Here is the round up for Day 11 of the Keep Britain Breastfeeding Scavenger Hunt, Have a great evening guys, hope you have been enjoying Revenge as much as me on E4!
Day 11
Life, Love and Lollipops - Breastfeeding in Public #keepbritainbf & a BoobieMilk Giveaway (£15)
Twinkle Mummy - Size Really Doesn't Matter & a BoobieMilk Carriwell Bra giveaway
My Gorgeous Boys - Mum to Mum Sharing, My Favourite Product for Breastfeeding
Smilernpb - Mum to Mum Sharing
Edspire - Mama Jewels Review - Not part of the Hunt but both are participating
Lactivist Top Breastfeeding Books and Why we like them
Breastfeeding in England - Guest post from Zoe Woodman "Exclusively Pumping"
Natural Mamas - Mama to Mama Sharing & a Competition to win anything from Lactivist
Juno Magazine - Attachment Parenting and Breastfeeding
Monday, 11 June 2012
Exclusively Pumping
Pumping Mummy aka @zoewoodman exclusively pumped for her children and
wanted to share some of her knowledge and experiences during the Keep
Britain Breastfeeding Event. I have offered to publish her two posts.
Zoe told me that she believes that Breastfeeding from the source should
be the first option for Mums and Baby's but that exclusively pumping is a
definite choice for those not able to breastfeed and wanted to share
this method of feeding with you all.
Article should be
credited to Zoe Woodman, Dorking NCT Branch, this article was originally
featured in Wimbledon & Wandsworth Branch newsletter, Spring Edition 2010.
with recent addition of links.
A
Pumping Mummy – My experience
Zoë
Woodman
Mai was born on 20th Dec 2008 at 42wks. It
wasn’t a straightforward birth and as a result I was unable to hold her for a
few hours. Right from the start we
struggled with breastfeeding. Various midwives tried to help, by forcing Mai
onto the breast but this left us both distressed. More than one midwife suggested nipple
shields, which we used with mixed success, but then another midwife disagreed.
This summed up our time in hospital - I was offered lots of mixed, sometimes
conflicting, advice, and no one spent more than five minutes trying to help us.
The midwives did not have enough time to spend with each mum, helping them to
successful breastfeed. It was not the
start I was hoping for.
One midwife mentioned expressing the
colostrum and I did this on the first day and we then fed Mai this via a
syringe, but no-one showed us how to use the pump or explained what to do.
After a day or so we decided to give her some formula due to her becoming
jaundiced, we knew from our NCT classes that her stomach would be so small that
she would only need a tiny amount so we gave her 10ml. She was immediately alert and bright eyed. Had we been helped to express, we would have been able to
give her breast milk which would have been even more effective at helping her
to eliminate the cause of the jaundice.
Once home we continued trying to breastfeed
with mixed success - Mai was on and off the breast, not always sucking for
long. Mai was then weighed and had
dropped to 7lb from her birth weight of 8lb 3oz. We even had to go out and buy tiny baby size
clothes as the clothes which had fitted her in hospital were now too big for
her. It was crushing.
The midwife advised topping up with formula
to make sure Mai did not lose any more weight, as well as persevering with
breastfeeding but it became too stressful for us and on the 27th
December I bought a breast pump and started pumping that day. I got 40ml the
first time and it was fascinating to watch the milk squirting out and
collecting it in the bottle.
I’m not sure at what point, but I decided to
stop breastfeeding and just pump or “exclusively pump” (EP’ing) as it’s known,
although I didn’t know that at the time.
Our health visitor kept telling me that I needed to get her back onto
the breast, but after a week of EPing my mind was made up. This is what we were
going to do. I found once I had made my decision the pressure from others to
breastfeed ceased, however no information or advice about pumping was
forthcoming. Logic told me this was possible
as it is about supply and demand, the pump was creating the demand instead of a
baby but for how long this would work I had no idea.
I was pumping six to seven times a day with
lots of help from my husband, we were lucky as he had four weeks off which
helped us adjust to pumping and fitting it into a routine. By the time he went
back to work it was just part of what we did. Paul fed Mai in the morning,
evening and night while I pumped, then during the day I managed to feed Mai
with a bottle of expressed breast milk and pump at the same time. In addition we knew exactly how much milk Mai
was feeding and how much I was producing. After her initial weight loss we
found this important.
We had to top up with formula once a day for
the first few months, the need to top-up is high for mothers who EP. I know now it was because I wasn’t pumping
enough, babies feed on average two hourly for the first few weeks whereas I was
only pumping three hourly and not at night. It is essential to pump during the
night when pro-lactin, the hormone which is linked to milk supply, is highest;
hence why babies feed at night; Mother Nature is a wonderful thing!
