Imogen Unger Lactation Consultancy

04/04/2025

There are so many things, other than feeding, that you as a partner can do to support your partner and new baby.
If you’re not sure here’s some ideas to get you started
~ Do your research before your baby arrives
~ Talk with your partner about their wishes
~ Support your partners choices, no negativity
~ Encourage them to seek support if they are struggling
~ At night bring your baby to your partner so they feel supported and that feeding is not all down to them
~ Do the household chores or ask friends and family to help
~ Look after any older children
~ Try getting any older siblings involved
~ Support them with all the other things your baby needs - nappy changes, cuddling, settling, winding, bathing etc
~ Support them when they are breastfeeding out and about
~ Bring snacks and drinks
~ Sit with them when they are feeding, maybe even give them a foot rub 😉
You are their constant. You are their biggest cheerleader. And a big thank you for all that you do!
Anything I’ve forgotten? Share below ⤵️
Image by

28/02/2025

I thought it was probably time to reintroduce myself….
So who am I & what do I do?
I’m Imogen — a specialist Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU) nurse with over 20 years of experience currently working in a busy Central London Level 3 NICU (I’ve been there since 2007). I’m also an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and have been working in private practice for 13 years. Supporting families through all aspects of infant feeding in both my roles.
Feeding your baby isn’t always straightforward, and I know from both my professional experience and my own journey as a mum that every family’s path is unique. There’s no “right” way - only the way that works and feels best for you, your baby, and your family. Whether you’re preparing for your baby’s arrival, figuring things out in the early days, or facing unexpected challenges, I’m here to listen, guide, troubleshoot, and empower you with evidence-based, non-judgmental support.
I offer in-person consultations, group sessions, and online support, covering everything from breast/chestfeeding, bottle feeding & mixed feeding to low milk supply, feeding multiples, & transitioning premature babies to exclusive breastfeeding. I also contribute to national and local feeding guidelines, support NICU parent communities, and work within community groups to ensure that every family has access to high-quality, up-to-date information and care.
Most importantly, I want you to feel heard, supported, and confident—no matter what your feeding journey looks like. You don’t have to do this alone ❤️

22/02/2025

How we feed our babies can be strongly linked to how we feel about ourselves as mothers/parents. When breastfeeding challenges crop up the emotions that you feel can be unexpected and intense. Have you found yourself where you didn’t expect to be on your feeding journey? Did you want to breastfeed and now find yourself not or find yourself combination feeding? How has this left you feeling? Do you have people around you to support you navigate these feelings? You will need support to resolve these feelings and become confident, comfortable and present.
These are some things you can do to help you start your healing now.
💫 Build a support team - finding other parents who have gone through a similar journey. Include your partner in your support team. Reach out to family, friends and professionals.
💫 Understand your journey - find out why things didn’t go as expected. Reach out for expert help to find the answers. Knowing why can help relieve feelings of helplessness.
💫 Feel and process your emotions, this can be through a creative outlet - drawing, painting.
💫 Keeping a journal - writing about your feelings can help you process them.
💫 Allow your tears to flow.
💫 Use movement to help your emotions flow. Movement can be soothing & reassuring.
💫 Focus on ❤️ - focus on the nourishing connected relationship you have with your baby. You can use skin to skin, learn baby massage, co-sleep, baby wear, practice relaxation exercises, guided meditations and mindfulness to help you feel close to your baby.
💫 And remember you gave your baby everything that you had and that is AMAZING!
has written a book about Breastfeeding Grief and Trauma that you can find over

06/12/2024

We as adult humans are all different and unique. We don’t try and fit our everyday lives into a strict timetabled set of behaviours and events that we read about in a book. So it makes complete sense that our tiny baby’s won’t also fit conveniently into a timetabled set of behaviours. I’ve seen some things shared recently about how “you must only feed your baby every 3 hours”, that it’s really important that a breastfeed is a “full feed”, that short “snacky” feeds are not valuable. I can’t imagine telling a grown up adult that a quick snack is not a valuable source of nutrition or that they can only have a drink every 3 hours - it’s ludicrous. Then if you factor into this messaging that your baby will want to go to the breast/chest for many reasons other than a transfer of calories then it makes even less sense. Messages like this are outdated and are opinions rather than actual evidence based information. They work together to undermine new parents confidence, making them question their bodies amazing abilities to nurture their baby or make them think there is something wrong with their baby’s absolutely normal behaviours. I’ve been supporting families navigate feeding challenges for over 2 decades now and some things seem to never change 😩There are so many false ideas around babies behaviours & feeding that are still being shared over & over, perpetuating really unrealistic outdated expectations.
Continued in comments …..

23/09/2024

Thanks for sharing xx

04/09/2024

I’ve seen a few babies recently that haven’t been latching for various reasons, their parent is in that cycle of spending some time trying to attach them, offering a top up and then expressing. With no end in sight, bringing with it all the emotions spurred on by the hormones and exhaustion of the immediate postpartum period.
Babies learn to breastfeed by being at the breast and sometimes a ni**le shield (used sensitively and appropriately can support this) But don’t they trigger some really strong reactions and opinions from the infant feeding support community!
Can I just say that Ni**le Shields are not bad and for many they can be a bridge to getting a baby to feed at the breast when other things have not been working. Having said that I’d love you to have some specialist support to help you identify why your baby might not be latching without the shield & help you use them in the best way to support your milk supply and your baby’s growth. Think of them as a tool in your toolbox alongside specialist support. For some they might be a short term solution and for others they might be part of your breastfeeding journey for a longer period.

