Jill Asher Breastfeeding

07/01/2026

Where is everyone getting their breastfeeding information from these days?
Family or friends?
Breastfeeding or parenting online forums?
NHS local support - groups or in-person - or the National Breastfeeding helpline?
Google or AI?
Or maybe you are just winging it alone?

I wonder how many of you have had the chance of an in-depth chat (at least an hour) about all aspects of breastfeeding and general newborn baby queries?
As an IBCLC Lactation Consultant, I have loads of experience to share, gleaned over many years of working one2one with women and babies from all walks of life and with a huge range of different issues. The joy in this work for me has always been the individual nature... it is totally true that all mother and baby pairs are different, as many women discover for themselves when they have more than one baby.
In very many cases where someone has sought help and support, there is a fairly easy fix. With some skilled latch work, the difference can be immediate, and it is always so rewarding to hear mother's say 'this feels totally different' and to see that both of them can relax and enjoy a feed. Other situations can require more input, exploring aspects that might not be immediately obvious. Sometimes it turns out to be a baby issue (eg a tongue tie), sometimes more of a mum issue (eg around milk supply), sometimes it is a bit of both. And although I am usually able to work with mothers to turn around or hugely improve a feeding situation, there are always some where we need to look at alternative options. There are always options.
2026 will be my final year of this work. Please make the most of my expertise while I'm still registered, insured and available.
** Consultations for breastfeeding challenges can be in your own home, or here at my home office. Or via video if you are more distant - I have found it to be a very effective medium. No issue too small or too large.
** Newborn consultations during the first 2-3 weeks to review all the basics, practice a good latch and get you off to a confident start.
** Classes for antenatal breastfeeding preparation.
** Classes to learn about the huge role of the microbiome in the long term health of your unborn baby (you'll not be surprised to learn that breastfeeding plays a big part in this).

Take a look at my website or get in touch direct via Whatsapp - all queries welcomed and I'm always happy to get a brief chat if that helps you decide whether to go for a full consultation.

04/01/2026

What do you know about your 'microbiome'??
Do you know how crucial your own healthy microbiome can be to the long-term health of your baby? It's like a special birthday gift that is yours alone to give to your baby at birth. Perhaps an unusual topic for birth preparation - but very important knowledge that all parent's-to-be should have.
See my website for a bit more information and/or get in touch for details of classes.

04/01/2026

Know someone with a baby on the way? please share.
Exact dates for January classes (for those due late Jan, Feb and March) are still to be confirmed, but likely to be a Saturday morning - I try to be flexible and accommodate working hours etc. Please get in touch to note your interest asap.

28/12/2025

I'm looking forward to offering some more antenatal classes in 2026.
Dates and times for mid-January classes still tbc - but likely to be either a Saturday morning or a Thursday evening. In central Dumfries.
Suitable for anyone with due dates from end of January to March.
Get in touch ASAP to register your interest along with your due date and any particular requests.
Depending on numbers there will either be a single class or 2 over 2 weeks (more people + more chat, which is fun and interesting, but can mean we need more time to cover all the important things!). Price will be the same.
I can also offer:
121 sessions for just you, or you and your partner/other close family member of friend.
Classes on Zoom if you live too far to travel
Classes in a different location if you can get a small group together
Classes for just women, or classes to include partners.
Earlier pregnancy classes if you are interested in how your microbiome impacts on the future health of your baby and would like some simple things to do now which will optimise this.
A general chat about options if you are still unsure about infant feeding choices.
Anything else?? just ask - all queries welcome.

24/12/2025

Apologies.. I’m a bit up to the wire with this as I’ve been out of the country last week and taking a while to catch up with myself!
Sending out warm wishes for a wonderful, joyful and peaceful festive season. Relax. Forget all that overwhelming busyness and enjoy making your own Christmas traditions.
If anyone is looking for breastfeeding help or support, then please feel free to message me (WhatsApp is best - see my website for number). Fb messenger works too - I just tend to take longer to respond. I’ll be available for home consultations after the 27th, but also totally happy to respond to queries anytime over the next couple of days.

Pic.. I always have this thought at this time of year: here in the West, one of the first images of a baby we have as small children, and a very powerful one it is, is of that baby lying in the manger bed. Plus ‘no crib for a bed’ is deeply ingrained along side all the swaddling clothes. Maybe these early images have played into common feelings that babies need to be in a container of some sort?? Rather than in parent’s arms.

15/11/2025

Thank you to the lovely group of people who opted to miss the Christmas lights switch on, and the joys of Comic Relief last night, to attend the screening of The Microbirth Plan. Lots of great feedback, which I'll share with the film's makers.
I hope that there were some positive messages for you all to take away about how important the microbiome is for the long-term health of a baby, as well as for health in general for us all.

If anyone is interested in an antenatal workshop to explore in more detail a 'microbiome mindful' pregnancy, birth planning and for beyond birth too, then get in touch and I can organise a class or a 121 session.
I also offer antenatal breastfeeding preparation - again either as a class with others, or 121. My sessions tend to be at least a couple of hours.. and are sometimes more than one session. They can be tailored to your specific situation or queries. As well as covering all the basics of how breastfeeding works, I prepare you for the realities of life with a breastfed baby, and offer insights into common challenges in the early days.
See my website for more details.

14/11/2025

Last minute reminder re the Microbirth Plan film screening later today.. 6.30pm at the Free Church Hall, off Charlotte Street car park.
Spaces still available. Just turn up. I'll be there from 6pm and the kettle will be on.
Film lasts about 45 mins and there is a chance for chat/feedback/discussion and more tea etc after it.