After a month or so I started looking into
the subject of expressing and I bought a great book called “Exclusively
expressing to feed your baby” by Stephanie Casemore, an American mum, who wrote
the book from her experiences. I felt a
huge relief and recognition and hope - there was a name for what we were doing
and others were doing it too, had done it, and for over a year!
The majority of the information I found was
on expressing in conjunction with rather than instead of breastfeeding, and
what little I could find on this topic was mostly from American sites where
pumping is extremely common due to maternity leave being only six weeks - so if
mums want to continue breastfeeding they have to pump. What struck me most about my experience in
this area is the lack of awareness, advice and support of pumping.
Being at home a lot with a new baby the
internet was my saviour! I was an avid
user of the website www.babycentre.co.uk and part of the December 2008 birth
club, and it dawned on me that there must be others in similar situations so I
set up a group - “Pumping Mummies”. There are now over 2700 pumping mummies
since starting in February 2009 and is a place to find advice and support for
those who pump whether it’s exclusively or in conjunction with breastfeeding or
mixed feeding.
Some women pump because their babies have to
be initially tube fed. If babies are in SCBU or premature often mums are encouraged
to express but this is the only time that pumping is encouraged within the NHS.
Most women who EP fall into it when
breastfeeding doesn’t work out but for others it can be an active decision as
they don’t want to breastfeed but want to give their babies breast milk. EPing
makes that possible.
I strongly believe health professionals
should talk to mums-to-be and new mums about expressing. There should be a tiered level of advice,
concentrating on encouraging and supporting breastfeeding whilst mentioning expressing
as a feeding option. Also where mums are
not keen to breastfeed or are having difficulties breastfeeding expressing
should be discussed as an option before anything else as it is often left too
late when women feel they have no other option than to give up
breastfeeding. If mentioned at the right
time many more babies would probably get breast milk for longer. All NHS hospitals should be following the NICE guidelines,
which clearly state that all mothers should be taught how to hand-express their
milk. If there are problems with the baby, mum should be supported to express
by hand or pump and given information for storage and freezing of expressed
milk. The NICE guidelines also state that formula milk should only be given if
there is a sound medical reason for doing so. The fact that many midwives may
not mention expressing to a struggling mum is probably because they haven’t
read the guidelines! Breast milk regardless of how its fed is beneficial for
babies and more mums may express if they realised it was a viable long
term option.
My husband and our families have supported
what we are doing and never suggested giving formula instead. I think it’s because everyone understands
that breast is best but have never heard of EPing as an option, so it’s assumed
that if you are not breastfeeding then you must be giving formula. EPing is the
next best thing if breastfeeding doesn’t work out or a mum doesn’t want to
breastfeed for whatever reason.
At around a year or so I noticed a gap in Mai’s
top teeth and did a bit of online research and discovered she has a lip tie,
this can be an indicator of tongue tie, a condition which affects the ability
to latch onto the breast and also gives a high palate shape due to its
formation in the womb. We took her to a private paediatric surgeon at around
18months and he confirmed she has a tongue tie and a lip tie. We decided on his
advice that we would take no action as she was able to speak well and also able
to stick her tongue out and he felt the risks of a general anaesthetic were
greater than the benefits as it wasn’t any longer causing any issues and the
likelihood that it would in the future was slim.
Tongue tie is the biggest reason for people
finding themselves Eping long term, we try on the board to point people to get
proper qualified breastfeeding support (not a HV or MW) or even an IBCLC, its
too late for us but if it is caught soon enough it can mean saving a
breastfeeding relationship and that’s why the board works so well, if we can
help make others journey that bit easier through us having gone through it then
its worth while.
For more information on pumping:
http://community.babycentre.co.uk/groups/a1669245/pumping_mummies
Born too soon group on Baby centre post
specific to premature babies:
http://community.babycentre.co.uk/post/a9185145/pumping_advice_links?cpg=1&csi=2048287558&pd=-1
http://community.babycentre.co.uk/post/a13552645/tongue_tie_resources_for_parents
http://milkmatters.org.uk/2011/04/15/hidden-cause-of-feeding-problems-however-you-feed-your-baby/
http://blog.nurturedchild.ca/index.php/2010/12/10/baby-led-bottle-feeding/
http://www.lcgb.org/consultants_local.html
If you have enjoyed this post about breastfeeding and pumping then you may want to read more posts written for the Keep Britain Breastfeeding Internet Scavenger Hunt so take a look at the following Blogs. Don't forget to enter for the chance to win the Grad Prize worth over £500 after you have read each participating post.
