When it comes to having a baby, sometimes it feels like you’re learning something new every other minute, with breastfeeding being no exception.
Like, one day your friends are telling you about this amazing thing called a milk collector you should check out and the next, nurses are explaining cluster feeding to you while you’re barely awake in the hospital.
To help keep things easy and simple, we’ve put together a breastfeeding glossary of common breastfeeding terms and devices all in one spot. Here’s what to know:
Areola
the circular area of pigmented skin surrounding a nipple
Breast crawl
when a newborn is placed skin-to-skin on their mother’s chest and instinctually moves toward the nipple to initiate breastfeeding
Breast milk
milk produced by human mammary glands
Breast milk expression
the act of removing milk from a breast, either by hand or pump
Breast milk storage bag
a small, airtight container that stores expressed breast milk for later use, usually in the fridge or freezer
Breast pump
a device for extracting and collecting milk from a breast during lactation that uses suction
Breastfeeding
the act of feeding a baby with milk from the breast
Breastfeeding pillow
a nursing pillow made specifically to help cradle a baby while being breastfed
Clogged/blocked milk duct
when a milk duct in the breast becomes narrow from not enough milk drainage, causing inflammation or swelling
Cluster feeding
when a baby eats in consecutive sessions for shorter periods of time
Colostrum
a thick, yellowish-white fluid that develops during pregnancy and is secreted from the breasts during the first few days after giving birth
Engorgement
when a breast is overly full with milk that can cause swelling, tenderness and pain
Expressed breast milk
milk expressed by hand or pump (manual or electric); milk is then placed in a receiving vessel and may be transferred to another vessel or stored before being fed to the recipient infant
Exclusive pumping
when a baby is only fed breast milk that is expressed or pumped
Flange
the funnel part of a breast pump that is placed over the breast and nipple to form a seal for suction
Foremilk
the milk released at the beginning of a feeding when breasts are full
Hand expression
expressing breast milk by hand
Hindmilk
the milk released at the end of a feeding, which usually has a higher fat content
Inverted nipple
when a nipple points inward and lies flat instead of pointing out
Lactation
the process of producing and releasing milk by the mammary glands in a breast
Letdown
the release of milk from the breast causing the milk to flow out
Latch
how a baby attaches to the breast while breastfeeding
Leaking breast milk
a normal pregnancy or postpartum symptom where breast milk leaks, drips or sprays milk due to the letdown reflex
Mastitis
inflammation of tissue in the breast, often caused by an infection
Milk collector
a device that helps collect breast milk leaking or flowing from the breast that can be used for later feedings
Nipple
a small projection on the breast that breast milk can pass through
Nipple shield
a silicone device worn over the nipple and areola to help a baby latch on to the nipple while nursing
Nursing pad
a pad placed inside a bra or tank to help absorb leaking breast milk
Tandem feeding
breastfeeding two or more children of different ages at the same time