When Baby Refuses the Breast: What To Do (and What Not To Do)

Held by Nicole - Lactation Consultant and Mother: Few things feel more personal or heartbreaking than offering the breast and having your baby arch away, cry, scream, or refuse to latch. Whether it's a temporary nursing strike, preference for faster flow, frustration, illness, developmental changes, or seemingly no reason at all, breast refusal can send parents into panic mode. The instinct is understandable:"They're hungry and I just need them to latch." But here's the trick

heldbynicole

Jun 13 min read

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When Baby Refuses the Breast: What To Do (and What Not To Do)

Jun 13 min read

Yes, Your 6-Month-Old Can Start Learning to Drink From a Cup (And Here's How)

Held by Nicole: Lactation Consultant and Mother I often hear from parents that they had no idea their baby could start learning to drink from a cup as early as six months old. Not a sippy cup with a valve. Not a bottle with a spout. An actual open cup with or without a straw. And yes, I mean it. I did it with both my boys! If your baby is sitting up with support, showing interest in what you're eating and drinking, and starting to reach for things, they are ready to start exp

May 254 min read

Should You Express Colostrum and What Even Is It?

If you've felt curious about what your breasts are doing in those final weeks of pregnancy, well, you're not imagining things. Your body has been secretly making breastmilk for months. And that first little bit of milk? It's remarkable. They call it liquid gold. Let's talk about liquid gold - or colostrum. Let's learn what it actually is, what it does for your baby, and why so many families are choosing to collect and store it before birth. First Things First: What Is Colostr

May 95 min read

Nipple Creams - Do's and Don'ts

Standing in the infant aisle, looking at all the products while you're over-tired trying to decide which nipple cream will help you... I've been there! And, it's one of the questions I get most often from new parents. Now, choosing the right product doesn't have to be complicated. In fact, the most effective option might already be at home with you. Read on for a clear breakdown of what's worth using, what to skip, and one widely prescribed treatment that deserves a closer lo

May 35 min read

Do You Keep Seeing: "Rely on your village" - Here's How to Actually Do It.

When we are newly postpartum, or pregnant and need extra support, we absolutely need other people to help us out - to keep us sane, to keep us fed and regulated. But, not all of us have a circle of women who will surround us with support in terms of food drop offs, cleaning help, babysitting help for older kids... Most people say to " use your village ", but how do people know how to be a villager for you if they didn't have one themselves? Here's how to actually have a villa

Feb 93 min read

Pumping: What You Need To Know Before You Start

Pumping can be a useful tool, a necessary bridge, or a full-time feeding method - but it works best when expectations match physiology. Before you buy a pump, build a freezer stash, or start adding bottles, here are the non-negotiables you need to know - based on where you’re starting from. Are you a: Prenatal Parent Who is Planning to (Mostly) Breastfeed Combination Feeders (By Choice or By Need) Exclusive Pumper 1. Prenatal Parents Planning to (Mostly) Breastfeed I find tha

Feb 57 min read

10 Tips From A Lactation Consultant That You Need To Know In The First Week

The first week with a newborn is intense - physically, emotionally, hormonally. Feeding questions come up fast, and a lot of the advice parents receive is well-intentioned but incomplete. A lot of the families I see in practice didn't get a chance to speak to a lactation consultant in the hospital for more than 5 minutes - AND their next available appointments weren't until weeks later. So, don't assume you will learn it all at the hospital. Get prepared early. Here are ten t

Feb 25 min read

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ABOUT HELD BY NICOLE

Welcome to Held by Nicole's "Held Together" - a light educational blog about breast feeding, bottle feeding, pumping, infant sleep, infant milestones, lactation consulting, and various other motherhood posts. Join me as we explore the wild normalcy of new motherhood and provide helpful tips and insights for new moms.

CONNECT WITH ME ON INSTAGRAM

Expecting a baby soon? Did you know that getting prenatal breastfeeding education in the form or classes or individualized prenatal lactation appointments is one of the simplest effective ways to boost your breastfeeding outcome?

It makes you more confident going into postpartum - and paired with in-person postpartum support and you are well on your way to longer, pain-free breastfeeding!

Getting prepared before baby comes can make a huge difference in expectation-setting and in reducing the panic at 2am when you’re day 3 with your newborn and don’t know why your breasts aren’t cooperating anymore!

Get prepared now! Book a prenatal consultation with me in person (Halton and Peel) or online (Canada) 📍

And, watch out for more classes offered with @babyhelpinghands in the future!

#haltonmoms #mississaugamoms #oakvillemoms #ibclc #breastfeedingsupport

Expecting a baby this summer? Join postpartum doula @babyhelpinghands and lactation consultant @heldbynicole as they walk you through a free webinar of select topics about the first week postpartum!

Stay for an intimate, online, comfortable learning space for soon to be parents - especially those living in the Halton and Peel region!

THIS Sunday June 14 at 2pm-3pm

Register at link in bio!

We’re so excited to meet you!

