There's something I see in the hospital with my doula clients that drives me a little bit crazy.
A brand-new baby is trying to breastfeed. Someone comes in to help, grabs the parent's breast, squishes it into a sandwich, and tries to get as much of it into the baby's mouth as possible.
Sometimes they're also holding the back of the baby's head and pushing them toward the breast.
And I'm standing there thinking, Can we please just give this baby a chance to latch?
Babies are born with reflexes and behaviors that help them find the breast and latch. And when we position them well, support their bodies, and give them the opportunity to use those reflexes, they do a remarkable amount of the work themselves.
That doesn't mean breastfeeding is always easy or that nobody ever needs help, but I think we've gotten a little too comfortable assuming that successful breastfeeding requires us to manipulate both the breast and the baby.
What makes this particularly frustrating is that I see these techniques taught by people with all the right letters after their names.
And I don't think they're trying to give bad advice!
Maybe it's how they were taught. Maybe they've watched other experienced professionals do it. Maybe they've seen it help in certain situations and started teaching it to everyone.
But when I'm standing beside a client who's exhausted, vulnerable, and trying to learn how to feed their brand-new baby, I'm left with an uncomfortable choice.
Do I contradict the person who just gave them instructions, potentially confusing them or undermining their confidence in their care team?
Or do I stay quiet when I know there's a simpler, more comfortable approach that deserves a chance?
What I Wish We Were Teaching Instead
Before we start squeezing breasts and directing babies' heads, can we please start with the basics?
Get the baby comfortably positioned, with their body supported and close to the parent.
Support their shoulders and upper back rather than restricting the back of their head, so they can tip their head back and open their mouth.
Bring baby toward the breast, with their nose near the nipple, and give them space to find their latch.
And then…actually give them a chance to do it.
Sometimes additional support is genuinely helpful. Gentle breast shaping may be useful for certain parent-baby pairs, and some babies need more specialized feeding assistance.
But that should be an individualized response to an actual need, not something we automatically do to every breast and every baby.
And if feeding is painful, milk transfer isn't going well, or baby is struggling to latch, that deserves skilled assessment, not just another round of pushing and squeezing.
This Is Why Prenatal Breastfeeding Education Matters
I wish every family could count on receiving consistent, individualized, up-to-date breastfeeding guidance in the hospital.
But the reality is that different providers sometimes teach different techniques, and not every approach is right for every family. One thing I consistently hear from newly postpartum parents is that they received different (often conflicting) advice from every nurse they encountered in the hospital, and left more confused than ever.
The first few hours after birth are a really difficult time to sort through conflicting information.
That's why I think prenatal breastfeeding preparation is so important.
You don’t have to become a lactation expert before your baby arrives, but understanding how babies latch, what effective feeding looks and feels like, and when to ask for additional help gives you a foundation for navigating all that advice.
You can ask questions. You can recognize when something isn't working. You can advocate for a different approach or request a more thorough assessment.
And perhaps most importantly, you can approach those first feeds knowing that breastfeeding is something you and your baby learn together, not something that has to be done to either of you.
That's the kind of confidence I want families to bring into the hospital.
Let's Get Breastfeeding Off to a Good Start
You don't have to wait until your baby arrives to start learning how breastfeeding works!
In my prenatal breastfeeding education sessions, we'll explore how babies instinctively find and latch onto the breast, what effective feeding actually looks like, common challenges in those early days, and how to recognize when you might need additional support.
My goal isn't to give you another list of rules to memorize. It's to help you understand the why behind breastfeeding, so you can feel more confident navigating those first feeds, asking questions, and making informed decisions for yourself and your baby.
Breastfeeding isn't always as straightforward as you expected. And when you're exhausted, uncomfortable, or wondering whether your baby is getting enough milk, it's hard to know what's normal and what needs attention.
Maybe your baby struggles to get a comfortable latch. Maybe you're unsure whether they're feeding effectively, how often they should eat, or why they seem to want to nurse constantly. Or perhaps breastfeeding is going reasonably well, but you have questions about pumping, bottle feeding, or making feeding work within your everyday life.
You don't need to wait until something feels seriously wrong to ask for support.
During this personalized lactation education session, we'll talk through your concerns, explore the mechanics and physiology of breastfeeding, and identify practical strategies that fit your goals and your baby's needs.
Together, we can:
Explore breastfeeding positioning and latch techniques to help you and your baby find more comfortable ways to feed.
