10 Ways to Prevent and Overcome Breastfeeding Difficulties

by Lyla Wolfenstein, B.S., IBCLC, RLC

1. Take a prenatal breastfeeding class. Often, expectant parents fully intend to breastfeed, but figure that it is a natural process and they shouldn't need a class to learn how. Breastfeeding is natural and normal, but there can be obstacles to overcome along the way, while baby and mother learn this new skill. By informing yourself ahead of time about how to prevent and overcome breastfeeding difficulties, you can significantly increase the likelihood that any difficulties you do encounter will be minor and short-lived.
   
    
2. Take a childbirth education class, plan for a natural birth, if possible, and use a labor doula to help you achieve the birth you desire. Many babies breastfeed just fine after an epidural or narcotic, but for many it does not start out so smoothly. If you do get an epidural or a narcotic during your labor, you can still breastfeed, but you may need to have more patience with your baby as he or she overcomes the effects of the drug(s) and learns to breastfeed. Getting skilled help can often speed the resolution of any breastfeeding problems that do arise after a medicated (or any) birth.

Statistics show that the use of a labor doula to assist with pain management and to provide support and encouragement throughout labor and delivery reduces the length of labor by 25 per cent, the use of pain medication by 30 per cent, the use of forceps by 40 per cent, the C-section rate by 50 per cent, the use of Pitocin by 40 per cent, and the use of epidural anesthesia by 60 per cent. Since all of the above-mentioned interventions can impact the initiation of breastfeeding, it makes sense that the use of a labor doula can positively affect breastfeeding outcome.

3. Attend a few La Leche League meetings before the birth of your baby. La Leche League is a great place to learn more about the normal course of breastfeeding and hear from other mothers who have had a variety of experiences with labor, birth and breastfeeding, as well as to form friendships that may persist beyond your baby's infancy and help break the isolation of new motherhood. At La Leche League Meetings, you will also be able to speak with and get phone numbers of local accredited La Leche League Leaders who you can call on for support if you encounter any difficulties with the normal course of breastfeeding.
   
    
4. No matter how you plan to give birth (medicated, unmedicated, home, hospital, etc.) be prepared for the possibility that your birth might go differently than desired - and plan ahead accordingly! Even if you plan a natural birth, things could take a different turn, and it can help tremendously to gather information ahead of time about how to prevent and overcome breastfeeding difficulties that might arise from a medicated birth, even if you don't plan on using medications. And if you plan on using an epidural, or know you will be having a c-section, it is all the more important to inform yourself beforehand of how to avoid or overcome breastfeeding difficulties within the context of your birth reality.
   
    
5. Plan on breastfeeding, don't plan on "trying" to breastfeed. In my article What's Your Breastfeeding Intelligence Quotient: Getting the Facts Straight -Debunking the Myths about Breastfeeding, I discussed the common misconception that formula is a close second choice after breastfeeding. The following snippet, taken from that article, will help illuminate the points made afterward, under this item.

From "What's Your Breastfeeding Intelligence Quotient?" by Lyla Wolfenstein:

While formula is commonly assumed to be the second-choice infant food after breastfeeding, the World Health Organization (WHO) actually states:
 
"The second choice is the mother's own milk expressed and given to the infant in some way.
The third choice is the milk of another human mother.
The fourth and last choice is artificial baby milk (infant formula)"

Even one bottle of formula alters the infant gut flora for at least a month - rendering it no different from an adult's or older child's (eating other foods) gut profile. Just one bottle of formula can set the stage for future allergies, food sensitivities, diabetes mellitus, and a host of other conditions and diseases. While this does not mean that any baby given formula will develop a medical condition, do we really want to risk it with our babies? Of course, in some cases, supplementation is needed, and if the first three options on the WHO's list are not available, formula is preferable to cow's milk for a newborn. Feeding the baby is definitely preferable to not feeding the baby, if the baby needs food! But the scientific facts point toward it being well worth the effort to avoid early supplementation with artificial baby milk if at all possible - and it often is possible, with proper information and timely intervention.

