Stories

It's World Breastfeeding Week, and we had the privilege of speaking to Heather Wood, a qualified nurse, midwife and internationally certified lactation consultant at Thula Baby Centre. Heather gave us some pearls of wisdom when it comes to breastfeeding issues and valuable tips for breastfeeding moms. DIFRAX: What are your tips for avoiding or treating mastitis?  HEATHER: Mastitis is bad luck, so it's hard to avoid and there's no blame if it happens to you. It can happen in the first week, last week, or any time in the middle of your breastfeeding journey. It doesn't happen to most breastfeeding women and is usually a once-off occurance. Some unlucky women get it more than once. If not treated proactively it can deteriorate to become an abscess. To avoid mastitis, you want to have a good latch, so your nipples are comfy and happy. With a poor latch the breast often doesn't drain well, and damaged nipples are an entry point for infection. If you're tired and run down, you are more prone to mastitis (the fact is that there are no young mums who aren't on the near side to exhaustion, and most of us don't get mastitis...so, again, it’s mostly just bad luck!). Regarding treating mastitis, you must first recognise it. If you feel achy, feverish, fluey, and you have one sore breast, which is hot, hard, and tender in a quadrant, then you most likely have mastitis. Treat it with antibiotics if the fever is above 38,5 or the symptoms have not improved after 24 hours. The breast should be drained by baby or a pump every two to three hours in the day. Anti-inflammatories help with pain and fever and heat and massage as tolerated, which will help drain the breast. Cold packs after feeds help reduce pain and inflammation. DIFRAX: How do you know when a baby is consuming enough milk?  HEATHER: The breast feels softer after a feed, and the baby has been feeding actively at the breast, in a regular motion, usually both breasts at each feed. The baby is content and sleepy after the feeds (at least for the first couple of weeks) and there are wees with every feed and upwards of three to four poos a day. Most importantly, the weekly weigh-in confirms that your baby is thriving. Weekly weigh-ins for the first 4 to 6 weeks are super important for confirming all is well. DIFRAX: What are your top tips for cracked nipples?  HEATHER: If you notice any pinching or pain in your nipples when you first start breastfeeding, you can get a lactation specialist in to help you achieve a comfortable latch before you leave the hospital, if the nurses can’t help you achieve a comfy latch. Nipples don't toughen up if the latch isn't improved. They become cracked or bleed and cause great pain and suffering. There is no nipple preparation that will prevent damaged nipples and many of the nipple creams do more harm than good, making the nipple and areola too slippery for the baby. A warm hairdryer on your nipples will sooth them after a feed. Nipple shields are often used to protect nipples, but don't always achieve this, and I see several babies latching poorly with the shields, not accessing any milk at the breast through them. So use them in conjunction with expert advice and guidance. DIFRAX: What are the best feeding positions?  HEATHER: Most common positions are across mum's abdomen/chest, called cross-cradle. Twins who feed in tandem will usually feed in the rugby ball position, or this position can be easier for very small babies, or engorgement of the breast in D3 to D6. DIFRAX: What is your advice to moms who are beating themselves up when their baby doesn’t latch, and you have to resort to expressing and bottle feeding? HEATHER: Just don't. Put your best friend on your shoulder and chase away your critic. Breastfeeding is a two-person activity, and your baby may not be an A-student in the breastfeeding department, but with coaching and time your baby may excel, while some never get good at it. If you love pumping, then grab some help and exclusively pump for your baby. If you don't love expressing, then let's talk about our options. Life is too short to spend hours a day away from your baby, not enjoying the fun side!   For more on Heather and her practice visit www.heatherwood.co.za and www.thulababy.co.za.

