When Should I Call a Lactation Consultant?

For many women, breastfeeding is a breeze. Your baby is born, he is placed on your chest, and soon after he self-attaches to your breast and that is all she wrote. This is how it was for my sister, the second time around. Granted, she had a completely unmedicated home birth, had breastfed her first child for over two years, and her baby was born without any health problems.

Then, there are the rest of us…. 10-hour epidurals, emergency cesarean births, tight frenulums, sleepy babies, etc. With all the right intentions, we get caught in a situation where our nipples feel like they are about to fall off and we cry every time our baby wakes up because we can't imagine having to breastfeed in pain AGAIN! However, there are women out there who can figure out what is going on with you and your baby and possibly improve your breastfeeding situation drastically….. these are the lactation consultants. Plus, the sooner you see a lactation consultant, the sooner you will begin to heal and be able to breastfeed your baby, pain free.

Here is a list of reasons why you would want to call for a lactation consultant:

1. Sore, cracked nipples
   
2. Severe engorgement
   
3. Breast infection
   
4. Your baby was born prematurely
   
5. Your baby has lost more than 7% of his birth weight
   
6. Slow weight gain – your baby has not regained her birth weight by 10-14 days
   
7. Low milk supply
   
8. Painful when feeding, even though your baby looks like she has a good latch
   
9. Your baby has severe jaundice
   
10. Breastfeeding multiples
    
11. History of infertility or PCOS
    

I hope you are all blessed with beautiful, easy breastfeeding experiences. Both my boys took a few weeks to figure it out, but it was definitely worth the wait. And I have my lactation consultant to thank for thatJ

How Do I Know that my Baby is Getting Enough?

As a breastfeeding mom, it is difficult to measure how much your baby is getting at each feeding session. Bottles come with ounces written on the side, breasts do not. A new mom, still learning her baby's cues, might think that every time her baby cries that she/he is hungry, therefore leaving mom with a sense that she must not be making enough milk. This is usually not the case. But, to put your mind at ease, here are a few ways to actually know if your baby is getting enough.

For babies 1-6 weeks old:

• Has regained his birth weight by 10-14 days old
  
• Has 5 or more wet diapers and 3 or more soiled diapers in 24 hours
  
• Gains 4-7oz per week
  
• You can hear swallowing throughout the feed
  

If your baby is meeting the above criteria, trust your body, trust your maternal instincts, and continue what you're doing.

If your baby is not meeting the above criteria, I would recommend seeing your pediatrician or a lactation consultant to assess the situation.

FYI, Babies go through growth spurts around 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months old. During these 2-4 days, your baby will be fussy, want to eat constantly, and want to be held all of the time. This is normal. This is nature's way of increasing your milk supply with extra breast stimulation. During these growth spurts, breastfeed on demand; this will make the growth spurt take less time….pacifiers only make them last longer. Once your baby has successfully increased your milk supply, he/she will go back to feeding on a more regular schedule.