One of the biggest aims of All Things Breastfeeding is to provide trustworthy breastfeeding information and advice, specifically aimed at South African moms. We know that our systems – our healthcare system, workplace environments and social networks – are not always breastfeeding friendly, despite everyone proclaiming that breast is best.
We hope to compensate in some small way for this by providing information content that moms can use to help them cope with their breastfeeding challenges. And its not all about challenges; breastfeeding can be a beautiful experience that you can celebrate and enjoy!
Enjoy reading, and do let us know if you have a topic that you would like to read more about.
Most healthcare professionals receive some training in breastfeeding during their initial pre-graduate studies. For doctors this training is very basic, consisting of only a few lectures. Nursing sisters and dieticians will get more information as they work with breastfeeding mothers more directly. And of course those who end up choosing a career path like paediatrics or well-baby care will learn more about breastfeeding at conferences and in-service trainings. They will also build experience as they carry on, plus may or[...]
On demand, right? Most moms know this, but what does it mean? Surely it means to feed whenever baby is hungry? Which you would think would be every 3-4 hours, as is recommended on formula tins. The truth is that breastfeeding patterns differ from formula feeding patterns. Many mothers stop breastfeeding because they interpret their baby’s perfectly normal feeding patterns to be a sign of baby not getting enough breast milk. And psst… many formula babies also do not wait[...]
You may have heard about the Golden Hour - the first hour after birth which is so important for baby’s physiological adaptation to being outside the uterus, for bonding, and for getting a kickstart at establishing breastfeeding. This hour can actually stretch to 2-3 hours. Ideally baby should be skin-to-skin on mom’s chest, and there should be minimum medical interventions. And if all goes to plan, baby should latch and get his very first feed. Except this doesn’t always happen.[...]
Do you really need an electric pump, or will a manual pump do? This is a difficult comparison as the quality of electric pumps differ vastly. A good manual pump is definitely worth more than a bad electric one. But it has some limitations. Below some advantages and disadvantages of both Manual Pump advantages: They are cheaperThey are smaller and lighter, and more easily fits into a bagSome moms feel that they have more control over the speed and suction[...]
Ultimately, all that you need to breastfeed is a baby and a boob! And if all is going well, and you are not going to be separated from your baby for any length of time for the first year or so of life, then the answer to this question is ‘probably not’. However, if you are going to be away from baby for longer periods than a quick grocery run, or if for any reason your baby is unable to[...]
