Storytelling is as old as humankind. We tell stories to share history, to connect and to entertain. There’s a reason why storytelling is as old as it is… it works.  For some mums, breastfeeding is a lonely experience. For others they’re overwhelmed by all the information available to them, even before they’ve started. That’s where breastfeeding stories can help to connect mums so they know they’re not alone and that support is available.  Lactation Consultant Pinky McKay agrees that mums sharing their breastfeeding stories is helpful because every breastfeeding experience is unique.  “If women can talk openly about breastfeeding, they’re going to normalise that breastfeeding is actually a skill to be learned,” she explains. “A lot of the time people expect that it will come naturally, but that’s not necessarily the case. There’s often a learning curve and challenges to overcome along the way, even if it’s not your first baby."  Pinky cautions that when sharing stories, we should also be careful not to add to the overwhelm or fear a new or pregnant mother might be feeling. But she says that mothers' groups are a great place to start sharing.  “You never know how someone else is feeling until you ask them or share your own story,” she adds. “The mum sitting next to you might be struggling too, even if she doesn’t look like it from the outside. It can be reassuring to share breastfeeding stories and know that others are in the same boat. Also remember that you don’t need to take on board every piece of advice from every story. If it doesn’t feel right to you, you can imagine the advice floating out through an open window.”  With this in mind, three wonderful mums agreed to share their breastfeeding stories with us to help support other mums in their breastfeeding journey.  Danielle’s story  Already mum to six-year-old twin girls, Danielle assumed her breastfeeding story the second time around would be straightforward. She soon realised that breastfeeding one baby can be just as challenging as breastfeeding twins.  “In the first two weeks I didn’t realise that my daughter wasn’t transferring the milk very well,” she recalls. “I wasn’t in any pain when she was feeding but she was quite unsettled. By day 11 she was pretty much refusing to feed as she didn’t have enough energy to do so.”  Danielle initially thought her baby was unsettled due to catching a bug from her older sisters. But at her three week check up the midwife discovered the cause of the issue.  “At the two week check up we found out why she was unsettled. We had a two day hospital stay to get support. Sometimes she latches perfectly, other times not so much. I have a portable breast pump so if she refuses the breast I can give her a bottle of expressed breastmilk.”  Despite the unexpected challenges, Danielle is positive about her experience saying that you can never be sure of the path that lays ahead.  Tarsha’s story  As a first time mum, Tarsha didn’t know what to expect from breastfeeding. She was overwhelmed with information and didn’t really know what to expect or where to start.  “When we had our daughter, we were in the hospital for four nights,” she recalls. “Each one of the midwives offered their own thoughts, experiences and opinions. Their approaches were sometimes quite different, which is confusing for a new mum.”  Tarsha decided to keep breastfeeding for the first couple of weeks and see how she went. Now three weeks into motherhood and breastfeeding, her advice to other new mums is to seek breastfeeding support early on.  “We did a birthing class with a midwife while I was still pregnant but they didn’t really cover anything about breastfeeding. I kept seeing different ads for breastfeeding classes but there were so many different options that I didn’t know which to choose!”  “I wish I’d known to find a lactation consultant while I was still pregnant. Then we could have built the relationship before the baby arrived so I had the support on hand when I needed it.”  Brittany’s story  Brittany had an amazing birth experience. But on day two, she learned that her son had tongue and lip ties. She had heard of these before but didn’t know anything about tongue and lip ties and breastfeeding.  “Initially we were told that the ties weren’t that bad and might not need to be released,” she recalls. “We were advised to see a lactation consultant and take it from there. A week later we saw the lactation consultant and she said that our son’s tongue and lip ties were some of the worst she had seen!”  While Brittany was anxious about her baby needing surgery, she also felt a level of relief because feeding was causing her a lot of pain. At three weeks of age, her son had the surgery. He started feeding immediately, much to Brittany’s joy.  “He’s now 15 weeks old and we’ve come out the other side. Those first three weeks were so incredibly challenging. He would cry while he was trying to feed and I would cry too. Each feed would take close to two hours and then he would sleep for 20 minutes before we had to start all over again. It’s honestly amazing how far we’ve come.”  Support for every breastfeeding journey  Danielle, Tarsha and Brittany all have completely unique breastfeeding experience stories. But the thing that they have in common is their iL Tutto nursery chairs. All three mums agree that their breastfeeding chairs have been the best investment they’ve made in their nursery.  “I didn’t realise how much time I would spend in my nursery and in my nursing chair,” says Tarsha of her Henry Electric Recliner Glider Chair. “I liked the chair because of the electric recline functionality, which I thought would be really helpful straight after birth. But the rocking and gliding motion of the chair has also helped me with burping and settling my baby.”  