Posted: July 26th, 2011 | Author: Leila | Filed under: Baby, Breastfeeding, Fashion (Post-Natal), Maternity Wear, Nursing, Pregnancy | Tags: breastfeeding, emma jane, Nursing, the bithing shirt co, Vertabaudet | No Comments »
If you are a new Mum, you might get very confused by the sheer number of products on the market for giving birth and especially breastfeeding. The one issue I was faced with when I gave birth was that I didn’t have any nursing clothes or products to support my breastfeeding. As you can imagine, when Alex came along, there was a huge rush.
Here are a few of my favourite bits n bobs that I have religiously used since giving birth:
The birthing shirt co
So lets start with the birth. There’s not a great deal you need other than something comfortable to wear during and after birth. I opted for
The Birthing Shirt Co nursing nighty. This fabulously versatile nighty can be used from pregnancy as an alternative to your usual nighty/ pjs as it’s roomy and incredibly comfortable. During labour it’s great as it’s loose fitting and it’s bamboo fabric allows is moisture absorbing and is breathable. I found the poppers at the top perfect for when Alex was born as it allowed me instant skin to skin contact and feeding. For post pregnancy it continues to support you during breastfeeding as it’s easy open top allows you to breastfeed at anytime. I found this shirt especially handy at night times as it kept me warm whilst breastfeeding.
In addition to this shirt, there were some nursing tops and bras that I just couldn’t do without. Emma Jane has to be one of my favourite brands from pregnancy through to post pregnancy. As well as using the Emma Jane maternity bras whilst pregnant, I had to try out the nursing wear they offered. The Emma Jane Nursing Top 826 is so soft and comfortable, together with the Emma Jane nursing bra made breast feeding exceptionally easy during the day. The top was a lovely soft feel bamboo material and has great functionality with an easy to do/ undo clip for quick and easy access whist breastfeeding. The top comes in back and white as does the bra.
Vertabaudet breastfeeding top
Last but not least is probably my favourite top to wear out, the
Vertabaudet nursing top in grey marl. I’m pretty sure everyone feels rather frumpy after they’ve given birth, I know I did, but this top looks great, covers the flab and has easy access openings to feed your baby. I felt smart and confident wearing this top as most maternity/ nursing wear can be rather dull. Definitely one to get all the colours in and a bargain at just £19 a pop!
In our next post, we’ll be looking at the Medela Swing and Calma bottle range. So keep checking back for more up to date parenting news!
Posted: March 7th, 2011 | Author: Leila | Filed under: Nursing | Tags: breastfeeding, medela, Nursing | No Comments »
Sioned Hilton - Medela
Meet Sioned, Lactation consultant and Education manager; at Medela UK, our resident breastfeeding expert. She will be here once a month to provide an ‘all you need to know’ about your breastfeeding journey, top tips and FAQ’s! If you have any questions please email breastfeeding@bumpsnbubs.co.uk
Welcome to my first blog for BumpsnBubs… very exciting indeed! I hope this monthly slot will answer all your questions and provide you with all the information you need for the wonderful time ahead. In this issue we will talk about how your body prepares to breastfeed, what you should know, and breastfeeding in the first few days:
Preparing for breastfeeding:
Your body is extremely clever and will start preparing for your unborn baby’s arrival from the moment he is conceived. At around 16-18 weeks your breasts will begin to change and develop for their all important role of breastfeeding. Breast tissue, for making milk, continues to develop from this point until birth.
What to look out for: You may notice your breasts are more sensitive, enlarge and that the areola darkens, for some mums you may also leak, (this will just be colostrum) but this is nothing to worry about. If this is a problem for you simply use a breast pad tucked neatly into your bra to absorb the leakage. These changes are all completely natural so do not panic.
Top tip: Ensure you support your breasts during this vital development… A good supporting bra is a must and preferably not an underwire option. Breast tissue can be damaged easily and the ligaments are more flexible due to the effect of progesterone on soft tissue so make sure you take extra care. A good maternity bra is important from pre birth and will help throughout your entire breastfeeding journey too.
