Lolli’s Lesson: When the answer is to NOT Breastfeed

Wait, you’re a lactation consultant–you’re not supposed to say that?! As you can imagine, as a lactation consultant, I talk with many, many moms and have helped to latch many, many babies. There’s nothing I love more than counseling and giving education on how to breastfeed your baby. Trouble-shooting when problems arise helps me to learn how to be better for families and is a challenge I welcome. 

However, there are those times when I need to have the conversation that breastfeeding may not be what is best for a family, and even more so for mom. We do not take this decision lightly. In fact, sometimes we work through different feeding options for months before we determine that breastfeeding may not be best. 

Sometimes, moms need to be given permission to bottle feed. Not because anyone has demanded that she breastfeed (or maybe they have?) but because within her that was the expectation she had for herself. As much as I am there to help babies learn to latch, help moms establish a full milk supply, and support families through their breastfeeding journey, I am also there to recognize when breastfeeding is affecting the mental health of mom.

I have said more times than I can count, lactation consulting is almost as equally counseling and giving moms a chance to voice their worries, concerns, and verbalize feelings that are sometimes hard to talk about with anyone else.

And sometimes those hard things we talk about leads to determining the answer is to not breastfeed and I am here to support that decision.