5 Tips to Maximize Your Hospital Lactation Consult

Through my work as an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant), I've spent time in a few different hospitals working with moms and newborns and helping them learn how to breastfeed.  In my (admittedly) short time as a Lactation Consultant or training to be one, one thing became clear to me. Most moms, especially first time moms, leave the hospital with a lot of uncertainty about breastfeeding. It can be overwhelming.

What I'm hoping to accomplish in this post is how you can maximize your time with your lactation consultant. I've spent time in three different hospitals either as a volunteer or as paid lactation staff. While each hospital was different, what they all had in common is that there are waaaaayyy more moms and babies than there are lactation support staff. Our job is to help you succeed with breastfeeding but we are confined by time. Meaning our time with you one-on-one is generally going to be fast - anywhere from about 15 minutes to about 45-60, at most. In addition to the time being short, we also have other factors to consider.  Often most moms are physically exhausted from labor, have been up all night, and are sleep deprived due to an ever-revolving door of people checking on you or baby making the situation a less than ideal learning environment (think of your 8am Friday morning college stats class after a Thursday night out). 

Here are 5 tips that I hope may help you maximize your hospital lactation experience:
 
1 - take a prenatal breastfeeding class. Having a baseline level of breastfeeding info and knowledge is incredibly helpful to build on.  

2 - think about questions you may have and write them down (if you're creating a birth plan, writing the questions and keeping them with your birth plan would help ensure they get taken to the hospital). You can also jot down your questions once you're in the hospital and have started breastfeeding. You'll likely be asked to log your baby's feeds and dirty diapers - you can write your questions here. 

3 - if you've struggled with breastfeeding in the past, have a brief summary ready to share of what your struggles were (ex: low supply, return to work and unable to pump, undiagnosed tongue tie). 

4 - if you've had any breast surgeries please tell us. Often this info is in your chart, but not always and it's not always easy to find quickly. Again, we are often limited in time and will take a look at your chart prior to going in your room but may not notice if there was mention of breast surgeries, including breast augmentation, lumpectomy, breast reduction, etc. All of these may affect lactation and it's very important that we are aware if you've experienced any of them. 

5 - if breastfeeding is incredibly important to you, let your partner know and ask him or her to support you in your goals. One way he or she can do this is to listen to what the LC has to say. Many significant others disengage with lactation because "they can't feed the baby", but what many partners don't realize is how truly significant their role is in supporting mom with breastfeeding. Being aware of what's normal in regards to newborns and feeding will go a long way with Dad/SO being able to say, "the baby's cluster feeding. I know it's frustrating but I remember the LC saying this is normal. I know I can't feed the baby but I'm happy to take care of dinner since I know our baby needs you right now."

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If you have other tips, please share!