Category Archives: Breastfeeding

Covers all aspects of breastfeeding from government policy to helpfull tips

Lady Gives birth at Glastonbury festival…well nearly

Posted on by
Reply

OMG this heat we have been having has zapped me and i am not even pregnant (well not anymore , had Erin 11 weeks ago) so i can’t even imagine what it must be like to go to Glastonbury Festival when you are about to give birth literally…..

This article on Netmums recalls how a heavily pregnant mum went to the Glastonbury festival and went into labour there , went to local hospital the same day, had a baby boy and the next day went back to the festival….

I quote from netmums ” First-time mother Victoria Iremonger, 30, realised she was about to go into labour when she arrived at the festival site in Somerset on Wednesday.

She went to the Glastonbury medical tent where doctors confirmed that her waters had broken and she was ready to give birth.

Ms Iremonger wanted to have her baby at the festival site but medics insisted that an ambulance was called and she was taken to nearby Yeovil Hospital.

She eventually gave birth to a healthy baby boy, Reuben, at 7.30pm on Thursday and then returned to the festival the next day.

Ms Iremonger, from Boston in Lincolnshire, said giving birth to her first child at Glastonbury was ‘amazing’.

Read more: http://www.netmums.com/coffeehouse/showthread.php?p=4677635?utm_medium=twitter#ixzz0s5OOpCEy 
Netmums – the local parenting network “

 

OMG have you seen the toilet at Glastonbury….. there is noway i would want to have my baby there. I know we are all different, wish i could have had my baby like that (not at Glastonbury) and got on with things, beats being in hospital for 3 days (had c section) , but man have  a baby at a music festival, i’m sure a lot are conceived there but not born.

Wish new mum and baby all the best, he is bound to grow up to be a true rocker :)

How are you celebrating breastfeeding awareness week next week?

Posted on by
Reply

Maybe you did or didn’t know but it;s breastfeeding awareness week next week and lots of local NCT groups and other breastfeeding orgaisations have things in store to celebrate this.

Since  1993,  the National Breastfeeding Awareness Week (NBAW) has been run annually by the Department of Health as a key event for  promoting  breastfeeding.  The  main  aim  of the campaign is to raise  awareness of the health benefits of breastfeeding, increase  social  acceptance  of  breastfeeding  and  promote  support  for  breastfeeding. 

Berkshire NCT class are running a pass the parcel game to celebrate and Mama Feelsgood is going to donate a top to this , also bosom buddies the mid essex breastfeeding support group are having a raffle and we have donated a nursing top to this , so if you are in either of  these areas go check the groups out and see what ‘s going on, would be cool to meet other mums and make friends. Making friends at such a special time in your and your babies life can often result in friends for life.

 

Let us know what is going on in your local are for breastfeeding awareness week and we will spread the word :)

Volcanos & ash clouds – slight delay to deliveries of your nursing tops possibly

Posted on by
Reply

Hi guys 

well who would have thought a volcano in Iceland could have caused so much trouble!

Just a little heads up to all our foreign and Northern Ireland customers that there maybe the possibility of a delay in your nursing tops being delivered. We always use 1st class post but due to the grounding of the planes to some foreign countries and Northern Ireland there maybe a little back log in the postal deliveries. So when ordering if you could keep this in mind that would be fab :)

 

Hopefully soon things will be back to normal, 

 

Best wishes Liz

Breastfeeding advice – how do you breast feed?

Posted on by
Reply

I mean it’s not like all girls are sat down at some time in their life and shown or told how to breastfeed, so how the heck are we supposed to know what to do?

I am just about to have my 2nd baby any day and have not had any advice or classes offered to me about breastfeeding, it is just assumed i know what to do! Not to get too personal but with my first child breastfeeding just didn;t work out for longer then 2 weeks (due to medical reasons) so now i’m ready to pop with my 2nd baby and want to nurse them but i can’t remember what the heck i did with my daughter !!!!!

So Google really is a wonderful thing and i found a video on You Tube which shows you what to do when you are just starting to breastfeed and gives you a little guidance as to what to expect etc.

I found it quite reassuring to watch and it was a help. Obviously it is only like 5 mins long and can’t go into great detail about every aspect of breastfeeding your baby but it’s a good start.

Here’s the link and see what you think:


Thrown off: Bristol mother ordered off bus for breast-feeding her baby

Posted on by
Reply

As taken from #mce_temp_url# 

 

 

A young mum was thrown off a Bristol First bus – for breast-feeding her baby.

