BoobieMilk Back on the Baby Show Circuit for 2013 & Tickets to win!

I love my job, and my most favourite part of my job is making women happy by fitting them with a super comfy nursing bra.  I usually fit in a few fittings in my local area during the week which is great.  I get to meet women just about to become a Mum, many for the first time and I also get to meet brand spanking new babies, sometimes I even get a cuddle.  Today I met the biggest, loudest purring cat I have ever known!  A baby show for me is like my regular week magnified to "Infinity" as my son would say as infinity is his favourite number right now.  I get to meet pregnant women and women with new babies over and over and over, and I just LOVE IT!

In 2012, BoobieMilk embarked on a journey that would forever change us.  We started this small, well actually we jumped in head first journey and enjoyed every minute of it.  I dragged along my Mum to help with the stand while I went in and out of the fitting room, and she became the star of the show.  I am still hearing from clients that attended any of the shows that we sold at last year how they loved my Mum, and chatted with her for ages, and found out all about the family.  I know my Mum was absolutely exhausted after each show, especially the 3 day events in London and Greenhithe, but she is like me and loves being around people.  She is most at home in a crowd and we always used to tease her when I was a kid because she was always engrossed in the conversation of the adjoining table at restaurants.

Not only did we meet so many lovely Mums and Babies while attending Baby Shows last year, but we also met some lovely show organizers and fellow stand holders.  There were good shows and there were great shows.  There were also not so great shows and boy did we learn a lot.  I just love that other Mummy business owners are so open to sharing their knowledge so that others don't make the same mistakes.  When I got the go ahead from The Baby Show London I immediately contacted a couple of fellow Mumpreneurs to ask about the added extras.  I was so glad that I did as otherwise I would never have known that the portable credit/debit card machines have enough power to last the entire day.  I saved money and gained knowledge that I can now pass on.

So we start the 2013 Baby Show circuit.  I'm getting a little more picky about the shows I'll attend because I now know a lot more about shows and what works best for BoobieMilk.  Our first show of the season is the Bluewater Baby and Toddler show at Glow in Greenhithe, Kent.  The venue is fantastic and we had a fabulous time last year at their first show.  It's right off the M25 with tonnes of free parking which is fantastic.  The venue is large enough that there is a good selection of items on offer for pregnant women, babies and toddlers but small enough so that you can really get to see everything and go back to your favourite stands if you need additional information.  Once you have had your fill of all things kiddie, you can walk out to the mall and enjoy a bite to eat and even pop in to see a movie.  There are also plenty of play areas outside if you bring little ones with you and they deserve a reward for being so patient while you browse and shop.

BoobieMilk will be attending the upcoming Bluewater Baby and Toddler show at Glow on April 19-21, 2013 fitting and selling nursing bras and nursing vests at stand J36.  We stock a selection of nursing bras and nursing vests from Emma-Jane, Carriwell and Hotmilk with sizes from 32-42 bands and B-H cups.  Prices start from just £10 and we will have a competition running throughout the show.  Everyone that enters the competition will be given a discount of 10% for everthing they purchase and pay for on the day (including out of stock items that will be shipped after the show free of charge).

Some of our friends that are also exhibiting at Bluewater:

Lazy Daisy - E26 Unique Pregnancy Classes and Baby Classes are all inspired by movement, massage and relaxation and enable you to prepare for birth and enjoy the first months with your baby. With classes all over the UK (and the world!) you are never too far from your nearest class!Available in Sevenoaks.

Snugglebundl - E40 Multi award winning blanket with handles. Easily move your baby without waking, promotes post birth recovery and no more carrying car seats. So many uses!I love these guys.

Brother Max - J42 To make everyday tasks simpler and less time consuming by providing parents and their little ones with easy to use, high quality, well designed products, along the way creating the most innovative baby and toddler brand in the world.  These guys kept us sane throughout the weekend with their upbeat attitude and funky music during set up and break down.

Morrck - E18 Morrck is the home of the Award Winning Baby Hoodie, a unique travel wrap that can be used in car seats and buggies. Morrck design and develop products that make things easier for parents, so that life is less fuss and more fun! Ellie loves her spotty towel, and they have been super helpful with all of my silly exhibition questions.

