http://www.easternrangeslactation.com/

Eastern Ranges Lactation, P. O. Box 735, Cockatoo (2026)

12/03/2026

"Neuropathic ni**le pain" is a term which is very new to the lactation world.
It is giving validity and hope to many lactating mums who have been suffering with terrible persistent ni**le pain which could not be cured.
The recognition of neuropathic pain being a plausible cause of lactational pain is a breakthrough which now explains why so many women treated for pathology such as thrush, infections, vasospasm and babies for “oral function” problems were never able to escape their pain.
Unfortunately many mums wean due to unresolved pain & they wean not even realising they were experiencing neuropathic pain 😔
Neuropathic pain is a 'type' of nerve pain. It's well documented and researched in other areas of the human body, it just has never been thought to occur in a lactating breast before now. 🤷‍♀️
Dr Katrina Mitchell and myself have been closely following neuropathic ni**le pain cases for the last 3 years. We have been joining forces to help understand more about this terrible ni**le pain which can strike during pregnancy, immediately after birth & continue throughout a breastfeeding journey.
Dr Katrina Mitchell has found a highly effective medication treatment option in a group of SSRI medications that are safe to use during lactation.
Her treatment outcomes have been amazing & have enabled mums to continue breastfeeding pain free!
We are observing that neuropathic ni**le pain has a wide spectrum. Some mums on the severe end will never be pain free without the help of an SSRI ( which works to desensitise the ni**le) Some not so severe can find relief without medication by working with a lactation expert who understands this pain & what drives it.
The relief having someone be able to describe exactly what you are feeling and know how to help is palpable!
Now comes the challenge of educating others to see what we can easily see and identify as a
"real" lactational diagnosis. 😕
If you are suffering with ongoing persistent ni**le pain which no one can understand or resolve, you are not going mad or doing anything wrong 🙏❤️ You are being “gaslit” by a lactation world which is so confused and stuck in its ways. 😔

02/03/2026

Separation starts with the severing of the umbilical cord, this is just the beginning of a long process of human adaption. Every baby needs to be held close to gradually learn to trust separation. Some will need to be held more closely than others and for longer. This is normal ✅
The road to independence involves the development of secure attachment, some baby’s will have longer attachment needs before any level of independence is easy.
Babies wake, are unsettled and cry due to physical hunger but this is only one reason they are asking for your attention. The need for human connection is just as strong and important as feeding tummies. ✅
It is a huge adjustment existing in the outside world. The loneliness and fear they can feel is way out of proportion to what you might think they ‘should’ be feeling.
Relying on only natural primal instincts until they learn that is it safe to be left alone and that you will return, is all babies have 🤷‍♀️ Babies are not robots who instantly fit into our world.
They need time and some need more time than others to feel safe enough to rest and sleep alone.
Aligning expectations with your baby’s biological and emotional developmental needs is being realistic and vital to reducing worry and stress.
It’s easy to think something is wrong or that you are not doing something right, when our society focuses so heavily on what is needing to be fixed 🤔
The majority of babies I see don’t need to be fixed, they need to be understood 🙏
Unpredictable human behaviour during this intense time is inevitable and normal.
Breastfeeding plays an important role in your baby’s emotional development. It promotes a closeness that sometimes our society perceives as lingering or not normal. In a world that is becoming more and more fast paced and disconnected breastfeeding is something which forces you to stop and connect. ❤️❤️
Hold your baby close and for how long you need to 🙏
These early years fly by so quickly. 🙏
I see babies who once needed to be held a lot, grow into the most independent and secure human beings
Hold them close as one day you will have no choice but to let them go ❤️