The driver stopped the bus and told her to stop feeding her six-week-old daughter or get off. And when she refused he threatened to call the police.

Amy Wootten, of Stockwood, was on her way home from the city centre on Tuesday when she was forced off the 54 bus in the rain.

She was ordered off the bus in Wells Road and took an £8 taxi for the rest of her journey home.

The 25-year-old said the driver told her a complaint had been made about her “indecent exposure”

Miss Wootten was feeding Emily at about 4.30pm on a packed bus when the driver threatened to call the police if she did not do as he asked.

She said: “The bus driver told me someone had said I was indecently exposing myself and said stop or get off my bus.

“It was like he was suggesting I was doing horrendous things. But I was being quite discreet about it.

“I couldn’t believe it. I explained that I was only feeding my baby and not exposing myself and the driver said ‘can you get off my bus please’.

“We were told to get off the bus, in the rain, at a stop without a shelter and I was still a 20-minute bus ride away and couldn’t have walked home. I felt completely and utterly humiliated, because it was a packed bus.”

The learning support assistant said no one raised concerns with her about the breast-feeding and the first she knew that anyone was concerned was when the driver spoke to her.

Miss Wootten said: “If I hadn’t fed her, Emily would have screamed and we would probably have had more complaints from people on the bus.

“I was showing a tiny bit of breast, but is it any different to showing your arm or your foot?

“I was absolutely horrified but more cross for my baby girl.”

Miss Wootten said she has fed Emily on buses before and although another passenger had made a comment there had not been such a reaction from the driver.

She relies on bus travel because she cannot drive.

Women are encouraged to breast-feed by the NHS because it has protective effects on them and their children.

There is an initiative in Bristol to encourage women to breast-feed and restaurants, cafes and other public places have signed up to show they welcome breast-feeding mums. Bristol was also the first city in the country to complete one of the stages for the Unicef Baby Friendly award.

The breast-feeding development manager for NHS Bristol, Nicki Symes, said: “There are about 200 venues around the city that welcome breast-feeding.

“We have not approached transport providers as part of the scheme but it is something we will need to do.

“I feel very sorry for this mother, as we support a woman’s right to breast-feed in public.

“It is really disappointing that this has happened and I would be happy to speak to the bus company about their policy.”

Miss Wootten complained to First yesterday and the company apologised for the incident and sent her flowers and gift vouchers.

She said: “I would like them to have a bit of tact and compassion.

“I have really struggled breast-feeding Emily and had so many problems but was determined to do the right thing for her.

“It just makes you really reluctant to feed in public.

“Emily is my first baby and it is only in the last two weeks I have had the confidence to feed her in public rather than sitting in a feeding room.”

First spokeswoman Karen Baxter said drivers would be given guidance to prevent similar incidents happening.

She said: “We are aware of the incident that occurred on Tuesday evening and have already expressed our sincere apologies to Miss Wootten for the distress caused as a result of it.

“We have launched an investigation into exactly what happened.

“As a company we accept that breast-feeding mothers have the right to feed their children when they are hungry, and understand that from time to time it may be necessary to do this while travelling on the bus.

 

breastfeeding support in west Essex

Posted on by
Reply

A GROUP of women have been commended for completing a unique training course in how to help other mothers with breastfeeding.

The pilot scheme has been set up by health bosses as part of a drive to get parents to help each other with difficulties and problems with feeding, and to emphasise that “breast is best” for young babies’ diets.

According to NHS statistics, 43 per cent of mothers in west Essex breastfeed at six to eight weeks of their child’s birth, which is below the national average of 48 per cent.

The volunteers all took part in a 12-week course at the Abbeywood and Hazelwood Children’s Centres in Waltham Abbey, spending three hours a week learning how to become a “breastfeeding buddy” and how best to promote the practice in the local area.

Graduates of the course celebrated with a party earlier this week, featuring a cake in the shape of a pair of breasts supplied by Andersons bakery in Epping High Street.

Teresa Morgan, of NHS West Essex, which organised the course along with the children’s centres and the Breastfeeding Network group, congratulated the women for their hard work.

She added: “We hope this new initiative can go from strength to strength.”

Course trainer Jane Neesam said: “I hope more Waltham Abbey mothers will breastfeed with the support they need to maintain it for longer.

“It provides long lasting benefits for babies and mums themselves.”

For more information on breastfeeding support in west Essex call Jo Eley on 01279 698625 or Philippa Hyams on 0208 522 3217.

