Antenatal classes that focus on feeding are an important item to put on your pre-birth agenda. I get it - you have so many items on your list, is a feeding class really that important?! Here are the 5 reasons that you should book antenatal classes specifically focusing on feeding your baby:
1. You feed your baby for longer than you give birth
It is quite common for parents to forgo infant feeding classes and focus on the birth classes. Yes, of course the birth is important but really it only last a few hours to a few days (hopefully the former) and after that? Well, you'll have a baby to care for AND FEED... FOR MONTHS AND YEARS! Save yourself the stress of trying to learn what to do with a crying new born in your arms, and book yourself into a class before the birth!
2. Babies feed more often than we realise (unless you've had one of course!)
Managing expectations is so important and if you don't regularly hang out with babies, you'll need to know what is normal and when to seek help. Knowing beforehand whether something is normal or not, will save you hours of googling at 3am and a lot of stress. It's important to know how often babies feed, what their poop and pee should look like, what should their weight do, what type of pain is normal, what to do if you are in pain, how to bottle feed safely and why your baby is feeding 500x in one hour (hello cluster feeding!)
3. Natural doesn't equal easy
This is specifically for the mums out there wanting to breastfeed. Breastfeeding is natural right? So obviously I'll know what to do! Well not really. Let's take foraging for example. Foraging (gathering food in the wild) is natural for humans but how many people know how to forage these days? Certainly not me. Foraging is something that was learnt by spending time around others who foraged. It was taught by elders and handed down through generations. Breastfeeding is similar. However, today we no longer have communities around us where we can watch and learn about breastfeeding or have elders teaching us what to do. In other words - yes breastfeeding is natural, but you still need to learn how to do it.
4. If you have any risk factors, you'll know early on
Another one for those breastfeeding mums. Many mothers worry about milk supply but the truth is that only a very small percentage of mothers have physiological reasons for low milk supply. If you have any health conditions that may impact your milk supply such as diabetes, thyroid dysfunction, breast/chest surgery, hypoplasia or infertility issues a one-on-one antenatal class with a Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) will help you come up with a plan to maximise your milk output. It is usually possible to make at least some milk for your baby.
5. Bottle feeding isn't always straightforward either...
For those parents wanting to bottle feed, it's important to understand responsive feeding and how to read your baby's communication cues. With breastfeeding, babies are in control and can move away from the breast at any time, while with bottle feeding you are in control. This can sometimes cause issues with how well your baby copes leading to spilling of milk, coughing, gasping and in some cases bottle refusal.
Learn to feed offers individually tailored antenatal classes virtually or face-to-face. If you would like more information, contact us.
What are your thoughts on antenatal infant feeding classes?
If you would like to book an antenatal feed class, contact us to arrange a time. |
References:
Marasco, L., & West, D. (2020). Making More Milk. McGraw Hill.
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