By Sabrina Easterling, MPH, IBCLC, ICCE

Throughout human existence, the art and skill of breastfeeding has best been learned by watching and learning from other breastfeeding mothers and then practicing “on the job.”  Similar to learning to cook cherished family recipes, women have historically spent many years observing their elders, and then their peers, nurse their babies.  By the time a woman had her first child, she was already quite familiar with breastfeeding – and she could turn to a whole community of women as a resource if she needed help.  When it comes to breastfeeding now, however, our babies may be the only ones who know what to do.  While babies are born “pre-wired” with nursing instincts, many moms feel they learn by “reading the operating manual while driving the bus.”  Understandably it can feel initially overwhelming and may require dedication and time to establish confidence in, and patience with, oneself.  However, as with learning to drive a car or to ride a bike, once learned, it all comes naturally.  So, the trick is in figuring out how to get there.

You Aren’t Alone — Support and Solutions are Available to You

It has been said that “it takes a village to raise a child.” Here are some things to think about at each step along the way to prepare yourself and to take advantage of the resources in your

village.

Prenatally: Gather Your Intel
Learn the Keys to Breastfeeding & Debunk Myths

Optimally, you will be able to learn about the basics of breastfeeding while you are still pregnant by attending a class, a La Leche League meeting, a MilkSupport Get Your Milk for Free event, or another moms’ group (like BirthWays Breastfeeding Café and Clinic).

Consider taking two classes: one focused on establishing breastfeeding in the early weeks, and one focused on continuing to breastfeed beyond the first month, which should include topics such as introducing bottles, pumping and storing milk, and going back to work or school.  Many institutions try to pack this all into one class, which can cause parents to experience Information Overload and can result in valuable topics being “spread thin” due to time constraints.  Don’t forget to bring your partner or a support person along – breastfeeding is a team sport and it’s good when everyone knows how to play the game.

If You Think You Will Not Be Able to Breastfeed

If you have a special concern about your ability to breastfeed — for instance, if you are expecting more than one baby, if you have a history of breast surgery, or if you have had a hard time breastfeeding in the past, you may consider a prenatal one-on-one consultation with an IBCLC (internationally board-certified lactation consultant). You may be surprised by

what you learn; many women who never imagined they could breastfeed find they are able to do it with ease and enjoyment.

Choose Care Providers Who Are Up to Date with Breastfeeding
Knowledge and Who Can Provide Critical Support

If you are planning a hospital birth, ask what kind of support will be available once you are admitted.  Key players to help you along the way include labor & delivery nurses, postpartum

nurses, and hospital lactation consultants.  When you are choosing your pediatrician, ask about what kind of breastfeeding support he or she offers.  Despite the fact that formula feeding and breastfeeding challenges (which are preventable with good support) are linked to some of the top reasons that babies need to visit their pediatricians in their first several months, most medical schools do not teach lactation sciences and some pediatricians are not up to date with breastfeeding knowledge.  In the Bay Area, however, many pediatricians have teamed up with IBCLCs or can provide a referral list.

Testing Out the Training Wheels – Your Baby’s First Few Days

If you are planning on having your baby at a hospital, you will most likely have access to the hospital’s lactation consultants whose role is to help you and your baby get a good start in the first few days.  While a valuable resource, they may be able to visit only once or twice during your stay.  You will need to consider whether this amount of support is sufficient for you

or if you’d like to arrange for additional support from a private Lactation Consultant.

The Training Wheels Are Off – You Are Home,
But You Don’t Have to be On Your Own

There are many benefits to living here in the Bay Area and now you can add ample community breastfeeding and postpartum support to the list.  There are plenty of options:  one-on-one breastfeeding support (even home visits), La Leche League and other support groups, and the happy medium of the two – the new BirthWays Breastfeeding Café and Clinic.  The BirthWays Breastfeeding Café and Clinic offers a mellow environment for moms to have a little down time, enjoy a cup of tea, connect with other moms and learn more about various breastfeeding and newborn parenting issues.  It’s a low-cost resource for breastfeeding moms to get empathetic advice, up-to-date and accurate information and direct, hands-on breastfeeding support from a Lactation Consultant with a trained eye, while enjoying the company and support of other moms.

The first two weeks of breastfeeding are an important time to establish breastfeeding and to ensure plentiful milk production, so seek support early and as often as needed.  A trusted breastfeeding “advisor” can reassure you and help you take a proactive approach to nursing your baby.  Getting things off to as smooth a start as possible can save you a lot of heartache (and nipple aches).  And, closer to home, know that your partner, family and friends will play a critical role, whether by helping with practical things, being enthusiastic “cheerleaders,” or offering caring encouragement along the way. As your baby gains weight and reaches early milestones, you might all be surprised by how exciting poop can be!

Each New Parent Does the Best They Can

Providing breast milk or breastfeeding your baby doesn’t have to be all or nothing. There  isn’t one “perfect” way to nurse your baby and you don’t need to do everything by the book or remember every detail you heard in class. When it comes to taking care of our children, we do the best we can given our circumstances, the information we have to make informed decisions, and the support we have to help us get there. Breastfeeding isn’t always as easy as it looks…but with good resources and support it doesn’t have to be hard on us, either.

If you would like to learn more, these local resources are a great place to start:

BirthWays: www.birthways.org
La Leche League: www.llli.org

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