Erin Quinn - Birchtree Birth

09/03/2023

14/02/2023

05/12/2022

"I really wish that all new mothers were told that the majority of newborns want to breastfeed much more frequently than every few hours. And many even want to stay latched on, suckling for extended periods of time. This can understandably shake a new mother’s confidence and make her second guess if she’s producing enough milk to keep her nursling satisfied. Women are usually just told that their baby should nurse ‘every 2-3 hours’, but frequent (and lengthy) nursing is a totally normal thing for newborns to do! It helps keep them close to mama while regulating her milk supply.
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Often babies won’t have these longer stretches between feeds until they’re a little older. Even then, there are several things that could make them want to nurse more, including (but not limited to) teething, sickness, unfamiliar surroundings, or feeling tired. I can’t imagine how miserable it would be to have a fussy baby in your arms but feel like you shouldn’t breastfeed again because it’s “not time yet”.
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This isn’t discussed often enough and new mothers need to be reassured. If baby is gaining weight, then there’s absolutely nothing wrong with breastfeeding more often than what you’ve been told is ‘normal’. The postpartum period is all about surrendering, so cozy up with your babe and forget the clock."

-Words by Oh Baby Nutrition

The Warrior Within Birth Services credit for original words and image.

We apologise for not crediting the author with our post

15/08/2022

“I often get funny looks when I spend ages telling parents everything I know about a topic and then follow that up by asking them not to take my word for it.

But I still do it, regardless, and there are a few reasons for that.

One is that I want every parent to make the decision that is right for them, and not what they think I or the local paediatrician or the family next door would do.

So a good way to figure out what you think and need and want is to cast your net about for a few different opinions.

Nobody can be truly objective, and even those of us who consciously try to give a balanced viewpoint will put more emphasis on some things and less on others.

If you seek a few opinions, you’ll hopefully get a good overall picture.

Though yes, you can also get confused, and there is some inaccurate info out there, so you’ll need to use your judgment.

The second reason is that I don’t want you to believe everything you read, and that goes especially for what you read on the internet.

But it would be unhelpfully inconsistent, I think, to say, ‘hey, treat everything else with caution, but what I’m saying is fine’.

And I don’t want to be inconsistent, so please go ahead and treat my views and analysis with scepticism as well.

Just please be sure to apply the same scepticism when you read what journalists and others say and write about this area.”

That’s an excerpt from my book, Vitamin K and the Newborn.

It was written to help parents to make the decisions that are right for them, and for professionals and birth workers to better understand the evidence relating to vitamin K.

You can find out more at www.sarawickham.com/vk

11/08/2022

The Summer of 2019/20 was terribly difficult for so many across Australia, particularly the most vulnerable groups such as parents & caregivers with infants and young children. Many families had to evacuate with babies and young children with little preparation and warning. Many evacuation centres were not equipped to adequately and safely support families with young infants. In Mallacoota, babies were the last to be evacuated. We want to hear about your experience, so we can address the gaps and develop better planning for future disasters.

Were you a parent or caregiver and had to evacuate or were cut off during the Black Summer Bushfires?

Were you an emergency responder during the Black Summer bushfires?

If YES to either question, please help make sure infants and children are better protected should another bushfire or emergency occur by completing our online survey of your experience.

The survey can be accessed here: https://surveyswesternsydney.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bsimLW6wqYEEiDI

To learn more about the project go to:https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/protecting_infants_in_emergencies

Thank you!

05/08/2022

Free online summit - a very worthwhile investment of your time

There’s a revolution underway.

Women have been learning to trust themselves and their bodies, to say “no” when they mean no, to make their own choices.

Now they are also learning that birth matters, that they can prepare with intention for what is a powerful rite of passage. Are you among them? Join us at the People Who *Actually* Trust Birth summit for a whole new way of thinking, an empowering way of birthing.

Click the link to claim your complimentary ticket: https://trustingbirth.com/JaneHardwickeCollings

27/07/2022

23/07/2022

The ABC wants to hear your birth stories.