Dr Angela Rassi in Sydney, Australia | Family medicine practice

Dr Angela Rassi

Locality: Sydney, Australia

Phone: +61 2 9713 5869

Address: 161-163 First Avenue, Five Dock 2133 Sydney, NSW, Australia

Website: bit.ly/DrAngelaRassi

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25.01.2022 Some parents worry about their child’s development. It’s hard not to compare your child to other children the same age and wonder whether your child’s development is on track. It’s important to remember that there can be a wide range of normal when it comes to developmental milestones. But if you are concerned about your child’s development, a GP who is experienced looking after kids is your first port of call. Watch this space for our next series of posts on child develo...pment! #child #baby #childhealth #babyhealth #health #healthy #development #developmentalmilestones #developmentaldelay #paediatrics #gp #gpmum #medicalmum #drangelarassi

24.01.2022 Another really common question I get asked is how long do I feed for? The answer is that breastfeeding ends when both mother and baby are ready for it to end. This may be at 2 days or 2 years or longer. The World Health Organisation recommends breastfeeding for two years or beyond. In cultures where breastfeeding is the norm, children tend to breastfeed for at least two years. ... Breastfeeding continues to have many benefits beyond one year including nutrition, comfort and illness protection. For mum, there is a decreased risk of breast cancer and a parenting tool to help with all manner of problems (illness, tantrums, boredom). In the end, the decision to wean is very personal. If it feels right, then it’s right! #breast #feeding #breastfeeding #breastmilk #infantfeeding #paediatrics #kidshealth #babyhealth #lactation #lalecheleague #australianbreastfeedingproject #parenting #parentingtips #doctor #australiandoctor #drangelarassi #weaning #kids #gp

24.01.2022 Trying to conceive. You've done the pre-conception check up and all is looking well. Now it's time to try to conceive. Most couples will have no problems conceiving within a 12 month period, however, one in nine couples will experience fertility problems. In order to maximise your chances of conceiving there are a few things that you can try: ... 1. Get familiar with your menstrual cycle. It's important to know how many days in your cycle so you can predict if and when ovulation is occurring. Ovulation occurs 14 days before your next period, so if you are able to predict when your next period is coming, you are able to predict your ovulation date and time intercourse accordingly. 2. Monitor your cervical mucus. When you are most fertile, your cervical mucus will become clear, elastic and slippery. 3. Have sex every second day during the fertile window. Your fertile window spans 5 days before ovulation and 12 hours after. This is because sperm can survive 5 days in the female genital tract and an egg is able to be fertilised up to 12 hours after it is released from the ovary. Having sex every second day means there is always sperm in the fallopian tubes, waiting for that egg to be released. Having sex every second day allows sperm count to increase. 4. Stop smoking. It can lead to fertility problems in both men and women. 5. Know when to consult a fertility specialist. If a woman is 35 or older and has been trying to conceive for 6 months, or if a woman is under 35 and trying to conceive for 12 months with no luck then it's time to consult your GP to get the ball rolling on fertility investigations and a referral to a fertility specialist. #pregnancy #pregnancyplanning #tryingtoconceive #tryingtoconceivecommunity #ttc #ttccommunity #ttcjourney #ttcaustralia #baby #doctor #australiandoctor #gp #womenshealth #fertility #infertility #ivf #ivfaustralia #ivfsuccess #doctorsofinstagram #drangelarassi

22.01.2022 New series of posts coming up! Can you guess the theme? #drangelarassi #australiandoctor #doctor #gp #gpmum #medicalmum

21.01.2022 Due to increasing COVID-19 case numbers in NSW, NSW Health strongly recommends people in NSW wear a mask at all times when in indoor areas. The areas where ma...sks should be worn include: Shopping centres, supermarkets and retail services Public transport Healthcare facilities Aged care facilities Remember, COVID-19 spreads more easily indoors and in settings where you can’t physically distance. Situations where mask use is not expected include: In your home Infants or young children unable to tolerate mask use Where there is a relevant medical condition There are more than 300 COVID-19 testing locations across NSW, many of which are open seven days a week. To find your nearest clinic visit https://www.nsw.gov.au//how-to-protect-yourself-an/clinics or contact your GP. For the latest case locations, visit: https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/latest-news-and-updates

