Baby having difficulty adjusting to a new way of feeding
If your baby is finding it hard to adjust to the new way
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We provide dedicated Lactation Consultancy and Breastfeeding Support for new parents, offering personalised guidance and reassurance every step of the way. Our services are available at both of our welcoming clinics, where you’ll find expert care in a supportive environment.
For more information and tips on Breastfeeding and Tongue-tie, please download these useful guides or watch my videos. You can contact me via the online contact form or message/call on 07949176776 anyday 8am - 7 pm.
Katherine has extensive experience and training in assessing tongue tie and performing Frenulotomies – both within the NHS and in private practice. She was trained at both Southampton General Hospital and Kings College Hospital London where she was the team leader of the Tongue Tie service for 11 years.
Do you feel that you are a bit lost with your Breastfeeding? Have you been given lots of conflicting advice about how long to feed for, unsure if baby is getting enough milk and uncertain about feeding cues.
I'm a Lactation Consultant with more than 35 years experience in both NHS and Private Practice. I have a special interest and competency in assisting …
If you are planning to spend time away from your baby whilst Breastfeeding, it is important to protect your Breastfeeding and your milk supply by being careful to continue to stimulate your milk by using a breast pump or hand expressing.
Your breast milk supply is very finely tuned to the demands of your baby, therefore to maintain your milk supply it is important to mimic your baby’s feed frequency and not doing this can result in your breasts beginning to shut down milk production often preceded by engorgement or mastitis.
Before you start, it is important to find a comfortable place to sit and to relax as much as you can. Some mothers find that expressing takes a bit of practice, having a picture of your baby to look at can help.
Some mothers are quite good at this, and others find it difficult, this is normal. Hand expression is best used in the very early days of Breastfeeding as you cannot collect tiny amounts of colostrum and transitional milk in a pump. Some mothers find that it easier to express if you are Breastfeeding your baby at the other breast.
To hand express, first wash your hands, place your index finger and thumb on the areola and apply pressure simultaneously back into the areola and together, it takes some time to master this. Move your fingers around the areola to find the best places to get the milk to flow. The best results are achieved by moving all around the breast and expressing both breasts. Use small clean bottle to collect the breastmilk.
A breast pump can be used from day 3, the rule I use to express from day 3 to 7 is 75mls per Kg each 24 hours divided by number of feeds per day. From day 7 this increases to 150mls per Kg each 24hours divided by number of feeds per day.
I am no longer of the opinion that use of a hospital grade pump is necessary- the newer hands-free pumps are just as effective and you do not have to sit close to a source of electric power. When using any pump it is important the funnel part of the pump is the correct size for you, only the nipple and no more than about 1cm of areola should extend into the funnel when the pump is being used. If more areola is going into the pump the pump will not work efficiently and it will also make you very sore and can cause the nipple to swell! You can buy different sizes flange inserts for most pumps.
Some mothers find that their milk flows more readily with or without the use of the flexible flange insert that is included when you purchase some pumps.
For more information on feeding your baby from a feeding device, read Katherine’s complete guide Your breast fed baby and expressed breast milk
Hands free pumps are very convenient as they can be used during breastfeeds, as baby completes the first breast apply the pump whilst feeding from the second breast. When baby finishes the second breast apply the pump back on the second breast. You can move about the house or even outside with the pump inside your bra.
Explore our blog for practical breastfeeding tips, expert advice, and guidance to support you on your journey as a new parent.
If your baby is finding it hard to adjust to the new way
Compressing the breasts during pumping without causing the pump to lose suction will
All the supplementary feeding methods detailed below should ideally be demonstrated to parents
We offer Lactation Consultancy and Breastfeeding Support across two dedicated clinics. Your initial consultation takes place at 31 Baring Road, Croydon (CR0 7DD), where you’ll receive expert, personalised guidance tailored to you and your baby’s needs.
For specialist tongue tie procedures, we work in partnership at the London Tongue Tie Clinic, where Consultant Paediatric Surgeon Dr Shailesh Patel undertakes all procedures, supported by Lactation Consultant Katherine Fisher. This unique, holistic approach ensures you and your baby receive the highest quality care, with both surgical expertise and ongoing breastfeeding support.
Katherine’s Frenulotomy practice is Tiny Tongues. Procedures are only offered at Dental Beauty, 69 Addiscombe Rd, Croydon,CR0 6SE.
Katherine cannot treat recurrent Tongue-tie or residual tissue following Frenulotomy by another practitioner, she can however assess your baby and refer to her colleague Mr Shailesh Patel FRCS (paeds) for revisional surgery if clinically indicated. Please visit this website londontonguetieclinic.co.uk
Frenulotomy at Tiny Tongues is only offered following a thorough oral and feeding assessment with a feeding plan initiated to trial interventions to improve feeding. Surgery is offered only if clinically indicated to improve feeding, this is at a different appointment.
What happens at your baby’s appointment for Frenulotomy
Baby is weighed naked and before and after a feed.
Parents are assisted to both view and palpate the frenular tissue, and taught the post surgical wound and scar management manoeuvres.
Parental consent is taken, the risks and benefits of Frenulotomy discussed, also the alternatives to Frenulotomy.
Paracetamol suspension can be administered by parents 15 minutes before surgery if age appropriate.
Baby is wrapped and parents instructed how to hold baby securely for the surgery.
The tongue is elevated with a grooved director that isolates safely the tissue to be divided away from other oral structures. The frenular tissue only is divided with blunt tip curved strabismus scissors, and blunt dissected with the closed scissors tip or gloves finger tip to attain an adequate sub lingual romboid.
Instruments used are either disposable or sterilised in house by the dental practice team.
Baby is then handed to the mother for feeding this is used to achieve rapid haemostasis ( stopping any bleeding). Very very occasionally / rarely finger tip pressure or use of a topical haemostatic dressing may be required.
When baby has fed and bleeding has stopped parents are assisted to view the frenulotomy site before returning home.
A new feeding plan is issued.
Feeding and the Frenulotomy site are reviewed face to face 5 to 7 days and again 14 days post surgery, additional follow up appointments as required at no extra charge.Katherine is available 8 am to 7pm by phone any day of the week for any questions/ concerns at other times by messaging.
For fees, check this page.
Hear directly from the parents who’ve trusted us for guidance and support.
We recently celebrated Archie’s 1st birthday and one year milestone of Breastfeeding! I just wanted to take some time to thank you and the team for helping my family through a difficult time and changing my relationship with my baby boy. Looking back at the first few months of Breastfeeding Archie I didn’t think we could last another day, let alone over a year!
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Our second son was born at home in a birthpool in calm and peaceful surroundings. He was strong and healthy and took to the breast immediately. It was love at first sight and our little baby suckled away for the first 24 hours. And then, from exhaustion or bliss or both, he fell fast asleep. While our precious little baby slept, my breasts started filling with milk – and as the hours went on – they started to engorge.
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We felt that we were in the hands of the best, really happy with the service, in a dark time you gave us clear and helpful information, and were caring and attentive.
Katherine, I just can’t fault you, all Frenulotomy information clear, appropriate, well pitched, well delivered, and appreciated. The teaching of post -Frenulotomy wound and scar management techniques was excellent. We felt safe knowing that we could contact you anytime.
Book a consultation with our expert lactation consultants and get the guidance and support you and your baby need to thrive.
Thank you so much for taking the time to see us today. You really have revolutionised the way I was thinking about Breastfeeding and how I will go forward with feeding Matthew. I have been so stressed this week having received so much contradictory and overly detailed (and wrong!) information that I was really struggling.
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