How to Feel Confident Breastfeeding in Public

Breast milk is the ideal baby food, and many new mothers choose to breastfeed their babies.  Breastfeeding has all the nutrients your baby needs to thrive for the first six months of life, and research shows breastfeeding has many health benefits for both mother and baby. The best preparation for breastfeeding is good information – the more support and encouragement you have during the early days, the more likely you are to succeed in breastfeeding for as long as you choose. Breastfeeding works best when mums are feeling relaxed, so it’s important that you feel at ease nursing when away from home so you can enjoy being out in the world with your nursling.

When you have a baby you will find you spend a lot of time out of the house meeting up with friends, clinic appointments, baby activity classes and playgroups. Feeling that you have to hide away to nurse your baby will make it difficult to go out and breastfeed whenever your baby demands. It is very natural to feel a little hesitant about nursing in public, particularly when you have a hungry baby ready for a feed and you’re not used to using a nursing bra! The key to breastfeeding your baby whilst out is to practice feeding at home in the early days, until you feel comfortable and confident that you can settle your baby for a feed fairly quickly. Meeting up with other breastfeeding women, perhaps through an postnatal class or NCT group, gives you the support of other nursing mums, before trying trips out on your own.  In the early days you might also feel more confident going out with someone who boosts your confidence like your partner, mum or a friend.

Many new mums use a muslin cloth, shawl or pashmina to provide extra cover whilst they are breastfeeding in public. Nursing covers are especially popular in the USA, and are quickly becoming an essential for nursing mothers in the UK too. Whether you prefer a patterned or plain cover, cotton or jersey fabric, a traditional “apron” cover or a poncho, there are lots of options available. Baby Bubu offer a wide range of traditional covers and modern ponchos, in a gorgeous variety of fabrics and patterns giving you the confidence to feed your baby wherever you like whilst ensuring that you are fully covered whilst doing so. The adjustable necklines of these designs allows you to maintain eye contact with baby as you feed. Another wonderful new accessory for breastfeeding mothers is the Mamascarf. Designed by a nursing mother, the Mamascarf provides support whilst feeding your baby, as well as ensuring that you are covered as your baby feeds. The Mamascarf folds neatly, is lightweight and can easily be slipped into a bag so you can take it out with you.

There is now some wonderful nursingwear available for new mums. Nursing tops offer you quick and easy access to the breast for nursing your little one, whilst keeping your chest, tummy and back covered.  Many designs work well during pregnancy and afterwards for nursing, giving you fabulous value for money.  These dual purpose tops (“transition clothing”) ensure you look fabulous from your first trimester to your fourth. Well designed nursing tops really help with feeling confident nursing in public. With a little practice you simply pull aside the nursing opening and feed your baby, without anyone being any the wiser.  Different tops give different access – from pull over crossover fronts, double layers with vertical nursing openings to simple modesty panels – there is something to suit every nursing mother. Details like ruching and flowing fabric give a flattering fit on post-natal figures. Each type of nursing access has been skilfully designed and the nursing openings in the clothing are well disguised so you really cannot tell they are nursing tops at all.

Confidence is a major factor in ensuring you are able to breastfeed wherever you are. If mothers feel comfortable nursing whenever and wherever they choose, they will breastfeed for longer. Many new mums feel well designed nursingwear and breastfeeding accessories have made a real difference to their experience breastfeeding in front of friends, family and whilst out and about. Stylish nursingwear and accessories helps challenge the perception of breastfeeding as frumpy, and ensures breastfeeding stays fashionable.

By: Kirsten Baxter  -   About the Author :
  The author Kirsten Baxter is Director of UK based online maternity and nursingwear store Bella Mama ( http://www.bellamama.co.uk )

Bella Mama is a stylish Breastfeeding and Maternity clothing boutique offering a fabulous range of stylish maternity and nursing dresses, chic breastfeeding tops, pretty nursing bras, gorgeous baby bags and other accessories.

Breast IS Best! About Breastfeeding Benefits

Deciding to breastfeed is an extremely individual subject. It might be a decision which is very likely to bring about solid views from acquaintances.

Countless of medical gurus highly recommend breastfeeding your baby. Yet both you and your newborn are unique, and that's why the judgement depends only on you. To help you make up your mind, here is some info on the several breastfeeding benefits common today..

So... What Is Your Baby Getting From Breastfeeding?

Breast milk offers the ideal health food for newborns. It provides the best mixture of vitamin supplements, protein, plus fat. just what your child requires to develop. And it's presented within a form easier to digested as opposed to milk substances.. Breast milk contains antibodies which help your baby protect against viruses, bacteria and infections.. Breastfeeding your baby lowers your baby's risk of having asthma or perhaps allergen hypersensitivity. Children who are breastfed particularly during the first six months, without consuming milk substances, possess a lot fewer ear infections, breathing diseases, in addition to involving intestinal colic and/or diarrhea. They also have much less hospitalizations and trips towards the doc.

