Insomnia with a newborn baby
I have suffered from insomnia, on and off, all my life. Insomnia isn’t actually a sleep problem, it’s an anxiety problem – an anxiety about not sleeping. Because of this one of my main fears about having a baby was the sleep deprivation and night wakes! But even though I was obviously woken up multiple […]
Is it safe to have a vaccine while you are breastfeeding?
The majority of vaccines are safe to take while you’re breastfeeding! The breastfeeding network states that there is no risk to breastfed babies after administration of inactivated vaccines. Generally live vaccines are also safe other than a few exceptions! Your common flu and covid vaccine are likely SAFE to take this winter. You CANNOT pass […]
Breastfeeding can reduce pain during minor painful procedures
Did you know that breastfeeding might be the most affective from of pain relief during minor procedures like the heal prick test and injections? A new systematic review that came out in 2023 found that overall breastfeeding seemed to be more effective in reducing pain in newborns compared to other methods (ie giving baby glucose, […]
Why does breastfeeding make you hungry and put on weight?
Why is breastfeeding making you ravenous?! Of course breastfeeding burns lots of calories, but some breastfeeding women are left feeling frustrated because they are constantly starving whilst putting on weight. There are actually complex hormonal and physiological reasons for breastfeeding making you so hungry. •Increased Energy Expenditure: Producing breast milk requires a significant amount of […]
Is a low milk supply common?
A true low milk supply is rare and affects 0.5%-4% of women. Usually a low milk supply is caused by events that occur during and after the birth and can be improved with good lactation support. BUT for a small minority of women, it may be difficult or impossible for them to produce enough milk […]
Why do babies have nursing strikes?
A nursing strike is a temporary refusal by a breastfeeding infant to breastfeed. It occurs when a baby who has been breastfeeding suddenly refuses to nurse at the breast. Nursing strikes can be distressing for both the baby and the breastfeeding parent. They can last for a few hours, several days, or even longer, depending […]
Should you introduce a bottle so dad can bond with baby?
For millions of years breastfed babies have bonded with other family members other than the breastfeeding parent – partners, grandmas aunties etc. Some women in my clinic have recently asked me about introducing a bottle so that their partner can bond with baby. Feeding a baby is certainly not the only way a parent can […]
How do you breastfeed while baby wearing?
Baby wearing can be such a parenting life saver. I’m not saying prams don’t have their place but having your baby close can calm your baby, reduce the amount they cry and most importantly keep your hands free so you can drink a coffee and scroll through Instagram simultaneously. And did you know…you can breastfeed […]
Does your diet affect the fat in your breastmilk?
Recently I’ve found that women in my clinic are anxious that if they don’t eat lots of fatty foods they will have low fat milk. Your diet does NOT affect the amount of fat in your milk. There is NO evidence that some parents make skimmed breastmilk – please don’t let anyone blame you for […]
Will a lactation cookie increase your milk supply?
Lactation cookies…. What do I think about these? A massive waste of money. Don’t get me wrong, I love cookies! And please eat as many as cookies as you like while you’re breastfeeding. The problem I have with lactation cookies is that they are ridiculously overpriced (they are essentially made of oats and some added […]
