THE THOMPSON METHOD
BREASTFEEDING

What exactly is The Thompson Method?

The Thompson Method challenges the forceful techniques that are linked with painful nipple trauma, that are commonly taught in most hospitals.


It’s for ALL women who want to breastfeed but particularly those giving birth in the hospital system  because it offers a gentle alternative to help women  AVOID the most common and painful breastfeeding complications


But it’s more than just the technique on how to get a good latch. It is that, but it’s so much more


It’s understanding how breast milk is produced so that you have the confidence to trust that your breasts will nourish your baby without fear of low supply.


It’s about being empowered to feel that you are in control of your labor, birth and breastfeeding experience


It’s having the knowledge to understand that what happens during labor and birth will greatly influence your breastfeeding journey.


It’s the awareness that nipple shields, bottles, teats and dummies (pacifiers) will also impact on your breastfeeding journey and understanding how to reduce this impact.

And at the very foundation of this gentle, evidence based method is a very powerful belief.


A belief that every woman and her baby is unique.


It’s a belief that every baby  will be born in its own time; not at the convenience of hospital policy.


It’s an understanding of the importance of the first breastfeed  and that routine procedures should not interrupt or delay this precious time between a mother and her baby.


It’s having respect for the strength of one woman to give birth to her baby, with full support of how incredible both she and her baby are
.

There isn’t one single answer for how to use The Thompson Method.  It’s unique for every woman.  A woman who is feeling anxious about giving birth in the hospital system for the first time would have different needs from a woman who is expecting her third baby and is aiming for a VBAC.  The Thompson Method is education based on Dr Robyn Thompson’s midwifery experience over 45 years in both the hospital system and with women who chose to give birth at home.  This experienced midwife and breastfeeding specialist has such a unique perspective and has spent her life helping women overcome painful nipple trauma.  Now she is dedicated to sharing her information, in her powerful online education package so that more women can become empowered and in control of their own unique birth and breastfeeding experiences.

Forceful breastfeeding techniques, commonly taught in most hospitals, such as the cross cradle hold involve holding your baby by the base of the head, neck or shoulders, directing your nipple to your baby’s nose, combined with the action of ‘latching’ your baby to your breast.  In Dr Robyn Thompson’s PhD research, women who breastfed their baby using the cross cradle hold were twice as likely to experience painful nipple trauma.  In fact, 85% of the women in Dr Robyn’s research who were experiencing painful nipple trauma, had been taught the cross cradle hold.

The word ‘latch’ is not a word that Dr Robyn Thompson encourages women to use.  The experienced midwife prefers a gentle approach to language, to reflect the breastfeeding baby that draws the mother’s nipple and some breast tissue.  It’s gentle and rhythmical and is based on hormone stimulation.  The word ‘latch’ has a mechanical edge to it and does not truly reflect how the mammal baby instinctively breastfeeds.

Here at the Thompson Method, our mission is simple.

Our mission is to increase breastfeeding rates because a woman deserves the right to choose how she feeds her baby. We do this through online education and support.

45 years ago, our founder, Dr Robyn Thompson, started her career as a midwife.  Her distinguished journey was unplanned and intuitive and provided her with a unique perspective from her experience in the hospital system and with women who gave birth to their babies at home.

Breastfeeding should be a choice, but for many, it is not.

When a woman breastfeeds without complication, she is in a position to choose whether she breastfeeds her baby and for how long.  However, most women give birth to their babies in hospital with many experience common breastfeeding complications such as nipple trauma, breast engorgement and mastitis in the early postnatal period.  These complications increase the likelihood of further complications such as low milk volume, often leaving women feeling as though they have no choice but to give up breastfeeding. 

Our aim is educate women in pregnancy so that they understand that the events that occur during their labour and birth will greatly influence their breastfeeding journey.

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With so much free prenatal and breastfeeding information available online, some women ask "Why should I pay for this education?"  "What makes The Thompson Method Different?"

The answer is, that the oversupply of free information, both online and taught in most hospitals is conflicting and confusing and is a great source of frustration for many women who rely on this information to give birth to and breastfeed their babies.  Many women report feeling overwhelmed by so many different opinions, particularly on 'how to breastfeed'.

The Thompson Method is different in many ways.  One of these ways is the focus on the empowered mother and her maternal instincts.  A mother instinctively knows what to do.  The information shared by Dr Robyn Thompson (founder) celebrates a woman's strength and her uniqueness.  We encourage her to know and understand her rights, particularly if planning to give birth in the hospital system.

Another major point of difference is the gentle approach that challenges the forceful breastfeeding techniques taught in most hospitals. On many occasions, a forceful approach is adopted when a mother and baby are moving quickly enough for the convenience of hospital policy. In Dr Robyn Thompson's PHD research, which was based on why so many women struggle with breastfeeding, forceful breastfeeding techniques significantly increase the risk of painful nipple trauma. This causes stress for both the breastfeeding mother and her newborn baby. 

Dr Robyn Thompson's belief is, " A healthy woman's labour, the birth of her baby and breastfeeding are unique transitions to be achieved in her own good time" - not at the convenience of the hospital system.

Uninterrupted skin skin contact reduces the risk of mother baby separation.