Mother to Mother breastfeeding support in New Zealand
Connect with a Leader near you
Questions or worries about breastfeeding? Our accredited La Leche League Leaders are experienced mothers who have been trained to provide information and support for breastfeeding. We can help over the phone, you can come along to our informal meetings, or ask a questions via email and on social media. All of this is free and confidential.
Find your local group
You can find details of our accredited breastfeeding helpers and group meetings across Aotearoa here.
Our mission is to help mothers to breastfeed through mother-to-mother support, education, information, and encouragement and to promote a better understanding of breastfeeding as an important element in the healthy development of the baby and mother.
Online Facebook Meetings
Meetings are held the last Tuesday of every month from 7:30pm
You can join us for breastfeeding support and information from the comfort of your own home – pyjamas and beverage of your choice optional.
No technical ability required, just join the meeting group and be online that evening.
We’d love to see you there.
What are your best responses to handle unhelpful comments about breastfeeding?
Need support with managing comments about breastfeeding? Find a local group to connect with here: lalecheleague.org.nz/get-help/
[Image Description: woman sits in autumn leaves looking pensive with text: need support with managing comments about breastfeeding?]
Did you know baby's instinctively massage your breasts with their hands to stimulate milk production? It can get a bit more extravagant as they get older though! #FridayFunny #LLLNZ
[Image: woman side lying feeding a baby who has a handful of neck flesh! Text on Image: What my Baby is supposed to be doing with their free hand while latched on: Gently massage my breast to encourage milk flow; What my baby actually does with their free hand (all limbs) while latched on: pinches, prods, and twiddles all available flesh - round house kick to the face - garrotte me with pointless breastfeeding distraction necklace - toes locate nostrils repeatedly - spams texts to my social sports team message group full of emojis I didn't even know existed]
You may have seen in the news the story of baby Sapphire who sadly passed away in 2017 with a high blood alcohol level, and the subsequent recommendation from the coroner that all breastfeeding mothers should abstain from drinking alcohol. You may have also heard that this has been disputed. The letter written to the coroner by Dr Heather Johnston, has been signed by over 700 Obstetricians, Paediatricians, GPs and other health professionals, many of whom hold specialist Breastfeeding Medicine and IBCLC qualifications. This letter is now publicly available and posted below.
In summary...
"We are surprised that the conclusion reached in this case was that baby Sapphire died from alcohol ingestion through breastfeeding. This does not appear to be physiologically possible given the information available to us, and does not fit with the current evidence around breastfeeding and infant exposure to alcohol. In fact, it seems that it would be the world’s first reported case of acute alcohol intoxication and death from breastfeeding.
We are disappointed that the recommendation was that women who are breastfeeding must not consume alcohol. Breastfeeding is so incredibly important. There should be a lot of consideration before sweeping statements are made that could undermine breastfeeding, alienate breastfeeding mothers, and subvert all the good work that is put in to informing women about breastfeeding. An opportunity to enhance the breastfeeding narrative has been missed here, by an influential government agency, which is likely to disadvantage mothers and children."
www.documentcloud.org/documents/6269193-Letter-to-the-Coroner.html?fbclid=IwAR2RoqqRJ1Qk8E8atGB_B...
When you were pregnant...
Even when you were still, your baby was rocked by your breathing.
Even when you were standing straight, your baby was curled tight.
Even when you were quiet, your baby was soothed by the sounds in your body.
Even when you were cold, your baby had your warmth wrapped around them.
Even when you were hungry, your baby was nourished.
Your body was made to nurture your baby when they were inside and now that they are out, breastfeeding provides all they need to help them transition to life outside the womb gently and comfortably.
#WombToWorld #LLLNZ #LucyWebberIBCLC #Breastfeeding#wombtoworld #breastfeeding #trustyourbody #trustyourbaby
When you are struggling with night times, there are lots of options for all getting some sleep and the most biologically logical thing to do may end up being to share sleep with your baby.
To make sure you a sharing sleep spaces safely, take a look at the Safe Sleep 7 for bed-sharing families.
You need to be:
1. A nonsmoker
2. Sober (no drugs, alcohol, or drowsy medications)
3. Breastfeeding
Your baby needs to be:
4. Full-term and healthy
5. Kept on his back when he is not nursing
6. Unswaddled, in a onesie or light pajamas
You both need to be:
7. On a safe surface
www.llli.org/breastfeeding-info/sleep-bedshare/
#SafeSleep7 #LaLecheLeague #LLLNZ #SafeSleep #BreastfeedingSupport #Whanau
Additional reasources:
Safe Sleep for breastfed babies:
www.llli.org/breastfeeding-info/safe-sleep-breastfeeding-babies/
You can purchase the LLL text "Sweet Sleep" from our online store, or find it in your group library:
lllnzshop.org.nz/sweet-sleep
Have you been wondering about your post-partum contraception options while you are breastfeeding?
