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Happy Infant Feeding: a
facilitating kit
Françoise Barbira Freedman
University of Cambridge
and
Birthlight Trust
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Minutes after Birth ?
Infant feeding is the most frequently
identified concern of new mothers
Promoting ‘happy feeding’ is a priority
not only for the healthy growth of
infants but also as a foundation of
long term ‘mother-infant mutuality’
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Scientific evidence proves
benefits of breastfeeding
Benefits to the baby
Benefits to the mother
Hidden benefits to the mother
Benefits to the mother-infant pair
Benefits to society
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Guidelines for best practice and
manuals are widely available
Evidence for the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding
World Health Organization 2004
Sufficient evidence exists for the
effectiveness of the Ten Steps to
Successful Breastfeeding, to fully
justify extending the Baby Friendly
Hospital Initiative, which is based on
them, to all maternity facilities.
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Guidelines for best practice and
manuals are widely available
Evidence for the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding
World Health Organization 2004
Renewed efforts should be made to
strengthen those steps which relate to
education, guidance and support for
mothers before and after delivery,
including after discharge from hospital,
as they are the most clearly effective
interventions.
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Yet our cultural trends
show a different picture
‘In our culture, parenting expertise is
supposed to arrive with the baby,
especially if you are the mother’ (B.
Bennett 1991)
Postpartum care is ‘the Cinderella of
maternity services’
‘Informed choice’ may create more
uncertainty at a vulnerable time
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Message in a bottle!
Breast is best but bottles are more practical?
Most research on postnatal care show that
new mothers are confused by conflicting
professional advice on infant feeding
New mothers stop breastfeeding because of
discomfort and loss of maternal confidence
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Macro facts - Micro
processes
A
B
C
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Quote by Michel Odent
“…where breastfeeding is concerned,
experts can only give information, or
advice, or care. But breastfeeding
mothers need more than that. They
first need a shared self-confidence.”
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Encouragement to breastfeed
can respect maternal choices
As early as 1984, Flint argued that the
establishment of breastfeeding
depended on the mother’s confidence
in herself before and after the birth.
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Research points to
combined interventions
Worldwide, investment in education
and mothers’ support has proved cost-
effective as a medium and long term
health intervention.
It was found that cost-effectiveness
was highest when programmes
included the removal of formula and
reduced the use of medications during
delivery.
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Several sensitive periods
need specific approaches
In late pregnancy: women express
interest and concern but
preoccupation with the birth prevails
The first hours after birth
The first three weeks after birth
8-12 weeks after birth
These different stages are not often
addressed due to fragmentation of
care
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The first hours after birth
are crucial…
It is essential for mothers and all
health professionals to be aware that
analgesia and anaesthesia during
labour may be associated with
problems in establishing
breastfeeding, so that extra assistance
and support can be provided.
Rajan 1994
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It is EASE and MUTUAL
COMFORT we are after!
It’s hard to relax with a stranger…
Mother knows best but when her
mothering has been interfered with,
simple steps can help mother and
baby to actively bond with each other
Fathers also can take this role lovingly
and competently
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Quote by Ashley Montagu
…”The mother needs the baby quite as
much as the baby needs the mother.
The psychophysiological benefits
which mother and child, the nursing
couple, reciprocally confer upon one
another in the continuing symbiotic
relationship are vitally important for
their further development.”
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Let’s turn the bag inside out
and start packing again
Ease in attaining intimacy and physical
contact with baby facilitates feeding,
which promotes greater intimacy
Mothers who enjoy feeding their
babies feel better adjusted to their
maternal role
At Birthlight, our focus is the mutual
comfort and enjoyment of mother and
baby, before and after birth
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The case for body-based
practices
Rooting behaviour
Skin to skin contact
Touch needs
The pleasure of sleep
A hormonal involvement…oxytocyn
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Birthlight: a holistic approach
from conception to toddlers
Taking the best of traditional
practices…
In the light of scientific evidence
Adapting traditional practices to the
needs of new parents and urban life-
styles in post-industrial societies
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Technique alone does not
reach the heart
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New(old) techniques to
better reach the heart
through the brain
Source: K.Uvnäs Moberg & D.K. Prime
Infant VOLUME 9 ISSUE 6 2013
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A kit for ‘active bonding’
Irrespective of the mode of feeding, Active
Bonding can best support mums in our
present culture
Acceptance before best practice
Do relaxed mothers have an advantage?
