Don't panic - I am organic

Today marks the launch of this year’s Organic Fortnight – the UK’s biggest celebration of all things organic. This year the theme is ‘choosing organic everyday’, and feeding your baby organically everyday has never been easier. Of course, when we buy organic we are not only looking after the welfare of ourselves or our precious babies and children, we are looking after the planet that we leave to our future generations.

The UK Government has committed in law to cutting the country’s greenhouse emissions 80% by 2050. This is a huge target for which we all have a responsibility. And with our industrialised food and farming system currently responsible for around 30% of UK’s current emissions it’s clear to me that we need to make some fundamental changes to the way we grow and eat our food.

Only radical changes to our diets and farming systems can achieve the level of greenhouse gas cuts needed. And some of these changes can be made the next time you shop. Buying organic and biodynamic baby food and supporting organic farming, alongside a shift to eating less and mainly grass-fed meat and dairy products, can be a simple first step for anyone who takes climate change seriously.

Feed Your Baby Organic with Ulula

Keep your eyes open for local events near you during the coming fortnight and discover why organic is good for you and your baby’s well-being as well as that of our planet; is kind to animals and wildlife; and allows us all to make a big difference – simply through the way we shop.

And remember, every single item of baby food, toddler food and every skin care product that Ulula sells is certified organic, with many of our foods even being certified  as biodynamic. Look for the certification logos on all our packs – producers can only legally display those logos if they meet very particular and strict farming criteria.

So, have fun shopping for your baby and yourself and remember that every shopping choice you make is a vote for the future of our planet as well as the future health and well being of you and your family.

PS Many thanks to customer Abbie for allowing us to use a picture of her beautiful daughter – another gorgeous Holle baby.

Holle organic baby weaning oil

Every now and then there comes along a baby weaning idea that makes you ask, “why on earth hasn’t this been done before?” The new Holle Organic Baby Weaning Oil is one such idea. Read on to find out why this unique weaning supplement will change how you think about weaning your baby.

When a young baby is fed exclusively on either breast milk or a baby milk formula, concerned mums and dads can be assured their precious baby is getting all the nutrients necessary to thrive. But when weaning starts and the amount of nutrients taken in through milk decreases, there can be a period when your baby’s body doesn’t get all the energy and other vital nutrients needed for optimum growth and development. This is where the Holle organic weaning oil comes in. With this unique oil you can supplement your baby’s diet through the transition to family meals and replace some of the very specific nutritional benefits of breast milk and baby milks lost during this process.

Providing Your Baby with a Balanced Weaning Diet

Other supplements start from the premise of isolating and then artificially producing specific nutrients found in a given food. These artificial nutrients are then added by some manufacturers to their baby foods – giving you no real choice. Holle, on the other hand, takes a more natural and holistic approach. Holle rightly recognises that individual nutrient chemicals cannot simply be removed from the foods in which they occur and still retain the same overall nutritional effects. The baby weaning oil concept, therefore, provides a special blend of organic oils, an actual foodstuff, which allows you to supplement your baby’s diet with much needed nutrients while still using the full nutritional value of their sources – three very nutritionally valuable plant oils. And you remain in control of your baby’s diet.

From the age when your baby is ready for solid foods, organic baby weaning oil becomes an important part of a balanced diet. It is an excellent source of energy; the essential fatty acids omega 3 and omega 6; and other nutrients. This is why Holle recommends adding 1-2 teaspoons of baby weaning oil to milk-free meals such vegetable, potato and meat based meals as well as porridges made with water. Holle also recommends adding the weaning oil to its porridges and jars.

A Uniquely Natural Blend to Help Your Baby Thrive

The mixture of high quality rape and sunflower oils in the Holle baby weaning oil results in an ideal ratio for infants of the essential fatty acids omega 3 and omega 6. Essential fats, and the other fats they are converted to in the body, have a wide range of functions in humans. They are vital for the structure of cell membranes making them flexible and able to allow nutrients into, and toxins out of, cells so body processes can function correctly. They also play a role in cardiovascular health, immunity, and nervous – system functions. The omega oils are especially important for a developing baby’s brain and nervous system.

