Adelaide Mums & Babies Clinic

Helping you navigate those first few years.

Do you have questions about breastfeeding? Not sure what normal infant sleep looks like? Keen to find out ideas about how to keep baby settled?

Dr Briony Andrew and Dr Rhiannon Smith are GPs with Advanced Diplomas in Obstetrics and have been guiding families through pregnancy and the early years for over a decade. They have also undertaken further training and qualified as International Board Certified Lactation Consultants. They are passionate about breast feeding medicine and providing evidence-based advice when it comes to sleep and improving cry-fuss behaviour in babies.

We are keen to work with your family to help improve any challenges you are facing with your baby.

Adelaide Mums and Babies Clinic

1 month ago

Unsolicited advice from every direction

“Is he/she a good baby?” “They need a nap, they need a burp…. Are they feeding AGAIN?” Christmas is a time that we catch up with Great Aunty Mary, second cousin Tina and so on, people that you may not have even seen since your baby was born, who all of a sudden are experts on YOUR baby. Every parent we meet wants to do the right thing by their baby and it can be a nightmare trying to navigate all the conflicting advice. We would suggest, even though you may be feeling very vulnerable, to feel confident that you know your baby better than anyone and to continue to practice cue based care, no matter what chaos is going on around you.

‘Tis the season for mastitis

The holiday season often means a lot of travelling and social activity (well, maybe not in 2020) which can result in missed feeds, uncomfortable bras and late nights. We often see a lot of mastitis at this time of year as a result. Be very mindful that, particularly in the early days, that missed feeds can increase the risk of mastitis and that frequent feeding on demand is essential. Have a low threshold to start managing signs of mastitis or blocked ducts using this resource from our website: mumsandbabies.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Mastitis-BRANDED.pdf. Also be mindful of which services are available during the holiday period if you unfortunately require antibiotics if your symptoms persist

Eat, Drink and Be Merry

We frequently get asked for advice around alcohol intake whilst breastfeeding, particularly during the holidays. The short answer is, you don’t need to avoid alcohol altogether. Here is a blog post that Dr Andrew has put together on the topic: mumsandbabies.com.au/breastfeeding/is-it-ok-to-breastfeed-and-drink-alcohol/

All I Want for Christmas is You (And your Baby)

Be kind to yourself and significantly lower your expectations. Just because you make the pudding every year, it is okay to say "no" this year. It's all okay to limit the number of places you travel to Christmas Day if that is what suits you best. Yes, your family and friends are desperate to spend time with you and your baby but that pressure an be very overwhelming and it is okay to set some boundaries if that is not something you want to do.

It’s a most wonderful time

Families often worry about overstimulating their baby during the Christmas period. It is worth embracing the sensory stimulation which this provides, with different environments and sounds to discover and explore. We would encourage families to continue to flip between the two tools of milk and sensory input and take the opportunity to get outside whilst you can! We would however, like to acknowledge those families outside of Adelaide who are not getting special time with their loved ones this year and our heart goes out to you.

Please be aware that we are both taking leave (although not at the same time!) during the Christmas and New Year period so availability is more limited than usual. We will be enjoying special time with our own families! Wishing a happy and safe holiday season to the wonderful families we care for. ...