It took me 5 days in hospital to get my first one to feed. 5 heartbreaking days of me sweating in my dressing gown and slippers and watching all the other new Mums come and go. 5 days of pumping milk that my little man wouldn't take at all for 3 days, and at 4 days not from anything except a bottle or a cup. 5 days of watching him turn yellow with jaundice and begging for a wet nappy. 5 days of me sobbing and feeling a complete failure.

I was just 22 and had no friends who breastfed, and no family to call upon. My partner's Mother hadn't breasfed in the late 60's, it wasn't usual, so she couldn't help me either. Everyone could watch, but the help I needed wasn't available. I had my child on a Friday, and the one and only breastfeeding support worker only worked Tuesdays. There was no internet like there is today, all I had for reference was a badly photocopied pamphlet with line drawings.

All the midwives tried to help, but a lot of the advice was to just stop, give in and look after myself, I was falling to pieces and that was no good for my baby. I couldn't though. I WAS GOING TO BREASTFEED MY CHILD.

My partner of the time (the Father to my first 3 children) suffered from Asthma and I knew without any doubt that to breastfeed would help protect my child. I knew that in the long run if my child developed Asthma, I would live with my own feelings of failure forever. He was fantastic. He trusted I was doing the right thing and didn't try to deter me. I suppose he knew I would give up when I really had no choice and didn't want to crush me unnecessarily.

All the time there was one Midwife who was truly on my side and desperate for me to nurse. She had the weekend off, and I missed her so much for those 2 days. I felt incredibly alone, and so very small in that great big hospital full of people who couldn't put their finger on how to help. It was awful for her when she arrived at work on the Monday to find me still there and still unable to get my child to latch except for about 3 occasions over the whole 4 days. It really was hell.

By 2pm on that last day I was ready to give in. I couldn't take the punishment any more and my child was getting ill. I would pump and give him a bottle for as long as my milk would allow and I'd been warned this would likely be 6 weeks at best. I couldn't afford an electric pump, they cost hundreds at the time, so it would all be hand pumped. It was at this point of pretty much no return that my Midwife did a stunning thing. She gave me advice she was not allowed to give, she told me a secret. She told my partner to go to Mothercare or Boots and buy nipple shields. It was a last ditch effort, and one which would still probably only give us 6 weeks, but it was worth a shot and would be far easier than hand-pumping milk.
My bags packed for home, my partner came back within an hour and the Midwife took a shield and poured boiled water over it. I positioned it and brought my baby to me. What happened next was beyond my wildest dreams - my baby latched on and fed. No hassle, no screaming and crying, he just fed. I sobbed some more, repeatedly thanking her. I cried again as we left hospital, unsure of what lay ahead, but confident I could do it.

I knew that with the nipple shields my milk production would be reduced because of the lack of stimulation, and I wanted to be able to feed for as long as we both wanted, so, for the next 6 weeks I carried on feeding whenever my son showed an interest. My Health Visitor told me I was 'wasting my time' and that my milk would stop, it was pointless.

For the first week or 2 I expected to suddenly find nothing there, but there was always gallons of milk, I woke up in a puddle every night and leaked all the time. I began to get a little more confident and look to the future. I needed to get rid of the shields, the sterilising and carrying them about with me was frustrating and made it virtually impossible for me to ever feed in public. I started trying to get him to latch before positioning the shield. At first he'd only occasionally even try, but by 4 weeks had taken a handful of feeds without a shield. At 5 weeks he took 2 feeds running without a shield and I knew it was working. I was still feeding my baby and I still had milk. He was just less than 6 weeks when we stopped using nipple shields all together. It is one of the proudest days of my life.

I carried the nipple shields around with me for a few more months, but I never needed them again. I fed my child until he was 19 months old and loved every moment. He did develop Asthma briefly between the ages of 7 and 9, but since then has never had any more signs of any allergy. My 2nd child nursed from birth until 21 months, and my 3rd until 20 months. Neither ever had any Asthma, only a little Eczema which they no longer have.

Support in those early weeks is absolutely vital. I had a very good and obvious reason for breastfeeding and I wasn't going to give up. I felt completely alone and useless and I battled every step of the way. I had to fight for what I knew to be worthwhile, when everyone around me thought it was a waste of everyone's time. I never saw a breastfeeding support worker, even though I didn't leave hospital until after she should have been working all day. At the time there were no numbers to call, no support groups, no volunteers that anyone knew of. No internet to turn to. Without that Midwife breaking the rules and giving me her own personal advice from what she'd seen over the years, I probably would never have been able to put my child to the breast. I will never forget her, her name was Claire. 

