As a first time Mom, working with Catherine was incredibly helpful, as all things breastfeeding were completely new to me. We met multiple times and she guided me through everything from the early days of latching and positioning, to managing my supply, to pumping and feeding strategies for my return to work.
PLAN AHEAD FOR SUCCESS
Real-world advice that meets you where you are, and gets you where you want to be
Parents will get unsolicited advice from anyone. Expert advice is a careful combination of science, cultural humility and a respect for everyone's goals. The support system and plan for a parent must be tailored to their personal situation, goals and lifestyle.
Catherine Belonogoff IBCLC will meet you wherever you are on your journey and guide you to where you want to go, while listening to what's important to you.
Infant feeding is a complex skill that takes time to learn. Having support in the home, an intention to provide breastmilk and skilled support for when it doesn't make sense is the evidenced-based way to breastfeeding success.
Lactation consulting can be curative (immediate fix with a prescribed plan of action) and therapeutic (a process that gradually changes the breastfeeding couple to promote favorable outcomes). I work as a coach in the therapeutic process through a series of visits to ensure positive outcomes. I meet you where you are and help you get to where you want to be.
Breastfeeding is a skill and for a mastery one must pass through the 3 stages of skill acquisition.
Step 1: late pregnancy to newborn stage
You are aware of what you are doing. It’s difficult and requires total or near total focus. It does not feel intuitive. This is an academic/thinking component of the process, and having a mentor such as an IBCLC is a key element here. You may feel powerless or confused as you don’t really know what you are doing yet. This is the hardest stage.
Reframe: Instead of “this is too hard and I can’t do it” Say, “I am in the cognitive phase, I am learning and it’s exciting and hard.”
Step 2: From 6-8 weeks
Now you are on the road to autonomy and flexibility in your breastfeeding work. You can practice the task on your own with your baby and don’t need supervision. You begin to rely on yourself. You can begin noticing the circumstances and world around you and how you and your baby react to it and each other. You begin to troubleshoot. This is the deliberate practice phase. You still require focus, but things are becoming second nature. You are still limited in your total power and knowledge, but you are acquiring skill practice and getting better.
Reframe: Instead of saying “I can’t sustain this level of focus and work” Say, “this may be hard, but I am working my edge and this is where I grow and learn.”
Step 3: Skills Acquired!
Now you can perform pumping or breastfeeding at will and with great skill. You are effective and efficient without even thinking about it. You don’t need to pay such close attention and your focus can relax. You have the skills you need to feed your baby however you choose. You have acquired a level of mastery that you may be able to share with other people. As I like to tell my clients, the world is your oyster. You get to call the shots. You have done the hard work of setting up a milk factory to feed your own child and now you have options.
Reframe: Instead of saying “Breastfeeding/pumping is preventing me from doing x, y, and z.” Say, “I know this skill well and now there is room to maneuver and find my own path including those things that I love to do. I have space now because I have done some hard work.”
Changes to your system require returning to the beginning of the skill acquisition phase:
Going back to work, starting to pump, weaning, bottle feeding, sleeping longer at night, anything that requires a change will demand a rethink of how you are doing what you are doing. That’s where a breastfeeding coach like an IBCLC comes in handy. They know the territory and make things easier quickly and identify options that you didn’t even know existed.
From pregnancy to birth to back to work, your feeding journey evolves from the first days to the last days. I am here to coach you on to success. Booking a series of visits with a package is the most popular and best way to ensure success and continued skilled support.
Catherine Belonogoff IBCLC will meet you wherever you are on your journey and guide you to where you want to go, while listening to what's important to you.
Infant feeding is a complex skill that takes time to learn. Having support in the home, an intention to provide breastmilk and skilled support for when it doesn't make sense is the evidenced-based way to breastfeeding success.
Lactation consulting can be curative (immediate fix with a prescribed plan of action) and therapeutic (a process that gradually changes the breastfeeding couple to promote favorable outcomes). I work as a coach in the therapeutic process through a series of visits to ensure positive outcomes. I meet you where you are and help you get to where you want to be.
Breastfeeding is a skill and for a mastery one must pass through the 3 stages of skill acquisition.
Step 1: late pregnancy to newborn stage
You are aware of what you are doing. It’s difficult and requires total or near total focus. It does not feel intuitive. This is an academic/thinking component of the process, and having a mentor such as an IBCLC is a key element here. You may feel powerless or confused as you don’t really know what you are doing yet. This is the hardest stage.
Reframe: Instead of “this is too hard and I can’t do it” Say, “I am in the cognitive phase, I am learning and it’s exciting and hard.”
Step 2: From 6-8 weeks
Now you are on the road to autonomy and flexibility in your breastfeeding work. You can practice the task on your own with your baby and don’t need supervision. You begin to rely on yourself. You can begin noticing the circumstances and world around you and how you and your baby react to it and each other. You begin to troubleshoot. This is the deliberate practice phase. You still require focus, but things are becoming second nature. You are still limited in your total power and knowledge, but you are acquiring skill practice and getting better.
Reframe: Instead of saying “I can’t sustain this level of focus and work” Say, “this may be hard, but I am working my edge and this is where I grow and learn.”
Step 3: Skills Acquired!
Now you can perform pumping or breastfeeding at will and with great skill. You are effective and efficient without even thinking about it. You don’t need to pay such close attention and your focus can relax. You have the skills you need to feed your baby however you choose. You have acquired a level of mastery that you may be able to share with other people. As I like to tell my clients, the world is your oyster. You get to call the shots. You have done the hard work of setting up a milk factory to feed your own child and now you have options.
Reframe: Instead of saying “Breastfeeding/pumping is preventing me from doing x, y, and z.” Say, “I know this skill well and now there is room to maneuver and find my own path including those things that I love to do. I have space now because I have done some hard work.”
Changes to your system require returning to the beginning of the skill acquisition phase:
Going back to work, starting to pump, weaning, bottle feeding, sleeping longer at night, anything that requires a change will demand a rethink of how you are doing what you are doing. That’s where a breastfeeding coach like an IBCLC comes in handy. They know the territory and make things easier quickly and identify options that you didn’t even know existed.
From pregnancy to birth to back to work, your feeding journey evolves from the first days to the last days. I am here to coach you on to success. Booking a series of visits with a package is the most popular and best way to ensure success and continued skilled support.
3 VISIT PACKAGEMOST POPULAR: From pregnancy to the early newborn days fully supported.
3 VISITS: Prenatal + Initial + Follow Up @ $585 Save $90.00!
"WONDERFUL! Had a prenatal consultation and learned so much. I received the best feedback and advice." Darah W
"Without the nurses at the hospital helping me, I felt alone and was ready to give up. I still remember that first phone call with Catherine and the visit that followed. I felt understood, validated and supported." KELLY C
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7 VISIT PACKAGEFrom birth through the newborn phase to balancing life (and sleep) with feeding and pumping for baby and everything in between.
7 Visits: A year of supported feeding @ $1300 Save $300.00!
"Catherine is a rockstar. If it wasn't for Catherine I would have 100% stopped breastfeeding. She taught me how to feed my baby and take care of myself. You leave her sessions feeling empowered, capable, and equipped with tools to meet you and your baby's needs." KRISTIN R "I felt like I couldn't understand or trust my body anymore. She quickly helped me get my confidence back with some structured and very actionable advice." ALISON H |