Getting Ready to Breastfeed Maine

1. Skim some good breastfeeding books. The details may not be all that helpful until your baby is born, but just get a few books and skim them so you're familiar with what's there. Some good books include:
   
   
   • "Bestfeeding: How to Breastfeed Your Baby" by Mary Renfrew, Chloe Fisher, and Suzanne Arms
   • "Nursing Your Baby" by Karen Pryor and Gayle Pryor
   • "So That's What They're For!" by Janet Tamaro
   • "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" by La Leche League International.
   
   
2. Learn some of the basics. Find out how milk production works, how latch and positioning works, and about some of the common breastfeeding concerns and questions that new parents usually have. In addition to the books mentioned above, a great online resource is www.kellymom.com. A great in-person resource is your local La Leche League meetings, which you can find at www.lalecheleague.org.
   
3. Establish your support network. Make sure that your partner understands that breastfeeding is important to you and you will need support. Tell your partner that support doesn't necessarily mean becoming a breastfeeding expert. Support means that, instead of saying or doing things that cast doubt on your ability to breastfeed or that interfere with breastfeeding, your partner says, "I can see you're having trouble, let me call an expert and make an appointment" or "I'm concerned that things aren't going well, let me call an expert and make an appointment."
   
   Put together a list of who is available to help you. Include the telephone numbers for the following people:
   
   
   • Lactation consultants. They may be at your local hospital or even your pediatrician's office. There are also independent consultants that you might find in the phone book.
     
     Note: A lactation consultant's education and experience varies widely and anyone can call themselves a "lactation consultant". There is one body that currently certifies lactation consultants with extensive qualification requirements and a rigorous exam. That body is the International Board of Certified Lactation Consultants. A person with this certification has the initial "IBCLC" after her name.
     
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Author: Veronica Smith-Casem