Annerié Conradie

So privileged to have been able to attend this Masterclass. Cannot wait to implement the day's learning into my daily daily practice. 🤓

You have never arrived.... always something to learn as research constantly changes in the medical profession. An insightful lecture on "Unraveling tongue tie: Surgical insights and Lifelong Health implications" by Dr Justin Roche.

The Top Up Trap....

As a mother, we naturally wants the best for our little ones. And providing for their nutritional needs is a huge one....

But what to do if we are not sure exactly how much is enough? 🤔

These comments / questions are frequently made / asked by new moms at my practice :
👶🏼 My b***s didn't feel full anymore like before
👶🏼 He was suckling constantly
👶🏼 My doctor said I must try a formula bottle and see if baby settles....
👶🏼 Baby increased the amount of feeds in the day, which makes me wonder
👶🏼 When I express, I don't get out much
👶🏼 I thought I was doing fine, but a relative said the baby was still hungry
👶🏼 Shouldn't he be sleeping after a feed?
👶🏼 Baby sleeps so much longer after a formula, which made me think he was hungry
... And the list goes on

So before you reach for the tin, please
- contact a professional to assess your baby's feed, complete a full assessment on baby with thorough history taking.

In so many cases, formula was never necessary, and moms regret the hasty decision afterwards (and dont let the consultation fee of the professional put you off making an appointment.... as formula will cost a lot more in the long run....)

COLOSTRUM: Nature's starter pack

Colostrum : This is the 1st fluid your breasts produce in the first few days after birth.
It's thick and can look like water or might have a golden yellow colour. It's a very concentrated fluid. Small in amount, but potent. Your pregnancy hormones will ensure that your body produces colostrum to meet your newbors's needs hence the term Nature's starter pack 😁

How much does my baby need?? The answer? Baby only needs a small amount, about a teaspoonful, at each feed.
Please be very careful to start taking tablets (eg Esperide, Eglonyl and Clopomon) in hospital already to increase supply. At this stage, the new mom is not meant to already produce large volumes of milk. I see a large number of early tablet-complications eg engorgement, blocked ducts and mastitis.

What can I expect those first few days?

Your baby may want to feed quite often, perhaps every hour to begin with. THIS IS NORMAL NEWBORN BEHAVIOUR.
They'll begin to have fewer, but longer feeds once your breasts start to produce more "mature" milk after a few days.

The more baby feeds, the more your baby's sucking will stimulate your supply and the more milk you'll make.

Where you are concerned about your milk production, please rather contact a Lactation Consultant. We are specialized professionals that share the same goal as you - to ensure a healthy breastfeeding journey.

I stand by my teaching..... Have a certified Lactation Consultant examine your baby where feeding issues and a possible tongue tie is suspected..... Interesting article by a world renowned expert.

Responsive feeding means that you watch for hunger signs from your baby and not a schedule of feeds.

This allows for your baby to help you with making sure you have enough breast milk. Your breast will respond to your baby’s need for breast milk by the stimulation of the breasts making more milk

Ask your SACLC for more information.

Very important. Parents are often in such a hurry to get their babies dressed. Allow baby that precious time to just be...., to take in your warmth, smell, taste, listening to your heartbeat ....

that Skin to skin is so much more than just a hug. Skin to Skin helps with bonding, baby’s breathing, heart rate, blood sugar level, body temperature, decreases stress for both mom and baby.

Ask your SACLC for more information.

that warmth helps your breast to have a let-down?
If you need to express or are struggling with your letdown, you can use warmth to help you have a better letdown.

🤱 BREASTFEEDING FACT 🤱:
"Your breasts are never completely empty when you breastfeed"...

Your breasts are continuously making milk and are never completely empty!

They will feel fuller with more time that passes between feedings or pumping sessions but you do not ever fully empty them.

In fact, even though your baby can get more out of your breast than your pump, research shows that most babies only remove about 65% of the milk that is available!

Unlike the risk of overfeeding to try and finish what is in the bottle, when breastfeeding, babies will only eat until they are full and not when the breast is "empty". ❤

📸 Melissa Jean Photography (Australia)

Breastfeeding protects infants against infections mainly via secretory IgA (SIgA) antibodies, but also via other various bioactive factors. It is striking that the defense factors of human milk function without causing inflammation; some components are even anti-inflammatory.