World Breastfeeding Week 2012 - 23 bloggers celebrate


What happens when you put out a call for bloggers to share their breastfeeding photographs? A whole lot of beautiful. Twenty-three bloggers responded with images of themselves and their babies. Most are pictures of them breastfeeding. One is a post-milky cuddle. Kylie Hodges from Not Read more

My daughter's womb


Do you know you have a womb? You are so little you can hardly walk You haven't the language to say the word And yet you have a womb. Do you know that you were born with eggs That will one day bleed into the world, They grew Read more

What breastfeeding support isn't


Support. We keep hearing how important it is. Research - and logic - would tell us that most women physically can breastfeed. A lot of the women I've met want (or wanted) to. Yet for so many, the story just does not play out Read more

Talitha's birth story


I woke up with what felt like period pains radiating through me over and over again. I didn't tell anyone because I'd been getting these all week. They'd start in the night, sometimes so intense I'd kneel on the floor, lean against the bed Read more

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Giveaway: Win two tickets to a yummy Yeo Valley farm or garden tour

Posted on June 24, 2012 by Adele Jarrett-Kerr Posted in Giveaways | 13 Comments

Meadow in a car

So you remember the time I went to the Yeo Valley Family Farm, climbed a hill, looked down at gorgeous Blagdon lake, learned about the area’s history in rocks, learned even more about organic farming and gardening, learned how to make yummy food from a yummy chef, ate said food, saw some cows and enjoyed afternoon tea?

You don’t? I wrote all about it here. The day started with wellies and an interesting chat about sustainable living and ended in my baby putting natural yogurt in her hair. That was over a month ago and I still consider it one of the most enjoyable days outdoors I’ve had this summer. I’ve kept thinking this would such a great gift for some of the keen gardeners I know.

So I’m delighted to offer you the chance to experience it all for yourself. Yeo Valley is giving one of my readers two tickets to visit them in Blagdon, Somerset and take their farm or garden tour. It’s a full-day experience complete with lunch and afternoon tea at Wills Barn.
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What breastfeeding support isn’t

Posted on June 21, 2012 by Adele Jarrett-Kerr Posted in Breastfeeding | 31 Comments

Support. We keep hearing how important it is. Research – and logic – would tell us that most women physically can breastfeed. A lot of the women I’ve met want (or wanted) to. Yet for so many, the story just does not play out that way. Support. It seems to be the missing piece of the puzzle. But what does it even mean?

I finished training to be a breastfeeding peer supporter a couple of months ago and have been volunteering at my local breastfeeding group. My own breastfeeding experience over the past year, my short time spent supporting and other women’s stories have hugely impacted my understanding of what breastfeeding support means and why it’s so valuable to protecting breastfeeding relationships. (See why I think support is so important in Six ways to prepare for breastfeeding)

It’s also given me a pretty clear idea of what it isn’t.

Breastfeeding support isn’t aggressive
Get enough parents in a room and you’re likely to hear at least one story about feeling “bullied into breastfeeding”. It will usually involve the Breast is Best tagline. I cringe whenever I hear that phrase. It may have worked once upon a time but we no longer need to hear a message which idealises breastfeeding (if breast is special then maybe it’s only for some – the rest of us have to make do with formula).

What’s worse, ask the questions “Did you feel listened to? Did you feel empowered with information to make your decision?” and the answer is usually “No.” We have to wonder who benefits from this kind of approach – slating parents if they don’t keep going but then not actually helping them find the solutions to do so.
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BritMums Live! Getting ready for a blogging conference

Posted on June 19, 2012 by Adele Jarrett-Kerr Posted in Blogging | 12 Comments

Having loved Cybher last month, I’m really looking forward to going to BritMums Live! this weekend. I did find it a bit stressful though so decided I’d be better off with a checklist this time round. Am I forgetting anything? It’s likely.

Pack a phone charger
There will be points for charging. I was amazed at how many people forgot theirs and ended up with dead phones due to crazy (over?)tweeting. To be fair, I’m even more amazed that I both remembered to take mine and remembered to plug it in! Speaking of tweeting, if you’re going and would like to meet up, tweet @AdeleJK.

