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

Champion Mom

I have been working with a client for over 6 weeks now and it has definitely been the most challenging case I have had to date. Baby was tongue-tied, mom had severe nipple trauma, and the mom had to supplement the baby so that she could continue to gain weight. I worried about them constantly....I wanted it to work out so badly. My heart was breaking for them every time I got a phone call that things had taken a step backwards. I reached out to colleagues for advice on something I felt I may be missing. We went for a second opinion, just to make sure I had all of the facts correct. Fortunately, the mom was super dedicated to breastfeeding and wanted to succeed so badly. I just was the cheerleader and support system.

Well, after two frenotomies, countless lactation consultations, multiple appointments with a craniosacral therapist, pumping after every feeding session, and a handful of supplements to battle the nipple trauma, mom and baby are now successfully breastfeeding. I was so proud of the duo that I could have cried! I am so in awe of the mom's dedication and how she persevered to achieve what she set out to accomplish. She battled and won! It has been such an incredible learning experience, as well as an amazing confidence booster for me as a lactation consultant. I feel blessed to have met this family!