Sometimes feeding goes beautifully.And sometimes it absolutely does not.
Maybe you're in pain. Maybe your baby won't latch. Maybe you're pumping constantly and still not making enough milk. Maybe you have no idea whether your baby is getting enough. Maybe feeding is technically “working” but you are completely miserable.
You do not have to wait until things are terrible before asking for help.
And you don't have to know exactly what's wrong before you call me. That's part of my job.
Also who cares what your friend told you is working for her? We are all living our own lives here!
Maybe you're in pain. Maybe your baby won't latch. Maybe you're pumping constantly and still not making enough milk. Maybe you have no idea whether your baby is getting enough. Maybe feeding is technically “working” but you are completely miserable.
You do not have to wait until things are terrible before asking for help.
And you don't have to know exactly what's wrong before you call me. That's part of my job.
Also who cares what your friend told you is working for her? We are all living our own lives here!
Could seeing a lactation consultant help?
1. Ouch! It HurtsFeeding your baby should not require you to grit your teeth and pretend everything is fine.
A little nipple sensitivity can happen when you're getting started. But significant, persistent, or worsening pain is worth figuring out.
Pain can come from positioning, latch, milk transfer, pumping, nipple or breast inflammation, oversupply, or a whole bunch of other things.
Let's figure out which one you're dealing with.
2. Not Enjoying ItThis is allowed.
You can love your baby and hate breastfeeding.
You can be grateful that your body makes milk and also be completely sick of making milk.
You can want to continue but need things to change.
You can decide you're done.
Feeding does not have to be an endurance sport just because someone else thinks you should be able to endure it.
3. Feeling OverwhelmedIf someone has handed you seventeen pieces of conflicting breastfeeding advice and you now have no idea what you're supposed to do, welcome to the club.
Sometimes the problem isn't lack of information.
It's too much information.
Let's sort through what actually applies to you.
4. Supply QuestionsThis is one of the most common reasons people contact me.
And here's the annoying part: figuring out milk supply isn't always as simple as looking at how much you pump.
A pump isn't a baby.
A bottle isn't a breast.
And a single pumping session isn't a complete report card on your lactation.
If you're worried about supply, let's look at the whole picture.
5. You Want to Breastfeed, Chestfeed, or Bodyfeed, but It's Not Working YetMaybe your baby won't latch.
Maybe they latch but don't transfer milk well.
Maybe they used to latch and suddenly stopped.
Maybe you're supplementing and want to work toward more milk at the breast or chest.
Maybe you are pumping and would like to transition to direct feeding.
There are a lot of ways this can go.
We don't have to pretend there is only one acceptable destination.
6. Weaning or Changing Your Feeding PlanMaybe you want to wean.
Maybe you want to pump less.
Maybe you want to pump more.
Maybe you want to move from exclusive pumping to combination feeding.
Maybe you want to stop making milk altogether.
Maybe you thought you would breastfeed for a year and now you're thinking, “Yeah... that's not happening.”
Plans change.
Your lactation consultant should be able to help you change the plan without making you feel like you've failed.
7. Life ChangesGoing back to work.
Starting daycare.
Travel.
Illness.
A new medication.
A baby who suddenly sleeps differently.
A baby who suddenly feeds differently.
A new pregnancy.
A move.
A family situation that you did not exactly have on your postpartum bingo card.
Lactation happens in a real life, and real life refuses to stay still.
8. You Need More SleepSometimes the lactation problem is actually a sleep problem.
If you're waking up six times a night to pump because somebody told you that you have to, let's talk about that.
There may be ways to protect milk production while also figuring out how much sleep you can realistically get.
And sometimes the answer involves changing the feeding plan.
Sleep is not a character flaw.
9. Baby Refuses the Breast or BottleBabies are weird.
They can go from happily feeding to suddenly acting like the breast or bottle has personally offended them.
A baby who refuses to feed deserves some detective work.
There can be medical reasons, developmental changes, flow preferences, feeding mechanics, stress, illness, or just a very particular little person having a very particular day.
If your baby isn't feeding well, let's figure out what is happening rather than simply telling you to “keep trying.”
10. You're Wondering About Feeding ToolsPumps.
Flanges.
Bottles.
Nipple shields.
Supplemental nursing systems.
Milk collectors.
Weighted feeds.
There are approximately seventeen million lactation gadgets available now.
Some are genuinely useful.
Some are useful in very specific situations.
Some are expensive objects that will eventually live in the back of your kitchen cabinet.
Before you buy another thing, you can ask me.
A little nipple sensitivity can happen when you're getting started. But significant, persistent, or worsening pain is worth figuring out.
