Are you celebrating your little ones first Easter this year? Why not have a go at making a keepsake footprint bunny! All you’ll need is a drop of poster paint, a ball of cotton wool and a spot of glue (and maybe an extra pair of hands to help you hold baby while you paint those little toes!) You can download and print our template here-
easter cardDownload
If it’s your first mother day, why not have a go at making your own keepsake card? Click the link below to download our templates for printing, grab some paint or use a pen to draw around those little hands or feet.
mothersdayDownload
There’s a whole lot of ongoing research going on surrounding Covid19, the associated vaccines and how they interact with breastfeeding. We’ve spotted a couple of really interesting reports this week…..
First is a very small study, yet to be peer reviewed but yield’s very promising results. Knowing what we already do about how breastmilk works, we’ve long suspected that any vaccine would create antibodies which could then be found in mothers milk. This study forms the start of proof for this! Read more from the original document here
We are excited to announce that our Breastfeeding Friendly Scheme is back!
This is perfectly timed following this weeks announcement from the UK government with their ‘roadmap’ out of current restrictions. Over the coming months more businesses will be reopening and new mums will be able to get out and about, many for the first time since giving birth! We know that the UK has some of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world and this can make breastfeeding in public, or in front of others a very daunting prospect for many new mums, and even mums of older babies too.
As we aren’t medically trained ourselves, we can’t comment directly but have put together a selection of reputable sources to allow you to access further information. Remember this is a developing situation and as more research is completed guidelines may change. If you have any concerns about your individual situation, speak to your health care provider.
As much as we might be enjoying breastfeeding, many mums will want at some point to introduce a bottle.
Perhaps we have a night out planned, dad/partner wants to help out or you just want a bit of a break. All great ‘reasons’ to want to express and give a bottle. However we’ve found many mums worry that giving a bottle will ‘ruin’ breastfeeding or cause problems. Or worry about the right time to do it.
We know when bottles are given too soon it can cause what we call ‘nipple confusion’. Babies can struggle to latch back at the breast and become fussy and reluctant to breastfeed. Leave them too late, and a baby that’s been exclusively breastfed for a few months may refuse to take a bottle at all.
It’s really about finding that ‘Goldilocks’ moment…..not to soon, not too late but ‘just right’.
When there’s not a clinical need to supplement via bottle, we’d encourage waiting around 4-6 weeks before introducing a bottle. At this stage we find the majority of babies have perfected their art with breastfeeding and are able to switch more successfully between breast and bottle. Bottle feeding is physically much easier- they’ll get a bigger reward (a quick full tum) for less effort, and after all they are just little humans and who doesn’t want an easier way?!
Babies also latch very differently on a breast than they do on a bottle. They don’t take the same big mouthful of the bottle- which is why many of the ‘closer to the breast’ bottles aren’t always accepted by babies. There’s no bottle that works better for a breastfed baby, it’s a bit of trial and error, but we’ve found a pound shop bottle often works well- so start off cheap!!!
By this stage, they are pretty efficient breast feeders, so less likely to get a bottle preference, but there’s still more we can do to help prevent it…
Paced bottle feeding-
Is something that’s been around a few years now and we love it! It just makes sense as a way to feed babies with bottles. It mimics some aspects of breastfeeding (the biological norm) so it’s how babies are expecting to be fed. It promotes secure attachment and helps prevent over feeding. It’s recommended for all bottle fed babies regardless of whether there is breastmilk or formula milk in the bottle. Watch the video for more on paced bottle feeding-
So, if we wait a little while and use a paced bottle feed, chances are baby will switch well between breast and bottle, just give them a little time to get used to another part of their breastfeeding journey!
Often one of the best assets new families have are the grandparents.
Providers of practical support, childcare and financial backing! What would we do without them?
We know that grandparents provide children with so much, and the relationship between new parents and their parents gives children their first insights into how families work.
The feedback we got from new families was that their own parents were a great source of support, but it was often difficult as much of the information had changed and parents were torn between listening to advice from their parents and wanting to follow the research based information given to them.
So BfT stepped in and developed our Grandparents Workshop!
Our workshop is focused very much on bridging the gap between the generations, because it’s all based on the latest research we can explain why-
We had really hoped that by now we’d be able to receive the award in a lavish ceremony, and throw a huge party for all our wonderful volunteers.
Yet as with so many things in 2020, that wasn’t meant to be and in the end it was a simple affair, as yesterday our directors officially accepted the award from The Queen’s representative.
This one comes with a trigger warning, as it discusses baby loss.
And if you do read on, make sure you have tissues close to hand!
When I was pregnant I knew that I wanted to “at least try breastfeeding, but I wasn’t going to get hung up over it if I couldn’t do it”. But as soon as my baby, Francis was born in June 2019 I became obsessed with all things breastfeeding. I think it was due to all the amazing support I had from the hospital, Breastfeeding Together and family that got me through those tricky first few weeks and made breastfeeding such an amazing experience. I would breastfeed anywhere and everywhere, and I loved every second of it. Francis was born with a Congenital Heart Defect, and I knew that breastfeeding was giving him the best possible chance in life. However, at just 6 months old my baby boy suddenly and unexpectedly passed away in my arms due to his heart condition.
Within only a few hours I was full again, ready to feed him. I told my son’s consultant who had come to speak with us, sent for a Midwife who appeared with a breast pump. I’d never used a pump before, but she showed me how to put it together and I was able to express. She told me how to slow my supply over the next two weeks and offered me medication to help. But I asked her if it was possible to donate my milk. I’d seen something about it on instagram a few weeks before but I wasn’t even possible if it was something that happened in this country, let alone in Wigan. She went away and got a phone number for the North West Milk Bank who my mum called once we were home. She recommended only doing it until my milk dried up, but I felt like this was a new calling for me.
Particularly in those early dark days, expressing milk was the only thing that gave my life any meaning. I had to eat for the milk. I had to drink for the milk. I had to get out of bed for the milk. I couldn’t turn to drink and drugs as so many people in that situation do because of the milk. I donated to the North West Human Milk Bank until Francis was 9 months old (and then slightly longer to help with COVID milk supplies) and since then I have donated to three other babies through Human Milk 4 Human Babies. Getting to see these babies grow up is such a privilege for me and my husband and is helping to keep Francis’ legacy alive. These children will grow up knowing about Francis, and as Francis’ Mummy and Daddy that is all we can ask. Today (10/10/2020) marks 16 months of breastfeeding. From feeding Francis nearly 12 hours per day in December I am now expressing just twice, once in the morning and once at night. Like I have with every other feed, I will continue to listen to my body and cut down as and when I feel ready.
I can’t thank everyone involved in our feeding journey enough. I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say that breastfeeding has saved my life.
We are pleased to announce the services which The National Lottery Community Fund will allow us to provide!
Our Live Web Chat which runs daily from 10am-1pm & 7pm-10pm accessed by clicking the chat icon in the corner of the screen.
Our popular online Facebook support group ‘Breastfeeding Together-Connect & Share’
Our Breastfeeding Support Line is back! Speak to a trained supporter between 10am-10pm daily on 07742 234496
2 new online support groups- Bumps and Brew for pregnant women & Boobs and Brews for infant feeding support. Find details of both groups here.
New 1:1 online pregnancy wellbeing and information sessions are available to pregnant women. Find information and booking details here.
