"Lactation Consultants or Certified Real Life Angels?!"

I cannot speak more highly of the LCs (particularly Meg and Jude) that I have met through the KEMH Breastfeeding Centre. I first saw Meg when my bub was only a few weeks only and hadn’t regained his birth weight - I was so distressed, in a lot of physical pain, and really struggling with trying to breastfeed despite an overwhelming amount of well intentioned advice from midwives and child health nurses.

Meg was incredibly generous with her time and expertise, she validated my concerns and experiences whilst also offering gentle reassurance. I felt centred in the care provided, the knowledge these LCs have is immense but their superpower is in their ability to disseminate this knowledge appropriately and kindly based on the individual family they are working with. I felt so genuinely supported and celebrated by Meg over the course of our sessions and with her guidance was able to feel so much more confident feeding my baby.

When we came across some feeding challenges at around 4/5months old I was referred to an LC elsewhere (through my child health nurse) and was bitterly disappointed by the experience. I immediately called KEMH BF centre and was popped on a cancellation list and was able to come in and be seen by Jude only a few days later. Jude was so patient and calm - both my husband and I were so impressed by her ability to explain issues clearly and in a way that made sense to us, she offered reassurance (backed by info) whilst still validating our worries (it had previously felt like other health professionals were just dismissing our concerns). Our appt with Jude felt like an incredible weight had been lifted off our shoulders, we were empowered with information to advocate for our bub and my feeding plan, whilst still given practical advice to help with our challenges. 

I think this service could only be improved by there being *more* of it! I would have had a much easier start to my feeding and postpartum journey if I had been visited by a trained LC whilst I was on the ward for three nights after birth, as part of a routine education/care plan. Instead the contradictory advice by multiple well-meaning midwives over various shifts/days left me feeling very confused and unsure where to turn for help. I would also love to see this service expanded to be available on the weekends and ‘after hours’, to make it easier for families to get help - particularly so that partners/support people can attend appointments with mums to learn how to best support her feeding journey.