I use a lot of analogy in my class 
I tell parents that in the first 2-3 day they will be
drip feeding -- (just like a drip irrigation system)
and that lots of time at the breast with a good latch
means lots of colostrum in the baby by the end of the
day (cumulatively).  I want my parents to visualize
all those drops of colostrum adding up to a well
hydrated, well fed baby at the end of each day (if
they can actually figure out when the end of each day
is).

I also liken colostrum to syrup or nectar -- a very
concentrated energy source, so a little bit goes a
long way.

I tell my parents that in the hospital they don't have
to cook or clean or do any work at all ( we bring them
meals, empty the garbage, and change the linen on
their beds) their only job is to learn how to
breastfeed and do it as often as they can.  If they
use their time in the hospital well, then when they go
home and all the other jobs start to crowd in, they
will feel more confident about breastfeeding and
breastfeeding will change from drip irrigation to
something more like frequently watering the garden
with a hose.  

I often have my class members tell me that the class
helped them to get a more realistic idea of what the
first few days would be like.

Cathy Loughman RN IBCLC


		
__________________________________ 
Do you Yahoo!? 
Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site!
http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/resources/ 

             ***********************************************

To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail
To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest)
To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
All commands go to [log in to unmask]

The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(R)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html