Discuss newborn feeding cues, feeding frequency, cluster feeding, and what typical feeding patterns can look like.
Learn how milk production works and how to recognize signs that your baby is getting enough milk.
Explore common feeding questions, including pumping, paced bottle feeding, and combining breast and bottle feeding.
Discuss how your baby's reflexes, positioning, and development influence feeding.
Identify practical adjustments that may make feeding more comfortable and manageable.
Recognize signs that additional assessment or support from an IBCLC or healthcare provider would be appropriate.
You'll leave with a better understanding of what's happening during feeds, practical strategies to try, and a clearer sense of your next steps.
Whether you're navigating a specific concern or simply want reassurance and education as you find your rhythm, this session is about helping you make informed feeding decisions that work for your family.
These sessions provide breastfeeding education and basic feeding support, not medical assessment, diagnosis, or treatment. Concerns involving clinical feeding difficulties may require referral to an IBCLC or healthcare provider.
There's a lot more to breastfeeding preparation than learning a few positions or memorizing how often newborns should eat. Understanding how lactation works, what to expect in the early days, how to recognize effective feeding, and where to turn when something isn't going well can make a meaningful difference in how prepared you feel.
Prenatal Breastfeeding Foundations combines comprehensive breastfeeding education, a personalized feeding plan, and practical postpartum follow-up, so you're not left trying to connect the dots on your own.
Whether you're hoping to exclusively breastfeed, combine breastfeeding with pumping or formula, or simply want to understand your options, we'll begin with your goals and build from there.
What's Included
1. Prenatal Breastfeeding Education
We'll explore the foundations of breastfeeding, with plenty of time for questions and practical preparation.
Topics may include:
How milk production works, from colostrum to mature milk
Early feeding cues, skin-to-skin, and getting breastfeeding started
Comfortable positioning, latch basics, and recognizing effective feeding
Normal newborn feeding patterns, cluster feeding, and diaper output
How birth circumstances and interventions may affect early feeding
Common breastfeeding challenges and when to seek additional support
Pumping, bottles, and supplementation when relevant to your goals
How partners and other caregivers can support breastfeeding
2. Your Personalized Prenatal Feeding Plan
Knowing how breastfeeding works is one thing. Thinking through how you want feeding to look for your family (and how you'll navigate the unexpected) is another.
In this dedicated planning appointment, we'll translate what you've learned into a practical, flexible plan based on your preferences and circumstances.
Together, we'll explore:
Your feeding goals: What breastfeeding means to you, your priorities, and any previous experiences that may influence your plans.
Your birth environment: Hospital or birth center practices, early skin-to-skin, rooming-in, and questions to discuss with your care team.
Your support system: How partners, family members, and other caregivers can support feeding and your recovery.
Pumping and bottle-feeding considerations: When and how these might fit into your family's plans.
Preparing for challenges: How to recognize when feeding isn't going as expected, what resources are available, and who to contact for additional help.
Life beyond the early days: Returning to work, sharing feeding responsibilities, and other considerations relevant to your circumstances.
You'll leave with a personalized feeding plan and relevant resources to help guide your preparation.
This isn't a rigid set of rules or a prediction of how feeding will unfold. It's a way to clarify your priorities, understand your options, and prepare to make informed decisions as circumstances change.
3. Postpartum Feeding Follow-Up
Once your baby arrives, we'll reconnect to explore how feeding is actually going.
We'll revisit your prenatal feeding plan, discuss questions that have come up, practice positioning and everyday feeding skills, and make adjustments to your practical plans as needed.
If concerns arise that require clinical lactation assessment or treatment, I'll help you identify appropriate resources and referrals.
Who Is This For?
This package is especially helpful if you:
Are expecting your first baby and want to prepare for breastfeeding.
Have breastfed before and want to approach this experience differently.
Are preparing for an induction or cesarean and want to understand your feeding options.
Plan to breastfeed alongside pumping, bottles, or formula.
Want your partner or support person to be actively involved in feeding preparation.
Appreciate having a flexible plan and someone to reconnect with after birth.
Partners and other support people are welcome and encouraged to participate.
Education That Starts With Your Goals
There's no single feeding experience that works for every family.
My role is to help you understand the physiology, develop practical skills, recognize when additional support may be useful, and make informed decisions that reflect your goals and circumstances.
As a lactation educator, I provide foundational breastfeeding education and support. I do not provide clinical lactation
