Hannah Croft IBCLC, Infant Feeding Support

15/02/2026

B r e a s t s h a p i n g.

Although the images we often see of breastfeeding are of women effortlessly holding their latched baby to their breast leaving them with a free hand, the reality is that sometimes, particularly as your baby and you learn to breastfeed, breastfeeding can be a 2 handed job.

As well as holding your baby to your breast, you may find that you need your other hand to shape your breast in order to help your baby to latch.

You may find that squeezing your breast like we might a bigger sandwich or burger makes it easier for your baby to take the big mouthful of breast they need to latch deeply.

Or maybe you need to manipulate your ni**le and breast by holding, squeezing or pressing your breast tissue to help the latch too.

It may be you need to do this only for the initial latch, or perhaps for longer as the feed gets going, but both are totally fine and can be a normal part of breastfeeding for some dyads.

It may even be you need this approach for one breast but not for the other; no 2 breasts are symmetrical after all!

Some parents are concerned that breast shaping may make them more prone to blocked ducts and mastitis but there’s little evidence this is true, as long as each breast is being effectively drained in order to help regulate supply!

14/02/2026

14/02/2026

Being able to identify swallows and therefore milk transfer when your baby is breastfeeding is an essential and empowering skill for breastfeeding parents.

It’s easy to think it’s all about the latch, which of course is important, but if your baby isn’t actively swallowing milk during feeds then feeds can be long and inefficient, and your baby’s weight may be impacted.

While sleepy, cuddly feeds and comfort sucking are a valuable part of breastfeeding, it’s also vital parents are able to identify that their baby has had a decent feed first!

Please speak to an IBCLC or Breastfeeding Specialist if you’d like more info about spotting the swallows.

13/02/2026

The current growth charts were introduced in England in 2009, and are based on the measurements of many breastfed babies from 6 countries.

Plotting your baby’s weight helps ensure they’re growing as we’d hope and expect.

If you need any help understanding your baby’s growth, or are concerned in any way please reach out to your healthcare team.

12/02/2026

P a c e d B o t t l e f e e d i n g

Using this method to bottle feed a baby helps feed them responsively, and prevents overfeeding which can lead to discomfort for your baby. It also can help babies move between the breast and bottle.

Have you been shown this technique?

Did you know IBCLCs can help with all types of feeding, not just breastfeeding? If you need at any stage of feeding your baby, please reach out.

11/02/2026

Having antenatal conversions with expectant parents and discussing safe bed sharing can help them prepare their environments appropriately, so if the time comes and they want/need to bedshare they have the set up sorted.

Imagine if along with buying a new mattress for the baby, we discussed the parents treating themselves too? Ensuring a comfy and safe postpartum.

Bedsharing can mean survival for new parents.

Having conversations about how to bedshare safely can save a family’s sanity; meeting a baby’s need for closeness and access to the breast, and the parents’ need for rest and reduced stress.

*It’s recommended bed sharing is undertaken with an appropriate mattress; firm and flat, and one that doesn’t sag.*

10/02/2026

Collecting your colostrum and storing it before your baby arrives can be useful for any expectant parent, but especially helpful if you anticipating any separation or feeding complications eg gestational diabetes, planned c section, cleft palate or lip issues etc

Breasts produce milk from approx 16th week of pregnancy. The ‘first milk’ produced is called colostrum; a concentrate breastmilk, high in protein and antibodies. The ideal first food; perfectly made for you baby.

Your body will keep producing it so you don’t need to worry about wasting it or it running out!

You can hand express and store colostrum in late pregnancy (usually from 36 weeks) and store in the freezer for your baby, you can repeat up to 3 times a day. To start with you may only get a few drops but it’s ALL valuable and worth it!

Colostrum can range in colour from yellow to orange. It’s quite thick and viscous (to help a baby practice swallowing early on)

Its a good idea to discuss antenatally expressing with your midwife, and you can ask for some 1 or 2ml syringes (or get in touch with an IBCLC.)

You can take any frozen or fresh colostrum to hospital with you (in a ice bag if necessary) and put in their freezer as there’s a limited window (24 hours) to use once defrosted.

09/02/2026

📣 Some kind words 📣

Can I help your baby and you with feeding?

Please get in touch!

Support from just £15.