Dr Laura Baxter - Breastfeeding Medicine GP

08/11/2025

New research shows GPs hear an average of eight health issues in just one consultation, leading to calls for a health policy shift to reflect this...

31/10/2025

This…

31/10/2025

31/10/2025

Weight gains… should all babies be above 50th centile?
Spoiler alert… no… only 50 percent of babies should be above the 50th centile line on the and 50 percent below so if you baby is one that’s under that’s ok… as long as their growth is roughly following a line.
And don’t forget growth really slows down after 4 months!

Just like in the fictional Minnesota town of Lake Wobegon, where “all the children are above average,” many parents believe there is something wrong if their breastfeeding baby’s weight isn’t above the 50th percentile. While it is human to want our children to excel, the assumption that babi...

31/10/2025

Breastfeeding is known to substantially reduce the risk of breast cancer, but the mechanisms underlying this protection haven't been well defined. 🤱

Recently, breastfeeding scientists have described an immune mediated mechanism that can explain this phenomenon.🧪🔬

You can read more about it here:
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03419-4

In the following posts, we will explain some other mechanisms that are theorised to also explain this preventive action.🩵💛

31/10/2025

29/10/2025

⚠️ “Can you wear your silicone pump ALL day?” 👀
Spoiler alert: Can and should are two different things. 😅

💭 MYTH: Silicone passive suctions pumps (like a Haakaa) should be worn for every feeding, on the breast you're not feeding on, to "catch drips."
💡 TRUTH: Using one of these too often can damage your ni***es and cause/accelerate oversupply. It's not a dripc catcher, it's truly a pump!
⚠️ WARNING: removing milk from the second breast sometimes takes the "easy" milk out, so when baby switches to that breast they don't get enough milk.

✨ Tips & Tricks:
✔️ Use it for 5 minutes max — just long enough to catch letdown.
✔️ Break the suction gently before removing (don’t pull!).
✔️ ONLY use it on what I call the third breast- nurse on the first side, then latch baby to the second breast and put the pump on the side baby already finished on to increase supply if needed (and ONLY if needed)

Remember, its not just catching drips- it's pulling out milk. Use these CAREFULLY 💕

💬 Have you ever overused your silicone pump without realizing it? Comment “guilty 😅” below — or drop your best silicone pump hack for new parents!

27/10/2025

The magic of breastmilk…

Your breastmilk is basically magic...

It changes every single feed - even every sip — to give your baby exactly what they need.
Inside every drop you'll find:

💧 Water - about 87% for hydration
💪 Proteins - for growth & immune support
🧠 Fats - for energy, brain & eye development
🤱 Carbs - for energy, gut health & calcium absorption
Vitamins & Minerals - for growth & health
💛 Antibodies — to fight infection
🌟 Hormones & Growth Factors - to aid development & bonding

No two mamas' milk is the same — it's made just for your baby.

24/10/2025

Everyone should be getting skin-to-skin after delivery (unless there are very good medical reasons, of course!)

Most places are already doing skin-to-skin as standard care.

Did you get skin-to-skin time after birth? Let us know in the comments ⬇️

👶 Skin-to-skin contact involves placing the naked newborn on the mother’s uncovered chest immediately after birth. This simple practice helps babies adapt to life outside the womb, keeping them warm, reducing stress and crying, and supporting vital functions such as breathing and heart rate.

New Cochrane evidence confirms what many already practice: immediate skin-to-skin contact between newborns and their mothers gives babies a better start in life.

Babies held skin-to-skin within the first hour after birth are more likely to:

🩵 Breastfeed exclusively
🩵 Maintain healthy body temperature and blood sugar
🩵 Breathe and adapt better outside the womb

Importantly, the evidence is now so strong that researchers argue it’s no longer ethical to conduct studies that separate mothers and babies after birth.

“Withholding skin-to-skin contact would now be considered unethical, as there is enough evidence to show that the practice improves newborn health and survival,” says Karin Cadwell, senior author and Executive Director and Lead Faculty of
Healthy Children Project Center for Breastfeeding.

Read more on our website: https://www.cochrane.org/about-us/news/strong-evidence-supports-skin-skin-contact-after-birth-standard-care

21/10/2025

Can you help by sending this templated email to your federal MP to help stop the government removing much needed funding for the ABA breastfeeding support helpline?
It takes 1-2 minutes.

The Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) has received Australian Government funding since 2008 to deliver its 24/7 Breastfeeding Helpline and LiveChat services, train and support volunteer breastfeeding counsellors and educators, and provide education for health professionals. Under the curren...