Better Breastfeeding

There's a hint of autumnal chill in the air this week...time to prepare for those autumn /winter babies. What do you need ..a breastfeeding preparation session? A debrief about your last breastfeeding experience and a plan for this baby or a lactation consultation for a new arrival? Let me know how I can help. , ,

Great news! More time for parents and babies to get to know each other

Lactation consultations, in your home , can help your breastfeeding journey. As an IBCLC lactation consultant and experienced mother ,contact me to arrange the first step towards better breastfeeding. Breastfeeding preparation sessions also available. [email protected]
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I'm looking for a donation of one of those pillows that gives great back support. It's for a mom of newborn twins. She has had a c section and needs more support for feeding in bed at night.

Spending Sunday afternoon watching a webinar organised by La leche league Ireland. Carol Smyth spoke on Assisted Fertility & breastfeeding and Melissa Cole spoke on beyond the basics of latch.

Happy birthday to our firstborn baby, the baby girl who taught us how to be parents. Remembering my late Dad too on whose birthday she was born...the best gift ever for him too. A photo of the "lantern tree" he grew for me from a cutting of his own shrub. We are all joined , generation to generation,by little delicate yet strong threads of love, memories and family. Welcome to a new little baby who came into the world after midnight to the huge joy of his parents, grandparents and great grand dad. His Granny is one of my oldest friends. May life be gentle on him.

If you are expecting a baby this Summer /Autumn, think about preparing to breastfeed. Prepare for the birth of course but look beyond the birth. What can you expect in the early hours, days and weeks of breastfeeding? How can you have the best outcome? Where do you find help and support? Contact me to arrange a breastfeeding preparation session. Email .. [email protected] , , , , ,

Great to see this posted by the cool guys who deliver precious life enhancing human breast milk to Neonatal ICUs all over the country.

Breastmilk doesn’t lose its benefits with age. In fact “human milk in the second year postpartum contained significantly higher concentrations of total protein, lactoferrin, lysozyme, and Immunoglobulin A.” (Perrin, 2016). In the second year (12-23 months), 448 mL of breastmilk provides:
* 29% of energy requirements
* 43% of protein requirements
* 36% of calcium requirements
* 75% of vitamin A requirements
* 76% of folate requirements
* 94% of vitamin B12 requirements
* 60% of vitamin C requirements (Dewey, 2001)

“Human milk expressed by mothers who have been lactating for >1 year has significantly increased fat and energy contents, compared with milk expressed by women who have been lactating for shorter periods. During prolonged lactation, the fat energy contribution of breast milk to the infant diet might be significant.”
(Mandel, 2005)

The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding until 2 and beyond for broth developed and developing countries. The American Academy of Family Physicians notes that children weaned before two years of age are at increased risk of illness (AAFP 2008).

“Antibodies are abundant in human milk throughout lactation” (Nutrition During Lactation 1991; p. 134). In fact, some of the immune factors in breastmilk increase in concentration during the second year and also during the weaning process. (Lawrence & Lawrence 2011, Goldman 1983, Goldman & Goldblum 1983, Institute of Medicine 1991)

When you want to move beyond breastfeeding a toddler....gently is the way...

How to gently stop breastfeeding toddlers

Nursing to natural term is wonderful, but for some it just isn't doable. It is a two-way relationship! You do have a say!

So the first step is to reduce the feeds. If fewer feeds makes continuing more doable then great! Keep offering at that level for a while. Morning and bedtime feds are generally the last to go

Try starting a loose pattern. This helps to feel more in control. First thing in the morning, mid morning, mid afternoon, bedtime and perhaps a night feed can work well. If your toddler asks at another time you can decide whether to say "after lunch" or "when we get home" or if its an emergency (hurt for example) offer a short feed

So which feeds to stop first? This is up to you. There are two things to consider:
1. Are there any feeds that you are finding particularly difficult? Maybe its because of aversion, or you want to spend time with another child, or go to a class. Tackling these feeds first are a good plan
2. Are there any feeds your toddler doesn't seem so bothered about? Maybe they're short feeds, or they are more distractible at this time. These can be the easiest feeds to stop

How to stop different feeds?
*Mid morning/afternoon feeds
If they are linked to nap time try taking the nap in another way, maybe settling to sleep in the buggy or car, or back carrying in a sling. Once toddler wakes, offer a snack or drink immediately. Otherwise distraction!
*First thing in the morning
Get up for breakfast immediately your toddler wakes. Sometimes it might be a good plan to be up before them. A snuggle in bed normally = feed!
*Bedtime feed
Try to break the feed to sleep association if there is one. Overlay other sleep associations; toy/blanket/song/another body part. Slowly shorten the feed and settle them to sleep in another way. Once the toddler is no longer feeding to sleep you can move the feed to earlier in the bedtime routine. Then it is far easier to stop
*Night feeds
For full info see my Gentle Night Weaning article on my webs. But in essence: overlay other sleep associations (like bedtime), then reduce the length of feed until you can remove it leaving the other methods to settle back to sleep

A lovely post from La leche league of Ireland . Time and patience is needed for many babies to figure out breastfeeding, regardless of a diagnosis or not. Find support, be kind to yourself and keep baby fed and close.

