While natural and beautiful, the personal choice to breastfeed, also known as chestfeed, one’s baby can present challenges for many. A survey from the UC Davis Medical Center found that 92% of the new mothers who participated reported having problems nursing three days after giving birth. 

If moms experience issues breastfeeding, it can add distress to an already tumultuous experience of bringing home a new baby. With specialized support from a lactation consultant, however, mothers can succeed in breastfeeding their babies if that’s their intention. 

If parents choose to go the formula-feeding route, that’s completely acceptable and encouraged too. We’re fortunate to live in a time in history when nutritionally complete infant formula is available. In my own practice, when I have clients who are struggling to breastfeed, I regularly remind them that “fed is best” and that no matter how they nourish their babies, they are incredible mothers. 

Expecting mothers often imagine that breastfeeding is simple and instinctive. Contrary to this widely-held perception, however, many find nursing to be anything but easy. In all actuality, breastfeeding can be complicated, imperfect, and exhausting.  

Some common breastfeeding concerns include:

Moms who struggle with nursing may feel various negative emotions that can contribute to mental health concerns during the perinatal period , which describes the time surrounding pregnancy, birth, and up to a year following birth. They may experience:

A mother’s mental health may suffer further when exacerbated by other perinatal circumstances, such as: 

For moms who intend to breastfeed, professional lactation support can offer guidance, strategies, and tips for making nursing as seamless as possible. Midwives, doulas, nurses, dietitians, and other perinatal health care providers commonly serve as lactation consultants. These professionals typically have earned certifications in lactation support. Some common types of certifications include:

Often beginning during pregnancy, lactation support usually involves education about the logistics of breastfeeding. Within the first few hours or days after a baby is born, a lactation consultant may conduct infant feeding assessments, which are helpful for proactively detecting any issues that may create barriers to parents’ feeding goals.

Lactation support can also provide guidance around:

At Thrive Wellness, we understand that breastfeeding doesn’t come easily to everyone, and when this is the case, the mental health of new parents can severely suffer. In my own experience as a mom to a new baby, I struggled with postpartum depression that I believe began with the intense difficulty I had breastfeeding and many unfulfilled hopes throughout my nursing journey. As part of Thrive Wellness’ integrated health care approach, we involve medical professionals, therapists, dietitians, and lactation consultants in our perinatal health care services, so that parents receive multi-faceted support as they adjust to life with a new baby. To learn more about perinatal health care at Thrive Wellness, reach out . 

While all Thrive Wellness locations offer interdisciplinary clinical teams who collaborate to treat eating disorders, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs), and additional mental and behavioral health conditions, programs and services may vary by location.

Courtney is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Lactation Counselor passionate about helping clients use food as a tool for health and joyful living. Her practice is built around the marriage of medical nutrition therapy with the principles of Intuitive Eating.

She began studying nutrition science because of her fascination with food and the body. In her practice, she hopes to educate and empower others to harness the awesome benefits of the food around them, and to provide them valuable skills to apply nutrition principles in their everyday life.

By marrying her experience of disordered eating with her knowledge of medical nutrition therapy and her skills as an adjunct lecturer at the university level, she has been able to create a holistic approach to health and wellness for clients that focuses on education and practicing new skills that not only improve her clients’ health but also their relationship with food and body.

The post Normalizing Nursing Complications: Breastfeeding Challenges, Perinatal Mental Health, and Lactation Support first appeared on Thrive Wellness.