As well as rape and sunflower, the weaning oil also contains 5% hemp seed oil. Hemp seed oil is not only rich in polyunsaturates, it is almost unique in nature in that it contains a special fatty acid called gamma linolenic acid. One of the few other foods in which gamma linolenic acid is also to be found is breast milk and it is especially important for the skin, providing your baby with an effective protective barrier. Gamma linolenic acid also has an anti-inflammatory effect and it is especially helpful for children with eczema as they don’t have the necessary enzyme that changes other fatty acids into gamma linolenic acid.

Pure, Organic and Cold Pressed – A Recipe for Success

Here are a few more details about each of the oils used by Holle, and why they were specifically chosen for their baby weaning oil:

Rapeseed Oil (Certified biodynamic/Demeter)

Rapeseed oil is produced by pressing rape seeds. Over 90% of rapeseed oil is made up of polyunsaturates and therefore contains more than most other oils. Additionally, rapeseed oil contains lots of vitamin E and carotenoids. Nutritionally, rapeseed is a very valuable oil.

Sunflower Oil (Certified biodynamic/Demeter)

This vegetable oil, with its light yellow colour and its mild taste, is made from pressing the seeds of the sunflower and is very suitable for a developing child’s diet. Sunflower oil contains lots of vitamin E and is specially selected for the weaning oil as it produces an ideal, baby friendly ratio of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids when combined with rapeseed oil.

Hemp Oil (Certified biodynamic/Demeter)

Because of the gentle cold pressing process used in producing the Holle baby weaning oil, all the precious, essential fatty acids and the naturally nutty taste of the oil are preserved. One special component of hemp oil is the rare gamma linolenic acid, making it unique amongst edible oils. Hemp oil, which is made from the pressing of hemp seeds, is guaranteed to be free from the potentially intoxicating effects present in chemicals found elsewhere in the seed’s structure and poses no health risk, in fact just the reverse.

By the way, it is extremely unusual to get all three of these oils in certified biodynamic, or Demeter, quality. Biodynamic produce is the highest form of organic and it is partly because Holle have insisted its weaning oil is of such high quality that it has taken over two years to research, develop and bring it on to the market.

Premium Quality Organic oils -
Because Only the Best Is Good Enough for Your Baby

Holle recommends adding only cold pressed and non-refined oils to your baby’s meals, for several very good reasons:

• In the warm pressing process, seeds are heated up before they are pressed, so as to extract as much oil as possible from them. This heat however, destroys valuable nutrients.
• With conventionally grown, that is, non-organic seeds, refining is necessary to clean the oil. This way any residues of pesticides or solvents are largely eliminated – but so too are many vital nutrients.

Cold pressing on the other hand, is a much more gentle process with less oil yield but with a far higher oil quality. Important nutrients are preserved by cold pressing the seeds. Only oils that are cold pressed and without further refinement can be declared as cold pressed on a food’s label.

With the Holle organic baby weaning oil, the risk of pesticide residues that are found in other, non-organic, oils are fully eliminated. This is guaranteed through organically farming the raw seeds and the consequent strict pollutant controls that are in place.

The use of cold pressed and non-refined oils for preparing your baby’s food is, therefore, completely safe. In fact, through cold pressing, more vitamins and other nutrients, natural colours and the natural taste of the oils are preserved.

How to Use the Holle Baby Weaning Oil

I have written in some detail about the weaning oil and I hope you will see why I think this is such an exciting development in how we think about weaning our little babies. Part of the beauty of the oil is that it doesn’t require you to greatly change what you are doing now or have done before when introducing solids to your baby.

Simply stir one to two teaspoonfuls of the oil into your baby’s existing meals and you are already helping to give him or her that extra nutritional boost during this time of enormous change and development. And all completely naturally.

