Wollongong Lactation Consultants

01/08/2025

It’s World Breastfeeding Week!! The theme this year is Prioritise Breastfeeding and Create Sustainable Support Systems.

Over the next week I’ll be doing a “tip of the day” mini video in my stories every day. Let me know if there’s anything you’d like included!

25/06/2025

🌸babies respond to the flow of milk🌸

Sometimes a very young baby can be quite sleepy at the breast. Mums are often given the advice to “wake baby up” and keep them drinking.

The problem is that if there’s no active let down, babies just go back to sleep. So instead of
❌ tickling
❌ stripping baby off to a state of being chilly
❌using a wet face cloth
❌blowing on baby’s face

Try
✅ breast compressions
✅ supply line/straw with EBM
✅ switching breasts frequently to trigger let downs.

15/05/2025

One of my favourite things to do is to talk about breastfeeding!
In the past week I’ve been honoured to have been asked to present on the topic of Tongue Tie, for the Advanced Breastfeeding Course held at Campbelltown Hospital and also an education session for local GPs through the shared care network.
I’m always excited to be able to share knowledge with other health professionals to be better able to help mums and babies. 🤓🤓

03/04/2025

This is BIG news!!!!! 🙌🏽🙌🏽

21/03/2025

Here’s the secret…

Breastfeeding is not complicated.

A learnt skill, yes. Challenging sometimes. Hard work? Yep, it can be that too.

But the complication of breastfeeding is something completely made up by those who will profit from having parents feel anxious and unsure about their ability to feed their babies.

Formula companies
Pump manufacturers
Bottles and teats brands
Providers who trademark a breastfeeding “method” and then gatekeep that information.

Breastfeeding is a biological function, and like all of our biological functions it’s different for everyone, it’s a bit messy and it’s not always predictable.

Your baby and your breasts are all you need as a starting point.

Try not to preempt problems.
Surrender to the process.
Follow your baby’s lead.

The vast majority of women I see have been told (either directly or indirectly) that they are doing something wrong, or setting up bad habits, or one of the other million negative messages women hear about their bodies every day.

They aren’t.
You aren’t.

Remember that if you aren’t anxious, you won’t pay for that product that will “fix” the non existent problem. And no one makes money from that.

Trust yourself and your baby.

19/03/2025

T H E C H E E K I E S T L I T T L E F A C E

At around 3 months, most babies become real sticky beaks.

Breastfeeds can feel more like playtime than meal time.

Babies are often on and off the breast, chatting, playing and concentrating on anything other than feeding.

This is completely normal behaviour and nothing you need to worry about. Babies will “make up” the feed when they need to, and frequent snacks are just as good as spaced out “big feeds”.

04/03/2025

02/03/2025

EYE CONTACT

Did you know that for a newborn, the human face is something they instinctively recognise and respond to. And, conveniently enough, their favourite face of all is located at the exact right distance from their favourite place to be seen clearly ❤️❤️❤️

27/02/2025

These b***s are made for walkin’!

Sorry for the Dad joke… 😬

Breastfeeding isn’t something that should isolate you from daily life! There is no need to sit, tied to a nursing chair, unable to move.

Today this amazing mum went from struggling to latch her gorgeous tiny guy to latching him securely and getting up and walking around.

When baby is anchored to mum, with their whole body in contact with hers, they are stable, secure and steady.

Now you can get up and find that packet of TimTams you put in the secret hiding place last week!

20/02/2025

Do I miss having babies?
Their milk rounded bellies and peach fuzz cheeks,
Nestled in like baby birds, snug at my breast.
Yes, there are times when I’ve had a little weep.
When I folded away worn soft onesies,
And gave away cots.
I get a little heart tug when I catch a glimpse of a golden curled head leant against a mother’s knee, or hear the chortle of a two year old.

But I don’t miss the sand gritty eyes of no sleep, nor the milk sweat sheets. I don’t miss the churning anxiety of what do I do now?

Now, my heart swells with such pride at these people I made. At their long limbed realness, at their ideas and their humour. At their kindness and their compassion.
Oh the JOY of telling them to drive to the shops to buy me chocolate.
So when people tell you that it gets harder! Wait till they’re teenagers!
You’ll miss this stage!

Just think to yourself, you’re full of s**t.

23/01/2025

MAMMOGRAM TIME!

Now that I’m 50, a mammogram becomes part of my regular health checks.

Did you know that breastfeeding lowers your chances of developing breast cancer?

Recent data analysis has shown that for every 12 months a woman breastfeeds, her breast cancer risk decreases by 4.3%. *

Breastfeeding is not only great for babies, it is great for their mothers! Another reason why women should be supported to breastfeed for as long as possible.

*Breast cancer and breastfeeding: collaborative reanalysis of individual data from 47 epidemiological studies in 30 countries, including 50 302 women with breast cancer and 96 973 women without the disease
The Lancet, Volume 360, Issue 9328, 187 - 195

02/01/2025

This little fella came to see me today. Mum has been expressing and giving bottles because this tight tongue tie meant that bub was chomping and biting at the breast, squishing mum’s ni***es and causing her lots of pain.

Before coming to see me, bub had been to a GP for a check up. Mum and Dad told the GP that baby had a tongue tie and they were getting it released.

“There’s no tongue tie!” exclaimed the GP. “I wouldn’t advise taking him to see anyone else. Nothing wrong with him. You would certainly never want to do anything about it.”

Isn’t that wild??

Now I am privileged to work with brilliant GPs who are passionate about breastfeeding and helping babies. They will refer to me, or other LCs if there’s a breastfeeding issue outside their scope of expertise.

Just as I will refer to other providers for issues that are outside my scope.

Look for healthcare providers who aren’t afraid to say “I don’t know the answer, let’s find someone who does.”

In my experience, the parent’s gut instinct about their child is always right.

(Second picture is bub feeding happily at the breast straight after releasing his tie. No pain for mum.)