In my own personal breastfeeding experience, as well as hearing the comments and conversations about others’ breastfeeding experiences I hear it WAY TOO MUCH. I absolutely hate when someone questions my (or another woman’s) ability to feed and nourish their baby. But, you do have to remember that they do generally mean well and are only concerned for the baby’s health, so you have to give them a little slack. The best thing to do if you run into this problem is to talk with them. If the comments have a negative affect on you, tell them. Educate them. This is exactly why I offer private classes for couples and families so that everyone is on the same page about breastfeeding an infant and the family can offer adequate and proper support to the mother. But for those of who do find themselves questioning a mother, this is for you.
Why You Shouldn’t Question Her
- First off, it’s rude. Period. Simple as that. If you are concerned for the mother and/or baby then you should ask them in a more appropriate and sensitive way. Maybe try saying something along the lines of “…I was just concerned about how often he’s nursing.” or “I noticed that he want to nurse very often, is this normal for a breastfed baby?” Like I said before, many of them are only concerned and may require more information about breastfeeding to lessen their concerns.
- It’s discouraging. Asking a mother if she’s making enough or if her baby is getting enough from her can be really discouraging to the mother, especially if she’s already having a difficult time establishing breastfeeding with her newborn. It can lead to self-doubt and worry which could lead to supplementing with formula which leads to less milk production which leads to the end of their breastfeeding journey before the mother may have wanted it to.
- She doesn’t really need your unwanted advice about how formula and cereal will help the baby sleep loner and not need to nurse so frequently. And sorry, but the cereal thing just ins’t true. And it’s recommended that solids not be introduced to babies until they are at least 6 months of age. Formula is not very easily digested by babies leading to longer periods between feedings and they are typically bottle-fed which often leads to overfeeding therefore leading to an even longer period in between feedings. Not to mention the spit up that’s likely to happen. If you’re concerned about her baby’s constant nursing then see point #1 for some guidance.
- She knows her body and baby. I feel like a lot of people undermine their intuition and need to get in sync with the “little voice in the back of your head” and rely a little more on your “gut feeling”. A mother instinctively knows when what her baby needs and when if she just listens, watches, and becomes in sync with her baby. So if she is educated about breastfeeding then as long as she is mindful she and her baby should be fine.
- She deserves way more credit than that! Seriously. If you’ve ever breastfed then you may know how challenging it can be, and if you haven’t then take a second to imagine a newborn baby nursing every 2 hours (or sooner) for anywhere from 10-45 minutes at a time 24/7 for the first 6 months (approximately) of the baby’s life. Then add engorged and sore breasts and sore and/or cracked nipples to the first few months (more or less) of the baby’s life. It’s not always the pretty picture you may imagine, but it is worth it for many mommas. So now imagine knowing that you are nourishing your baby with your milk and offering them the numerous benefits of breastfeeding. Imagine the pride felt and the love that’s circulating between momma and baby during each nursing session. Both of you sitting and watching one another and creating a bond that literally only breastfeeding moms can understand. I mean, she’s feeding a human being! Using her breasts the way they were intended to be used. How amazing is that?! I think it’s pretty darn cool which is why I’ve dedicated my life to helping women achieve their breastfeeding goals.
Instead of questioning these mothers we should be uplifting them! We should offer support, encouragement, acknowledgement, etc. for the incredible thing that they’re doing.
from lactation « WordPress.com Tag Feed http://ift.tt/219DxiE
article sponsered by Northern Michigan certified lactation consulting and Mother Hubbards Country Cupboard
No comments:
Post a Comment