Meeting Summaries

We welcomed 11 lovely mums to the Methodist Church Hall in Soham yesterday, with little ones aged between 4 weeks and 3 years. The children played around us as we chatted and mothered at the same time.

It was a really busy meeting with lots of sharing at the start and more one-to-one time with Leaders Caitriona and Abi after the group chat. Some of the topics that came up were:

💙 Too much milk, fast flow and green nappies

💙 Siblings managing when a new baby comes along and parental feelings of guilt

💙 Distractible babies - especially around 8-9 months

💙 Four month fussies

💙 Returning to work

💙 Moving from triple feeding (breastfeeding, pumping, topping up) to just breastfeeding directly

💙 Combi-feeding

💙 Feeding beyond 2yrs - what might natural weaning look like?

Book recommendations:

📘 The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding (we decided it could be renamed: How to breastfeed from start to finish, with troubleshooting!)

📘 Siblings without rivalry

📘 Making more milk

If you'd like to read more about those topics, see the comments for links to relevant articles.

See you in a month on November 16th for more free and friendly mother-to-mother breastfeeding support, encouragement and information. If you’d like to be added to our email list for updates about meeting dates and booking opening, see the link in comments.

LLLove,

Caitriona

LLL Leader

Open this comment to see all the relevant links about today’s topics!

Joining LLLGB as a member helps to keep our charity going, it goes towards the website, the helpline, our insurance and a portion goes to our local group. It is a donation of £2.50/month or £30/year and you get a bimonthly copy of our members’ magazine, Breastfeeding Matters, plus if you attend our meetings and join as a member you can join our local members’ facebook group, ‘Feeling the LLLove in East Cambridgeshire’. https://www.laleche.org.uk/join/

Sign up to receive emails about our breastfeeding support meetings here: https://llleastcambs.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=12432488f0e0372e1109033ea&id=c0c292a021

Register for our next meeting here (date tbc at the moment): https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/meetings/booking-form-for-meetings

You can borrow books from our group library based in Soham, just have a look at the selection of books on our website and then get in touch to ask if you’d like to borrow anything: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/library

Here's an article that tells you some of the fantastic stuff that continues to be in breastmilk and what percentage of toddlers' recommended daily allowance it makes up: https://www.laleche.org.uk/the-goodness-goes-on/.

Fussy babies: https://kellymom.com/parenting/parenting-faq/fussybaby/

Fussy evenings with a newborn: https://www.laleche.org.uk/fussy-evenings-with-a-newborn/

Working and breastfeeding https://www.laleche.org.uk/working-and-breastfeeding/

Little ones and food: https://www.laleche.org.uk/toddlers-and-food/

Gassy babies: what’s normal? https://www.carolsmyth.co.uk/breastfeeding-resources/posts/2019/october/why-are-babies-so-gassy-how-much-is-normal-and-how-much-is-a-problem/

How to increase your milk supply: https://www.laleche.org.uk/how-to-increase-your-milk-supply/ and https://breastfeeding.support/how-to-make-more-breast-milk/

Green poo: https://breastfeeding.support/why-is-my-babys-poop-green/ and https://www.laleche.org.uk/whats-in-a-nappy/

Too much milk: https://www.laleche.org.uk/too-much-milk-and-oversupply/ and

https://breastfeeding.support/oversupply-breast-milk/ (this includes a paragraph about the breast milkshake to mix the fat back in if it’s stuck to the ducts).

Supplementing breastfeeding: https://www.laleche.org.uk/formula-supplements/

Bottles and other ways of giving extra milk: https://www.laleche.org.uk/bottles-and-other-tools/

A lovely article about breastfeeding in Mongolia - really normalises breastfeeding beyond babyhood and is full of joy https://www.naturalchild.org/articles/guest/ruth_kamnitzer.html

Goodness goes on, breastfeeding beyond babyhood: https://www.laleche.org.uk/the-goodness-goes-on/

Second child: https://www.laleche.org.uk/the-birth-of-my-second-child/

Distractible baby: https://kellymom.com/ages/older-infant/distractible-baby/

8-10 month babies: https://sarahockwell-smith.com/2015/11/18/what-the-heck-goes-wrong-sleep-wise-at-8-10-months/ (not an LLL website but a helpful article)

Decreasing supplements: https://kellymom.com/ages/newborn/nb-challenges/decrease-formula/

Four month fussies: https://www.laleche.org.uk/what-happens-at-four-months/

Giving extra milk at the breast: https://www.laleche.org.uk/breastfeeding-with-a-nursing-supplementer/ and https://breastfeeding.support/homemade-supplemental-nursing-system/

Working and breastfeeding: https://www.laleche.org.uk/working-and-breastfeeding

We welcomed 10 lovely mums to the Methodist Church Hall in Soham today, with little ones aged between 10 weeks and 6 years. The children played around us as we chatted and mothered at the same time.

As ever, the meeting discussion revolved around what was going on for the mums who came.

Today we talked about:

💙 Lopsided boobs/supply.

💙 How to get more sleep (one suggestion was co-sleeping just in the morning).

💙 Returning to work - how breastfeeding might look around work.

💙 Babies fussing at the breast.

💙 Breastfed babies who are taking to solid food very slowly.

Book recommendations:

📘 Sweet Sleep by LLLI

📘 My Child Won’t Eat by Carlos Gonzalez

If you'd like to read more about those topics, see the comments for links to relevant articles.

See you soon for more free and friendly mother-to-mother breastfeeding support, encouragement and information. Date to be confirmed. If you’d like to be added to our email list, see the link in comments.

LLLove,

Caitriona

LLL Leader

Open this comment to see all the relevant links about today’s topics!

Joining LLLGB as a member helps to keep our charity going, it goes towards the website, the helpline, our insurance and a portion goes to our local group. It is a donation of £2.50/month or £30/year and you get a bimonthly copy of our members’ magazine, Breastfeeding Matters, plus if you attend our meetings and join as a member you can join our local members’ facebook group, ‘Feeling the LLLove in East Cambridgeshire’. https://www.laleche.org.uk/join/

Sign up to receive emails about our breastfeeding support meetings here: https://llleastcambs.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=12432488f0e0372e1109033ea&id=c0c292a021

Register for our next meeting here (date tbc at the moment): https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/meetings/booking-form-for-meetings

You can borrow books from our group library based in Soham, just have a look at the selection of books on our website and then get in touch to ask if you’d like to borrow anything: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/library

Lopsided: https://kellymom.com/bf/got-milk/lopsided/

Breastfeeding at night: https://www.laleche.org.uk/breastfeeding-at-night/

Safe sleep: https://www.laleche.org.uk/safe-sleep-the-breastfed-baby/ and https://www.llli.org/the-safe-sleep-seven/

Here's an article that tells you some of the fantastic stuff that continues to be in breastmilk and what percentage of toddlers' recommended daily allowance it makes up: https://www.laleche.org.uk/the-goodness-goes-on/.

Fussy babies: https://kellymom.com/parenting/parenting-faq/fussybaby/

Fussy evenings with a newborn: https://www.laleche.org.uk/fussy-evenings-with-a-newborn/

Working and breastfeeding https://www.laleche.org.uk/working-and-breastfeeding/

Little ones and food: https://www.laleche.org.uk/toddlers-and-food/

We had a REAL LIFE LLL MEETING! And it was sooooo lovely!!

This morning I made some oaty banana traybake, then trundled down the lane with the wagon full of our library books, drinks and snacks, leaflets, my turquoise knitted boob and everything else that was needed to make an LLL meeting go smoothly. Oh yes, drawing things and toys to keep my little ones occupied!

We welcomed 11 lovely mums to the Methodist Church Hall in Soham, with little ones aged between 6 weeks and 6 years. The children played around us as we chatted and mothered at the same time. It was joyful, noisy chaos!

As ever, the meeting discussion revolved around what was going on for the mums who came.

Today we talked about:

💙 Normal newborn nighttime needs.

💙 Safe sleep - including risk assessing your family’s individual situation to figure out if cosleeping would be safe for your family.

💙 Frothy poo (tip - try the breastmilk shake!)

💙 What kind of things partners can do to support us whilst we’re breastfeeding.

💙 How long is too long for a baby to sleep at night? (Hint: It depends on lots of things!)

💙 Pumping at work - when can baby go without breastmilk and be ok with just food and water during childcare?

💙 Breastfeeding beyond babyhood - figuring out what feels right for us and our little ones.

If you'd like to read more about those topics, see the comments for links to relevant articles.

See you soon for more free and friendly mother-to-mother breastfeeding support, encouragement and information. Date to be confirmed. If you’d like to be added to our email list, see the link in comments.

LLLove,

Caitriona

LLL Leader

Co-leading LLL East Cambridgeshire with the lovely Abi who is now on maternity leave but who came along today as a ‘social’ Leader :D

Open this comment to see all the relevant links about today’s topics!

Joining LLLGB as a member helps to keep our charity going, it goes towards the website, the helpline, our insurance and a portion goes to our local group. It is a donation of £2.50/month or £30/year and you get a bimonthly copy of our members’ magazine, Breastfeeding Matters, plus if you attend our meetings and join as a member you can join our local members’ facebook group, ‘Feeling the LLLove in East Cambridgeshire’. https://www.laleche.org.uk/join/

Sign up to receive emails about our breastfeeding support meetings here: https://llleastcambs.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=12432488f0e0372e1109033ea&id=c0c292a021

Register for our next meeting here (date tbc at the moment): https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/meetings/booking-form-for-meetings

You can borrow books from our group library based in Soham, just have a look at the selection of books on our website and then get in touch to ask if you’d like to borrow anything: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/library

An interesting read about why babies are so gassy https://www.carolsmyth.co.uk/breastfeeding-resources/posts/2019/october/why-are-babies-so-gassy-how-much-is-normal-and-how-much-is-a-problem/

Safe sleep: https://www.laleche.org.uk/safe-sleep-the-breastfed-baby/ and https://www.llli.org/the-safe-sleep-seven/

Here's an article that tells you some of the fantastic stuff that continues to be in breastmilk and what percentage of toddlers' recommended daily allowance it makes up: https://www.laleche.org.uk/the-goodness-goes-on/.

Still nursing? https://www.laleche.org.uk/still-nursing/

Breastfeeding & Normal Baby Behaviours in an Abnormal Society

https://www.carolsmyth.co.uk/breastfeeding-resources/posts/2020/august/breastfeeding-normal-baby-behaviours-in-an-abnormal-society/ (not an LLL website, but an IBCLC who is an LLL Leader authors it)

Fussy evenings with a newborn: https://www.laleche.org.uk/fussy-evenings-with-a-newborn/

Baby’s poo: https://www.llli.org/babys-poop/#:~:text=Frothy%2C%20plentiful%20green%20poops%20can,as%20much%20weight%20as%20expected.

Working and breastfeeding https://www.laleche.org.uk/working-and-breastfeeding/

One for your partner to read - supporting a breastfeeding mother: https://www.laleche.org.uk/supporting-a-breastfeeding-mother/

We welcomed 4 mums to our free and friendly breastfeeding support meeting today, with little ones from 12 days to 3 years. As ever, the meeting discussion revolved around what was going on for the mums who came.

Today we talked about:

💙 Early weeks of breastfeeding

💙 Painful nipples - healing

💙 Painful nipples - preventing

💙 Breastfeeding positions including laid back feeding and koala hold

💙 Tongue tie and who is qualified to diagnose (spoiler alert: only a tongue tie practitioner)

And we also enjoyed the chaos of children running around us and joining in with the Zoom :D

If you'd like to read more about those topics, see the comments for links to relevant articles.

See you soon for more free and friendly mother-to-mother breastfeeding support, encouragement and information. Date and format (i.e. Zoom or face-to-face) to be confirmed. If you’d like to be added to our email list, see the link in comments.

LLLove,

Caitriona

LLL Leader

Co-leading LLL East Cambridgeshire with the lovely Abi who is now on maternity leave

Joining LLLGB as a member helps to keep our charity going, it goes towards the website, the helpline, our insurance and a portion goes to our local group. It is a donation of £2.50/month or £30/year and you get a bimonthly copy of our members’ magazine, Breastfeeding Matters, plus if you attend our meetings and join as a member you can join our local members’ facebook group, ‘Feeling the LLLove in East Cambridgeshire’. https://www.laleche.org.uk/join/

Sign up to receive emails about our breastfeeding support meetings here: https://llleastcambs.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=12432488f0e0372e1109033ea&id=c0c292a021

Register for our next meeting here (date tbc at the moment): https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/meetings/booking-form-for-meetings

You can borrow books from our group library based in Soham, just have a look at the selection of books on our website and then get in touch to ask if you’d like to borrow anything: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/library

An interesting read about why babies are so gassy https://www.carolsmyth.co.uk/breastfeeding-resources/posts/2019/october/why-are-babies-so-gassy-how-much-is-normal-and-how-much-is-a-problem/

https://www.laleche.org.uk/beginning-breastfeeding/

https://www.laleche.org.uk/nipple-pain/

https://breastfeeding.support/treatments-sore-nipples/

https://breastfeeding.support/causes-of-sore-nipples/

https://www.laleche.org.uk/tongue-tie/

https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/videos

Videos of breastfeeding positions including Koala and Flipple https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/videos

Tongue tie info: https://docs.google.com/document/d/17LwXpxEgog-MECrgHn_4XMTktg6-nwlLZIVDQ3aekaQ/edit?usp=sharing

We welcomed 4 mums to our free and friendly breastfeeding support meeting today, with little ones from 7.5 months to 3 years. As ever, the meeting discussion revolved around what was going on for the mums who came.

