Infant Feeding Support with Doulas of Raleigh
One of the biggest choices ALL new parents will make is how to feed their new baby. Will the baby be breastfed? Formula fed? Maybe a combination of both? Maybe the new parent plans to exclusively pump and bottle fed? This is not always an easy choice.
And even after that choice is made, many new parents are still left with a mountain of questions over HOW they are going to make that feeding choice work.
That’s why Doulas of Raleigh offers Infant Feeding Support. What exactly does that look like? Let’s answer some of those questions in this blog.
It starts with Education.
Doulas of Raleigh offers an Infant Feeding 101 class in order to prepare new parents for how to meet their feeding goals. This three-hour, interactive and hands-on class, provides evidence-based, unbiased information on establishing breastfeeding, dealing with common early breastfeeding challenges, introducing a bottle, using a breast pump, and even basic information about formula feeding, whether as a short-term supplement or long-term goal.
And because this class can be taught privately, it is fully customizable. Want to learn how to establish a long-term milk supply as an exclusive pumper? We can do that. Interested only in learning about formula options, how to safely prepare and handle formula, and other things to know as an exclusively formula feeding parent? We got you covered.
Good, quality education is the best place to start when it comes to learning about all of your choices surrounding infant feeding, so you can feel prepared when it comes time to make feeding decisions for your baby.
And it continues with in-person Infant Feeding Support.
If everything goes well, hopefully your infant feeding 101 class was enough to prepare you for your early feeding journey. But we know the reality of infant feeding can often times be challenging - that’s why we also offer in-person feeding support after your baby is born. During a 2-hour feeding consult, we can assist you with the following things:
Helping to learn how to properly position at the breast
Assisting with a nice, deep latch
Observing a feed and helping you learn how to know your baby is eating enough at the breast
Answering any and all questions about newborn feeding patterns and what to expect
Providing resources to wonderful, local International Board Certified Lactation Consultants if we spot any feeding issues outside the range of normal
During an in-person consult, we can also help you with setting up your breast pump and learning how to use it; instructions on introducing a bottle and the paced-feeding method; formula feeding options; and any other question that might arise during your first year of infant feeding.