Supporting new mums in North-West Surrey
Thanks to a grant from Spelhorne Borough Council we now have a New Breastfeeding and Infant Feeding Drop-in in Sunbury. This funding also allows us to continue our Shepperton drop-in for another year. These drop-ins are run alongside Sunbury and Shepperton Bumps and Babes groups.
Would you like to speak to a Breastfeeding Counsellor or Lactation Consultant at a time that suits you?
The Breastfeeding Cafe has been running as a CIC for a year now and in that time we have been fortunate to receive funding for 2 drop-ins; in-person (Clarendon Family Centre) and over Zoom (@cfsurrey), so that we can run them as a free service. However we know that some people cannot make it to these or need support more urgently, so from January 2022 we are offering a number of 1:1 appointments over Zoom. There is obviously a cost involved with this, but we do not want that to prevent anyone from accessing our service, so we will run these appointments on a “pay-what-you-can” basis. Please complete this form or contact us if you would like to know more or to book an appointment.
We are delighted to be back at Clarendon Family Centre, every Monday afternoon, offering Breastfeeding Support to local mums. Please do phone or email to let us know you are coming along.
Solid foods – another exciting new stage in baby’s development. There’s so much information out there on how to do it. Which method should you choose? What does Baby Led Meaning really mean? What do you do after you’ve got started?
Lots of parents get stuck after the first stage, on what to do after baby has first tastes. This workshop will focus on how to develop your baby’s interest in food and how to encourage your baby to eat family food. There’s an optional part for parents who haven’t started their babies on solid food yet!
Milk Supply – probably one of the biggest concerns of breastfeeding mothers; “Will I make enough milk”, “How do I know I am making enough milk?”
Milk is made on a “supply and demand” basis; the more you feed your baby, the more milk you make; the more the breast is stimulated the more milk is made! We cannot measure how much milk is made in terms of how many mls or oz of milk. We sometimes hear people talking about expressing to find out how much milk they’ve got. They express, get what appears to be a small quantity of milk, then assume they aren’t making much milk. This is so sad, because the amount of milk someone can express with a pump bears no relation to the amount a well latched baby can get.
It’s all because of our hormones and how milk is made! There are two hormones involved in milk production – Prolactin and Oxytocin. Prolactin helps milk to be made. Oxytocin causes the “let-down”, which is when the milk is released to the baby.
Oxytocin is known as the love hormone. A mother loves her baby. When the baby nuzzles at the mother’s breast this stimulates the brain to release oxytocin. Oxytocin acts on the breast tissue causing a “let-down” – the breast muscles contract, squeezing the milk down through the ducts to the baby sucking at the nipple. The oxytocin also helps strengthen the special bond between mum and baby.
Most women don’t “love” their breast pump or have a special bond with their breast pump. It doesn’t stimulate an oxytocin rush in the same way that a baby does. So when a woman expresses she may find it more difficult to get her breasts to “let-down” the milk – So the oumo gets less milk than her baby can get.
If a woman is tired, stressed, unwell, in pain or embarrassed this can inhibit the release of oxytocin. If feeding isn’t going very well, she may be feeling all of these things, so if she tries to express she may not get a lot of milk. However, if she keeps trying her response to the pump will probably relax. It’s normal to get a small amount of milk initially, but this can increase with continued expressing.
Expressing does help to increase milk supply because when she expresses the breast is stimulated (even if it is less stimulated by a pump than by a baby). Milk is removed. This tells the body milk is being used so signals the need to make more.
Expressing tips
Introducing Private Home Visits!!
Sometimes, when breastfeeding issues are a bit more complex, women benefit from longer face to face consultation in the comfort and privacy of their own home. Trisha and Mary have vast experience in supporting mothers in this way.
We can offer home visits at a time to suit you.
A typical home visit would last 60- 90 minutes. By working with you and your baby, listening to your concerns and observing a feed, we would work with you to help you achieve your breastfeeding goals.
We will also follow up by text or whatsapp.
A one-to-one home visits costs £70
Please contact us for more information, or to arrange a suitable time.
The Breastfeeding Cafe – supporting local parents through those early months. We are running some themed workshops on topics relevant to you.
Returning to work – How to prepare you and your baby for this change, what to look for in childcare providers and how to plan for a good work-life balance.
Moving on to Family Food – How to know your baby is ready for the next stage of eating, navigating the difference between Baby-Led Weaning and traditional methods and making family mealtimes fun.
Normal Infant Sleep – we will look at what is “normal” for babies in the first 6 months and what you can do to help cope with baby’s night-time needs.
One-hour Introduction to Baby First Aid course, via Zoom.
Sunday 18th April 11:00 am
Becoming a parent fills us with concerns and added responsibility. This Introduction to Baby First Aid will give you the confidence in dealing with minor injuries, choking or other childhood illness. It will help you know what to do and when to get help.
Book here