Reusable Nappies made of iron....

Well, we just love this video and since Iron Baby is sporting a rather fetching nappy pin obviously she wears reusable nappies! Heh, any excuse to share this clip with you!

Now LOWER prices on all Mother-ease Products!

Here at Friendly Baby we are so pleased to be able to offer you lower prices across the entire Mother-ease range now that exchange rates are improving that we've decided to broadcast it here as a news bulletin! Many prices are up to 20% lower. Combine this with our multi-buy discounts and you are in for some real bargains! Happy shopping!

Breastfeeding and Work

You don’t need to stop breastfeeding just because you’re returning to work. Many working women find ways to continue breastfeeding their baby. And employers have certain obligations towards breastfeeding women.

How can I continue breastfeeding while working?

You have several options.
You can:

• arrange for childcare close to work, so that you can breastfeed during breaks
  or before and after work;


• express milk (taking milk from the breast by hand or using a pump) so that someone else can feed your baby while you are at work; or


• ask your employer for flexible working hours, arranged around breastfeeding.

If you want to breastfeed while working, you must tell your employer in writing in advance. They will then be able to make preparations.

How can I express milk at work?

You can express milk by hand or by using a pump. Friends who have expressed milk before, midwives and health visitors can advise on what kind of pump might be best.
It is a good idea to buy a pump a few weeks before returning to work, and practise
using it or expressing by hand. This will allow your breasts to get used to ‘letting down’ when expressing, and you can see how long it takes to express milk. You can build up a store of expressed milk to have in reserve, which will take the pressure off you for your first few days back at work. Make sure all equipment is sterilised before you start.

How should I store breastmilk?

Milk should be stored in a fridge and carried home in a cool bag. Ask your employer
to provide a fridge if you don’t already have access to one. It can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days at 4C or lower (usually at the back of the fridge). Breastmilk can be stored for up to 2 weeks in the ice compartment of a fridge or for up to 6 months in a freezer.

Useful tips

• Label and date expressed breastmilk before putting it in the fridge or freezer.


• Have a trial run with childcare before returning to work.


• Be prepared by keeping an extra top and some breastpads at work.


• Defrost frozen breastmilk in the fridge and don’t refreeze it once thawed.


• If you are using milk within 5 days of expressing it, it is better to store it in the fridge than in the freezer.

Information for employers

Why should employers support breastfeeding?

As well as there being certain legal obligations to breastfeeding mothers, supporting breastfeeding has business benefits.
These include:

• reduced absence due to child sickness (breastfed babies are generally healthier);


• increased staff morale and loyalty, and a subsequent higher rate of return to work;


• lower recruitment and training costs; and


• an extra incentive to offer potential employees.

How can employers help?

Employers can have a policy to support breastfeeding that includes:

• a break allowance so that mothers can express milk;


• provision of a clean, warm and private room (not the toilet) for expressing;


• a fridge to store expressed milk; and


• flexible working hours for breastfeeding mothers. Make sure your employees are aware of your policy before they start their maternity leave.

What does the law say?

It is for the mother to decide how long she wishes to breastfeed, and returning to
work does not mean that she has to stop. On returning to work she should provide her
employer with written notification that she is breastfeeding. Her employer must then conduct a specific risk assessment. The Workplace Regulations and Approved Code of
Practice require employers to provide suitable facilities for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers to rest. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recommends that it is good practice for employers to provide a private, healthy and safe environment for breastfeeding mothers to express and store milk. It is not suitable to use toilets for this purpose.

Test Your Breastfeeding Knowledge

This week for National Breastfeeding Awareness week, here at Friendly Baby we are bringing you a series of articles on breastfeeding and related topics. Our first article is thanks to Lansinoh and is actually a series of questions and answers to help you find the right direction with a whole series of common questions and breastfeeding problems.

Recent figures for the UK suggest that, although 70% of women begin breastfeeding their newborn babies, only 48% continue beyond six weeks and at six months, only 1% are still exclusively breastfeeding. Studies show that, with support and information, more mothers can successfully breastfeed for longer. How much do you know?

