Preparing for Breastfeeding Success

Lactation Consultant

By Dr. Joanna Strybosch

It is said that preparation is the key to success but how do you best prepare for breastfeeding? For something you have never experienced before? For learning a new skill that you cannot practice ahead of time? And how do set yourself up for success when there are so many potential roadblocks and variables, which you cannot predict?

Breastfeeding is a learned skill, that improves with practice and is empowered by knowledge. Many of today’s new mums do not have the benefit of having observed other women work through the learning process of early breastfeeding and seen how common issues can be resolved. In our society today, most women who give birth will have never held a newborn baby before, never changed a nappy or burped a baby. Never bathed or dressed a baby, settled a baby to sleep or seen a baby breastfeed up close and personal.

What we know from the data is that many women run into difficulties with breastfeeding in the early weeks. In Australia most women want to try breastfeeding. Approximately 92% of mothers start out breastfeeding after birth, however by 6 months of age, the number of women exclusively breastfeeding has reduced to just 14%. Many mums report that early breastfeeding is much harder than they had expected. What are the factors that seperate those that go on to long term breastfeeding success and those that don’t?

Breastfeeding takes both practice and perseverance. Research clearly tells us is that women who report higher rates of self-efficacy have better breastfeeding outcomes, both in terms of initiation and duration. In other words, women who feel confident about their ability to face challenges with determination and who have a wider plan to overcome obstacles, are more likely to breastfeed and to stick at it for longer. They are prepared to work hard and are open to testing different ideas and suggestions as needed. And if things don’t work out, they are more likely to blame external circumstances rather than blame themselves.

Learning a new skill is not always easy, but approaching the task with positive expectation, rather than fear and selfdoubt, is really important. So, in preparing to breastfeed, mums will benefit firstly by having a realistic and positive attitude towards it and a mindset to trust their body and to work at it, even if things don’t turn out as easy as she expected. In order to feel positive and empowered, women need to be informed and they need appropriate support from those around them.

Mothers want to be informed about what to expect. Attending breastfeeding education classes through the Australian Breastfeeding Association (available online) is an excellent way to gain information and knowledge. Classes both educate and empower mothers. They teach her important skills such as how to identify her baby’s feeding cues, how to latch and position her baby at the breast and how to know if her baby is getting enough milk. Learning as much as she can before the arrival of her baby will help her confidence.

Getting in touch with an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) is another great way to get informed. Even before the birth of her baby, it’s a good idea to make contact with her local lactation consultant so that she can build a connection and know exactly where to turn once her baby arrives. After her baby is born, she will benefit from having the sort of personalised, one-on-one, hands-on help that a lactation consultant can provide.

Mothers also need appropriate support, and lots of it. This can come from many sources; her health care professionals, her partner, her own mother and friends as well as her wider family, co-workers and society at large. Reading, discussing and asking questions will allow the expectant mother time to think about what it might be like, how she may respond to the challenges of breastfeeding and what sort of emotional and practical support she would prefer. She needs to be able to ask questions and to receive reassurance. In particular, mothers want their health care professionals to have good breastfeeding knowledge, to have an “authentic presence”, to listen well, to give positive reflection to their emotions and to provide practical suggestions and advice.

Being informed, supported and connected with a skilled lactation consultant can be invaluable in getting mum and baby off to the best possible start and avoiding many of the pitfalls that are common in the early months and set them up for long term breastfeeding success.

Dr. Joanna Strybosch

Osteopath B.App.Sc(Clin.Sc)/B.Osteo.Sc/Grad

Nature

By Kayte Kitchen

This is the fifth of five publications where we have been running a series of sensory experiences in nature.

Each experience will take about 10 mins and you are encouraged to read through the instructions before you commence your time in nature to maximise your experience.

Find a spot outside where you can sit or lie down comfortably. This could be in your backyard, your local reserve or in a national park. You may like the familiarity of the same place you have practised before or you may like to try somewhere new.

Take a few moments to regulate your breathing and settle into your position. For this breathing exercise, we will follow a pattern of 4 counts in, holding for 7 and then exhaling for 8.

Follow this pattern, allow it to take all of your focus and to help you unwind. Repeat for a few minutes.

Allow your breathing to find its natural rhythm once more.

For the next 5 mins we are going to practise tuning into all of our senses while we do a slow walk. You may only move a few metres within the 5 mins, the point of the exercise being to tune in to your senses of sight, smell, hearing and feeling as you go. Draw your attention to the details, get in close to nature, take time to experience the full experience of each moment.

You are trying to slow down your senses, slow down your experience. Try not to allow distractions to come into your mind, be fully present to the experience. If you do get distracted, don’t stop, just tune back in and continue.

When you choose to complete your experience, you may wish to take a moment of gratitude for and for the experience you have just had.

While smart home technology has been around since the 1990s, people are just beginning to appreciate having it.

The devices in a smart home are interconnected and accessible from a single hub, such as a smartphone, tablet, laptop or gaming console. A smart home automation system allows the user to operate devices and appliances remotely, including lights, door locks, televisions and multimedia sets, thermostats, home monitors, cameras and refrigerators.

With a smart home, you can enjoy the following advantages:

1. Energy efficiency

Since having a smart home allows you total control over your appliances, including your lighting, heating and cooling systems, you know exactly when they’ll power up. You won’t need to worry about forgetting to turn off the lights before leaving home. You can also set your thermostat to an optimum temperature. You can even program your refrigerator to remind you when it’s time to go shopping and so on.

2. Convenience

Automating your home means not having to lift a finger to turn certain devices and appliances on and off.