Learn Breastfeeding the Old Fashioned Way

Three largely pregnant friends stand back to front

When my two best friends and I got pregnant at the exact same time with our babies, everyone joked about us having made a “pregnancy pact”. The truth was we actually DID have a conversation about two weeks prior to our announcements about how we would all love a third pregnancy. The thing is, no one wants to go through something as big and scary as parenthood alone, and you shouldn’t have to. No, I am not offering to rent out my womb again, but I would love to be the friend that you need during this time.

Breastfeeding is not something you can learn well from a book, or a website, or (dare I say it?) a doctor. Historically, breastfeeding is something we learned from other women we loved and trusted. We had a question, we immediately had hands-on help from our auntie, or sister, or mother, often with a baby clinging to them as an education tool.

Learn to breastfeed the old fashioned way with my Breastfeeding 101 class. I designed it to get you what YOU want out of it. I want to hear what questions are keeping you up at night, and I want to put your mind at ease and set your expectations with compassion, intelligence, and honesty. You will learn confidence  when nursing your new baby.

Normally, I only do private, in home, prenatal breastfeeding classes. However, the wonderful women at Blooming Tree Maternity and Wellness have graciously opened their facility for me to hold this class (at HALF PRICE!) at their center. So come join us and learn how to feed your baby!

When: Feb 17 at 11am
Cost: $50 per expecting parent, partners are FREE!
What do you need: All your questions and fears and worries so I can put them at rest immediately!

Space is limited, so call or email today to reserve your spot!

I can’t wait to see you all there!

Expecting a Lactation Consultant

Congratulations! You have a baby! Babies come with sweet smells, lovely eyes, and soft skin. What they do not come with is an instruction manual. Luckily, lactation consultants are here to help! Now, I must admit, the idea of a stranger coming in to my home and manipulating my breasts and holding my baby would have made me incredibly nervous as a new mom. I want to write this blog to make that step of reaching out a little easier and help you make the most out of your appointment.

 

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1. Fill out your paperwork ahead of time. Good news! All of my paperwork is online, needs no printer, and I will send it to you as soon as you book an appointment! Giving a full history for both yourself and your baby can help your Lactation Consultant know exactly what tools to bring, what information and handouts to prepare. It can also give them an idea of what they are walking into. Either way, a full medical history will need to be taken. If you fill out all your paperwork ahead of time, your consultation to begin immediately, and your baby won’t have to wait to eat.

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2. Go into the consult with a hungry, but not frantic baby. As part of my consult, I will need to see your baby eat normally. I like to do a pre and post feed weigh to see how much milk your baby is getting. If we are working with a baby who is asleep for half your scheduled time, you won’t get as much bang for your buck. My suggestion is to try to feed your baby about an hour before our scheduled appointment for best results.

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3. Put your animals away. I am an animal lover! Cats, dogs, reptiles, tarantulas, it makes no difference to me, I love them all! That said, some beloved pets, no matter how loving and calm normally, can turn into a fur-ocious guard when a new baby arrives on the scene. So please, have them outside, in crates or in another room when I arrive.

 

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4. DO NOT CLEAN YOUR HOUSE You just had a baby. As a home visit only Lactation Consultant, I am very aware of what a newly post-partum house looks like, and it does not look like a page from Living Magazine. As long as I have a place for my scale to sit, and a place for my butt to sit (the floor works!) I can do my job. I would rather see a mother who is resting and a baby who is feeding, than a scrubbed kitchen.

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5. Don’t be embarrassed, I’ve seen it all. I have seen all manners of family structures, living arrangements, housing types, and income levels. I have visited moms who were in full make-up and heels and I have seen moms who are on bed rest and haven’t showered in days. I do not care what your hair looks like, your breath smells like, or whether your kids/partner/mother are in the room. One of my favorite things is visiting people in their actual, real life environments, and I can’t wait to meet you in yours.

5 Reasons to Hire an IBCLC

How do you know when to throw up your hands and call a professional to help you with breastfeeding?