 

Article from here

GMTV claire Nasir has baby girl

Posted on by
Reply

Congratulations to Claire Nasir who gave birth to a baby girl yesterday. Claire who is the weather presenter on GMTV had had a her own fair share of problems trying to conceive her baby must be over the moon with her new arrival.

As yet no name or details ie weight have been released, just a press release on Twitter from ITv :)

Will keep you updated, but good to know mother and baby are doing well.

Maclaren recalls 1 million buggies

Posted on by
Reply

All Maclaren single and double umbrella buggies, including the popular Volo and Techno models, were voluntarily recalled in the US.

The British firm, which claims to produce “the world’s most safe” pushchairs stressed that the UK is not affected.

Parents in America have been advised to stop using them immediately by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

Maclaren said customers should contact the company for a free set of hinge covers which resolve the problem.

There have been 15 cases of children placing their finger in the hinges “resulting in 12 reports of fingertip amputations”, a joint statement from the firm and the CPSC said.

A Maclaren spokesman added: “Consistent with our unwavering commitment to child safety we are providing US consumers notice of a voluntary recall of all Maclaren umbrella strollers sold in the US.

 

In co-operation with the US CPSC, we are providing free of charge to all affected consumers and retailers a kit to cover the stroller’s hinge mechanism, which poses a fingertip amputation and laceration hazard to the child when the consumer is unfolding/opening the stroller.

“The voluntary recall is to alert the operator when opening or closing the stroller of the possible risk of injury.

“Safety is our first priority and through this voluntary effort we urge consumers to contact us immediately to obtain the kit which consists of hinge covers designed specifically to fit all Maclaren strollers.”

Maclaren told Sky News the recall does not apply to umbrella buggies sold in the UK because “there are a lower number of similar reported incidents amongst the considerably higher number of Maclaren buggies sold in Europe annually relative to the US market”.

However, as a precaution, the company will put additional warning labels on their pushchairs and in instruction manuals.

The company also highlighted that the definition of “recall” is different in the US and can include all types of corrective action such as the “modification of products at consumers’ homes”.

Maclaren USA is not recalling products from parents for replacement or refund.

The recalled models include the Volo, Triumph, Quest Sport, Quest Mod, Techno XT, Techno XLR, Twin Triumph, Twin Techno and Easy Traveller.

This was taken from Sky news.com 

Having trouble breastfeeding ? Get on-line .

Posted on by
Reply

This is referring to a piece written in yesterdays  The Indepenent newspaper 

As quoted from the article” During pregnancy nearly 50 per cent of mums intend to breastfeed their child once it’s been born. However this statistic drops by nearly half once they have given birth, which suggests that many mothers who’d like to breastfeed find it difficult or simply can’t.”

To be honest personally i thought the % of mums whom would try breastfeeding would be higher, so i am more shocked at the low “try” rate than the ladies who try it and for whatever reason do not continue to breastfeed.

The article goes on to say ”

Research by the Bounty Parenting Club suggests that over two thirds of new mums have never been close enough in real life to a friend or family member who is breastfeeding to actually see how the child latches onto the breast. So where can they go to ask for help or advice?

 

“Whilst there is lots of breastfeeding advice offered to new and expectant mums, some cannot access the information and support they need at exactly the right time,” says Faye Mingo of Bounty.”

 

To tackle this problem Bounty has posted a new breastfeeding video onto its website, designed to act as a refresher for new mums. It includes breastfeeding techniques and advice about what parents should look out for to ensure their child is getting the nutrition it needs. You can find the video here 

Is it safe to take medication , drugs whilst breastfeeding?

Posted on by
2

It’s really easy to forget sometimes that whatever you eat and goes into your body as a breastfeeding mother will go into your babies body too (although not in all instances ). So what about medications ?

Say you have a cold and take an over the counter medication to resolve this, will it also go into your breastmilk and then hence into your baby? Of course the best way of finding this out is to ask your GP or pharmacist and you’ll probably find the majority of drugs prescribed or bought over the counter are fine to take whilst breastfeeding, but you can never be too carefull.

This is a great website that you can use for an online reference (not as a substitute to asking your Doctor of course!), it;s LACTMED and it;s part of the United States Library of Medicine ( couldn’t find a UK one), and it really good information about medications and it’s interaction with breastfeeding / lactation, so it’s a good site to check out. Click HERE for the site.

So if you are abit under the weather hope you feel better soon.