28/02/2026

A BIG “NO” from me!!!!!!
I keep this post on a regular rotation in the hope I can prevent any followers wasting their money on these potentially harmful gadgets 🙏
I and many other IBCLC’s are seeing an increase in nasty ni**le wounds caused from skin maceration since the rise in popularity of these gadgets. The worst ni**le wounds ever!!
Ni**le damage which started out as
'superficial' progressing quickly to tissue loss & hypergranulation (abnormal tissue healing) 😡
Instead of making things better, silver cups have quickly made things a hell of a lot worse!
Soggy skin predisposes ni**les to tissue breakdown and damage.
'Maceration' weakens the natural protective structure of the skin.
Healing damage or trying to prevent damage by covering the ni**le with a solid silver cup creates a very high moisture environment which IMPEDES healing. It INCREASES the risk for ni**le damage!!!!
Ni**les sweat & they sit in a bath of breastmilk. As great as breastmilk is, it's high in water content. You don't want ni**les soaking in water 🤷‍♀️
There IS a reason why solid silver is NOT used in any other area of wound care in the human body - it's pseudoscience!
To add to the problem, knock offs of sliverette’s are not made from silver!
I have seen some nasty skin reactions to the “metals” in these products 😡
A good organic ni**le balm and hydrogel will work effectively to heal superficial ni**le damage.
If a wound is deeper then a filler dressing works effectively to promote healthy granulation tissue healing .
Something like Polymem or mepilex foam are excellent "effective" healing treatments for ni**le wounds ✅
Proven wound care products with actual research evidence ✅✅
Any damage or “need” to use a sliver cup is a red flag for needing expert lactation help ✅ And from a “real” trained, expert breastfeeding medical practitioner with skills in both lactation and wound care. One who can see through the heavily marketed pseudoscience which targets a very vulnerable population 😕

22/02/2026

Mastitis management is so easy when you fully understand what mastitis really is and how it looks & feels as it is progressively resolving. How to manage breast tissue appropriately and how not to panic!!
Most mums WILL be in a state of panic which in itself worsens symptoms and the mastitis presentation.

For my 3 mumma’s, they contacted me with early symptoms of mastitis at different stages of their breastfeeding journey.
My first mum is relatively early postpartum. The other 2 are much further along.
All felt like they had been hit by a train initially with a fever, sweats/ chills , aches and very painful, hot breasts. This gland is so highly metabolic, mastitis can make you feel like utter crap 💩. They were all frightened by how unwell they felt and how suddenly it came on.
They all felt better generally and improvement within 24hrs of starting lots of icing and receiving my reassurance and help ✅
All their breasts got redder while they were beginning to feel better. ✅
Less pain and more softness was experienced in their breast but the skin was redder looking and had spread.
They all knew that the redness would peak and likely spread, hang around for a few days then suddenly go away. They all continued to feel less pain and better within themselves, despite still having a red breast.
Mastitis generally resolves completely within a week when it is managed correctly. ✅
It can take longer if a mum has been massaging 😔 You potentially have tissue damage which does increase the risk for abscess formation and infection.
It’s SO important to not massage (not even gently 🙏)
By midweek my mumma’s will all have normal breasts again and feel like themselves again. 😃
They knew not to massage, not to apply heat, not to overstimulate, to rest, care for themselves and most importantly not to panic 🙏
They kept the frozen peas on 🙌🙌
I check in on them via SMS each day until all the symptoms are gone. Reassuring support helps mastitis to not be feared🙏
Anxiety and fear increase pain and exacerbate symptoms ✅
So simple!!
Maintaining my 100% mastitis resolution success rate 🙌
Why can’t the whole world get how simple it actually is 🤔🤷‍♀️

14/02/2026

Understanding how lactating breasts actually work is vital to avoiding the pitfalls that plague breastfeeding.

