It takes a village to raise a baby and support is key.
Breastfeeding can be extremely challenging and many people have never been around breastfeeding let alone babies.
New parents are often isolated not living near family and close friends. Because of this the virtual world can be a welcome substitute especially in the wee hours of the night.
When breastfeeding is not working the way you imagine it should it is easy to turn to your virtual village. The problem is that breastfeeding is a unique experience to each baby and their parent. There is no one size fits all way to feed your baby.
New parents are hungry for guidance. In their sleep deprived state they reach out: ”Help! My baby won’t latch.”
“Help! My nipples are bleeding,”
“Help! My milk supply is low,” and on and on.
Aunt Sadie scrolls through her feed and sees your SOS, “Just give that baby a bottle, don’t be a martyr.”
You neighbor Steve says, “My wife downed the blue Gatorade and she spouted fountains of milk.”
Cousin Alex may offer, “Get a nipple shield, my friend who is thinking about becoming a lactation consultant told me that is works every time.”
These people are there in good spirit. They want to help but you are blasted with a barrage of anecdotes that may help some but does not address your specific situation.
You need a skilled professional to assess you and your baby, take a full history of your birth, your and your baby’s medical histories and play detective to help you meet your breastfeeding goals. If you are struggling with breastfeeding reach out to an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant.
In the New York Metro area you can find an IBCLC here
In the rest of the world you can find an IBCLC here.
