Jump to Resources on Breastfeeding a baby with Down syndrome Sophie's story As soon as I was pregnant, I knew I wanted to breastfeed my baby if possible. At 22 weeks we were told our baby had a congenital heart problem called a complete AVSD (a large hole in the heart), we were also informed … [Read more...] about Breastfeeding My Baby with Down Syndrome
Sick baby/neonatal care
Breastfeeding a Baby with a Cleft Palate
When my second son Oskar was born, I had been thinking that after difficulties establishing breastfeeding with my firstborn, it would be an easier journey this time. After a beautiful and quick birth, Oskar went straight for the breast but didn’t open his mouth well and couldn’t stay latched. My … [Read more...] about Breastfeeding a Baby with a Cleft Palate
Feeding late preterm babies
What is a “late preterm” baby? Late preterm babies are usually defined as those born between 34 and 36 weeks gestation. Because these babies are often well - most don’t need to spend time in Special Care - and because they look like full-term babies (just a bit smaller), it’s often assumed that … [Read more...] about Feeding late preterm babies
Body Image
This morning I attended a meeting of my local LLL group on the subject of breastfeeding and body image. At first I thought it wasn't something I had thought much about until recently, but I soon realised it really wasn't the case. Although I am now completely confident breastfeeding my youngest … [Read more...] about Body Image
Breastfeeding a baby with cleft lip and palate
When we found out that Isla would be born with a cleft lip and possibly palate, one of the first things we were told was that she would not be able to breastfeed. Breastfeeding my eldest daughter, Isabelle, two years before had not been straightforward – she had a posterior tongue tie and lost 16% … [Read more...] about Breastfeeding a baby with cleft lip and palate
Mothering through special care
Rebecca’s second son was born early, and spent several weeks in Special Care. Here she writes of that difficult early time, and of learning to balance her fragile newborn’s needs with those of her older child. Throughout my first pregnancy I felt like some sort of earth goddess woman – strong and … [Read more...] about Mothering through special care