Brittany recalls how much time she has spent in her Quinn Recliner Glider, particularly through the very challenging early days of her breastfeeding journey.  “My chair was my saving grace,” she says. “I don’t know how many times I slept in it with my baby in the crib next to the chair. I sat in the chair for hours upon hours each day in the newborn phase. I would feed for two hours and then burp for 45 minutes. It was so comfortable, even straight after birth.”  When Danielle had her twins, she didn’t have a nursing chair. This time around, it was the first thing on her list. She chose the Chelsea Electric Glider Recliner Chair and says that it ticks all the boxes.   “The nursery is my sanctuary,” she explains. “I love the reclining option on the chair and also the rocking option. I can bring the baby into the nursery, away from the busyness of the house, and escape to feed. If she’s unsettled, I can recline back and rock to calm her down.”  Complete your story  With a chair to suit every style of decor, our award-winning range is designed in Australia. Choose from glider chairs, recliner chairs, nursery rocking chairs and electric recliner chairs.   Explore our complete range and complete your story with an iL Tutto nursery chair. 

You have just created, grown, and birthed your beautiful baby - and now you have to keep bub fed, and manage breastfeeding!? If you are like me, the thought is daunting and overwhelming. I wanted to share some simple ways you and your partner can prepare for a successful breastfeeding journey and to reassure you that there is plenty of support if you feel like things are getting tough. You and your baby are learning on the job, remember, it is a learnt skill not a natural skill for many mamas. You may experience some tough and overwhelming times during your breastfeeding journey, but preparing and informing yourself of the benefits, process and where to get support is the best thing you can do.  As for most big events in life, it is easier to prepare when you have prior knowledge and understanding.   The same goes for pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding; antenatal education is the first step to prepare you and your partner. Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) encourages mama’s-to-be to learn about breastfeeding before your baby arrives, making you knowledgeable and empowered for when bub is born and more likely to identify any problems that may arise. Antenatal classes are also a great way to learn valuable information, and the ABA also runs a ‘Breastfeeding Education Class’ and support groups for pregnant and breastfeeding mamas. Being aware of where to find reliable resources is also important, the first place I suggest is the resources page in your pregnancy health record, or through your hospital’s website. Also discuss with your partner and those around you in the antenatal period that you want to breastfeed so they can support and encourage you, especially on those tough days. Often partners feel helpless in the early days when you are feeding bub a lot, so I encourage you and your partner to read ‘The Breastfeeding Partnership’ on the ABA website, which outlines how your partner can best support you while breastfeeding and feel included in the partnership of parenthood, to give you and your baby the best chance of breastfeeding as long as possible.  Tips for successful breastfeeding:  Skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth and as much as possible  Leave bub on your chest until after the first breastfeed pending you are both well   Encourage breastfeeding on demand - it is so normal for your baby to cluster feed. Understanding normal feeding patterns at each age can provide reassurance to you and your partner  Room in with your baby for the first 6 months (sleeping in the same room) and have a comfortable, supportive place to feed.  Keep hydrated when breastfeeding; try my Motherhood Hydration Powder to keep you nourished and hydrated  Ideally no dummies or teats until breastfeeding is established  Accept support and seek assistance when you need. Lactation consultants are a wonderful first contact when you need guidance and assistance   ‘Baby-led attachment’ or the ‘Thompson method’ are great tools to research  A hospital that implements the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI), and supports the World Health Organisation ‘10 steps to successful breastfeeding’. The BFHI is a global launch effort to protect, promote and support breastfeeding  The basics:  Colostrum is present in your breast from mid to late pregnancy and following birth for around 3 days. Your body produces more colostrum due to hormonal changes and your baby suckling at the breast, therefore frequent feeds lead to a quicker increase in milk supply and a fed happy bub. You can also research antenatal expressing of colostrum in preparation for breastfeeding. Mature breastmilk fills your breasts around day 3 or 4 (70-90 hours) after your baby is born, and your breasts will become very firm. You may then notice a change in your baby’s suck and swallow pattern while breastfeeding, baby will take deeper slower sucks and you may also hear gulping and swallowing of your milk! You may experience engorgement around this time when your breasts fill, use warm compresses and lots of massage before bub feeds.  Maintaining breastmilk supply is reliant on frequent suckling and removal of milk from the breast, as well as regulation of hormones (prolactin and oxytocin). Supply = demand: the amount of breastmilk that your body will produce is determined by how often your baby feeds and how much milk is removed from the breast. The more milk that is removed, the more that is produced, therefore you make exactly the right amount of milk for your baby and their appetite/needs.  