My 5th (3) and my 1st (19)

To this day I have no idea why my first child was so stubborn in those early days, why he just wouldn't do what he was told. I guess he must take after his Mum....

In all I spent around 8 years breastfeeding and every moment was worthwhile. I made it, and looking back I will forever be proud of myself because I did it alone. Many, many Mums give up when they don't need to. There is support everywhere now and all Health Professionals have a duty to help you, including your Health Visitor Team, GP and Midwife. Groups and volunteers such as The La Leche League, The NCT, The Breastfeeding Network, Keep Britain Breastfeeding and Lactivist are all there waiting to listen and help. Don't be scared to ask.


There are loads of fabulous bloggers taking part in the Keep Britain Breastfeeding Scavenger Hunt including

Oh So Amelia
Faded Seaside Mama
Mama Geek
Life, Love And Living With Boys
Pobbing Along

 The Benefits of Breastfeeding

I'm a fan of breastfeeding. I won't judge anyone for not doing it, but I think it's a shame if you don't at least give it a try. I fed all 5 of mine for between 15 and 21 months, until it felt right to stop or they decided they weren't interested any more.

We all know now that it's indisputable that breastfeeding has positive physical benefits for baby and Mum. I don't need to tell you about the reduction in allergies (baby), stomach bugs (baby), Cancer (Mum), Ear Infections (baby) or Meningitis (baby). I don't have to harp on about the better bond between parent and child. I'm sure I don't even need to point out that breastfeeding for 12 months will save you around £600. I probably don't even need to point out that children who were breastfed as babies score higher on average in intelligence tests. 


 The difference I want to point out is that breastfeeding your child makes you calmer. It makes you relax. It forces you to sit on your backside for hours every day holding your child. You might read, watch pulp movies or dreadful soaps, you might blog or surf the internet, you could even take up playing games like I did (I got 2 Platinum trophies on the Playstation 3 whilst feeding no.4, the teenagers were incredibly proud). Whatever you are doing, you won't be racing about at breakneck speed or worrying too much about the dust on the shelves. Every 3 hours you are demanded to go and have a sit down for half an hour or more (often more!). 


Life takes on a different pace. You relax into it. You will go to sleep much more quickly at night, and you will sleep better. You'll be less likely to snap at people or be grouchy. You'll worry less although you may think more. You'll have more time to chat and will be able to rekindle friendships and write that e-mail you've been meaning to write for the last 6 months


  
The lovely people at Lactivist have a huge online resource on their blog at www.lactivist.net where you can find masses of information about breastfeeding and should be able to answer any questions you can think of. They also have a great range of breastfeeding friendly slogan t-shirts, badges, bags and all kinds of whatnots and I am able to offer you a discount code. 

For the whole of Breastfeeding week enter Discount Code KBB13 when you place an order and get 10% off anything at www.lactivist.co.uk

They have also kindly donated a Keep Britain Breastfeeding T-shirt for me to give away to one of my readers in an infant's size of your choosing (subject to stock being available).



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Please take a look at all of my other Keep Britain Breastfeeding Competitions which are all listed on this page.

There are loads of great bloggers taking part in the Scavenger Hunt, including:


RedRoseMummy
Little Lilypad Co
In The Playroom
A Baby On Board

When my children were younger they spent a lot of time in slings. My oldest had terrible colic and screamed for hours every day, the sling was the only way to soothe him enough that he slept and fed calmly and I was far happier to carry him around for 4 hours than listen to his heartbreaking crying.

As I had more children I discovered that with your baby in a sling you are better able to attend to the older ones. Holding hands to cross the road, or helping with jigsaws and making lunch are easier with that extra help to hold the baby for you.


When I had my 3rd child I didn't get a double pushchair, I pushed my 2 year old and carried my baby in a sling for the first 6 months, and it worked really well until my toddler was old enough to use a buggy board all of the time.

I'm a total advocate.

For my 4th child I didn't hesitate to get a sling, it was something we had ready before he was born, and it was very well used. It's much easier to get on a bus and find your change or hold an umbrella with baby in a sling than it is with a pushchair!


One of the best things about slings is the ability to feed your child wherever you are and whatever you're doing. You are well covered, so you aren't displaying your goods to the world and you don't get cold. Baby doesn't need to be overly-disturbed, and you don't need to spend ages finding somewhere suitable to sit comfortably to feed. It makes breastfeeding in public something that most people wouldn't even notice you were doing!

I've fed for about 8 years in total, and over that time I think I have fed just about everywhere....

