5 Ways To Encourage & Boost Your Milk Supply Fuel Your Body Right There’s a reason that so many mothers feel like a bottomless pit (where hunger never has a full stop) and/or lose a significant amount of weight while breastfeeding. It takes up a lot of energy, robs you of many nutrients if you aren’t replenishing them, and can leave you feeling depleted! While breastfeeding, you’re literally your baby’s life source. Your body needs ample of the right nutrients and a sustainable amount of food, rich in fats and proteins in particular, to keep the milk coming and ensure that it’s enriched with all the nutrients your bub needs. For the most part, getting the nutrients you and your baby need can be surprisingly intuitive. However, aim to eat a varied diet of healthy whole foods, prioritising foods rich in amino acids such as good quality animal protein. Women often do not consume enough protein, and a general rule (especially whilst breastfeeding) is to ensure protein is with every single meal, and if you’re still hungry, it’s your queue to eat more protein! Don’t forget that breastmilk is also exceptionally rich in fat, so ensure you are consuming dietary fats including animal fats, omega fatty acids from fatty fish, activated nuts, seeds, and pure cold pressed oils. Galactagogues such as oats (preferably soured/fermented/cultured as tradition has taught us), dark leafy greens, fennel, flaxseeds, and more are also known to encourage a healthy supply of milk. A herbalist, naturopath or renowned companies have beautiful blends of galactagogue herbs that you can make the most of if you are in need of additional support beyond your diet. To cover all of your nutritional bases, such as iodine and iron that is often depleted in breastfeeding mumma’s, The Mothers Blend is a supplement containing a blend of real and fermented foods rich in probiotics made with pregnant and breastfeeding women in mind. It contains some of the worlds most nutrient-dense foods that will nourish you and your baby while breastfeeding. Learn As Much As You Can About Breastfeeding Before feeling like you need to be increasing your milk supply, you need to know how much milk is normal at each stage of the breastfeeding journey. The best thing you can do to ensure everything is going smoothly is to be informed about breastfeeding in general. Many mums aren’t told by their health professionals that it can take up to four days for any milk to come in. It’s perfectly normal and nourishing for your baby to only have colostrum during those initial days. Unrealistic or misinformed expectations can oftentimes be the biggest factor stopping mums from continuing to breastfeed. There is no doubt that breastfeeding can be challenging. What makes it even harder is not knowing what is normal and putting too much pressure on yourself to produce a bountiful flow of milk from day one. Feed, feed, feed your baby, regularly & fully To produce more milk, your body needs a signal. Something that indicates more milk is required. The best way to send this signal is to feed often and drain the breast as much as possible with each feed. The easiest way to do this is to simply react to your baby’s needs rather than keeping a tight feeding schedule. Give them milk on demand and don’t panic if they want to feed more often than you expected. Newborns have tiny tummies that don’t hold much milk but can digest what they do consume quickly. Frequent feeding allows them to consume a higher volume of milk throughout the day, telling your body to boost breast milk production. It’s also a good idea to encourage each feed to last as long as possible. Constantly draining the breast signals that more milk is needed, often resulting in a healthy supply. If your baby likes to suckle after they have finished drinking, let them. This also lets the body know that more milk is needed. Master The Latch If your baby is feeding regularly but your milk supply isn’t increasing, it could be a poor latch issue. If your baby is struggling to latch on or latch effectively, it likely means that they aren’t getting as much milk as they could be and as a result aren’t draining the breast. The best way to address this issue is to get help from a lactation consultant. If you can, do this from the very start of your breastfeeding journey. This will ensure that you pick up on any issues early and can address them before they turn into habits that are difficult to reverse. Be Kind To Yourself Stress can be a major inhibitor when it comes to breast milk supply. Any new mum will, of course, experience new levels of stress while caring for a newborn. The key is to learn to manage, reduce external stressors (such as learning to say no, or asking for help!) as much as possible and prioritise caring for yourself. Through personal and client experience, whilst feeding, a slow, big and deep breaths in your belly, a long exhale, and then repeat can in itself can help bring on a successful let down. So in amongst stress or chaos, try this, and it can help calm you down and nourish your baby. Practice self-care and be kind to yourself. The breastfeeding journey isn’t something that can ever be perfect or seamless because it is a reactive process between you and your baby that changes constantly. Know that these changes are normal and take any excess pressure off your shoulders. Reference: https://foragedforyou.com/blogs/blog/how-to-increase-your-milk-supply By Foraged For You

