Lactation Consultant

Before my son was born, I knew I wanted to breast feed but was clueless about what it would entail. I imagined that he would start suckling seconds after leaving the womb and off we’d go, feeding with ease. Reality had a different story that started with induction, 20 hours of labor, 2 hours of pushing, and ended in a unplanned c-section. In the hospital, The nurses told me I had small nipples and gave me a nipple shield that I found out later was too small. Establishing breast feeding can be very painful and using the wrong sized nipple shield certainly didn’t help. After a week of terrific pain, I went to see a lactation consultant that my pediatrician recommended. Marie immediately noticed that the nipple shield didn’t fit. She informed me that my nipples were shallow, not small, prescribed me some nipple cream, and got Dominic to latch like a an old pro; all in the first half hour! I wish I had seen her or someone like her in the hospital. Instead, the lactation consultants on duty seemed to give up on us and move along before I could even think about what to ask. For the next kiddo, I am going to brush up beforehand by watching a couple latching videos and have Marie visit us in the hospital. I am taking control so that good nursing is established as early as possible. This is key not only to creating a good milk supply but also to bonding with your baby and helping you get through the soreness and experience the wonders of bonding with your child. Hindsight is always 20-20!