This is the single most important piece of advice I have for mothers with babies. Whether you are doing skin-to-skin, bottle feeding, or breastfeeding, spend this time with your child. Breathe in the smell of your baby. Listen to her little sounds. Catch his expressions.

Newborns won’t necessarily notice a phone. But quickly the dings, buzzes, alerts, and rings will be on their radar. Noises from the phone startle babies. (They can startle older human beings too!) Right when they think they are alone with their mom there is an electronic alert. Or a disembodied voice emanating from the phone suddenly and unexpectedly speaks. The baby will be confused.

When I counsel moms: In-person meetings are best. When a virtual meeting is unavoidable, it is best to not disturb the breastfeeding process. I encourage mothers to have someone else make videos of the breastfeeding session to send them to me. We can discuss them right after.