There have been so many stories recently around breastfeeding, due to World Breastfeeding Week, including its benefits even for IQ, the fact that in the UK women tend to breastfeed for no longer than one year, and some furore around mothers not being allowed to breastfeed in public. Interestingly recent research found that shy women are less likely to breastfeed; the study showed a link between a woman’s personality and breastfeeding, introverts were found to be self-conscious about feeding their babies in public. Anxious or stressed mothers felt that they couldn’t get the support they needed. What a sad state of affairs! The good news is that there is support out there and help is at hand from charities such as The Association of Breastfeeding Mothers www.abm.me.uk
I had my babies so late in life that I had no confidence issues, in fact I think the whole of Asia caught sight of my breasts whilst taking my 16-month-old on several long-haul flights! I was lucky enough to be offered a press trip on The London Eye in 2000, as I had a newborn baby I ended up breastfeeding in the pod, he certainly had an excellent view while dining!
If it’s really not possible to breastfeed or if you want to add formula milk too then consider cup-feeding milk to newborns. I’m not a fan of plastic baby bottles for all kinds of reasons and interestingly cup feeding is recommended by UNICEF as the best way to give milk to newborns – rather than a teat, in the event of breastfeeding difficulties or a medical situation that means breastfeeding isn’t possible.
I’ve recently come across The Babycup – perfect for cup-feeding milk to newborns (including premature babies) whilst establishing breastfeeding, fortunately it’s BPA and Phthalate free and is the perfect size for tiny mouths and little hands – once you start weaning. Beware some of the non-spill cups on the market, they contort the mouth into some interesting shapes that can lead to jaw and dental problems later. www.babycup.co.uk
Joyful Pregnancy is an audio download with a wealth of useful information about pregnancy by Janey Lee Grace and UK’s best-selling audio hypnotherapist, Glenn Harrold – Available here>>>