Lovely Breastfeeding Analogy

In honor of my Lactation Education training weekend, here is a lovely breastfeeding story.

The Princess and the Chick Pea

Here is the deal, some nurses are AWESOME, they know tons about breastfeeding, have great tips and can offer wonderful support.

Some nurses, don’t know much at all.  Breastfeeding maybe scares them a little, because they can’t see how much the baby is getting.

Ideally moms will educate themselves about breastfeeding before they have their baby.  They will know about the size of their baby’s belly.

Even if they are educated sometimes nurses scare moms into giving a bottle, when it really isn’t necessary.  Mom can express milk and finger feed it to the baby.  Mom may just need some latch help.  Ask to see the lactation consultant if you are having problems in the hospital.  Don’t rely on the nurses advice to be accurate.

I had a student who told me about her birth, she said it went great, but the nurse she had after was trying to tell her to give the baby a bottle.  She finally asked for a new nurse who was more supportive of breastfeeding.  She got one and she is so glad she asked for a new nurse.  ASK for a new nurse if you are not getting along with the one you have!

2 Amazing breastfeeding facts:

There are holes along the digestive tract of every newborn baby.  This allows the antibodies from the colostrum to easily enter the baby.  With 2 weeks of exclusive breastfeeding, these holes close up on their own.  If a baby doesn’t get breastmilk in these first 2 weeks the holes NEVER close.  This can lead to gut issues later in life.  The first 2 weeks of life are a critical period.  Even if you only breastfeed for 2 weeks, it is important and SO helpful for your baby!

1 ounce of formula will damage the babies gut and it takes 2-4 weeks of exclusive nursing for the gut to heal itself after 1 ounce of formula.