After a healthy pregnancy and wonderful homebirth of her beautiful baby Bella Flora, Emerald has been devastated to not be able to successfully breastfeed her little one.

Bella has struggled with low weight gain and has been diagnosed with a posterior tongue tie & high arched palate. This has impacted her ability to breastfeed and may impact breathing, speech, dentition, jaw development and nervous system and brain health if left untreated.

Emerald has also unfortunately had low milk supply and through the process of investigating this, uncovered some longer term health issues that need to be addressed holistically for her ongoing physical wellbeing and mental health (and hopefully to improve her milk supply)

Emerald knows in her heart & soul that breastfeeding is a biological necessity and envisioned breastfeeding as the foundation of her mothering.

Emerald is grieving deeply the postpartum she thought would be and is in real need of psychological support

Emerald is determined to pursue every avenue available to improve her milk supply, Bella's feeding and Bella's long-term health prospects.

This has come at a huge and unexpected physical, mental, emotional and financial cost to Emerald and her family and so Emerald is humbly seeking financial support from community to help see Bella & herself through this heartbreaking and challenging time.

Funds raised will be used to cover costs of:

-Approximate costs already spent/to be spent -

* Quality bottles and teats, milk warmers etc - $350

* nursing supply lines - $150

* high quality breast pump & pumping supplies - $500

* Paediatric appointment - $400

* Integrative GP appointments - $300

* Chinese medicine + acupuncture - $300 so far & ongoing

* Lactation consultant fees initial appointment - $400

*medication & nutritional/herbal supplements for Emerald - $1200 so far and ongoing

* Non-medicare covered pathology tests - $600

* Tongue tie laser treatment for Bella (not medicare covered) - $1900

* Ongoing osteo, lactation consultant & myofacial body work appointments for Bella post tongue tie revision - $1650 so far and ongoing

* Naturopathy consults - $200 & ongoing

* Homeopathy to support Bella's healing post tongue tie revision - $50

* Petrol + travel expenses for tongue tie procedure, appointments and ongoing collection of donor milk from around the region - $500 at least so far and ongoing

* Much needed psychological support for Emerald - $120 a session - unable to afford as of yet

* Family who has had to take time off work to support Emerald through unexpected journey - not calculated yet!

*any extra funds (not foreseeing there will be much) will be used for some nurturing self care for mumma Emerald

On behalf of Emerald and her family, I send the deepest thanks for your generosity, care and support during this deeply challenging time in Emerald's life.

If you are unable to donate financially, donations of breastmilk are also incredibly valuable, and needed ongoingly to help keep Bella fed during these early months of her life.

In love, trust and gratitude,

Eloise & Emerald