I was late into my pregnancy with my second baby, and this time round decided to enlist the help of Amanda Marks who I came into contact with 2 years previously when struggling with breastfeeding my daughter Anya.
I booked Amanda’s two-week Platinum Package after our consultation and before the arrival of Baby number 2 to avoid any issues or difficulties. The main reason for this was that Baby number 1 was combination fed from 3 weeks due to an undiagnosed tongue tie, poor latch and general lack of confidence and poor advice. I met Amanda far later on to change this but always knew I wanted a different experience should I fall pregnant again and I was adamant that I would give baby number 2 the best chance of an exclusive breastfeeding journey, but with Amanda’s support from the beginning I was also very relaxed in my approach to it all (this helps!)
Amanda was amazing from our very first initial contact. Our pre-birth breastfeeding consultation due to me being in Essex was offered via SKYPE plus I was heavily pregnant so not easy to get to town, but nevertheless she covered everything in that 2 hrs pre birth Skype call.
She took the full picture: previous experience and why things declined, help available when baby would be born, the sibling preparation, sibling childcare options, new breast-pump purchase as I was keen to express from her recommended times of 4 weeks+ when the milk supply is part established.
In the days and last 2 weeks to being full term until Jake’s arrival, Amanda kept checking in and helping me decide what to do with regard to sweeps, colostrum harvesting, etc. Amazingly, as I said above, due to being based in Essex and having a 22-month-old with me full time, we did everything virtually and it literally made no difference her not being present.
I still haven’t met Amanda (but I hope to correct that soon once we are allowed to socialise again).
Amanda became my rock. Often we would exchange very similar long voice notes in our 2 week journey if I didn’t make the morning and evening updates that are pencilled in on your Platinum Package, as I couldn’t get to the phone while balancing the two bubbas.
This was amazing as it meant I could access her advice at my leisure and she would always make time for me at times I needed if she wasn’t on her already 4/6 other client updates.
The video calls, the confidence boosts, the reassurance, the Feeding Team check-ins all gave me the chance to feel and see our progress and that this time it was going to be very different.
When Jake hadn’t slept in his crib by week 8 I was starting to wonder if he had some reflux issues as he could not be put down at all, screaming at certain times of the evening and growth spurt moments so I went to the GP for something else and whilst I was there the GP diagnosed reflux. I contacted Amanda again in desperation as she has said an EBF baby would not be presenting with reflux for many reasons, and stepped in with her full support of other previous clients of hers to talk and to assist further, and sure enough I took Amanda’s stance and it was categorically not reflux and I wouldn’t medicate my baby.
She has told me this has happened with countless clients of hers so why should Jake be any different when human milk is designed purely for his tummy and not to give him pain and discomfort, plus he was gaining tons of weight and lots of wet/dirty nappies as she would check and it never added up what the GP said or their experience with breastfeeding. How glad I was!!!!
Week 10 and my baby was sleeping 7 hours at night and no longer “frogging” me all night long as she says… ‘all they want in the 4th trimester is to be frog-like and skin to skin like in the womb.’ We all felt rested!
Amanda’s plan to feed feed feed for the first two weeks as a minimum and not wait for when the usual medical practitioners tell you to feed your baby was exhausting – I won’t lie – but was 100 per cent worth it!!
My breastfeeding journey is such a peaceful, wonderful bonding experience with my now very big boy. Given that two health visitors that looked at my breasts last time told me they were surprised I was able to breastfeed and even one lactation consultant told me that breastfeeding might not be for me (breast/nipple size and orientation) I am even more grateful to Amanda for convincing me that “that is absolute rubbish.” She said she won’t ever find a reason to say no if her client is determined to be a breastfeeding mummy and she doesn’t!!!
I would highly recommend Amanda to every woman looking to breastfeed their baby but even more so if you have struggled with previous babies and feeding journeys before and are now despondent!
