"Dear Suzanne,

I saw your booklet on the expressyourselfmums website. I have just read it and felt I had to say how blown away I was at your words! All the cues and advice that you advocate is what I did instinctively with my own babies. You just put these instincts into words... To me it is just common-sense and your work has reinforced my gut feelings on how and why breastfeeding works (or more importantly why it often doesn't)."
 
Sharon Trotter, RM and Author of 'Breastfeeding: the essential guide'

"Dear Suzanne

I work as infant feeding advisor at Brighton.  I heard your presentation in London at the Royal College and I was left feeling totally inspired and overjoyed to find that my doubts regarding some aspects of breastfeeding advice and communication are being highlighted and assessed.  I had started to feel that my obsession with the precious Oxytocin needed more support... needless to say your name has been used in subsequent training sessions for staff and during my antenatal sessions.

THANK YOU.""Prior to training as a midwife I had been a teacher with a passion for effective and embedded communication/knowledge. This has been invaluable for my breastfeeding sessions. I had started to concentrate more and more on sharing the joys of hormones particularly Oxytocin with the parents and spending less time on positions for feeding.  My motto being "it isn't rocket science" I attended the recent Breastfeeding co-ordinators day during which you again inspired many of us. I am conducting an audit of the women who have attended my sessions and am finding to my joy that these women are so relaxed and aware of oxytocin and less obsessed with rigid feeding rules that they are automatically nurturing the babes. I have stripped the advice down for staff too. Emphasising that holding cuddling and loving should be our buzz words.

For breastfeeding awareness week I launched my CAKE AND CUDDLES tea parties. These sessions are for both ante and postnatal women... emphasis on sharing and smiling. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING A BEACON OF INSPIRATION."

Ella Jackson, Infant Feeding Advisor Brighton

"In 2003 I attended a conference in Canterbury and heard Suzanne talk about the instinctive way some mothers hold and feed their babies, and saw video evidence of self-directed feeding behaviour.  When Suzanne spoke in 2004 at another seminar, I was fascinated by how babies did not need to be fully alert to feed well.  Now I have a way of seeing what the baby would prefer!  My help has become much more a facilitation and a working with mother and baby, encouraging them to tap into their instincts.  If baby is more comfortable, feeding becomes much better, and less help is needed-thus empowering the mother.  Babies often appear more comfortable when mother lies back, as their weight rather than the pressure of mother's arms is holding them to the breast.  They are much freer to move around and show a preference for one side or the other. Mothers are often amazed at how well their babies can move their heads, and become more instinctive themselves as their need to hold the head subsides. The pressure on their perineum is also relieved!  I encourage mothers to offer the breast frequently and not to wait until baby is fully awake - as by the time he is at the breast, he may be too stressed to feed well.  The result is that many babies attach themselves as they are waking up, in a more instinctive way.  With the right tongue movement, and with the chin buried in the breast, there is no slippage and tension on the nipple, so the breast drains better."

Alison Blenkinsop, RM, DipHe, IBCLC and Infant Feeding Advisor

"After 6 weeks of problems with breastfeeding my first baby, including sore nipples, mastitis and thrush, I contacted Alison for help. She came to my house to see me the very next day and helped me sort out the problem of incorrect attachment. She helped my baby to gain a deeper latch and straight away breastfeeding began to improve. She taught me about biological nurturing, which was the most amazing breastfeeding experience. It finally allowed my baby to learn how to suckle properly and brought tears of happiness to my eyes. Alison has been an invaluable source of information since the initial visit and has really helped me to continue solve problems as they have arisen, including advice on the introduction of solid food at six months. I wanted to avoid formula completely because of a family history of allergies and Alison helped me do that. I am still breastfeeding my baby, who is now nearly 8 months old. If and when there is a next time, I'll be asking for her help within the first week to ensure a good start."

xxxx of Guildford