there’s a discomfort that happens soon after birth. it happens as your heart tries desperately to expand to contain all this new love for a fresh human.
it’s a good pain. the next isn’t as welcome. nursing parents, especially if they’re lactating for the first time, might have all manner of twinges, soreness or tenderness.
“breastfeeding is a natural thing, but natural doesn’t mean it’s easy,” montreal lactation consultant marion fréchette says.
people are sent home very soon after birth, often before their milk comes in, and can quickly feel isolated and confused. their need for support doesn’t end in a day or a week, fréchette says.
“it’s about the family’s journey. breastfeeding changes at one week, at one month, at one year.”
fréchette sat down with us to talk about common breastfeeding issues and how parents can access support. this interview has been edited for length.
what is your role?
i’m a new lactation consultant. i just started my practice in january. but for three to four years before, i did parent-to-parent peer support, making sure parents don’t feel isolated and answering basic questions. i decided to pursue it in a more professional way.
in our society, there are a lot of parents who are home alone. one often goes back to work after a few weeks and the parent who is lactating is home alone — and it’s a lot. it’s a lot of change, it’s a learning curve. with peer support, someone can tell them, “it’s normal that that baby falls asleep at the breast, it’s normal that they wake up in the night.”