20.01.2022 The two biggest fears that parents face when starting their baby on solids is severe allergic reaction and choking. It may make parents more confident if they partake in a first aid course prior to the arrival of baby. It’s something I strongly recommend as it gives parents the tools to manage potentially dangerous events like choking. As we always say, though, prevention is better than cure. The ways in which we present food can minimise the risk of choking for babies. Ro...und foods such as grapes and hotdogs can easily block the airway. In order to prevent this, cut the food lengthways so that there are no cross sections that are circular. Raw apple, carrot, nuts and other crunchy foods can be difficult to chew into tiny pieces and thus big chunks can block the airway. In order to make these foods baby safe, they can be steamed or pureed and in the case of nuts, made into a smooth nut butter. Most importantly, make sure that baby is supervised at all times during meals and don’t allow wandering around with food. Swipe to see the best way to prepare some typical choking hazards in a safe way. Image credit dietitianmum.com #infantfeeding #startingsolids #infant #feeding #food #babyfood #babyfeeding #blw #babyledweaning #puree #fingerfood #firstfoods #paediatrics #kidshealth #babyhealth #choking #preventchoking #gp #doctor #australiandoctor #gpmum #doctormum #drangelarassi

20.01.2022 You’ve made it 1 year! What a journey! Baby is achieving so many milestones around this time. Baby will be cruising along furniture and may even be taking her first steps! Her babbling will be quite expressive now and she might even say her first word! She will shake her head for ‘no’ and try to copy things you say. ... Baby can follow simple directions like pass the toy. She will enjoy exploring her world by poking, banging things together and shaking. She will be able to use things correctly like drink from a cup (with a lot of mess) and brush her hair. She will still have stranger danger and cling to her usual caregivers. #development #babydevelopment #developmentalmilestones #12months #baby #kids #babyhealth #kidshealth #paediatrics #gp #gpmum #australiandoctor #drangelarassi

19.01.2022 While it may seem that baby is spending all of her time feeding and sleeping, actually her brain and body are developing at a rapid rate. From a physical perspective, baby will be able to hold her head up briefly whilst in tummy time. Her movements also become more smooth and coordinated. Socially, baby will be smiling in response to your smile. She will look at faces when being held. ... She will start to coo, which means making speech sounds that aren’t crying. Don’t forget hearing and vision! Baby should flinch in response to loud noises and be able to start following objects with her eyes. If you are concerned that your baby is not doing one or more of these things, please contact your GP for a review. #baby #newborn #newbornbaby #1month #2months #development #developmentaldisabilities #developmentalmilestones #doctor #doctormum #australiandoctor #gp #gpmum #drangelarassi

19.01.2022 9 months goes by so fast! By now, baby will be able to get into the sitting position on her own and sit confidently without support. She may be able to pull herself to stand. She will be mouthing lots of objects, moving things swiftly from one hand to the other and will use a pincer grasp (thumb and forefinger) to pick up smaller objects. ... She will be using more complex babble and will copy some noises you make. The major development around 9 months (or even a little earlier) is the concept of object permanence, which is the understanding that people or objects continue to exist, even when they are out of sight. This makes peek-a-boo fun at this age but also means that baby may develop separation anxiety as she knows that caregivers continue to exist when they leave the room and she wants them back right away! #development #babydevelopment #developmentalmilestones #developmentaldisabilities #developmentaldelay #6months #7months #8months #9months #kids #kidshealth #baby #babyhealth #paediatrics #gp #gpmum #doctor #australiandoctor #drangelarassi #parenting #parentingtips

18.01.2022 Rounding out the series on development...18 month milestones! By this age your little one will be walking and may be even navigating stairs. She will self-feed with a spoon (with lots of mess) and held to undress herself. ... She may enjoy pretend-play with a doll or phone. She will be able to scribble with a pencil. She will have around 20 words but will understand a lot more, including simple instructions. She will point at, or hand you things she is interested in. Last of all, beware of the temper tantrums! They can start around this age and may be very frequent. Keeping calm is key! More on that later... #baby #child #development #developmentaldisabilities #developmentalmilestones #kidshealth #babyhealth #paediatrics #doctors #gpmum #gp #australiandoctor #drangelarassi #parenting #parentingadvice #parentingtips