Breastfeeding tips from Medela
It all happens naturally (The science) …breastfeeding from day one:
- Delivery of placenta will trigger the breastfeeding hormones prolactin and oxytocin
- The breast will make colostrum which is small in quantity but rich in calories, antibodies, fats and has growth and hormone factors to top up your baby’s gut development – this is like drops of gold for you little one!
- Baby’s tummy is the size of a small marble so the amount of colostrum produced will be just the right amount for your baby
- Skin to skin at birth (and for as long as mum wants) helps the breast to trigger hormones, it also colonises baby with friendly mummy skin flora and bacteria rather than the hospital ones.
- Following the colostrum which is rich and yellow in colour the hormones start to develop the milk, from this stage it will it will be a thinner bluey white consistency which is cleverly tailor made for your baby. It is nutritious, full of immunological factors and will enhance your baby’s brain and nervous system – quite simply the best breakfast, lunch and dinner your baby can get.
- Your milk will come in around day 3-5 this may leave your breasts full and tender – offer the breast to baby, hand express a little milk off if baby find it hard to latch, use pain relief if they are very tender and a cool compress and gentle massage may relieve some of the pressure too.
Breastfeeding in practice:
- To breastfeed the baby needs to have his body in the optimal position where his nose is in a straight line to his belly button
- He needs to be supported by mothers hand behind his shoulders – this allows the baby’s head to tilt back slightly so he can open his mouth wide ( think about how we drink from a glass we lift our chin to the lip of the cup and tilt our head backwards) this is the same for a breastfeeding baby
- Place the baby’s nose in alignment with the nipple and rest the baby’s chin on the breast and gently supporting the baby shoulders bring baby to the breast – baby should open his mouth wide
- It is normal to breastfeed your baby frequently in the first 2 weeks after birth often more than 8- 12 times in 24hrs, – think about how often you eat or drink in 24hrs
- your baby should be offered the breast and feed effectively with a period of small rapid sucks to trigger mum’s milk ejection reflex followed by slower deeper sucks for approx 15 minutes, so that he sucks the rich fat milk at the end of the feed, if he is still displaying signs of hunger you can offer the other breast – sometimes they want a power snack and then occasionally a full course meal.
- Your baby should be having 3 or more wet nappies in the first 3 days and when the milk comes in this should then be 6 heavy wet nappies
- Your baby’s poo at birth is a thick black / green tar like called meconium and colostrum has a natural laxative property that helps to eliminate the baby’s poo as baby takes in more breast milk the poo changes into a transition poo in-between meconium with a soft brown/ yellow poo, when baby is feeding well on the breast the poo changes to a soft yellow/brown poo and babies should be soiling their nappies more than 2 times a day up to 6 weeks of age.
- After six weeks it is normal for breastfeeding babies not to poo for 3-7 days as the milk is so easily digested and tailor made that there is very little waste product.
The possible challenges:
The excitement and preparation parents-to-be go through is nothing compared to the joy of meeting your new baby for the first time and this ‘honeymoon period’ can last for weeks – but there may be a few minor hurdles along the way but these are easily jumped with some support and remember this… you are not alone!
- After 3 days of age when the milk comes in – mum will be a little tender and may be tearful
- Normal life does eventually kick in and when dad /partner goes back to work mum has to cope with all the household and family dynamics
- You may feel a little overwhelmed at about 3 weeks when baby has a natural growth spurt and feeding is often more frequent for a few days
- And again… at 3 months of age another growth spurt and again babies feed more frequently
- Sore and tender nipples can cause you some discomfort but with the use a bit of breast milk to the nipple and apply a hypoallergenic lanolin based ointment such as PureLan to the nipple to aid healing – this does not need to be wiped off before a feed.
Till next month… Happy breastfeeding and good luck! x
