Lactation Consultants

If you are planning to breastfeed and you have access to lactation consultants through your health plan, take advantage of this service. During those first few weeks of breastfeeding, we visited the Lactation Consultants at Kaiser almost every other day. I must say, Ms. Nneka was a lifesaver!! She really was patient, had empathy and was very good at empowering you as a new mom. She had you get right in it and feed the baby right there to make sure that you were doing it correctly. She was very good at giving tips and was practical in giving you advice that you could use.

Alex gained his weight back quickly because once we got the hang of nursing, with the help of our Lactation Consultant, it became a breeze! During the first few weeks they really wanted you to keep track of feedings and output, so David made a form which could help me keep track of all of the feedings. I will attach a sample which you can print out and make copies of to use during those first few weeks.

I know that some health plans do not have Lactation Consultants available, but I have heard of independent consultants who will come to your house. La Leche League (http://www.llli.org/) would also be a good resource, if you do not have access through your health plan.

These women are dedicated to their profession and are very, very good at what they do. It definitely helps to have someone like that in your court when you are a new mom.