Have you ever wondered why so many mothers who plan on breastfeeding and assume that because it is a natural thing to do…. don’t actually breastfeed for as long as they had planned to do?
This article offers some reasons why our breastfeeding initiation rates are so high, fall pretty quickly shortly after the baby is born. We still have a lot of work to do in education the healthcare community as well as families.
First I would like to share some Tips to help you with newborn breastfeeding. The article follows below.
1. Connect with a local mom who is breastfeeding. Make friends with her so she can be someone you can call on for support once your baby is born. When breastfeeding is going well, new mothers still need support and still have lots of questions. Having someone you know and trust that you can call, will be extremely helpful.
2. Take a good breastfeeding class. Small classes that are given by an IBCLC can be very helpful. Classes that focus on newborn breastfeeding can help new parents learn what they need to know for successful breastfeeding. This is also another way to connect with an expert in your community, before you have your baby.
3. Attend breastfeeding mothers support group BEFORE you have your baby. Take the time to do this as you will learn a lot, get to observe other mothers breastfeeding, and again, make a connection with others in your community who are breastfeeding friendly.
4. If at all possible, have the family members who will be helping you during the postpartum period, also attend a class. They will learn a lot in just a few hours and this can increase their ability to understand and be helpful in the early days.
5. Be open to ask for help if you are unsure if breastfeeding is going well in the first few days. Request the help of the hospital lactation consultant during your hospital stay. If you are having breastfeeding issues in the first week, consider scheduling an appointment with an IBCLC. Their are many private lactation consultants who work outside of the hospital. It is their focus to help prevent breastfeeding issues by education before the birth and to help solve breastfeeding issues once your baby is born.
6. As a breastfeeding expert, my greatest wish is that breastfeeding should be enjoyable, pain free and something to look forward to as you sit with your baby in your arms and take the time to relax from the busy parts of your day. Enjoy your baby! I know it sounds so cliche… but this newborn period really does go so fast.