There are many companies joining the hunt this month and have provided prizes for the Grand Prize.One such company is Mamascarf. Beautiful scarves designed to provide adequate coverage when nursing in public. You could even use one in the car or office when pumping to provide additional privacy.
Congratulations! you have found the Keep Britain Breastfeeding Scavenger Hunt Logo and are now eligible to enter for the Grand Prize. Remember, you need 50 points from reading and sharing the participating blog posts to be in with a chance to win the Grand Prize worth over £500. Here is the rafflecopter -
a Rafflecopter giveaway
If you have enjoyed this post about breastfeeding and pumping then you may want to read more posts written for the Keep Britain Breastfeeding Internet Scavenger Hunt so take a look at the following Blogs. Don't forget to enter for the chance to win the Grad Prize worth over £500 after you have read each participating post.
There are many companies joining the hunt this month and have provided prizes for the Grand Prize.One such company is Mamascarf. Beautiful scarves designed to provide adequate coverage when nursing in public. You could even use one in the car or office when pumping to provide additional privacy.
Congratulations! you have found the Keep Britain Breastfeeding Scavenger Hunt Logo and are now eligible to enter for the Grand Prize. Remember, you need 50 points from reading and sharing the participating blog posts to be in with a chance to win the Grand Prize worth over £500. Here is the rafflecopter -
Sunday, 10 June 2012
Scavenger Hunt Day 9 & 10
Here is the round-up for Day 9 and Day 10 of the Keep Britain Breastfeeding Scavenger Hunt with the usual "clues" to help you find the Scavenger Hunt Logo's which are hidden in the blogs listed below. Read and Enjoy! You may even find a competition or two and don't forget to enter each rafflecopter and leave a comment to be in with the chance to win the Grand Prize.
Day 9
Edspire - Breastfeeding Through a Sickness Bug
A Mixed Bag of Allsorts - Mum to Mum Sharing, At-Breast Supplementation
Where Roots Flourish - Tips for Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding In England - Taking a Baby to the Olympics & a nursing top giveaway from Emma-Jane
Day 10
Breastfeeding In England - Choosing a Pump
Mummy is a Gadget Geek - Share the Love - Breastfeeding Tips with Breastvest giveaway
Dispelling Breastfeeding Myths - Mum to Mum Sharing Keep Britain (& Ireland) Breastfeeding & the greast ARDO pump giveaway
Choosing a breast pump
So pumping!
I feel quite passionately about pumping. I pumped full time for my son when he refused to latch in the first few weeks after he was born, and I pumped for the first year of his life while I worked a full time job. My job also involved issuing pumps to women who needed them for various reasons such as going back to work or school, re-lactation or a baby unable to latch in the hospital special care unit.
So, I'm just going to write down the basics, how to choose a pump and why.
There are many reasons you might decide or need to pump your breastmilk and there are many different pumps out there that all have different roles and should be used for different things. You cannot plan for every eventuality, so first of all I'd probably say that you might want to hold off on buying a pump until you know exactly what you'll be using it for. Sometimes you can only return a pump within 30 days of buying it so if you buy it before the baby arrives and you don't need to use it straight away you won't be able to return it if you decide it's not the one for you.
There are four main types of pumps -
Hospital Grade Pump
A hospital grade pump is a pump designed to establish a milk supply if the baby cannot. I'm sure you've been told that the baby is the best pump and really nothing can compare, but when you need to establish your supply and the baby cannot do it for you for whatever reason, you really do need to use a hospital grade pump. The hospital grade pump is the best breast pump, it can be shared, and it can therefore be rented (usually from a breastfeeding organization such as La Leche League, NCT or ABM). They can be purchased but are usually very expensive, and you may only need it for a short amount of time. It usually takes about 4 weeks to establish your milk supply, so many Mums that have babies in the SCBU/NICU use these pumps in the early days if baby is unable to go to breast or is very sleepy. You can pump one breast at a time or both breasts at the same time (both at the same time is more time efficient and usually yields a greater amount). You may be able to get hold of a hospital grade pump for a lower price from your local Children's Centre.