Some things to THINK about
1. Avoid shields in the first few days
2. Seek specialist help
3. There’s a knack to getting them on.
4. Sometimes a little bit of soft tape can be helpful - thanks 😉
3. They can be tricky to stop using - don’t put yourself and your baby under any pressure to wean off the shields
4. Make sure your baby is latching deeply
5. Monitor your babies output & weight gain
6. If there is a problem, express to protect your supply
**leshields

17/08/2024

I just had a lovely chat with Katherine from .ed answering some of the questions that their members had. One of the things we discussed was that breastfeeding doesn’t have to be all or nothing and that feeding looks different for everyone. Remember that this is your journey and that you make the choices. Gathering (see what I did there 😉) people around you who will support you to reach your feeding goals. People you trust who will ask you what you want and listen. People who will share information with you and support your choices.

27/06/2024

There are so many things, other than feeding, that you as the partner can do for your baby, your partner & your new family.
If you’re not sure here’s some ideas to get you started
~ Do your research before your baby arrives
~ Talk with your partner about their wishes
~ Support your partners choices, no negativity
~ Encourage them to seek support if they are struggling
~ At night bring your baby to your partner so they feel supported and that it’s not all down to them
~ Do the household chores or ask friends and family to help
~ Look after any older children
~ Try getting older siblings involved
~ Support them with all the other things your baby needs - nappy changes, cuddling, settling, winding, bathing etc
~ Support them when they are breastfeeding out and about
~ Bring snacks and drinks
~ Sit with them when they are feeding, maybe even give them a foot rub 😉
You are their constant. You are their biggest cheerleader. Thank you for all that you do!
Anything I’ve forgotten? Share below ⤵️
Illustration by Gemma Correll

20/03/2024

Breastfeeding looks different for everyone and doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Remember that you make the choices, this is your journey. Look for someone who will support you to reach your feeding goals. Someone you trust who will ask you what you want and listen. Someone who will share information with you and support your choices.
More absolute magic from

06/03/2024

Much like donated blood, donor human milk can help save lives. If you have breast milk which is surplus to your own baby's needs and you are a non-smoker, you could become a milk donor. We supply donor milk to help sick, premature babies in hospital neonatal intensive care units, where every drop can make a difference. ❤️ We're particularly in need of milk donors in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Sussex, North London and South Wales so if you're based in one of these regions please do get in touch. The process of becoming a milk donor involves some forms, a questionnaire and blood tests, which our team can talk you through and help to arrange. Taking the time to become a milk donor is an amazing step. You could be changing the lives of a tiny baby and their family forever. If you can help please email info@heartsmilkbank.org and please share this post with any local groups and contacts. There is more information on our website here: https://bit.ly/3IwzOsl. Thank you 🙏

09/02/2024

How can parents receive unbiased evidence based information about formula milk and feeding their babies when the people supposed to be sharing this information with them are being educated by the formula companies? How is this ok? Make it make sense for me please. Thanks for sharing Professor Amy Brown - Breastfeeding Uncovered

The British Journal of Midwifery (BJM not to be confused with BMJ who stopped accepting funding from formula companies a few years ago) have a long history of having events sponsored by the industry. I've written about this before back in 2018 my search history tells me

My eyebrows are stuck on the ceiling for this one though. Three out of seven talks by formula companies (we do get to wait and see what Nestle will talk about though).

Why are 3 out of 7 talks at a midwifery conference focussed on feeding babies? I mean obviously infant feeding is an important part of a midwifery role but I find it strange that suddenly infant feeding is predominating when industry is giving the talks. I double checked - it's the annual conference and not a specific themed one on postnatal care or infant nutrition.

I am NOT saying in the slightest that talks should not consider formula and mixed feeding but they should be given by an expert outside of industry.

Why can't those topics be delivered by infant feeding experts outside of industry? I know plenty of academics, lactation consultants and infant feeding specialists who could deliver those talks, free from sponsorship. After all, this is about updating midwives with latest developments in practice and research right? (according to the website).

As headline sponsors this will be costing the companies money - which will be passed onto parents via the cost of formula.

We also know that companies target health professionals because it works - sometimes explicitly through product recommendations but often implicitly through implied endorsement and through branded materials and pens etc getting taken back (no not every parent will be affected by this, but across populations it does work)

From the website - 'This conference offers a range of sessions and panel discussions to ensure that midwives are up to date with the latest developments in midwifery practice, research, and policy. The conference also provides a platform for midwives to network and share best practice.'

I would imagine there are many, many midwives who are not happy to have a conference designed to do that being sponsored and centred so heavily around industry. Many will not want to attend because of this - how is this inclusive and fair?

You can see the programme here

https://www.bjmconference.co.uk/programme

The BMJ have already published a piece criticising this - thank you Elisabeth Mahase

https://www.bmj.com/content/384/bmj.q345

15/01/2024

Breast/Chestfeeding is about both of you, not just your baby. This means making sure that you’re comfortable too. This means offering the breast not just when you think your baby is hungry. You can feed your baby if you are feeling full and uncomfortable. Your baby will feed for so many other really important reasons, not just because they are hungry. They might be tired, stressed or in pain. Putting all these things together and offering feeds frequently over the first few weeks, as you become more confident, will support your body make the milk that your baby needs. The two of you fit together with a fuzzy line between the two of you. Almost as one. Your body is where your baby thrives so it makes sense that being on you and nuzzled into your breast/chest will solve so many of their issues. This can be a huge shock and take some time to settle into. Surround yourself with a cheerleading support squad who will nurture and hold you through this transition. Sending love to you all 💕

As always work has really captivated me