Kenyabirthcircle

10/06/2022

By law in Kenya employers are required to create a lactation space for mothers to either breastfeed or more usually to express breast milk in.

For the employer there are some significant benefits to consider in creating a dedicated lactation space and family friendly breastfeeding policy, these include increased employee loyalty, retention, & productivity and reduction in staff turnover, training & recruitment $

The gold standard is the lactation space at safaricom (dreamy...sigh) however it does not take much to create a dedicated lactation space. Here is what you need to consider:

A private space, a tabletop, a comfy chair, small fridge, a sink, an electrical outlet and you could consider decorations that create a relaxing space.

Remember milk does not just come pouring out, there is a process and art to using either a pump or expressing by hand. When a mum is stressed less milk will be expressed.

For some inspiration have a peek at what CAMFEB have created for the flower farm Florensis Flowers

http://camfeb.org/workplace-breastfeeding-support-program/

NB bathrooms are unacceptable spaces to express or breastfeed in (come on you're not happy eating a sandwich on the toilet?)

06/05/2022

In Kenya, like many places in the world, infertility is still shrouded with stigma. As a tiny example, Kenyan society identifies with children and you become Mama Tatiana or Baba Juliet and so on.....and for women and men struggling with their fertility this is felt acutely daily.

Its also really hard to connect to anyone else experiencing infertility as no one speaks about it (just like no one speaks about miscarriages or postnatal depression) so people feel so isolated and so alone.

Sharing your story can open you up to support that you didn't even know was out there.

Nobody should struggle alone.

There is of course no one journey fits all or approach when it comes to fertility, but other women, men, fertility doula, childbirth educators, midwives, doctors can help connect you to people with shared experiences.

These shared experiences can often provide options, ideas or simply the emotional support of being listened to.

Huge hug out there to anyone reading this and struggling x


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14/03/2022

It's impossible to overemphasise the importance of peer to peer support and friendship in motherhood, established in the early days of becoming a new mum. There is something indescribably therapeutic of hearing other mums sharing stories about their beautiful, chaotic, messy lives. Learn from each other, lift each other up, form friendships (its got to be said nothing forms friendships faster than shared experience). One of the things I love about motherhood friendships is how very different they can be.

22/02/2022

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world" Nelson Mandela.

Discussions over cups of tea have the power to map a girl or woman's future, if you just take the time to talk to her about her health, her options on contraception, her pregnancy, her birth.

19/02/2022

Does a leopard 🐆 change her spots? Not sure if she does, but a good childbirth educator should certainly help you change your spots! Packed with evidence based information you will be able to explore your ideas & options and come out of the classes empowered to make the best decisions for your birth and baby. Disclaimer that my next posts might be a little safari themed from such a fun family camping 🏕 safari in the Mara-camped in the triangle Campsite Maji ya ndege, we got wet, ate lots of bake beans & marshmallows, incredible wildlife, incredible children 😊

20/11/2019

We’ve started our Christmas Pressie Project!

28/06/2019

How incredible is this!

Researchers at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia have created a device that could revolutionize care for babies born extremely premature.