Double Electric Pump
Once your milk supply has been established (at about 4 weeks) you can use a double electric pump to maintain your supply while away from the baby for large amounts of time frequently. A double electric pump is excellent for a Mum going back to work full time who may need to pump multiple times a day for a number of days per week. The same applies that you can do one at a time or both and that pumping both usually yields more milk in less time. Many of these pumps also come with a cute bag to carry them in, and often have a number of ways to power them such as a car charger or battery pack. Some of the new ones are rechargable and the motors are small enough to clip to your waist. The double electric pumps are a little more expensive than the single electrics and manual pumps, but they are definitely worth the extra money if you do not have a lot of time to pump at work/school.
Single Electric Pump
Once your milk supply has been established and you decide to go back to work or school part time or maybe for only half days, you may find that you only need to use a single electric pump. For example - If your baby has decided that taking only one breast per feed is adequate and you can feed baby at home, work four hours with one break in the middle and then feed as soon as you get home again, you may find that a single electric is perfectly adequate. In fact, I ended up only ever pumping my right breast because my left didn't pump much (completely satisfied both my babies though). As you can imagine the single pump is less expensive than the double electric pump.
Manual Pump
Once you have established your milk supply you may decide not to go back to work or that you only leave baby on the odd occasion and need to leave breastmilk. A manual pump is perfectly adequate for the occasional missed feed from a date or couple of hours away from baby. A manual pump is the cheapest option and more time consuming and labour intensive choice.
Hand Expression
You never go anywhere without your hands, so make sure that you know how to hand express even if you already have a pump. I remember being caught without a pump stuck somewhere without my baby and I hand expressed my engorged breasts into a cup to relieve the pressure until I could make it home. It is a learned skill which becomes easier with practise, so take some time to practise. A warm shower helps with the let down, and hand expressing can be important if you ever get a plugged duct too. This is also the cheapest option costing nothing.
Of course I have met Mums that swear by hand expression or manual pumping and produce the best results in quicker times manually than with an electric pump. I have also met Mums who have had good results from all brands of pumps, but I would generally recommend that someone purchase a pump made by a company that focuses on breastfeeding and pumps. A company that makes the majority of its money form bottle feeding and formula probably doesn't spend a huge amount on pump research.
Since moving to the UK I have found that often women go home from the hospital pumping and using an inadequate pump. Many times the midwives tell Mum to buy a pump without discussing what sort of pump to buy or rent, and they often don't have any information on how to get hold or a hospital grade pump. A new Mum going home with a hand pump may overcome it all and have an amazing supply, but I want everyone to have the best chance of success and to protect their milk supply which comes after "feed the baby" in the grand scheme of breastfeeding, so I just thought I would share this with you so that you can make an informed decision when you find yourself in need of a pump.
I specifically haven't named any pump companies in this post or talked about names of each type of pump. Ardo have kindly provided a pump as a prize for the Keep Britain Breastfeeding competition. Ardo are a rare sort of pump company in that they have decided to follow the WHO code of the marketing of breastmilk substitutes and for this I salute them. It is a tough decision for a company in this present economic climate to choose the health and wellbeing of Mothers and Babies over profits.
If you have enjoyed reading this article you will find more articles about breastfeeding on the following blogs. Ardo have kindly provided a breastpump for the Grand Prize, so please take a look at their website and learn more about the pumps available in the UK.
I feel quite passionately about pumping. I pumped full time for my son when he refused to latch in the first few weeks after he was born, and I pumped for the first year of his life while I worked a full time job. My job also involved issuing pumps to women who needed them for various reasons such as going back to work or school, re-lactation or a baby unable to latch in the hospital special care unit.
So, I'm just going to write down the basics, how to choose a pump and why.
There are many reasons you might decide or need to pump your breastmilk and there are many different pumps out there that all have different roles and should be used for different things. You cannot plan for every eventuality, so first of all I'd probably say that you might want to hold off on buying a pump until you know exactly what you'll be using it for. Sometimes you can only return a pump within 30 days of buying it so if you buy it before the baby arrives and you don't need to use it straight away you won't be able to return it if you decide it's not the one for you.
There are four main types of pumps -
Hospital Grade Pump
A hospital grade pump is a pump designed to establish a milk supply if the baby cannot. I'm sure you've been told that the baby is the best pump and really nothing can compare, but when you need to establish your supply and the baby cannot do it for you for whatever reason, you really do need to use a hospital grade pump. The hospital grade pump is the best breast pump, it can be shared, and it can therefore be rented (usually from a breastfeeding organization such as La Leche League, NCT or ABM). They can be purchased but are usually very expensive, and you may only need it for a short amount of time. It usually takes about 4 weeks to establish your milk supply, so many Mums that have babies in the SCBU/NICU use these pumps in the early days if baby is unable to go to breast or is very sleepy. You can pump one breast at a time or both breasts at the same time (both at the same time is more time efficient and usually yields a greater amount). You may be able to get hold of a hospital grade pump for a lower price from your local Children's Centre.
