Why take a breastfeeding class?

When I was pregnant with my first baby, I assumed that there was no need for me to take a breastfeeding class because my mother is a lactation consultant. After all, she’d teach me everything I needed to know, right? I was surprised when she suggested that my husband and I sign up for a class at the hospital where we planned to deliver, but I decided it certainly couldn’t hurt.
The class was held on a weekday evening and was about 3 hours long. Honestly, I don’t remember a lot about what was covered, but I was pleased to see how many partners attended. In many ways, the class was structured to educate partners so that they knew how to support the new moms and babies in their lives. Nobody would argue with the value of that.
I have been teaching hospital breastfeeding classes for the better part of a year, and I expect I’ll continue until I finally break into the modeling industry. And yes, I think that all expectant parents should take a breastfeeding class. It would probably be helpful for the grandparents, too, along with anyone else who is going to be supporting the new family.
Last week, I was at the hospital where I teach, and a dad-to-be asked me, “Do we really need to take the breastfeeding class? I mean, won’t it be enough to get help from the lactation consultants at the hospital?” How interesting that this thinking persists: lactation consultants are a shortcut to understanding breastfeeding and solving your problems! Well, sometimes…
Of course I told the dad that he and his partner should take the class because:

1. Hospital lactation consultants are busy! There are no guarantees that an LC will be available when you most need help, and you may not get as much of her time as you’d like.
2. Breastfeeding is a skill that takes time for mom and baby to learn, so even a nice, long visit from a hospital LC is unlikely to address all of the questions and concerns that arise over the next few weeks.
3. It is so much easier to help parents with breastfeeding when they already have a basic understanding about how it works. LCs can then focus on the specific needs of the family rather than teach a crash course of Breastfeeding 101. The chaos and sleep deprivation of the newborn period makes it difficult to retain a lot of new information, anyway.
4. With early feeding problems, it’s critical to know when to reach out for help and who to call. Breastfeeding classes cover how often newborns should be fed and how to tell if they’re eating well. The sooner any problems are addressed, the better.

While I may be slightly biased, I think you should take a breastfeeding class!

Want a private, in-home breastfeeding class? Book one with me!

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