Caleb not latching? Oh no!
We continue Jessica’s breastfeeding story. Please don’t worry, it has a happy ending! We ended with Jessica in the pit of despair and Caleb not latching. Even with all the support and knowledge Jessica has, she is ready to clear the final hurdle to becoming an IBCLC. Taking the exam, she really struggles with what her instincts tell her to do to help with a not-latching baby and what she knows works.
Caleb has been through so much! In addition to not latching, he wanted to suck all the time, had a tongue and lip tie revision, lots of body work, and then once he did (spoiler alert!) start latching again, went through a time where he would nurse but not transfer a lot of breastmilk from the breast. Jessica kept pumping and pacing, bottle feeding Caleb, but her hope was fading. She knew just how much to feed Caleb from the bottle and that she had plenty of milk. What was the problem?
We will never know for sure what finally helped Caleb feed better. All we know is that it was a happy day when Jessica did yet another pre- and post-weight at the office and saw that he was finally able to transfer breastmilk! He took 3.9 oz during a feed! This is a lot for a baby, so don’t worry if your baby is transferring between 2 and 4 oz. If the weight gain is good, whatever!
Jessica said she kept telling herself that this experience would be invaluable in helping other families. She has lived what it is like to really, really struggle with breastfeeding. She knows that, without the help and support, having a great IBCLC at her disposal was enormous; she might well have given up.
If you work with breastfeeding/chestfeeding families and are passionate about lactation support, or if you want to turn your passion for nursing into professional practice, visit us at LactaLearning.com and consider following us on social media!
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