Introduction
I have always been a patient person who wears her heart on her sleeve, a trait that can be a strength or a weakness. I thought being the third child made this into a weakness, but now I know that is exactly what I need to work with new parents. My mom told me I never had a solid nap during my childhood - I was always woken up to take my sister or brother somewhere. The weakness view was solidified when another lactation consultant told me I needed to “pull my big girl panties up” because I was worried about a baby being discharged on a Sunday, jaundiced, extremely lethargic, and at a 10% weight loss. However, the older I get, the more I realize love IS what makes the world go around. My passion for helping others comes from my unconditional love for every baby born into this world.
But, there will always be critics. This is a comment someone made on one of my breastfeeding articles: “A breastfeeding class, are you kidding me? That is like teaching a class to guys on how to drink beer!” As ridiculous as this comment is, I realized this person had a point. Why would anyone need help breastfeeding? It should come naturally, right? Maybe in a perfect world.
Before listening to anything I have to say, let me tell you a little about myself. My name is Jennifer Ritchie, and for more than a decade, I provided evidenced-based, hands-on guidance to help moms navigate a variety of breastfeeding challenges such as latching difficulties, painful nursing, and low milk production. In this age, there are many different kinds of parents and people who raise children, so I wrote this book to educate anyone on giving their babies the best start in life.
In addition to helping thousands of new mothers with typical problems, I am a mom myself, the former President of the Orange County Breastfeeding Coalition, and the former owner of a breastfeeding boutique. Not only did I meet with patients one-on-one, but I also taught classes, ran breastfeeding workshops, and sold every breastfeeding product available.
I have helped people of every race, creed, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, age, height, weight, physical or mental ability, and marital status. I helped the LGBTQ community achieve their goal of providing breast milk to their babies via surrogates and induced lactation in same-sex couples and women adopting a child. I can induce lactation in a man, but they would need to take high doses of estrogen, so I never had any takers. I have worked with celebrities as an on-location consultant, authored two guidebooks on successful breastfeeding, and was commonly called the “Boob Whisperer.” I especially loved fixing cases of mastitis and infant colic.
I have been sleep-deprived, anxious, and depressed, had an overgrowth of yeast, and had mastitis eight times. To top it off, I went from having too much milk to a low milk supply. Even with all of these issues, I still breastfed for more than five years between both of my kids. Why? Because after completing over 1,000 hours of lactation education, I had the knowledge I needed to solve each problem. Problems arise in life - it is unavoidable. The best we can do is fix them and move forward, not dwell on the past. I hope to pass this knowledge on to you so you can recognize the symptoms and identify the issues BEFORE they become problems.
This book is not about me. I have my own parenting style and experiences. We are going to look at the research and develop a plan that will work for YOU and your lifestyle, with no judgement. This book is 100% evidence-based, so every bit of information in this book is based on published research studies from around the world. Helping moms and babies is what I do, and I’m here to provide you with information so you can be successful at breastfeeding.
Let me tell you a little about what a lactation consultant does. Just as a woodworker uses many tools and techniques to craft a piece of furniture, a lactation consultant crafts a breastfeeding plan to help your baby thrive, to eliminate any pain or anxiety, and to be there for you to answer all your breastfeeding questions. There are good consultants and bad ones, and everyone has a different “working style”. I didn’t start my career wanting to be a lactation consultant. It’s a path I chose in the hopes of changing the world. I chose this career after falling IN LOVE with breastfeeding, and I hope you fall in love with breastfeeding too.
The pros and cons of doing this on your own
Finding answers to your breastfeeding questions can be frustrating, to say the least. Less than half of websites with breastfeeding information are accurate. Instead, you can refer to this book whenever you have a question. It is your lactation consultant in a cute little package.
Whether you are having problems now or if you just want knowledge of potential breastfeeding pitfalls, this is the book for you. In most cases, we can trick the body into doing what we want it to do, and we can observe our baby’s behavior to give us insight on what the problem is. The great thing about breastfeeding is that there is a solution to almost every problem. But, you will need the support of at least one family member, a significant other, an OBGYN, or your pediatrician. Sometimes your doctor may not know all the answers. It’s not their fault - they don’t receive enough breastfeeding education in medical school. The great thing is that each study referenced in this book is listed, so you can always print out a study to share with your doctor.
Chapter 1: The Truth About Breastfeeding
The reality is that it will be harder than you think. Pretend you just qualified to be in the Breastfeeding Olympics and you have some fierce competition. Instead of other athletes, your competition is hormonal imbalances, breast anatomy, insufficient milk removal, yeast, bacteria, and good old-fashioned pain.
Rest assured, your breast milk is still a safe bet. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), breast milk is still the best source of nutrition for most infants and is believed safe to consume even after the mom has been infected with a virus. In limited reports of lactating women infected with SARS-CoV, the virus was not detected in breast milk, and antibodies against SARS-CoV were detected in at least one sample.
Reduce stress however you can. This is a stressful time to have a baby, and anxiety can substantially impact a child’s developing oxytocin systems. Oxytocin production can be triggered by eye contact, empathy, or touch. It helps us relate to others, strengthens trust, and fosters closeness in relationships. Studies show a new mother’s oxytocin levels can influence her behavior and, as a result, the bond she makes with her baby, so reduce stress in any way you can.
Focus on the first two weeks. Most breastfeeding problems occur in the first two weeks of a child’s life, leading many moms to give up too early. Your focus, in the beginning, should be to make it past these first two weeks before throwing in the towel.
Supplementing with formula is perfectly okay. Some mothers cannot find adequate time to pump or cannot produce enough milk to completely nourish their baby. Don’t give up! Just one drop of breast milk contains one million white blood cells. If your baby gets at least one teaspoon of breast milk per day, they will still get the antibodies and bacteria-eating cells that are important to a developing immune system.
Stay connected to what really matters. Look for published research and, preferably, “randomized triple-blinded” studies. In the end, trust your gut, love your baby, and take care of yourself. After delivery, your left brain stops working, so you may find yourself experiencing more emotions than logic (much like when you were a teenager). Don’t give in to guilt, focus on learning through experience, and build that family unit with lots of skin-to-skin contact!
I want you to go into this challenge with determination but knowing that you may have some setbacks. Just remember, if you get knocked down, it doesn’t mean you give up. Keep your focus on building the foundation for your child’s great future.
How long should a woman breastfeed?
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Association of Family Physicians (AAFP) recommend that babies receive nothing but breast milk for about the first six months of life and that mothers continue breastfeeding at least until the end of their baby’s first year.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends breastfeeding exclusively