Thrive Infant Feeding

10/03/2026

💚 So let's get it RIGHT together! If you want professional, easy to follow advice on infant feeding, follow me :)

Here are my tips for parents who want to start solids with fruit and veg from 6 months:

💡 1. If you are offering fruit/veg that is firm like apple/carrot..cook it to soften. Fruits that are small, slippy and round like tomatoes, grapes, blueberries...blend, chop up or mash to reduce the risk of choking

(Book onto a first aid course too!)

💡 2. If you wish to puree foods, it is best to offer finger foods alongside. Purees can be eaten faster, are less 'filling' and not great for building oral function if eaten through a pouch, as a meal and just 'swallowed'. It is really easy to over eat fruits and subsequently sugars when in puree form compared to them in their solid form

💡 3. We grow up thinking of fruit and veg as healthy..which is true..but sometimes it takes away from the other food groups that are essential for growth and development. Don't forget to pair fruit and veg up with foods from another food group each time for balance

These are just a few of my little snippets for you all!

🏆 My name is Shami, and I am an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) tongue tie specialist and mum of 3 working in the Midlands, UK. I share daily tips and answer your feeding questions here in my little corner of the internet so come join me by giving me a follow...

If you are local and looking for a parent friendly first aid course .northstaffs can help!

09/03/2026

📢 Parents! Comment CHECKLIST and I will send you a FREE tongue tie symptom checklist straight to your inbox!

My name is Shami and I am a mum of three, feeding specialist working as an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) and Tongue Tie Specialist in the Midlands, UK...this is my corner of the internet where I share my expertise with you 💚

I have put together a quick guide that covers a few of the many questions that I get asked about tongue tie on a daily basis. I am hoping that sharing this will increase understanding and awareness of tongue tie in babies for both parents and those working with/supporting parents.

I have a whole load of other FREE guides for you to access on my Instagram page so don't forget to follow!

This post is not intended to replace individual assessment and care planning, it is designed to raise awareness, understanding and to educate.

07/03/2026

💚 Here to reassure you that some babies can take a little longer to progress with solids for whatever reason and there are still some things we can twaek/change if needed

🏆 My name is Shami, and I am an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant), Tongue Tie Specialist and mum of 3 working in the Midlands, UK. I share daily tips and answer your feeding questions here in my little corner of the internet so come join me by giving me a follow...

💬 Let's talk solids!

Here are some top tips that will help your little one learn to love their food:

1. Comfortable seating, feet secure (not dangling)
2. Sit your baby so they are facing you
3. Role model eating
4. Place foods on high chair tray and allow play
5. Try not to 'clean' them (interrupt) as they eat
6. Variety in texture, taste, colour and food groups
7. Frequency of exposure, a few times a day
8. Involve the family
9. Try not to focus on how much theyve eaten
10. Rather on how much they've enjoyed it

There is more to this list of course but this is a great starting point

If you are struggling with starting solids, get in touch with someone who is trained to support, your Health Visitor may be a good first person to call

06/03/2026

💚 Oral mapping is the process by which a baby develops a "mental map" of their oral cavity (mouth) by exploring, sensing, and coordinating movements of the tongue, lips, and jaw with food

This is best achieved when they eat whole foods or foods with structure and texture from 6 months. If your baby is eating by sucking from a pouch, the puree will land further in the mouth, require no chewing and likely be swallowed with little effort

You can still offer purees, they are okay in moderation, just not 'instead of' meals unless medically indicated

If you want to know more about why oral mapping matters, comment 'POUCH' and I will send you my FREE parent guide on fruit pouches and starting solids

Save this reel and send to a friend who is undecided about pouches!

This reel is for educational purposes and does not replace face to face, individual assessment and advice from a health professional

06/03/2026

💚 Starting solids doesn't mean starting bland!

Your baby can start enjoying mild spices and herbs from 6 months as you introduce solids alongside their usual milk feeds

Offering variety in flavours can help your baby to accept and enjoy a range of family foods as they grow

Think:

💡 Cinnamon in porridge

💡 Garlic and Oregano in pasta sauce

💡 Mild curry spices in lentils

💡 Fresh herbs in yoghurt or mashed veg

No added salt, no sugar, just flavour!

If you would like a list of spices and herbs to try with your little one, comment SPICE below and I will send you a DM with all the info 💚

Save this reel and send to a friend who is stuck in a plain food rut!

05/03/2026

📢 Top tips to increase milk yield during pump session:

Save this for later!

✅️ Check fl**ge size is correct
✅️ Relaxing environment
✅️ Use hands on pumping technique
✅️ Breast compressions and massage
✅️ Use double, electric pump where available
✅️ Feed baby from one side while expressing the other
✅️ Keep baby close or skin to skin
✅️ Watch videos of your baby if you are separated

🏆 My name is Shami, I am an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant), tongue tie specialist and mum of 3 working in the Midlands, UK. I share daily tips and answer your feeding questions here in my little corner of the internet so come join me by giving me a follow...

If you are struggling to decide whether to double pump or if a single pump would be sufficient, seek out help 💚

This information is for learning and educational purposes and does not replace face to face consultation

03/03/2026

💚 If only it was as easy as being able to recommend 1 pump for all...but it isn't sadly!

