Posted on Wednesday, 2 December 2020 3:41 PM
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.
|
|
Posted on Tuesday, 24 March 2020 1:58 PM
Here are some links to reliable information for parents of a breastfeeding child.Also
|
|
Virginia Thorley: Posted on Tuesday, 24 March 2020 11:35 AM
Because of the current COVID-19 pandemic and resultant restrictions on movement in the community, I have made changes to how I am offering my services. Please go to myHomepageand theContact Uspages on this website for details. Yes, I am still offering my services and years of experience, but using modes that take into account recommendations for limiting contact. What is paramount is the safety of your precious baby and you.
I shall be adding links to first-class information in the next few days. |
|
Posted on Sunday, 5 January 2020 5:04 PM
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. |
|
Posted on Sunday, 5 January 2020 4:35 PM
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. |
|
Virginia Thorley: Posted on Friday, 13 September 2019 2:40 PM
Most readers of this blog who live in the current bushfire areas of Queensland and the New South Wales border areas will have received local warnings from the police of emergency services if they need to evacuate, or to be prepared to do so. If your area has a fire or fires in the area, be sure to keep your radio tuned to ABC Local Radio, which is set up as the national emergency network. Local conditions are regularly updated on air. A tip: Have you got enough batteries? Do you have your phone recharger in your evacuation bag? |
|
Virginia Thorley: Posted on Sunday, 7 July 2019 4:32 PM
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
|
|
Posted on Thursday, 13 June 2019 7:07 PM
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? |
|
Posted on Saturday, 27 April 2019 5:06 PM
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. |
|
Posted on Sunday, 14 April 2019 11:52 AM
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. |
|