1. The pain of breastfeeding makes you wish for the days of leather straps and a strong shot of whiskey.
Breastfeeding should not make you dread every feeding. It should not make your toes curl. It should not make you cry. Sometimes, yes, it can be mildly uncomfortable for the first couple of sucks, but it should not make your nipples bleed, bruise, or bevel. That is not normal, and you should seek help from an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) before help from a plastic surgeon is needed.

2.  Your baby isn’t gaining weight
Don’t reach for that handy dandy bottle of formula that came in the mail just because you signed up for a baby registry! Instead, pick up the phone and call for help. If a baby hasn’t gained their birth weight back by 2 weeks, it doesn’t mean your milk isn’t good, or there isn’t enough. It could mean that they aren’t able to transfer enough because of latch or perhaps because they would rather sleep! Simple tweaks to breastfeeding management might be all they need to get them gaining again.

3. The baby won’t latch
Sometimes, due to extenuating circumstances, babies develop a preference for the bottle, and prefer not to nurse at the breast. If this happens, you aren’t alone, you don’t have to give up, and breastfeeding CAN be regained!

4. You would like to have your boobs back but you don’t know where to start…to stop.
IBCLCs have knowledge to help you from pregnancy all the way to helping you come up with a weaning plan. Weaning gently is one of the hardest things to do emotionally, don’t go it alone.

4. Something went wrong the first time
If this is your second (or third, or fourth) and you have struggled with breastfeeding in the past, set yourself up for success, and get a prenatal consult. Talking with a professional with what went wrong before can help you work out how to avoid the pit falls and “boobie traps” that are so common in the first weeks of parenthood.

5. Any other reason that you feel like you can’t do it alone
If you want to punch the next person that tells you how “natural” breastfeeding is, it might be time to call in an expert. If it is a quick question, call me, I do free help over the phone. If it is a problem big enough to warrant a home visit, then we will take those steps, but questions are normal.

Ultimately, the early days of parenthood is rough enough without trying to take it all on alone. Peeing is also natural, but if it burned every time, and you started seeing blood, you would go to a doctor, right!? Don’t feel like you must go this alone. Historically, we used to have our aunties, mothers, cousins, friends, sisters, all who breastfed openly and around us, to be our lactation consultants. We have ALWAYS needed help learning this skill, we just don’t have the support systems and knowledge we once did (thanks Similac!).

 

To Eat or Not To Eat (Part 2)

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The Myth:

There are a number of foods that people (and Pinterest) will tell you to avoid eating while breastfeeding. Beans will make the baby gassy, dairy and citrus will make the baby break out, cabbage will give baby a tummy ache, spices will make the baby fussy, caffeine will make the baby sleepless, and alcohol is pretty much the same thing as child abuse. I even saw one article that said to avoid garlic, because it has a strong flavor.

The Truth:

Variety is the spice of life. Any thing that you drank or ate all the way through your pregnancy, is going to make your milk taste familiar and delicious when you are breastfeeding. Garlic has actually been proven to make babies eat MORE at the breast, not less, and as long as your baby has been exposed to caffeine in the womb, it is unlikely it will affect them that much outside of the womb. Eat what you like, drink what you like, and keep it all in moderation. Science has also proven, the more variety you eat while pregnant and nursing, the less of a picky toddler you will have on your hands. BONUS!

If you are the kind of person who likes rules, here are some:

  • Don’t go crazy with the carbs and sugar, because yeast LOVES sugar
  • Don’t restrict calories
  • Watch your baby, if a certain food doesn’t agree with him, don’t eat it as much.
  • Don’t go overboard with alcohol because:
    • In SUPER high doses it can affect the baby’s eating and sleeping
    • It can inhibit your letdown reflex, and cause the baby not to get as much milk
    • No one wants to deal with a newborn with a hangover! However, pumping and dumping is not recommended. You can’t get the alcohol out of your milk by pumping any more than you could stop being drunk by draining your blood.