Double Electric Pump
Once your milk supply has been established (at about 4 weeks) you can use a double electric pump to maintain your supply while away from the baby for large amounts of time frequently. A double electric pump is excellent for a Mum going back to work full time who may need to pump multiple times a day for a number of days per week. The same applies that you can do one at a time or both and that pumping both usually yields more milk in less time. Many of these pumps also come with a cute bag to carry them in, and often have a number of ways to power them such as a car charger or battery pack. Some of the new ones are rechargable and the motors are small enough to clip to your waist. The double electric pumps are a little more expensive than the single electrics and manual pumps, but they are definitely worth the extra money if you do not have a lot of time to pump at work/school.
Single Electric Pump
Once your milk supply has been established and you decide to go back to work or school part time or maybe for only half days, you may find that you only need to use a single electric pump. For example - If your baby has decided that taking only one breast per feed is adequate and you can feed baby at home, work four hours with one break in the middle and then feed as soon as you get home again, you may find that a single electric is perfectly adequate. In fact, I ended up only ever pumping my right breast because my left didn't pump much (completely satisfied both my babies though). As you can imagine the single pump is less expensive than the double electric pump.
Manual Pump
Once you have established your milk supply you may decide not to go back to work or that you only leave baby on the odd occasion and need to leave breastmilk. A manual pump is perfectly adequate for the occasional missed feed from a date or couple of hours away from baby. A manual pump is the cheapest option and more time consuming and labour intensive choice.
Hand Expression
You never go anywhere without your hands, so make sure that you know how to hand express even if you already have a pump. I remember being caught without a pump stuck somewhere without my baby and I hand expressed my engorged breasts into a cup to relieve the pressure until I could make it home. It is a learned skill which becomes easier with practise, so take some time to practise. A warm shower helps with the let down, and hand expressing can be important if you ever get a plugged duct too. This is also the cheapest option costing nothing.
Of course I have met Mums that swear by hand expression or manual pumping and produce the best results in quicker times manually than with an electric pump. I have also met Mums who have had good results from all brands of pumps, but I would generally recommend that someone purchase a pump made by a company that focuses on breastfeeding and pumps. A company that makes the majority of its money form bottle feeding and formula probably doesn't spend a huge amount on pump research.
Since moving to the UK I have found that often women go home from the hospital pumping and using an inadequate pump. Many times the midwives tell Mum to buy a pump without discussing what sort of pump to buy or rent, and they often don't have any information on how to get hold or a hospital grade pump. A new Mum going home with a hand pump may overcome it all and have an amazing supply, but I want everyone to have the best chance of success and to protect their milk supply which comes after "feed the baby" in the grand scheme of breastfeeding, so I just thought I would share this with you so that you can make an informed decision when you find yourself in need of a pump.
I specifically haven't named any pump companies in this post or talked about names of each type of pump. Ardo have kindly provided a pump as a prize for the Keep Britain Breastfeeding competition. Ardo are a rare sort of pump company in that they have decided to follow the WHO code of the marketing of breastmilk substitutes and for this I salute them. It is a tough decision for a company in this present economic climate to choose the health and wellbeing of Mothers and Babies over profits.
If you have enjoyed reading this article you will find more articles about breastfeeding on the following blogs. Ardo have kindly provided a breastpump for the Grand Prize, so please take a look at their website and learn more about the pumps available in the UK.
Thank you for reading. Please complete the following Rafflecopter to
enter the competition for the Keep Britain Breastfeeding Grand Prize.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Saturday, 9 June 2012
Taking a Baby to the Olympics
I understand that every baby must have a ticket to attend the Olympics. I guess I was lucky that I was actually pregnant when we applied for tickets, but we didn't apply for a ticket for our unborn child, and I'm sure that plenty of ticket holders have since become pregnant and maybe had the baby already by now who weren't even thinking about a non-conceived baby needing a ticket to the Olympics.
So, this may be a moot point, but I thought I'd share my experiences taking a baby to London and if by some small miracle you had the forethought to purchase a ticket for your baby or that you even got a ticket, then you can use this information to help plan out your visit to the Nations Capitol.
I've written about travelling to London with a baby before, but I thought it would be particularly relevant for the Olympics and ideal for the "sharing" part of the Keep Britain Breastfeeding Scavenger Hunt. I love sharing ideas and hearing about new tips for doing things that I haven't thought about before (Breastfeeding Support Groups are a great place to learn some incredible tips).
