In Honor of World Breastfeeding Week August 1st-7th 2018
Last month my Facebook feed and Instagram were filled with proud moms smiling as each held her nursing baby to her chest. Some of the pictures were current and some pictures were many years old. Lots of captions said, “We made it 5 months ebf!” (exclusive breastfeeding) and, “miss these days of bonding with my baby.” As a professional in the baby and breastfeeding world, these posts make me smile.
At the same time, I am sensitive that there are moms who are seeing these posts and feel regret, sadness or even shame over their own breastfeeding journey that didn’t turn out the way they had hoped. It is understandable. The benefits of breastfeeding are well known and certainly doesn’t seem like something that can be all that difficult if you haven’t done it before.
Did you know that when a woman is admitted into the hospital to give birth, the nurses ask her if she plans on breastfeeding. Over 80% of women say, “yes.” Yet, by three months, fewer than 40% of women are exclusively breastfeeding. That’s how hard breastfeeding can be and why our moms and babies need so much support.
What are we going to do? First, we are not going to worry about the 18% or so of women who are not planning on breastfeeding. There are worse things than not breastfeeding and we have no idea what a woman’s reason is for not doing it. Our efforts need to focus on the women who want to breastfeed, but are not able to do so. There are many reasons this happens and most of the trouble boils down to the first days and weeks of breastfeeding. Sometimes it’s just misinformation, sometimes it’s unsupportive medical professionals or family. Often there are issues with latching or comfort for the mom or concerns with how much the baby is getting.
Most breastfeeding issues can be overcome with the right support. Since this can be hard to find, I am listing some of our local resources here. Please pass these on to any friend, neighbor or family member who is having a baby.
About Families: www.aboutfamiliesinc.com has a free drop-in breastfeeding clinic every Tuesday in Rancho Mirage at Jadabugs location at The River
Desert Birth and Wellness: http://desertbirthwellness.com/ has groups in Joshua Tree and also can do home visits in High Desert as well as Coachella Valley
Healthy Beginnings: https://www.desertcarenetwork.com/our-services/maternity/healthy-beginnings offer lactation visits in Desert Regional Medical Center as well as appointments with a lactation consultant in their offices in Palm Springs, they also have breastpump rentals and supplies.
Loving Support: http://www.lovingsupport.org/ 24/7 Breastfeeding Hotline
WIC: https://wicbreastfeeding.fns.usda.gov/ Lactation consultants, breast pumps, classes, nutritional help for lower income
For Moms and Babies: http://www.formomsandbabies.com/ Home visits all over the Coachella Valley and phone support
