Kathryn Stagg IBCLC - lactation consultant

25/09/2025

Breastfeeding babies who are poorly

Yes, it's that time of year when all the colds, coughs, and stomach bugs are doing the rounds. Although antibodies in our milk may prevent them from catching a bug or make it less severe, and they help them recover more quickly, breastfed babies still get ill from time to time!

When our babies are feeling poorly, some babies may cut their feeding down a bit when they are poorly. Just like use, when they're ill, they go off their food a bit. If this is the case with your little one, then keep an eye on your b***s. If they are engorged, try some gentle hand expressing or massage towards the armpit. Once the baby is feeling better, they will likely feed lots to make up for being ill and boost your supply back up if there has been a bit of a dip.

Some babies will feed more when they are unwell. And especially those babies who are well established onto solids, they will often refuse to eat but will want to breastfeed a lot. This is actually very sensible because you will be making antibodies in your milk to the particular virus that they have encountered, and this will help them recover more quickly. Also, it will keep them hydrated and is such a huge comfort, too.

If your baby is struggling to latch due to a blocked nose, you can clear the nasal cavity with a syringe of expressed milk or saline up the nose and suck the bogies out! Steam can also help massively. As can an upright feeding position.

For those babies who are vomiting, it is recommended to continue to breastfeed. Even if they are sick straight after a feed, human milk is so easily absorbed that it will be doing baby good and keeping them hydrated. It has the perfect balance of nutrients and electrolytes to help them recover, as well as those important antibodies. It also protects the oesophagus from stomach acid.

If older siblings who are no longer breastfeeding are unwell, it can be beneficial to express some of your milk to give them. They may not like it, in which case hiding it in a milk shake can be a good option. It needs to be freshly expressed milk for the specific virus related antibodies to protect them, although stored milk still has some benefits.

23/09/2025

🥦INTRODUCING SOLID FOODS ONLINE WORKSHOP🍎

Wednesday
1st October
Time 12:30 - 14:30

Is your baby approaching 5 - 6 months?

How do you know when to start introducing solid foods to your baby and how to do it?

This is a session for you!

IBCLCs
and from the
will cover;

When to start solids,
Why is this important,
Where to start introducing solids,
How to do it will some ideas,
What food to give and
What food to avoid.
We will discuss baby led weaning and purees, how to continue with milk feeds (both breast and bottle), discuss ideas/myths and give you evidence based advise.
It will be quite interactive.

Please come armed with questions.

The session costs £30
❣️ Early bird price of £ 24 till a week before❣️

You can book on our "book now" button on our page and in our bio.

23/09/2025

This!!!

I want to chime in on the "Paracetamol in pregnancy doesn't cause autism, Donald what are you even DOING?" Message. But I haven't planned this post, so it might be a little bit of a ramble and a stream of consciousness.

While researching for my latest book I've read so much about how autistic traits have existed as long as humans have, and that many of these traits would have been valuable to our earliest communities. Pattern recognition being just one of those useful skills. For many autistic folk today, the disability element comes from living in a society that doesn't support and respect neurodiversity, often because we are not able to comply with a 9-5 capitalist lifestyle without burning out.*

Also - trying to link paracetamol to autism is a little bit like trying to say oxygen is fatal because 100% of living things that breathe it eventually die. Basically a link or an association doesn't equal causation. If it did, we'd all be afraid to drink water or have our hair cut, or do *anything.*

Let's also remember that an untreated high fever in pregnancy (especially in the first 12wks) *can* cause serious complications for both infant and parent... and paracetamol is generally very good at relieving fever.

There's almost certainly a comment to be made here where I want to ask why are we so afraid of autism? I spend most of my time with neurodivergent people - by choice. 🤷‍♀️

*I know there are people who's experience of autism is much more complex - I'm not here to dismiss high support needs as just a case of "society sucks." If you or someone you care for falls into that high support needs category - I see you, too. I just also know that many autistics and other ND folk would thrive in a world where we're accepted as we are. So this post is more for those people I guess.♥️

**Also I'm not a Dr. I'm a neurodivergent IBCLC who's currently writing a book about breastfeeding and neurodivergence. My kids are autistic. Most of my friends are neurodivergent, and many of my clients are as well. But I suspect my hours of reading actual studies and expert literature might amount to more research than a certain powerful *somebody* has done before causing the internet to implode. Again. 🙄

*** Also, also. The book is currently going through its second round of edits by myself and Addie. It will then be handed to an *actual* editor before getting it's final sweep by the publisher. We're aiming for release in the first half of next year but I have ADHD so don't hold me to that. 🤣

21/09/2025

Often the cause of unnecessary formula supplementation in the first week of a baby's life.

Disrupting breastfeeding confidence a drip at a time.
Alex Smith draws attention to the effect that IV fluids given to the mother in labour may have on her baby’s initial weight loss.
https://www.aims.org.uk/journal/item/iv-fluids-labour

20/09/2025

A toddler kangaroo still breastfeeding!,

19/09/2025

Speaking at Breastfeeding Network Study Day today

Bumped into
who is up first talking about Supporting Autistic Parents with Breastfeeding Their Baby

Im up second talking about Supporting Breastfeeding Multiples

Should be a fab day. Come and say Hi if you're here

17/09/2025

What do I need to breastfeed my baby?

