MILK early parenting support

29/01/2024

BABIES DON'T JUST FEED & SLEEP!

Babies have a lot of growing & developing to do, so when they are awake & not feeding or fussing, their brains need a lot of input to support their needs...

There are 3 primary fundamentals that help babies to sleep & develop well
1. Optimal feeding - sucking & swallowing effectively, feeding with absolute comfort & not tension whatsoever (no gagging, coughing, gulping, cheeks sucking in - these are all signs of increased feeding effort)

2. Optimal Play/Stimulation halfway through or after feeding - for example, enjoying play such as face contact, singing, playing music, dancing, reading books, using age appropriate toys, tummy time, massage for example

3. Optimal down regulation - your baby starts off awake, calm, engages in optimal feeding, some play during the day time & then demonstrates clear signs of winding down to sleep

If your baby is unable to enjoy feeding, play or down regulate, no matter what age, these are huge signs that you need to reach out to us, so that we can explore why your baby is unable to achieve these 3 fundamentals. This is so that we can provide the support needed to help your baby to better regulate, develop & reach his or her fullest potential.

When babies are upset, Mum's are upset.
When Mum & Baby/ies are upset, the whole family balance is off.

If your Bub is doing some of these things well, but you are still concerned about your baby's sleep, please reach out to us, there is lots that we can look into & help restore your family balance!

28/01/2024

Direct from the Royal Children's Hospital, MELBOURNE guidelines
INFANTS WITH REFLUX SHOULD SEE AN EXPERIENCED IBCLC

Whether you realise it or not, IBCLC's support both breast & bottle fed infants
We are trained in using many strategies to assess infants with feeding difficulty, reflux (gastro-oeseophageal reflux) being one of them.

Conservative management of reflux is the #1 treatment option as medications have concerning side effects in babies, so decision to medicate your baby needs to take into account the risks Vs benefits in conjunction with your baby's Paediatrician.

I can confidently say, that that I have seen benefits for some babies to have medication such as those who have apnoea, weight loss & recurrent respiratory infections induced from reflux alone. However, this is within the minority of babies with reflux.

Medications for reflux in babies has not been tested for long term safety & is known to have harmful side effects in infants if used beyond 4 weeks of age.

These side effects include increased risks of:
1. Vitamin Deficiencies- Calcium, Vit B12. Magnesium,
2. Impaired protein digestion from bacterial overgrowth
2. Bone fractures
3. Infections such as Pneumonia & gastroentritis
3. Headache
4. Nausea
5. Diarrhea
6. Abdominal pain
7. Wind issues
8. Constipation

HOW DO WE SUPPORT BABIES WITH REFLUX?
*Feeding assessment to work out best management for mum & baby
*Breastfeeding & bottle feeding positional adjustments
*Bottle & teat adjustments/modifications
*Specialised feeding methods such as chin/cheek support, bilateral paced feeding
*Feed volume calculations & adjustments
*Assessment & management of tongue tie
*Maternal dietary modification
*Formula modifications
*Neuro-regulation support
*Myofascial release for postural issues
*Providing mum's with a treatment plan to continue care at home

As you can see, there are lots of things that we can do to help & the help we provide, offers no side effects whatsoever!

If you have a Paediatrician (which I would hope you do with a baby with reflux), we would lease with your Doctor to advise them of our findings, recommendations & treatment plan.

28/01/2024

BOTTLE FEEDING IS MORE THAN FILLING THEIR TUMMY

When you think about it, food isn't the only thing in our life is it?

Same for babies!

When your baby feeds, there is so much more going on than you realise.

For starters, think about what it feels like for you to have an awesome meal (remember those meals you were able to sit down & actually enjoy without interruption - sorry for the tease!)

So when we eat, the oxytocin receptors in our lips & brain get stimulated
Oxytocin is our pleasure hormone

Cholecystokinin is another hormone that gets stimulated to induce a deep sense of calm (remember - christmas lunch carb coma?)

As your baby is sucking & swallowing, they are learning how to control liquid food in their mouth for future preparation for solids.

Whilst your baby is feeding, they should be looking at you & making eye contact which supports:
*visual development
*hearing
*communication
*bonding
*attachment with you
*speech & language skills

Just a little bottle feeding tip:
* Make sure your baby feeds on both sides of your body at each feed*
This helps encourage head rotation both sides as well as draining their ear canals to reduce ear infections & blockages (yep, a little bit of milk goes into the ear canal during feeds!)

So who would have thought bottle feeding is more than filling their tummy?

28/01/2024

'KELLIE, WHY ISN'T YOUR REGULAR PROFILE & COVER PIC ON VIEW?'

This is a ? that a few people have asked me lately, so incase you wanted to know, I will tell you why.

For starters, I'm going to preface this post by apologising for my language if I offend anyone. But hey, a girl has to vent right?

