EMPOWERING MOTHERS, NOURISHING BABIES EMPOWERING MOTHERS, NOURISHING BABIES EMPOWERING MOTHERS, NOURISHING BABIES
Clover Resource Library
Your most common questions - answered.
Find answers and support from a resource you trust. With downloadable or screenshot friendly graphics to keep on hand for when you need it most.
How do I know my baby is getting enough milk?
As parents, it’s completely natural to worry about how much our babies are eating. Breastfeeding can feel especially uncertain because you can’t actually see the amount of milk your baby is taking in. So how do you know they’re getting enough?
Your baby offers clues — during the feeding, after the feeding, and across their daily patterns. Their behaviour at the breast, overall feeding rhythm, pees and poops, and weight changes all help paint a picture of how feeding is going. By learning to watch these cues and trends, you can grow confident in your baby’s intake.
If your baby isn’t meeting expected milestones, or if you’re finding it hard to interpret these signs, Clover is here to support you. During an in‑person session, we assess the feeding relationship, guide you in recognizing your baby's cues, and create a care plan specific to you and your baby so you can move forward with clarity and confidence.
Baby spit-up.
What's normal, and what's not.
Baby spit-up.
A challenge that creates confusion, fear, and frustration for many parents. And it seems everyone has a different opinion, outlook and advice - so how do you know what’s going on with YOUR baby, and what can you do to help?
The KEY to managing spit-up is identifying the underlying CAUSE, then using strategies that address that specific concern.
Because baby’s are born with underdeveloped digestive systems (including their gastric sphincters!), they are naturally prone to experiencing reflux. Essentially, the “ring” of muscle that is supposed to keep food IN your baby’s stomach instead of letting it move back UP into their throat is still learning how to do its job. The result is “normal” or “expected” infant spit up.
But what happens when the symptoms start falling outside the spectrum of “normal”, and how do you know when it is?
The Clover Spit-Up Resource helps outline some of the features to consider, clearly defining them as “normal” or “less common”.
If you find that your baby seems to be falling into the “less common” side - don’t panic. There are so many strategies you can use to start improving your baby’s symptoms - and Clover is here to guide you on the way.
Clover’s care is specialized to be provide evidence-based support to help identify the CAUSE of your baby’s discomfort, and create a meaningful care plan to help improve the QUALITY OF LIFE for both YOU and YOUR BABY.
If you feel your baby is experiencing spit-up outside the spectrum of “normal”, it is always a great idea to have them assessed by your PCP.
Nipple pain.
What's normal, and what's not.
Did you know that nipple pain is one of the LEADING CAUSES that parents report as impacting their decision to wean their babies before they had planned?
It is incredibly common, impacted over 90% of all breastfeeding Moms, yet is so often under-supported by partners, health care providers, and society as a whole. But it is real. And. It. Hurts.
But it doesn’t have to.
At Clover, I can provide individualized assessment to help you determine the CAUSE of your nipple pain, offer strategies to HEAL any damage, and create a care plan to IMPROVE your breastfeeding relationship.
The Clover Nipple Pain Resource Guide helps you quickly identify if what you are experiencing is within the spectrum of “normal”, but know that ANY pain (normal or not) can be improved and supported by specialized care at Clover.
Breastfeeding vs. Breastmilk Jaundice
Infant jaundice can be scary.
And the information online can feel confusing, and conflicting.
What is breastmilk jaundice? What is breastfeeding jaundice? Are they different? The same? Should you nurse more? Or less? Or not at all?
It can feel stressful to try figure it out what's happening, and how you can keep your baby healthy.
With the Clover Breastmilk vs Breastfeeding Jaundice Resource you can quickly identify what may be affecting your baby, and what you can expect to discuss at your Primary Care Provider appointment.
During BREASTFEEDING jaundice, the underlying concern is that your baby is not TAKING IN enough calories and volume to get rid of the bilirubin in their systems. The treatment strategies are going to be dependent on how jaundiced your baby is, but almost always will include INCREASED feeding.
Clover can help by identifying underlying CAUSES (such as poor latch, low supply, or feeding schedules) and come up with a FEEDING PLAN that nurtures your baby during their recovery and is in align with your feeding goals.
BREASTMILK jaundice, however, is more poorly understood. One theory is that breastmilk contains an enzyme that causes bilirubin to be reabsorbed by your baby's body. In most cases, breastmilk jaundice is BENIGN (meaning it's not dangerous to your baby), and your baby may be growing and thriving despite their bilirubin levels. However this is not always the case, and your PCP may recommend a break from breastfeeding. Clover is here to support you on this path, creating a CARE PLAN that can PROTECT YOUR SUPPLY, while educating on the importance of paced BOTTLE-FEEDING so your baby can most easily return to nursing.
