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Breastfeeding isn’t just “food”, it’s closeness, security, love and sensual experience
Not every mother can or wants to breastfeed her baby, but many do want it and fail because they missed the necessary suppoert and advice they’d needed. In my country, women get paid a midwife who cares for the women who just gave birth for as long as needed as soon as they’re back home by their health fund. Besides, they have the opportunity to get 3 paid visits by a lactation consultant. Mothers with breastfeeding problems should really grab that offer to make it work.
Breastfeeding meet-ups in the hospital or regional groups, e.g. lead by the La Leche League, are an ideal opportunity to meet other (breastfeeding) mothers. Thus, you can discuss related topics and get advice from a professional in a private setting, long past the time in childbed. For those who don’t feel ready yet leaving the house with their baby, Facebook groups with lactation consultants give advice almost 24 hours all day. Most lactation consultants from the La Leche League are reachable via email or phone or might even visit you at home.
What’s important for successful breastfeeding
Mothers who wants to breastfeed shouldn’t give up due to lacking support and professional care. Too often I hear mothers giving up too early saying they hadn’t enough milk. This is the case very, very rarely. The need of breastfeeding the baby very often (clusterfeeding) is a normal habit for newborns because their stomach is so tiny and the milk digested fast. Besides, the baby has several bursts of growth and needs more milk. As soon as the production is boosted, the demand gets normalized.
Because they don’t know better, mothers quickly reach for formula milk and start a vicious circle. This can indeed lead to the fact that they don’t produce enough breast milk anymore. A qualified lactation consultant recognizes the problems soon and can give the highly needed support to lead mother and baby to a full breastfeeding relationship. A relationship of which the partners need to find each other. It’s a relationship that can change every day, that needs to be nurtured, that’s exciting and fascinating and in the end should make both partners happy…
Read on:
- Long term breastfeeding – Why there’s no need at all to wean your baby by the age of 6 months
- Breastfeeding stories – what other mothers experienced…
- Breastfeeding & working – how a mother combines these two easily
- Planned article: what comes after? Baby Led Weaning