You'll find all sorts of "stuff" that people say you will need to be able to breastfeed. But the short answer is a BABY and B***S! (and working hormones)

If your baby is full term, alert, latches and feeds well from the start then all you have to do is offer a feed whenever your baby wants it, and it will work for the majority of people (there are a few underlying health conditions that can affect milk supply but thankfully they're rare)

There are a few things that can help this happen as it isn't always this straightforward:

ANTENATAL EDUCATION! Learning about how milk production works and how to latch a baby onto the breast before your baby arrives will help massively and also learning a bit about normal newborn behaviour will stop you worrying quite so much. There are plenty of online group sessions, we have a prerecorded one for just £15 and IBCLCs like me also 1:1 videocalls if you have particular concerns

BREASTFEEDING SUPPORT! Find your local breastfeeding support before baby arrives so you know where to turn if you need help.
Search "breastfeeding support" followed by your post code, make contact and see whether there are any group sessions, facebook groups, zoom sessions or WhatsApp support.
Save the number into your phone 0300 100 0212
And also find your local IBCLC on website

Other than that, some BREAST PADS may be handy as a lot of lactating people leak

A SLING, although not directly related to feeding, will help you manage the newborn baby behaviour! They do like to be cuddled ALL THE TIME!

Other than that, wait until after the baby has arrived. You may not need any of the other stuff, and if you do, we have next day delivery nowadays

A pump may be useful later, but it's not essential unless baby isn't feeding well or isn't latching. And in this case, you would likely hire a hospital grade pump. Same with bottles, better to wait and use next day delivery if necessary

So, save your money on the extras you may not need, and use it for an appointment with an IBCLC if baby isn't feeding well! Honestly, booking support is the best use of your money!

12/09/2025

We're back!

It was so nice to be back at our Specialist Breastfeeding Support Clinic at Eastcote House Gardens.
The next clinic will be on the 26th of September.

And of course, we needed business lunch beforehand to catch up after the summer holidays.
The cafe is fab for lunches and cakes. Do check it out!

International Board Certified Lactation Consultants and will be running a specialist clinic to support parents with infant feeding.

Please come along for
• baby weighing,
• tongue tie assessment,
• faltering growth,
• painful feeding,
• breastfeeding problems,
• baby behaviour
• bottle feeding
• combination feeding and more.

Partners welcome.

Limited to 6 families in a lovely large hall.

Please make sure you arrive before 13.30 to ensure you have a good amount of time for support.

Car park entrance on High Road, Eastcote

09/09/2025

✨️ IBCLC GROUPS SUPERVISION ✨️
Zoom session

Are you a lactation consultant in private practice? Are you working on your own and feel you need a village?
Come to our group supervision zoom session where we can bounce ideas about case studies, business and debriefing. We will open up a safe space to share.

THURSDAY
18th September
9,30 am on Zoom

Tickets £35, £30 early bird ticket if you book at least a week before the session.

This session is run by and , both experienced IBCLCs who have been working for 12 years and 7 years respectively.
Miriam brings her experience of working in the NHS and balancing this with private practice. Kathryn comes from a volunteer breastfeeding counsellor and breastfeeding charity background.
Not only will we cover any cases or situations that you would like to discuss and how we can support families as effectively as possible, we also can talk about the intricate side of running a business, marketing, and social media. We also have extensive experience in running group workshops both in person and online.

Come along, connect, get support, make contact with like-minded people, debrief difficult work, find out how others are reaching families, brainstorm ideas.

Book in our bio or www.bookwhen.com/lactationcorner

❤️ #

09/09/2025

08/09/2025

“Did you know that Mayan families in Guatemala, consider bedsharing to be the only way to parent through the night?

Did you know that in Japan, breastfeeding and shared sleep (soine) is seen as a means to sustain connection through touch or ‘skinship’ between mother and child?

Did you know that In Bali, babies’ feet don’t touch the ground until 3 months of age?

Yet, we’re told in western culture that our babies need to sleep on their own, that we need to get our babies on a schedule and that we can ‘spoil’ them if we pick them up ‘too much’.

One of my favourite cross-cultural pieces of research to share to help us challenge the mainstream parenting narrative, comes from Dr. Charlotte Peterson. She spent forty years traveling the globe to live with local families and witness parenting practices in peaceful cultures. She observed that in Bali, babies are seen as a blessing.

At three months of age, there is a ceremony called Tiga Bulan or “three moons”. It is not until the celebration of this ceremony that a new baby’s feet touch the earth. Until that point, the baby is considered “of the heavens” and is constantly held in someone’s arms.

After the ceremony, the baby is considered “of the earth”. Although a baby can be put down and “out of arms” at this point, Charlotte has rarely seen a Balinese infant or toddler not being held or closely watched, by her parents or family members, within those first three months.

For me, it feels validating to gain a different perspective, reminding us that our instincts to hold our babies close are ancient, wise and innately human. I seek out research like this as it allows me to better understand the difference between social norms & what’s best for our babies.”

words: ❤️
📷: ❤️

07/09/2025

ALCI Conference 2025

📅 26th & 27th September | 📍Midlands Park Hotel & Online

We’re delighted to welcome Kathryn Stagg, IBCLC to this year’s conference line-up.

Presentation Title: Supporting Breastfeeding During Discharge from Neonatal Unit

When a baby is discharged home after time in the neonatal unit, it's a time of big transitions — and one where breastfeeding can often fall through the cracks. Kathryn’s presentation will explore this crucial window — from preparing for discharge through to establishing breastfeeding beyond 40 weeks corrected age.

Expect evidence-based guidance, practical insights from both professional and parent perspectives, and strategies to protect and nurture the breastfeeding relationship through this vulnerable period.

Kathryn brings a wealth of lived and professional experience — as a mum of four (including twins), IBCLC, founder of Breastfeeding Twins and Triplets UK, and author of Breastfeeding Twins and Triplets; a guide for professionals and parents.

🎟 This is one not to miss. Book now to hear Kathryn live — in-person or online.
You do not have to be an IBCLC to attend!
Members & Non-members welcome.

👉https://alcireland.ie/events