Camilla Copeman, @camillacrafter, stylist mom and content creator, bravely rehashes the struggles that she went through with Hyperemesis Gravidarum, extreme nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, and gives us some good advice on how to come out on the other side with the proper assistance. DIFRAX: Tell us a bit about your pregnancy and the hurdles and challenges you faced along the way.  CAMILLA: Pregnancy was really hard for me, and for my partner Mili. Before becoming pregnant I didn't really know one could get as sick as I got. I had something called Hyperemesis Gravidarum which, in a very simplified manner, I would categorise as extreme morning sickness (but I have to say I hate using the term morning sickness because it diminishes how bad Hyperemesis actually can be).  For me personally, I had 8 ER visits, 4 hospitalisations, an emergency surgery and effectively spent 9 months in bed sleeping with a bucket. Besides the obvious challenges of vomiting up to 10 times a day, I really struggled with people understanding that I was really ill and not just 'being dramatic'. Even my first gynie said to me 'you're pregnant, not sick'. I felt so completely undermined by that statement. I cried and changed gynies as soon as I could. I barely have any happy memories of being pregnant, even my baby kicking inside my belly would make me vomit. It was probably one of the most depressing and challenging experiences of my life. This is hard to say because I love my daughter so much and I have always wanted to be a mother but HG took me to lows I didn’t think were possible. If you're reading this and think you have HG, look for support on the Facebook groups available and make sure you get a health care professional who is actually supportive.   DIFRAX: Tell us a bit about you guys as a family and how you've adapted a busy stylist and work life to also juggle being a mom.  CAMILLA: So, because I was so sick during pregnancy it stopped me working almost completely. I physically just wasn't able to get out of bed never mind going to shoots and working like I used to. Since having Sienna, I've tried to adapt the way I work and what I’m working on, spending as much time as possible with her. I've been fortunate enough to be blessed with a complete angel baby who hardly cries and is almost always happy (I know, I'm sorry moms). That in conjunction with my super amazing support system has made working while caring for her possible. Mili and I have also decided that while she is so small we would do what we could to be there and enjoy every moment.   DIFRAX: What is your favourite Difrax product for Sienna and why?  CAMILLA: Little Sienna didn’t take to a pacifiers straight away and I must have bought 10 types to try to find one she liked. When she did decide to give it a go, the Difrax ones have definitely been her firm favourites. She's constantly working on her coordination and pincer grasp, popping it in and out of her mouth. I really approve that the teats are shaped so there is no 'wrong' way for it to go into her mouth. Also let's be real, the colours and shapes are so cute I could die.     

One of the priorities during pregnancy is maintaining a healthy body, mind and routine. We chatted to Carla West, pre and postnatal fitness trainer, gaining some insight into her career as well as some valuable tips for pregnant moms.  DIFRAX: Tell us a bit about yourself as a mom and a fitness coach.   CARLA: For as long as I can remember I've always wanted to be a mom. My mom had my brother when I was twelve years old and I think that is when my obsession with babies began. I had some hormone issues as a teenager in my early twenties, and I thought I would never be able to fall pregnant naturally. To our surprise, on a spontaneous pre-Covid trip to Bali, our Bali baby was conceived.  With regards to fitness, I loooved sport at school, especially running. I tried every sport in that period, and I think I was only good at them because I was fast and fit. After school, and a gap year later, my mom found a course that had the words 'sport' in it. Sport was something I was naturally good at, and I had no idea what I wanted to study so I decided to give it a shot. During that course I found my absolute passion for health and fitness, travelled the world working as a personal trainer and ever since then, for the last ten years, I’ve lived and breathed that lifestyle. I am a qualified pre and postnatal trainer, sports conditioner, sports massage therapist, spinning instructor and I've worked as a PT since 2012 in London, Germany and Cape Town. I mostly just focus on online coaching now.  DIFRAX: Did you always have an interest in pre and postnatal training or did it become part of your journey when you became pregnant?  CARLA: No, I qualified as a pre and postnatal trainer in 2013, seven years before I had my first child. I already knew back then that it was my absolute passion to work with moms but I never fully committed to only working with moms because I wasn't there yet. Now that I've experienced pregnancy, birth, postnatal life and parenthood myself I can relate a lot more, and know this is definitely all I want to do.  DIFRAX: What tips would you give moms on how to keep fit and look after themselves during pregnancy and postpartum?  CARLA: Just show up. Every little bit helps. Training during pregnancy isn't always fun. You are often tired, sore and unmotivated because you aren't training towards a tangible performance goal. In the postnatal period you are tired, depleted, sleep deprived and have a million things on your mind. Someone once told me, if you wait for your children to sleep through the night before you start training again you're going to have to wait ten years, and I agree with that. It probably won’t literally be ten years, but if you wait until you have the energy to train again you’ll keep finding reasons not to. Doing small amounts of exercise adds up so much more than killing yourself in the gym once a week, or once a month. Consistency is key, and keeping the workouts under 30 minutes makes it more realistic to fit in to your schedule. Train when you are rested as well as when you are tired. It will always make you feel better.   For more fitness advice visit  www.carlawestfitness.com.