Today we talked about:

💙 Returning to work, thinking about choices around that, what our options are

💙 Leaving baby - what can help to make the transition easier

💙 Who to leave your child with and pros and cons of different options

💙 Having a newborn - remembering the intensity, thinking about what can help when you have a newborn that needs to fit in with the pattern of family life (a sling was mentioned).

If you'd like to read more about those topics, see the comments for links to relevant articles.

See you soon for more free and friendly mother-to-mother breastfeeding support, encouragement and information. Date to be confirmed. If you’d like to be added to our email list

LLLove,

Abi and Caitriona

LLL Leaders

Co-leading LLL East Cambridgeshire

Open this comment to see all the relevant links about today’s topics!

Joining LLLGB as a member helps to keep our charity going, it goes towards the website, the helpline, our insurance and a portion goes to our local group. It is a donation of £2.50/month or £30/year and you get a bimonthly copy of our members’ magazine, Breastfeeding Matters, plus if you attend our meetings and join as a member you can join our local members’ facebook group, ‘Feeling the LLLove in East Cambridgeshire’. https://www.laleche.org.uk/join/

Sign up to receive emails about our breastfeeding support meetings here: https://llleastcambs.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=12432488f0e0372e1109033ea&id=c0c292a021

Register for our next meeting here (date tbc at the moment): https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/meetings/booking-form-for-meetings

You can borrow books from our group library based in Soham, just have a look at the selection of books on our website and then get in touch to ask if you’d like to borrow anything: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/library

https://www.laleche.org.uk/accommodating-breastfeeding-return-work/

https://www.laleche.org.uk/my-journey-to-returning-to-work/

https://www.laleche.org.uk/working-and-breastfeeding/

https://www.laleche.org.uk/beginning-breastfeeding/

https://www.laleche.org.uk/adjusting-to-motherhood/

We welcomed 5 mums to our free and friendly breastfeeding support meeting today, with little ones from 6.5 months to 3 years! As ever, the meeting discussion revolved around what was going on for the mums who came.

Today we talked about:

💙 Distractible babies, the phases they go through - feelings of rejection when your little one is suddenly more interested in the outside world!

💙 When baby bites - different reasons for biting and the many ways mums teach their babies to go back to feeding without biting.

💙 Sleep at 8-10 months?! We talked about how mums coped with the extra lack of sleep. Then we thought about the world from a baby’s point of view and that put a positive spin on the extra nighttime parenting we do at this stage.

💙 Starting your weaning journey (stopping breastfeeding)

💙 The way our days and weeks look as restrictions are lifted, meeting friends and family and the feelings that can come with that.

If you'd like to read more about those topics, see the comments for links to relevant articles.

See you soon for more free and friendly mother-to-mother breastfeeding support, encouragement and information. Date to be confirmed.

LLLove,

Abi and Caitriona

LLL Leaders

Co-leading LLL East Cambridgeshire

Joining LLLGB as a member helps to keep our charity going, it goes towards the website, the helpline, our insurance and a portion goes to our local group. It is a donation of £2.50/month or £30/year and you get a bimonthly copy of our members’ magazine, Breastfeeding Matters, plus if you attend our meetings and join as a member you can join our local members’ facebook group, ‘Feeling the LLLove in East Cambridgeshire’. https://www.laleche.org.uk/join/

Register for our next meeting here: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/.../booking-form-for...

You can borrow books from our group library based in Soham, just have a look at the selection of books on our website and then get in touch to ask if you’d like to borrow anything: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/library

For when baby might be teething: https://www.laleche.org.uk/breastfeeding-and-teething/

Distractible baby: https://kellymom.com/ages/older-infant/distractible-baby/

For ideas on when baby bites: https://www.laleche.org.uk/help-baby-bit/

For when sleep seems to go 'wrong' around 8 - 10 months: https://sarahockwell-smith.com/.../what-the-heck-goes.../

For ideas around weaning: https://www.laleche.org.uk/thinking-of-weaning

Today we welcomed eight families to our Beyond Babyhood Zoom meeting, with nurslings ages ranging from 15 months to 4 years. As ever, the meeting discussion revolved around what was going on for the mums who came.

Today we talked about:

💙 Nipple twiddling, setting boundaries and saying no with love. Teaching our children about bodily autonomy and consent at a young age sets the tone for them to treat others’ bodies with respect as they grow (and to expect others to treat their body with respect). We don’t have to have the same rule (of nipple twiddling being allowed or not allowed) everyday, we just need to teach our children to ask permission each time and expect a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response.

💙 Balancing our own needs with our children’s, at some point our babies grow into their own little separate beings and our own needs start to separate from theirs a bit more. It’s ok to meet our needs and sometimes that means someone else feels disappointed - everyone is allowed to feel their feelings.

💙 Sometimes our own health gets put at the bottom of the pile (another item on the life admin to-do list), it takes energy to consciously give attention to our own health, but our own health is just as important as ever other member of the family, we are worth looking after.

💙 Leaving your little one with their other parent at bedtime to go out for dinner with friends - how that can feel for you, for them, how it could look, how partners could help little one fall asleep. Also we talked about how going out for brunch or lunch can sometimes be a nice way to get the best of both worlds - the fun outing without the stress of preparation/thinking it all through.

💙 Antenatal expression of colostrum for second baby.

💙 How breastfeeding an older child can look after a new baby arrives, sometimes the older child may become interested in nursing more frequently, sometimes the older child may view the milk as being just for the baby. There’s no way of knowing how it will go and trusting that you’ll figure it out when the time comes can be reassuring.

💙 Periods and breastfeeding - sometimes periods can be irregular when they return. We talked about the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility as having helpful information about signs of fertility and how breastfeeding can interact with that.

Book recommendations

📘Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler

📘Adventures in Tandem Nursing

📘Adventures in Gentle Discipline

See comments for links to further reading about some of those topics.

We’ll be back in a fortnight for an All Ages meeting (which totally includes breastfeeding beyond babyhood too!), so please do sign up with plenty of time :)

LLLove,

Abi and Caitriona

LLL Leaders

Co-Leading LLL East Cambridgeshire

Open this comment to see all the relevant links about today’s topics!

Joining LLLGB as a member helps to keep our charity going, it goes towards the website, the helpline, our insurance and a portion goes to our local group. It is a donation of £2.50/month or £30/year and you get a bimonthly copy of our members’ magazine, Breastfeeding Matters, plus if you attend our meetings and join as a member you can join our local members’ facebook group, ‘Feeling the LLLove in East Cambridgeshire’. https://www.laleche.org.uk/join/

Register for our next meeting here: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/meetings/booking-form-for-meetings (booking not open yet, but use this link once it is).

You can borrow books from our group library based in Soham, just have a look at the selection of books on our website and then get in touch to ask if you’d like to borrow anything: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/library

You can find out more about membership and supporting us in various ways here: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/support-us

Setting limits whilst breastfeeding: https://www.llli.org/setting-limits-when-breastfeeding/

Nursing manners: https://kellymom.com/ages/older-infant/nursing-manners-2/

Blog by a mum who expressed antenatally (not an LLL resource): https://antenatal-expressing-colostrum.blogspot.com/?fbclid=IwAR36vAr3nCOKaoNkLIjqIuoz0cVQ2U-x1W86w5flr3mNEpFp0XP0upGrLO4

Antenatal Expression of Colostrum: https://www.laleche.org.uk/antenatal-expression-of-colostrum/

Fertility whilst breastfeeding: https://www.llli.org/breastfeeding-info/fertility/

Can you get pregnant whilst breastfeeding? (non LLL resource but author is an LLL Leader and IBCLC) https://breastfeeding.support/can-you-get-pregnant-while-breastfeeding/

Book review of Taking Charge of Your Fertility: https://breastfeeding.support/taking-charge-of-your-fertility/

How to get pregnant whilst breastfeeding (I cannot recommend the rest of this website, but this article is useful): https://www.thealphaparent.com/how-to-get-pregnant-whilst-breastfeeding/

We welcomed 8 mums to our free and friendly breastfeeding support meeting today, with little ones from 16 days to 3 years. As ever, the meeting discussion revolved around what was going on for the mums who came.

Today we talked about:

💙 Normal newborn behaviour - fussy evenings and long nights

💙 Breastfeeding in the night - sleeping arrangements that work for the different families who attended the meeting

💙 Safe Sleep 7

💙 Some helpful videos on comfortable breastfeeding (getting a deep latch) One mum mentioned a very simple tip of going back to skin to skin as a really helpful technique to get comfy.

💙 Vitamins, what our babies need and what has worked for the mums who were here today. Some different options for vitamin D supplementation! Information in the links

💙 Seeing food in baby’s vomit can be scary! We decided a one-off vomit with no other symptoms is not a reason to try and change the way we do things

💙 Biting at the end of a feed during teething. Teething can seem to go on and on. Some tips from mums were: hold baby closer to stop them feeling like the breast is slipping away, creative ways to delatch, talking to your baby when things are going right

💙The importance of listening to your intuition and following what feels right for you and your baby

📘 The book recommended by a few mums today was Safe Sleep, available to borrow from our library in Soham, please get in touch if you’d like to read it!

If you'd like to read more about those topics, see the comments for links to relevant articles.

See you soon for more free and friendly mother-to-mother breastfeeding support, encouragement and information, the next meeting is for those breastfeeding Beyond Babyhood on 11th May, then the next all-ages meeting is on 25th May.

LLLove,

Abi and Caitriona

LLL Leaders

Co-leading LLL East Cambridgeshire

Open this comment to see all the relevant links about today’s topics!

Joining LLLGB as a member helps to keep our charity going, it goes towards the website, the helpline, our insurance and a portion goes to our local group. It is a donation of £2.50/month or £30/year and you get a bimonthly copy of our members’ magazine, Breastfeeding Matters, plus if you attend our meetings and join as a member you can join our local members’ facebook group, ‘Feeling the LLLove in East Cambridgeshire’. https://www.laleche.org.uk/join/

Register for our next meeting here: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/meetings/booking-form-for-meetings

You can borrow books from our group library based in Soham, just have a look at the selection of books on our website and then get in touch to ask if you’d like to borrow anything: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/library

On a comfortable latch/ comfortable breastfeeding: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/videos

On biting: https://kellymom.com/ages/older-infant/biting/

https://www.laleche.org.uk/help-baby-bit/

On vitamins: https://kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/vitamins/

On safe sleep: https://www.laleche.org.uk/safe-sleep-the-breastfed-baby/

On fussy evenings/periods: https://www.laleche.org.uk/fussy-evenings-with-a-newborn/

On breastfeeding at night: https://www.laleche.org.uk/breastfeeding-at-night/

We welcomed 9 mums to our free and friendly breastfeeding support meeting today, with little ones from 15 weeks to 2 years 11 months 😊 As ever, the meeting discussion revolved around what was going on for the mums who came.

Today we talked about:

💙 Starting complementary foods - how does it interact with breastfeeding relationship?

💙 Protecting breastfeeding when top ups are necessary. Mums shared their experiences and ideas, including using an at-breast nursing supplementer to help baby take their extra milk at the breast. (see some of the links in the comments)

💙 Feeling overwhelmed with life in general! The many plates we spin as mothers can be exhausting. Lockdown easing can add to this.

💙 Breastfeeding agitation or aversion. When breastfeeding sucks for mum there are many layers of feelings around this but also some possible solutions! Mums shared experiences and ideas. (see some of the links in the comments)

💙 Feeding beyond babyhood and how it is a two way relationship.

💙 Breastfeeding at night, or not, and how it doesn’t have to be all or nothing, it can be a conversational experience.

Book recommendations:

📘 Why Starting Solids Matters

📘 Baby Led Weaning

📘 When Breastfeeding Sucks

If you'd like to read more about those topics, see the comments for links to relevant articles and if you’d like to borrow any of those books let us know.

See you soon for more free and friendly mother-to-mother breastfeeding support, encouragement and information, the next meeting is in two weeks on 27th April.

LLLove,

Abi and Caitriona

LLL Leaders

Co-leading LLL East Cambridgeshire

Open this comment to see all the relevant links about today’s topics!

Joining LLLGB as a member helps to keep our charity going, it goes towards the website, the helpline, our insurance and a portion goes to our local group. It is a donation of £2.50/month or £30/year and you get a bimonthly copy of our members’ magazine, Breastfeeding Matters, plus if you attend our meetings and join as a member you can join our local members’ facebook group, ‘Feeling the LLLove in East Cambridgeshire’. https://www.laleche.org.uk/join/

Register for our next meeting here: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/meetings/booking-form-for-meetings (booking not open yet, but use this link once it is).

