Christmas is a beautiful time of year to show off your new baby to your family. All those extended Aunt’s Uncles and Grandparents ready for a snuggle with your sweet baby!

This is all absolutely wonderful, however did you know that the highest incidence of mastitis is on Boxing Day? The day after big events is a really common time for mastitis to occur. 

Why does this happen? At home, Mum and Baby do lots of regular, frequent feeds, often taking their time and having lots of boobie snuggles. But when your baby is being passed around and held by everyone else, maybe being kept quiet or asleep in those loving grandma arms, you may find that you accidentally skip a feed, or you feel bad taking the baby back, so you go longer between feeds. Another thing that can happen to our lovely Mums who are doing a million things, organising all the joy, presents and food, is that we get a bit burnout and don’t get enough rest or food and hydration for ourselves.

Breastmilk supply in the vast majority of women is abundant and in perfect amounts for your growing baby. However, in some cases, low milk supply can be an issue and close investigation is needed to determine the cause and implement remedies. It can be categorized into two categories, there could be an initial low milk supply due to the birth or events surrounding the birth or there can be true low milk supply and it is important to distinguish between the two. Initial low milk supply can usually be managed and corrected with some hard work and close monitoring but true low supply due to physiological reasons may need ongoing supplementation. The sooner initial low supply is caught and corrected the better the long-term supply outcomes.

When breastfeeding doesn’t work out.

Birth and breastfeeding are emotional times in a woman’s life and come with a weight that is deeply personal. Women will carry and tell their birth story over and over and it will stick with them throughout their life. Similarly, a breastfeeding journey can also be full of emotions. So when breastfeeding doesn’t work out, it can leave a lasting impact. So with that in mind, I want you to know: