Breastfeeding becomes an integral topic for women embarking into motherhood that, beyond its nutritious benefits, helps strengthen the mother-baby bond.
However, unbeknownst to many (including expecting moms), it’s a task that demands patience, time and ample support. Frequently cited problems during breastfeeding, such as mastitis (inflammation of the breast) or baby’s failure to latch on, can lead a mother to stop breastfeeding.
Since the early 1990s, the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee launched initiatives to advocate and support breastfeeding mothers. These include the designation of August as National Breastfeeding Month in 2011, making this practice more understandable for breastfeeding mothers and their families.
A chat with Sasha Lansing, Registered Nurse and Certified Lactation Consultant from Delray Beach, takes us deeper into this matter.
Lansing, 41, struggled to breastfeed her first baby. “I saw my doctor every week until I gave birth at 37 weeks. That’s when she said, ‘See you in 6 weeks.’ I was shocked because once I had my baby is when I needed the most support,” she says. “I had breastfeeding guidance in the hospital, but once home, I still struggled and felt alone.”
It wasn’t until Lansing gave birth to her second daughter and joined a support system with other breastfeeding moms that she realized how important community was. “These women made any struggle less memorable and the good days even better. I will forever be grateful for those park play dates, moms’ night outs and meetups!” she says.
To help other mothers feel that way, Lansing initiated a new venture in 2017 that she called “Mom’s Breast Friend.” The postpartum care group for breastfeeding moms offers in-home lactation support and community meetups for all mothers during their baby’s first year of life.
Lansing explains the benefits to both mother and baby with breastfeeding. It allows moms to calm and comfort the baby, lowers the risk of contracting breast cancer and helps babies get sick less often. However, when a mom stops breastfeeding before she or the baby is ready to wean, she might experience physical changes like leakage or breast pain and emotional distress due to a change in routine, hormonal shifts as well as feelings of sadness and guilt.
Breastfeeding is a journey full of ups and downs, and Lansing says it’s hard work to learn to master it. “Mothers should never feel guilty, ashamed or embarrassed about feeding their baby,” she says. “If a mother desires to breastfeed, she should be encouraged, embraced and have access to professionals during pregnancy and early postpartum.”
Lansing recommends that upon entering the third trimester, mothers-to-be should think about how they want to feed their babies. “Find a lactation consultant, chat with them, and come up with a plan for support.”
As for those first-time moms struggling with breastfeeding, she advices, “Give yourself some grace!”
Photo courtesy of Sasha Lansing