12 and 24 Hour Support
Most commonly we hear from clients needing lactation support somewhere around day three through two weeks after birth. They often come referred to us by a pediatrician, obstetrician, chiropractor, friend or doula due to struggling with breastfeeding since birth. We have noticed that having this delay in support leaves moms feeling very discouraged and often like they are fighting a losing battle. So we have developed new postpartum doula packages that have an emphasis on lactation support. We now offer support for your first 12 or 24 hours at home. If you choose 12 hours of support one of our doula/lactation counselors will stay with you and help you feel comfortable at home and guide you as your milk comes in. If you choose the 24 hour option, you get a fresh doula every 12 hours.
When I asked former clients for feedback on these new options for support I was met with much enthusiasm. I asked a client I had worked with as a postpartum doula after her second baby if this would have been helpful with her first she said "Yes, because that is the hardest time to know what to do and it's important to have support because it can go wrong fast. I would have loved on call lactation support from birth through three days." Another client I worked with for postpartum support with her first child actually had hired a baby nurse for the first 6 weeks. I was contacted, after the baby nurse left, to work with her on "how to do life" as she called it now that she had a 6 week old. When I asked her if she thought it would have been helpful she said "Absolutely, that was when I was the most lost and confused about everything."
Ultimately, Bosom Buddy would love to see more success stories and less stress involved in breastfeeding. We offer prenatal lactation education to educate our clients on realistic expectations and give them to the tools to know when to ask for help and where to get it. We have lots of work to do as Tennessee ranks among the bottom of infants breastfed at birth and continue to breastfeed at the three, six, and 12 month milestones. More than one fourth of infants are given formula by the time they are two days old. Our hope is that by offering this around the clock support at home, we can impact our community and make a difference in these rates, creating healthier children and happier mothers. For more information on these packages and our other services please visit our website or email us
