Comments on: Helpful Skills of Breastfeeding Counselors

By: Stephanie Gable, RN, IBCLC

Stephanie Gable, RN, IBCLC — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 21:36:43 +0000

Hi, I am a Lactation Consultant in a Hospital setting and I have to say that routinely mothers who come in planning to breastfeed will press their call light and ask for bottles of formula and their nurses take it to them without ever asking “how is the breastfeeding going?” or “May I help you”? One mom came in and stated “I want to pump my milk”. The nurses insisted that she did not want to put her baby to breast. “She pumped with her last one” was what I was told. When I visited her room and asked her had she considered nursing her daughter she stated “I would love to. That would be so much easier than pumping and feeding it to her, but my last baby wouldn’t latch on so I just figured she wouldn’t either”. Needless-to-say, she is exclusively nursing her daughter.
I have learned in my years of helping mothers and their babies that intuition is one of the most valuable tools necessary. Listening to the mother first, then listening to that inner voice that helps me figure out what she is saying and not saying, so that I can help her be successful
Thanks for your comments Angela regarding listening. It is indeed extremely important.

By: Anthony Sepe

Anthony Sepe — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 21:08:49 +0000

Hi Angela,
Thank you for participating in the blogfest. As a dietitian who has worked for WIC in the past, I am someone that supports the breastfeeding mom and those that are considering breastfeeding. You have a very nicely done post!

My continued best wishes,
Anthony Sepe
http://fromadietitiansperspective.blogspot.com

By: Marjorie Geiser, MBA, RD, NSCA-CPT

Marjorie Geiser, MBA, RD, NSCA-CPT — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 04:25:27 +0000

Great specialty, Angela! This brought back many memories of my days of breastfeeding. My kid (who is now 29) never slowed down and I still remember the lactation expert I called who reassured me back then.

By: psumommy

psumommy — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 19:11:39 +0000

Wow, I wish the breastfeeding counselor I talked to during a scream fest with my first had read this article! My 3-day-old baby was screaming, my milk had come in and she couldn’t latch on (I discovered years later that I have an oversupply and strong letdown issues, too). I called the hotline at about 3am, crying because I didn’t know what to do. The first thing out of her mouth was “Well, you have formula in the house, right?” And tried to tell me I wasn’t making enough milk. I ended up learning online that same night how to hand-express enough to get my daughter to latch on.

I did have one excellent LC with my 2nd child, thank goodness. She knew exactly what I was talking about when I called, and gave me some excellent advice that I still pass on to friends who come to me with breastfeeding problems! I wish I’d known her when I had my first.

By: Renata

Renata — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 03:25:11 +0000

Angela,
I’m glad you participated with us. Even as a dietitian, we need to know when it is needed to refer a client to someone else who is more specialized, but it has got to start with listening! I admire how breastfeeding counselors work and interact so well together, whether they are peer counselors or IBCLEs.

By: Marsha @ Green Mountain at Fox Run

Marsha @ Green Mountain at Fox Run — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 00:27:05 +0000

I did call a lactation consultant w/ my first child, and she was so helpful. Reassured me. Calmed me down and things went great from there. So glad folks like you are out there.

Glad to meet you in the blogfest, too.

By: Monika Woolsey

Monika Woolsey — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 18:37:36 +0000

Angela,

Thank you so much for participating in the blogfest! I am in the process of becoming better networked with lactation specialists because of my specialty in PCOS and the lactation issues that can create. So I am eager to know is out there to connect and collaborate with.

I hope we brought you some new readers…and that our paths cross again in the near future.

Monika Woolsey

By: Liz Marr, MS, RD

Liz Marr, MS, RD — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 17:44:36 +0000

Thanks for sharing your insights on breastfeeding counseling. I’m teaching undergraduate introductory nutrition, so it’s always helpful to hear about clinical experience.

Liz

By: Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 02:56:56 +0000

“The confidence to trust their own instincts” — yes! I agree with you. It’s sad how first-time mothers are especially vulnerable to having their own good instincts undermined.

By: Amber

Amber — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 02:50:13 +0000

I am a volunteer breastfeeding counselor, and most of the time I feel it’s just my job to listen and provide emotional support. There are a lot of people who undermine a new mother’s confidence. Often they are well meaning and don’t intend to do any harm, but they ask questions that cause concern or they believe that they know the right thing to do, even though that ‘right thing’ may be at odds with a mother’s desire.

So my most valuable skill is to help a mother find her own answer. Then support her in that answer. Most of the time they don’t need a lot of technical information, they just need a listening ear, a few ideas, and the confidence to trust their own instincts. I think this is pretty much the same thing you’re saying. We don’t really need to be ‘experts’, we just need to listen.