Cassandra Bassett Postnatal Midwife/Lactation Support

23/08/2017

In western culture, separate room cot-sleeping arrangements are often portrayed as the only/best option. Did you know that co-sleeping (baby sleeping in close proximity to the primary caregiver) is an equally viable option for many families? In addition to many other benefits, co-sleeping reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) fourfold. Bedsharing is a co-sleeping option suitable for breastfeeding mother and infant dyads and also has many benefits. Even if you have not chosen to bed-share, it is important to be familiar with safe bedsharing practices, as many babies end up in the same bed as their primary caregiver at night throughout their first year, whether planned or not. Here is a helpful article on safe bedsharing practices by Dr James McKenna who is an expert in mother-baby sleep.

http://cosleeping.nd.edu/safe-co-sleeping-guidelines/

01/08/2017

Responsive feeding (a.k.a. demand feeding) has numerous benefits for your baby's well-being and your breastfeeding relationship. When babies cluster feed during certain developmental periods, mothers often mistake this as a sign that their milk supply is not adequate. However, if you are feeding your baby responsively this is the best approach to establish and maintain a good milk supply. The article below is full of helpful information about this subject to put any doubts at bay and answer questions you may have:

http://kellymom.com/ages/newborn/bf-basics/importance-responsive-feeding/

The importance of responsive feeding in establishing a good breastmilk supply by Dr. Amy Brown Responsive parenting e.g. responding promptly and appropriately to a baby’s needs is widely recognised as an important protective element for infant health, wellbeing and development1. When babies feel sec...

20/07/2017

Did you know that newborns' breastmilk intake increases substantially in the first few weeks but remains more or less the same from 1 - 6 months of age? If you are expressing and unsure how much milk your baby needs, I recommend the "Milk Calculator" found in the link below to help you.

http://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/pumping/milkcalc/

Many mothers wonder how much expressed breastmilk they need to have available if they are away from baby. In exclusively breastfed babies, milk intake increases quickly during the first few weeks of life, then stays about the same between one and six months (though it likely increases short term dur...

16/07/2017

While a baby can't overfeed at the breast, breastfed babies can easily drink too much expressed breast milk out a bottle. For those who are introducing expressed milk out a bottle, here are some helpful tips on paced bottle feeding to prevent this from happening. httptfeedingtoday-llli.org/bottle-feeding-a-breastfed-baby/

Photo: Charlotte Southren Ideas for paced bottle-feeding a breastfed baby If you and your baby don’t want to give up breastfeeding but you are going to be separated and you are worrying because you don’t want her to miss out on your milk in your absence, then this post is for you. Drinking milk from...