Hi there.
My name's Deb and I am a Lactation Consultant and Tongue Tie Practitioner working with Dreamfeeds.
And I've got for you today a lovely guided meditation to encourage your milk to flow while you're expressing.
So I want to welcome you first of all to this space,
Encourage you to get as comfy and cosy as you can.
Before you begin expressing,
Just take this moment just for yourself.
Encourage your body to rest and relax.
You're doing an incredible job.
So sit comfortably and just listen to my voice.
Allow your shoulders to soften away from your ears.
Relax your jaw.
And if it feels safe to do so,
Gently close your eyes.
This is a little bit of time just for you to refresh and relax.
And in your own time,
Take in a slow breath through your nose.
And when you're ready,
Breathe out slowly through your mouth.
Spend a little bit of time focusing on your breath.
So in your own time,
Slow breath in through your nose.
Breathing out slowly through your mouth.
Again,
You're breathing in calm.
And in your own time,
Breathe out any tension that you may be carrying.
The early days with a new baby can feel really intense.
Especially when you're learning to feed and you're expressing.
You're counting nappies,
Checking weights,
Looking at the numbers.
And sometimes it can feel as though motherhood is being measured by all these numbers.
But right now,
For the next few minutes,
We're setting those numbers aside.
Your body doesn't respond best to pressure.
Your body responds best to calm,
To safety,
To connection.
So in your own time,
Take another slow breath in.
And as you breathe out,
Imagine your shoulders melting down.
Your chest is softening.
Your body settles.
Your feet,
You can feel them on the floor.
Because your milk flows most easily when your body feels relaxed.
Your body releases a special hormone called oxytocin.
And oxytocin is also known as the hormone of love.
The hormone of closeness.
The hormone of connection between you and your baby.
And oxytocin is the hormone that gently squeezes milk from the tiny milk-making glands in your breasts.
The more relaxed and safe you feel,
The easier this milk-ejecting reflex can happen.
So for now,
Just breathe.
Slowly in.
And slowly out.
And if you have your baby nearby,
You may want to feel the weight of their body on you.
Notice their warmth.
Smell their breath.
Or you may want to have an item of their clothing with you,
Or a photo.
Or if you can,
Just picture their face.
Their tiny nose.
Their soft cheeks.
With their small hands curled against yours.
If your baby's not with you right now,
You can imagine them.
Or you can remember the feeling of holding them close.
And if you do have your baby with you right now,
Give them an extra squeeze.
Your body knows your baby.
Your body knows their smell.
Your body recognises the noises they make.
Your body feels their warmth.
And your body responds to this.
So as you continue breathing slowly,
Imagine a gentle warmth beginning in the centre of your chest.
Or if you prefer,
You can picture a golden light.
And this soft golden warmth and light represents calm,
Love and oxytocin flowing through your body.
So with each slow breath that you take,
Notice as the warmth spreads across your chest,
Into your breasts.
Softening the tiny muscles around the milk glands.
And relaxing all the pathways that carry milk forward.
You may like to imagine a brook or a stream.
And it begins to flow.
And it gradually builds up into a quiet river.
And everything is calm.
Steady.
And natural.
There's no forcing here,
No pushing.
It's just a gentle flow.
A beautiful rhythm of life.
And if any thoughts about pumps or bottles or numbers,
Weights,
Appear,
Simply notice them.
But try not to engage with them.
Let them just drift away like clouds passing in the sky.
Because right now,
Your only focus is on your breathing.
And the warmth in your body.
You're breathing in calm.
And you're breathing out tension.
You're breathing in calm.
And you breathe out any tension or anxiety.
Because your body knows how to make milk.
Your baby helped your body learn this during pregnancy.
Every time your breasts are stimulated and milk is removed,
Your body receives the message to make more.
Even small amounts are meaningful.
Every drop is part of the process.
Every session helps your body understand what your baby needs.
Perhaps you may like to quietly repeat these words in your mind.
My body is learning.
My body is learning.
My body responds to my baby.
My body responds to my baby.
Milk flows more easily when I'm calm and relaxed.
Milk flows more easily when I am calm and relaxed.
Every drop of milk I make is valuable.
Every drop of milk I make is valuable.
Imagine now that your baby is resting against your chest.
Their head is tucked beneath your chin.
Their breathing is slow and steady.
Your heartbeat is familiar to them.
Your warmth is surrounding them.
And your body is responding with love.
As that feeling of love grows,
Notice that warm golden feeling as it spreads again through your chest.
Through to your breasts,
Where milk begins to flow more freely.
Gently.
Steady.
Natural.
Some mothers feel this as warmth.
Some as tingling.
And some don't notice it at all and yet still the milk flows.
Every body is different.
Every body is capable.
So in your own time,
Take another slow breath in and let it go.
I want you to remember this.
The pump does not measure your worth as a mother.
A bottle doesn't measure your love.
You're feeding your baby with dedication,
Strength and care.
Expressing is incredibly hard work.
And the effort you're putting in right now shows how deeply you care for your baby.
You're doing an extraordinary thing.
A wonderful job.
So in your own time,
Take in another slow breath.
Let your chest soften.
Let your body stay calm.
And let your milk flow in its own time.
Your body and your baby are still learning together.
You are exactly the mother that your baby needs right now.
And remember,
You are being held by the community of mothers around the world also feeding their babies.
You're doing a wonderful job.
Keep going,
Mama.