You can borrow books from our group library based in Soham, just have a look at the selection of books on our website and then get in touch to ask if you’d like to borrow anything: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/library

You can find out more about membership and supporting us in various ways here: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/support-us

Starting complementary foods: https://www.laleche.org.uk/starting-solid-food/

Books in our library about starting complementary foods: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/library/starting-solids

Info about starting solids from first steps nutrition:

https://www.firststepsnutrition.org/eating-well-infants-new-mums

How to talk to people who think you should do things differently: https://www.laleche.org.uk/dealing-with-criticism/

Getting baby back to breastfeeding: https://breastfeeding.support/how-to-get-baby-back-to-breast/

Similar information but a section on ‘coaxing baby to the breast’ has some suggestions there too https://kellymom.com/ages/newborn/nb-challenges/back-to-breast/

Breastfeeding with a nursing supplementer (this is a way to feed supplemental milk at the breast so baby has to breastfeed to get the supplemental milk): https://www.laleche.org.uk/breastfeeding-with-a-nursing-supplementer/

Different ways to feed a baby supplemental milk: https://www.laleche.org.uk/bottles-and-other-tools/

Using formula: https://www.laleche.org.uk/formula-supplements/

Decreasing formula: https://kellymom.com/ages/newborn/nb-challenges/decrease-formula/

When you aren’t enjoying breastfeeding: https://www.laleche.org.uk/dont-enjoy-breastfeeding/

Supplements that can help with aversion can include magnesium and calcium and evening primrose oil: https://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/herbs/natural-treatments/

All the general info that kellymom has on aversion and agitation https://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mother/breastfeeding-nursing-aversion-agitation-baa/

Website by Zeinab Yate, author of When Breastfeeding Sucks: https://www.breastfeedingaversion.com/

Breastfeeding and teething: https://www.laleche.org.uk/breastfeeding-and-teething/

Breastfeeding at night - includes night weaning: https://www.laleche.org.uk/breastfeeding-at-night/

Breastfeeding beyond a year https://www.laleche.org.uk/breastfeeding-beyond-a-year/

We welcomed 5 mums to our free and friendly breastfeeding support meeting today, with little ones from 2 weeks to 2 years and 11 months! As ever, the meeting discussion revolved around what was going on for the mums who came.

Today we talked about:

💙 When babies have rashes. The frustration of investigating and figuring out all the different possible causes (we shared ideas and experiences, no medical advice given, please seek help from your GP about baby rashes).

💙 How to follow baby’s queues when starting complementary feeding. Sometimes our babies really shock us by wanting so much solid food! Sometimes mums find it helpful to remember ‘food before one is just for fun’ to reassure us that they don’t have to eat solids if they’re not interested. Also, we can change what we offer if baby is struggling to pass stools after starting solids.

💙 Taking each day as it comes with a new baby.

💙 Breast shaping and aiming your nipple to the top of baby’s mouth can help with comfortable and effective breastfeeding.

💙 Weaning from formula supplements and getting breastfeeding on track after a difficult start. The three keeps help some mums: Keep your baby fed, Keep your baby close and Keep your milk flowing.

💙 Expressing in the early days and weeks. For some mums, pumping is necessary to build supply when baby is not breastfeeding effectively. It can be a time consuming task. It is so individual for all families. Mothers shared their own experiences and our Leaders shared some up-to-date research based information on expressing.

💙 Lots of tips from mums in the meeting on pumping. When pumping to build supply it makes a difference which pump you are using. Hospital grade double electric pumps are quicker than hand pumps or single pumps. Many hospitals have them to hire. A sock over the pump bottle can help reduce stress around yield. Pumping for supply is more about sending signals to your breasts about how the milk is needed.

💙 Sleep. What is normal infant sleep? See our links for more information! Sleep is a huge topic for babies of all ages and us adults too! Baby and children’s sleep patterns are so changeable and can cause us stress. Around one year many mums find their babies will breastfeed more in the night and this can be because they are so busy in the day. This can be reassuring when you’re exhausted.

💙 Finding the balance in the day, when your baby is sleeping can you find time to rest? Even if not sleeping, maybe laying down will serve you better.

If you'd like to read more about those topics, see the comments for links to relevant articles.

See you soon for more free and friendly mother-to-mother breastfeeding support, encouragement and information, the next meeting is in two weeks on 13th April.

LLLove,

Abi and Caitriona

LLL Leaders

Co-leading LLL East Cambridgeshire

Open this comment to see all the relevant links about today’s topics!

Joining LLLGB as a member helps to keep our charity going, it goes towards the website, the helpline, our insurance and a portion goes to our local group. It is a donation of £2.50/month or £30/year and you get a bimonthly copy of our members’ magazine, Breastfeeding Matters, plus if you attend our meetings and join as a member you can join our local members’ facebook group, ‘Feeling the LLLove in East Cambridgeshire’. https://www.laleche.org.uk/join/

Register for our next meeting here: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/meetings/booking-form-for-meetings

You can borrow books from our group library based in Soham, just have a look at the selection of books on our website and then get in touch to ask if you’d like to borrow anything: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/library

On allergies (food and otherwise) https://www.laleche.org.uk/allergies/

On weaning from formula (not LLL but a trusted source) https://kellymom.com/ages/newborn/nb-challenges/decrease-formula/

On getting breastfeeding back on track https://www.laleche.org.uk/getting-breastfeeding-on-track-after-a-difficult-start-the-3-keeps/

On when your baby needs more milk https://www.laleche.org.uk/my-baby-needs-more-milk/

On expressing, from Carol Smyth (not LLL but a trusted source) https://www.carolsmyth.co.uk/breastfeeding-resources/posts/2019/march/expressing-breastmilk-what-kind-of-pump-should-i-get/

What is normal infant sleep: the view from Anthropology (a youtube video from Durham University) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5fOogsUpIk&ab_channel=Infancy%26SleepCentre%2CDurham

Safer sleep and the breastfed baby: https://www.laleche.org.uk/safe-sleep-the-breastfed-baby/

Breastfeeding at night: https://www.laleche.org.uk/breastfeeding-at-night/

We welcomed 8 mums to our free and friendly breastfeeding support meeting today, with little ones from 2.5 months to 2.5 years and a pregnant mum 😊 As ever, the meeting discussion revolved around what was going on for the mums who came.

Today we talked about:

💙 Coping with tiredness (getting out for a walk, having your ‘evening’ in the day, lowering expectations and figuring out what is the bare minimum you’re happy with - some call it “survival mode”).

💙 Feelings after having a second baby.

💙 How partners can support us with early breastfeeding (think about those things they say during labour - you’re doing amazingly, thank you for doing this for our baby, let’s get any support you need).

💙 Emotions when babies start eating solid foods. It can feel like the first moment of separation, but we know that they will still need and love us as their mother even when they are eating food.

💙 Whether or not breastfeeding at night affects coming out of nappies at night.

💙 How naps in the day can affect bedtime and what it looks like when children start to change their sleep patterns.

💙 Language - how we talk about breastfeeding. We reflected on using the word "still", perhaps we can omit the word from the sentence... "I am breastfeeding" rather than "I am still breastfeeding", so we are not making it sound like it's going on longer than is reasonable when it's totally biologically normal to breastfeeding a toddler (just not in this WEIRD society - Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic)

Book recommendations:

📘 What Mothers Do especially when it looks like nothing by Naomi Stadlen

📘 The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding 8th Edition by LLLI

If you'd like to read more about those topics, see the comments for links to relevant articles.

See you soon for more free and friendly mother-to-mother breastfeeding support, encouragement and information, the next meeting is in two weeks on 30th March.

LLLove,

Abi and Caitriona

LLL Leaders

Co-leading LLL East Cambridgeshire

Open this comment to see all the relevant links about today’s topics!

Joining LLLGB as a member helps to keep our charity going, it goes towards the website, the helpline, our insurance and a portion goes to our local group. It is a donation of £2.50/month or £30/year and you get a bimonthly copy of our members’ magazine, Breastfeeding Matters, plus if you attend our meetings and join as a member you can join our local members’ facebook group, ‘Feeling the LLLove in East Cambridgeshire’. https://www.laleche.org.uk/join/

Register for our next meeting here: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/meetings/booking-form-for-meetings

You can borrow books from our group library based in Soham, just have a look at the selection of books on our website and then get in touch to ask if you’d like to borrow anything: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/library

Safe sleep: https://www.laleche.org.uk/safe-sleep-the-breastfed-baby/

For all the pregnant mums out there, check out our page full of things to learn about breastfeeding: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/antenatal/learn-about-breastfeeding

Rhythms and routines: https://www.laleche.org.uk/rhythms-and-routines/

Non-LLL info (LLL does not have any info about potty training), related to the question asked about breastfeeding during the night and nappies: https://www.eric.org.uk/

“Still” nursing: https://www.laleche.org.uk/still-nursing/

Supporting a breastfeeding mother (a good article to send to anyone who will be supporting you with breastfeeding): https://www.laleche.org.uk/supporting-a-breastfeeding-mother/

We welcomed 7 mums to our free and friendly breastfeeding support meeting today, with little ones from 6 weeks to 2 and 3/4 years! As ever, the meeting discussion revolved around what was going on for the mums who came.

Today we talked about:

💙 The loneliness of having a baby in a pandemic. Lonely but not alone!

💙 Pain when feeding from positioning rather than nipple pain. We talked about some adjustments to positions, experimenting with new positions and using pillows to support mum’s body but not baby’s.

💙 A sicky baby. Following your instincts and following your baby’s lead, sometimes you can have a happy sicky baby and that’s just fine! (apart from all the extra laundry). Mums also shared their tips including feeding in more upright positions for baby.

💙 The infamous four month fussies. Some really incredible things happen to our babies around four months and it seems the way they let us know is by being super distractible when feeding and not sleeping very well!

💙 One sore nipple. We talked about how for some mums one side just is more comfortable than the other, and while we are sure pain is a sign to get help, sometimes it is also a part of your breastfeeding journey. Sore nipples can come from all sorts of reasons. After lots of chatting we discovered it can coincide with teething because teething saliva is more acidic to make the gums allow the tooth to cut through easier!

💙 Hand-expressing (mums’ experiences on how to do this comfortably)

💙 Silicone pumps (mums’ experiences on how helpful these can be. Plus a super helpful reminder that they are pumps, not just collection devices so they can interfere with supply)

💙 The myth that you must feed equally from both breasts. Some people are lopsided (either visibly or just in their supply) and that’s fine!

💙 When your baby is suddenly long enough to be kicking off the sofa and wriggling around the positions you’ve always been comfortable in, you need adjustments! Also some mums shared that it was around this time that experimenting with new holds really worked out.

💙 How different siblings can be! This can be really obvious with feeding journeys but also they just show their personalities right from the beginning.

If you'd like to read more about those topics, see the comments for links to relevant articles.

See you soon for more free and friendly mother-to-mother breastfeeding support, encouragement and information, the next meeting is in two weeks on 16th March.

LLLove,

Abi and Caitriona

LLL Leaders

Co-leading LLL East Cambridgeshire

Open this comment to see all the relevant links about today’s topics!

Joining LLLGB as a member helps to keep our charity going, it goes towards the website, the helpline, our insurance and a portion goes to our local group. It is a donation of £2.50/month or £30/year and you get a bimonthly copy of our members’ magazine, Breastfeeding Matters, plus if you attend our meetings and join as a member you can join our local members’ facebook group, ‘Feeling the LLLove in East Cambridgeshire’. https://www.laleche.org.uk/join/

Register for our next meeting here: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/meetings/booking-form-for-meetings

You can borrow books from our group library based in Soham, just have a look at the selection of books on our website and then get in touch to ask if you’d like to borrow anything: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/library

biological nurturing/ laid back breastfeeding http://www.biologicalnurturing.com/video/bn3clip.html

lots of ideas for comfortable breastfeeding (some described as ‘for first feeds’ but could be worth a try at any age!) https://www.laleche.org.uk/comfortable-breastfeeding/

pictures and descriptions of different positions https://www.llli.org/breastfeeding-info/positioning/

2 minute video on koala hold https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgkUieHU2Mw&ab_channel=JessicaBarton

Our own videos on positioning can be found here https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/videos

general reflux information https://www.laleche.org.uk/i-think-babys-got-reflux/

https://www.carryingmatters.co.uk/ on babywearing - trusted resource for slings and carriers

book recommendation: why baby wearing matters (we have it in our library in soham)

in case allergies are something to explore https://www.laleche.org.uk/allergies/

some info on fast-flow https://breastfeeding.support/what-is-a-fast-let-down/

this talks about fussy babies, with mention of the infamous four month fussies https://breastfeeding.support/fussy-breastfed-baby/#:~:text=Fussy%20baby%20at%20four%20months&text=Around%20this%20age%20is%20a,this%20The%20Four%2DMonth%20Fussies.

what happens at 4 months? https://www.laleche.org.uk/what-happens-at-four-months/

Our post about the four month fussies includes some tips: https://www.facebook.com/LLLEastCambs/posts/738243090141981

another article on what happens at 4 months… https://sarahockwell-smith.com/2013/08/29/help-my-4-5-month-old-is-sleeping-like-a-newborn-again-aka-as-the-4-5-month-old-babies-from-hell/

really general overview on nipple pain https://www.laleche.org.uk/nipple-pain/

Blisters on nipples https://breastfeeding.support/blisters-on-nipples/

clearing a blockage, starting with the bleb (6 step method) https://www.carolsmyth.co.uk/breastfeeding-resources/posts/2020/april/mastitis-blocked-ducts-how-do-i-clear-a-blockage/

Many mums have a lopsided milk supply and different sized breasts https://kellymom.com/bf/got-milk/lopsided/

info on hand expression https://www.laleche.org.uk/hand-expression-of-breastmilk/

Silicone one-piece pumps can be really handy, they can also cause issues if used in certain ways so here's some ideas to consider:

https://milkandmotherhood.com/2020/07/how-not-to-use-a-haakaa.html

On teething: https://www.laleche.org.uk/breastfeeding-and-teething/

https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/support-us

We welcomed 8 mums to our free and friendly Beyond Babyhood meeting today, with little ones from 9 months to 5.5 years. As ever, the meeting discussion revolved around what was going on for the mums who came.

