Eastern Ranges Lactation

29/05/2026

Back out on the road & taking bookings for Tuesday June 9th. Still available while I am away for my mummas still on paid SMS support ❤️
Time to refill my nurturing cup 🤗☀️😀

27/05/2026

This slide provides a brief overview of some of the changes which occur as breastfeeding progresses. These changes can cause a new mum to worry about a drop in her milk production and lose confidence in her ability to breastfeed.

Other reasons I hear that spark doubt include:

🔸Less or no passive milk leakage (not needing to wear breast pads anymore)

🔸Not being aware of a “letdown” anymore

🔸A fussy baby, not latching easily and/or pulling

🔸Lower pumped milk volumes or not being able to pump as much milk as quickly

Many things change around the 6-8 week postpartum mark. Once newborns truly become aware of their world, it’s normal for daytime feedings to be short, unpredictable, and for your baby to be increasingly distracted. Young babies become very “effective” breastfeeders quickly; feeds are meant to become shorter and frequency unpredictable. ✅ The frequency of offering just needs to remain high—think of a grazing platter during the day instead of full meals. Think how other humans eat & drink. Breastfed babies ARE allowed to snack just like we do ✅

Breastfeeding becomes quick & easy, this is the beauty about it. Short feeds anywhere, anytime, no preparation required, & very accomodating for the unpredictable human appetite. ✅
All your hard work in those early really newborn weeks does really pay off 🙌

“Perceived low milk production” is a diagnosis within itself and is the first thing that should be ruled out before any action is taken to change the way you feed your baby. If your milk production speed actually has slowed now a little, It could just be as simple as just offering your breasts a bit more frequently or changing up your feeding positions 🤷‍♀️

Reach out for expert breastfeeding education and assessment to prepare you for what happens “next” as breastfeeding continues……. I am as much about helping mums to keep the wheels on as I am about helping them when they have “REALLY” fallen off!

24/05/2026

I have updated my engorgement/mastitis/ blockages handout to include my trusty frozen peas 😀
Alternatively you can use a newborn disposable nappy filled with some water and freeze it to make an ice pack.
Please share far and wide 🙏
Mastitis management has changed and is SO easy!!
Lymphatic drainage is super effective along with lots of icing during early postpartum engorgement- which is very often incorrectly diagnosed as mastitis 🫤
And please remember NO MASSAGING & NO "draining" or “emptying" of breasts required or even possible 🤷‍♀️
Every breast abscess or case of true infective mastitis I have evef seen or heard about has been caused by MASSAGE and/ or over stimulation of the gland in efforts to "drain/ empty" 😔

Every case was 100% preventable ✅

Now we know better we can do better 🙌
Thanks to the amazing Dr Katrina Mitchell . One of the only breast surgeons in the world who is also a breastfeeding medical physician
Her incredible knowledge, passion and skill is helping to change the breastfeeding world and lift our breastfeeding continuation rates out of the toilet!!
So much less suffering and fear for breastfeeding women & the health
professionals who care for them, when we can correctly understand how this unique gland really works 🙌

Decanting frozen peas into zip lock bags makes easy comfortable, effective bean bag sized ice packs which can be padded out in a bra or crop top. The ice can reach all the dependent areas of the breast where swelling and increased blood flow accumulates. Tuck them under the breast, high around the armpit where it the tissue can get really congested.
Directly over any lumpy , firm, tender spots or areas of redness( erythema). Great pain relief, amazing anti inflammatory relief, reduces swelling and blood congestion from hyperemia. Helps to keep those tiny, innumerable interlacing milk ducts open and free from the compression coming from surrounding venous and lymphatic tissue congestion. ✅ Keeps milk flowing ✅

13/05/2026

13/05/2026

The basics of highly effective ni**le wound care
- moist wound healing! A good organic ni**le balm combined with a hydrogel breast disc for superficial damage. A good wound care dressing like Polymem foam to fill if the damage is more severe and there is tissue loss. Find the cause & correct the cause of the damage
Highly
effective & so simple! Not difficult for IBCLC's to learn. Silver cups (Silverette's) cause more harm than good. When we use evidenced based knowledge and follow true body science we can find ways to know better and do better for breastfeeding women. We don't need expensive gadgets based on nothing but pseudoscience and persuasive marketing.

10/05/2026

Happy Mother’s Day to all my amazing mummas out there!! ❤️

Your daily sacrifices and what you give of yourself to your babies does not go unnoticed by other mothers today or any day.

Today, my wish is that all mumma’s honour themselves and not wait for others to tell them how awesome they are 🙏🙌
The power of self love and self directed kindness is truly an extraordinary experience every mother deserves in buckets.
Self worth is what makes Mother’s Day sparkle. ✨✨✨
Give yourself lots of high fives , a big hug and shine today like you have never shone before, no matter what’s going on around you. Shine for those who have walked this path before you & shine for yourself. Take time to stop and honour what it takes to be a mother & the resilience which lies within you. 💜
And if your mumma is not here to honour, shine for her 🙏 Show her that she has taught you self love 🙏❤️
It’s the greatest gift you can receive this Mother’s Day and everyday & only YOU can give it ❤️
Wisdom shared from one amazing mother and Nan who is giving herself high fives as we speak 😃

05/05/2026

29/04/2026

I bumped into a client of mine today who is still happily breastfeeding 14 months after I saw her once at home not long after her baby was born.

