Breast/Chest Feeding
FITMOM’s Top 6 Tips for Success
As a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator and Certified Birth Doula (DONA), Jen from FITMOM Durham, helps to support and prepare hundreds of families to be successful with their plans for feeding their baby.
Here are her top SIX tips that help all families prepare for successful breast/chest feeding:
Get as much information as possible prior to birth. This might include taking a prenatal childbirth class that also includes breast/chest feeding and caring your a newborn baby OR a stand alone class that covers essential content for feeing your baby. If you can't get to a class, then here are a few of her favourite books from her bookshelf:
Dr. Jack Newman’s Guide to Breastfeeding by Newman (2014)
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by Wiessinger and West (2010)
One of her go to videos is Dr. Jack Newman’s Visual Guide to Breastfeeding (see below). She shares it with all of her prenatal students to review prior to their discussions on breast/chest feeding. The video beautifully demonstrates the elements of a successful latch and what to look for.
Spend time with family/friends that are breast/chest feeding. Many Lactation advocates point to the lack of visual demonstrations of babies actively feeding at the breast/chest. Hanging out with other people who are feeding their baby helps you observe the behaviours between baby and parent. We always encourage members to visit their local La Leche League at some point in pregnancy to meet other families and to listen to other peoples experiences and how they are overcoming challenges. Peer to Peer support is often an overlooked and under-utilized strategy, but it certainly contributes to success and longevity.
Partner Support. Prior to the birth of your baby, you and your partner should talk about how you’d like to feed your baby and work out how they can support you in breast/chest feeding. A good class will not only teach your partner the benefits of breast/chest feeding, but will help them learn how they can actively support you, especially in the early days and weeks. Learning how to support various positions, motivating you during the long nights when you feel tired and defeated and making sure you are well fed and hydrated, are just some of the ways partners increase success.
Skin To Skin. In almost all situations, a baby and the birthing parent can and should spend a good hour or more on skin to skin contact immediately after birth. This simple act helps to stabilize a newborn’s core temperature, regulates their breathing, reduces their stress and encourages them to follow their instinctive behaviour to breast crawl for their first feed.
Set up Support. Most people have a plan for the birth of their baby(ies) and spend a lot of time thinking about things that are important to them. However, having a plan in place for support in the early postpartum period is often overlooked. Knowing in advance, who you can turn to for help will make breast/chest feeding easier. We encourage families to consider putting a little extra money aside before they go on maternity leave so that finances are not a barrier to assistance. Although there are many free and drop-in resources available, sometimes the 1 on 1 support of a Lactation Consultant is just what is needed to keep you and your baby happy and content.
Practice Makes Perfect. Be patient with yourself and your baby. You and your baby are learning a new skill, tuning in with each other's needs and navigating new territory. If you run into any challenges at any time reach out for help.
As a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator and Birth Doula, Jen has spent many years preparing and supporting families as they prepare to feed their baby.
Ottawa Breastfeeds helps provide families in the Ottawa region with easy access to breast-feeding support. You can learn about where to get a breast pump, locations for drop in clinics, how to arrange a private visit for one on one help with breastfeeding and where to find peer or general support on having a baby.
Preparing to feed your baby is easier when you have good information!
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