8 Reasons to Get Lactation Support
Feeding babies is rarely straightforward.
Especially when nursing for the first time, needing lactation support is absolutely to be expected! We weren’t meant to learn the often-complex dance of feeding newborns on our own! Often a simple adjustment from a skilled helper can make a huge difference.
Even if you took a lactation class or did other things to prepare ahead of time, you may still find yourself in a situation where you aren’t really sure what to do.
When it comes to lactation challenges, we encourage you to reach out early and often for support, and make sure to evaluate whether the support you’re receiving is right for you.
New parents often reach out for support when they’re experiencing pain with latching. But there are many other times a lactation visit could be helpful! I’ve been supporting folks with lactation since 2015, and I wanted to share some other reasons you might consider reaching out for some guidance.
Here are 8 reasons to reach out for lactation support:
1. It’s hard to keep your baby awake during feedings.
Sleepy babies can be really challenging to feed. This becomes even more stressful for caregivers when weight gain is a concern! Over the years of my work with parents, I’ve come up with a list of “bother the baby” techniques (all gentle, of course). Sometimes it takes some real effort to keep a little one awake during feedings, and I love showing parents strategies to accomplish that.
2. Pumping is painful or confusing.
Just as learning to nurse can take some time, so can leaning to pump. A lactation counselor can help you get your pump set up and sterilized, show you how it works, and help you figure out a comfortable way to use it.
You may even learn that the flanges you’ve been using don’t fit properly, and you need a new set several sizes different than the ones you have. So good to know, especially because flanges that don’t fit are a culprit both for pain with pumping AND pumping less milk!
3. You’re exclusively pumping and bottle-feeding, and you want to try transitioning to nursing.
This is one of my favorite things to work on with families! Making this transition can be so challenging if you go it alone, so reach out to a lactation support person to help you move toward your goal. Having a trained eye while making this switch is especially helpful if you’re dealing with any suspected or diagnosed oral restrictions, like tongue ties or lip ties.
4. Your baby is fussy, and you want to know if some aspect of feeding could be part of the issue.
I get a lot of inquiries like this. Often I’m able to help parents figure out what might be going on, and offer some insight into what can be done to help babies feel more comfortable. Sometimes the answer is as simple as your baby’s developmental stage.
5. You’ve been going to a lactation clinic and still have more questions.
This happens more often than you’d think! Lactation clinics affiliated with hospitals or pediatrician practices can be great for getting a weighed feeding (to assess how much milk the baby gets during one particular feeding). But unfortunately they can be pretty busy places, meaning that new parents often don’t get much time with a lactation consultant during appointments.
Aside from short visits, the other comment I frequently hear about lactation clinics is that parents feel the lactation consultants they’ve been seeing aren’t really listening to them. In my practice, I strive to offer a true counseling-based model of care. That means I spend a LOT of time asking questions and listening to my clients.
My primary goal is to understand where you are coming from and what your concerns are. Then we can talk about possible solutions that may work for your particular situation. Every family is different, so you won’t find cookie-cutter advice here!
(I should also say that parents in this situation can by all means keep seeing the lactation consultants at a clinic! My support doesn’t need to replace that care.)
6. It’s hard to get comfortable during nursing sessions, or you’re only comfortable in one position.
Learning to feed your baby in your own environment - especially after spending a couple days in the hospital after birth - can be so challenging! It might sound silly, but after working with dozens and dozens of families I can tell you it’s not. Calling on a lactation counselor to assist you with this challenge can be amazingly helpful.
I love helping my clients to feel comfortable feeding their baby in different positions and in different areas of their homes. For instance, learning how to nurse your baby lying down can be a total game-changer!
7. You’re wondering if you’re doing it right.
Many of my lactation clients just want to know if they’re “doing it right.” For those families, I love spending time in lactation visits watching them feed their little one, troubleshooting as needed, and giving lots and lots of encouragement!
Sometimes what parents really need in those early newborn weeks is validation. Especially coming from someone who is experienced and compassionate, hearing that you’re doing just what your baby needs can make a huge difference.
8. You have questions about what the next few weeks/months of feeding your baby might look like, and want to make a long-term plan.
I have a lot of knowledge and experience with child development. I love helping families plan for how their feeding journey may look over the next few months as their little one grows and changes!
If you’re a planner, this can be a great use of a lactation counseling session! We can talk about when to introduce bottles, making a plan for going back to work, what overnight feeds might look like in the future, and more.