Pain can come from positioning, latch, milk transfer, pumping, nipple or breast inflammation, oversupply, or a whole bunch of other things.
Let's figure out which one you're dealing with.
2. Not Enjoying ItThis is allowed.
You can love your baby and hate breastfeeding.
You can be grateful that your body makes milk and also be completely sick of making milk.
You can want to continue but need things to change.
You can decide you're done.
Feeding does not have to be an endurance sport just because someone else thinks you should be able to endure it.
3. Feeling OverwhelmedIf someone has handed you seventeen pieces of conflicting breastfeeding advice and you now have no idea what you're supposed to do, welcome to the club.
Sometimes the problem isn't lack of information.
It's too much information.
Let's sort through what actually applies to you.
4. Supply QuestionsThis is one of the most common reasons people contact me.
And here's the annoying part: figuring out milk supply isn't always as simple as looking at how much you pump.
A pump isn't a baby.
A bottle isn't a breast.
And a single pumping session isn't a complete report card on your lactation.
If you're worried about supply, let's look at the whole picture.
5. You Want to Breastfeed, Chestfeed, or Bodyfeed, but It's Not Working YetMaybe your baby won't latch.
Maybe they latch but don't transfer milk well.
Maybe they used to latch and suddenly stopped.
Maybe you're supplementing and want to work toward more milk at the breast or chest.
Maybe you are pumping and would like to transition to direct feeding.
There are a lot of ways this can go.
We don't have to pretend there is only one acceptable destination.
6. Weaning or Changing Your Feeding PlanMaybe you want to wean.
Maybe you want to pump less.
Maybe you want to pump more.
Maybe you want to move from exclusive pumping to combination feeding.
Maybe you want to stop making milk altogether.
Maybe you thought you would breastfeed for a year and now you're thinking, “Yeah... that's not happening.”
Plans change.
Your lactation consultant should be able to help you change the plan without making you feel like you've failed.
7. Life ChangesGoing back to work.
Starting daycare.
Travel.
Illness.
A new medication.
A baby who suddenly sleeps differently.
A baby who suddenly feeds differently.
A new pregnancy.
A move.
A family situation that you did not exactly have on your postpartum bingo card.
Lactation happens in a real life, and real life refuses to stay still.
8. You Need More SleepSometimes the lactation problem is actually a sleep problem.
If you're waking up six times a night to pump because somebody told you that you have to, let's talk about that.
There may be ways to protect milk production while also figuring out how much sleep you can realistically get.
And sometimes the answer involves changing the feeding plan.
Sleep is not a character flaw.
9. Baby Refuses the Breast or BottleBabies are weird.
They can go from happily feeding to suddenly acting like the breast or bottle has personally offended them.
A baby who refuses to feed deserves some detective work.
There can be medical reasons, developmental changes, flow preferences, feeding mechanics, stress, illness, or just a very particular little person having a very particular day.
If your baby isn't feeding well, let's figure out what is happening rather than simply telling you to “keep trying.”
10. You're Wondering About Feeding ToolsPumps.
Flanges.
Bottles.
Nipple shields.
Supplemental nursing systems.
Milk collectors.
Weighted feeds.
There are approximately seventeen million lactation gadgets available now.
Some are genuinely useful.
Some are useful in very specific situations.
Some are expensive objects that will eventually live in the back of your kitchen cabinet.
Before you buy another thing, you can ask me.
If any of these sound familiar, let's talk.
You don't need to arrive with a diagnosis.
You don't need to have tried everything.
You don't need to know whether the problem is your latch, your supply, your baby, your pump, your hormones, your schedule, or something else entirely.
Tell me what is happening.
We'll start there.
My job is to understand what's going on, help you understand your options, and make a plan that fits your actual life and your actual goals.
And sometimes the plan is to fix something.
Sometimes it's to make things easier.
Sometimes it's to change the feeding plan entirely.
All of those count.
You don't need to have tried everything.
You don't need to know whether the problem is your latch, your supply, your baby, your pump, your hormones, your schedule, or something else entirely.
Tell me what is happening.
We'll start there.
My job is to understand what's going on, help you understand your options, and make a plan that fits your actual life and your actual goals.
And sometimes the plan is to fix something.
Sometimes it's to make things easier.
Sometimes it's to change the feeding plan entirely.
All of those count.
Supplemental Nursing System: Providing Nourishment with Support for Newborns, Preemies and low milk supply
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Come see Catherine Belonogoff IBCLC to ensure proper pump setup, maximize milk production, troubleshoot issues & develop a customized pumping plan
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