13/11/2025

Have you seen the trailer for the Microbirth Plan film?? (screening, tomorrow evening, Friday,14th at 6.30pm). Here's the link to encourage you to come along and find out more.. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1293029542186409&rdid=0WbSbaZj6nwjK1s7
Antibacterial products, antibiotics, C-Section are all so commonplace these days that we scarcely give them any thought - and there can, of course, be very good reasons for using them.. however, the rise in their use goes hand in hand with a rise in non-infectious diseases... often later in life. It's a complex story, but one that we could be paying more attention to. What happens at birth and the immediate time after birth can be crucial. The film concentrates on what happens after a baby is born (no matter the how of the birth) and seeks to find a 'rescue plan' for protecting and restoring the infant microbiome. It will be of interest to anyone with an interest in the health of the next generation.. whether parents, grandparents, other family members, health workers, Anyone. We all need to understand more about the relationship between our microbiome and our health.

13/11/2025

For anyone who has been attempting to book tickets for The Microbirth Plan in the past few days and found that sales have apparently ended.. I'm not sure what happened there - there are plenty of spots still available and the updated link is here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-microbirth-plan-tickets-1813785424029
I've also recently discovered that the screening time is the exact same time as the Town Centre Christmas lights switch on.. (how could I have known that a month ago?). I'm not expecting anyone to choose between these 2 events, but if you are planning on coming to the film, it would be wise to allow enough time to find a parking spot. I am going ahead as planned at 6.30pm tomorrow night.

A powerful, inspiring new documentary film which explores the important relationship between microbes, birth events and infant health.

12/11/2025

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-microbirth-plan-tickets-1813785424029

A powerful, inspiring new documentary film which explores the important relationship between microbes, birth events and infant health.

11/11/2025

A long read... but gives a good flavour of the thinking behind the making of this film.. Showing this Friday evening in Dumfries. Booking link here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-microbirth-plan-tickets-1813785424029
The Microbirth Plan is an inspiring new documentary about one of the most exciting frontiers in human health, the microbiome.

The film reveals how the earliest moments of life lay the foundations for our immunity, metabolism, and even mental wellbeing, and how these microbial beginnings ripple out to affect the health of our entire species.
Through breathtaking science and real human stories, the film shows how small choices and simple actions at birth can have an extraordinary impact, not just for individual families, but for the future of humanity.
This is a story of hope, empowerment, and the possibility of a healthier world, starting with the very first chapter of life.

The Problem:
The film reveals an urgent science-backed problem.
Modern medicalised childbirth practices, in particular high rates of C-sections and antibiotics, are killing a mother's beneficial microbes. Recent research suggests some key species could be disappearing.... for good. These are microbes that have been passed down across generations, from mother to baby, through vaginal birth, skin-to-skin and breastfeeding.
The function of these microbes is to help protect a child's long-term health, reducing the risk of disease.
Without these beneficial microbes present in early life (and there is a narrow "critical window" of opportunity for a child to receive those microbes), a child's immune system might become mal-educated.
This can significantly increasing the risk of that child developing multiple diseases, including:
Asthma, allergies, and atopic disorders including:
Allergic rhinitis
Asthma
Food allergies
Atopic dermatitis (eczema).
Some studies suggest a higher risk of hospitalization for asthma and possibly food allergy/food atopy(e.g. allergic rhinitis, asthma & atopic dermatitis/eczema)
Neurological disorders including :
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD)
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Some studies suggest that C-sections may also be associated with lower motor and language development scores in early childhood
Metabolic disorders in adulthood specifically:
Obesity
Type 2 diabetes
Other auto-immune diseases including:
Celiac disease
Inflammatory bowel disease

The Solution?
The good news is that there is a relatively simple fix - to start telling parents.
This film is NOT calling for an end to C-section, or antibiotics, or formula-feeding, and there is no judgement or guilt/shaming or questioning any parent's choice.
And certainly, our desire is not to create any feeling of anxiety or mistrust in someone's midwifery/obstetric care - our goal is to open up avenues of discussion so that all parents feel confident in their informed choices.
But we believe there needs to be a plan to protect a baby's microbiome, especially about what can be done after birth to restore the baby's microbiome if a baby is born by C-section, exposed to antibiotics or formula fed.

This is not just a film, this is a positively-charged, energetic movement, bringing parents together with their care providers, happening in the community all around the world.
Let's get the conversation started.
That is The Microbirth Plan.

The Mission
This is more than a film. It’s a movement to protect the next generation by empowering parents, healthcare professionals, and communities with knowledge that could change the health trajectory of young lives.

With your support, we can screen the film around the world through a global grass-roots network of community screenings.

We would love to see:
More education about the microbiome incorporated into all medical and midwifery training
More support, a gaining of lost skills and more funding for midwives!
A plan to support the microbiome of all babies (The Microbirth Plan) - particularly if they need to be born by C-section
More education about, and support for, prolonged immediate skin-to-skin
More education about, and support for, exclusive breastfeeding, whenever possible.
More support for other microbiome-friendly infant feeding options for when breastfeeding is not possible (e.g. expressed milk, donor milk)
More education about other ways you can live a more "microbiome-friendly" life!

A powerful, inspiring new documentary film which explores the important relationship between microbes, birth events and infant health.

11/11/2025

This is the 3 min trailer for the Microbirth Plan film that I am showing on Friday evening, 14th Nov, 6.30pm. Do have a watch and inform yourself.. and also please share if you know anyone who might be interested in coming along.. parents/grandparents-to-be, parents, anyone who is interested in health, especially that of the next generation. Free entry (but accepting donations to cover costs). Booking link in comments. DM me for any additional information.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1293029542186409&rdid=0WbSbaZj6nwjK1s7