In celebration of Father's Day this Sunday we bring you our segment of "The Dads behind the brand" showcasing the skilled and creative dads out there who run local businesses that inspire.  This one is close to home, as we introduce you to the three partners of @northvca; Olivier van der Schroeff, Mike Bond and Gavin Williams, who head this brand design consultancy with forward thinking and on-the-pulse creative skills.⁠ ⁠The business was founded by Olivier, the business director, and Mike, the creative director in 2014. Together they started an agency that creates eye-catching and thought-provoking ad campaigns and brand identities. ⁠Gavin joined in 2017 as the third partner and the "word wizard" who weaves these wonderful concepts together with copy and creatively directs content along with Mike.⁠ North went on to become an agency that creates the blueprint of a business, guiding brands with anything from their names to their voice, visual identities and brand stories. They also create campaigns and content that inherently add value to the brand, helping them to reach their business objectives. ⁠⁠ North VCA developed the Difrax campaign last season with Gavin's baby daughter Willow featuring as one of the adorable faces on the campaign.⁠ ⁠The concept of Sprout came about as a platform to bring considered, well designed and innovative products into South Africa. The first brand on the Sprout site is Difrax, and so there is a special connection and history between Difrax and North VCA, with Sprout guiding the brand into the South African market.⁠⁠A round of applause for the dads of North! 

Taryn Ulster, @3boys.and.2lilmiss, parent blogger and mom of five, gives us valuable feedback about how the anti-colic S-bottle has assisted her with pace feeding while multi-tasking a busy family life. DIFRAX: Which Difrax product has helped you and your family? TARYN: I (or rather my husband or mom) have been using the anti-colic S-bottle to feed expressed breastmilk to my now 4 month old when I’m out and not able to breastfeed her. As a breastfed baby with a unique personality, she will not take a pacifier, unlike my other children. She dislikes all the artificial teats that we’ve tried, but from the first time we tried the Difrax S-bottle she accepted it and drank from the bottle with ease. DIFRAX: How did the anti-colic S-bottle help you with pace feeding?  TARYN: As a well-seasoned breastfeeding mom, I am aware that babies do not drink the same amounts of breastmilk compared to formula fed babies. As a very cautious bottle user, I looked into ways to further ensure that my baby does not prefer a bottle over breast, which can happened when they become ‘lazy’, for lack of a better word, because the milk comes out faster and requires less work from a bottle than the breast.  With my third baby, almost 7 years ago, I came across paced feeding. My mom who was and still is our carer and nanny for our babies, uses it when I am not able to breastfeed while I'm out or working. While this can be done with most regular baby bottles, when I discovered the S-bottle I just knew it would be a game changer because of the unique shape that allows one to more comfortably hold the bottle while still ensuring that you allow your baby to work to extract the milk as they would when breastfeeding. I especially love how the S-shape allows you to easily feed the last bit of milk, while still pace feeding and avoiding waste. DIFRAX: Tell us a bit about you and your family, and how you juggle being a mom of five. TARYN: As you can imagine, having five kids can be challenging at times, but as crazy as it sounds it’s the chaotic and noisy moments that we often miss. Now, four months into our new normal, we’ve all found a nice rhythm of morning routines, school pick-ups, extra mural activities, weekend social engagements and chilling in our pyjamas. Most of all, it takes a village to raise kids. The support of my husband and my mom (ma Pam to the kids) who lives with us and helps with the kids on a daily basis, is essential. Then there’s my in-laws, often taking the four older kids overnight for fun sleep overs and play dates. Even our weekends, when not filled with social engagements like kids birthday parties, are spent with our extended family. All this helps keep us sane in our parenting journey. The balance between work and play is about always favouring quality family time when you get the chance. We’re not perfect at it, but it’s our end goal.    

