Natural Nursery Blog

New mothers in Shetland will soon be able to benefit from breastfeeding support thanks to a new initiative from the Breastfeeding Network (BfN) in conjunction with NHS Shetland.

The BfN is a UK-wide charity which runs breastfeeding drop-in centres across the country and a national helpline, and offers mother-to-mother support before and after birth.

It is joining forces with NHS Shetland to train volunteers to give support and advice to new mothers in the isles.

Tutor Mary Kennedy will be in Shetland soon to recruit volunteers. She has trained helpers in Midlothian and Dunoon where she works for NHS Highland as a health visitor.

She said:“Mothers may be thinking about breastfeeding and want a bit of help to make up their minds. Coming to one of our drop-in groups, while they are pregnant, can help them see what it is really like and they get the chance to ask other mums the big questions that have been bothering them.”

You can read more about this at: http://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/2010/07/27/new-mothers-offered-extra-help-with-breastfeeding

For your breastfeeding aids don’t forget to look on The Natural Nursery website.

A new study conducted Wilkinet has shown that mothers who were breastfed themselves as a baby are more than twice as likely to breastfeed their own babies.

Another key influence seems to be the use of a baby carrier or baby sling: the study showed that 51% of mothers who carried their baby, breastfed exclusively.

You can read more about this study on our website – http://www.naturalnursery.co.uk/Babies-born-in-2010-can-thank-Grandma-for-being-Breastfed-16-w.asp

We would love to hear from mothers who found that using a baby sling helped them to breastfeed – you can post a comment here or email us at info@naturalnursery.co.uk.

We will pop a little thank you in the post to the most inspiring story next week.

I am very excited to be featured as a Mumpreneur on the Family Friendly Working site.  It is such an honour to have been choosen, thank you Caroline and Antonia.

You can learn all about how we first set up and the inspiration behind our pro-breastfeeding stance here at The Natural Nursery.

And don’t forget, our special discount code for Breastfeeding Awareness Week – BAW2010 – which will give you 10% off all breastfeeding products such as breastpumps, sterilisers, pro-breastfeeding clothing, nursing pads and nursing bras.

As it is breastfeeding week this customer review for the Medela Swing Electric Pump is a perfect review for us to share with you:

We bought this pump in the first week of our baby’s life after he was diagnosed with severe jaundice. Because of his condition we had to top up after breastfeeding with formula- something we hadn’t  intended to do! Once our sons condition had improved we were able to top up with expressed breast milk using this pump and I am now back to 100% breastfeeding. It was a complete life saver!
I would recommend this pump to anyone, its natural sucking rhythm and adjustable strength of suck is really gentle, even for a first time mum like me! I didn’t find it painful to use.

It’s easy to get started and can be battery powered or powered on mains electric. Most importantly it gave us the opportunity to feed our son in the way we wanted to against the odds.

Remeber as it is breastfeeding awareness week, we are offering 10% discount on all our breastfeeding related products. So go into the website and have a look www.naturalnursery.co.uk

This is a great review of a Widgey Nursing Pillow:

Having breastfed my first son without a proper nursing pillow, I wasn’t sure what all the fuss was about. But I knew that I needed a caesarean for my second son, and everyone I spoke to said that a nursing pillow was essential after a caesarean. Many other mums recommended the Widgey to me.
They were right. This is a wonderful product. It is lovely and firm and means that I don’t have to lean over to feed. It curves round my waist nicely without pressing down just the right amount of stuffing to make sure that it can curve round all different sizes of mums.

I’m pretty much recovered now, but I still use my Widgey because it makes feeding so much more comfortable and has stopped me getting backache this time around. and it has
I also use the pillow for propping up my son for sitting because he can’t quite sit up on his own yet. He loves this because he can see what we’re all doing and doesn’t get bored – especially useful when we’re all trying to get dressed in the morning.

We have the design with the cows and my youngest likes looking at the cows and smiling at them.
My toddler son also likes to use it to lounge on when sitting / lying on the floor.
All in all, a great buy and far more useful than I ever thought it would be when I first bought it. Great product.

Don’t forget our free postage offer on all standard UK orders, which ends on 20/06/10

This is another customer who has been kind enough to review a product for us, this time it was the Medela Supplemental Nursing System:

I bought an SNS when it was clear that I had nursing supply issues. I used it to give my son his supplement from 3 weeks, until we recently stopped supplementing at 8.5 months (we are still breastfeeding). I honestly don’t think I would still be breastfeeding if it wasn’t for the SNS. I found it easy to use and straight forward, and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.

In celebration of Breastfeeding Awareness Week next week, I thought I would share my nursing story.
 
When I was pregnant with my daughter, I knew that I wanted to breastfeed – I had done lots of research and I knew that it was the best start for my baby and would provide additional health benefits for me too.
 
I had read that it was the most natural thing in the world and seen many friends and family nursing their babies and it seemed a wonderful experience for both mother and baby.
 
What I hadn’t expected was how difficult it would be to start.
 
My daughter simply didn’t want to nurse, she just wanted to sleep.  For 4 days solid.  No matter what the midwives did or said, she simply would not latch on.
 