If you live in the area and would like to come to the show, tickets are available now on the website. Use code BS49 to purchase 2 tickets for £12.  You can also win a free pair of tickets here by entering the rafflecopter below.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Carriwell Nursing Swimsuit Review

William attended his first breastfeeding conference when he was 6 months old in Vegas.  We spent a little time in the pool, but not a huge amount as the pool closed at sunset soon after the conference day ended.  At 18 months old we went to the same conference in Orlando, and the hotel had a beautiful pool with a lazy river, slides and jacuzzi.  I spent a LOT of time going round and round that lazy river on my rubber ring nursing William.  I wore a regular bathing suit with a crossover design which basically meant my boob was hanging out the top of the suit the whole time I was in the pool (no tan lines for me LOL).

Having to remove my whole boob to nurse wasn't entirely awful because firstly, I was in great copany at a breastfeeding conference, and secondly because William was a little older his head pretty much covered my boob when feeding.  I'm not one to be concerned about nursing in public.  I've breastfed everywhere and I've pumped everywhere.  I do however choose to nurse from the bottom.  In that I mean that I lift my top from the bottom to nurse so that my shoulders are still covered.  I feel less exposed and less naked.  I imagine that other women may not be as bold as me, especially when it comes to nursing in a bathing suit, so enter Carriwell.

The Carriwell nursing swimsuit is a basic, black suit providing everything that a normal swimsuit would provide.  The black is somewhat slimming and the fabric dries quickly when out of the water.  The swimsuit includes the lovely addition of providing easy access for nursing and has a lovely A-frame design that provides more coverage when the cup is open.  This is very similar to the design of the Hotmilk Shine, Emma-Jane vests in that there is a second layer once the cup is pulled down so your whole boob is not exposed, but just pokes through a smaller hole completely adequate for nursing.  The straps are fully adjustable and can cross over at the back which myself anf reviewers have found to more securely keep them in place.

Sadly the Carriwell nursing swimsuit is only available in four sizes.  This means that it is not suitable for larger cup sizes.  When testing the swimsuit during Ellie's swimming lessons I found the cup to be at its limit for my boobs (34E) in the Medium size (I'm a dress size 12 and not very hippy).

The Carriwell nursing swimsuit is available to buy from BoobieMilk for only £30 in sizes S/M/L/XL (S 8, M 10, L 12, XL 14)

Hotmilk - Angel Divine Nursing Bra Review

If you have discovered Hotmilk then you have already found a great nursing bra range.  From the moment I received my first hotmilk bra I knew I had found something incredible.

Hotmilk have designed nursing bra after nursing bra that provide the entire package for nursing mothers.  There really is no compromise when choosing Hotmilk.

I meet a lot of women who have already compromised in the past.  They have bought nursing bras because they had no other choice in their local shop and they have bought nursing bras because it's their only choice in that size.  I really feel that Hotmilk have put a lot of thought into their nursing bra range.  They've made a real effort to make a product that women want to wear.

Hotmilk are:

Comfortable - The 100% cotton lining makes them super comfy, especially when breasts are tender before or after birth.  I admit that I do sleep in mine all the time, and find them so comfy I hardly know they are there.

Functional - The designers over at Hotmilk have done their research and know what nursing Mums are looking for and need in a nursing bra.  Each style has great access for nursing.  The A-frame styles provide additional support and discretion when nursing and the cups come all the way down to give maximum room for latching..

Flexible - Even though Hotmilk bras are specifically sized they have been designed to allow as much flexibility as possible for the ever changing shape of a pregnant and nursing woman.  The band has six settings which allow for ribcage expansion during pregnancy and then weight loss after birth.  The added detailing on each bra is quite forgiving so that nursing pads are less visible, size differences between breasts are less noticeable and you can choose a slightly larger cup to accomodate milk volume increases without the bra looking too big under clothing.  Hotmilk has also released a number of styles that have fully extendable straps for taller women or those needing longer straps.

