Expressly For Mums

15/04/2023

What a lovely surprise to receive a bunch of flowers and thank you card from a grateful client who I've been supporting the past few months. It's nice to know we make a difference 🤱

16/03/2023

How fascinating!

Isn’t human milk just incredible!
Just another reason to get out for a walk with your baby.

11/01/2023

I thought this was an idea that had phased out a couple of decades ago, but believe it or not a client was questioned by a HCP this week about whether she had enough milk in her diet for her to make good enough milk. Sigh!
The reasoning seemed to be that she would need to drink milk to get enough calcium.

OK - let’s just deal with this. How do apes make milk without drinking cows milk? Mmm… In fact, how do the cows make milk if they aren’t drinking milk? What a nonsense!
Milk is made in your breast. Some nutrients (e.g. lactose) are made within the breast itself in cells called lactocytes. Other nutrients (e.g. vitamins, minerals, proteins and the water component) will be moved from the blood to milk. Do you need to drink milk to have these nutrients in your blood? No! In fact in lots of parts of the world dairy does not make up a big part of the diet - yet people continue to be able to make breastmilk.

What about the calcium? Well, there’s no doubt that your calcium needs are high when breastfeeding- but that doesn’t mean you need to drink milk either! Calcium isn’t exclusive to dairy. Calcium is in fish, fruit, vegetables, beans, nuts and even in water. The body also adapts during breastfeeding by taking some of the calcium from your bones to put into the milk (yes you are liquifying your body to feed your baby).

You can have a perfectly healthy diet without dairy. You don’t HAVE to drink milk to make milk. Please stop with this nonsense, and stop making mothers worry unnecessarily about they are eating.

26/12/2022

Sometimes it’s hard to tell if baby is “getting anything”. If only we could see the milk moving out of our breast and going to the baby. Good news is, there are lots of signs that baby is getting enough breastmilk, without having to see the actual transfer.

If you are concerned because you are not seeing these “vital signs”, see a lactation specialist.

02/12/2022

Supporters of breastfeeding 🤱🏻:

What can we do when breastfeeding isn’t going as expected?

The first thing we can do is really listen to the mother and understand what is important to her.

Second, it is vital that we connect her to the best resources and help available to her.

Last, be there for her - whatever she is experiencing through the shift: anger, sadness, grief, and more.






photo by Danica Donnelly Photography

30/11/2022

The best way to be ready for breastfeeding is to build a network of support prenatally, and in the early postpartum period. Seek out whatever breastfeeding education you can find, from reputable sources. Find those friends who successfully breastfed; they can be your cheerleaders 📣!

You can also do a prenatal breastfeeding consultation with me.

26/11/2022

Most babies never feed every 3 hours!

For some reason the message has been warped slightly about a baby's feeding pattern. 3 hourly feeds is only ever a way to ensure a sleepy, new baby is getting enough in the early days. This just means they get at least 8 feeds in 24 hours, which is the MINIMUM a baby should be fed. It is not something to aim for after that.

Most babies don't naturally feed 3 hourly, its usually more often. Most adults have something pass their lips, whether that be a meal, snack or drink, at a variety of time intervals, so why shouldn't we expect our babies to do the same?

New babies, once they are out of the sleepy phase, tend to have periods of cluster feeding, generally at night. Cluster feeding could be regarded as one long 8 course banquet, or many smaller feeds, it depends how you look at it. And they may sleep a bit longer at other times of day, often the mornings.

Babies who are a bit older often have a cluster feeding session late evening and in the early hours of the morning. They often have a longer sleep after these periods. Then gradually feed more leading up to the next one.

Babies who are a bit older again often feed when they wake, have a short play time, then want to feed again, then have a nap, then they want to feed again when they wake, then they play for a bit and feed again to nap. They may begin to sleep for slightly longer stretches at night. Then that often stops!

When babies are more awake and alert they often have short feeds and then get on with something else. When they're sleepy they often have longer feeds.

So how do we know our babies are OK and getting enough milk? Well, if it goes in one end it needs to come out the other. At least 6 wet nappies a day after the initial week, and at least 2 poos a day up until around 6 weeks (sometimes poo is more infrequent after this age). Babies should be generally settled between feeds, and that means settled in someone's arms (anyone who has been following me for a while knows babies dont really like to be put down very much!) And they should get bigger! We don't need frequent weighing once babies are feeding well, but they should be growing out of their clothes!

