What Do You Need to Continue Breastfeeding?
Breastfeeding Support From The Start
Breastfeeding Support Package
CLC's Support Your Breastfeeding Journey
As a Certified Lactation Counselor, I serve local families who desire a breastfeeding relationship with their baby. As a professional lactation support person, I am here to support your goals in breastfeeding, without judgement. Success happens by reaching your breastfeeding goals, without discomfort, disappointment, or struggle.
A visit takes about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, during which time we will talk about your birth, your breastfeeding journey thus far, and your goals, It is important to do a flange fitting so you can maximize the effectiveness of your pump. We can even put the pump together, and teach you how to use it before you deliver.
During our visit, we will go over a the steps to achieving a proper latch, create a plan for continued breastfeeding, and make referrals to other professionals if that is necessary. As a CLC, I can recommend trusted professionals who are qualified to diagnose and treat torticollis, tongue-tie release, and other common newborn complications with breastfeeding.
At the end of our session, I will leave you with a plan designed to meet your particular goals, a flange ruler and flange insert kit to adjust your flange size as you journey progresses. A receipt with my NPI number will be sent reflecting your payment which may be reimbursable with FSA or HSA dollars.
Find Breastfeeding Support While Pregnant
Find Someone You Are Comfortable With While Pregnant
Ideally, you will have someone to call before you have your baby so you can be prepared for typical or common breastfeeding experience. Many people do not anticipate needing support, so it’s very common to call someone when you already think it’s too much to continue. Breastfeeding should not hurt, pain of any sort is your body’s way of saying something needs to change. We can make it easier, but there are not enough CLC’s or IBCLC’s to meet immediate need, which is usually the case with a newborn.
Helpful hint – call the hospital where you plan to deliver and ask them about lactation support – in particular what type of support will you be offered if you deliver your baby late at night. If they only have limited staff that is “on call,” overnight, you may wait 6 or 7 hours to be seen by someone briefly. Nursing staff is typically trained to support lactation, but may also be supporting multiple patients while they are with you. It’s wise to have your own resources fleshed out ahead of time.
Understand The Message of Breast is Best
Extreme Views Have No Place in Feeding Babies
The CDC recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months and has put initiatives in place to help families meet that goal, increasing the percentage of exclusively breastfed babies (EBF) in the US. If you want to breastfeed, you deserve support towards that goal. If you do not want to breastfeed, that is your right and should be a decision you make after becoming educated about what you are choosing. The facts and mechanics of a subject do not trump personal history, trauma, surgery, or family lifestyle.
In NJ, there have been some positive changes in laws surrounding breastfeeding, including insurance coverage, the right to pump at work, and the right to feed a baby in a private, clean location that is not a bathroom. There are options for chest-feeding, re-lactating, donor milk, and bottle feeding pumped milk. Families deserve support to reach their goals for their families, you should not quit because we do not offer you what you need, that is not equity and it’s not getting you to your best possible outcome.
Many insurance companies offer 4-6 visits with a CLC or an IBCLC and the opportunity to receive a free breast pump. If you want to EBF, your hospital must offer support of that within 24 hours of birth, ideally sooner.
As soon as you have found a CLC that you feel comfortable adding to your team, coordinate a first visit prenatally so you are prepared to have a normal breastfeeding relationship, and are prepared with common troubleshooting techniques, should you need them.
Here are a few links for products that I have found helpful. I have no loyalty to brands, so use these recommendations to spark your research, but choose what you find affordable, available, and appealing:
Collection Vessel for Hand Expressed Colostrum