Supportive - Hotmilk nursing bras give great support up to an H cup.  During pregnancy and breastfeeding breast usually grow in size and they always increase in weight.  I think that Hotmilk have managed to design a nursing bra that provides the most support you can get without a wire and I fit many women up to an H-cup who are surprised how much support they provide.  The support comes from the nice wide bands, fabulous workmanship, wider straps and plush materials.  If I am at the playground running around after my kids, I want to be wearing my Hotmilk bras as they provide great support during light energetic activity and I don't have to hold my boobs when running to the car when it starts raining.  (I do wear a sports bra for jogging)

Built to Last - I've been wearing my Hotmilk bras for over 2 years now and they have lasted very well.  I have changed in size a little over that time in band size, but I still wear my first Hotmilk bras on the tightest band setting regularly.  I wash my Hotmilk on cold or 30C in the machine on a delicate/hand wash setting and I hang dry.  I will admit to my bras occasionally going through the regular cycle when I'm helped with the laundry (so I can't really complain) and they have fared pretty well but I don't recommend.  They have kept their shape and colour and since my ribcage has shrunken to its pre-pregnancy size I haven't needed to tighten the band from the loosest setting yet so I know I'll get a lot more use out of them.  I do have a matching set of Luminous lingerie that no longer match because the champagne coloured knickers were washed with a dark wash, so definitely keep colours seperate.

Great Coverage -   I just love the Hotmilk full cup styles.  There is nothing worse than looking down at your cleavage to find it spilling out the middle.  I know this has a lot to do with finding the right size, but for my shape I find a much better fit and feel more confident wearing a full cup bra.  I don't stand still all day.  I run after the kids, lay down to nurse my daughter to sleep at nap time and I bend down to pick her up when she wants to be carried.  Maybe I'm just getting old but I just want to feel supported and not have any extra flesh showing.  I find that all of my tops cover my bras and at the last wedding I attended I wore a vest because the dress was a crossover style which seemed to reveal more each time I pulled it aside to nurse, so putting on a vest made sure that I never had to worry about it.

So, the newest addition to my Hotmilk collection is the Angel Divine.  A gorgeous full cup style nursing bra with an A-frame and fully extendible straps in a beautiful girly peach pink with cream lace detail.  The detailing is less bling with the Angel Divine with just a simple cream bow just gives that extra bit of prettiness.  The Angel Divine is soft and feminine and provides all of the benefits of a Hotmilk bra in spades and I love it!

The Hotmilk Angel Divine nursing bra is available in sizes 32-38 C-G and sizes are selling out fast!  You can get your hands on your very own nursing bra for £30 and matching set (S-L) for only £35 from BoobieMilk here.

Mine! Mine! The Story of Ellie's Breast Milk Keepsake

A Pendant with a large heart shaped milk bead with a pink background

Hands up all those that have had a smooth, unmemorable breastfeeding journey with their loved one/s?

No hands?

Even my second journey with Ellie, which had no initial nipple pain or latch problems has never been unevenful and she surprises me every day.  Last night she asked for "boobie" and then blew a raspberry on it and laughed!

When I think about breastfeeding I remember;

William would feed any time, anywhere and never said no.  Ellie would only feed when she was ready and not before.

My right breast has always had a fast let-down and would choke even my 9lb son in his first few weeks and that when they came off during let-down they would get a face full of milk.  My right breast was also my best pumper and after a while I didn't even bother trying to pump my left.

Both my babies needed only one breast per feed until they learned to ask for it and then went from having 2,3,4...... per feed just because they could.

The feed at the end of the day when they would fall asleep at the breast, snuggling close to me as we all get some well deserved rest.

The first time that William met Ellie and he was gracious enough to let her have the "Other" boobie while he had "My Boobie" (the right).

Breastfeeding has been how I have parented for the last 5 years.  It's how I have nourished and comforted my babies and I wouldn't change a thing.  All things worthwhile in life are challenging which makes them all the more cherished.

 My Breast Milk Pendant and Ellie's Pendant

I want to remember this precious time for the rest of my life and now I have a beautiful keepsake as a daily reminder of each special moment and the pride I have felt for achieving what I set out to do so long ago now.

 Claire and her adorable twins

I have known Claire for a while now.  I first met her after she won a competition on the breastfeeding resource blog Dispelling Breastfeeding Myths.  Her prize was a free nursing bra fitting and nursing bra so I travelled out to her lovely home in Kent to meet her and her lovely twins in May 2012.

 A selection of charms suitable for Pandora bracelets etc.....

I think that before I moved back to the UK I could count on one finger the number of Mums that I had met who had successfully breastfeed twins.  Since then I have met many such inspirational Mummy's who have defied the myth that "you can't breastfeed twins" and found the support and determination to breastfeed their twins.  Claire is one of these Mums.  Now, when I am asked about breastfeeding twins I can say with conviction that it is completely possible and direct them to a couple of great blogs that talk about their experiences.