#oakvillemoms #haltonmoms #mississaugamoms

When I come to your house for a lactation appointment, it’s to set you up for success where you’ll actually be feeding your baby. Using your chairs, your bed, and your pillows, we’ll use what you actually have access to in order to optimize breastfeeding.

I’ll bring along a bag of supplies that will help us have an effective comprehensive appointment to approach all your issues with ease. You don’t have a pump - no problem, I’ll bring one! You don’t have the right flange size - I got you! Haven’t needed a bottle until now - don’t mention it!

Book with me at the link in bio for a comprehensive infant feeding assessment in your home! 📖

#oakvillemoms #haltonmoms #mississaugamoms #ibclc #breastfeedingsupport

Are you pregnant and from the Halton or Peel area?

Join us online to get some confidence-building tips and feel more prepared going into the first week postpartum.

In this FREE 1-hour online class, a Postpartum Doula - @babyhelpinghands - will walk you through the realities of recovery and what you might be feeling after bringing baby home. Stay for the expert feeding advice and some essential need-to-knows from a local lactation consultant (IBCLC) - @heldbynicole - so you can head into postpartum with more confidence and less fear.

Bring your questions, your partner, or just yourself in your cozy clothes!

Registration is free - spots available now.

#oakvillemoms #haltonmoms #mississaugamoms

Booking with me is easy.

Follow my link in bio or go directly to my website to schedule your expert lactation care!

Can’t wait to meet you!

#haltonmoms #oakvillemoms #mississaugamoms

Still incredibly grateful for this big moment for my small business!

Building a small private lactation practice from the ground up has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. What started as a passion for supporting postpartum families has grown into a business built on trust, education, and individualized care. Winning a grant from Starter Company Plus at @regionofhalton gave my business recognition, but it reminds me that there’s real value in my approach to supporting new families. People benefit from this.

I’m proud to provide in-home lactation support to families across Oakville and surrounding areas, helping them with all things related to breastfeeding, bottle feeding, infant feeding, and honestly, new motherhood in general.

THANK YOU to every family who has invited me into their homes, shared my name with a friend, or trusted me during vulnerable moments. Your support means everything to a small business like mine.

#oakvillemoms #haltonmoms #mississaugamoms

The postpartum period is a team sport!

Let’s make this season feel a little lighter for mums who have already done so much and continue to do so much!

#oakvillemom #haltonmoms #mississaugamoms

Newborn stomachs are super small at birth. The colostrum (that first golden milk) is jam-packed with everything your baby immediately needs - like antibodies and protein. Each drop contributes so much.

✼ Day 1 stomach size ≈ a cherry (5–7 mL)
✼ Day 3 ≈ a walnut (22–27 mL)
✼ End of Week 1 ≈ an apricot (45–60 mL)

Not only does your infant’s stomach size rapidly increase in that first week, but so will your milk supply as you keep expressing your milk by direct feeding or pumping. There will be more fat and calories for baby to consume towards day 3 when their feeds begin to reach almost an ounce in size.

Just remember that small milk volumes in those first few days are biologically appropriate as baby is learning, you are learning, and your milk supply is building. And don’t be surprised if on day two baby is coming to the breast way more than their sleepy first day earthside. This is to be expected!

#oakvillemoms #halton #breastfeeding

*LLLC: https://www.lllc.ca/newborns-have-small-stomachs

Join us online in June to get some confidence-building tips and feel more prepared going into the first week postpartum.

In this FREE 1-hour online class, a postpartum doula (@babyhelpinghands) will walk you through the realities of recovery and what you might be feeling after bringing baby home. Stay for the expert feeding advice and some essential need-to-knows from a local lactation consultant (IBCLC) so you can head into postpartum and start breastfeeding with more confidence and less fear.

Bring your questions, your partner, or just a cup of tea.

Registration is free - spots are limited and available now.

Are you pregnant and living in the Halton area? Join us online to get some confidence-building tips and feel more prepared going into the first week postpartum.

In this free 1-hour online class, a certified postpartum doula will walk you through the realities of recovery and what you might be experiencing after bringing baby home. Stay for the expert feeding advice and some essential need-to-knows from a local lactation consultant (IBCLC) so you can head into postpartum and start breastfeeding with more confidence and less fear.

Bring your questions, your partner, or just a cup of tea.

Registration is free - spots are limited and available now for people living in Oakville, Milton, Mississauga, Burlington, and Georgetown

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When Baby Refuses the Breast: What To Do (and What Not To Do)

LATEST POST

INSIGHTFUL ARTICLES

When Baby Refuses the Breast: What To Do (and What Not To Do)

Yes, Your 6-Month-Old Can Start Learning to Drink From a Cup (And Here's How)

Should You Express Colostrum and What Even Is It?

Nipple Creams - Do's and Don'ts

Do You Keep Seeing: "Rely on your village" - Here's How to Actually Do It.

Pumping: What You Need To Know Before You Start

10 Tips From A Lactation Consultant That You Need To Know In The First Week

ABOUT HELD BY NICOLE

CONNECT WITH ME ON INSTAGRAM

​

GET UPDATES