Today we talked about:

💙 How a breastfeeding journey can gradually change over time and how natural weaning can look.

💙 Feelings when breastfeeding journey is slowing/coming to an end.

💙 The very individual choice of knowing whether or not we want to try for another child.

💙 How breastfeeding and pregnancy can work together.

💙 Breastfeeding and IVF.

💙 Sleeping situations and how breastfeeding at night can look as your nursling gets older.

💙 Ideas for bed arrangements throughout the house to ensure everyone gets as much sleep as possible.

Book recommendations:

📘 Mothering your nursing toddler

📘 How to talk so kids will listen and listen so kids will talk

📘 Adventures in tandem nursing

📘 Adventures in gentle discipline

If you'd like to read more about those topics, see the comments for links to relevant articles.

See you soon for more free and friendly mother-to-mother breastfeeding support, encouragement and information, the next all-ages meeting is on 2nd March 10am-12pm.

LLLove,

Abi and Caitriona

LLL Leaders

Co-leading LLL East Cambridgeshire

Open this comment to see all the relevant links about today’s topics!

Joining LLLGB as a member helps to keep our charity going, it goes towards the website, the helpline, our insurance and a portion goes to our local group. It is a donation of £2.50/month or £30/year and you get a bimonthly copy of our members’ magazine, Breastfeeding Matters, plus if you attend our meetings and join as a member you can join our local members’ facebook group, ‘Feeling the LLLove in East Cambridgeshire’. https://www.laleche.org.uk/join/

Register for our next meeting here: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/meetings/booking-form-for-meetings

You can borrow books from our group library based in Soham, just have a look at the selection of books on our website and then get in touch to ask if you’d like to borrow anything: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/library

Working and breastfeeding: https://www.laleche.org.uk/working-and-breastfeeding/

‘Still’ nursing: https://www.laleche.org.uk/still-nursing/

After weaning what next: https://www.laleche.org.uk/after-weaning-what-next/

Breastfeeding beyond a year: https://www.laleche.org.uk/breastfeeding-beyond-a-year/

Breastfeeding at night: https://www.laleche.org.uk/breastfeeding-at-night/

Pregnant and breastfeeding: https://www.laleche.org.uk/pregnant-and-breastfeeding/

Breastfeeding beyond infancy: https://www.laleche.org.uk/breastfeeding-beyond-infancy/

Fertility: https://www.llli.org/breastfeeding-info/fertility

IVF treatments and breastfeeding info from the Breastfeeding Network: https://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/ivf/

Reliable source of info (recommended by Breastfeeding network pharmacist Wendy Jones) and support: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bfduringivf/

Website by the above group on breastfeeding during IVF treatment: https://bfduringivf.weebly.com/

Mothering your nursing toddler book: https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/books/norma-jane-burngarner/mothering-your-nursing-toddler/9780912500522#GOR001307648

Adventures in tandem nursing book: https://www.lllgbbooks.co.uk/store/p71/AdventuresInTandemNursing.html

Adventures in gentle discipline book: https://www.lllgbbooks.co.uk/store/p70/AdventuresInGentleDiscipline.html

How to talk so kids will listen and listen so kids will talk book: https://www.lllgbbooks.co.uk/store/p232/HowToTalkandListen.html

We welcomed 12 mums to our free and friendly breastfeeding support meeting today, with little ones from 5 weeks to 2.5 years. As ever, the meeting discussion revolved around what was going on for the mums who came.

Today we talked about:

💙 How to get more milk when pumping (top tip from a mum who came - don’t turn your pump up too high as you’ll get less milk and damage your nipples).

💙 Healing damaged nipples a couple of mums swore by silver nipple cups for quick healing.

💙 Cluster feeding, switch feeding and knowing that baby is getting milk high enough in fat (you only make one kind of milk, it can separate out in the ducts over time).

💙 Whether or not nursing pillows are helpful. Some mums found they helped in the very early days if they needed help breast shaping. Many mums found they got in the way of a good latch as they may support baby in a place that isn’t right up against you. Very much individual choice, but if the latch isn’t great, try ditching the pillow. If you get tense or tired in the position, try to lean back onto cushions for you rather than baby :)

💙 Contact naps - how it’s normal for babies to want to be in contact with you whilst napping. Some mums found using a sling for baby’s naps meant they could still move around whilst keeping baby happy.

💙 Starting complementary foods whilst breastfeeding, the general consensus of the mums there was that breastfeeding didn’t change much, food was additional and slow to start as baby explored food. The phrase ‘food before one is just for fun’ was helpful.

💙 Breastfeeding positions as baby grows bigger - move baby towards their own feet so they’re still tilting their head up to feed, rather than chin to chest. Laid back positions are great for taking the weight of the baby.

💙 Is my baby missing out on feeds by having long naps in the sling? The general consensus was no! Feeds over 24 hour period is a better indication of whether baby is feeding enough.

💙 When you return to work, how does pumping look and when can you taper off/ditch the pumping sessions?

💙 Feelings around body shape and weight after having a baby and whilst breastfeeding. I was reminded of a TEDx Talk by Dr Kristin Neff about self-compassion. We are parenting in a pandemic, growing humans, we can cut ourselves some slack if our body isn’t what we want it to be, whilst also knowing that it is ok for us to prioritise looking after ourselves when we want to or need to.

If you'd like to read more about those topics, see the comments for links to relevant articles.

See you soon for more free and friendly mother-to-mother breastfeeding support, encouragement and information, the next meeting is for those breastfeeding Beyond Babyhood on 16th Feb, then the next all-ages meeting is on 2nd March.

LLLove,

Abi and Caitriona

LLL Leaders

Co-leading LLL East Cambridgeshire

Joining LLLGB as a member helps to keep our charity going, it goes towards the website, the helpline, our insurance and a portion goes to our local group. It is a donation of £2.50/month or £30/year and you get a bimonthly copy of our members’ magazine, Breastfeeding Matters, plus if you attend our meetings and join as a member you can join our local members’ facebook group, ‘Feeling the LLLove in East Cambridgeshire’. https://www.laleche.org.uk/join/

Register for our next meeting here: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/meetings/booking-form-for-meetings

You can borrow books from our group library based in Soham, just have a look at the selection of books on our website and then get in touch to ask if you’d like to borrow anything: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/library

Treatments for sore nipples: https://breastfeeding.support/treatments-sore-nipples/

Blisters on nipples: https://breastfeeding.support/blisters-on-nipples/

Exclusively expressing milk for your baby includes lots of tips around pumping: https://www.laleche.org.uk/exclusively-expressing-breastmilk-for-your-baby/

Hands on pumping to increase yield: http://www.nancymohrbacher.com/articles/2012/6/27/to-pump-more-milk-use-hands-on-pumping.html

Fat content of breastmilk: https://www.laleche.org.uk/health-professionals/fat-content-breastmilk-faqs/

Forget about foremilk and hindmilk: https://breastfeeding.support/forget-about-foremilk-and-hindmilk/

Cluster feeding: https://www.laleche.org.uk/fussy-evenings-with-a-newborn/

From LLL USA, a mother’s story about contact naps: https://lllusa.org/newborn-sleep-how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-contact-napping/

Breastfeeding and bottle feeding in a sling: https://www.carryingmatters.co.uk/breast-and-bottle-feeding-safely-in-a-sling-3 (LLL is not insured to give sling advice, here's a link to information from Dr Rosie Knowles, sling consultant).

Starting solid food whilst breastfeeding: https://www.laleche.org.uk/starting-solid-food/

Working and breastfeeding: https://www.laleche.org.uk/working-and-breastfeeding/

LLLI info about breastfeeding and weight loss: https://www.llli.org/breastfeeding-info/weight-loss-mothers/

TED talk on self-compassion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvtZBUSplr4

We welcomed 10 mums to our free and friendly breastfeeding support meeting today, with little ones from 4.5months to 2.5 years. As ever, the meeting discussion revolved around what was going on for the mums who came.

Today we talked about:

💙 Teething - such a huge topic because it is different for every mother and baby. Teething can bring changes to latch, saliva, poo and many more aspects of everyday life with a baby.

💙Nipple blanching or vasospasm - causes and how to deal with it

💙When babies suddenly become more efficient at feeding and their length of feed reduces it can cause a lot of worry!

💙Blocked ducts, mastitis and recurrent mastitis - causes and how to avoid. (we recently posted about when you need antibiotics for mastitis, have a look!)

💙How to get the feeling of being a team with your supporting partner when you are breastfeeding. There were some lovely suggestions and mainly mums said they worked best as a team when they were honest about what they needed. It can feel strange to ask for help, especially with such ‘simple’ tasks like getting water or emptying the dishwasher.

💙The 4 month fussies

💙The 9 month sleep changes

💙The make-up of human milk including fat content and other properties. Mums love the milkshake (jiggling and massaging the breasts to mix the milk up)

💙Planning to be away from your baby e.g. having a general anaesthetic

💙Being tired, lonely and anxious.

Book recommendations from today:

📘 The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding

📘 Sweet Sleep

If you'd like to read more about those topics, see the comments for links to relevant articles.

See you soon for more free and friendly mother-to-mother breastfeeding support, encouragement and information, the next meeting is in a fortnight on 19th January 2021.

LLLove,

Abi and Caitriona

LLL Leaders

Co-leading LLL East Cambridgeshire

Is my baby getting enough milk? https://www.laleche.org.uk/is-my-baby-getting-enough-milk/

Lots of different kinds of nipple pain described with possible helping ideas here https://www.laleche.org.uk/nipple-pain/

Tongue tie: https://www.laleche.org.uk/tongue-tie/

What happens around four months: https://www.laleche.org.uk/what-happens-at-four-months/

Sleep changes around four months: https://sarahockwell-smith.com/2013/08/29/help-my-4-5-month-old-is-sleeping-like-a-newborn-again-aka-as-the-4-5-month-old-babies-from-hell/

Sleep changes around 9 months: https://sarahockwell-smith.com/2015/11/18/what-the-heck-goes-wrong-sleep-wise-at-8-10-months/

When mum can't be there, how to look after a breastfed baby: https://www.laleche.org.uk/when-mum-cant-be-there/

Green poo: https://breastfeeding.support/why-is-my-babys-poop-green

Nipple blanching and vasospasm: https://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mother/nipple-blanching/

What is comfort nursing?: https://breastfeeding.support/flutter-sucking-and-comfort-nursing/

Lecithin to help prevent recurrent blocked ducts: https://kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/lecithin/

Recurrent mastitis: https://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mother/recurrent-mastitis/

Breastfeeding with mastitis information on painkillers etc.: https://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/wp-content/dibm/BFN%20Mastitis%20feb%2016.pdf

Breastfeeding and antibiotics: https://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/antibiotics/

Information on teething: https://www.laleche.org.uk/breastfeeding-and-teething/

More on teething: https://kellymom.com/ages/older-infant/teething/

Find our meeting details and more at: www.llleastcambs.org.uk

We welcomed 10 mums to our free and friendly breastfeeding support meeting today, with little ones from 9 days to 2.5 years. As ever, the meeting discussion revolved around what was going on for the mums who came.

Today we talked about:

💙 How to tell if your newborn is getting enough milk.

💙 How to get a comfortable latch, what positions and breast shaping can be helpful.

💙 Cluster feeding.

💙 Tongue tie.

💙 Feelings around breastfeeding a second child when it didn’t go well first time round.

💙 What happens around four months, shorter/less feeds in day, more feeds at night.

💙 Thinking about returning to work - how can it look, what’s it like if you don’t go back, is there a third option, like changing your career somehow?

💙 Practicalities of breastfeeding whilst returning to work, what and how much does baby need to eat/drink?

💙 Feelings around leaving your child, wondering how anyone else will settle them, wondering how the breastfeeding relationship will be affected.

💙 Feelings around lockdown and needing connection.

