Prenatal Preparation for Breastfeeding

Experiencing pregnancy as a first time parent can feel overwhelming! If you are planning to breastfeed, here is a checklist to guide your preparation:

1️⃣ Find a local board-certified lactation consultant (IBCLC) in your area. Many insurance providers fully cover lactation care and you can even get someone to come out to your home after birth to help troubleshoot any challenges. You can find an IBCLC through word of mouth, @ilcaworldwide directory, @uslca directory, a referral from your OBGYN or pediatrician, or a simple Google search.
2️⃣ Many IBCLCs offer 1-1 prenatal sessions or you can attend a breastfeeding class. If possible, a 1-1 session can be very helpful to get tailored information based on your personal health history and situation.
3️⃣ Hand expression is an important skill to learn how to remove milk as it is more effective than an electric pump at removing milk in the first few days after birth. Stanford Medicine has a great video on the technique!
4️⃣ If your healthcare provider approves, you can consider expressing colostrum around 37 weeks and freezing syringes. Not everyone is able to express prior to birth, so don't stress if you aren't able to remove any milk!
5️⃣ Get a breast pump! Most insurance providers fully cover basic breast pumps, there may be an additional cost for wearable or wireless pumps. I generally recommend the Spectra S1 or S2 for a quality primary pump.
6️⃣ Make a plan for skin to skin after birth. If possible, it is ideal to have 1-2 hours of uninterrupted skin to skin after birth and delay any interventions. This can help ease the transition from in utero life and help get breastfeeding started. If you have a planned cesarean, check with your hospital about their policies around skin to skin after birth.