Elaine Campbell, IBCLC

04/11/2025

New research reinforces what we already know:

Mother’s own milk is the gold standard.

Donor human milk comes next.

Human milk–derived fortifiers follow when extra nutrients are needed.

Human milk is a living tissue, rich with bioactive components that cannot be replicated in any lab. It protects, heals, and nourishes in ways science is only beginning to fully understand.

Because there is no true substitute for human milk.

Read more on new research around human milk fortifiers: https://elainecampbell.ie/2025/11/04/a-major-step-forward-in-understanding-the-power-of-human-milk/

25/10/2025

16/10/2025

Postpartum is a process. Maternity leave essential.

I love when a post puts something together beautifully better than I can

New research challenges long-held assumptions about how quickly the body recovers after childbirth.

While many medical guidelines suggest a six-week recovery period, recent studies show that full physiological and hormonal recovery can take a year or more. Scientists found that blood volume, tissue elasticity, nutrient reserves, and hormonal balance continue to shift for months after birth—indicating that the postpartum body remains in a state of repair and recalibration far longer than previously thought.

Beyond physical healing, neurological studies show that pregnancy reshapes the maternal brain, enhancing emotional sensitivity and empathy through structural changes that can last for years. This process represents a profound biological adaptation designed to strengthen connection, not a simple return to a pre-pregnancy state.

These findings highlight a truth long known in holistic traditions: creation requires restoration. The postpartum journey is not merely recovery—it is transformation, an evolution of both body and consciousness that deserves time, rest, and reverence.

04/10/2025

Day 4 of Irish Breastfeeding Week. Breastfeeding, Pregnancy and Breast Cancer *Risk*

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time to share evidence-based information on risk and prevention.

Pregnancy brings a natural surge in oestrogen, a hormone that can encourage the growth of breast cancer cells in some women. This means that while pregnancy is protective in the long term, it can temporarily increase the risk of developing breast cancer in the early years after birth.

Breastfeeding, however, is consistently shown to reduce the lifetime risk of breast cancer. The protective effect comes from the way lactation suppresses oestrogen production and gives breast tissue a period of rest from exposure to circulating hormones.

Large international studies have shown that:

The risk reduction increases with longer duration of breastfeeding. Each 12 months of breastfeeding (cumulative across children) is associated with about a 4–4.3% reduction in risk.

Women who breastfeed for a lifetime total of 24 months or more see even greater protection, with some studies estimating up to 25% lower risk compared to women who never breastfed

It is important to note that reducing risk does not guarantee that breast cancer will not develop. Genetics, age and other factors also play a role.

Breastfeeding is not just about nutrition and bonding. It is also part of the wider picture of women’s health across the lifespan.

And sher while I'm at it here are a few additional stats for those reading this far down.....

Ovarian Cancer
Breastfeeding reduces lifetime risk by about 20–30%, with the protection strengthening the longer a woman breastfeeds. A pooled analysis of nearly 10,000 cases found that women who breastfed for a total of 12 months or more had a 34% lower risk of ovarian cancer compared with women who never breastfed.

Endometrial Cancer
Several studies show a modest reduction of around 10–15% for women who breastfeed, again with greater protection linked to longer durations.
Several studies show a modest reduction of around 10–15% for women who breastfeed, again with greater protection linked to longer durations.