Video: Breastfeeding — what you should know

Tips to help both you and baby get the most from it

Breastfeeding is natural and has benefits for both mums and babies. It should be easy and trouble-free, and a good start helps to ensure that is a happy experience.

To establish breastfeeding, the early days are crucial and when it comes to technique, you may need guidance from a midwife or breastfeeding counsellor. Also, there is a lot of information available from reliable sources like Bounty, the UK’s favourite parenting club.

In this close-up video clip, we offer guidance with latching-on and positioning tips for both you and baby as well as highlight the signs that help you know that all is going well to make that special time a happy one for you both.

New CD aims to boost confidence and understanding of breastfeeding to UK mums

We’ve already reported on the UK government’s initiative to encourage UK mums to breastfeed their babies, due to the low proportion of UK mums who start or stick with it for the minimum recommended 13 weeks (and ideally six months).

A new resource has come on to the market that might be helpful for some mums. The Breastfeeding Companion CD has been created by Natal Hypnotherapy and includes both practical guidance and relaxation and visualisation techniques to increase confidence and ability to breastfeed successfully.

Positive testimonials suggest that the techniques work. To promote the CD, Natal Hypnotherapy has also published ten top tips for successful breastfeeding:

1. Pick up on and respond to your baby’s cues to feed. Ignore the clock!

2. Accept that your baby’s need to breastfeed may not always be connected to being hungry – it may be for comfort, because they are tired or they simply want to have a snuggle.

3. Feed regularly during the night. Successful feeding is based on a healthy supply and demand cycle. If your baby does not feed for many hours your body does not get all the signals it needs to get ready for the next feed and so production decreases.

4. DO NOT expect your baby to be guzzling milk in the first few days. Babies do not need anything other than a tiny amount of colostrum (first milk) so do not need “topping” up.

5. Give yourself time to get to know your baby and to trust your baby’s needs.

6. Babies have growth spurts – sometimes they need more feeding than other times – that is OK and normal.

7. Trust! Trust your baby – no baby was ever born with a pre-planned desire to upset or annoy. They simply feel what they feel and alert you in the only way they know how. Trust your body – milk production has nothing
to do with the size of your breasts but is all to do with the cycle of suckling and milk production. If your baby suckles often and frequently, you will make the right amount of milk.

8. Look after yourself – drink loads of water and eat really well. It is one of the few times in your life that you can eat loads (of the right stuff!) and know that it is all good for your baby.

9. Enjoy this time – it is for such a short time. Even if you are tired and worn out, think of every feed as a blessing and one to be cherished and enjoyed.

10. Get help and support. Accept any offers from others to help with the daily cooking and chores! If you are having any difficulties or simply want to talk, contact your local breastfeeding advisors from La Leche League or the NCT.

The CD can be picked up from Amazon.co.uk or via NatalHypnotherapy.co.uk.

Salma Hayek comes to rescue of African mum, breastfeeds her baby

Would any mum do the same in supermodel Salma Hayek’s position?

On a recent tour of Sierra Leone, Salma Hayek came to the aid of an African mother who was unable to provide breast milk for her own baby.

As Salma has only recently weaned her own baby Valentina, she still had a lot of milk and so was able to provide for the other woman’s baby.

Talking to reporters, she said, “The baby was perfectly healthy, but the mother did not have any milk. It was amazing because he was really looking at me and he’s very little. My baby is one year so she can suck a lot harder.”

As a one-off this doesn’t sound particularly controversial. There was a need, and Salma Hayek was able to help out. We’re not talking “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle” here.

What do you think?

(Via No1 Magazine)

New programme to help lower-income mums to breastfeed at work

Thanks in part to continue stigma, and sometimes simply practical issues, it can be difficult at the best of times for a new mum to breastfeed in public. However, the problem is exacerbated among lower-income workers, according to US-based Corporate Voices for Working Families.

It has therefore launched an initiative to help solve the problem – a need for breastfeeding support in the workplace.

In partnership with Abbott Nutrition, Working Mother Media and a select group of companies, this new programme aims to give employers the information and tools they need to reach hourly and lower-wage workers and help establish workplace lactation programs.

In a July 2008 survey of the Working Mother Magazine 100 Best Companies, more than one-third of employers said there are real barriers to implementing programmes for hourly and lower-wage employees. These barriers include scheduling conflicts, lack of dedicated lactation rooms, and limited promotion of lactation benefits to hourly employees.

“It’s clear that workplace lactation programs benefit employers. When women breastfeed, babies and mothers may be healthier, they may miss less work-time and employee satisfaction and productivity can increase,” Donna Klein, President and Founder of Corporate Voices for Working Families, said. “Opening the door to extend workplace lactation programs to all employees is a challenge that can be overcome and this new program offers tools to help.”

