The More You Know

* If the word "breast" or "breastfeeding" sends you into a tizzy, makes you giggle and look around you as if you are being caught in the act of something naughty, or just makes your cheeks and ears redder than the target logo, I would suggest skipping this post.

I'm not sure what I was expecting when I signed us up for a breastfeeding class. All I know is I've heard so many awful stories about breastfeeding that I certainly wasn't confident in my ability to breastfeed. I know it's not for everyone, but both Josh and I would prefer that to formula feeding. Plus, it seems that there are a lot of non-scientific opinions out there from mothers who are adamant about this or that method working simply because it seemed to work for them. Now don't get me wrong, I'm glad it worked for them but a sample size of 2 kids isn't enough to convince me that her way is the "hands down the absolute reason this happens or than happens". With so much conflicting, non research based information out there, we wanted some concrete answers.

Believe it or not, we both LOVED the class.  The room was packed with equal parts male/female and it was three hours. I know, what the heck is there to talk about for three hours? But the content was great and the time flew by. A lot of fact vs. fiction, biological reasons for this, why this method doesn't work, why that food doesn't stimulate milk production, etc. We also learned about pumps, hospitals, nurses, the right way to burp, the right times to feed, the rough timeline of feeding changes through a baby's nursing days, how long it is recommended to breastfeed, the pros to breastfeeding, and ultimately how to breastfeed. We covered every possible breastfeeding aid out there, the problem with bottle warmers, the temps of milk, and how long they can actually last, how to store breast milk, the best way to defrost, and the ways you shouldn't defrost.

You may be thinking that a class is certainly nothing compared to the real thing. And I would agree. We don't know if we'll run into any of the common problems that new mom's face. But I think the key is even if it doesn't come easily, I'm not going to freak out and throw in the towel because now we know.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

In case you are interested, our class instructor was Wendy Haldeman, MN, RN, IBCLC from The Pump Station and we took the Intro to Breastfeeding class. Wendy is a gem (with the creds and smarts Josh needed) and I highly recommend her.