Sarah Wolfe

“So-called breastmilk jaundice is actually the norm for exclusively breastfed, well-gaining babies for as long as three months or more after the birth. Most of the time the jaundice is not very obvious, but if you look carefully, you can often see a subtle yellow tinge to the baby’s skin. In some cases, especially if at least one parent is Asian or Native Canadian, the jaundice is more obvious, and then doctors worry. Here is the most important statement in this whole section: if the baby is exclusively breastfed (or breastmilk fed), gaining weight well and abnormalities causing jaundice are ruled out, jaundice is normal. What”
― Jack Newman, Dr. Jack Newman's Guide to Breastfeeding: updated edition

“Many pediatricians and other physicians believe that breastmilk causes higher levels of bilirubin in the first few days of life. Not true. But the reason that some breastfed babies are more jaundiced is that they are not breastfeeding well and are not getting enough breastmilk. That means the baby will also not have substantial enough bowel movements to remove the bilirubin in his intestine and prevent it from being absorbed back into the body. The answer is not to give formula, but to help the mother with the latching on of the baby and making sure he is breastfeeding well (see how this is done earlier in the chapter). Then he will poop more (because colostrum is a laxative) and the bilirubin will decrease. In most cases no supplementation is needed; if it does become necessary it should be given by a lactation aid at the breast, in this order of preference: 1. The mother’s own expressed breastmilk. 2. Banked breastmilk. 3. The mother’s own expressed breastmilk with added 5% glucose so that there is enough volume. 4. Formula. This should be used only if we cannot get the baby breastfeeding well and the first choices do not work. There are other causes of higher-than-average bilirubin levels in the first few days, but none require the mother to stop breastfeeding. Phototherapy”
― Jack Newman, Dr. Jack Newman's Guide to Breastfeeding: updated edition

“Artificial nipples interfere with breastfeeding. If supplements (preferably the mother’s own expressed milk, or, as a second choice, banked breastmilk) are needed, they are best given by lactation aid at the breast. If the baby is not taking the breast, a spoon, open cup or finger feeding can be used instead of a bottle. Finger feeding is best used to prepare a baby who is having difficulty latching on, not really as a feeding method (see the chapter “When the Baby Does Not Yet Take the Breast”). The bottle is not a good choice. Furthermore, if the baby is breastfeeding well, there is no need for pacifiers; having the baby satisfy his sucking needs at the breast helps to establish a good milk supply. If the baby is not satisfied at the breast, the mother needs help to make the breastfeeding work better; the baby does not need a pacifier. And if the baby is breastfeeding poorly, pacifiers often make the problem worse.”
― Jack Newman, Dr. Jack Newman's Guide to Breastfeeding: updated edition

“The wardrobe God provides is the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:14-17). No believer in this outfit must cower to the intrusion of sin in our lives!”
― The writers of Encouraging.com, God Moments: A Year in the Word