One of the most common questions for breastfeeding mamas: ‘How do you know if my baby is getting enough breastmilk?’  When your baby is feeding at the breast, you cannot tell exactly how much milk they are consuming, therefore a lot of mamas worry or will be unsure if their baby is getting enough. Massaging or feeling the firmness of your breasts before and after your baby breastfeeds is one way you will be able to tell if they are draining the breast or not. If your breasts feel softer and emptied when bub is finished then you can be reassured they have had a good feed, if they still feel firm then re-offer bub the breast. Your baby should breastfeed 8-12 times (or more) every 24 hours, with frequent feeds and emptying of the breast resulting in more milk produced. There are 3 main ways that you and your midwife can tell if your baby is feeding well and consuming enough breastmilk. Always look at the whole picture when assessing if your baby has had enough; feed frequency, nappies, weight and behaviour.   Output = number of wet & dirty nappies. Your baby’s wet nappies will indicate to you their hydration, especially in the early days before your milk comes in. The wet nappies should increase by 1 for every day of life, so on day 1 they will have 1 wet nappy, on day 2 they will have 2 wet nappies, on day 3 they will have 3 wet nappies and so forth until day 7, and from then onwards they should have 7 wet nappies every day. You also track the colour of bubs poo to determine their intake. On day 1 of life your baby’s poo will be a black tar-looking meconium, then as your breasts fill with milk on day 3 bubs stool should be greenish brown, then when by day 7 when your milk supply is increasing the stool should be a mustard yellow colour.  Weight. All babies will lose weight by day 3 of life, no more than 10% of their birth weight. After this your breasts will begin to fill with milk, and if they have been feeding efficiently their weight will begin to increase. Bub should gain at least 150 grams per week and return to birth weight around day 14 of life, depending on how much weight they have lost on day 3. Frequent weight checks with your midwife, GP or child health nurse is recommended until 6 weeks of age, or as directed by your health care professional.  Behaviour. Every baby is different in regard to the frequency and length they need to feed for to be satisfied. Looking at your baby’s cues as well as their behaviour can also be a great way to tell if bub is full and content. As you watch your baby you will learn their signs or cues of hunger, sleep and being full. If your baby is showing hunger cues, irritable, sucking their hand or not settling to sleep, they probably need another feed. A settled, relaxed and happy baby is generally a well-fed baby. Also trust your instincts mama.  What to do if you have concerns with breastfeeding: Always ask for help if you are having any troubles breastfeeding or need support. Lean on those around you that have breastfed before, or pick up the phone and call local child health nurse or ABA hotline. If you want an in-person consultation with a professional, a midwife or lactation consultant (LC) is the best person to see. If you need help in the early days and you are in hospital, press your call bell for your midwife to assist you on the postnatal ward. They will be able to check bub’s latch and provide practical assistance with breastfeeding. If you need further assistance, most hospitals have breastfeeding class you can attend or one on one consultations with an LC. If you have already been discharged from hospital, get in contact with a community midwife or LC that you can see.  What is an LC? A trained professional specializing in feeding support for families.  When to see an LC? If you need ANY help or support with breastfeeding; to increase your supply, manage pain difficulties when feeding, assess suck, swallow and breathing, as well as tongue function of your baby. You can even arrange to have an antenatal consult with an LC.  Where else can you access an LC? You can self-refer to any LC’s in the community; private LC’s, LC’s at your local child health clinic, as an outpatient at your local hospital, recommendations through your GP or other mamas and websites such as www.LCANZ.org  What are some other things that can help on this journey?   A great breastfeeding chair - I recommend the amazing chairs from il Tutto. You will spend a lot of time sitting down, supporting your baby’s head and neck while feeding and being comfortable is key. Read more about Why Your Breastfeeding Chair is the Best Nursery Investment You'll Make here.  Nourishing lactation cookies that are the perfect one-handed snack, loaded with beautiful quality ingredients from Franjo’s Kitchen.   When you’re breastfeeding, plain old water just doesn’t cut it on the electrolytes scale, Franjo’s Kitchen’s Motherhood Hydration Powder is a healthy way to hydrate your hardworking body. With the delicious taste of Australian blood orange and hydrating powers of coconut water, it’ll turn your drink bottle into your bestie. Haakaa Ladybugs, perfect for catching leaking milk - and not wasting it!  Plenty of cloths - leaking milk and baby vomit means an awful lot of mess. I like these ones from Kmart - cheap and they last   Some comfortable maternity singlets, with built-in support - I found these held nursing pads far better    Key resources:  Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) - great fact sheets on all topics, FAQs and a 24/7 hotline to call (1800 mum2mum)  Raising Children’s Network  Breastfeeding & Your Baby Booklet- find here  I hope these tips help you. Remember you are never alone on your breastfeeding or motherhood journey. This blog contains general advice only, and does not replace the need for medical advice.   Blog written by midwife Aliza Carr from Bumpnbub.  