To ensure your baby gets the optimum nutrients Holle recommends the following amounts to be added to each 200g of food:

• Vegetable or vegetable and meat based meals: 2 tsp;
• Fruit based meals: 1 tsp;
• Milk-free porridge meals: 1 tsp.

The weaning oil can, of course, be used with your own homemade weaning recipes as well as with Holle’s own ranges of milk free baby porridges and their fruit jars, vegetable jars and meat based jars. And if you are just starting out on the weaning journey with your baby and are preparing much smaller amounts, simply adjust the amount of oil you stir in proportionately. Experience shows me that one bottle of 25o ml goes a long way.

Premium Quality at Everyday Prices

Holle has managed to keep the price of its weaning oil down at a very low level, meaning we can sell it for just £4.95 per bottle. I find this especially surprising in view of the lower yield involved in cold pressing the seeds and the oil’s unique biodynamic quality. When I asked Holle, they were clear about their reasoning to keep the oil at such a low price level. Because this supplement is for use at a time when most babies are vulnerable to missing out on vital nutrients, Holle took the decision not to make their oil an exclusive product. By pricing the weaning oil low, all babies are able to benefit from its nutritional qualities.

So, as your precious baby begins the transition from an all milk diet to joining in with your family meals, make sure he or she doesn’t miss out nutritionally. The Holle organic baby weaning oil is a natural supplement that will ensure your baby gets all the energy and other vital nutrients needed for optimum growth and development. Your baby will positively thrive.

Weleda Calendula Baby Nappy Change Cream

Weleda have recently celebrated four coveted new awards. In the Ethical Living Health & Beauty Awards, a shortlist of 10 categories was drawn up by the editorial team and readers’ panel. Weleda won each of the 4 categories where they were shortlisted thanks to readers votes.

Weleda Skin Food – Best Skincare Product

Weleda Skin Food scooped the Best Skincare Product award, making this the 10th award in the UK for this true beauty  classic in the past two years alone! This impressive multi-tasker has proven to be unbeatable in all areas: from high  fashion glossies through to trade journals and complementary health practitioner magazines. This product now enjoys a  high profile following with dozens of beauty professionals, supermodels and ‘screen goddesses’ amongst its fan club.

Weleda Nappy Change Creams – Best Baby Product

Weleda’s Calendula Nappy Change Cream was awarded Best Baby Product, squeezing out of the limelight other well  known products from Green People and Burts Bees. This award comes hot on the heals of the 2010 TIPS midwife-tested  awards where Weleda’s nappy cream also won Best of the Best. Not surprisingly this unbeatable cream is Weleda’s no.1  selling product in the UK and has a huge following of mums and midwives, as well as a celebrity fan base of ‘yummy mummies’ including Dannii Minogue.

Weleda – Best Overall Brand

Weleda also celebrated the Award for Best Overall Brand, beating other natural brands Lavera, Green People and Jason for this coveted prize!

Ethical Living’s editor Kim Marks enthused:
“I’ve always loved Weleda’s range and that our readers agree is no surprise! These awards are well deserved and I’m  delighted for Weleda, a brand I know is led by principles and quality.”

Do you agree with the readers of the Ethical Living magazine? Which is your favourite Weleda product and why? Let us know your story.

Animal shaped pasta for babies and kids

I am really pleased to announce the arrival on the Ulula website of our organic pasta for babies and children. If you’ve not seen them already, take a look and see why I’m so excited.

Pasta is always a children’s favourite and these three fun pasta shapes are ideal for slightly older babies and children of all ages. Pasta is highly nutritious and a great energy source for your growing baby or child. From 8 to 10 months your baby usually needs more lumpy food and this lovely shaped organic pasta will help to encourage chewing and introduce variety.

