Here’s one thing that’s universally true for new parents. After you have your baby, literally everyone will be eager to offer you advice. A random lady walking down the street. A man in the aisles of target. The cashier at the grocery story. Oh, and about 10,000 different influencers on Instagram.
Here’s the thing. With breastfeeding in particular, the vast majority of people in our culture know little to nothing about lactation. For the last 100 years, formula has been the dominant way babies were fed. It’s only recently that the trend has started to change. Through the generations, we’ve lost knowledge of how breastfeeding is designed to work. Most of us giving birth today have never even seen breastfeeding happen up close before we do it with our own babies. And many of us were formula-fed ourselves, so our mothers and MILs and aunts are often not knowledgeable resources (though sometimes they think they are 😉 ).
As a result, most people have no idea how the science of milk supply works, for example. A well-intentioned family member may question whether you are making enough milk for your baby just because the baby is nursing 20 times a day (which can be totally normal). Maybe they’ll encourage you to switch to formula when in fact everything is going well with breastfeeding. Or maybe their misplaced doubts will leave you feeling stressed and anxious.
It’s important to keep this in mind: good advice can help you reach your breastfeeding goals and leave you feeling much more confident and relaxed. On the other hand, bad advice can lead you to give up on your goals long before you’d hoped. That’s why getting advice from the right people or person matters in a big way.
You might think you can trust your pediatrician with breastfeeding advice. But pediatricians are only required to have received 3 hours of lactation education. It’s sad, but true! When I was struggling to breastfeed my baby, I got plenty of bad advice from my pediatrician who I love and trust for just about everything else. A recent survey of medical residents revealed that they admit that they don’t feel confident about giving out lactation advice. This isn’t to say that all pediatricians know very little–some may give great pointers, but they are the exception. It is important to remember that pediatricians are not breastfeeding experts, and they are not who to turn to if you are struggling.
Have you heard of Lactation Consultants? IBCLCs (International Board Certified Lactation Consultants) hold the highest credential in the lactation world. These are the people you want to talk to if you are struggling or need support with feeding your baby.
When I was searching the right Lactation Consultant to lead Mighty Milk’s classes, I interviewed amazing people across the country and chose Lex Beach. Lex is an IBCLC with well over a decade of experience who is highly respected in her community. She’s helped hundreds of families establish rewarding feeding relationships with their babies. Lex is a mother of seven children whose career in lactation was inspired by her own challenges with breastfeeding her twins. You’ll meet and Lex and get her top tips for getting breastfeeding off to the best possible start in Mighty Milk’s classes.
Our Breastfeeding for Expectant Parents class helps you get breastfeeding off to the best possible start. By the end of the class, you’ll feeling confident knowing:
- How often to feed your baby throughout the day and night
- How to maximize your milk supply
- How to tell if your baby is hungry
- How to position your baby for a pain-free latch
- How to tell if your baby is swallowing
- How to tell if breastfeeding is going well, and when to get help
- What you should be aware of with swaddles, the pump, and pacifiers
And so much more.
Lex also leads our Breastfeeding Your Baby (0-12 Weeks) class, which covers lots of topics not covered in the expectant parents class, including:
- Getting started with pumping and bottle feeding
- Establishing realistic expectations for your breastfed baby (this alone is worth the entire class)
- What you should know about latch, gassy babies, self-soothing and other common questions
- How to nurse side laying and in a carrier
- Products that are, and are not, recommended
- So much more
Getting the Breastfeeding Your Baby (0-12 Weeks class) is an excellent way to support our small woman owned biz while also boosting your breastfeeding confidence in a big way. The class is FSA/HSA eligible and backed by a 30 day guarantee. Here’s that link again.
