as Viewed Through Mary's Story of
Breastfeeding Jake
by
Carol Chamblin, RN, MS, IBCLC
Mary and I met when her firstborn was 4 months old. Mary had
taken her daughter, Julia to see the doctor and was told she needed to
supplement her baby with bottles because the baby had not gained
enough weight. Rather
than starting to give Julia bottles, Mary decided to call me for a
lactation consultation. A lactation consultation consists of an assessment of the
baby's latch at the breast, measuring how much milk the baby takes
at the breast, and intervening with the proper techniques to continue
breastfeeding.
We met on a sunny day in the fall of 2001.
I still remember the sunny backroom where we did the consult.
As I prepared to help Mary to position her baby onto her
breast, I discussed reasons a baby may not get enough of milk at the
breast. At the age of 4
months, the reasons may vary from an alert baby being easily
distracted, to a calm, quiet baby such as Julia, leading to not
gaining enough weight. Most
of the time the breastfeeding experience can continue while the issues
are resolved.
After Mary and Julia's consult that fall afternoon in 2001, Julia
did gain weight without the need for bottles. They continued to enjoy their breastfeeding relationship
until Julia was 15 months old, when Mary became pregnant with Jake.
This time Mary hired me to assist her with breastfeeding her
baby soon after birth. Jake
was born on a sunny Sunday afternoon on September 21, 2003
weighing 7lb. 3oz. and I had the opportunity to be present at
his birth. Soon after
birth we placed Jake at his mother's breast and he gulped colostrum.
Colostrum is the initial milk present after birth.
In the event that a baby achieves a good latch at the breast
soon after birth and gulps colostrum, many breastfeeding struggles
seem nonexistent.
The course of Jake's breastfeeding is very different from that of
Julia's. Mary had
experienced sore nipples while breastfeeding Julia in her early weeks
of life, but not with Jake. Nipple
soreness is indicative of a poor latch onto the breast.
I like to call it the #1 myth of breastfeeding.
It often deters a woman from continuing to breastfeed despite
her desires to breastfeed her newborn.
As Mary's lactation consultant, it was my responsibility to
assist her with her latching technique
so that soreness was avoided.
Mary and Jake have been enjoying their breastfeeding
experience. His latches reveal wide-flanged lips which extend beyond
the nipple area. His
swallows are heard as loud gulps.
He ends his feedings in a placid, satiated state.
His weight gain in his first 2 weeks of life was a whopping 2
lbs.! Everyone at the doctor's office was amazed at his weight
gain! Within another 2
weeks Jake gained an additional 2 lbs., tipping the scale at 11 lbs.
at the age of 1 month. He's
a content, cooing baby who's beginning to really develop his own
personality. It has been
a real blessing to be a part of Mary and Jake's life!
Carol Chamblin, RN, MS, IBCLC
Breast 'N Baby Lactation Services, Inc.
525 Tyler Road, Suite L-2
St. Charles, IL 60174
(630) 513-1101
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