Why Hire an LC
In our community, we have a lot of great resources available to help new parents with breastfeeding challenges. These include doctors, midwives, nurses, public health, la leche league, doulas and the drop-in breastfeeding clinic. With these resources, many of them free, why would you want to look at hiring a private practice lactation consultant?
The answer is that for many parents, those other resources will be enough. However, the unfortunate truth is that for some, breastfeeding and the transition to parenthood is incredibly difficult and having even more help available can make a difference.
For those really struggling with breastfeeding it can help to get another perspective on their individual situation. Breastfeeding problems are complex and will be different for each mother-baby pair. The solutions to these problems will be individual for each family as well. What worked for one may not for another. By getting another healthcare provider’s assessment and opinion, you may find something new that works best for you.
You may get on well with your healthcare providers and other times you may not. It’s important to feel comfortable with, and trust the people you are getting help from. It may work better for you to have a private breastfeeding assessment. You may be ok with getting breastfeeding help in a group setting. You may want to do both as there is value in seeing other moms and what they are going through as well.
With private LC sessions, you can access help at more varied times than regular business hours. Additionally, you can get phone/email support after your consult when you need it for any extra questions and issues that arise.
Often, if breastfeeding is challenging, you may very well need help from all sources to make it work. At the end of the day, the more supports available the better. That way each family can access what they need to achieve their parenting goals. It will look different for everyone, just as each family and mother-baby breastfeeding relationship is unique.
The most important thing to remember is to ask for help and get the help you need so you can meet your infant feeding goals, whatever those may be.