Now that extreme hot weather is back in various parts of Australia this week, what I wrote in this blog in January on caring for a baby in hot weather is relevant again. To find that information, just scroll down.

Stay cool.

Here are some links to reliable information for parents of a breastfeeding child.

Also

In very hot weather, if your baby isn't wanting to breastfeed as vigorously as usual, it may be that she is overheated or overdressed.

 Some tips:

- Those new clothes look lovely, but they are holding her body heat in. If you don't have air-conditioning, she is more comfortable if dressed in just a nappy (diaper). Perhaps a very, very thin little cotton top, at most.

- Feeding cues may be less obvious. If your baby is stirring, it helps to sponge her down with a wet face cloth, enough to wet her skin.

My previous post was written before the current devastation on the firegrounds in East Gippsland, Victoria and nearby areas of NSW, and on Kangaroo Island, South Australia. If you live in these areas, and have faced evacuation by vehicle or sea, the sense of unreality, uncertainty and loss is very raw at the moment. Disorienting.

Don't forget to keep your fluid intake up in the extreme heat and chaos. I expect you will want to hold your babies and children close, a form of comfort for child and adult alike, and a way of feeling safer.

If you are in Sydney this week you may be interested in attending one or more days of the 3-day 2019 conference of the Australian Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement (AMIRCI).  This is the first time the conference is in Sydney.

Speakers come from various backgrounds and perspectives and the program promises to provide much to think about and discuss on.

To find the full program and registration details, type into your browser: www.mothering.org.au/conferences

With the  proliferation of websites offering information on many topics, including breastfeeding, I was wondering what sites are currently popular with mothers of new (or not-so-new) babies. If you are a new Mum, what websites do you go to?  Do you go to the well-known ones, such as KellyMom (US based), the (Melbourne) Royal Women's Hospital site, and the ABA site? Do you visit other sites you find helpful? Which ones?

As there is a mix of good and not-so-good advice online, which sites do you find relevant and reliable?

Sometimes mothers wonder about the murmuring sounds the baby is making while breastfeeding. Is this usual, they wonder? 

Many years ago an American radio doctor called Richard Applebaum became interested in the murmuring sounds babies often make while breastfeeding. So he invited mothers from across the US to send him tapes of their babies' sounds. I don't still have his book but, from memory, he ended up with over 2,000 recordings.  Interestingly, some mothers sent recordings of the same baby drinking from a bottle, and remarked that it was only at the breast that these sounds were made.

One of the most consistent experiences a new mother usually has is the sheer inconsistency of advice offered about breastfeeding. Sometimes the difference is because the advice when a baby is a week old is going to be different from when the same baby was only a day or two old when the milk wasn't 'in' and your baby's stomach was smaller. The baby and his needs have changed. Other differences in advice may be because some of the comments offered are just a personal opinion or the person has not kept up to date or is feeling very rushed.