In Search of the Best Pasta for Babies and Children

I spent a long time searching for a pasta that I would be happy to sell to discerning mums and dads. I wanted a pasta small enough for young babies’ mouths; that kids would enjoy eating because they easily recognise the varied shapes; and that is made from the highest quality ingredients by a company that really cares about both food and the environment.

These new pastas come from Alb Gold, a traditional family-owned company with a proven organic background and who take great care in not only choosing their raw ingredients but also how each pasta is made. As usual with the food I stock on Ulula, you are guaranteed that you will only be feeding your baby food that has not been grown with the use of artificial pesticides or fertilisers and which has no artificial preservatives, colourings or any other chemical nasty. I only stock those foods that I am happy to feed to my own family.

Tested by Babies – Approved by Mums

And so, how do these pastas for babies measure up? As usual, we asked family and friends to taste test these pasta shapes with their babies and children. Without exception the feedback was great – a particular favourite with the youngest children were the farm animal pasta shapes, while older children loved the roaring safari animal pasta shapes and the dinosaur pasta shapes. A definite winner with babies, children and mums and dads alike.

Mums and dads told us how their little ones ‘loved the animal shapes’, ‘had fun making all sorts of animal noises’ and several commented how ‘having such fun at meal times encouraged him to eat everything in his bowl.’

These delightful pasta animals are specially developed for babies and children and, as such, are small enough for your baby’s mouth – so no choking on adult sized pasta. And every animal piece keeps its shape even after cooking – which makes it great fun to eat as your baby spots the animals he or she knows.

Pasta for Babies and Children – Now Available

Each of the pastas for babies and children is available as single packets as well as in multi-packs of three. There is even a multi-pack with one packet of each pasta shape, which is aleady proving very popular. And, with 10 portions per pack they really are excellent value!

So, take a look at the new organic pasta for babies and children range and tell us what you think.

It is currently impossible to source vegetarian baby milk derived from cows milk. The only fully suitable vegetarian baby milk is the Holle Organic Goats Milk Formula, which is also the only certified organic goats milk for babies on the market.

Whenever I talk to Holle about this situation they tell me that they would desparately like to make their baby milks and formulas suitable for vegetarian babies and families. As a caring and ethical company they have enormous sympathies with animal welfare issues. The organic full cream milk used in Holle baby milks and formulas comes from cows raised biodynamically in the organic fields and pastures of Germany and Austria. The superior quality of their infant formulas derives from the traditionally high quality farming and the expert care the animals receive, as well as the naturally lush vegetation available to the cows.

Vegetarian Baby Milks – The Difficulties

As a company, Holle has a policy of working to make their baby milks suitable for vegetarians and, as such, do not add any fish oils to their baby milks – unlike some other baby milk companies.

However, they are not yet able to source sufficient quanitities of  whey powder, which they are required to add by the strict EU baby milk and formula regulations, from strict vegetarian sources. Whenever they can source the whey from vegetarian sources they do so, but it is currently almost impossible to get vegetarian whey powder in the amounts baby food manufacturers would need to offer a consistent supply.

The company is constantly talking with its trusted biodynamic and organic farmers and suppliers as to how to work towards a more reliable supply of vegetarian whey powder for use in its baby milk. As soon as we hear any news we will post further articles on this blog and update our product descriptions.

Your Views on Vegetarian Baby Milks

I also pass on all your enquiries about vegetarian baby milks to Holle so that they continue to realise the importance of this issue to many mums and dads. So, if you would like to leave your comments here, I can guarantee that your voice will be heard.

Thousands of copies of the printed guide are being distributed free to help consumers find environmentally friendly, sustainable, fair trade, organic, natural, ethical and socially responsible products and services. Ulula is proudly listed as the organic baby food supplier.

If you would rather browse the guide online it is available as a flip magazine with clickable links to relevant websites from www.bookofgreen.co.uk. Alternatively, there is a free iPhone app that puts the entire directory in your pocket. Not only that, you can keep up to date with all the latest news from each of the listed companies through the app’s in-built Twitter browser.

