Breastfeeding Preparation
During your pregnancy, you will spend a lot of time thinking about and preparing for the arrival of your new baby.
Many people spend a lot of time thinking about the labour and birth. It is also important to think about and prepare for the early days and weeks with your new baby. Some of the things to consider can include:
- Will I breastfeed my baby?
- Do I have additional support arranged for me in the early weeks?
- Who can I go to if I am struggling?
Sometimes, things happen that can interfere with our plans to breastfeed. Things that may make it more difficult to breastfeed include:
- Any history of breast surgery, including lumpectomy and breast reduction
- Depression or anxiety during pregnancy
- Relationship problems
- Any history of sexual abuse or childhood trauma
- Separation of mother and baby around the time of birth
- Early use of bottles and pacifiers
- Significant difficulties breastfeeding previous children
- Polycystic ovarian syndrome
- Gestational diabetes
If you think that you may have trouble establishing breastfeeding with your baby, or you would simply like to know more and be better prepared, it is an excellent idea to see me before the birth so that we can make a plan and give you the best chance of success.
I also highly recommend this free PDF book written by an American colleague to help you prepare for breastfeeding and maternal self care: Prenatal Education: Maternal and Self Care.
Antenatal Expression of Colostrum
I often get asked about whether to hand express colostrum prior to the birth of your baby.
For parents with diabetes during pregnancy, collecting and storing colostrum before birth—known as antenatal colostrum expression (ACE)—may help with early breastfeeding. The DAME Study, a large research trial in Australia, looked at whether ACE is safe and beneficial. The study found that expressing colostrum from 36 weeks of pregnancy did not increase the risk of early labor or harm the baby. Importantly, parents who practiced ACE were more likely to exclusively breastfeed their baby at birth, which can be especially helpful for babies at risk of low blood sugar.
The website, https://firstdroplets.com, has lots of information about expressing your colostrum before birth.
Anxiety and Depression in Pregnancy
Pregnancy can sometimes make underlying depression and anxiety worse, and sometimes anxiety or depression can present for the first time.
If you are struggling with anxiety, depression, or any thoughts or feelings that are bothersome to you, please make an urgent appointment with me to discuss this.
Domestic Violence in Pregnancy
Domestic and family violence is a serious issue in Australia, with about 25% of all pregnant women experiencing abuse and violence at the hands of their partner. For approximately 1 in 4 of these women, the first time that they experience this domestic violence will be during pregnancy.
1 in 3 mothers will experience violence at the hands of their partner by the time that their first child turns four.
These statistics are frightening. Please do not hesitate to discuss this with me. I can help you to make a plan and find a way forward.
Alcohol Use in Pregnancy
There is no safe level of alcohol in pregnancy and it recommended to completely abstain from dinking alcohol whilst pregnant.
Illicit Substance Use
Illicit drugs can damage the baby's development and cause the baby to become dependent on the substance. It is recommended to completely abstain from using illicit substances whilst pregnant.
Prescription Medication Use
Many medications can be used in pregnancy quite safely. Sometimes medications may be needed to be changed prior to pregnancy, soon after finding out that you are pregnant, or prior to delivery. If you feel this may affect you, please book in to discuss this further. I can also involve a high risk pregnancy specialist as required to make sure that the risks and benefits of medication during pregnancy can be properly considered.
Induced Lactation
Are you thinking about or planning to induce lactation to breastfeed a child that you have not given birth to? This is a field of lactation that I specialise in and would be happy to give you advice about or discuss whether it is something that you would like to do.
Reasons can include surrogacy, adoption, gender diversity and the non-birthing mother of same sex couples.
The ideal time to start the process is when the pregnancy is around 26 weeks, so ideally try to make your first consult prior to that time. However, I can see you at any stage during pregnancy.