Where to learn about breastfeeding
A pregnant friend asked me about the best way to obtain breastfeeding advice yesterday–a course, a book or both?
I did both, but I still had a few hiccups. I still needed my two hours with the lactation consultant at The Kensington Wing. I still needed a home visit from midwife Kristina from The Women’s Wellness Centre after the first week, and I still needed to call Vicki from New Baby Company for advice on a Sunday evening.
That’s why I would add a third bullet to the ‘to do list’: Phone numbers. Knowing who to contact on that Sunday evening when I noticed a change in Baby Girl’s feeding felt like a life-saver. I was teary-eyed and needed advice to regain my confidence.
The book and course–not to mention YouTube videos like Philips Avent’s Guide to Breastfeeding–were great for learning about the basic principles of breastfeeding, breast milk and baby growth and development. Understanding how baby’s tummy grows in the first few days and weeks and how baby’s sucking technique develops in the beginning made it easier to assess feeding patterns and change.
But before I had the baby in my arms, all the talk about breastfeeding felt a bit surreal. That’s why I found it impossible to digest all the information before Baby Girl was born, and afterwards there was very little time to read.
Instead, the help from professionals was invaluable. Perhaps there would be a market for a Black Book of breastfeeding experts.
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Phone numbers can really save one’s life, can’t they!