Kay Barber IBCLC

04/10/2022

02/07/2022

Posted • How to do lymphatic massage to reduce the swelling in your breast tissue that can stop your milk flowing out freely. For use when you're engorged/have mastitis/blocked duct

Step away from heavy massage and heat
Latest guidance is to be gentle when massaging breasts, especially in the case of Mastitis and blocked ducts. No longer is it a great idea to use the back of a tooth brush.

29/06/2022

Social media is full of pictures of freezers full of breast milk.
Don’t let images like this worry you . This is not a normal expectation of a milk stash .
You don’t need to have a stash to breastfeed a baby .
This post is not intended to suggest you need a stash of milk.
You may however choose to have a small milk stash for some personal circumstances.
Collecting additional milk ( that your baby isn’t drinking) can for some parents result in an over supply . So try not to get carried away expressing more than you need.
This picture is actually one of two freezers full of milk that a parent has from her previous baby ! She didn’t need her milk stash!

03/10/2021

Posted • October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month⁠ 💕⁠
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Make sure you know the signs and symptoms of breast cancer and check those puppies regularly! ⁠
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It could save your life!⁠
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If you're forgetful like me, you can download the "Breast Check Now" app for free to give you guidance and send you reminders to check the ol' gals out once every couple of weeks⁠
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Thanks to for the image!⁠
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31/08/2021

Do you live near Watford and would like to train as a breastfeeding peer supporter. The deadline to apply for this training has just been extended by a week. Could this be you?

29/08/2021

I really couldn’t say this better ! Posted • I’ve heard some comments over the past few days questioning the need for a Black breastfeeding week. So I’d like to quickly and succinctly, address such quandaries.

Whenever people think of the struggles associated with breastfeeding, do what Mars Lord She/Her/Goddess] says and “add a layer of black”.

Systemic racism, white supremacy, the history of the West and colonialism, all make it incredibly difficult for Black families to exist with ease.

If you think mastitis is hard, try and imagine having it when your doctor doesn’t even know how to diagnose you with it, due to the colour of your skin.

If you think it’s hard to not receive support from family, with regards to breastfeeding your baby, imagine the ancestral trauma your loved ones may hold due to the wet nursing of the oppressors child instead of their own.

If you think going to a breastfeeding cafe is awkward, try and imagine being the only person there with the same skin colour as you and knowing that all the supporters will have their own biases and opinions about you, just because of your skin colour.

I could go on, but I won’t.

Instead, I want to draw attention to the achievement of Black breastfeeding families.

Because whether you fed your babe for 5 mins or 5 years, you have overcome, you have acknowledged a part of your immense power. And if you didn’t get the support you needed, I apologise. You are so deserving of it, in all your excellence.

So this post is just to highlight that as much as people refuse to acknowledge the need to support Black families, Black families will be supported. This, is being promised each and everyday by individuals who are willing to do better for us all.

If you’d like to learn more, then please check out Mars Lord She/Her/Goddess] .up.motherhood and (amongst many others) who can all educate you so much further.

And to all of those supporting Black families, thank you. Keep on working.

Stunning photo by

26/08/2021

Almost missed the international day of the dog celebrations. The very lovely Molly 🐶

08/08/2021

Posted • One of my favourite things when I work is when women come in with a bag full of colostrum, this really makes me so happy 😅
🥛It helps your baby build a strong immune system as it contains a substantial amount of antibodies and white blood cells.
🥛Supports digestion and helps your baby pass meconium (the dark first p**p) with ease.
🥛Is rich in a crucial antibody called sIgA. This protects your baby against disease by lining its gastrointestinal tract
🥛 Helps prevent jaundice and gets rid of excess toxins
🥛Contains all the nutrients your baby needs and is abundant in protein, prebiotics, salts, fats, and vitamins for optimal nutrition and gut health - minimising allergies
🥛 Calorie dense to support growth, weight gain and prevent hypothermia
🥛Helps to prevent low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) in newborns. This is especially important if you have gestational diabetes or a baby that is small or large for gestational age as they are more prone to unstable blood sugars
You can begin expressing after 36 weeks. Anything before is not recommended as it releases oxytocin (the hormone responsible for contractions) which can lead to preterm labour.
On night 2 with baby they will usually want to feed all the time and are always on the breast. This is called cluster feeding and is normal newborn behaviour as they are trying to bring your milk in. A back up supply can be a god send! Your body will produce colostrum exclusively for about 2-5 days after birth. After this, “transitional milk” takes over – this is a mix of colostrum and more mature milk.

06/08/2021

I am having a little break and heading off to see family in the UK
I will still be at the global big latch with West Herts Breastfeeders of course. But other than that it’s feet up and phone down time.

03/08/2021

Join us for this year's local Big Latch On so we can be part of this global event to celebrate and support Breastfeeding.

The offical count of how many people are breastfeeding (latched on, having breastmilk via other methods or you pumping) happens at 10.30am. We will be starting the event at 10am so we have chance to chat with guest speakers sharing their experiencing tandem feeding, peer supporter talking about latch and positioning. More guest speakers to be added. Topic: West Herts Latch On
Time: Aug 8, 2021 10:00 AM

Also if you get chance please register for the event here -
https://biglatchon.org/apps/location-detail/?location_id=4161

02/08/2021

Join us at the ‘Big latch on’ this Sunday. If you aren’t a member of the Facebook group West herts Breastfeeders , then there’s no time like the present.
Link to join via the group.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/westhertsbreastfeeders/?ref=share

12/07/2021

Posted • Latching with ni**le shields 🛡️ Babies still need to latch on to a ni**le shield. Waiting for the wide gape is key , before bringing baby swiftly onto the breast. You are trying to avoid your baby going on the end of the shield and sucking it in like a piece of spaghetti. More about ni**le shields later this week.

The principals of positioning and attachment are as important as ever when latching with shields. It can be easy to end up with a baby just hanging off the end of the shield with poor attachment as the ni**le is protected from trauma.

As a shield can already slow the transfer of milk, it is key to ensure that baby has a deeper attachment and is squeezing the milk ducts not just sucking the ni**le.

For more information around the appropriate use of shields please see a post later this week Please always use with specialist support in place.

Baby videoed is a late pre-termer (35 weeks)- evidence shows that these babies may transfer more milk with a shield due to their prematurity.

🖤( • )( • ) 🖤

**leshields