Latest News

Lisa's Story

Lisa Hague was so absolutely sure that she wanted to breastfeed her baby on its arrival that from her being seven month’s pregnant; she had a helpline number stuck to her fridge.

Her much awaited delivery was even more poignant as Lisa and her partner’s first baby, Lola, was still born.

Lisa and her partner, Derby football ace, Kris Commons were over the moon when April Rose was born at the beginning of this year at Nottingham City Hospital. Lisa says

"Kris suggested I give  breastfeeding a try, even for just a short time, so,  when April Rose arrived four weeks early it was a huge relief that all was well but she was in an incubator for the first week so I was worried that it might be too late to breastfeed her. I had contracted Swine flu in my last week of pregnancy so after the birth I was so weak but before she went off to the incubator I managed to feed her. I was so tired that Kris had to help hold her to me but I knew from that moment on I wanted to breastfeed our baby. Even though I really wanted to breastfeed, when I got April home there were times when I could have given up, that was when the Little Angels Helpline saved the day! “

Little Angels is a breastfeeding support organisation and it was to the helpline voices that Lisa turned to. “Their support and information was invaluable and Kris and I did it together! I don’t believe Dads need to feel left out, there is so much Dads can do when you are breastfeeding baby. Kris was there for April Rose and I at every step, we decided to take it a day at time, I didn’t want to set myself up to fail. Kris would get me more pillows and help to get me comfortable and get me a drink and just be there. I was asked by a nurse in the hospital if I felt I had bonded with April Rose after she had spent over a week in an incubator. All I can say is that the rush of love when I started breastfeeding was overwhelming"

Lisa also says that Kris would bring her little treats at each milestone and her latest treat is a night away to Dublin with her friends while Dad stays with April Rose.

Lisa and Kris thought that April would only be breastfed until she was six months old. Whilst April Rose, now seven months, does have some formula feed and is now taking some solids Lisa is still breastfeeding.
"We’ll do what we have done from the beginning and take it day by day" says Lisa.

How does Lisa cope with attention when she is  out and needs to breastfeed April Rose?

"Breastfeeding is so very discreet that it is possible to do it in most places. I have breastfed April Rose in the players lounge at Derby County at all the home games and everyone has been so supportive at the Club.
I am in the minority on holiday, where I do not topless sunbathe; I am ridiculously private so for me to breastfeed and feel comfortable it has to be OK. I am hardly going to sit in an inappropriate place to breastfeed April Rose. I breastfed her on our recent plane trip to Spain and no one noticed. I also think doing so made April Rose more comfortable as she had no crying fits because of pressure to her ears."

What does Lisa think about people asking her if she knows if April Rose  is satisfied with enough milk?

"I think you only have to look at April Rose to see she is hardly under nourished! When I feed her, if she cries then I know she needs some more, it’s nearly  impossible to over feed her and it’s so convenient. For instance, not long ago, Kris realised that his passport was nearly out of date. My sister came with me in the car to Peterborough to the passport office and of course we took April Rose. On the way back we were stuck in a traffic jam for three hours. I was able to sit in the back and feed April Rose, I don’t know what we would have done if I hadn’t been April Rose’s walking meal station."

What does Lisa think about celebrities who decide not to breastfeed?

"It always has to be personal choice, perhaps they didn’t have Little Angels Breastfeeding Organisation to help them! Making an informed choice, I believe is the key, but honestly if I can do it, anyone can! I do think we live in a society where we go for the easy option. I would never be judgemental just supportive and suggest they read the literature, talk to Little Angels perhaps, give it a go and take all the support you can get, but don’t beat yourself up  about it, at least you tried .Alternatively I ask not to be judged for wanting to breastfeed our child.

For me deciding to have a child meant that our life would change and a baby changes your life I don’t want to be a so called ‘yummy mummy’ and show I am exactly the same as I was before the baby. I have a baby to consider, another person in the family and I think it’s also useful to look at life from the baby’s point of view too!"

(I am a full time mum at this time, but soon I hopefully want to restart my work in the community with April Rose  and Kris) Lisa is hardly a fulltime Mum as she hopes to continue her work with young people in drug rehabilitation as well as her voluntary work with homeless people both areas of work she continued with during pregnancy. Lisa has also been invited to become an Ambassador for Little Angels Breastfeeding Organisation and their sister organisation, The Infant Feeding Trust.

"I am very interested in Infant Nutrition, both Kris and I are keen to give April Rose a healthy start now she is turning to solids. Breastfeeding and then making your own baby food is so much cheaper. Through the Trust, I want to help mums on limited budgets to   see the benefit of making your own baby food .Kris and I buy £3 - £4  worth of vegetables, not always organic either. at the beginning of the week and we experiment on making nutritious baby foods for April Rose and try different consistencies. We have a ‘Daddy Tasting Time’ if Kris and I don’t like the taste, then April Rose won’t. We definitely eat more healthily since April Rose was born. When you consider the price of jars of baby foods making your own is so much more economical!"

Lisa and Kris hope to add to their family and Lisa has no hesitation in wanting to breastfeed any future brothers or sisters for April Rose.

For more press information on the event contact Lorraine Worsley
Tel 07970 744 363  lorraine@lorraineworsley.co.uk
www.countesspublicists.co.uk