💙 Grief for maternity leave during Coronavirus and returning to a changed workplace.

Book recommendations from today:

📘 The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding

If you'd like to read more about those topics, see the comments for links to relevant articles.

See you soon for more free and friendly mother-to-mother breastfeeding support, encouragement and information, the next meeting is in a fortnight on 19th January 2021.

LLLove,

Abi and Caitriona

LLL Leaders

Co-leading LLL East Cambridgeshire

Joining LLLGB as a member helps to keep our charity going, it goes towards the website, the helpline, our insurance and a portion goes to our local group. It is a donation of £2.50/month or £30/year and you get a bimonthly copy of our members’ magazine, Breastfeeding Matters, plus if you attend our meetings and join as a member you can join our local members’ facebook group, ‘Feeling the LLLove in East Cambridgeshire’. https://www.laleche.org.uk/join/

Register for our next meeting here: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/meetings/booking-form-for-meetings

You can borrow books from our group library based in Soham, just have a look at the selection of books on our website and then get in touch to ask if you’d like to borrow anything: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/library

Is my baby getting enough milk? https://www.laleche.org.uk/is-my-baby-getting-enough-milk/

Lots of different kinds of nipple pain described with possible helping ideas here https://www.laleche.org.uk/nipple-pain/

Videos of positions for breastfeeding: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/videos

Positioning and Attachment https://www.laleche.org.uk/positioning-attachment/

Fussy evenings with a newborn: https://www.laleche.org.uk/fussy-evenings-with-a-newborn/

Tongue tie: https://www.laleche.org.uk/tongue-tie/

What happens around four months: https://www.laleche.org.uk/what-happens-at-four-months/

Working and breastfeeding: https://www.laleche.org.uk/working-and-breastfeeding/

Workday practicalities: https://www.laleche.org.uk/workday-practicalities/

When mum can't be there, how to look after a breastfed baby: https://www.laleche.org.uk/when-mum-cant-be-there/

Find our meeting details and more at: www.llleastcambs.org.uk

We welcomed 10 mums to our free and friendly breastfeeding support meeting today, with little ones from 12 days to 2 years. As ever, the meeting discussion revolved around what was going on for the mums who came.

Today we talked about:

💙Establishing breastfeeding after a difficult start. Bridging the gap between feeding away from the breast and at the breast. Some ideas were cup feeding, paced bottle feeding, nipple shields, breast compressions.

💙A breastfed baby’s poo. Poo can give us so many clues as to what is going on with our babies.

💙Milk blisters/blebs. We figured this out after ruling out lots of other sore nipple causes.

💙Feeling lopsided.

💙The four month fussies.

💙Leaving milk for your baby when you can’t be there. How much to leave? How can the caregiver help to protect breastfeeding?

💙How to help improve weight gain.

💙When dream feeding might be useful.

💙Importance of responsive feeding.

Book recommendations from today:

📘Sweet Sleep

If you'd like to read more about those topics, see the comments for links to relevant articles.

See you after the break for more free and friendly mother-to-mother breastfeeding support, encouragement and information, we’re back on 5th January 2021.

LLLove,

Abi and Caitriona

LLL Leaders

Co-leading LLL East Cambridgeshire

Open this comment to see all the relevant links about today’s topics!

Joining LLLGB as a member helps to keep our charity going, it goes towards the website, the helpline, our insurance and a portion goes to our local group. It is a donation of £2.50/month or £30/year and you get a bimonthly copy of our members’ magazine, Breastfeeding Matters, plus if you attend our meetings and join as a member you can join our local members’ facebook group, ‘Feeling the LLLove in East Cambridgeshire’. https://www.laleche.org.uk/join/

Register for our next meeting here: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/meetings/booking-form-for-meetings

You can borrow books from our group library based in Soham, just have a look at the selection of books on our website and then get in touch to ask if you’d like to borrow anything: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/library

Videos of positions for breastfeeding: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/videos

What happens around four months: https://www.laleche.org.uk/what-happens-at-four-months/

Safe feeding in a sling: https://www.carryingmatters.co.uk/breast-and-bottle-feeding-safely-in-a-sling-3 (LLL is not insured to give sling advice, this is from Dr Rosie Knowles who is!).

Sweet Sleep Book: https://www.lllgbbooks.co.uk/store/p89/SweetSleep.html

Bottle feeding the breastfed baby from kellymom https://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/feeding-tools/bottle-feeding/

Cup feeding: https://breastfeeding.support/cup-feeding-newborn/

What’s in a nappy: https://www.laleche.org.uk/whats-in-a-nappy/

Lots of different kinds of nipple pain described with possible helping ideas here https://www.laleche.org.uk/nipple-pain/

Vasospasm https://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mother/nipple-blanching/

Low weight gain: https://www.carolsmyth.co.uk/breastfeeding-resources/posts/2015/december/my-breastfed-baby-has-low-weight-gain/

Milk blisters: https://breastfeeding.support/blisters-on-nipples/

Six step method for treating blockages: https://www.carolsmyth.co.uk/breastfeeding-resources/posts/2020/april/mastitis-blocked-ducts-how-do-i-clear-a-blockage/

how much milk a baby might need according to age/weight/solid food https://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/pumping/milkcalc

When mum can't be there: https://www.laleche.org.uk/when-mum-cant-be-there/

Lopsided: https://kellymom.com/bf/got-milk/lopsided/ (this article talks about how normal it is, but also has super ideas on how to even out if you want to try it)

Lovely article on responsive feeding https://kellymom.com/ages/newborn/bf-basics/importance-responsive-feeding/

What happens around four months: https://www.laleche.org.uk/what-happens-at-four-months/

Find our meeting details and more at: www.llleastcambs.org.uk

We welcomed 9 mums to our free and friendly breastfeeding support meeting today, with little ones from 5 weeks to 14 months. As ever, the meeting discussion revolved around what was going on for the mums who came.

Today we talked about:

• Adjusting to motherhood - how it can feel when a partner goes back to work.

• Maternity leave during Covid, how it can feel like grieving for the maternity leave you thought you would have and how we can focus on our babies and get support still.

• What’s going on when baby’s feeding changes, whether feeding more or less after a few months and whether or not we need to do anything about it.

• Koala hold and side-lying feeding.

• The four month fussies.

• Teething.

• How a different position can help baby cope with a fast flow.

• Daytime sleep and how many babies will only sleep when on/with their grown-up. Many mums find using a sling helps their baby to get enough sleep in the day and then have the energy to feed effectively without drifting off so quickly.

• Teeth scraping whilst falling asleep, how to delatch without putting a finger in (pull baby in closer).

• Starting solids and how breastmilk is still their main source of nutrition for as long as they need it to be.

Book recommendations from today:

• My Child Won’t Eat by Carloz Gonzalez

• Sweet Sleep

If you'd like to read more about those topics, see the comments for links to relevant articles.

See you in a fortnight for more free and friendly mother-to-mother breastfeeding support, encouragement and information, on Dec 15th, then we'll be back on 5th January 2021.

LLLove,

Abi and Caitriona

LLL Leaders

Co-leading LLL East Cambridgeshire

Open this comment to see all the relevant links about today’s topics!

Joining LLLGB as a member helps to keep our charity going, it goes towards the website, the helpline, our insurance and a portion goes to our local group. It is a donation of £2.50/month or £30/year and you get a bimonthly copy of our members’ magazine, Breastfeeding Matters, plus if you attend our meetings and join as a member you can join our local members’ facebook group, ‘Feeling the LLLove in East Cambridgeshire’. https://www.laleche.org.uk/join/

Register for our next meeting here: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/meetings/booking-form-for-meetings

Tongue tie, koala hold and concorde hold https://docs.google.com/document/d/17LwXpxEgog-MECrgHn_4XMTktg6-nwlLZIVDQ3aekaQ/edit?usp=sharing

Fast let-down: https://breastfeeding.support/what-is-a-fast-let-down/

Breastfeeding and teething https://www.laleche.org.uk/breastfeeding-and-teething/

You can borrow books from our group library based in Soham, just have a look at the selection of books on our website and then get in touch to ask if you’d like to borrow anything: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/library

Adjusting to motherhood: https://www.laleche.org.uk/adjusting-to-motherhood/

Side lying feeding videos in here: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/videos

What happens around four months: https://www.laleche.org.uk/what-happens-at-four-months/

Safe feeding in a sling: https://www.carryingmatters.co.uk/breast-and-bottle-feeding-safely-in-a-sling-3 (LLL is not insured to give sling advice, this is from Dr Rosie Knowles who is!).

Sweet Sleep Book: https://www.lllgbbooks.co.uk/store/p89/SweetSleep.html

Teeth scraping: https://kellymom.com/ages/older-infant/biting/#scraping

Starting Solids Food: https://www.laleche.org.uk/starting-solid-food/

Toddlers and Food (another great one for any age baby though): https://www.laleche.org.uk/toddlers-and-food/

We welcomed 10 mums to our free and friendly breastfeeding support meeting today, with little ones from 3 weeks to 2.5 years. As ever, the meeting discussion revolved around what was going on for the mums who came.

Today we talked about:

💙 When breastfeeding is painful

💙 Improving the latch by holding baby in close and helping them to ‘look up’

💙 Tongue tie - mothers’ experiences of deciding to get it divided or not

💙 Koala hold and flipple technique

💙 Mammary constriction syndrome

💙 Is it ok to offer the breast as a first resort when your baby is upset? (hint: everyone said yes!)

💙 How to respond when others ask when you’re going to stop breastfeeding

💙 Upright positions that can help when baby is struggling with a fast let down

💙 Teething - pain for the baby and uncomfortable latch, what to do

💙 Returning to work and continuing to breastfeed

💙 Recurrent mastitis

💙 How meeting our children’s needs responsively when they’re little helps them grow up to be independent and confident when they’re older

Book recommendations from today:

📘Kiss Me by Carloz Gonzalez

📘Why Love Matters by Sue Gerhardt

📘The Politics of Breastfeeding by Gabrielle Palmer (and the short version, Why the Politics of Breastfeeding Matters by the same author)

If you'd like to read more about those topics, see the comments for links to relevant articles.

See you in a fortnight for more free and friendly mother-to-mother breastfeeding support, encouragement and information, on Dec 1st.

LLLove,

Abi and Caitriona

LLL Leaders

Co-leading LLL East Cambridgeshire

Open this comment to see all the relevant links about today’s topics!

Joining LLLGB as a member helps to keep our charity going, it goes towards the website, the helpline, our insurance and a portion goes to our local group. It is a donation of £2.50/month or £30/year and you get a bimonthly copy of our members’ magazine, Breastfeeding Matters, plus if you attend our meetings and join as a member you can join our local members’ facebook group, ‘Feeling the LLLove in East Cambridgeshire’. https://www.laleche.org.uk/join/

Antenatal breastfeeding information session Monday 17th August 10am-12pm: https://www.facebook.com/events/1132278807173428/

Register for our next meeting here: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/meetings/booking-form-for-meetings

Brilliant youtube playlist by Nancy Mohrbacher (IBCLC & LLL Leader) about getting into a really comfortable position which triggers baby’s reflexes to open wide and latch on deeply: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpJt_90JhxkPJ6wQ-6VNggkqw0aWCfRD3

Breast shaping to improve latch: https://www.carolsmyth.co.uk/breastfeeding-resources/posts/2017/october/breast-shaping/ (not an LLL website but authored by an IBCLC who is an LLL Leader, v reliable source)

Recurrent blocked ducts: https://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mother/recurrent-mastitis/ (not an LLL website but authored by an IBCLC who is an LLL Leader, v reliable source)

Clearing a blocked duct: https://www.carolsmyth.co.uk/breastfeeding-resources/posts/2020/april/mastitis-blocked-ducts-how-do-i-clear-a-blockage/ (not an LLL website but authored by an IBCLC who is an LLL Leader, v reliable source)

Lecithin for preventing recurrent blocked ducts: https://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mother/lecithin/ (not an LLL website but authored by an IBCLC who is an LLL Leader, v reliable source)

Dealing with criticism: https://www.laleche.org.uk/dealing-with-criticism

Positioning:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8SI4XKkOl8&ab_channel=NancyMohrbacher

https://themilkmeg.com/get-better-latch-exaggerated-latch-flipple-breastfeeding-technique/

Does Cranial Therapy work? https://breastfeeding.support/does-cranial-therapy-work/ (not an LLL website but a very reliable resource authored by an IBCLC who is an LLL Leader)

https://breastfeeding.support/cranial-osteopathy-or-craniosacral-therapy/

Tongue tie, koala hold and concorde hold https://docs.google.com/document/d/17LwXpxEgog-MECrgHn_4XMTktg6-nwlLZIVDQ3aekaQ/edit?usp=sharing

Fast let-down: https://breastfeeding.support/what-is-a-fast-let-down/

Going back to work and breastfeeding: https://www.laleche.org.uk/working-and-breastfeeding/

https://www.laleche.org.uk/my-journey-to-returning-to-work/

Amazing Milk: https://www.laleche.org.uk/amazing-milk/

Breastfeeding beyond a year: https://www.laleche.org.uk/breastfeeding-beyond-a-year/

Still nursing? https://www.laleche.org.uk/still-nursing/

Breastfeeding and teething https://www.laleche.org.uk/breastfeeding-and-teething/

You can borrow books from our group library based in Soham, just have a look at the selection of books on our website and then get in touch to ask if you’d like to borrow anything: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/library

We welcomed 7 mums to our free and friendly breastfeeding support meeting today, with little ones from seven weeks to 2 years, and a mum whose little ones are now teenagers who could share the perspective of parenting beyond breastfeeding. We were also delighted to be joined by LLL Leader Sophia from LLL Chilterns! As ever, the meeting discussion revolved around what was going on for the mums who came.

