Frequently Asked Questions

How often do babies feed?

It is normal for all babies to feed somewhere between 6 and 12 times every 24 hours, once the mature milk has ‘come in’. Most babies will continue this pattern until they start to wean around 6 months of age (as recommended by the World Health Organisation)

How long should baby feed at the breast for?

This is a very good question!

It all depends on

How quick your milk flows
How much milk your breast makes
How quickly your baby sucks
How hungry baby may be
How often is baby swallowing

Look out for the swallows you will see baby do frequently while feeding at your breast. Try and look by baby’s throat during feeds, after a while you will be able to see the difference between a suck and a swallow!

During a home visit I can teach you how to recognise these signs and observe a full feed with your baby, so that I can give you tips and help specific to your needs.

Is there anything that will help my baby sleep?

Yes.

There are several settling techniques I can show you which can help to settle your baby to calm or sleep faster, without the use of controlled crying. These techniques are easily learnt and will be an invaluable tool for you and your baby.

Baby massage has also been proven to aid better sleep and relaxation for both mother and baby. The course I run consists of 5 classes which will teach you how to massage baby’s entire body and demonstrate techniques for colic as well as massage for the older child.

My baby has colic is there anything you would recommend?

There are many different reasons for colic and windy periods. It could be the time of the day that makes it worse, natural changes baby is going through in the first few weeks of life, how quickly the milk flows to baby, how you are positioning and attaching baby to the breast, very occasionally it can be food in your diet, or rarely reflux.

Scientists have studied colic for 50 years and unfortunately no one knows the exact cause and it may be very different for every baby; what has been proven to help is baby massage. I can teach you, in the baby massage classes, a very easy colic routine which has been proven to help.

The important thing with colic or any concerns you may have with baby is to seek help so that you can find a specific solution to work for you and your baby.

My nipples are really sore and damaged, what can I do?

Sore, cracked and damaged nipples are due to problems with positioning and attaching baby to feed. It is really important to seek help to find a solution, and allow you to enjoy feeding baby confidently and happily. I can help you to learn new skills and techniques that will make feeding more comfortable and enjoyable.

Things that may help in the meantime:

Express a little breast milk onto the ends of your nipples and rub in gently. Breast milk is a fantastic substance as it contains antibacterial properties which aid the healing.
Lanolin based ointments. These should only be used if there is an actual open crack. Moist wound healing has been proven to be the most effective. When applying the ointment be careful not to use too much. Once the nipple is healed stop applying.
If breastfeeding is so painful that you are dreading feeds then stopping for 24 hours or more and resting the nipples may be a good option. You will need to express as often as baby feeds in order to keep your milk supply going. When you are ready to try breastfeeding again I can be available to come and help you achieve comfortable feeding again.

The most important thing to remember to help prevent and heal sore nipples is to improve the breastfeeding positioning and attachment. You can do it! With a little reassurance and friendly guidance to help you along the way you’ll be able to enjoy breastfeeding your baby.

My mother has told me I should avoid cabbage and chocolate when breastfeeding, is this true?

You will find that on your new journey as a parent many people will give you advice along the way. Some of this advice will be really helpful and valuable and for some it will be old wives tales that will not help you or baby!

One of these old wives tales is the one I hear very often about cabbage and chocolate. Remember baby has tasted and enjoyed all the foods you have eaten throughout your pregnancy so will be quite used to your diet by now! The best advice is to eat everything in moderation. If you notice a link between a certain food you may want to eliminate it from your diet for one week and see if this helps. If it does not make any difference put it back in, there is no point depriving yourself of something you enjoy if you don’t need to! If you still think baby is not settling well, I can come to visit you both in your natural environment and give you some helpful tips.

How do I know if my baby has had enough?

If baby is calm, settled and sleeping well and happy at play. Baby is gaining weight well and continues to have frequent yellow stools (patterns may change after 4 weeks of age, this is normal) and minimum 5 heavy wet nappies daily this is a great sign that your baby is doing really well. It is recommended that you weigh baby frequently in the first few months.

How can I increase my supply?

Make sure you are attaching baby to feed correctly first and foremost. Problems may stem from low milk supply or difficulties positioning and attaching baby. Both problems will have a different treatment, which I can help you with.