Nurture Gravida

04/03/2023

Every woman is unique and every birth plan is unique. In Dr Robyn Thompson's experience, many women are not aware that the events that occur during labor and birth greatly influence breastfeeding. This makes the decisions that a woman makes during this time, super important.

As a Certified Thompson Method Breastfeeding Educator, it would be my privilege to educate you and guide you in creating your own unique birth and breastfeeding plan.

Comment 'YES' below to learn more...

03/31/2023

"Yesterday my first born baby turned ONE!! When I was pregnant I had my heart set on breastfeeding. I watched so many videos, read loads of articles and went to all the local breastfeeding classes .....I honestly thought I was prepared.....

I found the Thompson Method just before I gave birth and it really resonated with me I didn’t purchase the program in pregnancy because I was naive and left it to chance.
I thought breastfeeding would come naturally 🙄🙄🙄 WRONG!!

For our first breastfeed my sons head and my b**b was handled forcefully and I was in pain before I was discharged 24 hours later.

I remember thinking “wow that Dr Robyn was so right!” My son was diagnosed with a “tongue tie” and lactation consultants told me I needed to be more rough with my baby and that my ni***es would tough up 😞 I purchased the program a few weeks later because I was in so much pain. Breastfeeding became unbearable and I was so overwhelmed.

I didn’t get my sons tongue clipped, I didn’t need to. I followed Dr Robyn’s education on attachment and I was pain free within a few days!!!!!

Literally enjoying breastfeeding after a few gentle changes 😍 I cannot recommend Dr Robyn’s program enough. I wish I would’ve invested before my son was born so I could’ve known everything I know now.

Don’t hesitate. You will not regret it!

Thank you to everyone who helped along the way but especially to Dr Robyn Thompson for the amazing work she has done with women across the world 💖 💪🏼" ~ Chelsea K.

03/29/2023

Pregnant women planning to breastfeed:

Are you ready to embark on your journey into motherhood full of knowledge and confidence?

Join the worldwide movement of expectant mothers preparing to breastfeed BEFORE their baby arrives.

If you’re a first time mother you may not be aware that the decisions you make during your labour and birth may directly influence your breastfeeding journey.

If you’ve struggled with breastfeeding in the past, what may have held you back is not knowing how to confidently prepare for a successful breastfeeding journey.

And if you’ve ever thought this HAS to be easier, then you’re right....

The Beautiful Breastfeeding Program is for pregnant women, just like you who are….

✅ Determined to breastfeed

✅ Want to be fully prepared for birth & breastfeeding

✅ Want to have confidence in nourishing your baby

✅ First time expectant mothers or

✅ If you’ve previously experienced breastfeeding challenges

With a Certified Thompson Method Breastfeeding Educator (that's me) guiding you every step of the way, you’ll discover how The Thompson Method’s gentle, evidence based approach can help you avoid common birth and breastfeeding complications.

You will learn:

➡️ What the 3 Golden Hours are and why they are so important in your breastfeeding journey

➡️ Why so many women struggle with breastfeeding and the #1 technique to avoid

➡️ How the decisions you make during your labour and birth will greatly influence your breastfeeding journey

➡️ The importance of being well informed and understanding your rights so that you can avoid being unnecessarily separated from your baby

Comment below and let's chat about how this can work for you!

03/28/2023

I’ve been on both sides of this so I can completely understand wanting to wish away moments and feeling consuming guilt because everyone talks about the newborn stage being a love bubble (and not all the other things). And this time around I wish she would stay little for longer. It’s not to say the first few weeks weren’t hard, we definitely had challenges. But it’s a completely different journey.
Though we are all in it together, our paths can look very different. ♥️

03/28/2023

🤱🤷‍♀️ Are you prepared..... I mean, really prepared for your baby's first breastfeed? 🤷‍♀️🤱

✅ In this free guide, I'll share some crucial information, that will help you reduce the risk of complications and increase the likelihood of a pain-free breastfeeding experience.
⬇️ Download this FREE guide with my Top 10 Tips to help you get a Better Start to Breastfeeding -->
https://www.thethompsonmethod.com/breastfeeding-guide

03/25/2023

Halfway to Friday!!!
You’ve got this

03/25/2023

"Thank you Thompson Method!!

I had a terrible experience of breastfeeding my eldest. I had so much interference from midwives almost immediately and was told "pain is normal" while I sobbed through feeds with bleeding, blistered and cracked ni***es. I switched to formula after the first week as I was beginning to resent my son and it was just a horrid situation all around.
Determined to have a better experience with my second, I spent my whole pregnancy reading up on breastfeeding which is when I came across this programme and I am SO GLAD I purchased. Despite having medical conditions which meant baby and I needed to be closely monitored in the first 48 hours, I felt empowered to decline anything I felt unnecessary and we ended up having the best first feed I could have wished for. It's only got better from there.

Baby is now 7 days old and I can't put into words how much I am loving this journey! She only lost 3% of her birth weight at day 5, I have zero ni**le trauma to speak of, and feeding to hunger and emotional satisfaction has given us the most content newborn I've ever known! I can't thank Dr Robyn enough. You've saved this mum's sanity and helped my baby get the best possible start in life ❤️" ~ Lucy

Many congratulations Lucy 💕🤱🏼

03/23/2023

03/23/2023

Just a reminder to all cat owners that all lilies are extremely toxic to cats! We have had two in the past week that have had to be hospitalized for ingesting lily parts. Please be very careful to keep these flowers in spots your cats cannot get to if you must bring them into your home. If your cat does come in contact with these flowers, please contact your veterinarian immediately!

03/23/2023

💪

My body is capable and strong.

03/23/2023

There’s nothing like ‘em! 💕💖💕
Cydney Rolfe, Maternal Instincts By Jill Duke, Candice Boutilier

Happy World Doula Week!

