Breastfeeding is both a joy and a challenge of mothering an infant. The joys, of course, come from knowing and being able to feed your child the healthy breast milk s/he needs. There really is nothing like knowing you can nourish your child plus contribute to building his/her immune system.
The challenges, on the other hand, involve being able to do it correctly (latching, for example), and having enough breastmilk to sustain your child for however long you intend to breastfeed or until they begin weaning.
In the early days following childbirth, most mothers will note that it seems as though no milk is being produced or is coming out. It usually takes two to five days for milk to “let down” or begin coming out so that it can be physically seen. In these early days when the milk may not be visible, it is important that mothers follow the right feeding schedule anyway, which is roughly every two hours for a newborn. Following this schedule is one of the best ways to signal to the body that it needs to produce and keep producing milk.
After a week has gone by, mothers will begin to notice that their supply is increasing. This makes many mothers happy, but of course more questions arise, the most common one being: Am I producing enough?
When mothers are afraid that they aren’t producing enough milk they often turn to experts for help. In this case, that expert is likely to be a certified lactation coach; experts who are trained to help increase milk supply or give breastfeeding tips.
But when does a mother know when she truly needs to consult a certified lactation coach?
1. If the baby is not gaining weight.
Measure your milk supply with your baby’s weight gain. If your baby is growing normally, then you have enough.
A clear indication that a baby is not getting enough food is when they are not gaining weight or if they are gaining weight too slowly. Visiting a lactation expert to check on milk production and whether or not the baby is latching on properly (very important to stimulating the breasts to produce milk) is one solution to this problem. Pediatricians may recommend mixed feeding until the mother’s supply is back up.
2. The baby has a cleft palate or Down Syndrome.
If a baby has a cleft palate, latching may be difficult, and the certified lactation coach can help the mother and the baby obtain the proper latch or a proper system to feed the baby breastmilk. In the case of Down Syndrome, latching can also be an issue if the muscles are very weak.
3. The mother gave birth to twins or triplets.
Breastfeeding multiples is a challenge that many mothers may feel need the guidance of a lactation coach.
Breastfeeding multiples is not a joke! Mothers may end up feeling like all they do is breastfeed! Certified lactation coaches are available to (a) help keep supply up, (b) give tips and techniques for breastfeeding at the same time or in turn, and (c) give moral support for the challenge at hand!
4. Mothers feel like they aren’t pumping enough.
Many mothers measure how well they are breastfeeding their infant by how much extra milk they can produce. While being able to produce more than needed is no indication of whether or not the baby is getting enough food, some seek certified lactation coaches in order to produce more as a way to feed their baby while away.
Without encountering any problems, some mothers choose to see certified lactation coaches right away or to begin speaking to one even before giving birth.
In the end, whatever makes a mother feel better and makes them feel like they are doing everything they can to feed their child can make a big difference to being a happy mother. And as they say: happy mommy, happy baby!
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