Maternal Instincts by Amberley

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Maternal Instincts by Amberley

Amberley Harris, Private Midwife (Endorsed). Founder 662movement.
(1)

13/01/2026

Did you know that breastfeeding AND growing up with a dog helps protect a baby’s immune health?

Research spanning more than two decades shows children raised with dogs have lower rates of asthma and allergic disease.

Evidence suggests why: infants exposed to pets (particularly dogs) plus adding breastfeeding into the mix, have greater gut microbiome diversity during the first three months, a critical window for immune development.

In other words, dogs act as microbial conduits and breastmilk helps those microbes do meaningful work.

Save and share this for future reference.

If you’d like to dive deeper into breastfeeding topics like this, I share more detailed insights exclusively with my mailing list. Just comment or DM “EMAIL” to join.

Reference:
Kim et al. (2019). Birth mode, breastfeeding, pet exposure and antibiotic use: associations with the gut microbiome and sensitization in children. Current Allergy and Asthma Reports, 19(4), 22.

Gorgeous 📷

09/01/2026

With Victoria experiencing scorching temperatures this week, it feels especially timely to talk about lactation and hydration.

If you found this post interesting, comment EMAIL to join my mailing list, where I go deeper into breastfeeding topics like this.

Reference: Howells, M., Palmquist, A. E. L., Josefson, C., Dancause, K., Quinn, E., Daniels, L., & Ortiz Blair, A. F. (2025). Climate change, evolution, and reproductive health: The impact of water insecurity and heat stress on pregnancy and lactation. Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health, 13(1), 125–139.

04/01/2026

Being SunSmart comes with a quiet trade off.

Our bodies are designed to make large amounts of vitamin D through sunlight; up to 10,000-20,000 IU in a single day, with as little as 15-20 minutes of summer sun exposure (longer for darker skin tones).

When we block the sun completely, we also block the UV rays needed for our skin to convert sunlight into vitamin D.

This post isn’t suggesting skipping sun protection.

It’s about understanding that there are few dietary sources of vitamin D, sufficient supplementation and informed sun exposure, especially for women in pregnancy, postpartum and breastfeeding.

Want to know more? Comment EMAIL or send me a DM to join my mailing list where I’ll go deeper on this topic.

Stunning 📷

01/01/2026

Here’s to 365 new blank pages.

Write a good one 🫶🏻

P.S. The doors to The Midwife Entrepreneur Mentorship will be opening very soon; just a matter of weeks. Now is the perfect time to start setting your intentions for the year ahead.

Will 2026 be the year you step into private practice?
The year you back yourself, your skills and your vision?
The year you move from “someday” to “this is happening”?

✨ If you’re not already on the mailing list, comment or DM MENTORSHIP and I’ll make sure you don’t miss a thing.

29/12/2025

This year, I had the gift of supporting 36 amazing clients on their breastfeeding journeys. Most months, I worked with three package clients, but I also took some time off to travel overseas with my family, visiting Japan and Bali, which was an incredible chance to recharge.

In July I flew to Brisbane to run my Lactation Training, and from September-November I hosted my Mentorship “The Midwife Entrepreneur”, so I switched to single appointments during these busy months so I wasn’t on call and to lessen my workload.

I’m so proud that 100% of my clients reached their 6-week breastfeeding milestone and even more exciting, 94.4% were exclusively breastfeeding at 6 months! Two clients didn’t respond to my stats request, so there’s a lovely possibility all of them made it to 6 months exclusively breastfeeding.

Thank you so sincerely for being here and part of my 662movement; I cannot wait to share what I have in the pipeline for the new year. Here’s to a vibrant and powerful Year of the Horse, now go gallop towards your dreams!

28/12/2025

In a study awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Paediatrics, researchers Julie A. Mennella and Gary K. Beauchamp found that babies actually fed for longer and enjoyed garlic flavoured breast milk when their mothers had eaten garlic.

Rather than avoiding strong flavours, this research highlights how a mother’s diet offers babies early sensory information, with breast milk introducing flavour and influencing food preferences later in life.

Reference: Tanne, J. H. (2025). Garlic flavoured breast milk 2025 Ig Nobel awards. The BMJ.

25/12/2025

Thinking of topping up your Ni**le Butter? 🎁

Our shop is still open for orders (link in bio).

We are however taking a short Chrissy break, with shipping returning to normal on January 3.

Happy holidays! 🎄

19/12/2025

And that’s all I have to say about that 😋

Gorgeous 📷

Address

Melbourne, VIC
3000

Telephone

0407093953

Website

https://linktr.ee/maternalinstinctsbyamberley

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