My top tips for travelling in London with a baby
I found that in the early months the sling was a lifesaver for me when travelling into London. Ellie slept for most of the day in the sling and it left me with hands free to do almost everything I wanted to. I also mastered how to nurse in the sling with a few adjustments which meant I could still stay on the move, catch a train etc without too much trouble, and the tail of the Maya ring sling is especially useful for covering up if you feel more comfortable that way (although beware because there is a pocket in the tail which is great for car keys but not that great when sent flying at full speed towards the baby's head).
Enjoy the Olympics from London, or your Living Room, and don't forget the hat and sun cream.
If you have enjoyed reading this post about breastfeeding you may enjoy reading some more posts by these bloggers who are also participating in the Keep Britain Breastfeeding Scavenger Hunt in June. Do pop along and say hi and enter to win the Grand Prize which requires you to earn at least 50 points by reading and commenting and sharing. The Grand Prize is worth over £500 and is full of amazing breastfeeding goodies such as a pump, nursing tops and lingerie.......... The Natural Nursery has kindly offered to provide a Moby Wrap for the winner, and you can find out more about the Natural Nursery here also.
You have found the Keep Britain Breastfeeding Scavenger Hunt logo and you are now eligible to enter for the Grand Prize. Please use the rafflecopter below to start accumulating points. Remember, you need at least 50 to be eligible to win the Grand Prize.
Emma-Jane Maternity have sent me some nursing tops to use as competition prizes throughout the Month of June. You can enter to win one of these nursing tops using the rafflecopter below. The top is white and a size 18/20 and will be great for the Summer! Emma-Jane Maternity make some great nursing bras and vests that are perfect throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding. Their 361 nursing bra has won awards because it is such a great bra. It is seamless and super comfy with a wide band under the bust and the cups provide support from B-F cups and are really great when your breasts change size during pregnancy and during the early months of breastfeeding. You can find the Emma-Jane 361 nursing bra as well as other Emma-Jane products at BoobieMilk.
So, this may be a moot point, but I thought I'd share my experiences taking a baby to London and if by some small miracle you had the forethought to purchase a ticket for your baby or that you even got a ticket, then you can use this information to help plan out your visit to the Nations Capitol.
I've written about travelling to London with a baby before, but I thought it would be particularly relevant for the Olympics and ideal for the "sharing" part of the Keep Britain Breastfeeding Scavenger Hunt. I love sharing ideas and hearing about new tips for doing things that I haven't thought about before (Breastfeeding Support Groups are a great place to learn some incredible tips).
My top tips for travelling in London with a baby
- Wear a top that has easy access and hides stains. If you will mainly be inside for the trip or it will be warm think about leaving your jacket at home so you don't have to lug it around all day. (A top with a pattern will hide a multitude of stains!)
- Pack only the essentials such as a couple of nappies, a small bag of wipes, a onesie (babygrow), your phone, credit card and maybe a snack (I like granola bars) and a bottle of water.
- Seriously consider investing in a sling when you have a baby. Take a trip to your nearest Sling Meet to try out all the different types and get expert tips on how to use them. They are great for travel all over London because you don't have to hunt out lifts and struggle with the pushchair down long flights of stairs.
- Plan ahead to make sure that you know where you are going and where you may need to stop for a rest or a potty break or a meal.
I found that in the early months the sling was a lifesaver for me when travelling into London. Ellie slept for most of the day in the sling and it left me with hands free to do almost everything I wanted to. I also mastered how to nurse in the sling with a few adjustments which meant I could still stay on the move, catch a train etc without too much trouble, and the tail of the Maya ring sling is especially useful for covering up if you feel more comfortable that way (although beware because there is a pocket in the tail which is great for car keys but not that great when sent flying at full speed towards the baby's head).
Enjoy the Olympics from London, or your Living Room, and don't forget the hat and sun cream.
If you have enjoyed reading this post about breastfeeding you may enjoy reading some more posts by these bloggers who are also participating in the Keep Britain Breastfeeding Scavenger Hunt in June. Do pop along and say hi and enter to win the Grand Prize which requires you to earn at least 50 points by reading and commenting and sharing. The Grand Prize is worth over £500 and is full of amazing breastfeeding goodies such as a pump, nursing tops and lingerie.......... The Natural Nursery has kindly offered to provide a Moby Wrap for the winner, and you can find out more about the Natural Nursery here also.