Prepare to record the day
For me this means pen and notebook because I’m old school and a compact camera because hanging around all day the DSLR is just too clunky. I took pics with my iPhone last time but it was, predictably, disappointing. I’d love to do it all on an iPad though but probably more for looks than anything else, if I’m honest. I know a couple of bloggers used a microphone and Audioboo for Cybher so I guess that’s a way of mixing it up. Not for me though.


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Theatre in the Yeo Valley gardens

Posted on June 14, 2012 by Adele Jarrett-Kerr Posted in Our life | 1 Comment

“Bless you, latecomers!” the man dressed in a white tutu exclaimed, humorously. He wrote something down on his clipboard. We ducked nervously into the tent and got settled on the straw bales. I hadn’t realised we were late, actually. And we weren’t the last.

Even after he began, Jimmy Whiteaker skilfully and comically paused to point latecomers out and catch them up with what was happening. In fact, throughout the two 50-minute one-man performances I, Peaseblossom and I, Caliban, he displayed alarmingly quick wit in the way involved his audience.

It was a surreal experience, sitting out in the gorgeous Somerset countryside at the Yeo Valley gardens. I’d been to visit recently and they’d invited me back to enjoy some outdoor theatre.
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Six ways to prepare for breastfeeding

Posted on June 14, 2012 by Adele Jarrett-Kerr Posted in Breastfeeding, Pregnancy and Birth | 47 Comments

“I wish I’d prepared in advance for breastfeeding.” I’ve lost track of how many times I have said this over the past year. People usually respond: “You can’t really get it until the baby comes.”

To an extent, they’re right. It’s one thing to familiarise yourself with an NCT diagram and another to actually introduce your newborn to your breast. Yet I disagree. You can prepare for breastfeeding. In fact, I think you should if you want to give yourself the best chance of meeting your breastfeeding goals.

My own breastfeeding success is a mixed story. I would rather not have introduced formula supplements from two months until six months but I’m grateful for being able to continue to breastfeed. I don’t beat myself up about this but being completely realistic, I could have benefited from some preparation.

In a perfect world, we would not have to prepare for breastfeeding. It would just happen. For many women it does. It probably could be that simple for more of us if we saw more women breastfeeding, preferably – dare I say it – with breasts exposed.

We’re certainly not helped by the fact that we no longer trust our bodies, or our babies, to do what they’re designed to do. I thank a number of things for that but off the top of my head, thank you, formula advertising and misogyny.

Here are a few suggestions for what pregnant mothers can do to prepare, in no particular order. Please add yours in the comments.
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What’s the best age gap between siblings?

Posted on June 12, 2012 by Adele Jarrett-Kerr Posted in Our life | 19 Comments

When Ericka Waller of Mum in the South let me see this post, it hit something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately: siblings. My brother is getting married in August. It’s made me reflect on our relationship. A lot.

I’m certain that even if there were years between us, we would still have liked each other but the fact that there’s only fourteen months between us has made it easier (and sometimes more annoying!) for us to share big chunks of our lives, like growing up experiences and friends.

Naturally, I think about what age gap there may be between Talitha and any future sibling, if there is to be one. I realise that we can’t plan our lives with certainty and that we’re privileged to even be thinking about this.

At any rate, Ericka’s post answers, in her breathtakingly honest style, the question I’ve asked many mothers over the last year: “What’s the best age gap between children?”
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A dress for my brother’s wedding and something just for me

Posted on June 12, 2012 by Adele Jarrett-Kerr Posted in Our life | 6 Comments


I hardly ever buy clothes for myself these days. That’s what I realised as I browsed Zalando trying to find something to wear to my brother’s wedding.

Almost every purchase I’ve made over the past three years has been for someone else, save some maternity buys and that’s only because my mum read about my uniboob and decided I needed to be rescued. Even then it was mainly second hand clothes from charity shops.

So it was a bit of a treat to buy something new for myself. And, well, I’m a bridesmaid for my sister-in-law to be. I think the only pink thing I own is a cardigan with a hole in the armpit. She’ll kill me if I wear that and if she doesn’t, the sun in Trinidad will.
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Talitha’s birth story

Posted on June 10, 2012 by Adele Jarrett-Kerr Posted in Our life, Pregnancy and Birth | 20 Comments

I woke up with what felt like period pains radiating through me over and over again. I didn’t tell anyone because I’d been getting these all week.

They’d start in the night, sometimes so intense I’d kneel on the floor, lean against the bed and breathe deeply. By morning they were gone again but not without disturbing most of the night’s sleep.

