Mammae

Qualified Infant Feeding Coach, Paediatric Nurse, Health Visitor & First Time Mum MAMMAE was created by myself, Meg & my husband Dom.

In fact he came up with the name, MAMMAE. Which is mammary glands in Latin. We wanted to create an all-in-one antenatal expressing kit. Something you can grab quickly on the go, but safely store your precious liquid gold colostrum, whilst also giving parents all the important information in supporting your feeding journey. We understand even more so how important it is to harvest colostrum, to have all information readily available & easy to use equipment having done this journey ourselves. 2020 paved the way for changes to be made, to appreciate each other, to talk more, be kind but also to support the small business’s. Love Meg, Dom & Edward
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26/08/2023

▪︎BREASTFEEDING AFFIRMATIONS▪︎

They are here. They are BEAUTIFUL. I have worked so hard, carefully selecting the perfect phrase on each card.

I want you to feel comforted, supported, and empowered during your feeding journey. Each journey is different & unique. Some have hurdles, and some are straightforward. These cards are designed to help you obtain a positive mindset, normalise feeding behaviours, and reassure the worries we have in our head about our feeding journeys.

So use these cards when the days feel long and the feeds feel even longer.

Mother to mother, this is my gift to you 🤍

Link is in the BIO to etsy store

18/08/2023

▪︎ HOLIDAY ▪︎

Some well-earned leave is starting from now. My birthday is creeping up next week, so I am signing off until Wednesday, the 23rd.

All messages have been replied to, and all Etsy orders have been sent out as of yesterday.

I'm off to spend some quality time with family but will be back to organise more support for you lovely mummas and babies.

In the mean time, please make sure you have your infant feeding support contacts at the ready.

🤍

15/08/2023

▪︎SKIN TO SKIN▪︎

Skin-to-skin contact is a great way for both mums and dads to bond with their babies.

It can improve the relationship and communication between parents. Sharing close cuddles with your baby in this way helps to bring you all closer as a family and can help you adjust to your new life.

There is some chemistry behind this: in mum and dad, skin-to-skin contact increases levels of the feel-good hormone oxytocin and decreases levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

Calms and relaxes both mother and baby

Regulates the baby’s heart rate and breathing, helping them to better adapt to life outside the womb

Stimulates digestion and an interest in feeding

Can aid with breastcrawl for baby and enables them to trigger all their pressure points in feeding.

Regulates temperature

Enables colonisation of the baby’s skin with the mother’s friendly bacteria, thus providing protection against infection

Stimulates the release of hormones to support breastfeeding and mothering.

Skin-to-skin contact is an important part of routine care after you’ve given birth. So, your maternity team will know to prioritise this special time with your baby. Unless there is a medical reason not to, your baby should be placed skin-to-skin on your chest as soon as possible.

If you've had a caesarean, unless there have been complications, it should still be possible to hold your baby skin-to-skin soon after the birth. If you want to have skin-to-skin in theatre, you need to put it in your birth plan, agree it with the theatre team before the operation starts and put your hospital gown on so that it opens at the front. Otherwise, you can have skin-to-skin with your baby as soon as you're in the recovery room 🤎

14/08/2023

▪︎ SUPPLY ▪︎

The more milk you remove, the more milk your body will make. It is as simple as that.

Those first 12 weeks are for building your milk supply. You do this by frequently and efficiently removing the milk.

After 12 weeks postpartum, you may notice your breast feel soft to touch, not has hard, you don't feel as engorged anymore, in fact you'd say they feel empty. Believe me, they are not. They have adjusted to the needs of your baby!

In order to maintain the supply you have built up, you keep frequently and efficiently remove the milk.

Of course, you can make more if you need it, and your baby will tell your breasts to make more, more nursing more frequently than usual. Reasons for this could be
▪︎ thirst
▪︎ comfort
▪︎ illness
▪︎ growth
▪︎ developmental changes
▪︎ adjusting to a new routine
▪︎ signall of love
▪︎ and many more

So, the more milk you remove, the more milk your breasts will continue to make.

Your breasts are known as milk makers, not milk containers.

*Always seek professional advice feom an Infant feeding coach or IBCLC, Breastfeeding support worker, midwife, infant feeding team, health visitor if baby continues to be unsettled after feeds, not gaining weight, falling asleep at the breast and still showing signs of hunger after.

You have got this 🤍

13/08/2023

▪︎COLOSTRUM▪︎

The liquid gold everyone is talking about.

My own personal colostrum journey was amazing. I had around 41mls of Colosutrum in my freezer stash. I chose to harvest my colostrum as there was uncertainty around how the baby was going to be born due to different situations that kept arising throughout pregnancy. Story for another day.

Colostrum is produced early on in pregnancy and can be expressed from 36 weeks gestation.

It is highly concentrated food for your baby tailored made for them made by you.

Colostrum fights infections and is full of antibodies, vitamins, and minerals. It supports the immune system and supports the gut function.