18.01.2022 Mind the gap! As Melbourne heads into 6 weeks of lock down, we must remember that whilst we may be fatigued regarding all things coronavirus, it still remains of prime importance to stop the spread. We can stop the spread by washing hands regularly, social distancing when leaving home, avoiding touching our faces and getting swabbed at the first sign of cold or flu symptoms. ... Image- @cdcgov #coronavirus #covid #covid19 #pandemic #socialdistancing #lockdown #washyourhands #donttouchyourface #getswabbed #gp #australia #australiandoctor #gpmum #drangelarassi #medicalmum

17.01.2022 Picture this: just before you turn in for the night, you rouse sleeping baby and pop her on the breast. She has a feed while still mostly asleep and is then back in her with no effort. This, my friends, is the dream feed. The great thing about the dream feed is that if you feed just before you go to sleep, you may get a longer stretch of sleep before baby wakes you up again to feed. The additional feed will also provide extra calories to baby if they are struggling with weig...ht gain, and will help increase milk supply. Cross your fingers you don’t actually wake baby and disrupt her sleep! #dreamfeed #dreamfeeding #breast #breastfeeding #breastfeed #breastmilk #parenting #parentingtips #parentinghacks #gp #doctor #australiandoctor #drangelarassi

16.01.2022 Enjoying a quick lunch break in the sunshine. A great day to replenish the vitamin D! #relax #break #lunchbreak #sunshine #vitamind #drangelarassi #gp #australiandoctor

15.01.2022 It’s a Saturday night, baby is finally asleep, you’ve settled down in front of Netflix...can you add in a wine? YES! The rule of thumb is if you are safe to drive, then you are safe to breastfeed. In NSW, most drivers have a blood alcohol content limit of 0.05%. Which means there is 0.05 grams of alcohol for every 100 millilitres of blood. So if your blood alcohol content is 0.05%, your breast milk content is 0.05% too. ... Did you know that fruit juices contain small amounts of alcohol? Studies have shown that these juices can contain up to 0.077% alcohol. This is MORE alcohol than most mums will have in their breast milk after a standard drink! Breast milk with a small amount of alcohol is still considered safer than artificial milk. The danger with breastfeeding under the influence of alcohol comes from less safe sleeping choices made by parents under the influence of alcohol. You should never cosleep with your baby if you are under the influence of alcohol. You can minimise the amount of alcohol baby is exposed to by: timing your drink immediately after a feed, so you are likely to have a few hours before needing to feed again; only drinking 1-2 standard drinks per day; pumping a bottle prior to drinking alcohol so baby can have an alcohol-free feed while you are waiting for your breast milk alcohol content to drop. #breast #milk #breastmilk #alcohol #breastfeeding #feeding #breastfeedingmom #breastfeedingmama #breastfeedingtips #lactation #lactationsupport #mum #mom #parenting #parentingtips #parentlife #passthewine #doctor #australiandoctor #gp #drangelarassi #paediatrics

15.01.2022 Another two months have gone by and baby is rapidly changing! By four months baby may be able to prop herself on her elbows in tummy time. She may even be able to roll! She can also take some weight through her legs when held upright. She may be able to bat at dangling toys and bring both of her hands to her mouth. She will also be improving her hand-eye coordination. ... Baby may be starting to babble with some expression and you might hear the start of their sweet giggles! Baby will be able to convey happiness and sadness. Caregivers will also be able to differentiate their cries- hungry, tired, grumpy. Hearing and vision are once again rapidly developing. Babies should be able to recognise familiar people at a distance, follow moving objects with their eyes and should turn in the direction of a loud noise. A special note about eyes at this age: babies may have crossed eyes from time to time, which can be normal up until 3 months. If you are noticing an increasingly consistent turn of one or both eyes, please consult your GP for a review and a referral to an eye specialist. #baby #kids #child #2months #3months #4months #development #developmentalmilestones #developmentaldisabilities #milestones #babymilestones #grossmotor #finemotor #soeech #cognitive #social #doctor #doctormum #gp #gpmum #australiandoctor #drangelarassi