Breastfeeding is the biological norm for human infants. If we woke up one morning, and couldn't breathe easily, not one of us would say "Oh well, I guess unassisted breathing didn't work out for me, I will have to use an oxygen tank from now on!" Now of course there are situations which require the use of oxygen, but every one of us would attempt everything possible to fix our breathing problem before resigning ourselves to an oxygen tank! This may seem an absurd comparison, but if we truly view breastfeeding as the norm, and artificial infant feeding as almost never necessary and a distant 4th in order of preference, then the analogy makes sense.

When mothers are prepared with accurate information, are supported by family, friends, and/or professionals, and seek out competent assistance if problems do occur, it is rare that breastfeeding doesn't work out. And if it does happen to be one of those rare situations where a mother truly cannot make enough milk, or a baby truly cannot breastfeed, then that is comparable to the medical situation that truly warrants the prolonged use of oxygen, and in those situations, she can be grateful to have options for artificial feeding, even while she is saddened she missed out on breastfeeding.

6. If problems arise - get help immediately! As with many health-related situations, breastfeeding difficulties can become more complicated over time, so early intervention by a skilled professional (look for an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) can make a huge difference in how quickly and easily problems can be overcome. It can be helpful to prepare yourself before the birth of your baby with the name and number of the person with whom you have chosen to consult.
   
    
7. If you decide not to breastfeed, or to discontinue breastfeeding, inform yourself fully of the risks of artificial feeding, and the realities of breastfeeding. Then and only then, can you make a truly informed decision. We all have the right to weigh the realities of any choice with which we are presented and make an informed decision. The problem that occurs too frequently with regard to breastfeeding is that, out of fear of "making mothers feel guilty" about not breastfeeding, "experts" deprive parents of the information needed to make an informed choice. This is patently ridiculous, as guilt is used frequently to further other causes, such as car seat use, not smoking while pregnant, putting baby on their back to sleep to prevent SIDS (formula feeding is a risk factor for SIDS, but that is not often mentioned), and many other issues not only pertaining to parenting.

If you do choose to quit breastfeeding, and your baby has trouble with infant formula or you have a change of heart, keep in mind that it is often possible to go back to breastfeeding, even if your milk supply has dropped. Finally, if you are leaning toward not breastfeeding at all, consider just breastfeeding for the first few days, so that your baby can have the advantages of your colostrum, which is rich in immune factors and vitally important in many ways. Who knows - you may find breastfeeding is easier than you imagined and decide to continue a bit longer!

8. Get support! Many of us giving birth in the past decade were not breastfed as babies, or not for long, and our mothers likely didn't receive the support and information that could have helped them breastfeed. As a result, some grandparents today are extremely supportive of their daughters or daughters-in-law breastfeeding, but others are not. They may feel guilt or remorse that they were not able to provide what we are now telling them is the best for babies. Or perhaps they simply do not understand how much more information we have now about infant nutrition, bonding, and child development, and they feel uncomfortable with how different parenting "looks" compared to when they were young parents.

If your family is not supportive, if you don't have friends with babies or friends who breastfeed, or even if you have supportive family and friends but feel isolated by new motherhood, it can be tremendously helpful to surround yourself with other breastfeeding moms who are encountering similar experiences and can support each other. So consider joining a support group, playgroup, or mom's group, or forming one of your own! Once you reach out, you'll be surprised how many moms are feeling just as isolated as you are!

9. Love your baby, cherish your time with your baby, and don't rush your baby to the next step before he is ready - enjoy your new adventure! It sounds cliche, but its true - you will soon look back amazed at how the months and years have flown, and what seemed like insurmountable problems when your baby was 3 weeks, 3 months, or even 3 years old, will seem like blips on a radar screen before you know it. Your baby will eventually sleep more, sleep alone, eat solid foods, crawl, walk, talk, learn to use a toilet, and wean from the breast, whether you push those things on him or not, and it is a lot less anxiety-provoking for both you and your baby to follow your baby's lead than it is to push and hope baby is ready. The more "present" you can be with your baby through those early stages, the sweeter the memories of those fleeting months will be when you reflect in years to come.
   
    
10. Trust your instincts, follow your heart. Probably the most important of all the suggestions you will receive, this really needs no elaboration. Our instincts are there, we just have to recognize them and listen to our hearts. Each mother has the power to know what is right for her baby and her family, but many other voices sometimes crowd out the most important voice of all - the one inside that is guided by maternal instinct.

Written by Lyla Wolfenstein, B.S., IBCLC, RLC