Are you ready to throw in the towel ?
Are you ready to throw in the towel ?
Breastfeeding can be incredibly hard in the early days- but also very rewarding. It’s very common to face difficulties along the way. There’s a lot of support available, from lactation consultants to support groups and online forums. Don’t hesitate to reach out for help if you need it, and remember that each baby and situation is different .
Remember -You’re doing a wonderful thing for your little one!
Heres some tips for when things get tough
- Just enjoy some time with your baby skin on skin at times when baby is NOT looking for food
- Many mums feel as they don’t get a chance to just enjoy holding their baby -especially if they have to express to boost supply or to enable baby to have a top-up.
- When you cuddle your baby against your chest you release endorphins (happy hormones) and oxytocin (love hormones)-so youll feel more relaxed and so will your baby
- Have a bath with your baby-they love the warm water -it reminds them of being safe in utero.
- Allow your bbay the chance to self attach -baby led attachment is more gentle and can allow baby to attach in a more relaxed manner-remember -breastfeeding is instinctual for your baby .
- If your baby is unsettled, offer a topup feed-even if your breasts feel soft -they are never empty and sometimes sucking on a breast that felt quite”empty” allows baby to gain the higher fat milk whihc helps them settle
- Go for a walk with a support person (with your baby in a sling) .Getting some fresh air helps baby and you.
Seek some support from your midwife or a qualified https://myprivatemidwife.com.au/postnatal-lactation/ consultant who can work with you to overcome the overwhelm and support you through the first 6 weeks
Babys who are crying benefit from skin in skin
Remember all new skills take time and breastfeeding is no exception
Call/Email for a home visit or phone consult
Who is kate bergamasco ?
Who is Kate Bergamasco ?
Let’s throwback to student midwife Kate Bergamasco –
This was me when I began my midwifery career. Although when I was 17 and fresh out of school.I knew from the time I was 16 when I witnessed a birth on work experience that I wanted to be a midiwfe
So this photo is me living my dream
I was 22 years old and this was me during my midwifery training at Modbury hospital.My midwifery training days were focused on learning about how birth happened.We were taught to listen to mothers, build a rapport with families and become proficient at monitoring mums and babies through pregnancy , birth and the postnatal period..
By the end of the 12 month course we were all too aware that while we had passed our exams and delivered many babies, we still needed to gain a lot more experience .There was so much more to learn and I acknowledge now, 33 years on , I will never know everything.
I was very conscious even as a 22 year old graduate that my knowledge about helping mums breastfeed was limited.
WILL I be able to breastfeed if my mother couldn’t ?
In 1990 so many practises we adopted with breastfeeding caused so much pain for mothers.We used to bath babies within the first hour of birth, we cut the umbilical cord as soon as the baby was out, we wrapped baby and THEN handed b aby to mum for her first breastfeed.We didnt know then the value of skin on skin or the golden hour.
I can remember mums with bleeding painful nipples trying to tolerate breastfeeds.and then sitting with red lamps faced toward their nipples to dry them out with the belief it would +toughen + them up.
No wonder so many mothers stopped breastfeeding before they even left hospital..
This experience is what lead e to study to be a lactation consultant , I wanted to ensure i could have a positive impact on mothers feeding journey.
Fortunately over the past 30 years our knowledge and practises have improved greatly and Im always quick to reasure mums whose own mothers couldnt breastfeed (in the 1990s) that our techniques have improved .
How have things changed ?
- Skin on skin
- The golden hour
- Rooming baby in with mum
- Not bathing baby in the first 3 days of birth
- Giving mums and partners antenatal education on breastfeeding
My baby is gassy and has squirty poo !
Squirty poo and a gassy baby often go hand in hand
So often I see mums with baby’s around 3-4 weeks old and they tell me – “my baby is gassy , has squirts poo and seems to be hungry all the time “
The mums will often worry that their baby seems so want to feed ALL the time , they seem to be unsatisfied and won’t settle unless being held .
It’s confusing because on one hand they are feeding baby lots of, they seem to have plenty of milkBUT the baby just isn’t happy !
The big clue – is the nappy – if there’s loads of wet nappies and lots of poop – then there must be plenty of milk going in.
We begin bay talking through what has made them feel as though baby isn’t getting enough
I’ll often show them an article which explains how some mums who have an “oversupply “ can actually mistakingly believe they don’t have enough milk.
As they read through the article – they’ll often nod , agreeing it’s sounding so familiar. The baby who feeds often , cries and passes loads of gas ( farts ) .
Fortunately I can often help them with just one or two calls or visits .
We look at positioning and ensuring that bubs decided when he or she has had enough from one side before switching sides
Some mums also struggle with their baby pulling on and off the breast – this seems to be associated with the technique of attachment- forcing baby’s head into the breast while the let down reflex is often overwhelming
If you are struggling with these symptoms – let me know
Even if we can’t meet in person – I may be able to help you soon with a phone / video consult
CONTACT ME