A key component of the initiative – Workplace Lactation Programs: Good for Working Families. Good for Business – is a workplace lactation toolkit that provides instructions, tips and template materials. Important elements of the program include recommendations for employers on how to support employees with breastfed babies, guides for working mothers who breastfeed, and sample promotional materials to alert employees to the resources provided by the program.

“Breastfeeding is the gold standard for infant nutrition but for many lower wage moms returning to work is a barrier to extended breastfeeding,” said Dr. Larry Williams, senior medical director, Abbott Nutrition. “As a leader in infant nutrition, Abbott’s goal is to ensure optimal nutrition for infants, whether mothers choose breastfeeding, infant formula or a combination of both. Abbott has a long history of supporting health professionals and parents with breastfeeding education materials and programs and we’re pleased to support this first-of-its kind program as a solution to an issue many working mothers face.”

www.cvworkingfamilies.org

UK government supports “From Bump to Breastfeeding” DVD

Expectant mums across the UK will have access to a new breastfeeding resource thanks to a collaboration between the Department of Health and child health charity Best Beginnings.

The From Bump to Breastfeeding – following real mothers’ stories to find out how DVD gives positive and practical information to encourage mums to breastfeed and help increase breastfeeding rates across the UK.

Recent statistics (2005) show that, while over three-quarters of mothers started breastfeeding their new-born baby, a third had stopped within six weeks. Those numbers also drop significantly when looking at the younger age group – for mums under 20, just half were breastfeeding their baby.

Produced by Jacqueline Smith, the 35-minute film features nine women who chart their expectations and concerns as they prepare for motherhood.

The Department of Health recommends exclusive breastfeeding up to the age of six months, with continued breastfeeding, alongside other food and drink after six months. That’s because breast milk gives babies all the nutrients they need for the first six months of life and helps protect them from infection and diseases, such as gastrointestinal infections, ear infections, urine infections, eczema and obesity in later childhood.

Dawn Primarolo, Public Health Minister, said, “The DVD will appeal to all women who are having a baby as it follows ordinary women on their breastfeeding journey and addresses hopes and concerns that are relevant to all. The DVD demonstrates breastfeeding as the normal and natural way to feed a baby and will support mums to continue to breastfeed and help them give their baby the best start in life.”

Best Beginnings founder & CEO Alison Baum said, “Only with accurate information and practical support can there be real choice for families about how to feed their babies. The DVD will enable more mothers across the UK to have the information and reach out for support so they can enjoy breastfeeding their babies for as long as they wish.”

More information is available at the Best Beginnings web site.

Breastfeeding – a father’s perspective

Breastfeeding is widely considered to be the best start for baby, not only providing nutrient-packed food but also forming a bond between mother and child. In this interesting article, Stuart Hutchings shares a father’s perspective.

Breastfeeding is the most natural thing to do. It is one of the most important things that you can do to give your child the very best start in life and it is likely to be the first most important decision a mother and family will make about their baby’s health and upbringing.

We may all possibly be aware of the major benefits to mother and baby that breastfeeding confers.

But it does take commitment from both mother and family.

Possibly one of the biggest issues is that breastfed babies often spend more time ‘at the breast’ than formula fed children do whilst being fed; this is purely because bottle-feeding is functional (the activity only provides food). Breastfeeding however provides food and nurturing. It is common for the baby to snuggle up to mother and fall asleep whilst feeding in this comfortable, secure environment (this intimacy leads to bonding which is a very important aspect of breastfeeding). For this reason I personally thought for the first six months that our new baby did not have a face! I only ever saw the back of his head! This leads on to more practical matters such as making sure mother and baby are comfortable for these periods and as happy and secure as you can make them both. Although this can mean a lot of ‘nurse-maiding’ it is wise for dads to remember that they are part of a team giving baby the best food, on tap, when he or she needs it. It comes out of the breast ‘ready to serve’ and is tailored to the baby’s age and nutritional needs. There are also no bottles to worry about, no formulas to mix, you don’t have to worry about sterilising everything, getting the temperature right, and, baby’s poo even smells better!!

Breastfeeding is not just the best source of food but also a good source of comfort and security. Mother’s bonding with her child can start here, if it has not already happened during pregnancy; breastfeeding is the most natural way of bonding. The eye-to-eye and skin-to-skin contact that breastfeeding requires strengthens the attachment and bonding between mother and child. Breastfeeding helps mother to get to know and understand her baby. It is an important step in building a trusting relationship that extends well beyond baby years; it is not just the best source of food for a growing baby but the ultimate in terms of safety and security. There are some emotional adjustments to be made. Family members may become jealous of the intimacy and attachments that occur between mother and baby through breastfeeding. From a father’s perspective, one sometimes has to wrestle with one’s feelings for baby, as this new-comer muscles in on what was your sole territory. But this time is very important for mother and baby, and it is often easy to forget that a family’s job is to care for and support mother as well as baby. The help required from family members is very important but the most important is the care and support from dad. He can provide physical and emotional reassurance, he can head off discouragement and negative criticisms from other family members, and he can make mother comfortable whilst breastfeeding with such simple things as providing food and drinks, or even helping with the household chores or with other siblings.