Over the period of Mother's Day we, at Difrax SA, got to collaborate with local brands that were created by talented #Momtrepreneurs who shared their stories about running their own businesses while raising and running after their little humans.     Momtrepreneur Hannah - Skin Creamery Hannah is the owner of @skincreamery, here’s how she juggles being a mom while running her own business:⁠⁠I have two children, Adam 10 and Emily 7. I always knew I wanted to be a mom and the process has taught me a lot about myself. It is a constant learning journey that brings me joy and challenges every day.I wanted to start my own business so that I could work at my own pace. I started Skin Creamery when both my kids were very small and it grew as my children grew, so it has been a beautiful journey to witness. ⁠It’s been great having control over my schedule so I have time for my children when they’ve needed me. It's important that I do the school pick-ups and hear about their day and that I am there for them in the afternoons.The challenges have been juggling all the responsibilities of being a mom and a small business owner. Sometimes it feels like there isn’t enough of me to go around and at times it is extremely overwhelming, however it’s something I’ve had to learn to deal with and there is much more balance now than there was in the early years. I have the right support structures in place in the business and I make sure to support myself emotionally and by keeping healthy.⁠  Momtrepreneur Michele - Karoo Baba Michele is the owner of @karoo_baba who we collaborated with and she what triggered her focus onto making Karoo Baba the success it is.⁠I am a mom of two boys, 8 and 16 years old, and ever since I had children I vowed to not have a full time career that keeps me away from my kids. I always endeavoured to have a job that would allow me to be able to avoid sending my kids to aftercare and always be available and work from home. I am so proud to say that even though this has not been easy, I have stuck to my guns and have managed to raise amazing kids as well as build a beautiful local brand and business through it. ⁠⁠Karoo Baba started in 2017 when I was still working as an independent travel agent, but since Covid I have been so grateful for the time to focus on this amazing brand, as it has grown from strength to strength. Through it all, managing a small local business as a mom of two as well as having to motivate myself every day has not been an easy task, but has been worth it in every way.⁠⁠The joys are that I don't have to work according to anyone else's schedule. The challenges are that you have no one to call when things go wrong, however knowing why I do it makes it worthwhile and I would not have it any other way. It also proves how resilient and strong us moms can be when we are working for the right cause - absolutely unstoppable! Momtrepreneur Amanda - Amanda Jane Candles Our last featured Momtrepreneur is Amanda-Jayne Cumming, the owner of @amandajaynecandles.⁠First and foremost I am a mom to two beautiful boys, 8 years and 3 years old. Life is super busy, but at the same time extremely rewarding. Juggling has become something I have had to master over the past few years - with a growing business and family to nurture I have learnt to make every moment count. ⁠⁠I started Amanda-Jayne back in 2014 when I had my firstborn. My plan was to have a small business aligned with my passion and love for scents, that I could run from home and still be around for my boys. After my second child was born Amanda-Jayne rapidly expanded, we moved into a factory, and I now have a lovely team of ladies who support and assist me. ⁠⁠The hardest part of it all has been finding that balance, time for work, time for my family and time for me. Each day has new hurdles, but with my strong team and incredible family supporting me it has been an amazing journey, and I feel truly blessed. ⁠⁠  

Difrax had the privilege of chatting to Roxanne Atkinson, occupational therapist and author of the informative and humorous book, The Unicorn Baby, in which she debunks 10 myths of modern parenting. DIFRAX: Tell us a bit about yourself. ROXANNE: Hi! I am Roxanne Atkinson. Most people call me Roxi. I am a South African OT working out of Cape Town. I am a proud mom of a pigeon pair who have transformed how I see myself, my life and my work. I have always been passionate about babies, but I only really became passionate about families a decade ago when I became a mom myself. Prior to this, I was rather judgy as many of us can be prior to making and raising actual human beings.   I am one of those weirdos who always knew what I wanted to do and went after it. I love travelling and have gotten to do OT in countries like Ghana, America, Malawi and Madagascar. Currently, I get to work with incredible families in private practice. I usually see about 25 patients a week and get to serve as a researcher, cheerleader, counsellor and advocate. I also love words and sharing knowledge so you may spot me writing a column for Your Pregnancy Magazine or chatting about development on the Pippa Hudson show.    