I spent many miserable hours sitting in an over-heated hospital ward frantically pumping away and waking the poor protesting baby to try nursing her again or force spoonfuls of my laboriously produced colostrum into her fast shut mouth, all to no avail.
 
We must have been poked and pulled by a dozen different midwives, all very well meaning, but all telling me something different.  In the end we were both so upset, tired and emotional that we just sat in our cubical and cried for 3 hours.
 
After 3 days, I discharged both of us, against doctors’ orders as she had lost some weight and wasn’t yet feeding, but I was getting increasing pressure to give a bottle and I knew that once we started down that route, it would be even harder to establish breastfeeding.
 
Almost as soon as we got home, my baby woke up and was hungry and I was able to latch her on.  It wasn’t very easy and it was very painful but we were nursing!
 
It took several weeks and lots of support before we were both truly comfortable, (plus several packs of nipple shields and tubes of nipple cream) but we got through it and nursed until she self-weaned at 14 months.
 
My advice if you are facing similar issues:
 
Keep going, it WILL get easier but

GET HELP and I mean help from a lactation consultant not a midwife or health visitor.  No disrespect to midwives and health visitors but I found the support and information from my lactation consultant to be invaluable.

Useful links to get help:
http://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/supporterline.html
http://www.nct.org.uk/info-centre/getting-help/helplines
http://www.laleche.org.uk/pages/about/helpline.htm
http://www.abm.me.uk/

Some of our customers and others have very kindly sent us reviews of some of our products. This one that we would like to share with you is for Medela Washable Breastpads (pack of 4):

I tried all the major disposable breast pads available, before deciding to try washables. Unfortunately my first set (a budget variety) were itchy, uncomfortable and didn’t absorb much. I thought I’d try the Medela Pads as I was pleased with the Medela pump I had.

The pads looked much nicer and more feminine than the others I’d tried. They are very absorbent, despite very frequent washings. They stand up to tumble drying well too. I certainly wouldn’t use any other type of breast pad now I’ve tried these.

Don’t forget you can use our current discount code which is : FRIEND

Choosing an electric breast pump when your baby isn’t even born yet can feel daunting. However, having it handy may turn out to be a great help if breastfeeding isn’t going as smoothly as anticipated in the first few weeks.

Using an electric breast pump can help new mums avoid engorgement or mastitis. The first thing to check is that your baby is latched on well. This is essential to stimulate lactation, avoid sore nipples and ensure your new baby is getting all the milk he needs. Your first point of call should be your midwife, your health visitor, a local breastfeeding support group, or a breastfeeding counsellor. Expressing breast milk manually or with a manual or electric breast pump will allow you to ‘empty’ the breast, thereby reducing the risk of engorgement.

An electric breast pump is also useful for new mums who are trying to increase their lactation. There can be many reasons why lactation isn’t starting off as desired. Expressing breast milk can help you get things started, or maintain your lactation if you happen to be separated from your baby for a few hours or days.

Mums of pre-term babies or babies with a low birth weight find that a double electric breast pump allows them to start breastfeeding their babies with a cup or a tube before breastfeeding is properly established. In those cases, breast milk helps babies gain weight faster.

We have selected breast pumps that are easy to put together and easy to use. The last thing you need when you are a busy mum is to take out the instruction leaflet every time you need your electric breast pump. Or worse, finding out that the suction isn’t working because you forgot a piece. The breastpumps at Natural Nursery have been selected for breastfeeding mothers who need an electric breast pump that works easily and efficiently and generally makes their lives easier.

Magazines upon magazines present pregnant mums with a long shopping list for the new baby. While you may not need everything on the list, choosing the new baby’s essential buys carefully can make your life much easier. So what do you truly need for a new baby?

A baby sling is in the opinion of mums who have tried one, the most essential buy for a new mum (and dad!). Newborns need to be held for the first few months of their lives and carrying them is often the most convenient to go places or get anything done around the house. A well made baby sling allows parents to carry their baby comfortably, have their hands free and provide the child with the attention he needs.

A well fitted breastfeeding bra. There may be no need to buy a maternity bra and a breastfeeding bra. Most breastfeeding bras can be worn during pregnancy. The wide straps and soft fabric provide optimum support during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. A good quality breastfeeding bra will be durable and good value. Breastfeeding bras are now available in gorgeous designs and colours.

A nursing pillow may not seem like an obvious essential buy but it provides pregnant and breastfeeding mums the support they need. A nursing pillow can be used during pregnancy to sit or sleep more comfortably. Once the baby is born, it can be used to support the baby’s weight during breastfeeding or bottle feeding. When baby is about to sit unaided, the breastfeeding pillow can be placed behind the child’s back.

It may seem trivial to mention breast pads but any new mum knows that leaky breasts can make a mum feel very self-conscious. Choosing good quality breast pads – either disposable or reusable – and buying plenty is essential.

Before baby is born, it is wise to stock up on healthy snacks. The first few weeks as a new mum are exhilarating but can also be exhausting. Healthy, hearty meals are a good way to sustain energy levels. Babies seem to have a sixth sense to need a feed right when mum was about to eat her own meal, so healthy snacks will be handy.

We’d love to hear from you. What were the essentials you used for your new baby?