For National Breastfeeding Month, we join the international health community in promoting breastfeeding support for all.
At Nurses for Newborns, we believe every mother has the right to receive breastfeeding support from trained healthcare providers. We are committed to supporting and empowering our breastfeeding mothers, and we offer free lactation support and breast pumps to all our moms who need them. During National Breastfeeding Month, we interviewed two of our nurses who are International Board-Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC), who offer a look into how breastfeeding support impacts the families they serve.
Breastfeeding support for all
Every year, the World Health Organization (WHO) joins with UNICEF and Ministries of Health around the world to promote breastfeeding during World Breastfeeding Week. This year’s theme for World Breastfeeding Week is “Closing the gap: Breastfeeding support for all.” What does that message mean to you?
Lisa: So many women do not receive the support they need to successfully breastfeed their babies. WHO recommends infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life. Globally, we are seeing the percentage of breastfed infants increase, but those who are breastfed until 6 months is still less than 50%. We know that women are twice as likely to breastfeed if they have support, but so many women still experience barriers to support. We have a long way to go to improve this gap—to reduce the health inequity that exists so that all mommas that want to breastfeed have the support they need.
Deirdre: I agree. Everyone deserves to get help and to get their questions answered, no matter what way they decide to feed their child. Not enough folks know about the lactation networks that exist (that are covered through insurance), free lactation outpatient clinics, and the option of online consultations.
And while breastfeeding support is an excellent thing, I do think there is a bigger cultural issue to look at. In our country, who is breastfeeding realistic for? Sometimes breastfeeding is easy for mothers and babies, but sometimes it takes a while to learn how to do it well. What if the mother doesn’t have time away from work? What if she’s only given two weeks off to have her baby and recover? There is a huge difference in breastfeeding access between the mother who has the opportunity to take off six months (or a year) and the mother who must return to work after a few weeks so she can keep food on the table.
Lisa: Absolutely. It’s so important to remember that access is key, not just availability. If a mom has five children, no car, and no insurance, she won’t be able to access the free resources that are available. So often moms do well in the hospital with breastfeeding because they have all the resources they need. They have a hospital bed that can be raised up and down and a nurse who comes to their bedside to help them create the setup they need. When they get home, they don’t often have the support and resources they had in the hospital to continue breastfeeding.
And so often, there’s a gap in what our families know exists. Do they know that the lactation networks are available? Do they know that breast pumps exist and are free with insurance? If they have a pump, have they been taught how to use it? They’re not going to ask about something if they don’t know it exists. This is why education is such an important part of supporting mothers.
Why breastfeeding?
Can you explain why breastfeeding (when possible and when safe and sufficient) is so important for infants?
Lisa: The research proves just how important and specifically made breastmilk is for a baby. It adapts and changes depending on the time of day (even from feed to feed), the age of the child, and if the baby is sick. It is truly remarkable. Additionally, breastfeeding has tremendous benefits for mothers too, including weight loss, decreased blood loss, and decreased risk of diabetes, heart disease, ovarian cancer, and postpartum depression. And in this economy, with costs constantly rising, the cost-effectiveness is also beneficial—breastmilk is free!
At NFN, we acknowledge that breastfeeding isn’t always possible or feasible, and we believe that the most important thing is to feed your baby however you want to feed your baby. Whatever the mom chooses to do is what we support. Whether she wants to breastfeed or decides to formula feed, we’ll support her in that decision.
Deirdre: Absolutely. Now, do I think human milk is best for human babies? Yes! A mother’s body can tailor-make milk specific to their child. I do think that is better than what someone else can make for your baby. But we don’t live in a perfect world. If a mom has an anatomy or medical issue, sometimes breastfeeding isn’t possible. And just because I’m lactation doesn’t mean that I think you have to breastfeed your kid. If you decide to, that’s fabulous—let’s do it! If you want to do something else, let’s do that! I’m okay with whatever a mother decides. Do I think breast is best? Absolutely. But do I think breast is the only way? Absolutely not.
Do I think breast is best? Absolutely.
Deirdre, RN, IBCLC
Do I think breast is the only way? Absolutely not.
Increasing support
How can our communities and health workers increase their support for breastfeeding mothers?
Deirdre: I think normalizing breastfeeding is key. And normalization starts before you have your baby and even before you are pregnant. I think it should start in our pediatricians’ and our physicians’ offices. There needs to be more promotion and support on the front end. We need to educate people on how their bodies work and what to expect when their baby is born.
I’ve seen so many moms give up breastfeeding right after baby is born because their milk hasn’t come in yet and they think that’s a problem. They expected to have several ounces in their breast ready for their baby, right at the time of birth. So many mothers don’t know that they will only have drops of colostrum at the time of birth, and then their milk will come in 3-5 days later. To successfully breastfeed, folks need to have a better understanding of what’s supposed to happen. They need to realize that usually milk will come in, but to make the optimal milk supply, you have to work to stimulate the breast.
Lisa: Right. We need to have more breastfeeding resources in the community and easier access to those resources and education. I would love to start seeing more lactation consulting and education integrated into OB and pediatrician offices. Prenatal education is important because research shows most mothers make up their minds about breastfeeding before they even deliver.
One of the best things about joining NFN as an IBCLC is that I get to provide care to our clients who normally wouldn’t have access to breastfeeding support. We see clients prenatally, so I get the opportunity to educate and prepare them before birth. Once they have their baby, I get to see them within days after they get home and provide weekly in-home help at a crucial time in a woman’s breastfeeding journey. Those first 2-3 weeks are the most challenging and important—the time when a mom is most likely to give up breastfeeding. And we get to come alongside her and give her whatever support she needs to succeed.
One of the best things about joining NFN as an IBCLC is that I get to provide care to our clients who normally wouldn’t have access to breastfeeding support.
Lisa, RN, IBCLC
The impact on families
How does lactation support for NFN mothers impact the family as a whole?
Lisa: Aside from obvious health benefits and cost benefits, lactation support often provides much needed emotional support as well. Breastfeeding may be natural, but it certainly doesn’t come naturally to most. Those first few weeks of learning to breastfeed can be rough for the entire household. It makes a world of difference when a mother has someone to walk alongside them and be there to answer questions that come up. Instead of having to worry about being newly postpartum and traveling to get help, they get to stay in their pajamas, keep that messy bun in, roll out of bed, and have a NFN nurse come to them.
It is a happy sight to see a once-struggling mom (and her partner!) start to smile and feel relief as she gains confidence and triumphs over her breastfeeding difficulties. When caregivers no longer have to give so much of their attention to the struggle of breastfeeding, they can focus on the memories and bonding as new parents.
Normalizing breastfeeding
What’s one thing you wish the general public understood about breastfeeding?
Deirdre: Your body is smart! You didn’t have to read a book to figure out how to grow your baby. And your body is also preparing for breastfeeding. Don’t think that your body has not considered that you have a baby to feed. It knows how to feed your baby too. You just have to put in the work—if it is what you want—to continue to tell your body to make breast milk.
Lisa: Access to breastfeeding support isn’t the only barrier for families. We need to continue to work on normalizing breastfeeding. People still shame women for breastfeeding in public. Workplaces still make it difficult for a breastfeeding mom to take breaks and pump to maintain supply while away from baby—and our clients usually have to go back to work way too soon (usually for financial reasons), sometimes just weeks after delivering.
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At NFN, we recognize the dedication of breastfeeding mothers everywhere and unite #TogetherForMoms. If you know someone who could use our support, please refer them to our website for more information. If you are a medical or social services provider, please fill out a referral form.
