Hordle mum Polly de Gorguette d’Argoeuves on a mission to promote breastfeeding

Specialist breastfeeding products by local brand touched out mama are now available to buy from a Christchurch store.

Hordle mother Polly de Gorguette d’Argoeuves founded the business to support breastfeeding mothers through education and high-quality products.

Her products, which contain magnesium to alleviate sleep deprivation and low mood, were exclusively sold online but are now also stocked in Fantastic Things in Saxon Square.

They include a foot soak, tea bags, body cream, facial oil and reusable eco breast pads, as well as t-shirts and vases promoting breastfeeding.

Polly told the A&T: “Magnesium is a crucial nutrient to protect our physical and mental wellbeing, yet around half of us are seriously deprived.

“For lactating mothers the need for magnesium intensifies - supplementing has been linked to reducing symptoms associated with breastfeeding aversion, where negative emotions can be triggered upon skin-to-skin contact with the child whilst nursing.

“A lack of this vital mineral often leads mums feeling ‘touched out’; unable to bear anyone touching them at all.”

Other products on sale include a DIY breastmilk kit which enables mothers to create their own gentle and natural moisturiser that is free from harsh chemicals and additives, and packed with anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.

Polly said she chose to sell her products in Fantastic Things because it provides instant access to browsing customers who may not have realised that such products exist.

She said: “How often do you see breastfeeding promoted on a UK high street?

“As well as selling products, I use my stall to provide information on natural term breastfeeding, gentle parenting and safe co-sleeping.

“In large supermarkets and high-street chemists there is always a significant section dedicated to infant formula – I would love to see breastfeeding normalised and represented in the same way.”

Polly, who grew up in Bashley, moved to London to study human biology at university.

After graduating she worked as a laboratory manager at Great Ormond Street Hospital University College London for 15 years, where she evaluated and developed pneumococcal vaccines for children.

Polly also writes a blog, ‘Informed is Best’, which provides evidence-based information on breastfeeding and parenting.

She said: “My primary objective is to not only educate as many people as possible about the benefits of breastfeeding but also to help people understand that breastfeeding is more than just nutrition.

“It’s also about comfort, maternal bonding and the regulation of internal processes which are critical to a mother and child’s health.

“The introduction of commercial formulas in the 1950s has caused a generational gap in breastfeeding knowledge, which coupled with a lack of professional lactation support, is one of the primary reasons why many mothers struggle to breastfeed in today’s society.”

For more information, visit www.touchedoutmama.co.uk