 

5 Best Boob Books and Blogs (and one App)

I love books. When I was new on the mommy scene, I read everything. No topic was off limits and I read everything about parenting, from sleep to feeding, potty training to discipline. Not all books are created equally though, and not all blogs are worth the time it takes to click on them.

Aside from this blog, obviously, there are a few other resources I want to be sure to mention!

1. Breastfeeding Made Simple by Nancy Mohrbacher and Kathleen Kendall-Tacket

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Based on the idea of 7 natural laws of breastfeeding, this is an easy to read, and informative guide of what normal breastfeeding looks like and how to make it more intuitive and less of a struggle. I recommend it to all my moms, and have even based my Breastfeeding 101 class on it.

2. Peaceful Parenting

While not specifically a breastfeeding blog, Dr. Momma has some great, evidence based articles on latch, breastfeeding, pumping and just parenting in general. There are some things I don’t agree with, but like with any blog, take what you want, leave the rest.

3. Adventures in Tandem Nursing by Hilary Flower

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If you are going to nurse during a pregnancy, or after, this is the book to read. It is non-judgemental, easy to digest, and will walk you through what to expect each step of the way. I was so grateful for this book when I was pregnant with my second and still had my boob addicted toddler reluctant to give up his habit! It made me feel like all of the feelings and thoughts that were making nursing difficult were normal, and nothing to be ashamed of!

4. Kelly Mom

This isn’t exactly a blog, but it is the single most useful site I have seen regarding breastfeeding. From growth charts, to information on common medications, to ages and stages of children, to wonderful accounts of overcoming breastfeeding struggles, this website is something I refer to all the time.

5. Dr Hale’s Infant Risk Center

Dr. Thomas Hale is the leading authority on perinatal pharmacology. Meaning, all he does, all day long, is study the effects of medications on pregnant and lactating mothers and their babies.  He and his team work tirelessly to give full and understandable scientifically researched information about the safety of every single medication out there. You can reach the experts a few different ways too! Their website has some good blogs, but if you need help with a specific medication, you can call them Monday-Friday 8am-5pm central time at (806) 352-2519. Or you can download the “Infant Risk” app on either iphone or android devices for a small fee. Or, heck! call me and I will read off the information, that app is invaluable!

The Price is Right

babyhospitalIf you broke your foot, you would get an x-ray. If your tooth hurt, you would see a dentist. If you had a heart attack, you would see a cardiologist. Most likely, you wouldn’t even balk at their fee. Why? It’s because we know that good, quality help from educated, caring, medical professionals is worth every penny. Why then do we gasp when we hear the price that comes with “natural” healthcare?

Lactation consultants, are often times accused of charging exorbitant amounts for their services. I have been told to accept all offers, to provide a sliding scale, to barter, and to offer my services for free for a time. When was the last time you bargained with your doctor? One large problem is that insurance will gladly cover your echo-cardiogram, but they may not even know what a lactation consultant is. The undervaluing the services of these people by the healthcare mainstream doesn’t do people any favors. Some insurances may technically cover IBCLCs but their “preferred providers” might be not easily accessible.

When you hire a private practice International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) you get someone with years of lactation focused experience and education. Someone who, most likely, is available to you day or night, through texts, phone calls, emails, and home visits. They will sit with you, help you, and make you feel sane and in control again. They feel as passionate about breastfeeding as you do, and they are there to facilitate your goals. We are required to continue learning all the time, combing through research papers, attending conferences, and networking with other IBCLCs to make sure that you get the latest and greatest breastfeeding knowledge available. Not too shabby for $100/consult, even if your insurance carrier disagrees.

Consider for a moment all the other things that we happily spend on babies. How much is your baby’s crib? Their highchair? Their stroller? Now how much would you pay to insure that your baby has the best food available to them? If an IBCLC can help you breastfeed successfully, think of all the money you will save by avoiding bottles, formula, and having a statistically healthier child.

Having a support team doesn’t make you weak, it makes you strong. And a strong mother and baby seems well worth every penny to me.