Traditionally, making milk has been referred to as your “supply”
Advice has been built around the belief that breasts are like “jugs” or vessels which are able to be “emptied” and need time to “refill”

Once you realise how this is physiologically impossible you understand how incorrect knowledge produces incorrect advice

Lactating breasts are like “factories” , they never stop producing milk. ✅

Milk “production” is a continuous process ✅

Breasts can never truly be emptied or fully drained ✅

Milk is being made even as your baby is breastfeeding. ✅

Breasts can feel “softer” , even “empty” after a feed. This is due the dispersion of tissue fluid and blood flow through the breast which occurs along with the removal of milk. What’s happening at tissue level is so much more complex than milk just flowing out 🤷‍♀️

The speed at which milk can be made is influenced by the function of the gland (which is still too complex and unknown for me to even try and explain 😊)
You can dial up the speed at which milk is being made by increasing ni**le stimulation and milk removal. You can dial it down with less ni**le stimulation and milk removal.
Early the dials are heavily influenced by overriding hormones. As time goes on milk production relies more on the demand for milk. Speed fluctuates with your baby’s needs. ( a simplified explanation 😊)

I see milk production so poorly understood , it’s often overlooked or incorrectly assessed when breastfeeding challenges are presenting.
Assessment and management of each individual mum’s ability to make milk and the speed at which she can make it, is an important part of helping breastfeeding.

Incorrect breastfeeding advice can turn the dials up way too high or down too low. The first 4 weeks are vitally important to laying down good foundations for ongoing healthy and adequate milk production. Learning how your OWN body works and engaging in expert lactation support early & with someone who understands breasts aren’t “jugs” 😊, ensures your efforts to breastfeed are supported and given the best chance 🙏

13/02/2026

Traditionally mums have been advised to heat up their breasts to solve all sorts of breastfeeding concerns.

It has been a long standing belief that milk needs warming up to help it flow,
to melt it out, like you would melt cheese 🤷‍♀️

The only physiological way heat helps milk flow is by relaxing the body, with this relaxed state sometimes helping with the initiation of the milk ejection reflex or let down reflex.

The heat melting milk theory I think stemmed from incorrect knowledge around what blockages in the breast actually were? Mums were led to believe they had ‘clogs’ or ‘plugs’ of milk forming inside the ducts which they could heat up and push out.
We now know this is not physiologically possible or what is actually happening when milk flow is obstructed 🤷‍♀️
Heat plays no role in reducing Oedema ( tissue swelling) , Hyperaemia ( increased blood flow) & any inflammation which IS responsible for breast tissue congestion and any blockage of milk flow through the breast.
In the setting of generalised or local areas of engorgement or mastitis, applying heat can actually make things look and feel a whole lot worse.
Keep ice packs on ( frozen peas are ideal) , hands off breasts( no massaging) & avoid trying to “empty” or “drain breasts. ✅

It is not necessary to apply heat after icing, this actually defeats the purpose of what the ice is trying to do. 🤷‍♀️

Warmth on your breasts can feel nice to relax your body. Comfort can be gained by having a nice warm shower, this is perfectly fine.
If this is part of your normal breastfeeding routine to relax and it helps milk flow then there is no need to stop.
It is just not a necessity to heat up your breast for any reason other than to relax.
You have enough to do without thinking you have to warm up your breast before every feed to manage any breast tissue concerns. 🙏

09/02/2026

Despite what you may hear and/or read the appearance of the labial frenulum does NOT have any negative effect on the latch or milk removal.
ZERO evidence to support cutting what some people call a “lip tie” to help breastfeeding.
If this has been suggested to you, I suggest asking to see the evidence which backs up the diagnosis ✅
If the reply is “it’s emerging evidence”, ask them to get back to you once there IS evidence to support surgical or any other intervention on your precious baby. 🙏

There is also NO evidence to support that cutting the labial frenulum helps to prevent speech problems.

Can a thick labial frenulum cause a gap between the 2 front teeth and future dental hygiene problems, maybe??????🤷‍♀️
But who knows until teeth erupt?? ( I am not a dentist, I am a feeding specialist)
So, I listen to Australia’s dental governing body when it comes to concerns around infant oral anatomy and dentistry.
The Australian dental association’s current consensus statement clearly states that they don’t have enough evidence to support cutting the labial frenulum for ANY speculative future problem. ✅

If you are experiencing breastfeeding challenges or concerns I can help.
The vast majority of breastfeeding or baby concerns I see and solve are not actually anything to do with the baby.
Breastfeeding takes 2 ✅
It’s a dyad relationship, with assessment of both mother and baby essential to helping any feeding concern/ difficulty.
Unfortunately there are not many health care professionals skilled in assessment of BOTH the mother & baby, especially not as a whole, and as a dyad.