All of my FB & Instagram Profiles have been hacked!
That being my:
1. Personal FB A/C
2. Business FB account A/C
3. FB Meta Business Suite A/C
3. Personal Insta A/C
4. Business Insta A/C
5. Family Insta A/C

On top of this, the hackers attempted to defraud me by setting up a monthly $320 direct debit on my bank account.

For some crazy reason, I am able to access the account & post but I cannot log in & out of these accounts. Nor can I change my profile pics back to where they were..

So to the hackers, F**K YOU - I outsmarted you
I will be using this account for as long as I can
I caught you out
I blocked any DD you attempted
I put a lock on my card
I closed my PayPal account

Joke is on you fu**er!

Oh & BTW - Facebook/Instagram,
Thanks for providing no support whatsoever for these fraudulent activities on your platform
Thanks for telling me at each & every report I make regarding to this, your bot tells me that there is no breach of your community guidelines - F**k you too FB!

To all my followers, incase you get any weird requests or note any suspicious activity, PLEASE IGNORE & REPORT

I am hoping this page gets shut down!

27/01/2024

EARLY LACTATION SUPPORT PROLONGS EXCLUSIVE BREASTFEEDING
This study acknowledged that many mothers do not achieve exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for the first 6 months, with the loss of multiple health benefits including enhanced infant nutrition.

Exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months for all babies is the recommended minimum for infant feeding throughout the world as set by the World Health Organisation.

765 mothers were studied to see if regular Lactation Consultant phone calls would impact on breastfeeding duration.

Approximately 50% of this group of mum's received standard post partum care without regular Lactation Consultant phone call follow up, whereas the others did.

The remaining 50% received phone calls from a Lactation Consultant on a weekly basis for the first 3 weeks post partum, then again at 1, 3 & 6 months post partum.

Sore ni***es & fussy/unsettled baby behaviour were the most common concerns identified.

The study concluded early lactation advice significantly prolongs exclusive breastfeeding and consequently enhances infant nutrition overall, including for mothers at risk of early breastfeeding cessation (such as mums with depression & obesity)

Take home advice...SEEK IBCLC HELP EARLY!

27/01/2024

I'm going to preface this post by saying that the intention of this post is not to offend or upset, but to be open, honest & to use my voice for the many others that are unable.

I want Mama's, their babies & my wonderful colleagues to know that I am incredibly sorry for the trauma that too many are experiencing in the world of mainstream healthcare.

Something that I have never posted is this..
When I was a young Midwife, I absolutely loved going to work
I lived & breathed mum's & babies
I have worked through 2 generations of mothers having babies

About 10 years ago, I noticed a significant deterioration in the care that we were able to provide due to budget restraints & cost cutting.
-This resulted in Midwifery workloads increasing significantly with the turnover of Mum/Baby admissions/discharges increasing at an impossible rate

Midwives are pushed to discharge mothers before they are ready or have a proper care plan to go home with. If they don't comply, there are repercussions

Midwives don't have the time they want & need to support Mum's & babies.
I saw massive change in that Mother's & partners were anxious & frustrated - this was being transferred to hospital staff. I used to carry a whistle for protection on my way to my car after work.

Midwives & MCHN's are incredibly frustrated that they aren't able to deliver the level of care that is ideal as they are both impacted.

After 20 years working as a Nurse, Midwife & IBCLC in mainstream healthcare and after 3 years of deliberation, I decided that I needed to put myself & my mental health first.

In 2012, I started private practice as a Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) & MILK EARLY PARENTING SUPPORT WAS BORN

By 2015, I resigned from mainstream healthcare as a Nurse/Midwife/IBCLC, with the intention of never returning. I knew that I could no longer partake in an environment which traumatised mothers & babies as well as myself & my colleagues.

Since 2012, I have been healing
It was incredibly difficult to resign from a profession that I love & have the utmost respect for. I felt like I lost a huge part of my identify.
BUT, the tradeoff has been a wonderful blessing!

05/01/2024

Breastfeeding - it’s freaking natural!

05/01/2024

you got to know what youre looking for in order to find it!

Watch, follow, and discover more trending content.

05/01/2024

The do's & don'ts of lip/tongue tie release for babies -from an experienced IBCLC and Paediatric Oral Myofunctional Therapist to guide you. See blog via link tree in bio

Kellie Eason, Advanced Practice IBCLC. BHSc. (Nursing), Post. Grad. Dip in Midwifery MILK...early parenting support, Melbourne, Australia Lip and tongue tie release procedures are delicate and require careful consideration to ensure the best outcomes for your baby's well-being. Here are some do's an...

04/01/2024

Colic, excessive wind discomfort & latch difficulty.
We teach parents safe, natural, drug free remedies which actually work!

Watch, follow, and discover more trending content.