You have found the Keep Britain Breastfeeding Scavenger Hunt logo and you are now eligible to enter for the Grand Prize. Please use the rafflecopter below to start accumulating points. Remember, you need at least 50 to be eligible to win the Grand Prize.
Emma-Jane Maternity have sent me some nursing tops to use as competition prizes throughout the Month of June. You can enter to win one of these nursing tops using the rafflecopter below. The top is white and a size 18/20 and will be great for the Summer! Emma-Jane Maternity make some great nursing bras and vests that are perfect throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding. Their 361 nursing bra has won awards because it is such a great bra. It is seamless and super comfy with a wide band under the bust and the cups provide support from B-F cups and are really great when your breasts change size during pregnancy and during the early months of breastfeeding. You can find the Emma-Jane 361 nursing bra as well as other Emma-Jane products at BoobieMilk.
Friday, 8 June 2012
Scavenger Hunt Day 8
Here is the round up for Day 8 of the Scavenger Hunt. This also day 1 of the Mum-to-Mum sharing part of the Hunt where all the Mummy bloggers share their top tips for breastfeeding and save you the trouble of finding out after the baby is born. A great place to learn more top tips is at a local breastfeeding support group, so check out where they are when they take place before the baby arrives so that you know where to go or so that you can attend before the baby gets here.
Bumps 2 Babies - The Beauty of Breastfeeding
Mama Geek - Getting Started with Breastfeeding - My Top Tips
Life, Love and Living with Boys - Breastfeeding Friendly Chester, An Update, A Guest Post AND a Competition! - A Babi-Mam Bib-Bob giveaway
Little Scribbles - Sharing
Breastfeeding in England - 8 Top Tips for Nursing in Public with a Competition to win a Moby Wrap from the School of Babywearing
Breast 4 Babies - Ten Things your Midwife or Health Visitor Never Told Me about Breastfeeding and a BoobieMilk giveaway
Diary of The Milkshake Mummy - From One Breast Friend to Another
Blooming Lovely Jewellery has joined the Hunt with their beautiful Bola Pendants
Hope these clues to finding the days Keep Britain Breastfeeding logos have not proven too difficult for you LOL! SOme really amazing posts today, ans some great prizes up for grabs. Read, Share, Learn, Win!
Bumps 2 Babies - The Beauty of Breastfeeding
Mama Geek - Getting Started with Breastfeeding - My Top Tips
Life, Love and Living with Boys - Breastfeeding Friendly Chester, An Update, A Guest Post AND a Competition! - A Babi-Mam Bib-Bob giveaway
Little Scribbles - Sharing
Breastfeeding in England - 8 Top Tips for Nursing in Public with a Competition to win a Moby Wrap from the School of Babywearing
Breast 4 Babies - Ten Things your Midwife or Health Visitor Never Told Me about Breastfeeding and a BoobieMilk giveaway
Diary of The Milkshake Mummy - From One Breast Friend to Another
Blooming Lovely Jewellery has joined the Hunt with their beautiful Bola Pendants
Hope these clues to finding the days Keep Britain Breastfeeding logos have not proven too difficult for you LOL! SOme really amazing posts today, ans some great prizes up for grabs. Read, Share, Learn, Win!
8 tips for nursing in public
I've written about nursing in public previously and the post was really popular so I thought I'd put together my top tips for week 2 of the Keep Britain Breastfeeding Scavenger Hunt which is all about Mum-to-Mum sharing.
Nursing in Public is quite often in the news and can be quite daunting for a first time Mum with a brand new baby.
There are lots of things you can use to cover a shoulder while getting the baby latched on or for the entire feed. I hear the Snugglebundl can be used as a discreet cover. The Mamascarf can also be used for discreet feeding, and the Breastvest can be used to hide those stretchmarks while wearing your own nursing bra. Of course a muslin or blanket can work just as well or the tail of the sling shown above.
5. My top tip for the month and I mention this a lot, but patterned tops are great for hiding all kinds of bodily fluids.
6. A toilet is not a great place to breastfeed, there are plenty of options open to you. My last resort has always been the car. It's comfy and quiet.
7. Find your breastfeeding supporter, the one person in your life who supports your decision to breastfeed. It might be your partner, sister, Mum or friend. It may even be your 90 year old Grandad. Hang out with them when you go out of the house so that they make you feel confident when attempting to nurse in public those first few nerve racking times.
8. Remember, you have every right to breastfeed your baby wherever you are legally allowed to be. I have bever been asked to move or stop breastfeeding in public, so be proud to breastfeed in public and feeding your baby is the most important part in all of this.