The Book of Green is an excellent reference when shopping for ethical and environmentally friendly products and services and Ulula is proud to be involved. Let me know how you like the guide.

Last month’s edition of the internationally respected journal ‘Pediatrics’ carried an article suggesting that even low levels of  chemical pesticides are associated with an increased risk of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.

Researchers at the University of Montreal and Harvard University looked for organophosphate pesticide metabolites, an indicator of pesticide exposure, in the urine of 1,139 kids ages 8 to 15 and found that close to 95 percent had at least one of these chemical byproducts in their system. Those with the highest levels were 93 percent more likely to have received an ADHD diagnosis than children with none in their system. Those with above-average levels of the most common organophosphate byproduct – they made up a third of the whole group – were more than twice as likely as the rest to have ADHD.

Even Low Levels of Pesticides are Harmful

“This is not a small effect,” says study co-author Maryse Bouchard, a researcher in the University of Montreal’s environmental and occupational health department, “and it is certainly cause for concern.” She adds that while prior research has proved that high levels of organophosphate exposure can have negative impacts on children’s behavior and cognitive function, in this study “we are talking about very low levels of exposure . . . levels that were believed previously to be safe and harmless but which are now associated with a serious health risk.” She points out that most pesticide exposure today comes through food, particularly conventional fruits and vegetables.

Reducing Pesticide Intake in Babies

So what can concerned mums do to protect their precious babies? You’d be hard-pressed to find an expert who doesn’t advise that people, especially pregnant women and small children, reduce their pesticide intake as much as possible.

The top recommendation is to eat an entirely fresh organic diet, which has been shown to significantly lower children’s pesticide exposure levels. For many that is not reasonable or possible as there just isn’t the variety of foods always available that you would like to feed to your baby.

It also helps to carefully wash and scrub all your fruits and vegetables thoroughly in cold water. But be aware that you can’t scrub away all the risks because most pesticides don’t wash off, and seep into the produce itself.

A more practical answer for many parents is to avoid fresh non-organic foods that have the highest risks because of the large amount of pesticides used on them and the porous nature of their skins in retaining pesticides. See an earlier article on Weaning Your Baby With Organic Food – Pesticides in Fruit and Vegetables for more information. The list provided there gives us useful guide if we are serious about feeding our babies a safe and wholesome diet.

Of course, you want your baby to grow up enjoying a varied diet and so, whilst avoiding the non-organic fruits and vegetables that pose the highest pesticide risk, why not top up mealtimes with some guaranteed pesticide free baby foods?

Pesticide Free Baby Food

Many parents tell me that the large variety of Holle baby jars perfectly complemented by their huge range of organic baby porridges, alongside the homemade food that mum makes from locally bought fruit and vegetables makes the ideal combination. This mix and match approach will help you avoid pesticides while giving your baby the nutritional variety he or she needs.

Share your experiences with other parents. How do you make sure you avoid feeding your baby a cocktail of chemical nasties?

Choosing Organic Baby Food is Better for the Planet

Amazingly, over 20% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions today come from food and farming. Nitrogen fertiliser manufacturing is the worst offender. To produce just one tonne takes one tonne of oil, seven tonnes of greenhouse gasses and one hundred tonnes of water. Organic farmers work with nature to feed the soil and control pests.

By putting less stress on the environment, organic is a more sustainable choice, especially as around 30% of the average consumer’s carbon ‘footprint’ comes from their food choices. By choosing organic baby food – you can significantly reduce your carbon footprint.

Organic Baby Food is Better for Your Baby

Organic baby foods have  higher amounts of beneficial minerals, essential amino acids and vitamins than other baby foods. Organic baby food avoid pesticides and all controversial additives including aspartame, tartrazine, MSG and hydrogenated fats. Organic food contains higher levels of vitamin C and minerals like calcium, magnesium and iron as well as cancer-fighting antioxidants and Omega 3.