She told me, her journey this time has been markedly different from her previous short & traumatic breastfeeding experience with her first child.

Her gratitude for my support & education, she attributed to getting her this far, was a source of both joy and sadness for me. 🫤
It made my day, but also highlighted the significant lack of lactation expertise among other healthcare professionals working with new mothers. 😔

I acknowledge the privilege of having the knowledge I have, & time with these mothers, but I also imagine the positive impact any mandatory formal & accurate breastfeeding training would have on every nurse and doctor. And the positive impact this would have on every new mother’s feeding experience. 🙏

Imagine if every health care professional involved with infant feeding could confidently teach mothers how to breastfeed in various comfortable
positions 🙌
Imagine if they felt confident enough to avoid recommending premature formula supplementation & triple feeding plans 🙌
Imagine if they could correctly diagnose & manage lactational pain and medical conditions affecting lactating breasts 🙌
Imagine if they had just 30 minutes to spend solely educating a new mother about breastfeeding 🙌
Imagine if they understood how to help pump milk 🙌
Imagine if they recognised the significant mental health overlap into lactation and saw how a positive breastfeeding experience can support mental health 🙌
Imagine if they all really appreciated the value of breastfeeding to our society and to long term public health. 🙌

The breastfeeding space is really a tragedy when you are buried in it. 🫤
When you can really see the mess.
The consequences of not having adequately trained health care professionals I never truly appreciated before this became my sole work.
96% of women initiate breastfeeding. The majority are led to believe they can’t continue through misinformation, lack of support, and a gross lack of health professional lactational knowledge & skill 😔
It’s hard to fathom how medical infant feeding “specialists” are not required to train in lactation. 🤯
How breast surgeons are not required to learn about lactation 🤯
How every GP relies on social media , google/ AI to diagnose and treat breastfeeding medical conditions 🤯
Why aren’t paediatricians trained in lactation 🤯
Obstetricians??
Why aren’t all midwives and maternal child health nurses also IBCLC’s or hold qualifications in lactation??
Why wasn’t I trained in lactation as a paediatric & neonatal RN?? Why did I have go and train myself??
Why aren’t paediatric dietitians trained in lactation 🤯🤯🤯🤯
I could go on and on and on 🙈

I am trying to do everything I can to fix this - mad to think I can, I know! 🤪😂
But with the help of my wing woman Dr Katrina Mitchell we are having a crack 🙌
A big crack at the lactation world, correcting
knowledge and asking the questions????

17/04/2026

Number 4 precious grand baby is on its way. Due earth side this Spring.
It’s the best feeling helping your own daughters to breastfeed their babies 🙏❤️
Chelsea is already preparing to be my next boobie model 😂🤪

11/04/2026

Breastfeeding is a whole body and mind experience.
Good lactation support is essential to not only continuing to breastfeed but to the protection of maternal mental health. ✅

No breastfeeding experience should ever feel “traumatic” 😔

New mums need from me, straight forward correct, common sense education & advice to leave them feeling reassured , cared for and not fearful or uncertain.
They need to be “held”, & they need TIME. Time with my mums is something I can prioritise now that I am out of the health system and practicing privately. 🙏

Establishing breastfeeding can sometimes feel like a race with a forever moving finish line. Slowing the journey down and supporting a mother’s recovery & mental health helps with feelings of overwhelm and helps to keep mums breastfeeding.

Realistic expectations are a must, feeling “heard” is a must, support and encouragement to recognise when more help with mental health is needed is a must.
Being comfortable and skilled enough to normalise when mental health needs help & not feel like it is the elephant in the room is essential to providing quality wholistic lactation and postpartum care 🙏
The mental health overlap into lactation is huge!

Many breastfeeding challenges I see stem from a place of maternal nervous system overwhelm, from a deep place of vulnerability, disempowerment, and conflicting information overload.

Sometimes I find new mothers are not ready to acknowledge when more help with mental health is needed to really help breastfeeding. Gently I urge, I support and advise, never pushing too hard & never with any judgement. Never do I need to send mothers who I know are struggling on a wild goose chase looking for answers when I know what they need.

In a world that feeds us fear it’s hard to find calm. My mission is to be the “calm” in my mums world during this vulnerable time.,The empowering force working against the overwhelm.

There is no shame in the fact that the majority of women find the mental toll really hard, when we are continually told breastfeeding is meant to be natural and easy. 💜

There IS shame in the gross lack of skilled expert breastfeeding support available to all mums out there 😔