• I've fed several of mine at the table while out for a meal in a restaurant.
• I fed my 1st at Derby Beer Festival.
• I've definitely answered the door to the postman while feeding all of my children.
• I've fed my babies on the bus, train and on coaches
• I fed my 4th sitting in front of the Christmas tree in the Trafford Centre
• I fed my 5th in A&E, radiography and several other departments when my 2nd slipped on ice.
• I fed my 2nd at a pantomime when he was 3 weeks old and he never made a single noise the entire performance.
• I fed my 4th when he was 3 months old while serving behind the Tombola at the school Christmas Fair.
• I've fed whilst dancing or walking around at more festivals and shows than I could possibly begin to remember.

I'm sure there are about a thousand other places where I've been confident and able to feed my children in a sling, and I might not without it.




The lovely people at theBabasling have kindly donated a sling for me to giveaway as a prize. The winner will be able to select whichever sling they wish from the entire range. It truly is a great prize and I'm delighted to be able to have this opportunity.
theBabasling is designed to carry babies and toddlers (0-2yr+ / 7.7lbs-33lbs / 3.5kg – 15kg). It is available in 9 colours, 3 different styles for different seasons, can hold your baby in 5 positions and is machine washable. They come with a lifetime guarantee and free delivery.

 

My competition question is this ~ Where is the strangest or most interesting place you have fed your baby?

  

We'd love to see photo's* of you feeding and/or carrying your child in a sling in an unusual place. We want you to show that feeding doesn't have to be a major event, it can be something you just do.  It's the most natural thing in the world, it's almost an every hour event when your child is tiny and it can be done anywhere. Photo's can be e-mailed to me thebrickcastle@gmail.com, tweeted to @thebrickcastle or uploaded to my Facebook Page

If you don't have a photo then a story will be just as good an entry, and can be left on my Facebook wall, e-mailed to me or typed as a comment to this thread. 

The competition will close to entries at noon on Saturday 6th July 2013, and the winner will be announced by noon on Monday 8th July. Please include a method of contact with your entry - including if you enter by comment on this post.


Please keep any photo's nipple-free because I don't want to get into trouble with Facebook, Twitter or Blogger for 'adult content' (whether I agree with that or not) and I also don't want to scare off new Mums and Mums-to-be who aren't yet confident with feeding in public!

Don't forget all of my other Keep Britain Breastfeeding Competitions which are all listed on this page.

Terms and Conditions - This competition is open to UK residents only. The prize is one theBabasling of your choice which will be sent to you directly from theBabasling. The competition winner will be chosen by myself and a representative from theBabasling and our decision will be final. No correspondence in this matter will be entered into. This competition is in no way endorsed or supported by Blogger. The winner will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the competition ends, if they do not respond within 5 days we reserve the right to choose another winner from the competition entries. For any further information please e-mail thebrickcastle@gmail.com

Okay, so we're all hoping for a good Summer, but unfortunately it will be over as soon as it's started, and then you'll have to start wrapping up your little ones up again and keeping them warm. For a breastfeeding Mum with a sense of humour what could be better than a fantastic Boobie Beanie? They're available in pretty much any colour and a range of sizes to suit.


Rayne Beau Boos are two 'Work At Home Mums' who hand crochet all kinds of  fabulous items to order. My personal favourite has to be the Despicable Me Minion Hat!


All items can be seen and ordered via the Rayne Beau Boos Facebook page. For Keep Britain Breastfeeding week they have kindly donated a Boobie Beanie as a prize for one winner and they will also be making a discount code announcement on Monday 24th June. The competition will close on 29th at 12 noon when they will draw a winner at random and post the name on their Facebook page.


Entry is by filling in this very short entry form 

Don't forget my other Keep Britain Breastfeeding Competitions - which are all linked on this page

Want to make your own Despicable Me minion from Lego? Here's ours....this is Carl - the one-eyed Minion - using Lego we already had, which is why there are parts that are a bit random, including a red bit!

This bit really does just balance until the next layer goes on

 










If you find my pictures hard to follow then please feel free to ask and I'll post you a clearer picture, and if you can do any better or you want to show yours then I'd be delighted if you upload it to my Facebook page or tweet it to me @thebrickcastle and if you agree I'll add it here!


We were lucky enough to attend a preview showing of Despicable Me 2 as organised by Mumsnet. My review is here.... 

We all know it's important to eat healthily and look after ourselves, and cooking quick and healthy meals is great, but at times it can be hard to ensure we get the right amount of vitamins and minerals we need. This is especially true of pregnant and breastfeeding Mums.

