Jenny Charles IBCLC

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Jenny Charles IBCLC

International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) private practice based in Devon

05/10/2025

So lovely to have a play cafe opening up in Dawlish! It looks like it's going to be a wonderful place to meet up with other local parents to have a hot drink while your little one plays 😍

20/09/2025

I've recertified as an IBCLC for another 5 years!

This involved completing a self-assessment, over 75 hours of lactation education (CERPS) including two hours
of WHO Code Education, basic life support education and over 250 hours of practice in Lactation Consulting.

I'm so happy to have this certification to help me to continue to support parents with their feeding journeys.

08/09/2025

How long should I breastfeed for?

Well, the short answer is - as long as you want to. Nobody should be pressuring you into feeding for longer than you want to, just as no one should be pressuring you into stopping before you want to.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations state “From the age of 6 months, children should begin eating safe and adequate complementary foods while continuing to breastfeed for up to 2 years and beyond”.

The anthropologist, Kathy Dettwyler, found that the natural weaning age of humans was between 2.5 years and 7 years. This ties in with the eruption of a child’s first permanent molars (on average 5.5-6 years) which is when many primates wean as well as the age at which a child’s immune system fully matures (2-6 years).

There are many benefits of continuing to breastfeed a toddler or older child:

• Continued nutrition – breastmilk doesn’t suddenly lose it’s goodness at a set age. It continues to provide a source of nutrition alongside solid foods. This can be reassuring when you have a fussy eater or a poorly child who is off their food.

• Immune protection – just as with nutrition, the immunological benefits of breastmilk continue, providing protection against illness. Breastfed toddlers have fewer illnesses and the illnesses they do have are less severe and shorter in duration. This is great news when you have a toddler who likes to lick random objects or attends childcare where they are interacting with other delightfully disgusting toddlers!

• Health benefits for mum – we are often told that breastfeeding is good for a baby’s health, but it’s great for you too. The longer you continue to breastfeed, the more your risk of breast, ovarian and cervical cancer is reduced.

• Emotional security – breastfeeding continues to provide comfort and security. Many parents talk about breastfeeding being a ‘parenting tool’ which can be used when a toddler is scared, ill, angry, over-stimulated or tired. It can also be a great way to reconnect with your child after a being separated during the day if you return to work.

Please reach out for support if needed; IBCLCs are here for you no matter how old your little one is.

03/06/2025

Breastfeeding, despite the name, isn't all about food/feeding! It's also about...

* Thirst
* Sleep
* Warmth
* Pain Reduction
* Immunity

and last, but most definitely not least...
* Love and Bonding

So when your baby wants to 'feed' again for what feels like the thousandth time that day, remember it may not be due to hunger. Responsively breastfeeding your baby means that you are not only meeting their nutritional needs; you are meeting their physical and emotional needs too!

27/05/2025

Did you know that babies don't empty the breast during a feed?

Your breasts are continually making milk before, after and during a feed so it's impossible for your baby to empty them completely. Babies come off the breast when they are full, rather than when the breasts run out of milk. It varies from feed to feed, but it is thought that babies take an average of 75-80% of the available milk from a breast during a feed.

05/05/2025

This parent contacted a few days after birth at the first sign of issues. This meant that we were able to work together to implement changes promptly before things got worse.

To read this testimonial (and others) in full please visit my website: www.jennycharlesibclc.com

10/04/2025

It's April and if you are anything like me, you've been out enjoying the lovely spring weather and the beautiful flowers and blossom. But you may also have found yourself sneezing and itching as you encounter all that pollen!

If you are breastfeeding, you may be wondering if there are any treatment options available to you. The Breastfeeding Network have a drugs factsheet for hayfever treatments: https://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/hayfever/

You'll see that the factsheet talks about considering non-drug options e.g. applying petroleum jelly around your nostrils, wearing wrap-around sunglasses and, my favourite, eating local honey.

It also discusses drug options and states that the optimal treatment choices for breastfeeding/chestfeeding parents are:
- Non-sedating antihistamines
- Nasal sprays
- Eye drops

01/04/2025

I love it when I receive a testimonial and hear that I made a difference to that parent and baby. But I always know that the parent did a lot more than I did to make things work.

30/03/2025

Happy Mother's Day to all of you who call yourself a mother - whether your 'baby' is 3 days old, 3 years old or 33 years old - I hope you had an enjoyable day!

05/03/2025

Happy IBCLC Day!

Going into another year of being an IBCLC, I'm still super proud to be one. It's such a privilege to be part of the network of IBCLCs in the UK and across the world. And I absolutely love being part of the feeding journeys of the families that I support.

It takes a lot of work to be able to call yourself an IBCLC...

First you need:
* 1000 hours of breastfeeding support experience
* 95 hours of lactation specific education
* Be a registered health professional OR complete 14 health science courses
Then, you need to sit and pass a 4 hour exam.

And the hard work doesn't stop there... IBCLCs are also required to undertake 75 hours of continuing education in order to recertify every 5 years.

If becoming an IBCLC is something you are interested in, visit www iblce.org for more information. I also offer 1:1 phone/video call sessions (£20) where I can talk you through my experience of becoming an IBCLC and answer any questions you may have. Please get in touch for more information or to book a session.

14/02/2025

Happy Valentine's Day!

Your Valentine's Day may look a bit different from those you had pre-baby, but I hope you have an oxytocin filled day even if you don't have a romantic meal out or get given roses and chocolates in bed.

Oxytocin is often referred to as the 'love hormone'. It is the hormone that helps you to bond with your baby.

It also plays an important role in breastfeeding too. It's released when your baby suckles and causing the muscles inside your breast to contract and squeeze out your milk (your let down). Sometimes this happens even when your baby isn't feeding, just thinking about then or hearing them very can trigger oxytocin to be released and a let down to occur.

08/02/2025

Just before Christmas, I completed my Babywearing Peer Support training along with a few other breastfeeding peer supporters that run our local bf support group, BAPS. Having carried all of my kids in different slings and carriers over the years, it's been great to learn how to support others to do the same.

Address

Dawlish

Website

http://www.jennycharlesibclc.com/

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