Are you pregnant and planning to breastfeed?

Wondering, how do I prepare for breastfeeding?

Want to know how to breastfeed easily, painlessly and without difficulty?

Do you already have a baby? 

Is your confidence wavering as people ask, "are you sure you have enough milk? "

Is breastfeeding hurting - sore breasts? Nipple pain?

Want to know how to breastfeed easily, painlessly and without difficulty?

YES! You can enjoy breastfeeding - simply, naturally and with confidence!

Pinky McKay is an Internationally Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). Practical Parenting Magazine’s breastfeeding columnist, Pinky has a private practice in Melbourne where she offers breastfeeding consultations in parents’ own homes.

The articles on this site offer basic breastfeeding information but Pinky recommends that you see an appropriate health professional or trained breastfeeding counsellor for specialised help and personalised advice.

Australian Breastfeeding Association
www.breastfeeding.asn.au

Australian Lactation Consultants Association
www.alca.asn.au

 Pinky also recommends you visit www.babygooroo.com for uptodate breastfeeding articles and videos

For private consultations with Pinky>>

"I just wanted to let you know how well Campbell and I are doing with Breastfeeding after your visit. No one ever told me how challenging breastfeeding was – for both mother and baby! After being sent home from hospital using a nipple shield I felt like I was ‘cheating’ with my breastfeeding and not doing it the way it was ‘meant to be done’. I felt ashamed that I wasn’t doing it ‘naturally’; exhausted from the whole palava of cleaning and sterilising the shields; and embarrassed if I had to go out or feed in front of other people in case they saw. 

 After coming home, feeding was a challenge enough without the added challenge of weaning him off the shield. I had tried every day without any success. It just seamed easier to continue using it. I used it up until Campbell was 8 weeks when again I longed desperately to be rid of the darn things! That’s when I phoned you. That very day, just like magic, your assistance got Campbell onto the breast without the shield. I sat there in disbelief, knowing too well that the moment you left we’d be unable to maintain it. I had on and off success for a couple of days, but then fell into a heap again. Your words kept ringing in my ears, so I kept trying. I half had faith that it would eventually happen, but I also felt hopeless in my attempts and went onto to use the shield abit longer. This went on unitl week 12! Suddenly Campbell started refusing the shield and started to feed really well without it. We haven’t looked back! I feel incredible being able to feed him like I am now. It is truly amazing and I have you to thank for guiding me through my hard times. I could have very easily given up, even thinking of starting bottles and purchasing them. I just wanted to let you know how we went, and to pass on my story to anyone facing the same challenge – as it did take a while....but well worth the effort!"

Love Megan and Campbell Bates xxx

Breastfeeding - getting it right

By Pinky McKay

The key to breastfeeding success is to know why you are doing it. If you understand in your heart and mind why breastfeeding is best for your body and breast milk is best for your baby, then you will be motivated to persevere through challenges.

Breast milk is a living fluid containing organisms and proteins that offer protection against bacteria and viruses: breastfeeding reduces the risks of your baby suffering from acute diarrhoea; respiratory, urinary tract and ear infections; asthma and allergies; coeliac disease, ulcerative colitis, insulin dependent diabetes and childhood lymphomas. Breastfeeding also aids your baby’s speech, eyesight and intelligence and promotes a special bond between you and your baby.

Is my baby hungry 

by Pinky McKay

As your baby's cries escalate, you can be sure to hear well meant enquiries of, "are you sure you have enough milk?" or "maybe your milk isn't strong enough?" (By the way this second proposition is NEVER true, even though it was a common belief in your mother's day).
It is much more likely that your baby is simply hungry: it is perfectly normal for a breastfed baby to need feeding every two hours - and that means to hours from the beginning of one feed, to the beginning of the next - not two hours between feeds. In the early weeks, babies' tiny tummies are only the size of their tiny fists, so simply don't hold enough food to go long between feeds, day or night.

Mastitis 

Feeling ‘fluey’ any time when you are breastfeeding is a warning sign that you could be coming down with mastitis, an inflammation of the breast that may or may not also be infected. Symptoms of mastitis can hit suddenly and hard: one minute you feel just fine and the next you feel shattered and aching all over with chills and a fever. Sometimes flu-like symptoms come on even before you get a fever or notice breast tenderness. Mastitis can affect you emotionally too - it is common to feel ‘just awful’ and teary.

Another sign that mastitis may be rearing its ugly head is an intensely painful breast. Your whole breast may feel tender and ‘tight’ and be swollen, red and hot or you may present with a red, sore, lumpy patch on one area of your breast only. A sore, lumpy breast may also be caused by a blocked duct or, in the early days of breastfeeding can be due to engorgement (full breasts). A blocked duct or mastitis without infection will start to feel better with simple measures such as rest and emptying the breast but if you feel increasingly unwell, you will need to seek medical treatment – the sooner the better!

Breast or Bubbly 

I have a newborn and as this is the first Christmas season since I have had my baby, I am wondering, what is a safe alcohol level while breastfeeding?

The National Health and Medical Research Council are currently revising safe drinking guidelines and it looks as though pregnant and breastfeeding women will be advised not to drink alcohol at all. This is because, in light of worldwide research, a safe limit of alcohol consumption can’t be determined during pregnancy and breastfeeding – there are potential risks to babies whose immature livers aren’t able to process the alcohol transmitted through the placenta or their mother’s milk.

Daily consumption of alcohol by breastfeeding mothers has been shown to affect baby’s sleep patterns (with babies falling asleep more quickly but waking more often), increases the risk of slow weight gain and slows gross motor development.

Breastfeeding and working

Breastfeeding has been going well: your baby is thriving and happy. But now you are returning to work and feel sad at the prospect of weaning. Take heart - returning to paid work doesn’t mean you have to stop breastfeeding. Your baby can enjoy the health and nutritional benefits and you will still have that unique connection through the one thing that only you can do for your little one - snuggling him close as he drinks your milk.

To make breastfeeding and working possible from a practical perspective, it is important to choose a carer who is breastfeeding friendly: your carer will need to be motivated to implicitly follow your instructions to store and thaw (if necessary) and feed your milk to your baby. Also, there is nothing worse than arriving with full breasts to pick up your baby, only to find she has just been fed, so do request that your carer considers this. She can either help your baby wait (as long as he isn’t upset) or offer a small amount of milk to ‘tide him over’ (rather than a full feed) if you are on your way home. This will also require close communication on your part – perhaps a call as you leave work with an estimated arrival time.