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If you’re planning on breastfeeding (which I HIGHLY recommend) enroll in a Breastfeeding Class!
A friend of mine told me that when she was pregnant, she went to classes and my first thought was, ‘A
class? Can it really be that hard?’ So, being the researcher I am I decided to see what the others thought
about it. It didn’t take me long to realize that it can be much more complicated than I initially thought!
So, I signed us up for a Breastfeeding Class – that’s right ‘us’. When I spoke to the Lactation Specialist she
strongly recommended I bring my husband. At first I thought it was odd but she explained to me that
breastfeeding can be an uphill battle. If you’re husband is at the class, he can not only take mental (or written)
notes of what the Lactation Specialist says - because it can certainly be information overload - but he will also have
a greater understanding of why it can be difficult at times and how he will be able to support you. It also gets him
to be a bit more involved with a beautiful, bonding experience where otherwise he wouldn’t be.
She also supplied us with a package to take home filled with the information we went over during the class which
was really handy once I had my daughter. It also proved to be a big help for my friend who was trying to get her
brand new baby girl to nurse in the hospital! The Lactation Specialist even told me to call her if I had any troubles
at the hospital or once I got home (free of charge) and she would walk me through it! It’s one thing to practice
nursing with a doll and a completely different thing when you have a precious, fragile newborn baby. Plus, you
might have other issues that you didn’t cover in class – or that you didn’t catch during the class.
The top ‘Things I’ve Learned’ from this experience are:
The Power of the Proper Latch
The most important thing I learned in the Breastfeeding class is how to get your baby to latch on properly. This
alone can mean the difference between sore, cracked nipples and barely noticing that your little one is nursing. It’s
hard to enjoy the bonding between Mother and Child when you’re dreading the upcoming feeding. It’s most
important that your newborn learns it right away too; starting out with the proper technique can make process
much easier. One of the key elements in this is ensuring that your baby is opening their mouth as wide as they can
(almost like a yawn). It might seem weird at first but it’s worth the extra effort. Not doing it this way is one of the
main reasons for cracked nipples (ouch!). They shouldn’t be latching onto the nipple – but the areolas.
For more information on techniques check out the article on Dr. Sears Website at:
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/2/T021000.asp
Lactation Specialists, of course, can’t cover every topic – so be sure to do a bit of research on your own.
For me, I wish I looked into nursing premature babies and how they’re needs may be different from a full term
baby. My daughter was born 4 weeks early so she was treated as a ‘Preemie’. What I was told is that your child is
‘Full Term’ if they’re born from 37-42 weeks. They wanted me to give her a bottle because she wouldn’t nurse in
the first few hours. I was resistant because my Lactiation Specialist had told me it wasn’t necessary for your
newborn to nurse for the first 24 hours at least (and because my birthing plan had said that I absolutely didn’t
want to bottle feed her). But when I said that to the nurse she said it was different because Chloe was premature.
So, be as informed as you can because Nurses and Lactation Specialists don’t always seem to think the same way.
I hope this article isn’t scaring you away from nursing, it’s certainly not meant to! I’ve just heard so many women
stop nursing because they thought there was something wrong with them, or their baby or that it was supposed
to be ‘natural’ (and therefore easy) - for some women it is. But for many women I feel that this class helps both
parents-to-be to understand more about it and to know that they’re not alone! It took my daughter and I a few
tries to get it right but I am so thankful I stuck with it. I absolutely love breastfeeding!
A friend of mine told me that when she was pregnant, she went to classes and my first thought was, ‘A
class? Can it really be that hard?’ So, being the researcher I am I decided to see what the others thought
about it. It didn’t take me long to realize that it can be much more complicated than I initially thought!
So, I signed us up for a Breastfeeding Class – that’s right ‘us’. When I spoke to the Lactation Specialist she
strongly recommended I bring my husband. At first I thought it was odd but she explained to me that
breastfeeding can be an uphill battle. If you’re husband is at the class, he can not only take mental (or written)
notes of what the Lactation Specialist says - because it can certainly be information overload - but he will also have
a greater understanding of why it can be difficult at times and how he will be able to support you. It also gets him
to be a bit more involved with a beautiful, bonding experience where otherwise he wouldn’t be.
She also supplied us with a package to take home filled with the information we went over during the class which
was really handy once I had my daughter. It also proved to be a big help for my friend who was trying to get her
brand new baby girl to nurse in the hospital! The Lactation Specialist even told me to call her if I had any troubles
at the hospital or once I got home (free of charge) and she would walk me through it! It’s one thing to practice
nursing with a doll and a completely different thing when you have a precious, fragile newborn baby. Plus, you
might have other issues that you didn’t cover in class – or that you didn’t catch during the class.
The top ‘Things I’ve Learned’ from this experience are:
The Power of the Proper Latch
The most important thing I learned in the Breastfeeding class is how to get your baby to latch on properly. This
alone can mean the difference between sore, cracked nipples and barely noticing that your little one is nursing. It’s
hard to enjoy the bonding between Mother and Child when you’re dreading the upcoming feeding. It’s most
important that your newborn learns it right away too; starting out with the proper technique can make process
much easier. One of the key elements in this is ensuring that your baby is opening their mouth as wide as they can
(almost like a yawn). It might seem weird at first but it’s worth the extra effort. Not doing it this way is one of the
main reasons for cracked nipples (ouch!). They shouldn’t be latching onto the nipple – but the areolas.
For more information on techniques check out the article on Dr. Sears Website at:
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/2/T021000.asp
Lactation Specialists, of course, can’t cover every topic – so be sure to do a bit of research on your own.
For me, I wish I looked into nursing premature babies and how they’re needs may be different from a full term
baby. My daughter was born 4 weeks early so she was treated as a ‘Preemie’. What I was told is that your child is
‘Full Term’ if they’re born from 37-42 weeks. They wanted me to give her a bottle because she wouldn’t nurse in
the first few hours. I was resistant because my Lactiation Specialist had told me it wasn’t necessary for your
newborn to nurse for the first 24 hours at least (and because my birthing plan had said that I absolutely didn’t
want to bottle feed her). But when I said that to the nurse she said it was different because Chloe was premature.
So, be as informed as you can because Nurses and Lactation Specialists don’t always seem to think the same way.
I hope this article isn’t scaring you away from nursing, it’s certainly not meant to! I’ve just heard so many women
stop nursing because they thought there was something wrong with them, or their baby or that it was supposed
to be ‘natural’ (and therefore easy) - for some women it is. But for many women I feel that this class helps both
parents-to-be to understand more about it and to know that they’re not alone! It took my daughter and I a few
tries to get it right but I am so thankful I stuck with it. I absolutely love breastfeeding!