Infant Feeding Specialist-Part 3
Posted on: August 20, 2018 | Famillies, Feeding, Infant Feeding Specialist, Meals, Motherhood, Postpartum Doulas
2 months postpartum and Imani’s first day at work is around the corner. We’re visiting and we are going through what pumping at work will look like. She has been on her medication for anxiety for 2 weeks now, and shares that she is feeling less frazzled. Bradford gave his first hearty chuckle and it brightened her darkest day. While she has a great stash to feed Bradford for weeks in the freezer, she afraid that he won’t take the bottle well from the Nanny she’s hired to look after him while she’s at work.
Kimberly, the college student nanny knocks on the front door and joins our discussion. Imani leaves to retrieve Bradford, and as we wait, I explain with Kimberly paced feeding technique. I share with her that we pace bottle feed to help baby switch from bottle to breast ease, and to better allow the baby to control the flow of the milk. Imani returns, and we together observe Kimberly giving Bradford his bottle. With some tweaks to positioning and the pace of the feed, both Kimberly and Bradford complete a successful feed.
Imani appears relieved.
It’s now 4 months postpartum and Imani, Bradford and Kimberly have set a groove going with Bradford’s feeding routine. Imani has a nice supply of milk building in the freezer. Bradford rolled over for the first time and loves being sung “This Little Light of Mine” as he’s being fed. While the work/life balance took a little while to get used to, during our monthly check-in, Imani is excited to share that she has met a charming guy at one of her recent work conferences. She hadn’t thought about dating or getting back on the saddle after having Bradford, and is having some concerns about what intimacy might look like while she is lactating. While there’s no immediate plans of action to get some action, Imani wants to be ahead of the situation. Imani is a bit turned off by the possibility of having something that could potentially be water cooler talk.
We share some laughs and innuendos, and discuss tips and techniques.
Bradford is now 6 months old, and I am working a night postpartum doula shift for Imani as she prepares to meet up with Prince Charming for a late night on the town. She is prepared to start giving Bradford his first solids. Imani’s family has a history of anemia and diabetes, and she would like to steer clear of sugars and introduce healthy options. While making her own baby food seems like the best choice, Imani is aware that it’s not a realistic solution for her. What are my other options? She inquires. What if I skip the baby foods and go straight to table food? She asks. What is the downside for only feeding him breast milk until he’s older? She questions.
I assure Imani that these are great questions and valid concerns, and at Bradford’s 6 month check up, it would be a great idea to discuss this with her pediatrician and see what information he has to offer. In the meantime, I address each of her questions using B. R. A. I. N. and we go over perfect first food options.
To be continued…
***This is a fictional depiction of the support of your IFS team. Any reference to true persons or events is by coincidence.***