Breastfeeding is linked to elevated IQ results in later years, especially for toddlers that were born before time. Your body closeness, friction, along with eye contact each and every one assist your child connect with you and really feel protected. Breastfed children are more likely to attain the correct amount of callories when they get bigger and not developed into heavy kids. Many studies have also revealed association between breastfeeding a baby and a smaller threat of sudden infant death syndrome (Sudden infant death syndrome), being diabetic, obesity, in addition to certain cancers.

What Are The Breastfeeding Benefits For You?

Nursing your baby requires extra energy: about 500 additional calories every day . this means you lose pregnancy body-weight faster. It releases the hormone oxytocin, which assists your uterus to resume its pre-pregnancy proportions and may even cut down bleeding after giving birth. Breastfeeding brings down your possibility of breast and ovarian cancer. Some may not know this, however It could furthermore reduce possibility of osteoporosis and hip crack after women's menopause.

Given that you won't need to invest in and measure milk substances, clean bottle nipples, and also heat baby bottles, breastfeeding your baby helps you to save your and your whole family time and money. Determining to breastfeed affords you regular enough time just to stay quietly together with your new baby while you become close and emotionally attached.

So as you can easily observe, there are quite a few breastfeeding beenfits. Not just for your baby, but also for yourself. Nevertheless, although It is better to breastfeed, will certainly help you save time and money and is in most cases very satisfying, it does not always come without pains!! Should you go through difficulties with your breastfeeding, be sure to get breastfeeding advice, because there are a lot of techniques you can use to help make breastfeeding simpler for both you and your child.

Good luck!

By: Idit Gal  -   About the Author :
  Get all the info you need about newborn care and Newborn Feeding

How to breast feed a baby

How to breastfeed a baby

Support for new parents and breastfeeding

We receive many questions about how to breastfeed a baby easily, successfully or well.

Success is individual and we aim to support each woman in achieving her desired goal.

There are lots of factors that affect breastfeeding.  These include the pregnancy, birth, support people, among other things.

Women are born with milk making ability.  How much is individual.  Some women just don’t have much milk. We will work with you to make sure you learn how to breastfeed your baby meeting both your needs.  When we discuss how to breastfeed a baby we will explore all this with you.

Stress of any nature can also affect supply including rest and sleep.

We will look at how to position your baby, how to get a really good latch and attachment.  We will also teach you what to do when this doesn’t happen.

Sometimes you do everything right with the attaching and it still hurts.  Sometimes it is the baby’s mouth or tongue that can cause this. Sometimes your baby will prefer his head or body in a certain position which may be difficult for you.
If it doesn't work, that is okay. We will still be here to support you no matter what.

We will look at both your baby and you to work out how to get the best for both of you.

If you have questions about how to breastfeed a baby please contact us, we will be happy to discuss it with you



 

 

Understanding Sleep Patterns

Newborn sleep patterns

Understanding sleep patterns

Questions about newborn sleep patterns often arise for new parents sometime in the first month.

Often new babies will come home feeding and sleeping like a dream.  At some stage they begin to wake up and let the world know they are here.  This is commonly when parents think what happened to our perfect baby?  In reality, nothing has happened to them, they are just waking up.
Newborn sleep patterns can be challenging , however when you learn to read the signals your baby is giving it becomes much easier.

Baby won't sleep

At Insync with infants, we will teach you what to do when your baby won't sleep.  Not only will you feel confident in knowing what to do when this happens, we will teach how to minimise the times your baby won't sleep by teaching you to interpret their cues and needs.

Again as your baby grows, we will teach you appropriate techniques to help your baby sleep. You will learn all the tips to ensure your baby gets the rest and sleep they need, so that times your baby won't sleep decrease dramatically.

Our goal is to help you teach your baby to self settle as they grow and develop so they are not reliant on you for their sleep.  The times your baby won’t sleep will become a thing of the past.

Baby sleeping on stomach

We often hear parents say they have their baby sleeping on their stomach because it is the only way they will sleep.  We will explore this with you and discuss the reasons why having your baby sleeping on their stomach is discouraged.

As your baby gets older you may find your baby sleeping on their stomach by choice.  Certainly as your baby develops they will move around in their cot just as they do on the floor at play. When they are just learning to roll they may get stuck in some positions and we need to help them get out of it.  Until they are co ordinated enough to move themselves easily we need to help them.

