Exeter Breastfeeding Service

06/02/2026

A nostalgic train journey for me today from Exeter to Plymouth 💛

A journey I did many times while training to become a midwife! A journey with 2 dear friends which became a sort of therapy as we navigated the challenging degree we had taken on (and a life choice that we questioned numerous times). A journey that wound up being affectionately referred to as “wine club” 😂

The hysterical laughter, the gut wrenching tears and the relentless fear that we were giving our souls to something and might not even end up getting a job! 💛

3+ years later and I can still say with my hand on my heart that pushing on, not quitting and stepping into this career was the BEST decision I ever made. It’s an enormous privilege 💛

Forever thankful to and for the friendship and support 💛 Also super thankful to the woman in Costa at the train station who didn’t bo***ck us for pinching 3 paper cups every Friday afternoon so we didn’t have to swig out of the bottle 🤭

05/02/2026

Have you been distracted by the Labour and birth wall? 💛

Have you thought about what life will look like next?

Your baby’s feeding journey starts the moment they are born and placed on your skin 💛

Most parents come to day 3 or day 5 postnatal appointments and tell me their baby hates their Moses basket which they lovingly built in preparation for the baby’s arrival 💛 of course they hate it.. it isn’t YOU!

Normal newborn behaviour is the same whether you breast or bottle feed. Do you know what’s normal? 💛

If you’d like to learn more drop me an email with the words breastfeeding preparation to exeterbreastfeedingservice@gmail.com

05/02/2026

They are fantastic WHEN USED CORRECTLY! 💛

You might think..how can you not use a feeding pillow correctly?! No you don’t need to scooch it round to support your back 😉

Make sure you position and attach baby at the breast fi a feed BEFORE bringing the feeding pillow into position for support. If you put the pillow around you before baby is latched it prevents baby from achieving a deep latch because they are positioned too high as the approach 💛

Once baby is latched and feeding, get that pillow right on in there and relax 💛

04/02/2026

10 days over due in 2014 💛

I wish I’d known about colostrum harvesting! I was so desperate to have a positive breastfeeding journey this time round 💛

So many women I meet in antenatal clinic almost won’t allow themselves to hope for a positive breastfeeding journey after the pain and challenge of the first time 💛

Before you even get started your body is already more prepared this time 💛

Harvesting tiny amounts of colostrum can really help you prepare 💛

Spend lots of time with baby skin to skin when they arrive. Not just for the “golden hour” but for the coming days, weeks and months. Laying on your chest will be your baby’s favourite place! It has a purpose, it makes sure your lactation hormones stay alert 💛

Enjoy the snuggles and drink them in 💛

02/02/2026

Weaning? Check this out 💛

Love Food CIC have a Baby Weaning Workshop happening next Wednesday, might be helpful for anyone with little ones starting on their food adventures 😋

02/02/2026

Sorry! I’ll be there Tuesday 10th 💛

02/02/2026

When it comes to breastfeeding many parents worry about their latch 💛

As midwives we use the acronym CHINS to educate parents on the important aspects of position and attachment to help achieve a deep latch 💛

I often tell parents to run their tongue along the roof of their mouth feeling the hard pallet and then the soft pallet. It’s quite far back isn’t it?? The soft pallet is where you want the ni**le to reach 💛

On the baby friendly initiative (BFI) website there are 2 very short animated videos helping you to visualise the latch you are aiming to achieve. They are such a helpful resource! 💛

If you require any help/support with breastfeeding please don’t hesitate to get in touch exeterbreastfeedingservice@gmail.com

💛

01/02/2026

Oh Milo….my therapy 💛

A Sunday well spent. Sandy beach walk while the sun (remember what that is?!) shone, coffees in with gorgeous sea views and back home for a whole load of sofa cuddles 💛

He hasn’t left my side 💛

01/02/2026

💛 10TH FEBRUARY!💛

Sorry I’m not available for the breastfeeding drop in this week as I have a community shift 💛 If you head down anyway you may well meet another breastfeeding mama.

I’ll be there 10th Feb 1:30-3pm 💛

If you’re struggling please head to my website exeterbreastfeeding.com 💛

31/01/2026

The face of a midwife who has just finished her 13 hour shift, almost an hour late and clutching onto her dinner because she only had a 30 minute break today at 1pm…..🫠

Still love it though 💛

31/01/2026

Always reflecting, learning and trying to do better for the women and families in my care 💛

27/01/2026

💛 COMBI FEEDING 💛

Also known as combination feeding. This is when parents choose to share the load of infant feeding and wish to breast and bottle feed (either expressed breast milk or formula milk).

This approach to feeding can be a helpful way to sustain a breastfeeding journey for some. However, if it is not managed carefully it can interrupt the breastfeeding journey and result in stopping before you really wanted to 💛

In the first week of a newborn’s life the mother’s prolactin (milk making hormones) are at their highest. During this time to maximise your milk supply it is crucial to breastfeed or express frequently (minimum every 2-3 hours) and the rest of the time have as much skin to skin time with babe as possible 💛 IF you introduce a bottle during this time it may cause ni**le/teat confusion, plus you run the risk of impacting your milk supply and producing less than you would if the breasts are stimulated every 2-3 hours.

For the next few weeks your lactation hormones are working on a “supply & demand” cycle. If baby demands the milk (by being at the breast), then the body will continue to supply it 💛 In the first 4-6 weeks of your new baby’s life your body is adjusting to, and working out what your baby needs.

Once the above process has happened which for most people is around 6 weeks, it is fine to think about expressing a feed and someone else giving this to baby via a bottle 💛 This can be very helpful if you want to get a couple of hours of sleep ahead of the night feeds.

I’d advise always taking baby to the breast in the middle of the night as this is when your prolactin levels remain at their peak and protect your breastfeeding journey 💛

If you need any help/support with combi feeding on your journey please pop and see me at the drop in on a Tuesday. Alternatively book a 1:1 telephone consultation to discuss any questions you have by heading to exeterbreastfeeding.com and filling out the contact form on my website💛