I wasn’t making up for it in the day either, wrongly feeling that I needed to entertain my parents who had me on what seemed like some form of suicide watch. Upon reflection, it was probably just the hugeness, general discomfort and grumpiness at being almost two weeks overdue which made me feel negatively.

It was a Thursday and as the day progressed, the pains got more intense and frequent. I paused while hanging up the laundry. I texted Laurence to let him know but told him not to come home just yet. We’d already had a day earlier in the week when we’d called a midwife. She’d said the baby was very low and it would be soon but wasn’t happening yet. As soon as she’d arrived my pains had gone.

That night we became certain that this was no longer a start and stop labour. The contractions – I was now certain that’s what they were kept building and seemed regular to us. We took Ina May Gaskin at her word and decided to help things along by releasing natural oxytocin the fun way. I’ll let you guess how.

Needless to say, I didn’t really sleep that night. I only caught snatches between the pains.

The next day was induction day. To my relief the pains had not subsided. We really were going to meet our baby girl soon. We decided to ring up the hospital and tell them we’d come in for a check but we wouldn’t stay as something was happening and we were going to have the creature at home.

When we got there the midwife confirmed that I was not yet in established labour. I was disappointed but accepted the stretch and sweep she offered. I think this was my fourth one. It was my easiest. As soon as she began sweeping though, my contractions bumped up to a whole new level of pain.

Yet we had to wait. They didn’t want me to leave without speaking with a consultant because they felt we were potentially taking a risk by having a home birth at 12 days past the due date.


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How breastfeeding shaped our first year

Posted on June 7, 2012 by Adele Jarrett-Kerr Posted in Breastfeeding | 31 Comments

My Talitha,

We breastfed through painful contractions which shrank my uterus, my terror and shock from the birth, your discomfort from a long and difficult labour, and my exhaustion from days and nights of no rhythm.

It taught me that you are mine. I am yours.

We breastfed through a late diagnosed tongue-tie, repeated plugged ducts, low milk supply, a hundred efforts to make things right, a score of deadlines which came and went without me being able to bring myself to stop, breastfeed after breastfeed which I left me stressed, worried and confused and supplements of formula.

It taught me to look at you carefully, to trust my instincts when I think something’s wrong, to fight for what is ours. It taught me not to judge others. It taught me to accept help, to take one moment at a time, to rely on God for strength.

We breastfed through frequent night wakings, car cryings, clingy periods and a transatlantic airplane journey.

It taught me to hold you close. It taught me that your wants and needs matter, that I have more to give than I ever imagined I did, that my life is no longer just about me.
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And then the cows danced

Posted on June 5, 2012 by Adele Jarrett-Kerr Posted in Charity | 1 Comment

It was 6.00am when I slipped out of bed. Talitha and Laurence lay beside each other, so alike when asleep. The taxi would be here in half an hour. I hoped she would sleep until then but my morning time imp sensed I’d left the usual spot and reached out for a moment as if for a breast. When she did not find it she woke up smiling and gurgling.

8.00am, our usual waking time found us at Worthy Farm in Glastonbury, looking at cows in their winter shed. All was calm and vaguely sleepy. Talitha, strapped to me, could not be less interested. Cows. So what?

Then we went out into the vast field. I imagined the festival I’d seen so many times on television. The crowds, music and mud were replaced by stretches of green and an atmosphere of quiet expectation. We were waiting for magic to happen.

And it did. The moment the gates opened we knew it. The sound was extraordinary, a type of music. It was like some lowing hallelujah. Then the cows came bounding out, skipping, leaping, you could say, dancing. Yes, I could see why they called this the cow dance.


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Baby Led Weaning Carnival 2

Posted on June 4, 2012 by Adele Jarrett-Kerr Posted in Baby led weaning | 4 Comments

The second Baby Led Weaning Carnival is here!

This has been an exciting month for watching Talitha discover food. She turns one next week and can now eat pretty proficiently with a pre-loaded spoon (not quite as messily as this). She’s also started asking for food by signing and actually eats at each meal, instead of just throwing everything on the floor pretty much right away.

If you’ve not done baby led weaning (letting your baby feed herself from the start) Carolin from Mummy Alarm gives a succinct and accurate description in Baby Led Weaning is…
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