You're probably thinking - Why do I need to know all this, I'm just going out with my baby and we'll nurse and all will be easy and OK, but I get asked about nursing in public all the time at breastfeeding support groups and some people may be afraid to ask. Use as you will!
If you have enjoyed reading this post about nursing in public and you'd like to read more about breastfeeding and share your top tips about breastfeeding please check out these other participating bloggers.
The Lovely School of BabyWearing have kindly offered a Moby Wrap as a competition prize.
The School of Babywearing™ is a social enterprise that runs a variety of training courses for parents, professionals, businesses and other interested organisations about wearing babies and children in slings and baby carriers.
As a social enterprise, we use our profits to fund the work we do. Our mission is to spread the word about the benefits of babywearing widely throughout the UK.
We do this through all our activities which include providing babywearing training courses, distributing literature and other resources and supporting babywearing consultants.
Please use the rafflecopter below to enter the competition for both the Moby Wrap and the Keep Britain Breastfeeding Grand Prize as you have now found the Keep Britain Breastfeeding Logo!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Nursing in Public is quite often in the news and can be quite daunting for a first time Mum with a brand new baby.
- Practise nursing in front of a mirror so that you can see what other people will see. Looking as you do from above can give you the wrong impression of what everyone else is looking at when you nurse.
- Make your first trip out an easy one, go along to a breastfeeding support group so that you are in good company and doing the same thing that everyone else is doing. You may even pick up some great tips from the Mothers at the group.
- Take someone with you when you go out in public for the first time and plan ahead. Feed before you leave the house so that you are not in a rush to find somewhere to nurse as soon as you get there. There are some great places to nurse if you are still nervous about it such as a restaurant booth, a women's lounge in a department store or even a changing room in a womens clothes shop. When you gain confidence all you will need is a chair or comfy place on the floor to sit. The friend is there to keep you distracted so that you are not looking around and thinking that everyone is staring at you (they are not). If you are deep in conversation the feed is over before you know and guess what? You did it!
- You may need to put a little thought into what you are wearing. There are many options. Here are some of my suggestions:
- Wear a nursing vest and then if you choose to wear something over your shoulders to provide more coverage or keep warm.
- Wear a loose fitting top over a nursing vest. Lift up the top and pull down the nursing top and you are covered on all sides and hiding your stretch marks.
- Use a sling and in some cases noone will even be able to tell you are nursing.
(An Asian Style Mei Tai, A Maya Ring Sling and a Moby Wrap)
There are lots of things you can use to cover a shoulder while getting the baby latched on or for the entire feed. I hear the Snugglebundl can be used as a discreet cover. The Mamascarf can also be used for discreet feeding, and the Breastvest can be used to hide those stretchmarks while wearing your own nursing bra. Of course a muslin or blanket can work just as well or the tail of the sling shown above.
5. My top tip for the month and I mention this a lot, but patterned tops are great for hiding all kinds of bodily fluids.
6. A toilet is not a great place to breastfeed, there are plenty of options open to you. My last resort has always been the car. It's comfy and quiet.
7. Find your breastfeeding supporter, the one person in your life who supports your decision to breastfeed. It might be your partner, sister, Mum or friend. It may even be your 90 year old Grandad. Hang out with them when you go out of the house so that they make you feel confident when attempting to nurse in public those first few nerve racking times.
8. Remember, you have every right to breastfeed your baby wherever you are legally allowed to be. I have bever been asked to move or stop breastfeeding in public, so be proud to breastfeed in public and feeding your baby is the most important part in all of this.
You're probably thinking - Why do I need to know all this, I'm just going out with my baby and we'll nurse and all will be easy and OK, but I get asked about nursing in public all the time at breastfeeding support groups and some people may be afraid to ask. Use as you will!
If you have enjoyed reading this post about nursing in public and you'd like to read more about breastfeeding and share your top tips about breastfeeding please check out these other participating bloggers.
The Lovely School of BabyWearing have kindly offered a Moby Wrap as a competition prize.
The School of Babywearing™ is a social enterprise that runs a variety of training courses for parents, professionals, businesses and other interested organisations about wearing babies and children in slings and baby carriers.
As a social enterprise, we use our profits to fund the work we do. Our mission is to spread the word about the benefits of babywearing widely throughout the UK.
We do this through all our activities which include providing babywearing training courses, distributing literature and other resources and supporting babywearing consultants.
Please use the rafflecopter below to enter the competition for both the Moby Wrap and the Keep Britain Breastfeeding Grand Prize as you have now found the Keep Britain Breastfeeding Logo!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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