Sarah Endersby International Board Certified Lactation Consultant - IBCLC

If you know anyone who has worked throughout the pandemic and would like a free massage visit and nominate them

WE HAVE A WINNER: congratulations to Laura Edwards and a big thank you to Kerri Whittaker for nominating you.

All of us at Warrington Osteopaths would like say a big thank you to all of the key workers for all of their efforts during the Covid pandemic. As a token of our appreciation we are giving away a free massage.
Do you know someone who has worked throughout the pandemic who would would benefit from a massage from our wonderful massage therapist, Janette? Whether they work for the NHS or police, as a delivery driver, supermarket worker, refuse collector, teacher or teaching assistant, vet, postal worker, pharmacist, nominate them in the comments below and we will draw one lucky winner on the 29th September. PLEASE COMMENT ON THE ORIGINAL POST so you don’t miss out, good luck 🙂🤞🍀
(*the lucky winner will be asked to provide work ID)

💯 ✔️ 🌍 🤱

What a wonderful service which many people aren’t aware exist but can be so crucial in helping mums to establish feeding when mum and baby are separated.

Last week we had feedback from a dad about our service and how we helped a mum who had been separated from her newborn who was whisked to a different hospital.

By providing our service to carry vital colostrum from Mum in her hospital to Dad and Baby in the 2nd hospital it made a very tough night bearable as Baby was able to continue to feed despite the physical separation. This played a vital role in enabling Mum and Baby to establish breastfeeding and continues successfully now they are reunited together.

“ Your work through that night and the next day was invaluable to us”

Whether it was the ‘liquid gold’ colostrum of your first feed or way beyond this we are celebrating your achievements.

This week is mental health awareness week. I think it’s really important for everyone to understand that depression isn’t just sadness, there is so much more to it.

When baby is 6-7 months old it is all about introducing different tastes and textures whilst gradually increasing the amount of solids offered. Some babies are slower than others, just follow their lead and go at their speed. If your baby was born prematurely it may take longer for them to get used to feeds and may be a bit more messy! Let them have fun exploring foods, allowing it to be an enjoyable experience for all of you.

MONDAY MYTH BUSTER
MYTH: Waking in the night when a baby has previously slept for longer, baby wanting more milk feeds, baby chewing on their fists and a bigger baby are reasons to introduce solid foods earlier than 6 months. WRONG: Every baby is different however, these are not indications that they need solid food, it is all part of their normal development. There are three clear signs that indicate a baby is ready for you introduce some solid foods:
* they can stay in the sitting position and hold their head steady
* they have eye, hand and mouth co-ordination so that they can look at food, pick it up and put it in their mouth by themselves
* they can swallow food, not pushing it back out of the mouth (puréed food once in the mouth is hard to spit out so may be swallowed involuntarily)
It is rare for all three of these to occur together before 6 months.

MONDAY MYTH BUSTER
MYTH: Breastfeeding has no benefits after the first year. WRONG, Breast milk continues to provide substantial amounts of key nutrients in addition to the emotional benefits. In the second year 448ml breastmilk provides:29% of your little ones energy requirements, 36% of their calcium requirements, 76% of their folate, 94% of their vitamin B12, 60% of their vitamin C and 75% of their Vitamin A requirements, AND it still continues to help fight and prevent infections.

Over the moon to get such lovely feedback from one of the families I have been supporting virtually 🤱🙂

What better excuse to stay in your pyjamas all day! Friday is Pyjama Rama day in conjunction with the BookTrust and they have a great line up of entertainment, and loads of fun activities on their website to keep your little ones entertained:
https://www.booktrust.org.uk/books-and-reading/have-some-fun/pyjamarama/pyjamarama-festival/
If the link isn’t loading you can go to the booktrust YouTube channel

MONDAY MYTHBUSTER
Skin to skin is only for breastfed babies. WRONG: skin to skin is an excellent way to calm and comfort baby at anytime. It calms and relaxes both parent and baby, regulates baby’s heart rate, breathing and temperature. It enables colonisation with the parents friendly bacteria providing protection against infection. If you choose not to breastfeed, holding baby in skin to skin for their feed helps with bonding, and also helps with noticing when they are feeling full. If your baby is sleepy and not waking for feeds, skin to skin can help to stimulate baby’s natural feeding reflexes whether breast or bottle fed.

We are getting some lovely sunny weather at the moment and a lot of mums are wondering how to make sure their babies stay hydrated, so here’s some useful information to help answer your questions: https://www.toglitterboobsandbeyond.co.uk/2017/05/here-comes-sun.html. Remember babies under 6 months should not be given water, whether they are breast or bottle fed.

Here comes the sun! Breastfeeding evidence based information coupled with own personal experience and experience supporting mums

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MONDAY MYTH BUSTER
“Babies need lots of toys.” WRONG: Babies learn so much from just watching us and looking at our faces. Singing, reading and talking to your baby are great ways to provide stimulation. How about doing round and round the garden on their hands, or this little piggy on their toes, or giving them a nice baby massage whilst talking to them. Having some time on a mat or blanket on the floor allowing them to kick and move their arms freely is wonderful and also helps them to integrate their reflexes and help with their motor development.

Loving learning and further developing my skills - Lactation Online Conference. There have been so many amazing speakers over the last 2 weeks and still lots more to come.

