Painful Breastfeeding

Posted by on Apr 29, 2012 in Blog, Breastfeeding Challenges, Painful Breastfeeding | 0 comments When mothers are seen breastfeeding their babies, it is often the picture of serenity.  For some mothers this happens straight from birth – the baby goes to the breast for the first time, latches well and takes in the liquid gold.  For others it can be a rocky journey which takes time, patience and assistance to get right. Breastfeeding should NOT be painful.  As Christina Smilie says – pain is the body’s way of guiding us to comfort.  There are many reasons why breastfeeding may be painful.  There may be a simple adjustment which can help the situation such as improving the baby’s position.  The baby may have had a difficult birth and may need supporting for a time until feeding improves.  Some babies have a tongue tie which is restricting the baby’s ability to feed and causing damage to the mother. With all these situations (and others), a lactation consultant can help to work out the cause of the pain and make breastfeeding more comfortable and enjoyable.  If breastfeeding is painful, you can contact me to discuss if your particular situation might benefit from a...
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Is My Baby Getting Enough Milk?

Posted by on Apr 28, 2012 in Blog, Breastfeeding Challenges, Parenting Your Breastfed Baby | 3 comments There is little else more important to a mother than making sure their baby is being well fed. Many mothers contact breastfeeding counsellors and lactation consultants wondering if they have enough milk for their baby.  They may be concerned because their baby is unsettled, crying, not feeding at predictable times or wanting to feed more often than the mum expected. Sometimes a well-intentioned relative or friend (or partner) can suggest that the baby is always hungry or feeding too often. All these concerns can be very valid at times, but there are a few simple ways to find some reassurance that your baby is getting enough breastmilk.  Your baby is usually getting enough milk if they have Wet nappies – in the first five days of life, a baby will usually have one wet nappy for each day of life (ie three wet nappies on day three).  After this you can expect five heavily wet disposable and 6-8 wet cloth nappies per day while they are exclusively breastfed.  The wet nappies should be pale to clear in colour. Dirty nappies – during the first few days, your baby may pass only meconium (thick, black tare-like poo).  After that your baby’s nappies will start to transition to look more like seedy, yellowish mustard.  Most babies will pass 3-4 of ‘baby-fist-size’ poos in 24hours and some will have a dirty nappy much more frequently. Frequent swallowing that you can hear during a feed and see them sucking vigorously at the breast Weight gain.  All babies loose weight initially, but after a few days should start putting weight back on. There are many things that can influence supply in both the short and long term, including some medical conditions and breast types, but if your baby has enough coming out, then there is usually enough going in. If you are concerned about low supply or would like to discuss increasing your supply, you may like to contact me to decide if you’d benefit from having a consultation.  For some mums, very simple things will increase their supply (like increasing the number of feeds/day) and for other people more active measures are needed.  Either way mums usually find that having up-to-date and consistent information helps improve their...
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Mother-To-Mother Support

Posted by on Apr 23, 2012 in Blog, Breastfeeding Challenges, Painful Breastfeeding, Parenting Your Breastfed Baby | 0 comments When working with a mother, I often get a range of parenting questions mixed in with the breastfeeding ones.  I’m happy to answer these when I can.  Some mothers can feel somewhat isolated when they have a baby and may be looking for information about what to expect from this period of their baby’s life and reassurance that they are meeting their baby’s needs. When a mum’s breastfeeding situation no longer requires an LC, I often suggest they get in contact with their local ABA group.  These groups can be a great source of information, support and friendship with mothers who are in a similar stage of life.  It is also one of the World Health Organisation’s 10-steps to successful breastfeeding. To find your local ABA group, click...
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Caffeine and Breastfeeding

Posted by on Apr 11, 2012 in Before Baby Arrives, Blog, Breastfeeding Challenges | 0 comments Many breastfeeding mothers enjoy having a coffee or other caffeinated drink while continuing to breastfeed their baby. Some mothers are concerned about the effects of caffeine on breastfeeding and their baby.   The effects on each mother and baby pair can vary especially in relation to the baby’s age and the amount and type of caffeine consumed. Here’s a link to some basic information that you might find helpful.   ABA info on Caffeine &...
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Milk Banking – The Gift of Breastmilk

Posted by on Apr 2, 2012 in Before Baby Arrives, Blog, Breastfeeding Challenges, Lactation Consulting | 2 comments Imagine not being able to give your sick baby the very thing that could help them get better.  For some mothers of sick or very tiny babies, this is the situation they face when, despite their best efforts, they are not able to produce enough breastmilk for their babies.  This is where milk banking comes in. Milk banking is a process where breastmilk is donated to a collection centre, where it is screened, processed and distributed to babies in need.  This process saves many, many lives each year. Last week I was able to listen to a speaker from the Mother’s Milk Bank discuss the process of milk banking here in Queensland.  This service is especially vital for pre-term and multiple birth infants who are at the greatest risk of illness and death if they are not provided with breastmilk.  Some mothers of pre-term and sick babies are unable to produce enough milk to meet their baby’s needs.  It is in these and other cases that the generosity of an anonymous donor and the services provided by a milk bank can make a huge difference. For information on obtaining donated milk or donating milk yourself, you can access their website mothersmilkbank.com.au    ...
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