There is SO much focus on “fixing” a baby to “fix” breastfeeding problems 😔

It’s no fluke that breastfeeding continuation rates amongst my client population and any population receiving my advice / knowledge is sky high. And not one lip cut in the process 🤷‍♀️

01/02/2026

A babies “temperament" or "nature" shapes their behaviour right from birth. It impacts on feeding, sleep and every aspect of baby care.

Temperament is what makes babies
"different" and impossible to compare. What might work to soothe one baby may have the opposite effect on another. 🤷‍♀️
These differences render black and white baby advice useless!

I help new parents to learn about what type of "little human" has been gifted to them.
I instil confidence and calm, not panic or doubt at a time when so much can feel so “scary”!
What new parents need is education & support to feel reassured while time goes to work 🙏
Time to experiment with what works for “their” baby and “their” unique nature. Some babies have needs that are more challenging and harder to meet. This doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong. 🤷‍♀️
The quest to find a solution is often more exhausting & stressful than the understanding & acceptance of a babies temperament.
It's easy to become lost in the fog!

The best thing that you can do for your baby and yourself is to find ways to make life easier and aligned with "Temperament" rather than with societies or even your own expectations. 🤷‍♀️

Soothing another requires some soothing of yourself to keep that nurturing cup full. ❤️
Get practical help in, consider safe bed sharing if it enables you to get sleep, consider a carrier for the baby who needs to be held.
Choose any support or advice sources wisely 🙏
I see so much fear mongering out there!
People looking for, or suggesting “potential problems” just to appear to be helping or knowledgeable. 😡
I don’t see many babies who need “fixing”
I see SO many who are needing to be understood ❤️
Parents struggling with knowing what’s truly normal & expected, bombarded by fear based parenting advice 😔
I am often the voice of many babies in their most primal , instinctive form translating what they most desperately want to tell you 🙏❤️

28/01/2026

It may sound like a helpful idea -hey? 🤷‍♀️

The problem is that it may help a little the first time you do it, but then it’s not long before this strategy contributes to even faster flow. 🤷‍♀️

Babies learn to cope with all different rates of milk flow. Milk flow can fluctuate throughout the day and night with it typically being faster and more forceful through the night and morning.

Babies cope with faster flow by taking breaks - coming on and off during a feed. This is often pathologised as something abnormal, when it’s just a baby doing a great job managing fast flow 🤷‍♀️
Some babies may clamp down to slow flow.
Some will lose their suck, swallow, breathe coordination gag and splutter.
Some babies will make a transient clicking sound while dealing with high flow.

Usually all that is required to help a baby feeding off a very fast breast is a few positional tweaks to a mums body positioning. Reclining back or even getting very horizontal with a baby on top of the breast instead of under really helps to slow flow. ✅
Think “gravity”, having gravity on your baby’s side helps while they are still learning to breastfeed and becoming more skilled at managing flow.

Expressing off let downs pre latching speeds up milk production. High milk production is the reason why milk is flowing so fast. So you really don’t want to stimulate your breasts more in an effort to manage fast flow. Your body will respond by making more milk.

Be patient, allow your baby to do what it needs to do. Young babies have their learner plates on, “perfect” text book latching/ breastfeeding is an unrealistic expectation. One which creates a lot of unnecessary anxiety and doubt. Breastfeeding takes time and practice for you both to master.
Often what you have been told to do in response to a challenge just makes the challenge even worse 😕
Check your sources ✅
Sooo many “lactation experts” out there!🙄

For more help with fast flow or any feeding/ breast or baby concerns reach out for a comprehensive full assessment.