The team at Insync with infants will guide you through when your baby won't sleep, when your baby is sleeping on their stomach and also teach you what is acceptable with regard to newborn sleep patterns and habits as your baby grows right up to toddler age.



 

Blebs and Breastfeeding - What Are They?

Blebs and Breastfeeding - What Are They?

 

Blebs or white spots can appear on the tip of the nipple and are often  associated with breastfeeding. There are a few different types. The difference  can be unclear when looking at them. The causes include improper latch, clothing  rubbing on the nipple, not enough fluid in the mother's diet and possibly too  much saturated fat in her diet also.

There are blebs which are a tiny collection of fluid that occurs when a tiny  amount of milk has leaked into the nipple tissue at a duct outlet. They are  usually caused by an improper latch and are flat. Sometimes there is associated  pain. Sometimes it is completely painfree.

There are also plugged nipple pores. These resemble a bleb in appearance. The  plug is usually tiny and round, and is often an oily substance. If you squeeze  upward on the base of the nipple, the plug will pop up. If it is a plugged  nipple pore, there is almost always a hard, sore area in the breast where the  milk is unable to get out. Hence a plugged duct. The swollen area may press on  close by ducts and stop their drainage.

A milk blister is another type of white spot. This is when a single cell  layer of skin grows across a nipple pore and blocks it. The blister is usually  raised with fluid. There is epithelial growth factor in the milk which helps the  mucous membranes to mature. It is thought to aid the baby's gut lining to  mature. Epithelial growth factor can be the cause for a single cell layer to  grow over a milk pore on the nipple.

At times there can be associated lumps and pain in the breast where the bleb  is preventing an area of the breast from draining. Generally the "white" colour  is the build up of the fat in the milk. Sometimes the baby will pop the bleb  while feeding. Other times women will break it with a sterile needle or their  fingernail. In the case of a plugged nipple poor and a blister, once the  blockage is released it is common to see a long thick tenacious stringy looking  length of white come out of the pore that is now unblocked. Sometimes you won't  see it because the baby has ingested it while feeding which is of no concern.  This is the fat and solids part of the milk that has accumulated. Massage can  also assist in getting this blockage out.

Another remedy is lecithin. Lecithin is found as a powder additive that can  be added to foods. Lecithin is an emollient which means it helps dissolve fat.  So in the case of blebs, it keeps the fatty part of the milk suspended in the  milk more.

Lecithin can be ingested by the mother to aid in the treatment and prevention  of blebs. Some women may experience blebs in one breastfeeding experience and  not the next. The theory behind blebs forming is that the mother's milk is a  little thicker- perhaps due to the woman's hydration. Perhaps a diet a little  higher in saturated fats.

Generally when popping any of the white spots mentioned above, take care with  hygiene. Ensure you wash your hands beforehand, use sterile equipment and be  vigilant afterwards. Some women use an antibacterial cream on the area for a few  days after. Using warm compresses to pop the blebs is also used and can be very  effective when used together with massage.

Seek assistance from a professional if you are unsure or nervous about  this.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6328522

Pros and Cons of Sleeping With Your Baby

Co-sleeping is often confused with bed sharing.

As a definition, co-sleeping is defined as the infant sleeping in the same  room as the parent.

Bed sharing is defined as the parent and infant sharing the same sleep  surface such as a mattress or bed.

It is an individual choice as to what you do in regard to sleep and your  baby.

Some of the common arguments against co-sleeping  include:

Baby learns to be dependent on a parent and will not be able to sleep on  their own even as they mature into young children.

Parent does not get therapeutic sleep.

Partner sleeping in another bed due to disturbed sleep, thus causing  relationship difficulties.

Baby is more noisy at night and parents have disturbed sleep.

Other children feeling left out or jealous with new baby sleeping in parents  room.

Some arguments in favour of co-sleeping  include.

Baby is more settled at night and sleeps better due to close proximity of  parent.

Parent has less disturbed sleep in that they do not have to go far to respond  to infants' needs during the night.

Breastfeeding is enhanced due to close proximity to breast.

Infant-parent bonding is enhanced with close proximity and prompt response  enabling infant to learn trust.

Reduced incidence of SIDs

Commonly co-sleeping is promoted for the first 6-12 months of your  baby's life.

The guidelines include:

Sleeping your baby on their back

Ensure the surface your baby is sleeping on is firm. No sagging mattress,  couch, bean bag.

Ensure the bedding and clothing is unable to cover your baby's face.

Ensure your baby is not sharing a sleep space with soft toys, pets or other  children.

Do not push the mattress /sleep surface against the wall where there is a  risk that your baby may roll between it and the wall. Babies have suffocated  this way.

