Kate Hale
New mums struggling with breastfeeding basics have a new tool at their disposal – a visual how-to created by lactation consultant, registered nurse and midwife Kate Hale.
The DVD, titled ‘Happy Mums Happy Bubs’, shows correct attachment and teaches women t about understanding their supply, and recognising mastitis.
If mums are still unsure whether they will go down the path of breastfeeding their baby, Kate demonstrates the art of baby massage, bathing, dressing, even changing nappies.
Says Kate, “I wanted to make this DVD because, I see mums with huge piles of books on everything to do with babies - so they are obviously keen to learn everything they can about how to do the best for their baby – but they are clearly going to be exhausted when the baby arrives, so it is much easier to put on a DVD, especially when they are sitting down to feed their baby. I wanted a visual experience for mums, to actually see a how a baby attaches to the breast, while hearing my descriptive account on how to do it, in turn making it far easier to absorb it all.”
The DVD is chaptered so a bleary-eyed new mum can easily navigate topics of interest and start and stop as needed.
World Breastfeeding Week 1–7 August 2011
World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year from 1 to 7 August in more than 120 countries to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world. It commemorates the Innocenti Declaration made by WHO and UNICEF policy-makers in August 1990 to protect, promote and support breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding is the best way to provide newborns with the nutrients they need. WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding until a baby is six months old, and continued breastfeeding with the addition of nutritious complementary foods for up to two years or beyond.
Some facts about breastfeeding in Australia
• While still in hospital, 90% of mothers initiate breastfeeding, but by the time their baby is three months old, it drops to 61%, and by 6 months of age, it has dropped to 42%, with only 18% of mums breastfeeding their baby at 12 months old. *
• The benefits of breastfeeding are many and varied: the incidence of certain diagnoses are greatly increased when a mother stops breastfeeding. These include:
- gastroenteritis
- otitis media (ear infections)
- respiratory tract infections
- SIDS
- insulin dependent diabetes melititus
- meningitis
- obesity