Feeding must be placed in the context of
crying, sleeping and nurturing skills. What
does it take to have a bonny baby bang on
the weight charts?
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Breathe & Relax
Easy Stretch, Smile & Sing
Breathing awareness connects us to
ourselves and helps us change our moods
Posture awareness ensures we do not tense
muscles, particularly when holding babies
Relaxed stretches facilitate breathing,
posture and relaxation together
Then mothers can feel at ease, smile at
their babies and, why not, sing to them…
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Mother’s positioning
comes first
Lower back support: where to place the
cushion for best results
Spinal alignment
Tips for relaxing shoulders
Effortless comfortable cradling: relaxed
support of the infant’s head and spine
If mum is well positioned, then she can help
baby’s position as it suits them both
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Tone from within
Let the outbreath draw in the abdos
Connect abdominal and lower back
muscles
Add a pelvic floor connection
Enjoy the calm power of deep
breathing
Energise and heal the Hara after birth
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‘Instant relaxation’
Here Now
Releasing tension with the out-breath
‘Emptying the gaze’
Discovering the calming power of 3
full breathing cycles
Memorising the feeling of letting go
Relaxing from ‘minding’
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When mothers have to bottle feed, Active Bonding provides tools
for communication in a non-judgmental way. Attentive breathing
and joint relaxation during feeds have positive effects on the vagal
systems of both mother and baby.
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‘Deep rest’
Changes in sleep patterns are very
challenging and contribute to sleep
deprivation and increased anxiety
Accessing ‘deep rest’ makes up for
disturbed sleep and facilitates naps
‘Deep rest’ activates the feedback loop
of positive hormones
Brains need ‘deep rest’ for growth and
repair
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Relaxed holds
Touch and movement are what babies need
most
This applies to feeding as most instruction is
static
We need: gentle body rocking
relaxed cradling
walking relaxation with newborns
For essential sensory integration
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Mini-Moves around
Feeding
Winding
Soothing
Inducing deep sleep after feeds
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Helping with the discovery
of mutual rhythms
Body-based individual interactions
between parents and babies are
facilitated by rhythm awareness
Walking relaxation is very effective
Taking babies dancing can be a daily
treat in the smallest of rooms
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Simple stretches for mums’
alignment and toning
Yoga postures and movements start
from the pelvis and lower spine
Micro-movements elongate the deep
layer of skeletal muscles
Simple yoga-based stretches get best
results before and after birth,
whatever women’s state of fitness
Common ailments are often relieved
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Self-nurture
Self-mothering
Support is the most important factor for the
establishment of successful breastfeeding
But support is a rare commodity for new
parents in our dislocated societies. ‘Creating
community’ is a goal to work for and a rare
achievement to celebrate
Yoga-based practices can help new mothers
make the most of resources at hand by
developing a relaxed, positive outlook
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Discovering and enjoying
mutuality
Mutuality, not dependence
Communication
Growth and expansion from day to day
Feeds as a special together time
Time well spent for both mum and
baby
Managing ‘bad days’ and crises:
feeding for healing and recovery
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Success Story
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‘Joint relaxation’
Babies are our teachers
Babies are excellent yoga teachers
By observing how babies relax, we can
learn to relax
Then we are able to communicate
relaxation to babies when needed
Joint family relaxation to create a store
of wellbeing together
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Implementing an integrated
approach to postnatal care
Midwives
Health visitors
GPs
NCT educators and counsellors
La Leche League support groups
Private lactation consultants
Baby Massage and Baby Yoga instructors
Touch Therapists working with infants
Cranio-sacral osteopaths
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Colic
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‘No guilt, no shame, no
blame’
The Birthlight kit
1. Helps mothers continue breastfeeding
2. Helps mothers relactate
3. Can ease mixed feeding
4. Can support mothers who express milk
5. Facilitates ‘active bonding’ for all,
irrespective of their choice of infant
feeding patterns
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‘Infant Joy’
is so simple when it’s there
is a human right
can be achieved now
‘Ananda’
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