International studies find that organic plant products contain more anti-oxidants such as phenols and salicylic acid, known to protect against cancer and heart disease. The same studies also show that organic animal products contain more polyunsaturated fatty acids, which also help to protect against heart disease.

Organic Baby Foods are Kind to Animals

Animal welfare is at the heart of organic food systems. Organic food standards for meat and animal products rigorously protect all aspects of animal wellbeing – from rearing, feeding and shelter, to transportation and slaughter. Organic animals are free to pursue natural behaviour because they have plenty of outside space to thrive and grow, and are not routinely drugged with antibiotics. Organic standards prohibit cruelty and guarantee truly free-range lives for farm animals.

Many shoppers don’t realise that organic meat and animal products are also free range. Where Ulula baby foods contain eggs and meat the organic certification symbol guarantees you that the animals  have been reared to the highest level of free-range standards. Birds are looked after in much smaller flocks, spend most of their lives roaming outside on fresh grass and have much more space in their houses.

Buying Organic Baby Food Encourages Wildlife

The UK Government’s own advisors found that plant, insect and bird life is up to 50% greater on organic farms. Organic farming relies on wildlife to help control natural pests, so wide field edges are left uncultivated for bugs, birds and bees to flourish. They are also not sprayed away by the fertilisers, chemicals and pesticides routinely used on non-organic farms.

Organic Baby Foods are Guaranteed GM Free

Genetically modified (GM) crops and ingredients are banned under organic standards. Shoppers wanting to avoid GM products may be surprised to know that over a million tonnes of GM crops are imported each year to feed non-organic livestock, which in turn supply our supermarkets with pork, bacon, milk, cheese and other dairy products.

Is there really a better place to think about the environment than at the table where a mother feeds her baby? Every mouthful we feed to our babies is a vote for, or against, the planet and the survival of future generations. Let me know your thoughts and experiences.

“This gorgeous cream bath makes a welcome change from bubble bath. It is easy to dispense, non-greasy and completely safe for everyone to use. Testers commented that it left their little ones’ and their own skin silky smooth. It also proved effective against dry skin. This product made bath time an overwhelming success. The fact that it is manufactured by a company with outstanding ethical and environmentally-friendly credentials is an added bonus.”

Dermatologically Tested Baby Skin Care

Weleda’s Calendula Cream Bath is free from lauryl/laureth sulphates (SLS/SLES) and especially suitable for easily irritated skin – ideal not just for babies but also for pregnancy when skin can become more sensitive than usual. It has been dermatologically-tested on skin prone to eczema and dermatitis, to check for gentleness and also for protection against moisture loss. This means the product is also suitable for older children and adults who have to take special care of their skin due to sensitivities. No surprise then that it’s a best kept beauty secret of several A-list babes including supermodel Georgia Jagger.

Weleda have been making natural baby products since the 1950s. Putting this experience to good use, Calendula Cream Bath is made with carefully selected ingredients including extract of sun-kissed calendula flowers, grown organically in Weleda’s biodynamic herb gardens. This is combined with precious plant oils of organic sesame and sweet almond, to protect skin against dryness.

Finally it is delicately fragranced with pure essential oils of lavender, rosemary, orange and ylang ylang – warming, nourishing and nurturing. When the children are bathed and put to bed, tired mums will also enjoy a relaxing soak in Calendula Cream Bath to soothe both the skin and the senses.

Weleda – The Choice of Celebrities

Weleda Baby was additionally voted ‘Best Baby Skincare Range’ in the recent Mother & Baby Awards earlier this spring. The range also has a celebrity fan club of yummy mummies including Gwyneth Paltrow, Demi Moore, Elizabeth Hurley, Elle Macpherson and Liv Tyler.

Have you tried the Weleda baby care range with your baby? Share your comments and experiences of this award winning range with other mums and dads.

Free breastfeeding tea for every mum

I was really pleased that I was able to breastfeed all three of my children. Having done so I appreciate some of the difficulties mums can face when trying to breastfeed their babies. I do, though, also know the pleasures, the rewards and the sheer joy this close and intimate experience can bring to a relationship with a new baby.

