Why You Need a Lactation Consultant on Speed Dial!

Here is what you need to know about breastfeeding…umm, it’s HARD!   It’s not a sure thing, it’s not magical for everyone and it takes work!  However, for those who want to breastfeed, it’s important to know that it won’t necessarily happen for you right away and that having support is really important.  My support team was my husband and my lactation consultant Taya Griffin.

QUICK PSA: It’s important to remind all readers that FED is BEST and if you don’t want to breastfeed, can’t breastfeed or whatever the reason – that is your choice! Okay, now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

I met Taya 24 hours after my first child was born, my husband called her out of desperation because you guessed it, I was having trouble breastfeeding! My milk took it’s time to come in and my colostrum was too thick for my son’s little mouth to suck which resulted in one hungry baby and one crying mama.  Though we were in the hospital with lovely nurses trying to assist I felt with each shift change I was explaining our situation again and being told different things.    We needed consistency; we needed an expert and that was Taya.  She came into a very fragile situation; me, a fresh new mom, struggling to feed her new babe, my boobs being pulled and probed by various nurses, being pressured to formula feed and not having the experience I envisioned with breastfeeding.  Taya immediately saw my sensitive state and gently assessed and recommended a course of action.   What surprised me most were there were options – it wasn’t just you can breastfeed or you can’t.  In my situation; Taya recommended some teas and vitamins to help my milk come in and until it did come I was instructed to use a breast pump as well as tube feed my son.  Tube feeding meant that he would get fed formula through a tube that was stuck on top of my nipple (too much info?).   Thankfully within 2 weeks’ time, my milk was in and tube feeding was a distant memory.

Fast forward two years to October 2017 and my daughter was born! Thinking I am a second-time mom, I know how to breastfeed, this will be a breeze…boy was I wrong!  This time I was faced with a whole new set of breastfeeding issues.    My little’s latch was all wrong which resulted in cracked nipples, and engorged breasts; layer onto that exhaustion due to a nocturnal baby and you have all the right ingredients for a distraught mom!  This time I knew what to do and I didn’t hesitate calling my lactation consultant, Taya!  She came as soon as she could, sensing my desperate need for support.  The pain I was in from breastfeeding was not sustainable and I knew that if I didn’t get help fast, I was going to give up.  As it turned out, the hour and a half I spent with Taya was the most important in my postpartum journey.  She was able to give me hands-on instruction on how to fix the latch and the confidence to continue breastfeeding all in the comfort of my home.  Also, Taya brought me lactation cookies, how could you not love someone who brings you cookies! After my appointment, Taya was available for any follow up questions which I have a handful for her!

While many of us have a birth plan, I suggest you spend some time thinking about your postpartum plan and if breastfeeding is part of your plan then you’ll definitely need a lactation consultant on speed dial.  You’ll need a breast pump on standby or have someone ready to run out and buy you one.  Breastfeeding shouldn’t hurt, it can be magical and special but it takes work, patience and a support team such as an amazing supportive and compassionate lactation consultant like Taya that can make all the difference.

Taya is a mom of two with over 800 hours of clinical experience helping moms achieve their breastfeeding goals.  Taya is available for hospital or in-home visits.  Find more information about Taya here

Note: I received a complimentary visit for my second child from Taya for this post, however, the opinions are all my own.

Hey thanks for stopping by, while you are here, check out our directory for any service you might need.  If you are considering a lactation consultant, here is a list of a whole lot of them!