Breastfeeding Support - La Leche League New Zealand

06/10/2026

What's on this week at La Leche League NZ?

It's a quiet week this week due to the school holidays.

Just one meet-up coming up for the rest of this week.

Thursday 8th October:

Hamilton:
⏰️10am - 11.30am
📍Hamilton Bible Church on Nixon St

The Hamilton group is meeting for their monthly meet-up.

Do you have any burning questions about breastfeeding? Do you need some support? Would you like to learn more about breastfeeding? Or do you just want to talk about the joys and challenges of breastfeeding with parents who understand?

Morning tea provided.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with the group directly.

💚🩵

06/10/2026

Tiger in the tree hold.

You may know it by other names such as- the colic hold, fussy baby hold etc - no matter what you call it this is one of the best holds for newborns!

🫶

Tiger in the Tree hold

Actually it really should be leopard in the tree as although tigers can climb trees, you're more likely to find a leopard doing this!

Anyway I digress!

This is a fantastic position for calming a fractious baby. Particularly in those annoying evening "witching hours" when the b**b stops working. You can do all sorts of rocking and swaying, bum patting.

It's also a gentle way of winding your baby. And if they are lying on your left arm, they are less likely to sick up as the stomach's exit into the oesophagus will be pointing upwards. (Wonky winding)

It is a very safe way to carry your baby with one hand if you have to hold something in the other hand (you can move the bottom hand away and carry your shopping, car seat etc) as baby is leaning on your body and cannot roll off, and your hand is supporting them on their nappy.

Twin parents, you can also safely have one twin in each arm, which can be good if you have two fractious babies and one adult!

04/10/2026

The team is resting after our amazing conference.

Will update the meeting info soon.

02/10/2026

We are so excited to see you at our 2026 conference!!!!!

30/09/2026

Only 3 more sleeps until the 2026 conference

😊😊😊

Can't wait to see you all there 🫶

Three more days!!!

Is it worth bringing an umbrella in case of rain? Or would we fly away like Mary Poppins?

29/09/2026

Thank you to everyone who has supported the conference, and a extra big thank you to all who are attending. See you in a few days ♥️

A big huge thank you to all our supporters!

We truly could not do this without your support.

🫶

29/09/2026

A baby born at 37 weeks is different to one born at 41 weeks. Feeding may be more challenging and might take a few more weeks to get sorted, but hang in there 🫶

37 weeks is “term”… but that doesn’t mean it’s the same as 40 weeks.

In obstetrics, 37 weeks is considered early term. That means baby is developed enough to safely be born. But development doesn’t stop there. Those last few weeks of pregnancy are still a critical time for growth, neurological development, fat storage, and coordination

Babies born at 37 weeks often don’t behave like 40-week babies when it comes to feeding

Many of them:
• tire more quickly at the breast
• have less coordinated suck–swallow–breathe patterns
• fall asleep mid-feed
• struggle to transfer milk efficiently
• need more time to build stamina

That’s because the systems that support feeding (brain maturity, muscle tone, endurance, and reflex coordination) are still finishing their work during those final weeks in the womb and need time to mature

Think of a 37-week baby as a baby who is ready to be born, but not finished developing.

For many of these babies, it takes about 3–6 weeks after birth for their feeding skills, stamina, and wakefulness to catch up to what we typically see in babies born closer to or even after 40 weeks

This is why families with 37-week babies may be told to:
• wake baby to feed
• do extra breast compressions
• monitor weight closely
• sometimes use temporary supplementation
• protect milk supply with pumping if baby isn’t transferring well yet

Not because something is wrong, but because your baby is finishing the development they expected to do in the womb on the outside. Where the expectations are much higher

And with a little support and time, most of these babies catch up beautifully. But you need to be warned that this may look like lots of extra pumping and bottle feeding until their development catches up

27/09/2026

What's on this week at La Leche League NZ?

Monday 27th September:

Karori/Wellington:
⏰️10-11 am
📍Karori Baptist Hall
Whether you're planning for your baby, breastfeeding, chestfeeding, pumping, mixed feeding, or thinking about your options, we'd love to see you.

Palmerston North:
⏰️10 -11.30am
📍Cravings Cafe, Te Papaioea Birthing Centre, 117 Ruahine Street
FREE COFFEE! Nau mai, haere mai, come along and join us for Breastfeeding Coffee 'n' Chat.
Whether you're breastfeeding, mixed-feeding, expressing, feeding donor milk, relactating or want to breastfeed next time around, we'd LLLove to see you 😊

Wednesday 30th September:

Nelson:
⏰️ 9.30-11.30 am
📍Richmond Plunket
Join us for our monthly catch up. Meet other mums and parents.

Whether you are expecting a baby, breastfeeding a newborn, feeding a busy toddler, or simply coming along to connect, you are warmly welcome.

Thursday 1st October:

Dunedin:
⏰️ 10.15 am
📍Coffee Culture, Roslyn Village
Join us for coffee and a chat! Everyone welcome even if you can only join us for a short time. We'll be in the kiddies corner.
Join us at our casual coffee hui, bring your self and your little ones for a play and catch up, chat about breastfeeding and motherhood. Leaders are available to answer any questions and provide support/connect you with other organisations for support.

Friday 2nd October:

Auckland Central:
⏰️ 10am - 12pm:
📍 309 Sandringham Road
Breastfeeding can be beautiful, challenging, ordinary, and everything in between. Join us for a cuppa, conversation, and connection with other parents and whānau. Whether you're pregnant, just starting out, or well into your breastfeeding journey, you're welcome here.

Plus, we have our 2026 Conference in Wellington on Saturday and Sunday 🫶🫶

If you have any questions, please get in touch with the groups directly.

26/09/2026

Daylight savings begins tomorrow.

Enjoy one hour less sleep 🫠 😴

24/09/2026

At La Leche League, we support you throughout the entire breastfeeding journey.

Reach out to your local group or join our online group for more support.