Infant Feeding Support
My aim is to provide up to date, helpful information, and advice regarding all aspects of infant feeding, whether that’s breast, bottle or mixed.
Those wishing to breast feed their baby, often find that they experience difficulties especially in the first few days and weeks and may find that they need some extra support. This is why I offer both antenatal and postnatal 1 to 1 help, tailored to your family’s unique needs.
Antenatal breastfeeding coaching is for expectant mothers/parents in their 3rd trimester, who want to learn how to prepare themselves to feed their baby with confidence.
Some of the topics covered:
- Past experiences, if any.
- How you would like to feed your baby once they arrive.
- The benefits of collecting and storing colostrum, and how to do it.
- Understanding how to fully support the baby’s instinctive reflexes to latch and feed in those first hours and days.
- The best positions for feeding in the early days.
- Potential pitfalls and problems when things don’t go to plan, and how to adapt.
- How to protect your milk supply, whilst getting the hang of breast feeding.
Postnatal breastfeeding coaching is aimed at mothers/parents and their new baby, who feel they would like some extra help with feeding. Maybe they feel totally overwhelmed with caring and feeding their baby; or perhaps circumstances around the birth meant breastfeeding didn’t get off to the best start; or perhaps they feel it’s going fairly well but there’s room for improvement. I can help with practical advice and a plan going forward.
Postnatal coaching typically includes the following; however, this may vary according to the individual’s needs:
- Full feeding assessment.
- Observation of a feed, followed by advice on positioning to achieve a more comfortable efficient latch.
- How to recognise efficient milk transfer.
- Recognising and understanding normal baby behaviours, feeding clues and responsive feeding.
- Other factors that maybe influencing feeding such as tongue tie and physical tensions and restrictions post birth.
- How to protect milk supply if you currently need to top up with formula; when and how to breast feed/express/top up.
- How to address low milk supply or over production, engorgement, and mastitis.
- Bottle and mixed feeding including paced bottle feeding.
Please feel free to get in touch, if you would like to have a chat, regarding the feeding support or combined osteopathy and feeding support.