I came across this fantastic new  book that I want to share with you all.  Breastfeeders Anonymous is a light-hearted, informative and easy-to-read book. It’s not a DIY Guide to Breastfeeding (although there is a chapter on the ‘Mechanics of Breastfeeding); it’s a support group in a book, in which a number of mums relate the good, bad and ugly of breastfeeding.

I also had a chance to chat to the author Rachael Blair, who saw an information gap out there for breastfeeding mums and set out to write her own.

"There’s a lot of how-to books and a few anecdotal ones, but not many that combine expert information with the personal experience of real mums", she said.

"I’m a stay-at-home-mum/ ex-teacher/ freelance writer who is really passionate about breastfeeding and wanted other mums to be able to enjoy good breastfeeding relationships with their babies. I have two beautiful boys, both of whom were breastfed (one still is).'’

Sounds good to me and just what we are about at Mum Knows Breast! Check it out at www.breastfeedersanonymous.com.

gillygirl :: Sep.26.2007 :: breastfeeding stories, Product Reviews, breastfeeding support :: No Comments »

I have decided to set myself and the other members of Mum Knows Breast a challenge - 30 Tips in 30 days! This means posting a new tip everyday for the next month to help breastfeeding mums. I thought it would be a good way to support World Breastfeeding Week and get the ball rolling. It be great to help other mums out there.

So please help me out with your tips otherwise I’m going to be one busy bee. Here goes….

Tip No 1 -  Give yourself permission to fail

Sound strange doesn’t it? Let me explain. I think as new mums we put so much pressure on ourselves to be perfect then when things don’t go to plan we think we have failed or are a bad mum. The same goes for breastfeeding. Give yourself permission to make mistakes and realise that the early breastfeeding days are hard for everyone. It’s O.K to ask for help and admit that your having problems with breastfeeding. Nearly all mums do. Ask for help and don’t put pressure on yourself to be perfect. Sometimes when the pressure is off you can find  breastfeeding can become a little easier. Eliminate ’shoulds’ from your vocabulary. Doing your best is enough. You might just surprise yourself. Hang in there.

gillygirl :: Aug.03.2007 :: breastfeeding support :: 16 Comments »

World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year to help promote and support breastfeeding mums.  Here’s a link to a great article written by Tash Hughes about the week and what you can do to celebrate it ! http://www.savetimeonline.com.au/articlebank/breastfweek.html

Save Time Online also have a great range of special offers available to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week as well as lots of links and useful information about breastfeeding. Check it out - there’s lots of great reading here!

Happy World Breastfeeding Week!

gillygirl :: Jul.28.2007 :: breastfeeding support :: No Comments »

Lovelyjubbly! Congratulations on your prize pack from Nuvo Maternity and thanks for blogging on Mum Knows Breast with advice to help other mums.  It got me thinking that as mums we have so much advice and tips to share but we often think we have nothing worthwhile to add. Think again! This is what Mum Knows Breast is all about - helping and sharing with other mums about your experiences. So please jump in and help someone along the way…

gillygirl :: Jun.23.2007 :: breastfeeding support :: No Comments »

Don’t forget to make a blog here on our Mum Knows Breast Blog about your best breastfeeding advice for a new mum! You have a chance to win some great prizes. See our welcome page.

For those of you unsure how to post a blog just go into your control panel and select Blogs and click on Mum Knows Breast. Then you post a new blog post.

I’d love to see some more advicer to help out a new mum. Don’t be shy ladies!

gillygirl :: Jun.03.2007 :: breastfeeding support :: No Comments »

Breastfeeding can be a very rewarding yet challenging experience for many new mothers. In the early days with your baby, it is important to look after yourself to help establish successful breastfeeding. After all, you are the most important person to your baby at this time, so it makes sense to take care of you! 

1. Don’t be superwoman – accept all offers of help and food that come your way.
2. The housework can wait and it is much more important to catch up on sleep and rest while you can.
3. If you can afford it, hire a cleaner or ask a relative to help out with the cleaning for the first few weeks. This will give you time to catch up on missed sleep during the day.
4. Eat a well balanced diet including plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, carbohydrates, protein and calcium to give you extra energy while breastfeeding.
5. Drink plenty of fluids to make sure you stay hydrated while breastfeeding. It’s a good idea to have a glass of water every time you feed and try to avoid too much alcohol and caffeine.
6. Take some time out – a short walk around the block or an occasional short break away from your baby will help recharge your batteries and give you more energy to care for your baby.
7. Build a support network that can help encourage and support you while you are breastfeeding. You might like to join a mother’s group or have a relative you can turn to for advice.
8. Regular gentle exercise will help you feel better about yourself and is good for your health too. Why not join a postnatal exercise class, which is also great for meeting other mums.
9. Spend time with your partner everyday, even if it is just a quick cup of tea. Your partner’s support and encouragement is crucial at this time.
10. Reward yourself for making a commitment to breastfeed. You might like to have a facial, take a long bath or buy a new outfit. If you look good, you feel good and just think of all the money you are saving by not having to buy formula!

gillygirl :: May.29.2007 :: breastfeeding support :: No Comments »

A pilot $30 million program will give QLD new mums the chance to have a visit from a midwife, nurse or other child health professional to give them advice about caring for their new born baby.

Visits in the first 10 days of the newborn’s life will allow parents to seek reassurance on feeding, sleep and behaviour issues and talk them through with a health professional.

I think this is fantastic news for QLD mums and will be a great support particularly for all those breastfeeding questions and problems that mums have in the early days! Hopefully the other states will follow soon.  Definitely a much needed resource.

gillygirl :: May.21.2007 :: breastfeeding support :: No Comments »