Today we talked about:

💙 Cluster feeding in the early weeks

💙 Fussy evenings with a newborn

💙 Feeling touched out when baby’s needs are intense and mum is poorly

💙 Breastfeeding aversion or agitation (when you don’t enjoy breastfeeding) - many mums found it helpful to distract themselves with reading/watching/listening whilst breastfeeding if they weren’t enjoying it. Some found it helpful to have someone else take their little one for a break when needed.

💙 Nursing manners

💙 Gas in babies

💙 The four month fussies - many babies around four months can be very distractible and fussy at the breast. Ideas below!

💙 Different breastfeeding positions and how that can change as baby grows

💙 Breastfeeding a distractible baby out and about

💙 Breastfeeding beyond a year

💙 Breastfeeding to sleep - how it’s always ok to carry on with that if it’s working for you both, children naturally do outgrow it when they’re ready

💙 How to deal with criticism/other’s opinions about breastfeeding

💙 Safe co-sleeping guidelines

💙 Side lying breastfeeding position

Just a reminder that we are still here for you during lockdown (again!), you can get in touch through our facebook page or find our contact details on our website (link below).

If you'd like to read more about those topics, see the comments for links to relevant articles.

See you on Tuesday 17th November for more free and friendly mother-to-mother breastfeeding support, encouragement and information.

LLLove,

Abi and Caitriona

LLL Leaders

Co-leading LLL East Cambridgeshire

Open this comment to see all the relevant links about today’s topics!

Joining LLLGB as a member helps to keep our charity going, it goes towards the website, the helpline, our insurance and a portion goes to our local group. It is a donation of £2.50/month or £30/year and you get a bimonthly copy of our members’ magazine, Breastfeeding Matters, plus if you attend our meetings and join as a member you can join our local members’ facebook group, ‘Feeling the LLLove in East Cambridgeshire’. https://www.laleche.org.uk/join/

Contact us: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/contact-us

Register for our next meeting here: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/meetings/booking-form-for-meetings

Those cluster feeding evenings can be hard, here's an article about fussy evenings with a newborn which might be a helpful read: https://www.laleche.org.uk/fussy-evenings-with-a-newborn/

Many women find they have times that breastfeeding is not a nice feeling. info on breastfeeding aversion… https://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mother/breastfeeding-nursing-aversion-agitation-baa/

Sometimes what we call ‘nursing manners’ can be a baby’s first introduction to consent, so teaching our little ones what is acceptable to do with our bodies is totally valid. Some info on nursing manners here https://kellymom.com/ages/older-infant/nursing-manners-2/

IBCLC Carole Smyth (also an LLL Leader) has this great article about why babies are so gassy: https://www.carolsmyth.co.uk/breastfeeding-resources/posts/2019/october/why-are-babies-so-gassy-how-much-is-normal-and-how-much-is-a-problem/ saying that it is normal!

When you don't enjoy breastfeeding: https://www.laleche.org.uk/dont-enjoy-breastfeeding/

Fussy evenings with a newborn: https://www.laleche.org.uk/fussy-evenings-with-a-newborn/

Mastitis https://www.laleche.org.uk/mastitis/

Hand expression: https://www.laleche.org.uk/hand-expression-of-breastmilk/

What happens at four months: https://www.laleche.org.uk/what-happens-at-four-months/

And the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding on p152/3 has a section called “The Four-Month Fussies”.

Distractible baby info https://kellymom.com/ages/older-infant/distractible-baby/

Out and about with your breastfed baby: https://www.laleche.org.uk/out-about-with-your-breastfed-baby/

This has got some positions with pictures… https://www.laleche.org.uk/positioning-attachment/

(side lying, cross cradle, cradle, rugby, standing up, laid back pictures)

Videos of koala hold: https://themilkmeg.com/get-better-latch-exaggerated-latch-flipple-breastfeeding-technique/

Feeding in a sling can help provide some privacy: https://www.carryingmatters.co.uk/breast-and-bottle-feeding-safely-in-a-sling-3/

You can watch videos of different breastfeeding positions and tips here: https://www.llleastcambs.org.uk/videos

Some reasons babys feed https://kellymom.com/bf/normal/comfortnursing/

This page is called dealing with criticism but could be read as having conversations about breastfeeding with people who are unsure https://www.laleche.org.uk/dealing-with-criticism/

A great read for when you're breastfeeding beyond babyhood: https://www.laleche.org.uk/still-nursing/

LLLGB Side lying breastfeeding video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS9Qd1B0goE&t=44s

A very prescriptive ‘how to’ video for side lying breastfeeding position (not an LLL resource, but created by an IBCLC, we don’t endorse any particular IBCLC). This video might help if you’ve been struggling to make side lying work as it is full of ideas - you don’t need to do it this exact way, but you might get some tips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZARPE9RUGE

Safe sleep for breastfeeding families: https://www.laleche.org.uk/safe-sleep-the-breastfed-baby/

Grunty newborns (a Facebook post from an IBCLC, not an LLL resource): https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=270602884077111

We welcomed 14 mums to our free and friendly breastfeeding support meeting today, with little ones from five weeks to four years, with one pregnant mum there too. As ever, the meeting discussion revolved around what was going on for the mums who came.

Today we talked about:

💙 Cluster feeding in the early days

💙Beginning breastfeeding classes with LLLGB

💙 Vasospasm and how to help relieve symptoms

💙 Getting to grips with being a new mum, figuring out how to listen to your instincts, working on building confidence that you are the expert on your baby

💙 Leaving your baby for a couple of hours - the practicalities and the feelings

💙 Bonding through breastfeeding

💙 A difficult start to breastfeeding - blocked ducts, mammary constriction syndrome, thrush, pumping. Fighting through the hurdles

💙 How to feel confident continuing to follow your baby's lead when introducing complementary foods

💙 Tongue Tie

💙 Side preference (really common for lots of reasons!) how to help your baby keep feeding on the less preferred side

💙 Working and mothering

💙 Being tired

If you'd like to read more about those topics, see the comments for links to relevant articles.

See you on Tuesday 3rd November for more free and friendly mother-to-mother breastfeeding support, encouragement and information.

LLLove,

Abi and Caitriona

LLL Leaders

Co-leading LLL East Cambridgeshire

Open this comment to see all the relevant links about today’s topics!

Joining LLLGB as a member helps to keep our charity going, it goes towards the website, the helpline, our insurance and a portion goes to our local group. It is a donation of £2.50/month or £30/year and you get a bimonthly copy of our members’ magazine, Breastfeeding Matters, plus if you attend our meetings and join as a member you can join our local members’ facebook group, ‘Feeling the LLLove in East Cambridgeshire’. https://www.laleche.org.uk/join/

Register for our next meeting here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScke1aXMoD8StNCthgd_sAT7P7PqCoiGXKjXUEjrrcpS_F_Rg/viewform?usp=sf_link

Expressing your milk: https://www.laleche.org.uk/expressing-your-milk/

Caring for a breastfed baby when mum can’t be there: https://www.laleche.org.uk/when-mum-cant-be-there/

online antenatal sessions here: https://www.laleche.org.uk/product/beginning-breastfeeding-online-free-interactive-antenatal-session/

Those cluster feeding evenings can be hard, here's an article about fussy evenings with a newborn which might be a helpful read: https://www.laleche.org.uk/fussy-evenings-with-a-newborn/

Vasospasm information: https://breastfeeding.support/nipple-vasospasm-breastfeeding/ (not an LLL website, but authored by an IBCLC who is also an LLL Leader)

Working and breastfeeding: https://www.laleche.org.uk/working-and-breastfeeding/

When mum can't be there: https://www.laleche.org.uk/when-mum-cant-be-there/

This mindful breastfeeding article might be helpful: https://www.laleche.org.uk/mindful-breastfeeding/

Hand expressing: https://www.laleche.org.uk/hand-expression-of-breastmilk/

We welcomed 16 mums to our free and friendly breastfeeding support meeting today, with little ones from 2 weeks to 2 years. As ever, the meeting discussion revolved around what was going on for the mums who came. A big thank you to everyone who carved out the time in their day for today’s meeting.

Today we talked about:

💙 How it feels when babies need us intensely, day and night

💙 Coping with broken sleep

💙 Gas in babies - how it is physiologically normal for humans to have gas, but that babies need help to move it around (tiger in a tree hold was mentioned)

💙 How not to use a silicone pump - can cause oversupply and fussy baby

💙 Babies fussing at a fast flow

💙 Oversupply

💙 One breast or two per feed? You can offer both and follow your baby’s lead.

💙 Meeting babies intense need to be close, many mums found babywearing useful (and we loved seeing that in action!)

💙 Change in night feeding frequency, responding to baby’s changing needs and responding to mum’s body

💙 Avoiding engorgement

💙 Using breast shaping (flipple) to help baby get a deeper latch

💙 Baby’s hiccups

💙 Nipple healing

💙 How having a baby can be really hard and nothing could prepare you for it

If you'd like to read more about those topics, see the comments for links to relevant articles.

See you in a fortnight for more free and friendly mother-to-mother breastfeeding support, encouragement and information. Our next meeting is on Tuesday 20th October and we are also holding an Introduction to Breastfeeding antenatal session on 13th Oct, see our website to book. We are also going to run an additional meeting this Friday, see note in bottom of comments for more info.

LLLove,

Abi and Caitriona

LLL Leaders

Co-leading LLL East Cambridgeshire

Open this comment to see all the relevant links about today’s topics!

Joining LLLGB as a member helps to keep our charity going, it goes towards the website, the helpline, our insurance and a portion goes to our local group. It is a donation of £2.50/month or £30/year and you get a bimonthly copy of our members’ magazine, Breastfeeding Matters, plus if you attend our meetings and join as a member you can join our local members’ facebook group, ‘Feeling the LLLove in East Cambridgeshire’. https://www.laleche.org.uk/join/

Have a look at our new website where you can find all our booking forms, our library books, meeting dates, useful links and more! www.llleastcambs.org.uk

Oversupply: https://breastfeeding.support/oversupply-breast-milk/ (not LLL website but reliable IBCLC)

https://breastfeeding.support/what-is-a-fast-let-down/

This is an interesting read about why babies are gassy and how it's part of normal newborn digestion: https://www.carolsmyth.co.uk/breastfeeding-resources/posts/2019/october/why-are-babies-so-gassy-how-much-is-normal-and-how-much-is-a-problem/ (not an LLL resource, author is an IBCLC and LLL Leader).

Is gas caused by something you eat? https://kellymom.com/parenting/parenting-faq/gassybaby/ (not LLL, but author is IBCLC and LLL Leader)

One breast or two per feed? https://breastfeeding.support/one-breast-or-two-per-feed/ (IBCLC and LLL Leader author)

This is a useful (non LLL) article about how not to use a silicone pump: https://milkandmotherhood.com/2020/07/how-not-to-use-a-haakaa.html

Engorged breasts: avoiding and treating https://www.laleche.org.uk/engorged-breasts-avoiding-and-treating/

Our cross cradle video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9m5UGr0Ihs

Our laid back breastfeeding video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gETRFyshN1E

From one of our mums to all the others: “For mums who are up in the night and there’s tears all round, sending love and these lovely words https://www.facebook.com/1685507641509707/posts/3345093635551091/”

Nighttime parenting (a non-LLL resource but lots of really useful info): https://thebeyondsleeptrainingproject.com/

Safe sleep for breastfeeding families: https://www.llli.org/the-safe-sleep-seven/

Colic: https://www.laleche.org.uk/i-think-my-babys-got-colic/

Another mum shared this video that helped her understand how to do the flipple technique to help her baby latch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41fC0fQs1P8

Interesting post about hiccups from IBCLC: https://www.facebook.com/mammae.carolsmyth/photos/a.829719240479231/3002679573183176/?type=1&theater

Safely feeding in a sling: https://www.carryingmatters.co.uk/breast-and-bottle-feeding-safely-in-a-sling-3/

(LLL does not give sling advice, this is from Dr Rosie Knowles, sling consultant trainer)

Treatments for sore nipples: https://breastfeeding.support/treatments-sore-nipples/ and https://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/moist-wound-healing/

Nipple blisters: https://breastfeeding.support/blisters-on-nipples/

The unhappy breastfed baby: https://www.laleche.org.uk/unhappy-baby/

We are going to run a special meeting on Friday morning at 10am on Zoom **which will be recorded**, for the purposes of showing other Leaders and Leader Applicants (mothers in the process of becoming Leaders) how we run our meetings at the National Workshop this Saturday. If you are happy to take part in a recorded meeting and would like to come along for more of the same mother-to-mother support, facilitated by Caitriona and Abi (LLL Leaders), please register here: https://forms.gle/TBSi29sC8VYFURZd7.