Sleeping can also be an awkward time. If you do not want to sleep with baby in the bed, the cot should be placed in close proximity so that mother can virtually ‘do it in her sleep’. But here breastfeeding can be a major benefit to other family members because they may not be woken in the middle of the night. Mother simply attaches the baby and satisfaction is guaranteed!

There are other lifestyle modifications that are required for breastfeeding:

• Having the right clothing to allow easy access for baby
• Being willing to stop your routine for unplanned feeds
• Continuing with a cessation of drinking and smoking
• Watching what drugs or medications are taken

There are many other reasons that breastfeeding should be the first choice food for babies.

Just remember breastfeeding can be good for baby, mother and family – breast milk is perfectly formulated to meet your baby’s nutritional needs and…

It’s what breasts were designed for!

Breast really is best.

For more extensive information on breastfeeding its benefits and practical implications visit breastfeeding at From Little Acorns Academy

This article is provided by Amazines.com – The ULTIMATE Article Database

Glamourous breastfeeding with Pickle & Boo’s exclusive bracelets

Breastfeeding is wonderful and should be celebrated, but at the same time, new mums probably don’t want to advertise which side is next in line for baby. Neither should they have to remember – there’s enough else to think about with a new-born.

Enter Pickle & Boo’s exclusive breastfeeding bracelets, which not only subtly remind mums which breast is next, but add a touch of glamour too. Just what’s needed when a lot of other things involve sick, poo, and nappy changes.

These ten bracelets are made with Swarovski crystals, freshwater pearls, and Pickle & Boo’s signature “This Side Next” engraved sterling silver heart tag.

Threaded onto a strong stretch cord to make it easy to switch the bracelet from wrist to wrist, they are generously strung (8.5 inches approx) to be worn slightly loose for comfort. The bracelets are elegant and discreet – chicly designed and genuinely functional – yet virtually unrecognisable as obvious ‘nursing jewellery’.

1. Smokey Sparkle: a sophisticated combination of sparkling smokey topaz Swarovski crystals and gleaming olive freshwater pearls
2. Light Sapphire: beautiful light sapphire blue and aquamarine Swarovski crystals, combined with pale blue Swarovski pearls
3. Black Diamond: understatedly glamorous combination of black diamond Swarovski crystals and silver grey freshwater pearls
4. Maybe Baby: palest blue and rose pink Swarovski pearls and crystals, entwined with sterling silver dazzle dust beads and heart charms
5. Glamour Puss: dazzlingly pretty peacock green freshwater stick pearls with topaz and palest green Swarovski crystals
6. Fabulous Fuschia: (pictured) bright fuschia Swarovski crystals, complimented by rose and ivory Swarovski pearls
7. Lovely Lavender: gorgeous lavender and tanzanite Swarovski crystals, accented with creamy Swarovski pearls
8. Linen Glow: a sophisticated and classic combination of ivory fresh water pearls, sparkling Swarovski crystals and sterling silver rondelles
9. Palest Jade: washed green Swarovski crystals and creamy Swarovski pearls
10. Vintage Rose: attractive vintage rose Swarovski crystals and pale pink Swarovski pearls

Joanne Pibworth, founder of Pickle & Boo said, “We know that breastfeeding a new baby can be very demanding both physically and mentally, so it’s easy to lose track of which side you fed from last. Our bracelets are designed to keep life simple for new mums – just switch the breastfeeding bracelet to your other wrist after each feed and you’ll never need to wrack your tired brain again!”

The bracelets are packaged in a shimmering lavender organza bag concealed within an ivory gift box complete with tissue, ribbons and an explanatory notelet, making them the perfect gift for a new mum.

Available from PickleAndBoo.co.uk

Breastfeeding in Style

A lot of people think that nursing clothing is maternity clothing. It isn’t. In fact, it looks just like your casual attire. The only difference is that, nursing clothing is designed with specially concealed openings. It makes breastfeeding and feeding in public more comfortable and unobtrusive. This special bonding time doesn’t have to be vulgar right?

Although nursing clothes aren’t really a necessity, having these specially designed clothing for breastfeeding can make life a lot easier. If you’re constantly on the move, nursing clothing makes those breastfeeding moments more discreet. Whether you’re in the supermarket, restaurants or shopping malls, you can feed your baby via a hidden opening and nurse in privacy. No need to run around looking for a secluded area or nursing spot anymore.

There are so many styles and trendy nursing clothing that looks just as nice as your favorite casual wear. Gone are the days of big t-shirts and loose-fitting separates. The mommies of today can enjoy and maintain their sense of style and still nurture their babies.