DIFRAX: What inspired you to write The Unicorn Baby? ROXANNE: The field of neuroscience has exploded over the last 15 years and we now know so much more about babies and their brains. However, most of this information is not accessible to the people who really need it - parents of real babies! I got tired of repeating the same information over and over to anxious parents who had bought into these modern parenting myths. I wrote this book to go to war against these myths and to help empower families with evidence. I decided to swim against the tide and make the science and the journals accessible to parents in an honest and humorous way, so that they could feel confident in making the best parenting decisions for their families. DIFRAX: Which myths baffled you the most when you had your little ones? ROXANNE:  Some people are ugly drunks, I am ugly tired. I really need and appreciate good sleep and so I struggled most with the pervasive sleep myths I encountered. You know, "you must get your baby to sleep through the night"... "if your baby wakes it is because they are hungry".... "Don't feed your baby to sleep"... "don't hold your baby"... "your baby must sleep alone in their cot" etc. Whilst I had my first baby a decade ago, these sleep myths still seem to be hanging around and terrorising babies and their parents. This blows my mind as we know babies are biologically programmed to wake and that the more direct care babies get, the better the long-term outcome. Both my babies woke regularly, but with my first I fought this reality and tried all the bad advice for months. It was exhausting. With our second, although he woke just as much, I was less tired as I wasn't constantly trying to fix a 'problem' by enforcing an unrealistic sleep schedule as I had more knowledge of what normal and healthy baby sleep actually looks like.   DIFRAX: Pick a paragraph from your book to share with us. ROXANNE:  When I say you need to consider your baby’s biology, I am referring to the cells of your child’s brain and body. These cells are constantly growing and changing to allow your baby to develop. So, when I say a baby has a biological need, you should try to imagine this on a cellular level. A baby’s biology creates a drive towards meeting that need, whether it is for energy, love, warmth, or play. Development is a dance between biology and experience. Some babies will require more experience to learn than others. The golden rule is to respectfully introduce your baby to a wider variety of sensorimotor experiences, watching and waiting as their development unfolds. Almost all babies will have an area of development that is tricky for them, be it sleep, feeding, talking or teething. Oh except the Unicorn Baby of course. The Unicorn baby develops without exposure. The Unicorn Baby never fails. In fact, the Unicorn Baby does not rely on biology! My hope is that as you unpack each myth and replace it with the corresponding biological and developmental realities, you will feel more prepared. You will gain insight into and appreciation for your baby and your role as a parent. You will celebrate your baby’s uniqueness, whether they have been born a Unicorn or not. There has never been, and never will be, another baby just like yours. For further myth busting you can get a copy of The Unicorn Baby at Loot, Amazon, Takealot, Exclusive Books, Readers Warehouse and Bargain Books.    

Our first Mom Talk is with @just_another_manic_mom_day, Jessie Buxton, on her family life, journey as a working mom, and how Difrax has assisted with Jude’s tongue tie. DIFRAX: How has Difrax assisted Jude? JESSIE: Initially I was exclusively breastfeeding Jude. Supplementing a feed with a bottle so early after birth had never been part of my plan but when we discovered Jude’s tongue tie and saw how he battled to breastfeed, we had to find an alternative solution while we waited to sort out his tongue tie. Thankfully Difrax sent us a bottle, so we gave it a try and WOW, it lives up to its promises. Jude’s tongue tie caused him to swallow too much air when he breastfed and, paired with my fast flow, it ended up giving him huge digestive discomfort. The Difrax anti-colic S-bottle was such a welcomed relief for him. He could drink much slower and no air got in the way. He drank so much better with this bottle and became a much happier bub! DIFRAX: Tell us a bit about your family. JESSIE: My husband, Lyle, and I have been married for almost 5 years now. He stalked me on Facebook through a mutual friend and after making sure he wasn’t a creep, the rest is history! Lyle is an actor, singer and teacher and I’m a recruitment specialist who works from home. We had our daughter, Lucy, in 2019. Shortly after, when I was meant to go back to work in the office, Covid hit, and so I started working from home while trying to stimulate Lucy and help her grow and develop as best as she could. It was then that I became a big fan of affordable home play ideas, which I share on my Instagram page. Lucy is two and a half now and has started going to day care, which she absolutely loves. Sometimes she even cries when I pick her up to come home. She is quite the character and an absolute ball of silly energy, making us laugh every day. In November 2021 we had our son, Jude. I had a successful vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC) with him, which I am so proud of and now I’m a huge advocate for natural birth. The female body is so amazing! Right now our life feels like utter chaos on some days, learning how to balance life with two kids. Ten weeks in and we are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and we are in absolute love with our little family. DIFRAX: From your experience as a mom of two, what advice do you have for new moms out there? JESSIE: Becoming a Mom is absolutely beautiful and rewarding. From the milestones they reach to the special memories you get to create as a family, it’s the most fulfilling journey ever. However, it can also feel like the toughest journey at times. The chaos it brings can be overwhelming, but my best advice would be to embrace the chaos instead of fight against it. You will never be able to control it all, especially once they reach toddler years! I think a lot of parents try to hide the fact that parenthood is chaotic, maybe because they feel as if they’re failing. If there is one thing I hope you take away from reading this, it is that chaos in parenthood is absolutely NORMAL!   Shop Difrax SA baby products