What is the difference between a Board-Certified Breastfeeding and Lactation Medicine Physician and a Lactation Consultant?
Breastfeeding is a deeply personal and sometimes challenging journey, and having the right support can make all the difference. Sometimes new mothers find themselves confused when seeking help to ensure they and their babies can enjoy a successful breastfeeding experience.
WHO NEEDS A PRENATAL LACTATION CONSULT?
Even if you have no history of breastfeeding difficulties or concerns, gaining knowledge about how the first days and weeks after birth typically go, what to expect, and how to prepare can be very empowering. This information can lead to a more positive and informed breastfeeding experience, and overall better mental health. Feeling prepared is empowering in itself, and having appropriate and realistic expectations for your breastfeeding journey can really make a difference in preventing postpartum depression or anxiety.
Certain individuals, however, may particularly benefit from a breastfeeding medicine or lactation consult due to specific risk factors.
Understanding the Challenges of Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding, while a beautiful experience, isn't always easy. Many new mothers intend to breastfeed exclusively but soon realize it's not as simple as it seems. Challenges like low milk supply or pain during breastfeeding are common and make reaching breastfeeding goals difficult. Besides these specific issues, breastfeeding is, quite simply, exhausting. Being a new mom is hard enough, and breastfeeding adds another layer of complexity. Remember, it's a task only you can do, and that can be daunting.
investigating the tongue and breastfeeding
Lifting the Tongue: Arguably the most important skill is lifting the tongue. Not only does a baby need to learn how to lift the tongue, but the tongue needs to have the mobility necessary to do this. If there is a restriction of some sort, it may prevent your baby from lifting the tongue adequately no matter how hard they try. This restriction could be from a variation of anatomy (an "oral tie" would fall into this category). But it also could be a functional inability due to strength, tightness of the neck or jaw, or something else that is keeping that tongue from moving up as needed.
NEW REcommenda-tions for treating plugged ducts
If you’ve ever had a plugged duct, you know how miserable they can make you. They are painful, sometimes provoke anxiety, and can lead to decreased milk production (temporarily). Contrary to what you might think, plugged ducts are not little clumps of milk but Instead they are areas of obstructed milk due to inflammation that has developed in or around a milk duct. This inflammation gradually narrows the duct, making it difficult for milk to flow freely. While there may be a bit of congealed milk involved, it's primarily inflammation that's causing the blockage.