Becoming a CLC

Happy World Breastfeeding Week!

This week, I completed the 45-hour Lactation Counselor Training through the Healthy Children Project, and I’m excited to share some of my favorite insights.

🧠 Hormones That Matter

• Prolactin = Milk Production

  • Prolactin is the hormone that tells your body to make milk.

  • It’s triggered by stimulation of the T4 nerve endings in your nipple and areola.

  • So here’s why that matters...

  • 💡 Some women don’t respond well to pumping. Yes, many have pump setup issues (like the wrong flange size – a lactation counselor can help!).

  • But sometimes the pump isn’t stimulating the right nerves. If most of your T4 nerve endings are in your nipple (not the areola), the pump might not activate your prolactin response well.

  • ✨ Try hand expression, or add some nipple stimulation while pumping - it can make a big difference!

  • More prolactin = more milk. That’s why:

    • Frequent, well-latched nursing increases supply

    • Long gaps between feedings can lower your prolactin baseline = signals weaning

• Oxytocin = Milk Release

  • Oxytocin tells your body to release the milk that prolactin made.

  • One amazing trigger? Your baby’s hands touching your chest while nursing

  • 👶🏽 Skip the mittens – babies’ bare hands help both oxytocin release and brain development.

🫢 Busting Common Myths

• Foremilk vs. hindmilk isn’t a big deal. These terms just describe the milk at the start and end of a feed. It all matters, and it's all nourishing.

• Flat or inverted nipples? You can breastfeed. Most nipples evert with stimulation, and what matters is how they behave during a feed - not how they look at rest. Truly non-everting nipples are rare and should be evaluated by a lactation expert.

🍼 Did You Know?

• Skin-to-skin and early feeding (in the first hour after birth) dramatically increase breastfeeding success long-term.

• Day 4 = 4+ poopy diapersThis is a key sign your baby is getting enough milk.(Average: 5 poopy diapers/day in the first 3 weeks.)

• Mixing mom’s milk with donor milk may help pass on her unique microbiome to baby.

• 85% of women experience mood changes after giving birth. It’s normal. It’s common. And it’s okay to talk about it. 💛

• Holding the back of baby’s head can interfere with latch and lead to nipple pain. Instead, support their upper back and neck.

• Breastfeeding pulls calcium from your bones, but you’ll usually regain it after weaning – often with even stronger bones than before.

• Alcohol can reduce oxytocin, which may explain why breasts feel “full” – the milk’s still being made, just not released as easily.

Final Thoughts

I learned so much during this training, and I’m proud to now be a Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC).

There’s so much nuance to infant feeding and maternal care - and so many ways we can better support families.

If any of this sparked a question or felt validating, you’re not alone. Let’s keep learning and supporting each other. 💛