Breastfeeding Help – How to get it
If you’re feeling frustrated with breastfeeding, remind yourself of why you wanted to nurse your baby in the first place, then run – don’t walk – to find the help you need to continue to breastfeed.
If you’re having breastfeeding frustrations, here are some tips to help you find the support you need.
1. Remember that your Pediatrician or Ob/Gyn may not have the answers you need. If s/he can’t answer your breastfeeding questions, don’t give up – just look for help somewhere else. This is also true if your health care provider isn’t really supportive of breastfeeding. If she is a woman, she may have had an unhappy breastfeeding experience and is unwilling or unable to give you good information and support.
2. Find someone who is specially trained to answer your breastfeeding questions, like a lactation specialist or a member of the International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).
3. You could also speak with a La Leche League Leader. These are volunteers who have been specially trained to help mothers with breastfeeding. They are also good listeners, and non-judgmental. Many of them have dealt with special circumstances like nursing twins, nursing through challenges, and adoptive nursing. If the first leader you contact doesn’t have the experience in that area, she can consult with other leaders or refer you to someone who does.
4. One of your best sources of help and support can be other mothers who have successfully breastfed their children. They can tell you about their experiences, and assure you that things you are experiencing are normal. They can also give you advice and tell you what worked for them.
Even if you’re not having problems with breastfeeding right now, it is still a good idea to learn what resources are available and where you can connect with other breastfeeding moms. If you ever do have concerns, you will know exactly where to go for help and won’t be tempted to give up breastfeeding your baby before you’re ready.
Of course, you can also look for excellent advice from breastfeeding books and videos in the privacy of your home. Remember that breastfeeding is not supposed to hurt! Some initial discomfort while you and baby are learning is normal, but pain is not and needs to be addressed. Sometimes a small change in position can make all the difference.
Tags: breastfeeding help, breastfeeding tips, la leche league