how-to-get-a-breast-pump-from-insurance

How Do I Get A Breast Pump From Insurance? [updated in 2021]

By Christie Collbran | April 27, 2016

Expecting parents sometimes ask us how they can get a breast pump from their health insurance company.  Whether you’re planning to return to work or not, a breast pump is handy to have available for those times when you can’t nurse your baby at your breast. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, these should be…

Doula Support Positively Affects Breastfeeding

Doula Support Positively Affects Breastfeeding

By Christie Collbran | March 11, 2016

Improved breastfeeding outcomes are not merely opinion. Research has concluded what many mothers and doulas know from personal experience. Having a doula not only improves the birth experience, it makes the transition to a new life with baby smoother. Plainly stated doula support has a positive affect on breastfeeding! One study was conducted with 724 first time mothers.…

Breastmilk - Is My Baby Getting Enough

Three Breastfeeding Tips

By Christie Collbran | February 22, 2016

We support women no matter how they choose to feed their babies. It’s interesting to note that about 80% of women initiate breastfeeding in the US. Although breastfeeding is natures way to feed a baby, it doesn’t always come naturally to every mother and baby pair. For those who wish to succeed at breastfeeding here are…

Breastfeeding, Skin to Skin

Breastfeeding, Getting a Good Start with Skin-to-Skin

By Christie Collbran | December 17, 2015

Last week myself and another postpartum doula on our team, spent five long days learning about lactation at The Lactation Counselor Training Course through The Healthy Children Project. It was eye-opening in so many ways even after having breastfed my own children for a combined total of more than 5 ½ years. So,  I wanted to share…

Breastfeeding Musings

Letting Go, When Breastfeeding Comes to an End

By Christie Collbran | August 4, 2015

When your breastfeeding relationship is coming to an end it can be a time of mixed emotions. You are not alone. While I was lying with my son tonight helping him go back to sleep (without offering the breast) I felt proud of both of us and yet a little bit sad. He is 2…