After a recently published report from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and the reaction of some of the country’s press I feel compelled to expand my new campaign to help promote breastfeeding here in the UK. Of course, my influence is limited and I desperately want to promote a natural approach that draws on the powers of traditional herbs that help with increasing breast milk supply.

Free Breastfeeding Tea for Every New Mum in the UK

So rather than just promote the Holle organic nursing tea/breastfeeding tea solely through the Ulula website I have decided that every new mum in the UK will be given the chance of receiving free samples of the tea. Since the beginning of the year every pregnant woman is being given information by the NHS on how to apply online to get their free breastfeeding tea samples as well as receiving advice on natural approaches to common breastfeeding problems. Mums can sign up to get their free nursing tea/breastfeeding tea samples at any time on our special campaign page.

Breastfeeding Problems – The Latest Research

I had mixed reactions when I saw reports of a Scandinavian publication with findings by the researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. The UK newspapers were running stories telling us how “breast milk is not better than formula”. I was horrified.

I must, of course, declare an interest here. I sell the Holle organic baby milk and formula and the baby milks are very popular with many, many mums. A huge number of mums tell me just how grateful they are to have found a baby milk of such a high quality that they can trust to give their precious baby. I recognise that a lot of mums either can’t breastfeed or don’t want to breastfeed for a great many very good reasons.

The researchers from Norway say mothers who find breastfeeding so hard that they give up should not blame themselves. They suggest that difficulties feeding a newborn may be down to higher levels of the male hormone testosterone during pregnancy. There are many reasons why a mother might have high levels of this male hormone in her womb during pregnancy as the placenta – an engine of hormone production – kicks into action.

The team suggest that the hormone may impact negatively on the development of glandular tissue in the breast, in turn affecting a mum’s ability to breastfeed her baby.

Breastfeeding – “A Mother Should Do What Makes Her Feel Happy”

Lead researcher Professor Sven Carlsen said: “Basically a mother who finds she has difficulty shouldn’t feel guilty – it probably is just the way it is, and her baby will not suffer for being fed formula milk. “A mother should do what makes her happy.”

Professor Carlsen argues that it is the hormone balance in the womb which explains both a mother’s ability to breastfeed and any apparent health benefits of a baby who is breastfed – rather than the breast milk itself.

Breastfeeding and the Alternatives

For me, it is clear that the benefits of breastfeeding, for baby and mother, are much wider than this discussion. I would, and do, advise mums to breastfeed their baby if they can possibly do so – which is why I am running this year long breastfeeding campaign.

For those mums who can’t or don’t want to breastfeed, for whatever reason, I would strongly advise feeding their precious baby with the very best quality of baby milk or baby formula alternative – look for an organic milk from cows raised in the most natural way possible and with nothing added that a growing baby’s body doesn’t need. And don’t be bullied into feeling guilty – your baby will be healthy and will thrive .

Using Nursing Tea to Naturally Increase Milk Supply

Holle organic nursing tea

Many mums do want to breastfeed their baby but feel they have a low milk supply and just can’t satisfy their baby. For those mums who want to persevere and try to increase their milk supply the Holle organic nursing tea is a great way to naturally encourage lactation.

The tea is carefully formulated with a blend of the highest quality certified organic herbs traditionally used to help support healthy breast milk production. It’s a tasty and comforting tea that has already helped thousands of mums to successfully breastfeed their babies. And because it’s organic you can rest easy that there are no unnatural chemicals in your milk to harm your baby.

Let’s Spread the Message

So my message to new mums or mums-to-be is this: the Holle Organic Nursing Tea is a great contribution to making your breastfeeding experience a happy one – get your free samples today and experience the joy of watching your baby thrive as you share this special time together.

Please join our campaign to support breastfeeding and spread the word to other interested parents and professionals.