The question that almost everyone will disagree on! Co-sleeping has become a controversial topic in recent years mostly due to concerns around safe sleep, but experts almost unanimously agree there ARE ways to safely co-sleep with your baby.  The best way to co-sleep and ensure your baby is kept away from dangerous adult bedding is by using a co-sleeper bassinet.  Not sure what this is? Have a look here!   Of course, lots of parents will never co-sleep and that’s okay too! For those Mums and Dads, the question about when to stop co-sleeping is a redundant one, but for families who do co-sleep there are several factors to consider when deciding on the right time to move a child into their own room.  1. Your living situation  For lots of people – particularly those in one-bedroom apartments – the option to move your baby into another room becomes difficult! If that’s you, rather than co-sleep you could move to room sharing instead by bringing a separate cot into your room for your baby to sleep in.  This will be a necessary move when your baby reaches around 5-6 months of age and outgrows their co-sleeper bassinet.   For other families with more rooms to choose from, you may like to keep your baby in a room close to yours, or use a reliable baby monitor so you can still hear and respond to your baby overnight.  2. Your parenting style  If you align with an attachment parenting style you may never want to cease co-sleeping, and that’s okay! Ultimately, when to move away from co-sleeping is an entirely personal one.  If co-sleeping is working for you, your partner, and your child, stick with it!   If, however, you’ve noticed having a baby in your sleep space is killing the romance between you and your partner, it may be time to consider whether it’s working for your family.  That’s especially the case if your child is unable to settle to sleep or stay asleep without your presence.  It means your ability to do anything in the evening becomes basically non-existent!   3. Your baby’s temperament   Believe it or not, some babies do NOT sleep well when co-sleeping.  Although some parents may start out with having big hopes of co-sleeping, they may quickly discover their baby is Mr or Miss independent from the get-go!   For other babies, closeness to their caregivers is of particular comfort during the ‘Fourth Trimester’ but becomes less of a requirement as they get older and sleep for longer periods of time between feeds.  4. Sleep quality   After birth, a mother’s brain quite literally changes.  The amygdala – the part of the brain that drives emotional reactions like fear, anxiety and aggression – increases in size.  This change makes a mother hypersensitive to their baby’s needs, which is why mothers will often wake at the slightest of movement or noise from their baby while their partner is blissfully unaware!  For a mother who is already a light sleeper, this doesn’t bode well when room-sharing with a grunty, noisy newborn! In situations such as this, moving the baby into their own room may help to ensure the whole family is as well-rested as feasibly possible.   Equally, there are many babies who are easily disturbed by movement or noise in the room, triggering them to wake.  Parental snoring, rolling around, or early alarms can disrupt a baby’s sleep, making it yet another scenario where co-sleeping or room sharing may no longer be in a family’s best interests.   Ultimately, there isn’t a definitive time frame on when a family should stop co-sleeping.  There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all when it comes to sleep, so the decision is an entirely personal one.  If co-sleeping or room-sharing isn’t something you want to maintain long-term, we recommend moving your baby into their own room from 6 months of age.  You can transition them slowly by firstly moving their bassinet into their room, so their sleep space (the bassinet) stays the same while they get used to being in a different room.  From there, it’s relatively easy to move them into a cot.  Sleeping with their cot sheets can be helpful so their new sleep space smells like you!   For more sleep tips, head to @sleep_school on Instagram or visit www.sleepschool.co