25/11/2022

Wise words from my colleague Eszter on skin to skin today:

Skin to Skin contact.
We keep hearing about the importance of skin to skin in the first hour after birth.
But there’s more:
It stimulates the baby's digestion and interest in feeding.
Enables colonisation of the baby’s skin with the mother’s friendly bacteria, thus providing protection against infection.
Reduces stress hormone (cortisol) levels in babies.
May reduce hospital stay.
It’s a fantastic way to regulate premature baby’s biological functions and help them thrive and take to breastfeeding sooner, when combined with kangaroo mother care.
It’s never too late for skin to skin. If the baby or mother is having a hard time latching, if there’s illness or following separation… skin to skin can be the ‘reset’ button to bring out newborn instincts and get you back on track more easily.
If you need to keep warm, just put a blanket over BOTH of you, while regarding baby’s safety in terms of movement and airways and a safe surface where you can cosy up together. Laid back position or biological nurturing can be a perfect combination with this very mammalian, instinctual behaviour, as well as a lovely warm shared bath.
When mum needs a break or is not available, daddy or partner can also be in skin to skin contact with similar benefits to baby.
Some parents wear their babies in a wrap while skin to skin (again, can wear a blanket or big cardigan over both of you to keep warm)!

RELAX AND ENJOY!

Further reading:
1. https://www.unicef.org.uk/babyfriendly/baby-friendly-resources/implementing-standards-resources/skin-to-skin-contact/
2. https://www.keepingintouchbc.com/blog/2016/08/29/dr-nils-bergman-skin-skin-contact
3. https://internationalbreastfeedingjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1746-4358-8-1 #:~:text=suggested%20that%20skin%2Dto%2Dskin,of%20being%20forced%20to%20breastfeed%E2%80%9D.
4. https://www.laleche.org.uk/whats-big-deal-skin-skin/

14/11/2022

Did you know that babies like to have their feet supported while breastfeeding? 👣

This is why the laid back breastfeeding position is so nice - mother is leaning back with her baby on her chest, with baby’s feet resting on moms stomach or legs. However, it is possible to provide support and stability to baby’s feet in any position. Work with a lactation specialist if you aren’t sure how!

10/11/2022

Great advice!

It's no secret that I'm obsessed with poo. Absolutely obsessed. Ask anyone. I love it.

I don't love parents being told that babies under 6 weeks can go ages without a poo and that it's normal. Or that they don't poo often because breastmilk doesn't have much waste. And I don't love it when parents are told that because Susan's Uncle's Neighbour's Colleague's baby didn't poo twice a day every day that their baby is absolutely fine.

So here are some red flags for poo for babies from day 3 to 6 weeks of age.

Yes, your baby may be absolutely perfectly wonderful and fine even if they do experience some of these red flags.

Yes, your baby may not have any issues at all with feeding, or their health and wellbeing.

BUT, someone's baby may need a feeding assessment, or be really poorly, and knowing these red flags may encourage that parent to seek support for their baby. Even if it is just reassurance.

What myths have you been told about poo?

Check out Baby Poo Gallery for more information and images of poos!

26/10/2022

Great info - but especially love the laid-back photo.

If we aren’t suppose to feed our babies at night then why is prolactin, the hormone responsible for milk production, highest at night? If we aren’t suppose to feed our babies at night then why does our milk have a higher fat content at night? If we aren’t suppose to feed our babies at night then why does our milk contain hormones and other properties that are specific or increased at nighttime that are necessary for a baby's function and development? If we aren’t suppose to feed our babies at night then why does breastmilk at night contain tryptophan, an amino acid that helps babies make melatonin which helps babies develop their circadian rhythm which gives babies the ability to distinguish day from night (which babies are born without)?

Think about that. Your nighttime milk helps your baby recognize the difference between day and night which could help your baby sleep better and more “scheduled.” Isn’t that the reason they tell mothers to stop feeding their babies at night, so they can sleep better and more “scheduled?”

I think the question we should be asking is… if our milk is so obviously designed this way, then why are mothers constantly being told to stop feeding their babies at night?

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