Part 4: Selecting a Lactation Consultant in Palm Desert: You’re about to give birth, is your birth team complete?
As you consider your upcoming birth, you may have already been thinking about how you plan to feed your newborn. Typically, women are encouraged to attempt to breastfeed their newborn and yet, there are a variety of ways babies can be fed. Often women are surprised at the options, whether it is a mother nursing her baby with her own breastmilk, providing breastmilk from a donor, another lactating woman in the birthing mother’s world breastfeeding the newborn, pumped milk through a bottle or feeding tube, or formula feeding through a bottle or feeding tube. Sometimes women expect they will breastfeed exclusively and then become aware of the need to supplement with either their own breastmilk, donor milk or formula. The way a woman feeds her baby can bring up a lot of feelings for a new mother, especially when there may be difficulties in the feeding relationship.
If a woman chooses to breastfeed or wants to provide her own breastmilk, the support of a Lactation Specialist in Palm Desert or Lactation Consultant in Palm Springs can be essential during the early days of establishing a breastfeeding relationship as well as continuing to support the feeding relationship as it inevitably transitions over time from that of a newborn to infant to older baby. You may choose to attend a Lactation class during your pregnancy and hold on to the name of the instructor so you can reach out in the postpartum period with any questions you have. Some hospitals offer lactation support during your postpartum recovery period at the hospital, and I always encourage new parents to request at least one visit with this professional before they are discharged home after giving birth. Other hospitals offer ongoing lactation support on particular days and times per week for drop-in or scheduled lactation consultations so that you can have someone helping to view and identify any issues with your baby’s latch or head positioning or nursing holds. In the wake of the pandemic, virtual lactation support has also gained a lot of traction and in the event you are not able to see a specialist in person, this virtual option can prove beneficial as well.
As you conceptualize how you would like to feed your baby and whether or not breastfeeding or breastmilk is a part of that decision, you will want to remember that there is support available in the event you have questions, concerns or are wanting to gain more information in general.
If you are wanting support in locating a Lactation Specialist in Palm Desert or Palm Springs and don’t know how to begin, reach out to me! I would be happy to help get you connected. Feel free to call me at 805-930-9355 for a free 15 minute phone consultation. I’d be happy to hear your thoughts and help connect you with the right lactation support for you. If you are looking for help with pregnancy, postpartum, pregnancy loss, infertility, birth trauma or hypnotherapy, you can read more about how I can help within this website.
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Thoughts from your Therapist Palm Desert
Lactation support services can improve your feeding relationship with your baby. Contact Therapist Palm Desert Lauren Fox, LCSW for referrals.