The Breastfeeding Clinic

You may think this blog post will be about the latest recipe for Lactation Cookies or Breastfeeding Biscuits or the best-milk-inducing-smoothie-yet, but nope! There is limited scientific evidence that the ingredients in Breastfeeding Biscuits or Lactation cookies will boost a mother’s milk supply and it is worth noting that many lactation consultants are concerned that a mother, who suspects low milk supply, may choose to just try lactation cookies instead of seeing a lactati

The Golden Hour You have probably heard the expression: “First impressions last”? Have you heard the saying by SUITS character Harvey Specter: “You start behind the eight ball, you will never get in front”? – I don’t play pool but apparently it is when your cue ball is behind the 8 ball you are unlikely to make any shot – can only pocket the 8 ball once all the other balls have been cleared from the table…. which basically means when placed in a difficult situation from the s

I really want to breastfeed but my baby seems to be “refusing”?! You have done everything you can to help breastfeeding get off to the best possible start AND baby fed really well on day 1 and maybe day 2 OR hasn’t really had a good feed at the breast yet. What to do?! Check out this excellent piece on Breastfeeding Inc.’s website on knowing if baby is getting enough milk. (4.) If things are not going optimally: Rule #1 is feed the baby (Expressed Breast Milk or milk from Bre

17 “Koei feite” You only use 10% of your brain. Eating carrots improves eyesight. Vitamin C cures the common cold. None of these are true. But the facts don't actually matter: People repeat them so often that they believe them. Welcome to the “illusory truth effect,” a glitch in the human psyche that equates repetition with truth.(2) “Feit soos ‘n koei”…. Many people believe “anecdotal” observations are solids evidence based truths. What have you heard that you suspect is an

If breastfeeding is the continuum of pregnancy and babies are born to breastfeed then breastfeeding should be easy and trouble free, right? How many of you read the fine print at the end of almost every contract or service offered? It is said that the biggest lie on the internet is ‘I have read and agree to the terms and conditions'.... Remember during your normal healthy pregnancy the things that happened to you as a result of your pregnancy? Possibly nausea, bladder pres

Have you ever thought it possible to breastfeed your baby again, after weaning prematurely or breastfeed your adoptive baby even though you have never been pregnant before? The processes are called relactation and adoptive breastfeeding. Relactation is the re-establishing of milk secretion after weaning and adoptive breastfeeding (sometimes called induced lactation) is the induction of lactation in a woman who was not pregnant with the current baby and may involve hormonal pr

Breastfeeding should be easy and trouble free. The basis of breastfeeding is getting the baby to latch on well. A baby who latches on well gets milk well, and stimulates the mother’s body to make what baby need. A baby who latches on poorly has more difficulty getting milk and when a baby is latching on poorly, s/he may also cause the mother nipple-pain, a decrease in milk supply and eventually premature weaning. Let’s look a few aspects of “Pain and Discomfort”. (Preventable

Over the next few posts I will try and answers some common questions most parents, who come to the Breastfeeding Clinic, have ;-). How long should I breastfeed my baby? Let us first look at this question in terms of minutes: Remember I said in a previous post, when feeding baby it is better to be guided by your baby’s hunger than by the clock? How often do we eat and drink? At least every 90 minutes!! What about baby? Does s/he have a choice? How long do we eat, 10 minutes or

Over the next few posts I will try and answers some common questions most parents, who come to the Breastfeeding Clinic, have ;-). How often will baby feed? Normal breastfeeding during the first week is different from normal breastfeeding during the second week and beyond. After birth baby’s new-born tummy is the size of a marble, only able to hold 5 – 10 ml per feed. In the first few days the tiny tummy will expel extra milk rather than stretching to hold it. By day 3 baby’s

Over the next few posts I will try and answers some common questions most parents, who come to the Breastfeeding Clinic, have ;-). How do I know that I am producing enough milk? The short answer: baby is gaining weight! (and have lots and lots of watery, maybe seedy or curdy yellow runny nappies per day during the first few weeks). If a baby is thriving on exclusive breastfeeding for her/his first six weeks, that mother is set till six months. She is already producing as much