Claire, AKA Twinkle Mummy to Spud and Sprout

Jennie, AKA Edspire, Mummy to Esther, William and little angel Matilda Mae 

Claire also dispells another breastfeeding myth "small breasts = not enough milk" which she has written about here so I hope she won't mind me sharing that.  I will however, keep her size a secret (a bra fitter never tells).

 You can have your bead embedded in a bangle

I think it was towards the end of last year (2012) that I first heard about Breast Milk Keepsakes.  I saw a picture of the first breast milk pendant on facebook with the names "spud" and "sprout"* and thought to myself "Gosh, those names sound familiar".  I filed the keepsake away as something to do later on and went to Texas for Christmas until I saw a blog post written by Twinkle Mummy talking about the pendant she had with her sons names on.  So I thought to myself that the person making them must have made one for Claire to review and again thought nothing of it but wanted one even more. 

 The First Pendant for Spud & Sprout

While in Texas The Breast Milk Keepsakes were launched and it finally all fell into place that Claire AKA Twinkle Mummy AKA Spud & Sprout's Mum was also actually the one making and selling the Breast Milk Keepsakes.  It's Claire that has worked hard over the last year experimenting with her own milk to make her very own keepsake and is now making breast milk keepsakes for women around the World, including me!

 My William and Ellie Pendant

On my return to the UK Claire and I made a pumping/bra fitting date and I travelled out to visit her family again along with Ellie (22mo).  Our kiddies are pretty close in age and they played together very well while we talked colours, metals and shapes for the milk bead, and Claire even had a few minutes to try on some pretty nursing bras from Hotmilk.

 Charms can be made for your bracelet

I hadn't pumped in over a year, so I was rather excited to express almost 50ml from my right side (my pumping boob).  Ellie wasn't as excited and tried to fight the pump shouting "My Boobie!".

I do think that I received the better end of the deal.  Claire sent my keepsake just a few weeks later and it is just stunning!  I asked for a large star to represent my big boy William who is currently 5 who breastfed for 46 months and a small star to represent little Ellie who is still breastfeeding at 23mo.  I've always loved silver and navy blue as a combination so that was an easy choice.

 Ellie's pendant

Claire surprised me with a small pink pendant for Ellie when she gets a little older.  It's so beautiful with a tear drop of milk at the centre and Ellie loves it already.  Actually, every time Ellie sees one of Claires business cards, flyers or her facebook page she points and says "Mine, Mine!"

It's hard to explain to someone else why a Breast Milk Keepsake might be an appropriate gift for a breastfeeding Mum.  Each breastfeeding journey is unique and special to both the Mother and child.  Breastfeeding for many is one of the hardest yet greatest achievements of their time as a new Mum and a keepsake can help symbolise that time.

 Cufflinks for your greatest supporter

To own your very own keepsake you will need to send Claire about an ounce of milk (30ml).  You can then choose the shape of your milk bead, the background colour and the piece of jewellery you would like it embedded.  I have taken some photos from the Breast Milk Keepsake Facebook page to show you an assortment of what is possible.

 You can have something engraved on the back

I bet you are wondering how Claire does it, but that's a closely kept secret.  It took Claire over 10 months of trial and error to create the finished keepsake toay so I don't have an answer for you.  You can contact Claire to order your very own Breast Milk Keepsake at;

Website
Facebook
Twitter  
       
*Names have been changed (excuse my poor graphics abilities)      

Rene Schwencke - Independent Midwife Answers Questions About Dividing Tongue-Ties in Kent

Rene is an independent midwife practising in the South East of London/North Kent area providing ante natal, labour and post natal services in the comfort of your own home.

Rene uses a lot of complementary therapies during her day-to-day practise such as Australian bush flower remedies, Raiki. aromatherapy, homeopathy, massage and reflexology.  She has also taken additional training so that she can perform the initial infant checks and complete tongue-tie divisions all in the comfort of your own home at a time when you want to be safe and calm after the birth of your newborn.

Rene and I have somewhat crossed paths previously because we both work with pregnant women and new Mums and we both work in the same area doing home visits.  The subject of tongue-tie comes up a lot in breastfeeding forums, support groups and in random conversations on the bus when people find out I work in breastfeeding.  There are two complaints that are raised during these conversations;   

"It wasn’t diagnosed or the Doctor did not believe that a tongue-tie could cause feeding problems" and 

"I couldn’t find someone to do the procedure or convince the Doctor to make a referral"

Rene trained in Southampton to perform tongue-tie divisions (frenotomy’s) in 2012 and she has agreed to answer some questions about tongue-tie and about the services that she provides locally.

