THE BABY NURSE
FEEDING - SLEEPING - HEALTH
A caring and qualified professional working alongside you to help you meet your baby's unique needs.
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and Registered Nurse with more than 25 years Paediatric Nursing experience. I have the skills and knowledge to help you with your baby's feeding, sleeping and health challenges.
FEEDING
Trouble getting baby to latch or do you no sooner finish a feed and your baby is back demanding more? Do you break out in a sweat, anticipating toe curling pain with every feed? Breastfeeding isn't always straight forward and everyone's got an opinion. As a qualified health professional I provide expert help and practical advice so you can meet your breastfeeding goals. I'm caring, non-judgemental and ready to help you get breastfeeding on track.
Examples of issues I commonly help with include, but are not limited to:
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sore or damaged nipples
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trouble with latching
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breast milk supply issues
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supplementary feeding
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feeding twins
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baby not gaining or slow to gain weight
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adoptive breastfeeding
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tongue tie assessment
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mastitis and thrush
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bottle feeding issues
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bottle refusal
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weaning and introducing solids
SLEEPING
There is generally a reason for a frequently waking or unsettled baby. A comprehensive assessment of your baby enables me to determine the reason for their sleep issues. Feeding, health, environment, age and stage of development are factors that affect your baby’s sleep. I am often contacted to help after parents have tried other popular “sleep training” programs which prescribe stringent routines and a fixed schedule. These programs frequently fail families as they apply a one dimensional approach to a complex little person, and the strict scheduling often undermines the mother’s breastmilk supply. I take a big picture approach to baby sleep. The strategies I recommend are supported by research and biological norms. They don't involve "cry it out" or regimented regimes. I will work alongside you to develop a gentle, practical plan that works for your family.
HEALTH
If your baby has a medical condition, is currently unwell or just a little under the weather at the moment, I can help you troubleshoot feeding and sleeping challenges. I am happy to work collaboratively with midwives, Well Child nurses, GPs, paediatricians and other health professionals. Some examples of health challenges that I help families with include but are not limited to:
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Unsettled or inconsolable baby
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Colic/reflux
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Feeding challenges
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Supporting parents with adjusting to independent care of premature baby after discharge from hospital and beyond.
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Feeding challenges related to altered oral anatomy or low tone e.g. cleft lip/palate, congenital health conditions.
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Baby with poor weight gain
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Weaning off nasogastric tube feeding
WHERE'S THE MANUAL!
This new parenthood gig can be challenging. Are you finding it difficult figuring out what your bundle of joy is trying to tell you? So many parents diligently read all the baby help books but there's nothing quite like practical help that is tailored to your unique situation. I will help you figure out what your baby is telling you and give you some handy hints and practical skills to help you confidently respond to your baby’s unique needs.
RETURNING TO WORK
Returning to the (paid) workforce can be both exciting and stressful. Your transition back to work will be made a lot smoother with some careful planning around how you will manage your little one’s needs whilst you’re away from them. If you are breastfeeding, your employer will allow you to take breastfeeding breaks and they should provide appropriate facilities for you to breastfeed or express milk at work. Many employers recognise the value in supporting the breastfeeding parent's return to work. Some of the benefits for employers include:
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Recruitment savings - Reducing the likelihood of losing employees with valuable skills and expertise and therefore the costs associated with replacing them and retraining.
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Less absenteeism - Breastfed babies get sick less often so working mothers require less time off work to care for their sick babies.
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Enhanced productivity - Retaining staff and high staff morale boosts productivity.
I will help you develop a personalised plan for your return to work. Examples of what your plan may cover are, managing breastfeeding and maintaining your breastmilk supply when you are separated from your baby, how your baby may be fed in your absence. Storage and transport of your expressed breastmilk. Childcare options and what to consider. If you are planning to continue breastfeeding upon your return to work and your employer would like information on how best to support you and meet their legal obligations, I am able to speak to your employer and advise them on how to do this.
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GIFT VOUCHER
Having trouble trying to think of a practical gift for your pregnant friend, colleague or family member? Whether it's help with feeding, sleeping or preparing for their new arrival, I can be there to support them. This is a great gift from those grandparents who would love to be there in support when their grandchild arrives but are not able to be there. How awesome would it be to give them the gift of a calm, caring and vastly experienced baby nurse at their fingertips!