Don’t fall into the cauldron of confused, misguided, convoluted and incorrect information out there that makes breastfeeding so much harder than it’s meant to be! 😔

27/01/2026

As the mercury heads for above 40 degrees celsius in Melbourne today babies will be needing their drink bottle (aka the breast) more. ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

This extends to bottle fed babies too, who will become more thirsty.
Babies are not robots or tamagotchis who routinely eat/drink 3-4 hourly and always need a complete meal each time. They are little humans who need to eat and drink responsively just like us. 🤷‍♀️

Each day is different, the environment impacts. Many things impact, influence & drive feeding behaviour and never just a clock. ⏰
Breastfed babies don’t “snack”, they feed according to their needs and are smart enough to know when and how much they need to eat & drink.

Bottle fed babies can be fed the same way and offered smaller feeds more frequently, especially on these hot days. We would never want to wait 3-4 hours for a swig out of our drink bottles to wet our whistles 🤷‍♀️
Even in a completely air conditioned environment mouths & throats get dry, babies are wanting a “swig”

Think human, think how we eat & drink, think how toddlers graze and you understand how breastfeeding a baby works 👍

Comparing societies bottle fed expectations with breastfeeding is like comparing apples & oranges 🍎🍊😀
Stay cool everyone 😎

17/01/2026

Ask AI/ Google about sleeping on your tummy or side while lactating and it tells you this …………..

“Putting pressure on breast tissue, can restrict milk flow and can lead to blocked milk ducts, a common precursor to inflammation (mastitis)”
🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

How can you restrict milk flow when milk isn’t being removed??? 🤯 - you are sleeping!!!
Milk isn’t “flowing” when you are sleeping. 🤷‍♀️
It’s continuously being produced yes, but stored in the aveoli (milk storage sacks) where it stays until the milk ejection reflex or let down is triggered. The tiny innumerable ducts don’t store milk, nor is milk flowing through your ducts while you are sleeping 🤷‍♀️
There is no flow to block!
Milk is going to be “static” all throughout the breast until the next milk removal. Milk has to be static 🤷‍♀️
“Milk stasis” is part of the natural process of milk production, not something to be feared 🤷‍♀️
Not a breeding ground for bacteria 🤷‍♀️
Sleeping on your tummy or side does not cause infection!!!

The only external force that can cause inflammation and potentially lead to infection is tissue trauma from repeated massaging! Tissue is not traumatised by you lying on your breasts to sleep. 🙏
Just the concept of this is quite absurd? To think that breastfeeding requires a “particular” maternal sleeping position 🤯

If you happen to wake up with mastitis symptoms, I can assure you that the cause is not your sleeping position.

Sleep is sacred and hard to come by for new mothers without being told they have to sleep on their backs to avoid mastitis. 😕
Please sleep in whatever position you can get comfortable in when you get the opportunity to sleep 🙏🙏🙏🙏

10/01/2026

Back out on the road on Monday 12th Jan. To book a consultation please message me on 0407810034.

Rested, relaxed and ready to go!

Looking forward to a big 2026🙌

Onwards & upwards changing the lactation world, one mum & one health care professional at a time!
Once we know better, we can better help mums to not only initiate breastfeeding but continue & stay sane in the process 🙏

The incredible breastfeeding continuation rates among my client population speak for themselves 🙌

With all the conflicting & confusing advice on offer out there, you can trust the voice of a once "jack of all trades" who has become a master in one 🧐

So much we can do differently??
So much we still don't know 🤔
So much to still learn 💡

Let's continue to bring breastfeeding medicine out of the shadows & into 2026!! Apply what we now know and not just follow what has always been done 🙏
Continue to question & challenge to
really make a difference ❤️
To not believe all the BS out there 🙏

Let's pull breastfeeding continuation rates out of the toilet & stop making breastfeeding more difficult than it needs to be 🙏🙏🙏

Eastern Ranges Lactation

12/03/2026

02/03/2026

28/02/2026

22/02/2026

14/02/2026

13/02/2026

09/02/2026

01/02/2026

28/01/2026

27/01/2026

17/01/2026

10/01/2026

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