13.01.2022 I don’t think my baby is eating enough, Doc. I hear this ALL. THE. TIME. But actually, it’s not often that a baby is not eating enough. Babies have very good self-regulation, meaning they will only eat hungry and stop when full. Appetites fluctuate hour to hour, day to day. Developmental stages come and go. Teething and sickness happen. Baby can go from eating loads at each meal to eating no solids whatsoever for days and it’s all completely normal, provided baby is attaini...ng their developmental milestones and growing well. The amount of food babies require as they are starting solids is quite tiny, and breast milk or formula will provide their primary nutrition until the age of 9-10 months. So rest assured that not much of their meal needs to end up in their mouths to provide all the nutrition they need. Swipe right to see just how small a serving size is! The best approach at meal times is to respect baby’s decision to refuse food. Don’t make a meal a power struggle. Pop some food on their tray, let them get messy, keep it fun and the eating will happen, eventually. If you have concerns about your baby’s intake, weight or development, see your GP for a thorough assessment. Image- henry.co.uk #infantfeeding #infant #feeding #babyfeeding #baby #babyfood #food #solids #startingsolids #babyledweaning #puree #portionsize #paediatrics #parenting #gp #gpmum #australiandoctor #doctor #drangelarassi

09.01.2022 There is a lot happening around this period! Baby will be rolling in both directions (back to tummy, tummy to back). She may even sit briefly without support! She may bounce on her legs when held in standing. She will be reaching and grabbing at everything, using her palm to grasp. She may be able to transfer objects between her hands. Her fingers will be in her mouth a lot!... She will begin making ‘m’ and ‘d’ sounds in her babble and will be able to string vowel sounds together. You will be hearing lots of lovely giggling by now! She will enjoy looking at herself in the mirror. She will also enjoy playing with others. Don’t forget now is the time to get any started on solids. See my series on feeding baby for some pointers. As always, hearing and vision are developing too. Baby will be able to turn to a sound, and follow objects across vision easily. If worried, present to your friendly GP for a review. #baby #development #paediatrics #4months #5months #6months #developmentaldisabilities #developmentaldelay #developmentalmilestones #gp #gpmum #australiandoctor #medicalmum #drangelarassi #parenting #parenthood #parentingtips

09.01.2022 The pre-conception check, part 2. Following on from my last post about the pre-conception check, there are more things that we need to, well, check! *Menstrual history including the length of cycles to give an idea if ovulating and on roughly what day ovulation might be occurring. Predicting date of ovulation can increase chances of conception. More on that later. ... *Physical examination including blood pressure. I like to check heart and lungs are healthy and also ensure that cervical screening is up to date. Please note, that cervical screening can be performed in pregnancy, but it’s always simpler done before conception in case any further procedures are required. *Folic acid supplementation. Your doctor should tell you to start folic acid supplementation 3 months prior to trying to conceive to decrease the risk of neural tube defects in baby. The neural tube is closed before most women even know they are pregnant so it is important to start this before trying to conceive. Most women will need 0.4 mg, but some higher risk women will need more so best to check with your GP to work out the correct dose for you. *Blood tests including blood borne virus screen (HIV, Hepatitis B and C), checking your immunity to rubella and chickenpox, sometimes checking iron and vitamin D and thalassaemia screen. Once all that has been done, you’re ready for the next steptrying to conceive! #pregnancy #baby #planningpregnancy #preconception #preconceptioncheck #folicacid #cervicalscreening #bloodtests #doctor #australiandoctor #gp #drangelarassi

07.01.2022 What NOT to do! A little note about masks today. When you put on a mask, imagine your face is immediately blasted with glitter. The only area without glitter is the area under the mask. The aim is to keep the glitter out of your nose and mouth and off your hands. As you can see in all of these pictures, glitter would be transferred to mouth, nose or hands. In these pictures, my mask is not protecting me, and may mean droplets containing virus can enter your respiratory tract... and infect you. Clean your hands, mould the mask around your nose, and tie or loop over your ears, then clean hands again. Don’t touch or remove the mask unless you absolutely have to, in which case, hands must be cleaned again and single-use masks thrown away. #mask #masks #masks4all #covid19 #covid_19 #covid #washyourhands #wearamask #stayhome #staysafe #doctor #australiandoctor #gp #gpmum #drmum #drangelarassi

