This is a much debated topic of conversation, so I want to show you the benefits of waking your little one in the early days. We already looked at how waking your baby will help you in the first 3 days, so today I want to look at the next few.

Waking your baby to get you through engorgement – day 3-7.

If you have been waking your baby to feed for the last three days, you should hopefully see that he or she has not lost too much birth weight. Your baby should be getting rid of a lot of the meconium and should have moved onto producing spinach green poos. If your baby is 3 days old and this is not the case – you need to feed more frequently.

A few days after your baby is born, your breasts will become hot, tight, lumpy and very full. This is called engorgement and to perfectly normal. It can lead to other complications if not managed correctly, so you need to stay in control here.

On day 3-4, your colostrum becomes more dilute. It increases in volume and can travel down toward the nipple a lot quicker. Your baby has had a few days to practice his or her suck, swallow, breathe sequence and can cope with a faster flowing fluid. This is all wonderful, but you may still have super full breasts, which can make it difficult for your baby to latch.

It is important to wake baby and feed frequently for the next few days, so that the breasts are drained often and the tightness begins to subside. If you are not waking your baby to feed frequently at this stage, your breasts will become fuller and could lead to mastitis.

The more your baby feeds, the better your breasts will drain and will soon regulate to produce the amount of milk your baby needs.

If you are struggling to wake your baby, do a little winding or if that fails, a nappy change is sure to get the little one awake quickly.
When the breast is very full, babies can create a lot of nipple damage which understandably, makes feeding seem less attractive.

If you are suffering with sore nipples, have a look at my Sore Nipples eBook for practical tips and a fast recovery.

I do cringe a little as I write this post, but having learnt something that will shed light on many mums breastfeeding problems, I feel it needs to be flung into the public domain. The question is, has anyone told you that your baby has a high arched palate and are you still having breastfeeding problems? Well, there is one more thing you can explore which will help you fully resolve breastfeeding problems.

The art and science of breastfeeding is a very new and recent development. This makes studying the subject and applying what you have learnt a lot trickier. Why? Well, there is always new information or research which alters the way you practice. As the subject is so new, we find that what we thought was right (and have told mums was right) actually is not right at all, in light of new research.

One example is how a baby breastfeeds. We used to think that babies used their tongue in a peristalsis motion to compress the breast against their palate in order to transfer milk. Now we know that the baby uses the front part of the tongue to stabilize the breast whilst lapping it to create a negative pressure/suction at the back of the mouth, which then transfers milk from the breast into the mouth, when the tongue drops.

Another example is a high arched palate. I was taught that a high arched palate is just how you are made. In fact many times when I pointed out a high arched palate, either mum or dad would say, ‘Yes, that is just like my palate’. So it may run in the family but on closer inspection of a book I recently purchased, I have discovered that a tongue tie can lead to the development of a high arched palate.

HMMM? Okay let me explain. When your baby is in the womb and developing, there are certain things that he or she will be doing in preparation for life in the big wide world. You have seen how babies suck their fingers, hiccough, burp in the womb haven’t you, so we know your baby is active. Well another thing your baby will be doing is moving his or her tongue across the upper palate. This creates a nice wide dome shaped palate which is great for breastfeeding.

However, when your baby is not able to move his or her tongue, the palate is shaped around the tongue, and this forms an arch. Usually the more pronounced the tongue tie, the more pronounced the arch of the palate. Now, as with everything in life, there are variations of tongue tie.

For instance, the tongue tie or membrane tying the tongue to the floor of the mouth, can be found right at the tip of the tongue, or further back, close to the base of the tongue. The membrane itself can also vary greatly. Sometimes it is elastic and flexible and other times it is short, thick and tight.

If you are struggling to feed your baby, have your baby checked for a tongue tie. If you close to me in Twickenham, I can have a look for you and refer you to the right people to have the tongue tie assessed and divided if need be.

Breastfeeding workshop
Wednesday 3pm-5pm 25th August
Let’s Breastfeed Practice, Twickenham
Cost £49 per mum

This is the last breastfeeding workshop in the water theme.

The mums on the June breastfeeding workshop loved the new theme and felt that it increased their understanding and grasp of breastfeeding, how to keep their baby awake during feeds, the frequency of feeds and how this changed, how to hold, position and attach their baby – according to their anatomy and much more.

All mums attending had already completed other breastfeeding workshops and couldn’t believe how much more there was to learn.

There are still a couple of spaces left on this workshop. If you would like to reserve your place, please call Let’s Breastfeed on 0208 7448144

27 August 3-5pm
Feed Fab Friday! in partnership with Leia in Richmond

The lovely Amber and I are working hard to provide a well rounded service for breastfeeding mums in Richmond. We would like our Feed Fab Fridays to become a regular event, combining great breastfeeding advice, with expert bra fitting service and the opportunity to buy beautiful nursing bra.

If you are a client – pop down and say hi, enjoy an expert fit and get your goody bag with more discounts. Look forward to seeing you there!

I don’t know about you, but I just love learning new things through ‘play’. There is something about getting stuck in that really brings a subject alive and so with that in mind, this week’s breastfeeding workshop’s theme is water – hence the water fall!

The mums attending my June, July and August workshops will learn how the breast works, how different size breasts determine how often and how long to feed, how to tell when the breast is empty or whether their baby is simply waiting for another let-down, all through playing with water!

Naturally the feedback is of utmost importance, but by the end of the workshop, my participants will know how to make enough milk to grow healthy and satisfied, tubby little babies without pain and would have had a lot of fun whilst doing so. I am really looking forward to it!

If you are expecting a baby and would like to learn the practicalities of milk production and breastfeeding without pain, book your place on one of my workshops. Groups are small and numbers restricted, so if you are interested, book early.

Let’s Breastfeed Practice – Twickenham

Come and learn the practicalities of breastfeeding in the great two and a half hour workshop. This workshop is offered in the homely surroundings of my sitting room where the refreshments are home made and the sofas are so comfortable – you won’t want to move once you have sat down!

You will learn how and when to feed your baby, how to know that your baby is drinking rather than just sucking, how to tell your breast is empty and when to move to the second side, how to keep your baby awake during feeds and much more.

Groups are small and intimate to keep a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, so book early so you don’t miss out.
Parking is free and readily available.

Morning mums,

Just want to let you know that I do still have spaces available on the March and April Breastfeeding workshops.

Join me for a couple of hours as I walk you through the easy steps of establishing a healthy breastfeeding rhythm, without pain from day one.

You will wonder why nobody else has tells you what I do and I guarantee that I will provide invaluable gems of wisdom that have worked for thousands of mums already!

It will be fun, empowering and jam packed with tons of practical tips to get you onto a winning streak!

Don’t miss out if you truly want to breastfeed.