#Contraception #Fertility #Sex #Breastfeeding #LLLNZ
Full article here: www.llli.org/breastfeeding-info/birth-control/
Non-hormonal methods of contraception are compatible with breastfeeding though no method is 100% effective against pregnancy regardless of whether you are breastfeeding or not.
Some hormonal methods of contraception may affect milk supply especially in the early months after birth.
Combination contraceptives contain both progestin (the synthetic version of progesterone) and estrogen and come in a number of forms.
Contraceptives which contain estrogen have been linked to reduced milk supply and early cessation of breastfeeding even when started after milk supply is well established and baby is older. Not all mothers who take contraceptives containing estrogen experience lower milk supply, but many do. It is only recommended to use contraceptives containing estrogen with caution, particularly those mothers who have had challenges with their milk supply.
The return to fertility is individual for each mother and it is possible to get pregnant while breastfeeding. However, exclusive breastfeeding can sometimes be used as a reliable form of contraception in the first six months after birth, if your periods haven’t returned yet. This is called Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM).
In order to use the LAM, you must be able to answer “yes” to ALL three of these questions:
* Is my baby less than six months old?
* Is my baby fully or nearly fully breastfed, and breastfeeding frequently both day and night? (‘Nearly fully breastfed’ means that the baby may receive ‘taste-sized’ portions of solids occasionally.)
* Have I had no vaginal bleeding (not even spotting) since six weeks after my baby was born?
If you can answer ‘yes’ to ALL of these questions, your chances of becoming pregnant are less than 2%, making LAM about as effective as using condoms.
What are you up to tomorrow morning? Make sure you are in our online meeting group to join our monthly live chat - posts starting from 10am tuesday 13/08
#BreastfeedingSupport #LiveChat #LLLNZ
group here: www.facebook.com/groups/LLLNZonline/
Food spoils, babies do not
Cuddle those babies as much as you want
#LLLNZ #BreastfeedingSupport #CuddleThem #WarmthFoodSecurity
"The newborn baby has only three demands. They are warmth in the arms of [his] mother, food from her breasts, and security in the knowledge of her presence. Breastfeeding satisfies all three."
- Grantly Dick -Read MD, as quoted in The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding 8th ed. Page 4
For more on what to expect from breastfeeding in newborn days:
www.laleche.org.uk/beginning-breastfeeding/
- Grantly Dick -Read MD, as quoted in The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding 8th ed. Page 4]
Want to join a LLL meeting from the comfort of your couch while scrolling on your phone? Make sure you are in our online meeting group and join us on Tuesday morning for this month’s live chat.
#OnlineMeetings #BreastfeedingSupport #FindYourVillage #LLLNZ #LiveChat
Link to group:
www.facebook.com/groups/LLLNZonline/
💚
With another wave of bugs doing the rounds the time seemed right for a #repost and reminder about breastfeeding and illness - Just keep on feeding!
🤒 Breastfeeding in times of illness can be hard work for both you and your little one, especially if they have a blocked nose, or one or both of you has a tummy bug. 🤢
The best thing to do when either of you is sick is feed feed feed.🤱🏾🤱🏻🤱🏼🤱🏽
Sometimes supply might dip if lots of fluids have been lost. This is easily combated with skin to skin, feeding on demand, and drinking plenty of fluids while you recover. Cluster feeding to boost supply after an illness is normal, find a good series on Netflix, fill up your drink bottle, and settle in!
#BreastfeedingSupport #LLLNZ #WinterIllness #TummyBugs #FluSeason
💜 More Info 👇👇 below 💜
When baby is sick
kellymom.com/…/can-i-…/illness-surgery/baby-illness/
“Anytime a sick baby is able to take anything by mouth, it should be his mother’s milk. Mom’s milk provides antibodies specifically tailored to fight baby’s illness, and is quickly and easily digested.”
When mum is sick
kellymom.com/…/can-i-b…/illness-surgery/mom-illness/
“The best thing you can do for your baby when you’re sick is to continue to breastfeed. When you have a contagious illness such as a cold, flu, or other mild virus, your baby was exposed to the illness before you even knew you were sick. Your milk will not transmit your illness to baby, but it does have antibodies in it that are specific to your illness (plus anything else you or baby have been exposed to) – they’ll help prevent baby from getting sick, or if he does get sick, he’ll probably not be as sick as you.”
If you would like some one on one support pm the page; or find a local leader here
lalecheleague.org.nz/get-help/