Painful Breastfeeding

Posted by on Apr 29, 2012 in Blog, Breastfeeding Challenges, Painful Breastfeeding | 0 comments When mothers are seen breastfeeding their babies, it is often the picture of serenity.  For some mothers this happens straight from birth – the baby goes to the breast for the first time, latches well and takes in the liquid gold.  For others it can be a rocky journey which takes time, patience and assistance to get right. Breastfeeding should NOT be painful.  As Christina Smilie says – pain is the body’s way of guiding us to comfort.  There are many reasons why breastfeeding may be painful.  There may be a simple adjustment which can help the situation such as improving the baby’s position.  The baby may have had a difficult birth and may need supporting for a time until feeding improves.  Some babies have a tongue tie which is restricting the baby’s ability to feed and causing damage to the mother. With all these situations (and others), a lactation consultant can help to work out the cause of the pain and make breastfeeding more comfortable and enjoyable.  If breastfeeding is painful, you can contact me to discuss if your particular situation might benefit from a...
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Mother-To-Mother Support

Posted by on Apr 23, 2012 in Blog, Breastfeeding Challenges, Painful Breastfeeding, Parenting Your Breastfed Baby | 0 comments When working with a mother, I often get a range of parenting questions mixed in with the breastfeeding ones.  I’m happy to answer these when I can.  Some mothers can feel somewhat isolated when they have a baby and may be looking for information about what to expect from this period of their baby’s life and reassurance that they are meeting their baby’s needs. When a mum’s breastfeeding situation no longer requires an LC, I often suggest they get in contact with their local ABA group.  These groups can be a great source of information, support and friendship with mothers who are in a similar stage of life.  It is also one of the World Health Organisation’s 10-steps to successful breastfeeding. To find your local ABA group, click...
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The Great Dummy Debate – A Personal Perspective From An IBCLC

Posted by on Mar 5, 2012 in Before Baby Arrives, Blog, Breastfeeding Challenges, Lactation Consulting, Painful Breastfeeding, Parenting Your Breastfed Baby | 0 comments All my children had dummies…. Was this a good thing?  The answer is both yes and no for me.  For my first child, having a dummy was the means to an end and also the beginning of a slippery slope to early weaning. When I brought my first beautiful newborn baby home from hospital, I was elated.  This lovely scene came crashing down around me when breastfeeding went very wrong.  My baby was drowsy and I was getting more and more frustrated that she wasn’t feeding.  Eventually after she became more alert, she REALLY wanted to feed.  By this stage breastfeeding was excruciating.  I dreaded attaching this beautiful little bubba to my breast to feed.  I started trying anything I could to delay feeding her and stretch the feeds out.  This inevitably led to using a dummy.  There were two things wrong with this. Firstly, she was crying because she wanted to feed and make up for the days that she had been drowsy.  She was showing me all the feeding cues and I just didn’t recognise them.  Also, my breasts were not getting the stimulation they needed to make the amount of milk my baby needed. Secondly, she was already attaching poorly and introducing a foreign teat which in no way stretches and functions like a breast was, in my opinion, contributing to her trouble. In the end I couldn’t face the toe-curling pain with each feed and chose to express my breastmilk and feed it to her with a bottle.  I was disappointed and sad that breastfeeding hadn’t worked out for me.  It wasn’t all about the dummy, but it certainly didn’t help. My second and third babies also had dummies.  This time around I was more informed and more determined to get things right.  So I chose to focus on establishing breastfeeding as a priority after I had the baby – electing to use other settling techniques and delaying the use of a dummy until about 6-8 weeks.  When I did use the dummy it was sparingly and when I knew that the baby’s tummy was full.  I tuned into my babies and looked for feeding cues, I also realised that I had a limited milk storage capacity and that my babies really NEEDED to feed frequently to thrive – which they did.  I used the dummy to help them to get to sleep, in the car...
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What is an IBCLC & When Do I Need One?

Posted by on Feb 2, 2012 in Before Baby Arrives, Blog, Breastfeeding Challenges, Lactation Consulting, Painful Breastfeeding | 1 comment An IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) is a person who has worked with breastfeeding mothers and babies for an extended time, accrued significant professional development hours and has sat and passed an international level exam set by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE).  IBCLC’s are specialists in their field and are a reference point for any breastfeeding issue. Many IBCLC’s come from a mother-to-mother breastfeeding counsellor or midwifery background.  Some are registered nurses from a hospital setting, others have been allied health professionals.   All lactation consultants who have IBCLC after their name, however, have attained the highest standard in the specialty of breastfeeding – regardless of their background. The role of an IBCLC is usually in one of two areas.  There are often IBCLC’s employed by maternity hospitals to support mothers who birth in that hospital during the post-natal period.  Others go into private practice and support mothers during pregnancy and after the birth of their baby. Research supports the fact that mothers (& their partners) who receive breastfeeding education before their baby is born are more likely to have better breastfeeding outcomes.  IBCLC’s have an indepth knowledge of issues which may effect breastfeeding and can provide an individual assessment before a baby arrives. IBCLC’s are a wealth of knowledge after your baby is born and can help with all breastfeeding related issues.  Whether a baby is having trouble attaching, breastfeeding is painful or there is concern about milk supply – if it’s breastfeeding related, an IBCLC will be able to help. If you’re returning to work, an IBCLC can help you to plan for the transition.  Both mother and baby will need to adjust to the changes, and input from an IBCLC can help make the transition as smooth as possible. Some IBCLC’s provide professional inservice sessions and conference lectures.  Some are authors of fantastic books or run online breastfeeding education sites. So, IBCLC’s are highly qualified health professionals that have a wide-ranging role in supporting breastfeeding mother/baby dyads in a variety of...
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Breastfeeding Challenges

Posted by on Sep 15, 2010 in Blog, Breastfeeding Challenges, Painful Breastfeeding | 0 comments When you’re experiencing breastfeeding challenges, it can be a time of great vulnerability.  The emotion that comes with a breastfeeding experience which is less than rewarding can be very strong, even overwhelming sometimes.  Having been through a disappointing breastfeeding experience with my first baby, I can very much relate to the feelings and frustration that can come from breastfeeding challenges. That’s why it is so important to get the right help early.  For some people it means having a consultation before the baby arrives so they have a clearer picture of what to expect once their baby is born and is breastfeeding.  It may mean looking back at what has happened to contribute to the situation so it can be changed.  For others it means recognising that either things are not going well or are not improving.  Sometimes just recognising what is normal for newborns can help. Often breastfeeding challenges are easily rectified.  Some may be ongoing or need more complex management.  Most mothers find that the effort they put in to overcome their breastfeeding challenge is well worth it. Breastfeeding is NOT MEANT TO BE PAINFUL.  If it is, you might like to contact me to decide if you need a...
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