07.01.2022 Grab a drink, copious snacks and fire up Netflix! It’s cluster feeding time! Cluster feeding is when baby clusters her feeds close together. This usually occurs in the evening, fondly known as witching hour. Baby may be on and off the breast every few minutes or may feed constantly for a number of hours. Baby may be fussy in between feeds. It’s a common time for parents to doubt themselves- what are we doing wrong? Is baby getting enough milk? Why can’t we satisfy baby? R...est assured, cluster feeding is NORMAL and not a sign there is anything wrong with baby, the parent or the breastfeeding relationship. The fussiness is likely to stem from baby’s immature nervous system. There are a number of reasons why baby may cluster feed: to settle themselves, to fill their tummies before sleep and to stimulate your milk supply. #clusterfeeding #breast #breastfeeding #breastfeedingmedicine #breastmilk #breastfeedingmom #mum #mom #witchinghour #parenting #parentingadvice #gp #gpmum #australiandoctor #medicalmum #drangelarassi #paediatrics

06.01.2022 Thinking of having a baby? You'll need a pre-conception check first! Here's Part 1 of what's involved in a pre-conception check: *Background medical history. Some conditions may impact fertility, for example, endometriosis. Other conditions may impact pregnancy, e.g. hypothyroidism or depression. ... *Medication list. Some medications aren't recommended to continue in pregnancy. Your doctor should go through each medication you take to make sure they are ok in pregnancy. *Family history. Some conditions that impact on pregnancy and baby can run in families, for example, diabetes. Your doctor will check for any hereditary conditions and arrange further tests or follow up if required. Your GP may even suggest screening for genetic conditions. *Smoking and alcohol history. It's recommended to stop smoking and minimise alcohol to improve chances of conception. Once pregnant, drinking alcohol is not advised. Look out for part 2! #baby #pregnancy #pregnancyplanning #conception #preconception #preconceptioncare #medicalcare #gp #doctor #medicine #familymedicine #australiandoctor #medicalnews #drangelarassi #medicalhistory

05.01.2022 Took a brief hiatus to stop and smell the roses (or strawberries, in this case!) Planning my next series of posts on antenatal care...stay tuned! #pregnancy #pregnancycare #antenatal #antenatalcare #doctor #australiandoctor #gp #drangelarassi

05.01.2022 Q: what is a let down? A: your ex; the ending of Game of Thrones; basically the entire of 2020, AND a reflex that occurs in the breast to help push out the milk. Let’s talk about the latter! ... The let down reflex (milk ejection reflex) usually occurs when there is stimulation at the nipple. With nipple stimulation, oxytocin is released. You may know this as the love hormone. The oxytocin acts on cells around the milk-storage units of the breast (the alveoli) to squeeze these units and push the milk through the ducts and out through the nipple. It is the time during feeding when the flow of milk is the highest, and you may notice baby doing lots of swallowing. If baby pulls off during a let down, you may leak milk from the nipple. During a let down, you may leak milk from the nipple that is not currently being fed from, but this often settles with time. You may have other sensations during a let down, stay tuned for my post on dysphoric milk ejection reflex. You will have multiple let downs during a feed, but most women will only notice the first one (or may not notice it at all). The sensation can be experienced in a number of ways but is usually a tingling or electricity feeling in the nipple. A let down may occur even without nipple stimulation, for example, when baby is crying or even when thinking about your baby. #breastfeeding #breastfeedingmedicine #letdown #letdownreflex #milkejectionreflex #breastmilk #oxytocin #breastfeedingmom #mum #mom #parenting #parentingadvice #doctor #gp #australiandoctor #gpmum #doctormum #drangelarassi

05.01.2022 To round out our series on starting solids, we will discuss starting water. Prior to starting solids, babies do not need to drink water. All of their hydration comes from breast milk or formula. In fact, it can be dangerous to give young infants water as it can dangerously lower the salt content of their blood. Once babies have started solids, it’s fine to give small amounts of tap water in a bottle, sippy cup, straw cup or regular cup. It allows them to get used to the tas...te and texture of water as a drink but their main hydration still comes from breast milk or formula. The water doesn’t need to be boiled provided you are on town water in Australia. Check local guidelines if unsure. Food itself is not sterile (nor are the hundreds of other things baby will find and promptly put in their mouth)! #infantfeeding #startingsolids #solids #feeding #infant #baby #babyfood #babyhealth #paediatrics #startingwater #water #parenting #gp #doctor #australiandoctor #gpmum #drangelarassi

