9 Reasons Why You Must Visit a Lactation Specialist as a Breastfeeding Mother!

We all know that breastfeeding is a natural process, but let’s face it, it is a skill that both the mother and baby have to learn over a period of time. For some, unless you get the best breastfeeding position, it can be rather stressful!  

If you have gone through that phase too, don’t worry. It is possible to make it work with a little bit of help.

Consult a lactation specialist if you are feeling hassled during the initial days of breastfeeding. Lactation specialists have the scientific know-how about breastfeeding and can help you with the correct latching postures, ensure your baby gets sufficient breastmilk, answer your queries on how to increase breastmilk supply to match your baby’s requirement or, solve any other issues in your breastfeeding journey.

You might want to visit one in case you are facing any of the following issues:

Medical issue: Sometimes, a baby may have a medical issue like a tongue tie. The lactation specialist can then help your baby latch and feed.

Cracked Nipples: Due to an improper latch or positioning of your baby, you may develop cracked nipples in the early weeks after birth. A lactation specialist can help you with tips for the best position and attachment.

Baby unable to latch: Sometimes, a newborn is unable to latch on due to various reasons. The baby could be sleepy or drowsy due to the pain relief used during labor or other medical interventions. The lactation specialist will be able to identify the cause and help the baby to latch on and start breastfeeding.

Engorgement: In the initial days, accumulation of milk and tissue fluid in the breasts can make the breasts very full and painful. A lactation specialist can help the baby to latch on so as to effectively remove the milk and help ease engorgement for the mother.

Blocked Duct: This is caused when one or more pores are blocked causing pain and inflammation. A lactation specialist can identify the problem and help you take necessary steps to avoid it from recurring in the future or leading to mastitis.

Nipple Thrush: It is a fungal infection leading to nipple pain during breastfeeding. The correct positioning and latching may help avoid this.

“Low Milk supply”: Most new mothers feel they have either low milk supply or no milk at all and often wonder how to increase breastmilk. It is important to identify the correct signs to see if your baby is getting enough milk. A lactation specialist helps the mother increase breastmilk supply if it is indeed low.

Mastitis: Breast inflammation caused due to accumulation of milk along with or without infection leads to Mastitis. Due to incorrect information, some mothers stop feeding their babies, thinking that their milk is infected. Here, the lactation specialist could diagnose and also suggest better ways of breastfeeding. For example – the mother could express and feed and also adopt ways to avoid mastitis in future. The specialist will also guide you to approach the doctor in case antibiotics have to be prescribed.

Oversupply: When a mother is having excess supply of milk, she could either donate to a peer mum who has insufficient supply or, find out alternative remedies to control the supply.

Remember each mother and baby is different in how they approach breastfeeding, which is why it is important to approach a specialist for the best route to take on your way to a happy and healthy experience.

Before booking an appointment with a lactation specialist, you must check her qualifications and experience, her availability and most importantly, reviews by other mothers. It is easy to do all of this when you book a lactation specialist here on BabyChakra.

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