The Mindful Breastfeeding Podcast Anna Le Grange

Wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do and this episode is the first of a series of talks drawing upon our wellbeing model, The Spaces Philosophy, the philosophy that underpins the work we do at The Mindful Breastfeeding School.

This week I focus on self-compassion. It sometimes doesn't feel natural to prioritise ourselves or to make space for calm and connection throughout our daily life, especially as women, but I'd really like you to understand how practicing self-compassion can have a really powerful impact and how leading your breastfeeding support with the message of self-compassion will strengthen every aspect of their parenting journey and ultimately improve their relationships with their babies, and of course with themselves. 

"In the same way that physical health requires a daily practice, so does mental and emotional health"

Joined today by Alex Heath - Clinical Hypnotherapist, Perinatal Emotional Health and Wellbeing Practitioner and Founder of The TBR College, we delve into the subject of perinatal emotional health, how this period can be wrought with challenge, difficulty and sometimes even trauma and how the stigma of mental health can be a barrier to finding safe spaces to explore our emotional wellbeing.  

Alex shares her own journey which has led her to where she is today and the passion she has for providing solution focused tools to apply to the emotions we experience in the perinatal period - in a world where our society doesn't prioritise our emotional health or educate us on how to stay emotionally healthy. 

For professionals wishing to train with Alex, visit www.tbrcollege.com, 

For parents wanting to work with Alex, you can visit www.thebirthrepublic.com 

If you are someone who is affected by trauma, please visit www.traumaticbirthrecovery.com 

 

You can also find Alex Heath's book, 'A Guide to Recovery from a Traumatic Birth'  here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Recovering-traumatic-birth-practical-guide/dp/B08DSVJWWW/ref=asc_df_B08DSVJWWW/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=499352049769&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2836627294559242687&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006791&hvtargid=pla-1401552126872&psc=1&th=1&psc=1  

I've decided to talk about how Mindful Breastfeeding can positively impact situations with complex lactation issues during this episode.

I talk a little bit about my own challenges when I breastfed my third child after breast reduction surgery and how I navigated these challenges using a growth mindset mentality to manage my emotions positively.

"Oxytocin needs to flow for milk to be released and oxytocin struggles to flow in stressful situations when our nervous system is on high alert" which is why it's even more important to focus on a mindset change and to have self-compassion, to feel better and nurture ourselves but also to help lactation to work better.

The breastfeeding person and their families go through a range of feelings and emotions, especially if they experience struggles and it's really important to manage and support these families to help them to feel more kind and compassionate towards themselves. The tools we use at the Mindful Breastfeeding School are designed to help you move into a more relaxed nervous system and to enable you to better nurture yourselves with positive words of affirmation and positive self-talk. Don't underestimate the power of these tools and the impact they can have on  feeding experiences and lactation issues.

Are You a People Pleaser?

Come and join me as I explore the topic of "people-pleasing", how it can be a big part of our lives, consciously or subconsciously, why we do it and how we can recognise when this becomes a problem.

Plus, I offer FIVE solutions to overcoming this type of behaviour which is most likely not serving your best interests:

1. Money Boundaries

2. Time Boundaries

3. Saying No

4. Self-Exploration

5. Self-Care

I really feel this is a topic that will resonate with many of you, especially if you are working in the breastfeeding support world. I'd love to hear how you get on with putting in place these five solutions so get in touch with me and let me know!

Today I am joined by Laura Ellington, Hypnobirthing Instructor, Mindful Breastfeeding Practitioner and Founder of Plus-sized Pregnancy which offers support and evidence based birth and breastfeeding information for those who identify as plus-sized or have a higher BMI.

Laura sheds the light on the experience of many people who have a higher BMI as they feel misled and coerced into making choices that are not based on the facts and shamed alongside a culture of fat-phobia. It's so important to delve deeper into the research and statistics and rely on real evidence-based sources in all situations but we highlight the importance of this especially for plus-sized people who seem to be targeted with fear-based information throughout their maternity care. This is a topic that isn't covered enough and we need to do more to normalise plus-sized bodies in our society.

It was also great to hear how Laura uses the Mindful Breastfeeding tools and techniques with her clients and how important it is to build up that belief in our bodies and their ability to do what they are made to do!

You can find out more and stay up to date with Laura by following her on Instagram at @plussizepregnancy

Many of us working in Breastfeeding Support will not be specifically trained in mental health support, but we are likely to come across mental health issues during the course of our work so it's important to have an idea how to support the clients that are experiencing mental health issues.

How can we do that? Well of course in the first instance we should be mindful of circumstances which need further referral or escalation but how can we support alongside or in the interim to getting further support to make a difference in how they are feeling? I talk a little bit about reframing mental health as wellbeing as a way of approaching mental health with our clients, nurturing them using Mindful Breastfeeding tools and wellbeing practices as well as sharing valuable information and education with them about the autonomic nervous system and coping techniques to encourage them to spend more time in 'rest and digest'. 

If you are interested in learning Mindful Breastfeeding techniques and think you and your clients would benefit, I would love to have you on our course.

To find out more information and access our free tutorial please visit https://www.themindfulbreastfeedingschool.com/pl/2147500579.