Bangalore Birth Network

  Image Source As a first time expecting mother, how do you picture your first couple of hours after birth? Your baby - wrapped in soft pastel colored muslin cooing in a swing in a hospital room full of anxious relatives and yourself lying down on your bed listening to wisdom from relatives? If yes – read on. Most mothers think of this as the usual postpartum routine. Some hospitals even keep the baby and mother in separate rooms so the mother can get time to “heal” and bring the baby at regular intervals to feed. Many of these mothers are told that they’re not making sufficient breastmilk and the baby must now be given formula. What medical staff forget to tell you is the importance of the first one hour after birth in establishing a successful breastfeeding relationship. Therefore it is very important to be your own advocate and educate yourself on the benefits of breastfeeding and the golden hour. Golden Hour is the first one hour after a baby’s birth...

I am a breastfeeding, babywearing mom and I have recently realised the true benefits of nursing in a carrier, after the arrival of my second child. On a daily basis, I wish atleast a dozen times that I had an extra pair of hands to help me cope with life and be around for both my children. While individually, breastfeeding and babywearing have both helped me tremendously in taking care of and controlling tears and frustrations in my tiny humans, their combined goodness takes things a notch higher in making sure I am a happier and calmer mother to my kids. Breastfeeding in a carrier has many benefits, both for the baby and the mother. As we all know, skin to skin is highly recommended for a newborn, to help them adjust to the temperatures outside the womb as well as help mothers produce more prolactinthe hormone necess, to produce milk. Wearing or holding your baby close to your chest helps release hormones that in turn help in increasing milk production and also ...

This image is from this evening soon after I came back from work and was nursing Ian - my 2 year, 7month old for his nap. Yes, I nurse my almost 3 year old and we will continue to breastfeed as long as he needs and wants it. It has been the easiest and most natural choice for me. He has been exclusively breastfed from birth. I'm most grateful for "extended breastfeeding" on the worst days and longest nights. The days he is unwell and doesn't want to eat or drink anything and breast milk keeps him hydrated, the days he has hurt himself physically and is sobbing and a few seconds of nursing has him sighing in relief and the many days that he's just having a difficult time being a small person and needs his mama and his dear 'dudu', it is his safe space. I'm sharing our story so that more families can be aware and feel confident to make an informed decision for a happy breastfeeding journey.  Parents to be and new parents, there is a huge ...

Celebrating Tandem Nursing and Making Extended Breastfeeding The Norm Again  - Shyami Sathiaseelan Image Source My earliest memories of breastfeeding was that of my aunts feeding my cousins. Yet, I had never seen toddlers being breastfed. The first time I ever heard of it was when a pediatrician uncle of mine mentioned how school going kids used to be breastfed in the villages when he was a kid. When I got pregnant with my son, I attended the mandatory ante-natal classes my doctor asked me to and breastfeeding class was a part of it. I didn’t think  too much about it then. We are supposed to be natural breastfeeders, right? Later on, a couple of friends spoke to me about breastfeeding and told me how life is easy with breastfeeding, especially for someone as lazy as me. Even then the topic of “extended” breastfeeding didn’t arise. My son latched on fine and breastfed like a pro from the word go without any major problems. I was planning to go back to w...