Why should I breastfeed?
1. Because breastfeeding mothers show less postnatal anxiety and depression than artificial feeding mothers
2. Because I will regain my pre-pregnancy weight quicker
3. Because breastfeeding is protective against Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

Answer: All answers are correct. Breastfeeding triggers and releases oxytocin (sometimes called the love hormone) that can help you to relax and feel less stressed. While your body is producing breastmilk it uses up about 500 extra calories a day. Studies outside the UK have shown that breastfeeding may help decrease the incidence of SIDS and the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths (FSID) recommends breastfeeding to reduce the risk of cot death.

What benefits will my baby receive from my milk?
1. The essential nutrients, vitamins, proteins, fats and antibodies that he needs to develop physically and neurologically
2. Higher IQ
3. Protection against allergies, respiratory infections and diarrhoea

Answer: All are correct.

What are the health benefits for me?
1. I will be less at risk from breast cancer and osteoporosis
2. I will be less at risk from ovarian cancer
3. I will be less at risk from rheumatoid arthritis

Answer: All are correct.

What can I do if my breasts become engorged?
1. Put cold Savoy cabbage leaves in my bra
2. Express off a little milk to be more comfortable
3. Feed less often

Answer: 1 and 2 are correct. Many women find that Savoy cabbage leaves help with engorgement, and expressing off a bit of milk for comfort and to enable the baby to become better positioned is a good idea. However, feeding less often can make matters worse, so feeding more frequently or expressing if the baby will not go to the breast can help.

My baby feeds very often. What should I do?
1. Make him wait longer
2. Breastfeed frequently when he is well attached
3. Find out whether he needs help to be able to effectively milk the breast

Answer: Making a baby wait usually results in an unhappy, dissatisfied baby. 2 is the best way to help growth and promote his happiness. If he still seems dissatisfied when feeding frequently, help and information from a breastfeeding counsellor or lactation consultant may be advisable.

What if I develop sore nipples?
1. Have the baby’s positioning and attachment at the breast checked by a breastfeeding counsellor or lactation consultant
2. Apply a layer of moisture barrier cream to the injured area
3. Stop breastfeeding

Answer: 1 and 2 are correct. The most frequent cause of sore nipples is poor positioning and attachment, and help with this often solves the problem. While working on the cause, moist wound healing is the preferred treatment for sore and cracked nipples. Moist wound healing involves retaining the moisture already present in areolar skin, by applying a moisture barrier cream to the injured site. Internal moisture, retained within the skin, will return the skin to its normal healthy state, supple and soft rather than dry and brittle. When cracked tissue is rehydrated in this way from within, it will heal without the formation of a scab or crust. Stopping feeding on a sore breast puts you at risk of a blocked duct, unless you express as often as your baby normally feeds.

Why has my baby abruptly stopped nursing?
1. My baby doesn’t like me any more
2. My baby is on a nursing strike
3. My baby is teething

Answer: Your baby may not like a new preparation you are using, such as a soap powder or deodorant, but he will still like you! If your baby is under a year old he is unlikely to be ready to stop breastfeeding altogether, but can be encouraged back to the breast. Feeding while he is drowsy or in motion, or skin-to-skin contact can help. Teething does not make much difference to a breastfed baby, however if his mother reacts when he tries out his new teeth, he may refuse to nurse rather than upset her.

I receive adverse comments when I breastfeed my baby while out. What should I do?
1. Pack up and leave at once
2. Brazen it out
3. Engage the complainant in a discussion about the natural function of the breasts and the benefits of breastmilk

Answer: The answer to this depends on your confidence as a breastfeeding mother, and there is no right answer. We all make our own choices on how we nurture our babies, and probably would not consider criticising another mother’s choices. However, there are those who can be critical. Positive comments empower a mother and encourage her to continue breastfeeding.