Immune factors are so important, especially for the first few months of a newborns life. The antibodies are absorbed into their little gut and take effect almost immediately. This provides protection from illness they may face until little ones' own immune system is strong enough to defend itself.

Colostrum helps prevent jaundice, has a laxative effect, and helps control blood sugar.

Did you harvest your colostrum? Do you have any tips to share with mummas looking to start their journey ? Comment below 🤎

*Before expressing colostrum, please check with your midwife and healthcare provider.

** Please check our Etsy page for our Colostrum Harvesting Kits and Breastfeeding Affirmation Cards

01/08/2023

▪︎ THE FOURTH TRIMESTER ▪︎

The first 12 weeks is also known as the fourth Trimester. What a roller coaster that is, especially of you feel you do not have the right support in place.

In some cultures, the fourth Trimester is the most sacred time for mother and baby. In other words, the mother is protected from household chores, fed beautifully nourishing meals, well looked after, and much more. All of this together makes the mother to be mentally, physically and emotionally prepared to care and love her baby. The supportive people around yhe mother are deeply invested in rest that will help after the fourth Trimester has finished.

However, this is not my reality, nor is it many of the mother's I speak with. The focus is, eat, feed, sleep repeat and throw in cleaning the house, wall the fog childcare drop offs, food shop. Most of these things can actually wait or be helped with by someone else, not us.

Calling for help and asking someone to assist you, is not a weakness, it's a strength !

Being a mum is hard, let's not make this harder on ourselves. Self care is important, so is supporting your newborn bubble. Be kind to yourself, reach out for help, my inbox is always open 🤍

08/05/2023

▪︎MILK SUPPLY▪︎

Normally, it takes around 6-12 weeks to regulate your baby's needs. The 'drop' in milk you may feel is your breasts regulating your milk supply to what your baby eats.

It is not normal for your breasts to feel engorged and full all the time, like your breasts were the first time your milk came in.

▪︎ Your breasts are never truly empty. They are constantly making milk

▪︎ Baby may start to sleep longer. Their tummy also has grown and can hold more milk.

▪︎ Your 40-minute feed may look like a 10 minute feed. Your baby's oral muscles are much stronger than when they were first born. They become more efficient at withdrawing milk from you.

▪︎ You may see more milk being produced in the morning due to the high level of Prolactin

▪︎ Baby may feel a little more fussy. This is normal and can be down yo slow milk flow. Try some compressions when they are latched to help with your flow of milk.

Did you feel your drop in milk ? 🤍

24/03/2023

▪︎OUT OF OFFICE▪︎

Don't worry I will be back, ready to send all your orders and answer your Dm's
I am just taking this weekend off for a hen do.

All orders should be with you or by this weekend, all dispatch emails have been sent along with any tracking numbers.

For now though, I will not be responding to messages, requests, order or emails untill Monday 27th March at 9 am. Have a wonderful weekend

Love Meg 🤎🤍

13/03/2023

▪︎ Top up trap ▪︎

Top up trap defined : parents feel there is not enough milk, or someone has told them that they do not have enough milk. Parents then top up woth formula, baby becomes over full, sleeps for longer, baby doesn't come to the breast enough, breasts not instructed to make the same amount of milk anymore, milk supply decreases, therefore less milk made, parents top up more. Cycle continues.

There are a number of reasons why families start to top up with, predominantly with formula and not their own milk.

The main reasons are low blood sugar, weight gain issues, lack of confidence in breastfeeding, misunderstanding of typical newborn behaviour, lack of support, and perceived low milk supply.

Some babies do need a top up, however the issue that parents face is knowing the signs when to stop the top ups and how. The other issue faced by parents is not having milk production explained and how to protect this supply.

With good support & and guidance, parents are able to feel confident when breastfeeding,and understanding effective milk transfer & knowing how much milk a baby is getting.

Make sure you get the support in place to help you understand your milk supply, how to protect it, and if you find yourself topping up and not knowing how to stop, seek advice from an Infant Feeding Coach, breastfeeding Counsellor or an LBCLC
🤍

08/03/2023

▪︎ International Women's Day 2023 ▪︎

"Imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination. A world that's diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where the difference is valued and celebrated. Together, we can forge women's equality. Collectively, we can "

To the women of my past, present and future. I am thankful for you, without you, I wouldn't be who I am today. Thank you for shaping me to be the woman today.

Thank you to the amazing women tagged in the photo. Keep doing what your doing, I am your biggest supporter 🤍

08/03/2023

▪︎ INTERNATIONAL CODE OF MARKETING BREASTMILK SUBSTITUTES ▪︎

Every wondered why at 9 pm you see various well known branded formula milks advertising 'follow on milk'?
Well, there is a loophole in the international code of marketing breastmilk substitutes.

Formula companies are not allowed to advertise first milks as 'breastmilk is best for babies' (this is what is written on their adverts and website). They are not actively allowed to advertise that their first milks are equivalent or superior to breastfeeding.