03.01.2022 Power pumping is a method of pumping that mimics cluster feeding to help improve supply. As per the graphic, it starts with 20 mins of pumping, followed by a 10 min break, followed by 10 mins of pumping, then 10 mins break and a final 10 min pump. You may not get much milk, particularly after the first 20 min pump, but that’s not the point. The point is lots of breast stimulation to tell your breasts they need to make more milk to meet this new demand. ... So get some snacks, a drink and get comfy because it’s time for the hour of power! Image by mamanatural #breast #milk #breastfeeding #pumping #breastmilk #feeding #powerpumping #boostsupply #milksupply #milksupplybooster #milksupplyissues #lactation #parenting #parentingadvice #doctor #australiandoctor #gp #drangelarassi #paediatrics #familymedicine #breastfeedingmom

03.01.2022 Does your cup runneth over? Oversupply can be a real issue particularly in those early days of breastfeeding. The first 4-6 weeks of breastfeeding are about regulating supply, so it is common in these early days to make more milk than baby actually needs. Some signs that you may have an oversupply are: breast engorgement; baby may gain a lot of weight quickly; baby may seem to choke or splutter at the breast; baby’s wet nappies will be plentiful and poos can be green and fr...othy. To help supply regulate, it’s important to feed baby often, don’t follow a schedule just feed on demand, and if your breasts feel uncomfortable, feed then too! Empty one breast before offering the other. Most importantly, ensure baby is well-latched to allow milk to transfer efficiently. A good latch can be difficult with an engorged breast, so you may need reverse pressure softening (will explain that more in an upcoming post) to prevent engorgement, blocked ducts and mastitis. It’s important to note here that milk sitting in a breast will tell that breast to slow down milk production, so ensuring baby gets what she needs, no more and no less, is key to ensuring adequate supply. It’s not uncommon for low supply to follow oversupply as baby has not been able to transfer milk adequately from the engorged breast and thus supply has down-regulated. If you’re struggling with engorgement, there are lots of things you can try such as using cold packs after a feed and expressing for comfort after a feed. It’s important not to express too much, as breasts will respond by increasing supply further. #breastfeeding #breastmilk #oversupply #engorgement #colostrum #lactation #breastfeedingmom #breastfeedingmum #milk #breast #medicine #doctor #australiandoctor #gp #drangelarassi #parenting #parentingtips #parentingadvice #baby #newborn #newborncare #babyhealth #child #childhealth #babycare

03.01.2022 Some babies will only feed from one breast and others will swap sides multiple times during each feed. How do we know when and if baby needs to swap to the other breast? If you watch your baby feed, you will notice that she start the feed with frequent sucks and swallows. As the breast empties and her tummy fills, the swallowing will become less frequent. As her swallowing slows, breast compressions can help to improve the flow of milk. When baby is finished with that breast..., she will either come off on her own or will be non-nutritive sucking (sucking but not getting milk out). At this stage, feel free to take her off the breast and offer her the other breast. She may not take it, and that’s ok! She may need to be roused before the second breast is offered. This can be done by changing her nappy or tickling her feet or cheeks. It’s important to allow baby to have some rest time at the breast. Just as we take breaks when we are eating and drinking, baby will do the same. She will not continuously suck and swallow the entire feed. Some non-nutritive sucking is important too as it is soothing to baby. If baby still seems hungry or interested in sucking after the second breast, you can pop her back on the first breast to continue the feed. Breasts are never completely empty so there will always be a little bit of milk there even if recently fed from. Once baby seems content, and is not taking the offered breast, she is finished feeding. Remember to offer the fuller breast first at the next feed. #breastfeeding #breastfeedingtips #mum #mom #mama #breastfeedingmom #breastfeedingmama #baby #babyhealth #newborncare #paediatrics #childhealth #doctor #newborn #gp #gpmum #australiandoctor #drangelarassi #feeding #breast #breastmilk #breastmilksupply