What should I do if my baby bites?
1. Scream
2. Pull the baby in close so he needs to open his mouth to breathe
3. Break the suction, take the baby off the breast and tell him not to do it

Answer: If a mother screams the baby can be put off the breast altogether, so 2 and 3 are better ways of reacting. While a baby is actively feeding his tongue is over his gum line so he cannot bite. Anticipating the end of the feed, breaking the suction by putting your finger between his gums and taking him off the breast before he bites is a good way to deal with this.

How do I know if I have mastitis?
1. I have a sore, red spot on my breast
2. I feel as if I have flu, and my breast is hot and red
3. I may have a lump in my breast

Answer: 1 is a symptom of a blocked duct which could lead to mastitis, but by applying heat, feeding frequently and emptying the breast after each feed, this may be avoided. 2 sounds like fully developed mastitis. Heat and feeding often still works but an antibiotic is sometimes prescribed at this point. Sore hard lumps can be a symptom of mastitis. Other lumps in lactating breasts are often lumpy milk ducts but you should consult your healthcare provider.

How do I know if my baby is getting enough milk?
1. My baby has six wet nappies and three bowel movements daily
2. My baby is putting on over 113 gms (4oz) a week
3. My baby only asks for a feed every 3 hours

Answer: All three are symptoms of a well-nourished baby. Not all breastfed babies have a daily bowel movement, but if it is infrequent it should be large and soft. The length of time between feeds varies, but if baby is happy it is a good guide.

Score One point for each correct part of each question.
0-10 points: have you thought of going to your local support group?
10–20 points: well done, you are doing fine
More than 20 points: have you considered becoming a breastfeeding supporter?

Scrap 'breast is best' slogan, say campaigners

Campaigners are calling on the government to drop the "breast is best" slogan because it is not convincing new mums to breast feed, they say.

The Breastfeeding Network wants breastfeeding to be seen as the norm - not something special - as the slogan suggests.

Research shows that breast-fed babies are less likely to become obese in childhood and adulthood.

The Department of Health says it is only following official guidance.

Lesley Backhouse, chair of The Breastfeeding Network, wrote to the Department of Health asking that the message "breast is best" be changed.

'Biological norm'

"We've got to knock breastfeeding off this pedestal," she said.

"It implies something special, whereas breastfeeding is the physiological norm, and suggests that formula is the standard way to feed babies.

"Breastfeeding is the only case where the biological norm is expressed as the exception rather than the rule," she continued.

What is important, Lesley Backhouse says, is communicating to new mums that breastfeeding is free and easy, and the normal way to feed a baby.

The Department of Health is in agreement when it comes to the benefits of breastfeeding, but says it is not originally their slogan.

"Breastfeeding is good for babies, good for mothers and incredibly convenient. It's crucial that mothers get the support they need to make breastfeeding a success for them and their baby," a spokesperson says.

NHS leaflets given to pregnant women and new mothers say that breastfeeding protects against obesity, allergies, asthma and diabetes.

Previous studies have shown that babies who are breast-fed may be less likely to become obese children.

Breast-fed infants also have a lower risk of gastroenteritis and respiratory and ear infections, research shows.

Latching on

The advantages also extend to women who breastfeed. They may lose the weight they gained in pregnancy faster and they also lower their risk of pre-menopausal breast cancer, experts say.

Figures show that eight in 10 women in England start off breastfeeding but only one in five is still breastfeeding when their baby is six months old.

In a survey of 3,000 mothers, four in 10 struggled to get to grips with breastfeeding their newborn.

Janet Fyle, midwifery advisor at the Royal College of Midwives, says she supports the view of The Breastfeeding Network that the "breast is best" slogan is outdated.

"It's time to normalise breastfeeding and create the right conditions for mothers to breastfeed in comfort, wherever they go, whether that's in a restaurant or a shop when they're out and about," she says.

Article from BBC News.

Here at Friendly Baby we are getting ready for National Breastfeeding Awareness Week, and are offering you 20% off ALL feeding products (prices reflect the 20% discount), plus spend over £50 and receive a freebie!

Throughout the week we will be posting articles here on a variety of breastfeeding topics to help you and your baby have an enjoyable successful experience of breastfeeding.