When deciding on which pump to buy, ask yourself the following questions:

❓️How often will I be using the pump?

❓️Will hand expression be sufficient?

❓️Do I need to pump both sides at the same time?

❓️Am I trying to stimulate milk production?

❓️How much am I able to spend?

❓️Can I hire/borrow a pump instead?

❓️Is this my main pump or an addition?

❓️Would I benefit from a hands free pump?

It is definitely worth comparing specifications of different brands and measuring fl**ge sizes accurately

🏆 My name is Shami, I am an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant), tongue tie specialist and mum of 3 working in the Midlands, UK. I share daily tips and answer your feeding questions here in my little corner of the internet so come join me by giving me a follow...

If you are struggling to decide which pump would best suit you, get help 💚

This information is for learning and educational purposes and does not replace face to face consultation

03/03/2026

📢 Parents and Professionals! Share and Save this post as a quick reference guide

My name is Shami and I am a feeding specialist working as an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) and tongue tie specialist in the Midlands, UK...welcome to my corner of the internet where I share my expertise with you 💚

This is my quick guide on starting solids with a twist.... It's all about seeing things through your baby's perspective and understanding possibly what is going through their mind during this time (we can only guess!)

I would be interested to hear your experiences and any tips for other parents in the comments 💚

Take a look at the whole load of other FREE guides on my Instagram page and don't forget to follow!

This post is not intended to replace individual assessment and care planning, it is designed to raise awareness, understanding and to educate

01/03/2026

If you are looking for judgement free, professional feeding tips that make parenting that bit easier.... give me a follow!

🏆 My name is Shami, I am an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant), tongue tie specialist and mum of 3 working in the Midlands, UK. I share daily tips and answer your feeding questions here in my little corner of the internet so come join me by giving me a follow...

When to start solids?

It is best to start when your baby is showing all the signs of being developmentally ready for solids, usually at the age of 6months:

1. Being able to sit with support and hold head confidently
2. Being able to pick up foods and bring them to their mouth
3. Being able to manoeuvre food in their mouth to swallow

Start with soft foods until your little one has either teeth or jaw strength to break and chew foods that are a little more firm

Supervise mealtimes and take time to learn about the difference between gagging and choking

If you are worried about choking, it may be useful to book onto a first aid course .northstaffs

28/02/2026

I am certain that my 'passion' is actually a translation of the blueprint from women who came before me...(at least that is how I understand it 💚)

🏆 My name is Shami, I am an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant), tongue tie specialist and mum of 3 working in the Midlands, UK. I share daily tips and answer your feeding questions for FREE in my little corner of the internet. This is not where the support ends...

The Feeding Cafe started off in June 2024 as an expert drop in session when I decided to offer my expertise to local mothers for free. In September 2025 a warm and welcome collaboration with brought on board emotional peer support and warm buttery toast .. this was the birth of The Feeding Cafe. Since the start, hundreds of babies and mothers have overcome feeding challenges successfully who otherwise may have given up or continued to struggle with no resolve.

Thank you to for recognising the impact and value of accessible and inclusive expert feeding support for mothers by awarding the feeding cafe as Highly Commended for the Civic Pride Award 2026 (Organisation). We know that improving and sustaining rates of breastfeeding is fundamental in reducing health inequalities and has a profound and lasting positive impact on families and communities.

My goal is to help as many mothers as I can to meet their feeding goals, no matter how they choose to feed their baby, so give me a follow and become part of my journey 💚

27/02/2026

💚 You can continue producing breastmilk as long as you remove milk from the breast (in most cases). There are times when this may not apply, one of these times is if you become pregnant and your milk transitions to colostrum to prioritise the new baby, in which case volumes reduce for that purpose

🏆 My name is Shami, I am an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant), tongue tie specialist and mum of 3 working in the Midlands, UK. I share daily tips and answer your feeding questions here in my little corner of the internet so come join me by giving me a follow...

💡The more milk you remove via feeding or pumping, the more your body will make usually

💡This is why simply increasing effectiveness of feeding/pumping can improve milk supply, as can increasing frequency

💡Cluster feeding is designed to stimulate and increase supply

💡Leaving milk in the breast for long periods of time can reduce milk production through a feedback mechanism (read about feedback inhibitor of lactation)

If you have concerns about maintaining milk production, get professional help 💚

This information is for learning and educational purposes and does not replace face to face consultation

27/02/2026

What an amazing evening celebrating people who make our borough a better place to live in 💚

What a night! 🌟

Huge congratulations to our incredible Borough Heroes 2026! 💙

We celebrated some truly inspiring people and groups at Keele in Town last night – and they really showed what makes our borough such a special place.

Some of the winners include:
🏆 Lifetime Achievement Award – Philip Leese
🏆 Civic Pride (Organisation) – Newcastle District Scouts
🏆 Civic Pride (Individual) – Philip Pritchard
🏆 Young Hero – Sarah Edwards
🏆 Business Community Hero – AMB Insurance

Every nominee, finalist and winner should feel incredibly proud ⭐

A huge thank you to our event sponsors for making the night possible: Capital & Centric, Ironmarket Wealth, Keele University, Newcastle & Stafford Colleges Group, Newcastle-under-Lyme BID and TMT First 👏

✨ What a night for Newcastle-under-Lyme. What a community. What a borough.