No matter what, it is essential that any level of jaundice be assessed by your Primary Care Provider, and Clover is here to support you through the entire process, from referral to recovery.
Infant Feeding Cues:
Learning Baby's Earliest forms of Communication
It's very common to hear that you should feed your baby at their "early feeding cues" - and that is great advice!
But what ARE early feeding cues in a newborn? And what do you do when you miss them?
The Clover Infant Feeding Cues Resource breaks down your baby's behavior to help you begin to recognize, understand, and respond to your newborn's earliest forms of communication.
Feeding cues begin out incredibly subtle - especially in the first few days and weeks of life. The earliest signs begin almost before your baby even seems fully "awake". As they begin to stir, turn their head, and open their eyes and mouth they are already signaling to you that they are ready to feed. This is a great time to respond to your baby by gently picking them up, changing their diaper, and spending a couple of minutes skin-to-skin to get them ready for their feed.
Active cues are a little easier to spot. As baby becomes more alert their body movements will become more apparent. They may attempt to bring their hands toward their mouth, and begin licking or smacking their lips. This would be an opportune moment to take your baby and offer them a calm and enjoyable feed.
Surprisingly, crying is actually a LATE hunger cue, often accompanied by stronger body movements and a red face. It's very natural to want to feed your baby as quickly as possible if they are upset, however this can actually be very difficult for your baby. In order for an infant to latch effectively to a breast or bottle, their tongue has to be flat on the bottom of their mouth so they can properly "cup" the nipple or bottle. When they are crying, their tongue is elevated to the roof of their mouth, making latching difficult - meaning your feed may end up ineffective and frustrating despite your best intention.
Instead, late hunger cues are the right time to take a couple minutes to sooth your baby prior to a feed. This may mean cuddling, speaking softly, gentle rocking, or skin-to-skin.
And always remember to have grace with yourself. None of us are perfect, and we will ALL miss early feeding cues in our parenting journeys, and Clover is here to support you through it all.
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Most of us have not actually tasted human breastmilk. And what would we say if we did?
Probably that it tastes a bit... strange... but not necessarily "bad". However there is a unique situation where breastmilk can actually end up with a sour taste despite appropriate expression and storage.
High Lipase Content Milk.
All breastmilk naturally contains an enzyme called lipase - and that's great! It has an important role in helping keep breastmilk easily digestible and the nutrients easily accessible to baby. However, some lactating individuals produce milk with significantly higher lipase levels, which can impact the taste of their EXPRESSED breast milk.
In this milk, the high levels of lipase quickly begin breaking down milk fats immediately after being expressed from the breast. This breakdown releases fatty acids that create a "sour" or "soapy" taste to the milk.
While the milk remains COMPLETELY SAFE to drink, some babies are more sensitive to this flavor change, resulting in bottle feedings that are fussy or outright refused.
Unsure if this is what's happening? Thankfully, there is a simple way to "test" your milk to find out.
Express a small amount of milk...and taste it. Then let it rest in the fridge for a few hours, or thaw some previously expressed milk, and taste that.
By comparing the two, you can identify if the stored milk has an "off" taste
If you find that is does, there is very possibly a high lipase distaste occuring. Thankfully, there IS something that can be done to prevent this, which involves IMMEDIATELY HEATING your expressed milk in a specific way.
Using a clean pot on your stove (not a microwave), gently warm you milk over medium heat to 70-80 degrees Celcius. A stove-top thermometer is great for reading this, but you can also watch for gentle steam and small bubbles rising along the edges of the milk. Once here, keep this heat for a full two minutes before quickly pouring the milk into a glass bottle and placing it into a bowl of ice to cool quickly. From there, store as usual.
As for milk that you have already stored? Unfortunately, there is no way to "reverse" the distaste, however the milk can be used in other ways.
1. Incorporate the milk into more flavorful puree or solids (if age appropriate for your baby)
2. Try mixing a small amount of frozen milk with freshly expressed milk to "dilute" the flavor
3. Milk baths to calm eczema, rashes, or dry skin
4. Treat diaper rash
5. Manage cradle cap
The Clover High Lipase Resource Guide gives the basic instructions for preventing flavor changes in milk.
Baby still refusing a bottle, or experiencing feeding difficulties? Or are you looking for more clarification regarding management of High Lipase Content Milk? Clover is here to help.