We are celebrating World Down Syndrome Day today!

Babies born with Down Syndrome (and other medical conditions) will benefit from receiving breastmilk even more than other babies, as it will help boost your baby’s immune system and is more easily digestible.
However, nursing a baby with Down Syndrome can also come with unique challenges, so it is important to link in with the appropriate health care providers & breastfeeding supporters to help you and your baby reach your breastfeeding goals.

You can find more information & tips on breastfeeding and additional needs on the La Leche League website:
https://llli.org/breastfeeding-info/special-needs/

Such a gorgeous message to come home to after a weekend away. This little baby had been a non latching baby for soo long. Mom wanted to persevere. We persevered together. Eventually....he latched and breastfed. It was one of those "three steps forward,one step back " experiences . Life can be very complex. But mom and baby got there and have now gently stopped breastfeeding after 18months. This mother is happy for me to share this post to give hope to other mothers.

This is a rant followed by some hope....
This news is a sad state of affairs! There are so many reasons why our breastfeeding rates are low...so many reasons why women who intend to breastfeed, stop breastfeeding after only a few days or weeks. The mother/staff ratio in hospitals is one huge reason. . Mothers are telling me they are ringing bells from their beds, and their partners searching the corridors for staff., all to no avail. This is incredibly frustrating and upsetting for parents who really need help learning this new skill of breastfeeding, learning how to assess how well baby is doing and being informed about the normal roadmap (and pot holes on the way!) of the early hours and days of Breastfeeding. It is also very frustrating for our hospital staff who are being pulled in so many directions.
The very fact that our maternity hospitals have only one or two lactation consultants on staff and none of them on duty at night ,at weekends or on bank holidays.
Before you have your baby, investigate the supports that ARE available ...

breastfeeding clinics in your maternity hospital that you can attend also when you are discharged.
La Leche League of Ireland and Cuidiu Ashbourne Breastfeeding Support meetings .LLL also have very frequent support meetings on Zoom which you can attend from your sofa.
Friends of Breastfeeding have a buddy system to help you through the early weeks.
https://www2.hse.ie/services/ask-our-breastfeeding-expert/ #:~:text=Our%20online%20breastfeeding%20support%20live,the%20bottom%20of%20your%20screen.
Your local IBCLC lactation consultant can do a consultation in your home . ALCI / Association of Lactation Consultants in Ireland
Many public health centres hold breastfeeding support groups weekly.

HSE stops increasing breastfeeding targets, as they continue to be missed The targets were set out in the national breastfeeding strategy, which has expired.

Nominations for all categories in the Friends of Breastfeeding Awards 2024 are STILL OPEN and will close at midnight on FRIDAY 15TH MARCH! You can vote in ALL categories to recognise the big and small things being done to support breastfeeding in Ireland.
The categories are:
Breastfeeding Advocate of the Year
Breastfeeding Initiative of the Year
Social Media Breastfeeding Supporter of the Year
Lactation consultant/IBCLC of the year
Midwife/PHN of the year
⁠⁠Health Care Provider of the Year
Breastfeeding Support Group of the Year
Breastfeeding Voluntary Supporter of the Year
Breastfeeding Mum of the Year
Breastfeeding Friendly Business of the Year
Media Feature/Journalist of the Year
FoBF Mum2Mum Group of the Year
FoBF Breastfeeding Buddy of the Year
The link to nominate is: https://forms.gle/1tro7ziA6RkN54oZ8 (link also in bio).
Nominees will be judged against a criteria of:⁠⁠
- Excellence in supporting and/or promoting breastfeeding
- Provision of support that is parent and family-centric centric
- Provision of support that is open, understanding and welcoming
- Commitment to reliable and evidence based information/education
- Commitment to creating a circle of support, connection and/or connected breastfeeding community
- Advocating for a society that values and supports breastfeeding⁠
And don’t forget tickets for the FoBF Awards 2023 Gala Lunch & Awards Ceremony go on sale on Saturday 23rd March. Group discounts are available, just email [email protected] for more details.
⁠If you can’t attend the Gala Lunch but you believe what we do is important, please donate to Friends of Breastfeeding and together we will improve breastfeeding support in Ireland www.friendsofbreastfeeding.ie/donations or paypal.me/friendsofbreastfeed
⁠ ⁠ are supported by https://www.mychild.ie/. A trusted source of information on pregnancy, breastfeeding and the first 3 years of your child’s life.

