Hi folks!!! I am happy to see that you have chosen again to visit my blog! Today’s topic will explore the issue that I have faced in counseling mothers that have chosen to give their precious little one “liquid gold”. How will I give myself the best chance to breastfeed successfully? Even though it is a scary topic for first timers I happen to LOVE when I am presented with the question. It gives me the opportunity to educate and help prepare mothers so that they are able to make their own decisions about the rewarding experience of breastfeeding.
So on last week I had the opportunity to meet with two amazing women that presented with the very topic of discussion and the challenges they were facing early on in their journey. The first was a 26 year old female that was facing difficulty with her newborn latching correctly which caused her breast to become engorged. I became involved with this young mother when her case manager called for additional support for her 3 day old son. Knowing that the first couple of weeks are crucial to getting your milk to let down and also a crucial time for your baby to learn how to latch on and become accustomed I was all ‘hands on deck’ and ready to assist! I arrived to her home and found that she was indeed engorged. She was experiencing a heaviness, tightness, and just an overall miserable feeling that makes you want to cry and pretend the pain will go away. BUT there is hope! You see, engorgement does not last forever *cheers of joy*!! So, through her participation with our program I was able to provide her with a breast pump and show her how to correctly express her milk to reduce the engorgement. After we decreased the amount of milk in her breast, it made it easier for her little one to latch and VOILA she experienced a successful feeding. The feeling of accomplishment after seeing her son latch and knowing she expressed 2 oz of her own milk was remarkable! Engorgement is one of the reasons why a large percent of moms stop breastfeeding in the first month but I feel confident that this mom with continue on with her journey!
My second super mom was a first timer and was also having challenges with her 3 day old daughter. She was experiencing pain and was on the brink of discouragement and possibly throwing in the towel to use a bottle of formula she had prepared before we got there*sad face*. I asked if I could watch her conduct a feeding as she normally would and found that the baby was latching directly onto the nipple *OUCH*! I provided her with some alternate positions and found that the cross cradle hold was the best. She was able to feed without pain or discomfort and was so excited! Also during my time with her she was able to pump her other breast and produced enough milk to pour out the formula and replace it with her OWN milk! The support she received and education on proper techniques and assistance from yours truly helped her reach a new personal goal! With this awesome support, which is critical for starting out on the breastfeeding journey, she is now confident in her abilities to continue with this method of feeding her baby girl. The very next day she sent me a photo of triple the amount of milk!
Knowledge and support go hand in hand to give moms the confidence they need to stay the course for their little ones! Thank you taking the time to read this month’s blog as I highlighted two of many success stories of moms on the breastfeeding journey! Now show off!! Feel free to comment on your experience and/or post pictures of your liquid gold!