Truly Happy Baby ... It Worked for Me: A practical parenting guide from a mum you can trust. Holly Willoughby

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      The golden nectar – colostrum …

      Before your breast milk comes in (at some point during the first two weeks after birth), your breasts produce colostrum, which is pure golden nectar to your baby. Colostrum looks a little bit like clear honey and is jam-packed with goodness for your newborn. It doesn’t spurt out like milk; it’s more of a slow trickle. I have to say it’s hard to get your head round the fact that those few droplets are enough to stop your baby from being hungry or thirsty. Colostrum is really potent stuff, fulfilling all your baby’s needs, both nutritional and functional – it’s low in fats, and high in carbohydrates, protein and antibodies to help keep your baby healthy. It helps to protect your baby against infection, and also with that all-important first bowel movement – another reason new mums are really encouraged to give breastfeeding a go. Colostrum may come in before your labour even starts and, if it does, it’s nothing to worry about. If anything it just means that everything is working as it should be and that your baby will be here soon! If this does happen, pop a breast pad into your bra to stop any embarrassing leaks! Breast pads will soon become your new best friend – the times I reached into my handbag for a tissue and ended up with a breast pad stuck to my palm!

Breast-milk production …

      To produce good breast milk, you have to have high levels of a hormone called oxytocin – this is often referred to as the love hormone because it’s triggered when you meet the love of your life! Oxytocin is needed for the letdown reflex to trigger your milk flow and can be released simply by looking at your baby, hearing another baby cry, or even just feeling warm and fuzzy. I can remember feeding Chester with the telly on in the background, and the John Lewis Christmas advert came on, the one with Monty the penguin – and I nearly flooded the place!

      To have all this lovely oxytocin in your body, you have to be in love with your baby – tick! – but you also need to be well rested, well fed, not too tired and really calm and relaxed. The chances are you’ll be struggling with these bits! So the best piece of advice I can give is to try to look after yourself as best you can as one thing impacts the other. If looking after yourself and your mental state means topping a screaming baby up with a bottle of formula so you can get some sleep and give your milk half a chance of coming in, then do it! If, however, you do make that decision but want ultimately to breastfeed, you should try to express off that missed breastfeed to establish your milk supply. Everyone’s milk production is different. I know I had three quite different experiences with my babies.

      Breastfeeding bracelets If you wear a bracelet on the arm corresponding to the breast you last fed from (so your right arm if you fed from your right breast), you’ll never forget which side to use for the next feed. There are lots of lovely mummy bracelets available, or any old hair band will do – just make sure it’s not too tight!

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      What to eat whilst breastfeeding …

      Your diet It’s often difficult to keep track of mealtimes in the early weeks when you’re so busy with your baby, but try not to skip meals – you need to be well nourished to produce a healthy milk supply. Now is not the time to eat less to lose weight – the old adage of making sure you get your five portions of fruit and veg a day, and a good balance of carbohydrates, protein and dairy foods, is never more important. Breastfeeding can make you extra-hungry so try to reach for a healthy snack, such as a yoghurt or some wholegrain toast, rather than the biscuit tin. These are some other foods that can help improve the quantity and quality of the milk you are producing:

      • Oatmeal

      • Green leafy vegetables, e.g. spinach

      • Oily fish

      • Lentils and pulses

      • Brown rice

      • Nuts and dried fruit

      • Fennel and fenugreek seeds

      Your baby’s tastebuds How a baby reacts to your diet can vary and, whilst it’s good for the baby to experience different tastes and smells through your breast milk, it’s a case of trial and error. Some mums don’t think twice about eating spicy foods whilst breastfeeding, as it has little or no effect on the baby, but others might find their baby really struggles to digest the milk. Some babies might show signs of lactose intolerance through mum eating a lot of dairy. If you think your baby is suffering in some way (diarrhoea, eczema, bloating, constipation, to name a few symptoms), try eliminating certain foods from your diet to see if there’s an improvement. Don’t overdo it on caffeine and alcohol as both can affect your baby when passed on via your milk supply.

      Water I always made sure I had a large bottle of water to hand before I sat down to feed, as I’d quickly become really thirsty. It’s also essential to stay hydrated when you’re breastfeeding as it’s very important for breast-milk production.

      courtesy of the author

      Cookies … and milk! …

      A friend gave me this recipe for lactation cookies. I don’t know whether it was just a placebo, but I definitely felt they made a big difference to my milk production. The magic active ingredients are brewer’s yeast powder (which you can buy from all good health stores), flaxseed and some good-quality rolled oats. I’ve added raisins, but experiment substituting (or adding) things you love. Good flavour combinations are cranberries and white chocolate chips, and dates and walnuts.

       The magic ingredients

      —

      2 tbsp milled flaxseed

      220g unsalted butter, softened

      310g golden caster sugar

      2 eggs

      1 tsp vanilla extract or ground cinnamon

      3 tbsp brewer’s yeast powder

      1 tsp salt

      280g self-raising flour

      130g rolled oats

      150g raisins

      —

       Makes about 18 cookies

      1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4 and line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper.

      2. Mix the flaxseed and 4 tablespoons of water together in a mug and leave for about 5 minutes.

      3. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and caster sugar (or use a food mixer). Add the eggs and beat in, followed by the vanilla СКАЧАТЬ