Your microbiome is the diverse community of microorganisms which live within your body. These microbes are vital to our existence. They aid digestion, produce vitamins and neurochemicals, interact with our hormones, and protect us from infection. In return we give them an ideal place to live. We couldn't live without them, and they couldn't live without us. Emerging research shows that how we birth and feed our babies can have a life-long impact on their microbiome and their health.
Category: Breastfeeding basics
Blue breastmilk, is it antibodies?
When you or your baby is fighting infection, the level of antibodies in your breastmilk increases, helping your baby to fight off any pathogens they have been exposed to. I'm sure we can all agree that this is pretty amazing, but does it make breastmilk turn blue? Probably not.
What’s so great about breastfeeding?
'Fed is best', 'Breast is best'. Go to any article or Facebook post concerning infant feeding and you'll more than likely see one of these two phrases, and no doubt a lot of arguments about it in the comment section. I hate them both. Neither is true, and neither is remotely helpful to a woman who is trying to decide how to feed her baby, so isn't it time we started moving away from such restrictive language?
The Fourth Trimester
‘he won’t let me put him down’ ‘she’s using me as a dummy’ ‘he wants to feed all the time’ ‘she will only sleep on my chest’ Why does my baby want to be constantly attached to me? Why is it called 'the fourth trimester'? And how can I cope?
Expressing and Storing Breastmilk
A guide to expressing and storing breastmilk, feeding expressed milk to your baby, and what you can do with any left overs
Foremilk vs hindmilk: one less thing to worry about!
What the terms 'foremilk' and 'hindmilk' actually mean, and why you're better off forgetting about them all together!
How your breasts work!
How do breasts make milk? A quick look at the science behind lactation.
Increasing your milk supply
Formula top ups are the last resort for low milk supply and can often make the problem worse. So what else can you do?
Am I making enough milk?
Milk production works on a supply and demand basis. The more you feed, the more you produce. Here is how it works:
Back to basics: getting the latch right
Breastfeeding is a learned skill and it often takes both us and our babies a little time to get the attachment right every time. So how do you get your baby latched on? And how do you know if they're on right?