We welcomed 9 mums to our free and friendly breastfeeding support meeting today, with little ones from 18 days to 4 years. As ever, the meeting discussion revolved around what was going on for the mums who came. We would like to thank everyone who carved out the time in their day for today’s meeting.

Today we talked about:

💙 Improving a shallow latch

💙 Increasing supply

💙 Bottle feeding a breastfed baby

💙 Tongue-tie, how it can take a while for baby to adjust feeding after a tongue-tie division

💙 When cranial work might be useful - instrumental birth, tight jaw, etc.

💙 Oversupply

💙 Avoiding recurrent blocked ducts and mastitis

💙 Change in night feeding frequency, responding to baby’s changing needs and responding to mum’s body

💙 Avoiding engorgement

💙 Teething and biting

If you'd like to read more about those topics, see the comments for links to relevant articles.

See you in a fortnight for more free and friendly mother-to-mother breastfeeding support, encouragement and information. Our next meeting is on Tuesday 6th October and we are also holding an Introduction to Breastfeeding antenatal session on 13th Oct, see our website to book.

LLLove,

Abi and Caitriona

LLL Leaders

Co-leading LLL East Cambridgeshire

Joining LLLGB as a member helps to keep our charity going, it goes towards the website, the helpline, our insurance and a portion goes to our local group. It is a donation of £2.50/month or £30/year and you get a bimonthly copy of our members’ magazine, Breastfeeding Matters, plus if you attend our meetings and join as a member you can join our local members’ facebook group, ‘Feeling the LLLove in East Cambridgeshire’. https://www.laleche.org.uk/join/

Have a look at our new website where you can find all our booking forms, our library books, meeting dates, useful links and more! www.llleastcambs.org.uk

Breastfeeding with large breasts:

https://breastfeeding.support/breastfeeding-with-large-breasts/ (not LLL website but reliable IBCLC)

Weaning from formula supplements safely and gradually: https://kellymom.com/ages/newborn/nb-challenges/decrease-formula (not LLL website but reliable IBCLC)

A useful article for when your baby needs more milk: https://www.laleche.org.uk/my-baby-needs-more-milk/

Hands on pumping can yield up to 40% more milk than just the pump alone. Details here, including excellent video http://www.nancymohrbacher.com/articles/2012/6/27/to-pump-more-milk-use-hands-on-pumping.html (not LLL website but reliable IBCLC)

Relaxing into pumping can help the letdown. This article on mindful breastfeeding can apply to the pumping experience too: https://www.laleche.org.uk/mindful-breastfeeding/

Bottle feeding a breastfed baby: https://breastfeeding.support/tips-to-bottle-feed-a-breastfed-baby/ (not LLL website but reliable IBCLC)

A look at cranial osteopathy (includes a link to look at ‘does it work?’: https://breastfeeding.support/cranial-osteopathy-or-craniosacral-therapy/ (not LLL website but reliable IBCLC)

Where to find a tongue-tie practitioner: https://www.tongue-tie.org.uk/

Recurrent blocked ducts and mastitis: https://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mother/recurrent-mastitis/ (not LLL website but reliable IBCLC)

Oversupply: https://breastfeeding.support/oversupply-breast-milk/ (not LLL website but reliable IBCLC)

What happens around four months?: https://www.laleche.org.uk/what-happens-at-four-months/

Breastfeeding and teething: https://www.laleche.org.uk/breastfeeding-and-teething/

Biting: https://www.laleche.org.uk/help-baby-bit/

Kellymom link about biting: https://kellymom.com/ages/older-infant/biting/ (includes toddler scraping teeth) (not LLL website but reliable IBCLC)

Yesterday we welcomed eight breastfeeding families to our Beyond Babyhood Zoom meeting, with nurslings ages ranging from eight months to five years. As ever, the meeting discussion revolved around what was going on for the mums who came.

Today we talked about:

Breastfeeding as reconnection for older nurslings (even if we’ve only been another room of the same house!).

Making decisions for our family that perhaps take us off the beaten track.

Breastfeeding to sleep, how it changes, how useful it is and what a tie it can be.

• Breastfeeding when your child goes to school, the feelings around this huge transition for both mother and child.

• Constantly shifting needs of our children and the link to our changing sense of self.

• How it looks for some families when a parent takes a career break.

• Napping, navigating the ever changing need for sleep. We found out how sometimes dropping a nap in the day doesn’t help with nighttime sleep! We found out that the brain development that happens during a daytime nap is different from the development that happens during nighttime sleeps.

• Setting loving boundaries, starting conversations about consent (even if you choose different wording). Breastfeeding mothers need to be in touch with their feelings about how and when breastfeeding happens.

• When a nursling has a side preference. Nursing manners - this can include restrictions on which side to feed from, where our nurslings hands are allowed, as well as lots of other aspects of feeding.

• Returning to employment (part-time and full-time).

• How the pandemic has impacted our parenting and breastfeeding journeys.

See comments for links to further reading about some of those topics.

We’ll be back next week for an All Ages meeting (which totally includes breastfeeding beyond babyhood too!), so please do sign up with plenty of time

LLLove,

Abi and Caitriona

LLL Leaders

Co-Leading LLL East Cambridgeshire

• A link on nursing manners https://kellymom.com/ages/older-infant/nursing-manners-2/

• When your nursling has a side preference https://kellymom.com/bf/got-milk/lopsided/

• A mother's story on returning to work https://www.laleche.org.uk/my-journey-to-returning-to-work/

• If you'd like to support our charity and become a member: https://www.laleche.org.uk/join/

We welcomed 9 mums to our free and friendly breastfeeding support meeting today, with little ones from 4 days to 2 years. As ever, the meeting discussion revolved around what was going on for the mums who came. We would like to thank everyone who carved out the time in their day for today’s meeting.

Today we talked about:

• Breastfeeding after a traumatic birth

• Dealing with weight loss in a newborn

• Feeding positions after Cesarean Section birth (side lying, koala hold, tweaks to laid back breastfeeding)

• Breast shaping to help baby get the nipple pointing up the baby’s nose, allowing more breast to be in contact with baby’s chin before latching, helping baby to open wide.

• The sensation of feeding as a completely new experience, and pain is always a sign that support is needed

• Safe sleep and the breastfed baby

• The practicalities of leaving a child with someone else (nursery, childminder, family etc)

• Ideas for when and how to express breastmilk

• Starting solids - signs that your baby is ready

• When and how some families introduce water to a breastfed baby - people shared some great experiences of using an open cup!

• When a child seems not to be interested in solid food (lots of mums experience the worry of wondering what is going on and what is normal! My Child Won’t Eat is a great book and resource for this)

If you'd like to read more about those topics, see the comments for links to relevant articles.

See you in a fortnight for more free and friendly mother-to-mother breastfeeding support, encouragement and information. We’ve also got a Beyond Babyhood meeting on 15th September.

LLLove,

Abi and Caitriona

• LLL Leaders

• Co-leading LLL East Cambridgeshire

• Joining LLLGB as a member helps to keep our charity going, it goes towards the website, the helpline, our insurance and a portion goes to our local group. It is a donation of £2.50/month or £30/year and you get a bimonthly copy of our members’ magazine, Breastfeeding Matters, plus if you attend our meetings and join as a member you can join our local members’ facebook group, ‘Feeling the LLLove in East Cambridgeshire’. https://www.laleche.org.uk/join/

• When breastfeeding is not going as you might have hoped remember the three keeps: https://www.laleche.org.uk/getting-breastfeeding-on.../

• Brilliant youtube playlist by Nancy Mohrbacher (IBCLC & LLL Leader) about getting into a really comfortable position which triggers baby’s reflexes to open wide and latch on deeply: https://www.youtube.com/playlist...

• Breast shaping to improve latch: https://www.carolsmyth.co.uk/.../october/breast-shaping/ (not an LLL website but authored by an IBCLC who is an LLL Leader, very reliable source)

• Caring for a breastfed baby when mum can’t be there, this includes some information on how much breastmilk a baby might need while away from mum: https://www.laleche.org.uk/when-mum-cant-be-there/ https://www.laleche.org.uk/if-you-leave-your-baby/

• Koala hold: https://themilkmeg.com/get-better-latch-exaggerated-latch...

• Side lying: LLL side lying video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS9Qd1B0goE

• Then this is a very prescriptive side lying video, we know that feeding is a mother-baby dance and each feeding pair will find their own groove but there are some great tips for side lying here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZARPE9RUGE&t=265s

• Information on positioning and attaching baby at the breast: https://www.laleche.org.uk/positioning-attachment/

• Safe Sleep: https://kellymom.com/parenting/nighttime/cosleeping/ https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/safer-sleep.../co-sleeping/ https://www.laleche.org.uk/safe-sleep-the-breastfed-baby/

• Starting Solids: https://www.laleche.org.uk/starting-solid-food/

We welcomed 14 mums to our free and friendly breastfeeding support meeting today, with little ones from 5 weeks to 4 years and three babies still in the womb. As ever, the meeting discussion revolved around what was going on for the mums who came.

Today we talked about:

• Breastfeeding in public

• Finding comfortable posture while breastfeeding

• What positions work for different mums and babies (laid-back is always a popular one!)

• Breast shaping to help baby get the nipple pointing up the baby’s nose, allowing more breast to be in contact with baby’s chin before latching, helping baby to open wide.

• Breastfeeding after a tongue tie division

• Some causes of painful nipples - thrush and vasospasm

• Returning to work

• How weaning happens

• Koala hold

• When breastfeeding is about more than the milk

If you'd like to read more about those topics, see the comments for links to relevant articles.

See you in a fortnight for more free and friendly mother-to-mother breastfeeding support, encouragement and information. We’ve also got Beyond Babyhood meeting 15th September 10am-12pm which we are looking forward to!

LLLove,

Abi and Caitriona

LLL Leaders

Some useful links related to some of the topics we covered in today's meeting:

• Breastfeeding in public https://www.laleche.org.uk/breastfeeding-public-spaces/

• Brilliant youtube playlist by Nancy Mohrbacher (IBCLC & LLL Leader) about getting into a really comfortable position which triggers baby’s reflexes to open wide and latch on deeply: https://www.youtube.com/playlist...

• Breast shaping to improve latch: https://www.carolsmyth.co.uk/.../october/breast-shaping/ (not an LLL website but authored by an IBCLC who is an LLL Leader, very reliable source)

• Two resources for the koala hold: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgkUieHU2Mw Koala hold

• Milk Meg Koala hold: https://themilkmeg.com/get-better-latch-exaggerated.../

• Two on Vasospasm and Raynaud's syndrome, which can sometimes be misdiagnosed as thrush... https://breastfeeding.support/nipple-vasospasm.../

• https://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/raynauds/

• Returning to work: https://www.laleche.org.uk/working-and-breastfeeding/

• On weaning: https://www.laleche.org.uk/thinking-of-weaning/

• Join as a member: https://www.laleche.org.uk/join/

We welcomed 13 mums to our free and friendly breastfeeding support meeting today, with little ones from 3 weeks to 5 years and two babies still in the womb. As ever, the meeting discussion revolved around what was going on for the mums who came.

Today we talked about:

• Breastfeeding in hot weather - babies may breastfeed more, or less. If it’s getting sweaty, pop a muslin between you (perhaps between head and arm, or body to body) to prevent the stickiness!

• Recurrent blocked ducts - why they occur, some solutions when they occur and prevention.

• Distractible babies and worrying about them getting enough aged 4-6m (generally we can trust our babies, we talked about signs of dehydration to double check against if we’re worried).

• Breast shaping to help baby get the nipple pointing up the baby’s nose, allowing more breast to be in contact with baby’s chin before latching, helping baby to open wide.

• Mastitis and blebs, how to clear a stubborn blockage using the Six Step Method (see .

• Nipple healing - two mums recommended silver nipple cups for fast healing

• Green poos and what might cause them

• What positions help baby cope with a fast flow

• Breastmilk composition - there are not two types of milk, just one but over time the fat particles can separate out in the ducts like in a container, hence why the start of a feed can be more water, higher in lactose, then it increases in fat content over time.

• Using the “breast milk shake” to mix the fat globules back in with the more watery higher-lactose milk to help baby get a balanced milk from the beginning of the feed (preventing those green, watery frothy poos).

• What happens when mum has to go to hospital for an operation, pumping in hospital, milk storage and transportation, caring for baby when mum is away.

• Flattened nipples after feeds, what it can mean.

• Tongue tie - who is qualified to diagnose a tongue-tie and what they will be looking for

If you'd like to read more about those topics, see the comments for links to relevant articles.

See you in a fortnight for more free and friendly mother-to-mother breastfeeding support, encouragement and information. We’ve also got an Antenatal Breastfeeding Information Session coming up next week, 17th August 10am-12pm which we are looking forward to!