If you do choose to share a sleep surface with your baby the  following guidelines are encouraged.

If you are taking drugs that make you drowsy at all both prescribed, over the  counter (including alcohol) or illicit- Do not share a sleep surface with your  baby. This is because you may not be alert enough to respond to your baby and  ensure they are kept in a safe place with you. This includes the risk of rolling  on them, your baby rolling off the sleep surface, or under bedclothes.

Also if you are a very deep or restless sleeper it is also discouraged to  share a sleep surface with your baby for the same reasons as above. If you are a  smoker it is also discouraged because of the toxins on your breath.

Ensure your baby is always on the outside of the bed and not between you and  your partner. If one person is solely responsible for your baby that person is  more likely to respond to your baby and ensure their safety. If you both take  responsibility the risk is that you both could subconsciously think oh it's ok,  my partner is aware and will respond to our baby- I don't need to check on  him/her.

Ensure your baby has their own bedding. Do not put them under your bedding  because of the risk of them suffocating.

Do not wrap or swaddle your baby so arm and leg movement is not restricted. A  sleep bag for infants may work better or their own blankets with warm clothing.

Of interest is that primitive cultures often will share a bed  surface with young babies. They instinctively employ the majority of guidelines  outlined above.

Where your baby sleeps for both day and night sleep is an individual choice.  Some parents feel that co-sleeping is not for them for different reasons. If you  are concerned or confused with the options available to you find someone with  expertise in this area to run your thoughts by.

Leisa Breed has been assisting and supporting women and families in caring  for their newborns and up till the age of 4 years since 1993. She is a  registered nurse, midwife, child health nurse and lactation consultant.

She has a successful home visiting consulting business assisting families in  all aspects of newborn and toddler care. She is based in the beautiful area of  Brisbane's bayside suburb of Redland Bay. To find out more visit http://www.insyncwithinfants.com
©Leisa Breed- Insync with  infants

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6203248

Being Comfortable with Breastfeeding In Public

Breastfeeding in public has long evoked a great deal of debate and even controversy.  The Equality Act passed in April 2010, has meant that mums cannot be discriminated against in England and Wales which includes being asked to leave a venue or be unfavourably treated because they are breastfeeding.  Whilst this is supportive, there is still a significant resistance to breastfeeding in public.  In Scotland, the right to breastfeed in public has been part of their legislation for more than a year.

Mothers have to endure a great deal of pressure to breast feed, with numerous articles in the media promoting the benefits of breastfeeding.  There is also a lot of help and advice on breastfeeding, particularly from the National Childbirth Trust who actively promote breastfeeding.  NCT also introduced the ‘Booby Awards' to praise those establishments that encouraged breastfeeding with their attitude and facilities, whilst also listing some businesses that seemed to have a poor track record.   However, I believe that it should purely be a mum's choice on how she feeds her baby and as a company; Freedom Babe does not promote either way.

If a mother decides she wants to breastfeed, then breastfeeding in public will be a necessary part of her regime.  However, it is clear from a recent survey of 1200 new mums conducted in conjunction with the NCT, that many mums fear the public reaction; with a staggering 65% of respondents saying that they would not even attempt breastfeeding in public.  Many new mums had found the whole experience of breastfeeding in public to be a very stressful process and over half of them said they had been asked to leave the premises.  On many occasions, mums have had to disappear into the toilet to breastfeed, with establishments unable to provide any more suitable facilities.

There are obviously many mothers who need support in order to breastfeed in public.  Locking herself and her baby away in a toilet for 20-30 minutes is not the experience she wants.  However, the unease felt by many mothers breastfeeding their baby in a public area is an unacceptable situation. 

There are fortunately alternatives available which can support new mothers.  There are specific clothing items that can make it easier to breastfeed including nursing bras and specially adapted tops.  Many mums struggle with using blankets or cloths to cover up during feeding but these are often awkward and clumsy.  Purpose made clothing accessories such as nursing aprons or breastfeeding covers; provide a much needed aid to new mothers.  They have the advantage that they can be used in conjunction with everyday clothing.  Not only do they provide a secure and discreet cover, they also allow the baby to have a cocooned environment; without the distractions of other children or activity within the establishment.  It also means that there is less pressure on mums trying to feed quickly.

Breastfeeding should be a choice for new mothers and one that is freely made with knowledge of the benefits without the pressures currently inflicted by the whole experience of breastfeeding in public.

By: Dawn Callery  -   About the Author :
  Dawn Callery is a mother who understands the pressure on mothers to breastfeed.  As owner of Freedom Babe, she strives to offer innovative, tried and tested products designed to make life easier for new mothers. The breastfeeding cover is the first in a planned range of products available from Freedom Babe.