Nipple shields can divide opinion! Whether you want to know if nipple shields might help, or you want to ditch your shields, read on! I have sore nipples - should I use nipple shields? This is probably the most common reason women consider using nipple shields. The thought is that if you have nipple trauma, [...]
If I had a pound for every time I heard someone ask “Can every mother breastfeed her baby?” I would be a wealthy woman. Certainly, if the horror stories, tabloid articles and certain books and websites are to be believed, the odds of an individual mother succeeding at breastfeeding are pretty dismal. Is breastfeeding success a [...]
For anyone who isn't aware, lactation consultants are not anti-bottle feeding. We are always pro-babies, and pro-mothers. There are many very good reasons why you may be bottle feeding, or even considering bottle feeding. I don't judge you for any of them. I don't know your story, and this is not the post to discuss how to [...]
A hospital admission is extremely scary and overwhelming, whatever the reason for the admission. When you're breastfeeding your baby, this can be especially difficult. Sometimes it can feel like breastfeeding is being put on 'the back burner' when there is a problem with your baby's health or weight, but actually, there is no need for breastfeeding to be [...]
‘Let down surfing' – a subtle cause of poor infant weight gain “But he feeds for ages” “I’m always feeding – how can she not be getting enough” “It must be me – I don’t have enough milk” “I’ve been told there’s nothing wrong with the positioning” Any of these sound familiar? Usually, poor weight gain [...]
... with as few tears as possible Firstly, well done for every single drop of milk that you’ve made and fed to your little one! Every day, week, month and year matters to the long term health and wellbeing of your child, so you deserve to feel rightly proud. There are so many reasons [...]
I’ve noticed a burst of blogs and articles lately seeming to rubbish breastfeeding evidence, claiming equivalency of breast and formula milk, decrying any benefits of breastfeeding or risks of formula feeding, and defending formula as merely a choice, rather than a health dilemma. I’ve been pondering the correct response to this for some time. I [...]
When I was a health visitor back in 2008 it seemed to me that nearly every other lady in the breastfeeding clinic had a case of thrush. I couldn’t quite believe it even then, and I believe it even less now! It is one of those diagnoses that feels quite neat and tidy: fussy baby, [...]
Breastfeeding is really being put through the wringer at the moment. Everywhere you look on social media, the press and in popular parenting magazines, people have scary, confusing and conflicting things to say about it. We are told on one hand that breastfeeding saves lives, provides the optimum nutrition and immunological support for babies and [...]
Breastfeeding a baby with one, two or more teeth is the ultimate test of faith! You imagine them sealing those pearly whites around your boob and clamping down like a piranha. But is it inevitable? Why would your precious, sweet innocent baby bite you!? Can you do anything about it? Firstly, well done for making [...]