What is Tongue-Tie?

Tongue-Tie is when either, there is a piece of skin under the tongue (anterior) which being too tight stops the baby from latching onto the breast correctly, or under the tongue at the back is very thick (posterior).

With an anterior tie the tongue cannot reach the top of the mouth so the baby cannot create enough suction to hold the nipple in the mouth.  Baby will latch and then slip off causing damage to nipples.  Mum will usually experience nipple pain and baby will become exhausted as they try so hard get enough milk.  This is more obvious in the early days.

With a posterior tie, the tongue action pushes the nipple out of the mouth rather than pull the nipple in. You may also hear a “clicking” when baby is feeding and see milk dribbling out of the corner of the mouth as the suction is lost. This tends to show itself as the baby gets a little older.

This is my daughter's tongue shortly after birth.  I have a family history but this one caused no feeding problems

Is Tongue-Tie common?

Tongue-Tie occurs in about 10 in 100 babies of these about 4.5 will have a problem with feeding and or speech.  It can also run in families.

What are some possible symptoms of a tongue-tie?

Symptoms from Mum:

Sore Nipples
Pinched or blanched nipples after feeds
Mastitis (a breast infection) because milk emptying is not adequate
Lowered milk supply
Stress and exhaustion from frequent feeds or extended feeds and a feeling of failure to feed adequately.

Symptoms for Baby:

Restricted movement of the tongue or a not very wide mouth when feeding
A baby that is not content after feedings
A baby coming off of the breast a lot during feeding
A baby that falls asleep quickly at the breast
Very frequent feeds or very long feeds
A large weight loss or failure to gain weight
Clicking, drooling, excessive gas due to a lack of suction during feeds

Why have you decided to train and perform tongue-tie divisions (frenulotomy)?

In my Independent practice I have found more and more tongue-ties.  In the past I would need to refer them to a local lactation consultant and we would both have to agree that further treatment was needed.  The parent then had to get a referral from their GP to be seen by an NHS consultant, which could take weeks or even months.  This was unacceptable to me supporting Mums who were in pain, with a baby losing or not gaining, and Dad being completely at a loss as to what to do. Now I am qualified, I can do the procedure quickly and so minimise any disruption to breastfeeding.

How do you divide a Tongue-tie?

I use the same technique that is used in hospitals.  General anaesthetic is not needed and it only takes a minute or two.  I simply wrap the baby in a towel, divide the tongue-tie with a pair of sterile blunt-ended scissors, and then hand them back to Mum so that they can be fed.

Are there any potential problems with this procedure?

Not really, a number of small babies are asleep when I start, asleep when I do it, and asleep afterwards.  Older babies do not like being wrapped up so they usually cry out, and it can sometimes be really quite difficult to know whether or not dividing their tongue-tie is actually painful, as they are already complaining from being swaddled. I accept that some babies will cry for up to 60 seconds but on average its 15 seconds. I would emphasise that there are some babies who remain asleep. So although common sense says that it ought to hurt, there are some babies to whom it does not hurt at all and for the rest it does not hurt very much.

A few drops of blood are normal, but this always stops and is never a problem.

There will be a wound that you may feel needs something done about.  The inside of the mouth heals much faster than other areas of the body.  It is normal for the lining of the mouth to continually be worn away and renewed. This happens even more quickly in babies, so there is no need for any form of wound management, merely breastfeeding. Often there is a white patch under the tongue which takes 24 - 48 hours to heal.

What do you charge for this service?

I will be very happy to divide your baby's tongue-tie, especially if they have a feeding problem. There is a standard fee of £120, within 10 miles of Bexleyheath. If over 10 miles mileage is chargeable. All you will need is your child's Red Book (Parent Held Record) so that l can record relevant details.

If you have any questions about tongue-tie or would like to contact Rene for a consultation here are her details-

Rene Schwencke
01322 339304
07736 629353
reneschwencke@hotmail.com
www.independentmidwives-southest.co.uk
Facebook
Twitter

You can read more about the services Rene provides as an Independent Midwife on her website.