If you are breezing through breastfeeding, you can skip this section altogether. But if you find yourself struggling, read on.
There is just nothing worse than that sinking feeling of inadequacy when you think, or are told, that you don’t have enough milk for your baby. In those first few hormone addled weeks, this is like taking several direct hits to the heart.
“Your baby’s underweight,” “You don’t have enough milk”, “You shouldn’t feed him so often, he won’t get enough milk.” Too often, we hear distraught new mothers saying that they’ve been told this by their doctors and this makes them immediately lose confidence in themselves and their ability to breastfeed.
First of all – and we know this is hard – relax. Don’t be in a rush to assume that your baby is undernourished. We’re not sure why this is, but doctors here are very conservative about making sure that babies’ growth patterns conform to the growth charts, and mothers are often encouraged to supplement. First, discuss further with your doctor if he/she feels that this is really essential and why – sometimes they offer this advice as a casual suggestion only. Also, check out some more information online, or stop by the Breastfeeding Cafe or La Leche League for a chat. You will be surprised to hear how many other mothers have heard the same thing from their doctors and still resolved their breastfeeding problems (or realized they didn’t actually have a problem at all).
If this doesn’t help, then it may be time to seek professional support (see our directory for breastfeeding support listings).
If, in addition to having difficulties with breastfeeding, you have persistent feelings of inadequacy, despair, numbness, or are generally feeling down, it might be worth getting screened for postpartum depression…
Lastly, some women do have genuine problems with milk supply. A good lactation consultant will not make you feel bad about deciding to formula feed, if that is what you choose. Actually, a good consultant should help you identify the problem and feel confident that you’ve given breastfeeding a good try and are choosing to supplement or formula feed because it is the best thing for you and your baby.
I am planning on delivering my second child in Bangkok in June at Samitivej. With my first (who was born back home in the States), we both had multiple problems when it came to breastfeeding and unfortunately I eventually had to switch to formula. In hindsight, it ended up being the best, most healthy decision for our family at the time. However, this time I am hoping and praying that I can breastfeed this child with success. I was wondering if anyone had any input/thoughts/comments on the lactation clinic or lactation consultants at Samitivej seeing as that would be the first place I would turn if some of the same problems resurface this time. Thanks for anything you can share!
Janelle
Janelle, Meena at Samitivej is lovely and I’m sure she can help you. Unfortunately, there are just not a lot of lactation professionals (at least English-speaking) in Bangkok. I encourage you to stop by the Breastfeeding Cafe, where there are lots of mothers and doulas who have experience helping new mothers find their way with breastfeeding. Even if you don’t have problems this time round, it’s a nice place to connect with other mothers and share stories — even when breastfeeding goes well, there are always ups and downs, and it’s good to know you’re not alone in that. You can find the most updated information about the weekly get togethers on the Bangkok Breastfeeding Cafe Facebook page . You can also contact the organizers there and leave questions if you have any.