Howdy, Partners!

Over the past couple of days, it has come to my attention that one of the single most predictive elements of a successful breastfeeding relationship is not being addressed. So, let me address it. Hey there partners of breastfeeding moms out there! Hi there dads and other mamas! Did you know that your support of breastfeeding is imperative to your lactating life partner? I know there are some amazing men and women out there who support and guide and help and comfort and parent. These are not the partners that I am speaking to today. Today I am filled with a righteous anger towards those men and women who are not supportive of their partner breastfeeding their babies.

I have had two women contact me in the past two days regarding this phenomenon. These women are being teased, verbally abused, abandoned, and ridiculed for their decision to breastfeed past the first couple of months of life. By. Their. Partners. Not okay. The saddest part I find, is that the questions I am getting is not, “do you have recommendations for a good marriage counselor?” or “why do you think my husband is acting like such a child?” No, they are asking me this, “How to I wean, so my partner will stop making fun of me and help me parent?” and “Is this my fault? Have I ruined my child and my marriage by deciding to breastfeed? Let me just say that no, this is not your fault. Well, maybe you could have picked a better partner, but other than that, no, breastfeeding didn’t ruin your child or marriage.

Parents, regardless of how you feed your child, you deserve the following:

    • Support
    • Food
    • Exercise
    • Love
    • Safety
    • Occasionally sleeping in
    • Help

Partners, regardless of how you feed your child, good parenting/partnership consists of the following

  • Supporting your partner
  • Bonding with your child
  • Loving them both unconditionally
  • Supporting them both unconditionally
  • Occasionally passing up the opportunity to tell someone “I told you so”
  • Helping
  • Listening

In other words, stop being a jerk about how your kid is fed, love your kid and support the person you had them with. I don’t think this is rocket science, but sadly, many people have not yet gotten this message. Parenting is hard, don’t make it harder by acting like a spoiled brat.

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Isn’t This Supposed to be Natural??

latchWhen I excitedly tell someone that I passed the test to become a Certified Lactation Consultant after nearly 6 years of study and being in the field, I usually get this response: You need a certification for that? Isn’t breastfeeding supposed to be natural? Of course, I get variations on this sentiment too. “Um, isn’t it like, open mouth, insert boob?” or “I had no idea that was even a thing.” This used to really frustrate and insult me, but I sort of understand where they are coming from. Media (mostly commercials for things like diaper rash cream), art, and every breastfeeding propaganda flyer I have ever seen depicts breastfeeding as some sort of magical happening that is perfect every time. I can almost hear angels singing in the background of many of these ad campaigns. Their intention was pure, to make breastfeeding look desirable, you probably don’t want to depict an exhausted mother and a screaming baby surrounded by used burp rags.  Here is the catch, yes, breastfeeding is natural, but natural does not equal easy.

Let’s use a metaphor! Eating is natural, but cooking is a learned behavior. Many women have never seen another woman breastfeed. When formula took over as the prefered feeding method, in the 1940s and 50s, essentially an entire generation was skipped on learning how to breastfeed from their mothers, aunts, sisters and friends. With help from groups like La Leche League, and those same ad campaigns, the art of breastfeeding is coming back, but in general, the public knowledge base is still lacking. If you have never seen anyone cook, and all you have ever known from TV, family, and friends is take-out food, how would you know how to cook? That is where IBCLCs come in.

After having helped hundreds of breastfeeding pairs learn how to breastfeed, it is my belief that there is certainly a need for this kind of professional in every pediatrician office, OB/GYN practice and most certainly every hospital. I want to see every mother to take three hours away from pinning nursery designs and finding nerdy onesies on Pinterest and use that three hours to take a comprehensive breastfeeding class. I want those mothers who struggle at the beginning not to feel defeated and inept because they are having trouble getting the hang of it. I want partners to understand how important breastfeeding is to the physical and mental health of babies AND their mothers. I want them to value this bond as much as their lactating counter-point does. I want to educate and teach myself out of a job.

Now let’s get cooking!