Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all you amazing breastfeeding supporters, teachers, and mothers out there! Today I’m fortunate to be celebrating with family – both my own family and the family of my son-in-law, who have flown in from Europe. We’ve been planning on their arrival for months now – the arrivals, departures, flights, car exchanges, gift buying and wrapping, food planning, sleeping accommodations and more. We had it all worked out except for one thing we never planned on – COVID! Just 5 days prior to their arrival, six of us in the family tested positive. UGHHH – that threw a big wrench into our plans. So our perfectly planned Christmas ended up being a bit less than perfect and much different than what we expected. Thankfully by talking things through, and being flexible, we were able to make adjustments and redefine our plans and expectations. So while things were different, and initially stressful, it still ended up being good – very good, in fact.
This can happen with breastfeeding too. Mothers can dream and plan, take classes and prepare, hand express and collect colostrum, buy their pump and read some books – but sometimes the plan goes awry. The baby comes early, the milk comes late, mom or baby are ill. There’s hypoglycemia, inverted nipples, jaundice and yes, even Covid. As a member of the care team, we can help families navigate these disruptions and keep them positive. We can remind parents they are very early in the journey, and it’s ok if adjustments need to be made - they’re not necessarily permanent. Talking things through and being flexible can help to keep families on track. For those of us who work in the hospital, it’s important for us to let families know that there is outpatient support available once they go home. Because while we can’t always smooth everything out in the first few days – there is support for the continued journey. Outpatient lactation consultants know that some complications are easily remedied, while others may take several weeks or months to turn around. And sometimes, depending on the situation, a mother might not reach her original goal. Either way, part of our role is to support moms on this journey. We do that by sharing knowledge, helping families create a workable plan and providing positive, encouraging feedback throughout, no matter how things turn out. And I know SO many of you who do this every day. I see nurses, physicians and lactation consultants supporting families and each other as we all try to make this journey a good one for the families we serve. Because while breastfeeding might be different than what was expected, and initially stressful, it can still end up being good – very good, in fact.
Thank you all for the work you do – wishing you all the best in 2024!
Sincerely,
Mary
Well stated mary, I always learn from you! 😊
Excellent