02.01.2022 THE number 1 question I get about breastfeeding: how do I know my baby is getting enough? In many ways, breastfeeding is an act of faith. We have to trust our bodies to provide sustenance for our babies. If direct feeding, we can’t see the amount of milk going into our baby, so how do we know baby is getting enough milk? The answer is surprisingly straightforward, if your baby is gaining weight appropriately and making at least 5 heavily wet nappies containing pale urine eac...h day (after they are 5 days old), then baby is getting enough milk! There are some other things to look for which may indicate baby is feeding well: lots of swallowing particularly at the start of a feed; baby appears content following a feed; and baby has skin that bounces right back after it has been pinched. Do you know what an acceptable weight gain for a breastfed baby is? Stay tuned... #milk #breastmilk #milksupply #breast #baby #babyweightgain #babygettingenough #weightgain #adequatesupply #breastfeeding #breastfeed #breastfeedingmum #doctor #gp #australiandoctor #drangelarassi #lactation #lactationsupport

02.01.2022 A really common concern is that baby is not getting enough milk. If you haven’t already, have a look at my post how do I know if baby is getting enough? Most women are able to make adequate milk for their baby. But occasionally, baby will require more than mum is currently producing. This may be indicated by poor weight gain, unsettled behaviour and few wet nappies. The major contributor to low supply is poor latch. If baby has a poor latch, she is unable to remove milk fr...om the breast efficiently and so the milk sits in the breast. When milk sits in the breast, it gives a signal that there is plenty of milk there and no need to make much more. Thus, milk production slows. The answer then, is to remove milk from the breast (and improve latch). The easiest way to do this is to offer baby the breast more often to increase feeds. However, if this is insufficient, then pumping following feeds, especially double pumping or power pumping will help to remove more milk. Some women will also respond to certain foods or herbal remedies, also known as galactogogues to help supply. Keep watching for my next posts on some of these strategies! #breast #milk #breastmilk #supply #milksupply #milksupplybooster #improvesupply #galactogogues #boostsupply #lactation #doctor #baby #child #feeding #paediatrics #gp #doctorsofinstagram #drangelarassi #parenting #parentinghacks #sydney

02.01.2022 Before I go through the milestones for each age group, I just wanted to do a quick post explaining how I think about the developmental milestones. I think about the following domains: gross motor, fine motor, communication, emotional/social and cognitive. If there are concerns about developmental delay, we need to work out the severity of the delay and also whether it is one domain affected (e.g. speech delay) or all domains affected (global delay). I also think of hearing a...nd vision as supplementary developmental domains. Vision in particular rapidly develops during the first few years of life, and if both vision and hearing are not developing as normal, it will impact on the other developmental domains. Stay tuned for my post on development at 0-2 months of age! #baby #babydevelopment #development #developmentalmilestones #developmentaldelay #developmentaldisabilities #milestones #domainsofdevelopment #grossmotor #grossmotorskills #finemotor #finemotorskills #speech #speechdelay #cognitivedevelopment #cognitiveskills #socialskills #socialdevelopment #gp #paediatrics #kidshealth #gpmum #drangelarassi

01.01.2022 One of the most commonly asked questions: do I need to wake my baby to feed? The answer is: maybe! In the first 6 weeks of breastfeeding, your baby is establishing your milk supply, to ensure that there is a good supply in the long term. In order to do this, baby needs to feed regularly. Most newborn will need to feed a minimum of 8 times a day, and often more than 12 times! (Stay tunes for my upcoming post on cluster feeding). So keeping baby close by and popping her on t...he breast at the first sign of hunger cues is the best way to do this. This means that baby will be on the breast every 2-3 hours on average but may have a stretch of up to 5 hours overnight, and have some closer spaced feeds in the day. In these early few weeks, I recommend going no more than 5 hours overnight and 4 in the day to ensure adequate emptying of breasts and development of a good supply. Most babies will wake on their own in order to feed, however, in special circumstances like a jaundiced baby or an unwell baby, they may be more sleepy, in which case it is important to wake them for feeds. #breastfeeding #breastfeedingtips #mum #mom #mama #breastfeedingmom #baby #newborn #babyhealth #newborncare #paediatrics #childhealth #doctor #gp #gpmum #australiandoctor #drangelarassi #breastfeedingspecialist #feeding #clusterfeeding #jaundice #milksupply

01.01.2022 COVID case at a nearby Woolworths store announced today. Please help us to fight the spread of COVID by getting swabbed at the first sign of upper respiratory symptoms (sore throat, runny nose, cough, fever) and isolating at home until a negative result is returned. #covid #covid19 #coronavirus #corona #nswhealth #coronavirusinaustralia #sydney #nsw #balmain #innerwest #getswabbed #getswabbedsavealife