I'm prone to Iron-deficiency Anaemia and became Anaemic each time I was pregnant despite trying to eat a healthy diet including plenty of Iron-rich foods and having a drink of fresh citrus juice with my meals (vitamin C helps you absorb Iron), and so I had to take supplements for a few months to boost my levels and make me healthy again. I still take a daily supplement because it makes me feel less tired and happier despite my youngest now being 3.


MyVitamins have a huge range of vitamins for any deficiency that you might experience, including those common in pregnancy and during feeding. Your baby will pretty much take whatever it needs, so it is Mum who suffers most in the long run, and those around her - being tired and grumpy due to Anaemia when you have a brand new baby is very hard for everyone!


MyVitamins have kindly offered 3 months supply of Complete Daily Vitamins and Hair, Skin and Nails Vitamins for me to give away. I've been trying the Complete Daily Vitamins now for the past few days and they are really easy to take and suitable for Vegetarians, and I'm feeling my whole self instead of a lacklustre and grey imitation. With small people in the house I keep my vitamins up in a high locked cupboard out of sight and reach.

For your chance to win 3 months supply of Complete Daily Vitamins and Hair, Skin and Nails Vitamins please complete the Rafflecopter form below -

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't forget to look at all of my other competitions - which are listed on this page.

My 4 year old brought home his first book from school this week. We're so proud, he's still a Nursery boy until September. It has no 'reading', but is full of words. It's called Extra Shopping and features a Daddy taking his children around a supermarket buying ingredients. First item on the list is 'Apples'. This might be a nice introduction to reading, except for the fact that it's at this point we realise boy no.3 has spent the last 4 years misunderstanding us.

What letter does apple start with?
Boy no.3 (age 4):Nuh
Me: No, think again, sound it out
BN3: Nuh
Me: Why would it be Nuh?
BN3: Napple....
Me: It's not A napple, it's AN apple
BN3: No it's not
Me: Yes it is
BN3: No, it's 5 apples, look...

The extra ingredients that the family buy made it far even more infuriating. They bought Ice Cream, Squirty Cream and chocolate ball sweeties to make a surprise dessert.

Boy no.4 (age 3): I want Saturday
Me: We all want Saturday
BN4: Can I have Saturday?
Me: On Saturday
BN4: Is it Saturday?
Me: Not yet.
BN4: Awwww, I want Ice Cream Saturday....

The book finally finished I think I want an ice cream Saturday too.....

Next week is Keep Britain Breastfeeding week and as a Mother of 5 with 8 years of feeding behind me Breastfeeding is something I think everyone should be encouraged, supported and enabled to do if possible. I will be running a series of posts as part of the Online Scavenger Hunt which runs from 23-29 June and I also have some great giveaways for you.


My first giveaway is in conjunction with Breastvest

Breastvest is an ingenius idea for keeping your tummy and back warm and covered while you feed. I found myself constantly pulling my t-shirt down at the sides to hide my 'unsightly wrinkles', this vest prevents that from ever being an issue. It's available in a range of sizes to fit all shapes, and 6 different colours so that you can match it to any outfit. It can be washed at 40 degrees and even tumble dried, which makes it very user-friendly indeed.

Designed, tested and approved by breastfeeding mums, breastvest is held in place by straps and scoops just below your nursing bra, completely covering the postnatal tummy so mums can lift up whatever top they are wearing to feed their babies, safe in the knowledge that breastvest has them covered. Breastvest lets mums get back into their favourite clothes sooner, letting them breastfeed whenever, wherever and wearing whatever they want with confidence. 

It was invented by now mum-of-two Sam Telfer when she was breastfeeding her first baby, Fred. Frustrated by the lack of wardrobe choice she had - especially after what seemed like an eternity in maternity wear - Sam ruined a succession of her favourite pre-pregnancy tops by stretching the necklines to feed her baby. 

Thousands of mums all over the world are now enjoying the benefits which come built into breastvest… and when Sam had her second baby, Georgie, she was beyond proud to be one of them!

Available at www.breastvest.co.uk and a wide selection of independent stockists in the UK, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

From today until the end of June enter the code BSH25 at the till to receive a massive 25% discount on your order. In addition, throughout Keep Britain Breastfeeding week, they'll be running daily offers and discounts which they will announce on Facebook and Twitter  

For the rest of June, Breastvest are selling limited issue grey breastvests in aid of The Lullaby Trust, which supports grieving parents whose babies have been lost to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and also provides safe sleeping information. All of the profits from the sale of grey breastvests during June will be donated to them.

For your chance to win a Breastvest in a colour and size of your choosing, please enter using the Rafflecopter below. 

Don't forget my other Keep Britain Breastfeeding Competitions - which are all linked on this page



a Rafflecopter giveaway