LLLove,

Abi and Caitriona

LLL Leaders

Co-leading LLL East Cambridgeshire

• Open this comment to see all the relevant links about today’s topics!

• Joining LLLGB as a member helps to keep our charity going, it goes towards the website, the helpline, our insurance and a portion goes to our local group. It is a donation of £2.50/month or £30/year and you get a bimonthly copy of our members’ magazine, Breastfeeding Matters, plus if you attend our meetings and join as a member you can join our local members’ facebook group, ‘Feeling the LLLove in East Cambridgeshire’. https://www.laleche.org.uk/join/

• Antenatal breastfeeding information session Monday 17th August 10am-12pm: https://www.facebook.com/events/1132278807173428/

• Register for our next meeting here: https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLScke1aXMoD.../viewform...

• Brilliant youtube playlist by Nancy Mohrbacher (IBCLC & LLL Leader) about getting into a really comfortable position which triggers baby’s reflexes to open wide and latch on deeply: https://www.youtube.com/playlist...

• Breast shaping to improve latch: https://www.carolsmyth.co.uk/.../october/breast-shaping/ (not an LLL website but authored by an IBCLC who is an LLL Leader, v reliable source)

• Recurrent blocked ducts: https://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mother/recurrent-mastitis/ (not an LLL website but authored by an IBCLC who is an LLL Leader, v reliable source)

• Clearing a blocked duct: https://www.carolsmyth.co.uk/.../mastitis-blocked-ducts.../ (not an LLL website but authored by an IBCLC who is an LLL Leader, v reliable source)

• Lecithin for preventing recurrent blocked ducts: https://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mother/lecithin/ (not an LLL website but authored by an IBCLC who is an LLL Leader, v reliable source)

• Dieting whilst breastfeeding: https://www.llli.org/breastfeeding-info/weight-loss-mothers/

• Hospitalisation for breastfeeding mothers: https://www.laleche.org.uk/when-a-mother-is-ill/...

• Expressing your milk: https://www.laleche.org.uk/expressing-your-milk/

• Caring for a breastfed baby when mum can’t be there: https://www.laleche.org.uk/when-mum-cant-be-there/

• Antenatal expression of colostrum: https://www.laleche.org.uk/antenatal-expression-of.../

• Breastfeeding in hot weather: https://www.llli.org/breastfeeding-info/water-supplements/ and https://www.lllc.ca/tuesday-tip-breastfeeding-hot-weather

• Signs of dehydration covered in this article: https://www.laleche.org.uk/signs-effective-feeding-early.../

• Normal newborn behaviour in an abnormal society https://www.carolsmyth.co.uk/.../breastfeeding-normal.../

• Tongue tie

• Our information on tongue-tie is here: https://www.laleche.org.uk/tongue-tie/ and you may find this parent’s guide by Catherine Watson-Genna useful (she has written a book about tongue-tie): http://www.cwgenna.com/ttidentify.html. The only person qualified to diagnose a tongue-tie is a tongue-tie practitioner (i.e. someone who is qualified to divide a tongue-tie). You can find tongue-tie practitioners here: https://www.tongue-tie.org.uk/.

• Oversupply: look for the bit about breast massage (the breastmilk shake!) https://breastfeeding.support/oversupply-breast-milk/

• Fat content, how it changes during the feed and why https://www.laleche.org.uk/.../fat-content-breastmilk-faqs/

• Pictures of different nappies https://www.laleche.org.uk/whats-in-a-nappy/

• Why is baby’s poo green? https://breastfeeding.support/why-is-my-babys-poop-green/

Today we welcomed eleven breastfeeding families to our Zoom meeting, with ages ranging from ten days to three years and one baby who is due to be born soon. As ever, the meeting discussion revolved around what was going on for the mums who came. Spoiler: sleep was a big talking point.

Today we talked about:

• Protecting supply and how to manage low supply in the early days

• Getting a comfortable latch with a newborn

• Koala hold - useful for babies who struggle to open wide

• Sleep with a new baby

• Safe sleep and the breastfed baby any age

• Frequent night wakings protecting against SIDS

• Changing expectations around sleep in motherhood (when and for how long we might sleep!)

• The four month fussies and distractible baby

• Safe sleep for breastfeeding families - how to avoid falling asleep in an unsafe position

If you'd like to read more about those topics, see the comments for links to relevant articles.

See you in a fortnight for more free and friendly mother-to-mother breastfeeding support, encouragement and information.

LLLove,

Abi and Caitriona

LLL Leaders

Co-leading LLL East Cambridgeshire

• https://www.llli.org/the-safe-sleep-seven/

• https://www.laleche.org.uk/safe-sleep-the-breastfed-baby/

• https://www.lllgbbooks.co.uk/store/p89/SweetSleep.html

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZARPE9RUGE... This video could give you some ideas about feeding in the side lying position, although we're well aware each feeding pair may have their own tweaks and adjustments to make!

• https://www.carolsmyth.co.uk/.../expressing-breastmilk.../

• If you're interested in supporting our charity by becoming a member, go to www.laleche.org.uk/join.

Today we welcomed nine breastfeeding families to our Beyond Babyhood Zoom meeting, with nurslings ages ranging from ten months to five years and some lovely older siblings joining in too. As ever, the meeting discussion revolved around what was going on for the mums who came.

Today we talked about:

• How our identity as a mother evolves over time and is sometimes completely not what we expected before we had a baby.

• How our expectations of our breastfeeding journey length evolve over time, how we just keep feeding one day at a time if it keeps feeling like the right thing for us.

• The conflict between what we’ve learned from society about breastfeeding vs. what we’re learning about breastfeeding from our little ones.

• How we talk to our close ones about breastfeeding beyond babyhood if they aren’t sure about it.

• How breastfeeding during pregnancy can look. Did you know that most mums lose their milk supply during pregnancy? And half of children wean during pregnancy?

• Constant feeding and comfort feeding during lockdown can be exhausting.

• Feelings around breastfeeding a child with many allergies.

• What to do when your little one is afraid of having their nails cut.

• When toddlers are getting ready to drop their nap, bedtime can be really hard.

• Ideas about how to make toothbrushing work around bedtimes - or separate from bedtime.

• How we cope with feelings of anger.

• How sometimes we feel like a mediator between partner and child.

• How sometimes our little ones choose not to do something they can do and how that makes us feel.

See comments for links to further reading about some of those topics.

We’ll be back next week for an All Ages meeting (which totally includes breastfeeding beyond babyhood too!), so please do sign up with plenty of time

We'll leave you with this beautiful poem written by a mum called Amy who attends both LLL East Cambridgeshire and LLL Cambridge. Thank you Amy for writing this poem, it is so touching.

LLLove,

Abi and Caitriona

LLL Leaders

Co-Leading LLL East Cambridgeshire

• https://dilanandme.com/dairyfree/treats-list/ (not an LLL website, but if you’re breastfeeding a child with allergies, here’s a list of the dairy free soya free treats out there!)

• https://www.laleche.org.uk/still-nursing/

• https://www.laleche.org.uk/dealing-with-criticism/

• https://www.laleche.org.uk/breastfeeding-beyond-infancy/

• I love this article on getting your head around breastfeeding going on for longer than we normally see in society https://www.naturalchild.org/.../guest/ruth_kamnitzer.html

• https://www.laleche.org.uk/pregnant-and-breastfeeding/

Today we welcomed nine breastfeeding families to our Zoom meeting, with ages ranging from two weeks to two years and one baby who is due to be born soon. As ever, the meeting discussion revolved around what was going on for the mums who came.

Today we talked about:

• Weaning from nipple shields

• How to improve the latch in cross cradle hold

• Koala hold - useful for babies who struggle to open wide

• Breast shaping

• Positions to help baby cope with a fast flow

• How partners can support a breastfeeding mother and bond with baby

• Top tips for breastfeeding in the early days

• How to advocate for ourselves and our babies when needed

• Safe sleep for breastfeeding families - how to avoid falling asleep in an unsafe position

If you'd like to read more about those topics, see the comments for links to relevant articles.

See you in a fortnight for more free and friendly mother-to-mother breastfeeding support, encouragement and information.

We’ve also got a Beyond Babyhood meeting coming up next week, 21st July 10am-12pm so we’re looking forward to welcoming mums and their older nurslings along.

LLLove,

Abi and Caitriona

LLL Leaders

Co-leading LLL East Cambridgeshire

• Weaning from a nipple shield: https://breastfeeding.support/weaning-from-a-nipple-shield (not an LLL site but very well researched and regularly updated, written by an IBCLC who is an LLL Leader)

• Breast shaping to help baby get a deeper latch: https://www.carolsmyth.co.uk/.../october/breast-shaping/ (another IBCLC LLL Leader)

• Koala hold with flipple https://themilkmeg.com/get-better-latch-exaggerated.../ (another IBCLC who was an LLL Leader!)

• Koala hold: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgkUieHU2Mw (not LLL, a useful video)

• Tips to help baby cope with a fast flow: https://breastfeeding.support/what-is-a-fast-let-down/

• Coping with a fast flow positions: http://www.nancymohrbacher.com/.../coping-with-fast-milk...

• Lots of videos demonstrating laid back positions and how to make them work for you: https://www.youtube.com/c/NancyMohrbacher/videos (Nancy M is another IBCLC LLL Leader who has written books about breastfeeding)

• An article for supporting partners to read, full of ideas to support mum and baby: https://www.laleche.org.uk/supporting-a-breastfeeding-mother

• How to use bottles and other tools to give milk to a breastfed baby: https://www.laleche.org.uk/bottles-and-other-tools/

• Safe sleep for breastfeeding families: https://www.laleche.org.uk/safe-sleep-the-breastfed-baby/

• Our group’s webpage with our contact details. Top tip, save our mobile numbers into your phone and make contact with one of us before baby arrives! https://www.laleche.org.uk/suppo.../lll-east-cambridgeshire/

• Joining LLLGB as a member helps to keep our charity going, it goes towards the website, the helpline, our insurance and a portion goes to our local group. It is a donation of £2.50/month or £30/year and you get a bimonthly copy of our members’ magazine, Breastfeeding Matters, plus if you attend our meetings and join as a member you can join our local members’ facebook group, ‘Feeling the LLLove in East Cambridgeshire’. https://www.laleche.org.uk/join/

Today we welcomed seven breastfeeding families to our Zoom meeting, with ages ranging from four weeks to three years and three pregnant mothers. We had such a variety of topics to talk through today and we’d like to extend a huge thank you to all the mums who carved out time for the meeting.

Today we talked about:

• Blocked ducts and mastitis - some reasons these issues arise and how to avoid recurrent problems. A favourite in our group is the milkshake! Also the use of Lecithin treatment for recurrent plugged ducts

• Adjusting latch while the nursling is still attached. Caitriona did some demonstrations of breast shaping, where the nipple is aiming for in the mouth of the nursling, circling more breast tissue into the mouth of the nursling and shuffling position (commonly this will be to move the nursling towards their own feet so that their head is more central to the mother’s body)

• Feeding cues. Mums shared their experiences of how their little ones let them know they are hungry and how sometimes feeding because mum wants or needs to is still a brilliant feed!

• Hand expressing

• Responsive feeding and you can’t overfeed a breastfed baby

• Breastmilk has everything a growing baby needs

• Four Month Fussies

• Teething

• How weaning happens, the change in relationship as your nursling becomes more independent and the conflicting feelings that can come from that.

• Flat nipples

• Dealing with criticism

• Some mothers shared their top tips for breastfeeding in the early days - a breastfeeding basket near your seat filled with a bottle of water, phone charger, books, easy snacks, T.V. remote etc. - find support (LLL is a great place for this!) - a sling can be a useful parenting tool

If you'd like to read more about those topics, see the comments for links to relevant articles.

See you in a fortnight for more free and friendly mother-to-mother breastfeeding support, encouragement and information.

LLLove,

Caitriona and Abi

LLL Leaders

Co-leading LLL East Cambridgeshire

• https://www.laleche.org.uk/amazing-milk/

• https://www.laleche.org.uk/dealing-with-criticism/

• https://www.laleche.org.uk/supporting-a-breastfeeding.../

• https://www.carolsmyth.co.uk/.../october/breast-shaping/

• https://www.laleche.org.uk/inverted-nipples/

• https://kellymom.com/bf/normal/weight-toomuch/

• https://kellymom.com/.../importance-responsive-feeding/

• https://www.laleche.org.uk/positioning-attachment/

• https://www.laleche.org.uk/hand-expression-of-breastmilk/

• https://breastfeeding.support/oversupply-breast-milk/... (this one has the information about the milkshake)

• https://www.carolsmyth.co.uk/.../mastitis-blocked-ducts.../

• https://kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/lecithin/

• https://www.laleche.org.uk/mastitis/

• https://globalhealthmedia.org/.../attaching-your-baby.../... (this is a great resource for attaching your baby at the breast)

• https://www.youtube.com/playlist... (this is a playlist of videos to show Natural breastfeeding positions in action and how they can help)