We’re sending hugs to all our doula friends this week, along with a reminder of this Cochrane review, which evidences the effectiveness of the kind of continuous support in labour that doulas can provide.

“Historically, women have generally been attended and supported by other women during labour.

However, in hospitals worldwide, continuous support during labour has often become the exception rather than the routine.” (Bohren et al 2017).

So a team of Cochrane reviewers set out to, “…assess the effects, on women and their babies, of continuous, one‐to‐one intrapartum support compared with usual care, in any setting.”

They looked at the results of 26 trials involving 15,858 women and carried out in 17 different countries.

And the results?

“Continuous support during labour may improve outcomes for women and infants, including increased spontaneous vaginal birth, shorter duration of labour, and decreased caesarean birth, instrumental vaginal birth, use of any analgesia, use of regional analgesia, low five‐minute Apgar score and negative feelings about childbirth experiences.

We found no evidence of harms of continuous labour support.” (Bohren et al 2017).

You can read the full Cochrane review at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6483123/

And if you’re looking for birth information, I have a website and several books that will help you make the decisions that are right for you. Including who you might want with you to support you in labour and help you on your journey. www.sarawickham.com

Bohren MA, Hofmeyr GJ, Sakala C et al (2017). Continuous support for women during childbirth. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017 Jul 6;7(7):CD003766. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD003766.pub6. PMID: 28681500; PMCID: PMC6483123.

03/22/2023

Zanna never understood why so many women gave up breastfeeding, until she went through it.

“When I stumbled across The Thompson Method, I couldn’t believe how different it was to what I’d been shown in hospital. It was amazing. I was bracing myself for it and when it didn’t hurt, wow! Who knew it could feel so good?” ~ Zanna

https://youtu.be/9i-H5xPnFXU

03/21/2023

We are again hearing from women who are being advised to agree to induction of labour because of an upcoming holiday weekend.

So we wanted to offer this reminder that Easter, like all other festivals and holidays, isn't an indication for induction of labour.

And that it's important to get informed so that you can make the decisions that are right for you.

Not for your caregiver, family, friends, the hospital or even the Easter bunny.

If you'd like more information, feel free to have a surf around www.sarawickham.com or have a look at my books, which are all about helping you to make your own birth-related decisions.

And we have a whole hub of induction information at www.sarawickham.com/iol

03/21/2023

Over the past 50 years, working alongside thousands of mothers and babies struggling with breastfeeding from the first breastfeed, Dr Robyn Thompson (founder of The Thompson Method) discovered just how critical the first breastfeed was in establishing breastfeeding.

She calls this precious time, the 3 Golden Hours.

If you’re like most women, you have your heart set on breastfeeding and you want to experience that bond with your baby from the very first breastfeed, continuing on throughout your breastfeeding journey.

This is absolutely possible.

But for many women, unnecessary intervention and routine procedures, cause a delay or interruption to the very first breastfeed.

In this video, you will learn what the 3 Golden Hours are and why they could be the difference between you being able to successfully breastfeed or having to endure physical and emotion pain as you struggle with breastfeeding complications.

Comment below if you'd like to learn more about how I can help you in your birth and breastfeeding preparation.

01/06/2023

Many breastfeeding women worry that they don't have enough breast milk to nourish their baby.

Many pregnant women too, experience the fear of low milk volume.

Dr Robyn Thompson, experienced midwife and breastfeeding consultant shares information about the principles of human breast milk production and encourages women to be wary of well-marketed supplements, drinks and cookies.

As information in this video may deal with health, midwifery and medical related issues, please visit the website to read the medical disclaimer.
© Dr Robyn Thompson

12/14/2022

"Hospital policy may not always be in the best interest of a mother and her newborn baby. It is important to respect the unique transitions of a woman's pregnancy, labour, birth and breastfeeding journey, providing her with the best possible chance to give birth to and breastfeed her baby in her own good time 💗" ~ Dr Robyn Thompson, PhD (Experienced Midwife and Founder of The Thompson Method)

12/12/2022

As a first time expectant mum, Fenella just wanted to have a positive birth experience and was really focused on her labour and birth during her pregnancy.

It wasn’t until she reached the third trimester, with her estimated due date fast approaching, that she began to think about breastfeeding.

Her planned home birth unexpectedly resulted in a c section.

And although her breastfeeding journey started gently and positively...

Things quickly took a turn for the worst.

The forceful techniques shown to this first time mum resulted in pain, stress, breast refusal and her baby girl being bottle fed formula by the time she was discharged.

Fenella was left feeling devastated, overwhelmed and exhausted.

But when she arrived home with her newborn baby, she went about changing all that....

With the knowledge she gained from The Thompson Method and the support she received in the private community, Fenella followed her instincts and went about gently transitioning from the bottle back to breastfeeding.

As a certified Thompson Method Breastfeeding Educator, I will guide you step by step to help you become fully prepared for your birth and breastfeeding journey.

Comment below to learn more...

12/08/2022

Are you concerned about the pain of labour and childbirth?

In this video, Dr Robyn Thompson (Founder of The Thompson Method) shares information on the effects that op**te pain relief, such as epidurals, may have on your ability to remain in control of your labour and birth. The experienced midwife also shares her observations on the implications associated with breastfeeding your newborn baby.

Every woman's labour and birth experience is unique and Dr Robyn encourages you to carefully consider the options available to you and shares a few of those options in this powerful video.

Be informed. Be empowered. Be in control of your breastfeeding experience.

To learn more about how you can be fully prepared for your birth and breastfeeding journey, please reach out to me in the comments below...

As information in this video may deal with health, midwifery and medical related issues, please visit our website to read the medical disclaimer.
© Dr Robyn Thompson