Wow! Lucy had a lot of tough questions.

<< Breastfeeding
 often takes time and effort to learn the first few weeks.  However, it will
 payoff in the long run for you and your baby, so stick with it and you
 won't regret it!"  Anyone have any brochures with that sort of message?

I do not have brochures but I explain it to my moms this way:
Remember when you were 17 and just got your drivers' license?? You had the
license in hand but you still were not that good at driving yet (I have a 17
year old now)....remember how hard it was to make a left hand turn, and all
of the steps that goes into making one?? I bet that now, you couldn't even
list all of those steps, yt you make left hand turns all of the time without
even thinking about it.
Well, breastfeeding is a lot like that....you got the license (the baby), but
you still have to learn how to do everything right. It seems like there are
lots of steps to breastfeeding, but it is like that left hand
turn....eventually, you learn how to do it without thinking!!!!
Supportive stuff like that seems to help my moms to understand that bf is
LEARNED, rather than automatic.

I also remind them of the baby's perspective on things. When moms complain
that "the baby cries whenever I put him down" or "I just fed him and he seems
hungry", I remind her of where that baby was LAST WEEK!!!! ie, in the womb,
where he was continuously rocked, held, and drip-fed, 24/7!!!! This helps
parents to realize that it is a transition period for the baby, who only
knows what it was like in the womb, and is seeking to be back "home".

I hope sharing these ideas gives some help.  I'm not sure about the rest of
your questions. Maybe others will respond here.

Kathy IBCLC RNC in NJ

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