Happy international women's Day to all the amazing women in my life. To the mothers who are so full of patience, perseverance, strength and love. To my colleagues in La Leche League of Ireland , , and ALCI / Association of Lactation Consultants in Ireland for their time and learning and teaching and passion.

I LOVE doing 1:1 breastfeeding preparation classes ! Even apart from preparation to breastfeed ,it's so interesting to learn what our bodies are capable of . So often I hear an expectant mother saying "Wow! I never knew that!!"
Our midwives in Ireland are wonderful but so overworked .
Prepare yourself for those crucial early hours and days of breastfeeding. You'll be glad you did!
WhatsApp me on 0858509709. Available in your room or on Zoom!

With storm season here and an orange weather warning for tonight, think ahead. If you are exclusively pumping then practice your hand expressing and maybe pump a little before you are due to pump tonight while you still have power.

If you have frozen milk in your freezer open freezer door as little as possible.

There are so many myths around regarding breastfeeding...Nancy writes about one of these here...

What Does It Mean to 'Use You as a Pacifier?' — Nancy Mohrbacher August 21, 2015 What Does It Mean to 'Use You as a Pacifier?' August 21, 2015/ Nancy Mohrbacher Nursing parents are commonly warned: “Don’t let your baby use you as a pacifier.” Although often said, this is an incredibly curious statement. After all, which came first, nursing or the pacifier? ...

If you or somebody you know has miscarried a baby ,lately or a long time ago, please let them know about this beautiful service. My hubby and I attended one on November 2000, six months after miscarrying out baby at 13 weeks gestation. Even though I had a healthy baby kicking inside by November, I was grieving hard for my lost little one. The service was so so beautiful, with wonderful music and candle light. I brought up a single candle to represent my lost baby. At the time I also had two little girls at home. Some women were bringing up 3,4,5,6,7...even more candles. Some women had no child at home. Did I cry at this ceremony? Non stop! Did it do me good? It helped so much. There was an enormous book in which my baby's name was entered and I got a little certificate that I filled in and framed and hung in our home . Baby was named and remembered and took their place in our family story. So share the invite with someone who might be grieving.

What an amazing story!RTE news : New mum recalls journey home through floods in JCB

http://www.rte.ie/news/2023/1025/1412783-baby-midleton-jcb/

Isn't this gorgeous! That gaze....

We had a lovely little gathering of moms and babies at Dunboyne Oak centre this morning to celebrate National Breastfeeding Week. Fiona Mahon Dillon IBCLC and myself were available for breastfeeding information. Julia Hayes , Specialist Pelvic Health Physiotherapist, gave a very encouraging and enlightening talk on the health and wellbeing after having a baby. Martin ,of Dunboyne Community first responders, gave a demo of how to deal with a choking baby or small child and how to resuscitate a baby. He was so reassuring ...ring 999 and put phone on speaker . You will receive clear concise instructions on what to do and local CFR and doctor will arrive before the ambulance .
Local defibrillators (for all ages) are outside Eurospar Dunboyne, outside Constantia and outside the Parochial house.
Thanks to Liz Cahill PHN for organising the morning (and the buns!) and big thanks to Emily Herbert who has always been a great supporter of local moms.

Did you know....that last year, 5 out the 19 maternity hospitals in Ireland, showed a higher rate of breastfeeding at discharge than initiation rate ! This means ..that many mothers start breastfeeding after baby has been given bottles as first feeds in the early hours and days. So ..if you didn't get the start you would have liked...start Breastfeeding as soon as you can!

Lovely words ...

Happy National Breastfeeding Week !! https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/news/media/pressrel/supports-for-parents-in-community-and-workplace-highlighted-ahead-of%C2%A0hse-national-breastfeeding-week-2023.html

When expectations and perceptions meet reality as regards baby and sleep...Dr Helen Ball is a safe resource.https://www.basisonline.org.uk/sleep-baby-you/

Attending Association of lactation consultants of Ireland conference. The excellent Dr Helen Ball has given a wonderful keynote presentation on " Breastfeeding,bedsharing and SIDS".

Attending seminar "Developing an Infant and young children feeding in emergencies preparedness plan for the island of Ireland. This island of ours has NO plan for protecting the feeding of infants and young children for future emergencies. When you think of major storms, floods, fires, war refugees and our current thousands of children in homeless status,it is so important this plan is being formed.

This looks like a lovely day out for the family in Ratoath ,Meath. A great opportunity to meet other parents,breastfeed your baby while socialising!

When did you get your public health nurse visit after coming home with baby?