Knowledge Is Power With Breastfeeding
I am so in awe of all of the misinformation around breastfeeding. Thank God for lactaction consultants, the La Leche League International, great websites such as Kelly Mom, and some amazing books. If you are a first time mother-to-be desiring to breastfeed, learning as much as you can prior to giving birth will be very empowering. I took a birthing class, but I didn't research breastfeeding until after my son was born.
Knowledge is power, so the more you know on breastfeeding, the smoother your journey will be.
If you have heard others share their struggles with breastfeeding, please don't be discouraged. It is very helpful to hear others share an experience that may be similar yours. You can also learn so much from hearing other's triumphs as well as mistakes.A problem can occur though when we only share our struggles to new mothers without understanding why we had those issues. Then we possibly share misinformed ideas and feelings around the topic. This can leave a daunting impression on a mother-to-be. Knowing the why (which can sometimes be difficult to know) is what allows us to share empowering information.
Unfortunately in a time when our families may not live in close proximity, breastfeeding culture is not always as visible amongst women.
Finding the best resources to support your breastfeeding journey is everything. One of the easiest ways to begin your breastfeeding education is through some insightful books. The two books that have helped me tremendously are The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding and The Breastfeeding Mother's Guide to Making More Milk. Both books share a serious wealth of research and information from pregnancy on for your breastfeeding journey.
The first book seems like a given to be interested in, yet the second book provides incredible preventative insights as well as help for those who may be trying to troubleshoot some issues faced along the journey. Both books will give you the knowledge on how to negate misinformed medical professionals, family, and friends on breastfeeding. They both will give you the tools to get support if you do have issues, and to know the language to explain what you may need support around.
There truly is an intuitive nature around breastfeeding, yet that intuition can't kick in when you have too many "hands" in the mix at the beginning of your journey which can be a delicate time.
Working with an extraordinary lactation consultant, becoming as knowledgeable as possible, and finding other forms of support on your journey can make all the difference. You don't often hear about the challenges of breastfeeding until you are in the midst of becoming a mother yourself.
Breastfeeding is a blessed and nurturing bond to create with your baby, and any hurdles can be overcome when informed and empowered.
Much love!
Image by Dawn Michelle