East Boston WIC Program

, plans for April vacation? 👀
Hang out with us at !

Find activities at boston.gov/bcyf-registration—tap “Special Events” and set the date filter to April vacation week.

See you there 💛

“My milk supply dropped…”
…or your body regulated

Around 11-14 weeks postpartum, milk production shifts from hormone-driven to supply-and-demand

It can feel like everything changed overnight
What regulation often looks like:

• Breasts feel softer
• Leaking slows or stops
• You’re not feeling full between feedings
• Less of that sweaty, engorged, sticky feeling
• Pump output may look different
• Baby may cluster feed again or seem unsettled

These are hormonal shifts into efficiency, not signs your milk is going away

What’s happening physiologically:
In the early weeks, hormones drive higher volume production and storage
That’s why breasts feel full, heavy, and leaky

As your body learns your baby’s needs, it adjusts:

• Extra blood and fluid are in the breast for the first few weeks to help push milk to the baby while they are learning to feed. This goes away and breasts feel soft
• Production responds more to milk removal
• Supply becomes tightly matched to your baby

This timing throws people off because this phase often overlaps with:
• A final early growth spurt
• Periods of cluster feeding
• Changes in sleep that can look like a regression

So you see more feeding + less fullness + more night waking
It’s easy to assume supply is dropping

What’s important to understand:
• Babies don’t keep increasing daily milk volumes for long. Once they reach 10-12 pounds, they need 25-30oz a day. And that’s what they need daily through the first birthday. Not gallons a day
• As a newborn, babies usually take 65-80% of the milk in the breast at any given feeding. There’s more milk always available for cluster feeds and growth spurts
• Growth continues, just at a slower, steadier rate
• Your body is matching that shift

What to watch instead:
• Diaper output
• Swallowing during feeds
• Growth patterns over time
• Overall feeding behavior

Soft breasts can still contain plenty of milk
Less leaking doesn’t mean less milk. It means more efficient milk production

This is milk supply regulation into the next stage of lactation and is expected

Nutrition for Your Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental and neurological condition that is estimated to affect one in 31 children in the United States and can impact nutrition and health status.

🥕 Fresh local produce straight from the farm

The East Boston CSA with NeighborHealth & Farmer Dave’s is now enrolling for spring!

Each week members receive a box of seasonal fruits and vegetables grown locally in Massachusetts.

🥬 Weekly or biweekly boxes
🧡 SNAP & HIP accepted
💳 Flexible payment options available

📍 Pick up at 151 Orleans Street, East Boston
🗓 Thursdays 2-6 PM

Perfect for East Boston families looking to bring more fresh produce home this season. 🌱

🔗 Sign up here: https://forms.gle/vsErdjSTV1V8sjp1A

👉 What’s your favorite vegetable to cook with?

We are ready to celebrate with you and your baby 🌸
During our Spring Community BabyShower we will be welcoming 100 pregnant moms due to having their babies during the months of March - June 2026.
We will have tons of new gifts, information from other community agencies and a beautiful photo station so you can have your own pictures and great memories!
Moms from all nearby communities are welcome ✨
This is how it works:
1. Register using the link below:
https://forms.gle/CwWyXadwbfL3K4ws5

2. You MUST attend the event in order to receive the donations.

Questions? Just emails at [email protected]

.cfce .valley.ymca

La Colaborativa has been recognized as one of the 2025 Healthy Pantries by The Greater Boston Food Bank, an honor that affirms our deep commitment to nutrition, dignity, and evidence-based pantry practices that truly serve our community.

At La Colaborativa, food is never just food, it is health, it is dignity, and it is connection.

The food we rescue and receive doesn’t only stock our Food Pantry; it fuels an entire, interconnected ecosystem of care, including El Verdulero (our mobile market), El Mercado (our community mini-market), and our Home Delivery program, prioritizing individuals and families living with chronic health conditions.

This same food also nourishes our Teaching Kitchen, where we offer culturally relevant nutrition education, ensuring that access to healthy food translates into real, lasting health outcomes. Our pantry feeds our programs, our programs feed our people, and our people build a healthier community.

This recognition belongs to the incredible dedication of our staff and volunteers, and to the trust of the families who walk through our doors every day. We don’t take that responsibility lightly, it pushes us to keep raising the bar.
Thank you for walking alongside us.

Together, we continue Levantando al Pueblo, with intention, accountability, and heart.