Are you pregnant and due to deliver during this pandemic? Here is a reassuring and positive experience of giving birth during covid-19 for anyone needing to hear this right now ❤️

One month ago, I was 38 weeks pregnant, full of anxiety, anger and fear. Hospital protocols were changing daily. Visitors were banned. Laboring women could only have one person with them. This isn't what I pictured delivering my third baby would look like.

Two weeks later, my husband and I walked into labor and delivery and were handed masks. We were told to wear those any time any one entered our room. The nurses were always masked, as was the doctor. This was my third baby and the whole process was so different than the other two.

During my first two deliveries we had guests in and out while I labored and more guests after delivery. There were no masks. No scary protocols. It was a celebration and everyone was invited.

This time, it was just my husband and I. The room was quiet. No chaos of visitors. The conversations were just him and I. Just the two of us for the first time in six and a half years.

I'm just going to say it: delivering during the pandemic was a blessing in disguise.

We delivered with quiet hallways in a quiet room filled with just the three of us. We welcomed this baby with no expectations of people rushing in during skin-to-skin. We established nursing without having to wear an awkward nursing cover.

It was just us and our little guy. It was perfect.

Twenty-four hours later we returned home. Due to social distancing, there were no visitors and no school. There was no early morning school drop offs or mid-day school pick ups. There was no "panic cleaning" for visitors. There was no schedule and low expectations.

Our girls have been able to bond with their little brother all day, everyday. Having no schedule with a newborn has been dreamy. We are all sleeping, nursing, and bonding with no interruptions. There's no pressure to get out of the house. There's no reason to try to squeeze into pre-pregnancy clothes.

If you are a pregnant momma set to deliver during all the chaos of the world right now, rest easy. Take a deep breath. While this is probably not how you imagined your delivery, find the blessing through this mess.

Enjoy this break from real life, snuggle up with your newborn and enjoy every last minute of the newborn stage. Too soon, that teeny tiny baby won't be teeny tiny anymore.

To read more from Stephanie: https://knoxvillemoms.com/author/slancaster/

MONDAY MYTH BUSTER
“Babies fed with formula sleep better & for longer than breastfed babies”. WRONG: From birth your baby has their own unique sleep-wake pattern depending on their own needs for food and comfort, whether they are fed breastmilk or formula. By the time your baby reaches 4-6 weeks old, they will begin to sleep for longer periods of time. Did you know that your breastmilk contains substances that actually help to promote calmness and sleep.

During this difficult time, with everyone being asked to stay home the last thing we want is for you to be unable to enjoy the fresh air in your own garden. There are natural & medication options for you:

Natural solutions:
* Applying Vaseline around your nostrils will trap pollen
* Wearing sunglasses can reduce/stop eye irritation
* Some people find eating local honey helps

Medication:
* Eye drops act locally and can be used whilst breastfeeding
* Nasal sprays also act locally and are unlikely to pass into breastmilk in significant quantities
* Non-sedating anti-histamines are the preferred tablet option for use whilst breastfeeding
For more detailed evidence based information on medications suitable for you visit: https://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/antihistamines/

Please avoid using oral decongestants (pseudoephedrine/ phenylephrine) as these can reduce milk supply. It is also important to ensure that the anti-histamine you use doesn’t also contain a decongestant.

MONDAY MYTH BUSTER
“Babies who are held too much become demanding and spoilt”. WRONG: You cannot spoil a baby. Being close to your baby helps them to feel secure and loved, and they grow to be more confident and independent.

Ever played snakes and ladders and felt frustrated every time you land on a snake? When a baby is born it goes through these 9 stages of skin to skin. If baby is interrupted before it reaches stage 9 it has to start all over again from step 1, every time!

If you understand how milk supply works you can figure out how to manage your supply whether you are trying to boost your supply or you have been struggling with engorgement or oversupply. If you are struggling with engorgement, by taking off only a very small amount between feeds for comfort (like putting a tiny bit extra in each box) this goes undetected and the body doesn’t try to replace this as it would if you removed a larger amount.

Breastfeeding in the military: Army Reserve Soldier makes history advocating for lactating military moms Lt. Col. Kelly M. Bell has been making history as she advocates and works towards improving and clarifying Army policies pertaining to breastfeeding and lactation support to give research-based and clear guidance to commanders.

Some ways in which you can do more bonding with baby whilst supporting breastfeeding, whether you are Dad, Mum, Grandparent or close family.

If anyone knows of any online groups, classes or activities for babies and children please click on the post and mention in comments

Do you usually go to a group that is now running online during social distancing? Maybe you’re a local business that is currently running free online sessions for babies or children? Let us know by posting links in the comments

With social distancing in place, groups and classes cancelled, kids home from preschool/school and partners working from home feeling ‘touched out’ is understandable.

When you feel your body is no longer your own breastfeeding, feeling touched out and that your body is not your own,

Happy mother’s day to all the mums out there who are doing a wonderful job of calming and reassuring their children during this tough time, and trying to create a new normal. To all the mums and daughters who won’t be able to see each other today due to social distancing but are sending love and thanks to each other. Also, a HUGE happy Mother’s Day and thank you to all the mums who are working today under difficult circumstances to support and protect our communities and care for the sick, you are amazing. 💐 ❤️