Embarking on your breastfeeding journey immediately after a caesarean section (C-section) can be daunting, but with the right information and support, you can help set yourself up for success. For this blog, we have picked the brains of Melissa Hays, from Cocoon and Cradle. Mel is a mama to three, Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant, Holistic sleep coach, Paediatric nurse, and Midwife. She shares a wealth of knowledge through her Instagram page and free Instagram lives. Impact of C-section on milk production The onset of milk production is primarily triggered by the significant hormonal shifts that happens when your placenta separates from the uterus. It’s this process that tells your body that it’s time to start producing milk, says Mel. Some mums might find that having a C-section may slightly delay this process, although mothers can expect milk to come in between two to six days post-birth. Your body will continue to make colostrum even if your milk is slower to come in. “If you feel like your milk is slow to come in, make sure you reach out for support. Remember, an IBCLC is your breast bestie!” Supporting milk supply post C-section Mel advises that initiating breastfeeding and maintaining skin-to-skin contact as soon as possible post-birth is the best way to breastfeed as soon as possible after birth. This can normally be facilitated in theatre after your baby is born, however, if for some reason this is unable to happen it is important it is facilitated as soon as possible. Try not to worry as you can stimulate your breasts through gentle massage with Lactamo and hand expression until you are able to feed your baby. Risk of engorgement or fluid retention Breastfeeding after a C-section presents unique challenges, one of which is the increased risk of breast engorgement and fluid retention. This is a common experience for mothers who have undergone a C-section, often exacerbated by the medications and intravenous fluids received during and after the surgery. These medical interventions, while necessary for the procedure and recovery, can lead to an accumulation of fluids in the body, including the breasts. This fluid buildup can cause the breasts to become overly full, firm, and painful, a condition known as engorgement. The extra fluids within the body can make it harder for milk to flow as there is additional pressure on the ducts which means they can become narrowed. Additionally, these extra fluids can cause the nipple and areola area to become hard making it more difficult for your baby to latch. If this happens, it is important to address the engorgement proactively and reactively through the use of breast massage as early as possible to limit its impact to your breastfeeding journey. Breast massage benefits “According to the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM), one of the treatments that can help reduce engorgement is breast massage. Two large studies found that breast massage results in a reduction in pain, engorgement, and discomfort,” informs Mel. Gentle breast massage with Lactamo, directed towards the armpit, can significantly alleviate swelling and engorgement and encourage lymphatic drainage. Whilst gentle massage with Lactamo toward the nipple before and during feeding can stimulate the let down reflex and encourage milk flow. In addition, prioritising self-care is essential, not only for your milk supply but also for your overall postpartum recovery. Ensuring adequate nutrition and staying hydrated are fundamental to this process. Comfortable breastfeeding positions Mel advises that finding a comfortable breastfeeding position is important. “I personally find that for mums who have c-sections, one of the most comfortable positions to breastfeed in is the side-lying position.” This position not only offers comfort but also alleviates pressure on the C-section wound. Side lying allows you to feed your baby with minimal support from others to get yourself and your baby into the right position. Mel's top tips for successful breastfeeding post C-section: Engage in immediate skin-to-skin contact after birth. Initiate breastfeeding within the first hour post-birth. Breastfeed frequently, observing your baby’s feeding cues. Unless medically necessary, avoid formula feeding to ensure frequent breastfeeding and adequate milk supply. Seek professional lactation support early. Preparation for breastfeeding with planned C-section Mel suggests that antenatal expressing, or hand expressing colostrum during pregnancy, is a proactive approach to help you prepare for breastfeeding. Early consultation with healthcare providers and lactation professionals is also highly recommended for personalised support and guidance to help make the experience as manageable and rewarding as possible. Reference: https://lactamo.com/blogs/the-circle/breastfeeding-after-a-caesarean-setting-yourself-up-for-success By Kate Brown Dec 10, 2023

We now know from research that probiotics can do wonders for pregnancy and breastfeeding through improving pregnancy outcomes, breastfeeding success, and even passing on those good microbes to your little one. The science of using probiotics to support pregnancy and breastfeeding is a relatively recent and exciting area of research. It was only a decade or so ago that we thought breastmilk was sterile! Imagine that! Researchers first discovered that breastmilk has its own microbiome around 20 years ago, and we’ve learned so much through clinical research and clinical practice since that time.. We now know that it's super important for improving pregnancy outcomes, breastfeeding success, and even passing on those good microbes to your little one. Mums are like the superheroes of the microbiome world. During pregnancy, your microbiome can have a big impact on your pregnancy and baby in utero. But once a baby arrives, the first major colonising event happens during labour and birth. After that, the breastfeeding / feeding method has the biggest influence over your baby's developing microbiome. And check this out - breastmilk is designed to be the perfect food for your little one, packed with everything they need including prebiotics (food for the good bacteria) and probiotics (the actual live good bacteria). How cool is that! Here's some important facts to know - the live bugs in mums and babies' gut, as well as in breastmilk, can be impacted by a lot of common factors. This means that things like antibiotics, diet, and lifestyle choices can all have an effect on the good bacteria in our bodies. It's important to be mindful of these factors and do what we can to support our microbiome health:- Poor diet – low fibre, high sugar, and processed carbs, a fairly standard Australian diet Stress - including birth trauma Antibiotics – over 50% mums and bubs require antibiotics in modern birthing practices and postpartum. Although necessary to fight and prevent infection, antibiotics also reduce levels of good bacteria and disrupt the microbiome . Other medications - acid inhibitors and pain medications Any birth intervention Compromised gut microbiome - previous to pregnancy / breastfeeding We can't always rely on our gut and breastmilk microbiome to be optimal. It's because these factors are quite common and can be impacted by various things. That's why the strain of probiotic found in Qiara ( L.Fermentum CECT5716) is really special. It's able to not just work in the gut, but also transfer to breastmilk, breast tissue, and onto the baby via breastmilk. That way, it can work its magic in all three places! So it’s not really a question of “why would I take Qiara” but more “Why wouldn’t I”!!

Which Qiara product is best for you and what makes our four different boxes unique? Whether you're pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to support your baby's developing immune system, or simply wanting to protect yourself and your family, read about how to get the most out of your probiotics. We often have people asking us which product is best for them and what makes the four different boxes unique. Well, here's the scoop: all of our products contain the same thoroughly researched L. fermentum CECT5716 strain. However, each box has a different dose specifically designed for different life stages. So, whether you're pregnant, breastfeeding, or trying to support your baby's developing immune system, or wanting to protect yourself and your family we've got you covered! Qiara Pregnancy & Breastfeeding - Blue Box – Did you know that Qiara Pregnancy & Breastfeeding (3 billion microorganisms per sachet) can really help pregnant and breastfeeding mums with their gastrointestinal health, digestive function and overall health. This dose can increase the growth of good bacteria and protect and also restore the microbiome during and after taking antibiotics. Plus, it may even relieve symptoms and reduce the occurrence of mild mastitis.