On some websites, you have to agree to reading an important notice first. This notice contains information about the selected formula milk company. It then continues to state breastfeeding is best for babies, and that if you combine breastmilk and bottle feeding, you may reduce your own supply. They then continue by discussing the financial implications of choosing formula. That's quite a lot of overwhelming information for a parent to take in.

The main take home message from this is that you have an informed choice in how to feed your baby, breast, bottle, formula, donor or a combination. An infant feeding coach like myself is able to support and demonstrate the evidence around all infant feeding, eliminating bias and supporting your informed decision.

The other take home message is that first milks are suitable for babies up to their first birthday alongside a well balanced diet. You do not need to spend any money on follow on milks.

We have the facts, you make the decision.

🤍

07/03/2023

▪︎ HAPPY MOTHERS DAY ▪︎

From me to you. 20% off our colostrum harvesting kits. The sale will be live Monday 13th March midnight and ending 20th March at midnight on the website or Etsy.

I hope you enjoy your colostrum harvesting journey as much as I did when pregnant.

Happy Mothers Day - you got this ❤️

06/03/2023

▪︎LARGER BREAST▪︎

Some tips shared by other mums but here are a few more
- Be careful of underwire, sometimes having a bra without will ease any sore points on the breast, making it less restrictive in the early days with engorement
- If you're worried about feeding in public, try feeding in a mirror. That way you can see your reflection and how it looks like to feed your baby. Completely normal and natural
- Layers of clothes van help such as jumpers over tops/dresses or things that button up and down to ease being able to feed
- Sandwich your breast in a U or C shape to help obtain a deeper latch
- Try different positions for feeding so you know which will work for your breast size

Do you have any more tips for other mums ? Why not drop us a message or comment below 🤍🤍🤍

05/03/2023

▪︎ INFANT FEEDING BINGO ▪︎

Our journey may be short, but I managed to breastfeed
- In a bed
- On the sofa
- and taken a selfie 🤍

What did you manage to do with your feeding journey ?

Let's normalise breastfeeding together ❤️

26/02/2023

▪︎ JUST ANOTHER FORM OF LOVE ▪︎

Do you know what your breastmilk contains ? No, seriously, do you ? It is AMAZING!

▪︎ 200 fatty acid chains which contains DHA/ARA. Vitally important for brain development
▪︎ tem cells that support organ repair & development
▪︎ Oligosaccharides which are important for a healthy gut
▪︎ Minerals, vitamins, fats, carbohydrates, proteins, water, enzymes, growth factors, and hormones are all provided
▪︎ Every day, your breast milk composition changes, from feed to feed, mother to mother, adapting to the needs of your child
WAIT! There's more
▪︎ It also contains anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-allergies, anti-parasite properties
▪︎ Can be protective against ear infections, Respiratory Infections, Digestive infections, Urinary Tract Infections
▪︎ Natural term breastfeeding for at least 1 year or longer will enhance your baby's immunity

But what about Mum?
▪︎ Contains protective factors against ovarian and breast cancers
▪︎ Can reduce high blood pressure and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes
▪︎ Along with protective factors from osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and obesity

Absolutely beautiful 😭❤️🤍

25/02/2023

▪︎POSTION▪︎

It can feel overwhelming when thinking about feeding your baby and what position they need to be in.

If there is any tip that I can give you that you take away today, it will be
EAR, SHOULDERS & HIPS to be in a straight line -------- swipe ------------>

This makes sure that the baby isn't twisted or feeding over their shoulder and that they are supported comfortably.

They are many more tips I will share soon to help support your feeding journey 🤍🤍

10/02/2023

▪︎REASONS▪︎

Lack of support, ultimate number 1 reason why women struggle with breastfeeding.

Everything else you can think of that is or has been a struggle. Look back, and the root will be a lack of support.

I have various packages to support your feeding journey from antental education to postnatal visits.

If you're unsure, why not book a free consultation with me. LINK IN THE BIO 🤍

07/02/2023

▪︎COLOSTRUM HARVESTING KIT▪︎

Here she is, our pride and joy. Your colostrum harvesting kit in all its glory.

So what's included?

- The canvas bag is hand printed with our logo with a distressed look.

- Frosted silicone fridge/freezer re-useable ziploc pouch

- 12 printed easy write on labels

- 2 x 20 mls sterile colostrum cups BPA & latex free

- 10 x 1 ml sterile syringes with caps & individually wrapped, BPA & latex free

- 1 pair of organic bamboo re-useable breast pads

- 1 burlap drawstring bag for your breast pads

- 2 x empty lip balm holders

- Laminated hand expression guide

- Laminated breastmilk storage advice

- Laminated breastfeeding support UK guide

* Expressing colostrum is usually advised from 36 weeks gestation. Harvesting colostrum should be under the guidance & advisement once your individual needs have been discussed with your midwife or healthcare professional *

Address

Wokingham

Website

http://www.themammaecompany.co.uk/

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