Will they send someone to you if you need them or do you have to go to them? What about Lactation Consultants? Will they visit you at your home?

LLL usually have a hotline number and depending on the chapter MAY send someone to you. The ones near me usually liked you to join before the baby comes with other Moms in a group setting. Hospitals usually have consultants on staff also so you could call there for info. Your Doc should also have info. Good Luck Renee!! ~Kerri

Try to find a LLL group now and attend a meeting. It's not required here, but I think it's a good idea. See how you like it and tell the leaders your concerns. They may personally come help you or know who can. Call your hospital and ask for LC recommendations. See if you can "interview" some to find one you're comfortable with. Having more than one source is good. I think it's great you're getting ready now! This way you'll be more relaxed and can ENJOY your baby time when it comes! :D

I did post somewhere Medela's site www.medela.com They have an online LC. Maybe she can help?

Thanks. I just got The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding book yesterday and have started reading it. I wonder if I'm going to remember any of the techniques though.. or how to do them. I did a bit of reading last time round and it was useless to me because I just forgot it all by the time I delivered. At least I have the book there to read whenever I want though.

I'm going to buy some PureLan on Friday or Saturday and start using it too.

One more question... do you have to join LLL and pay a LC if you need their help? We just don't have the money. :cry:

If your hospital offers it, take the breastfeeding course. I did and they went over the different positions to put the baby in. I took my mother and she was impressed by all that it covered too.

Also, your nurses at the hospital may be able to help you with your baby's latches and positions as well. Some are more helpful than others (the nurses), so you may have to try a couple times to find the right person to help you.

LLL is usually free as are hospital lactation nurses. Unless you decide to hire your own (outside the hospital) it should not cost you anything. Take care! ~Kerri

That's good to know. Thanks. :)

I don't know how things work in NZ, but if you have cities or counties or something like that, call the health dept and ask if they have a dept to help breastfeeding moms. That's kind of what WIC is here. There's no charge for the service.

Ok thanks. I think WIC is like our WINZ (Work and Income NZ). But I don't know. I don't think they offer any kind of help like help paying for an LC or anything like that. :cry:

in MO where I live a lot of the pediatricians keep a LC on staff for new moms...I met with them all and was never able to produce milk...your local hospital where you give birth usually requires a LC meeting before they release you as part of your hospital nursery bill anyway, so no extra charge, and monitor your progress in stay and answer any questions....so you won't be alone! Good luck!

I don't know about in NZ, but when I had my dd there was a lactation person who came to my hospital room. I didn't take her help, though, but perhaps there is one at your hospital?

I found this site. http://www.eagletribune.com/news/stories/19980111/FP_003.htm This article is pretty old, but it names a hospital offering free lc service. Look under IQ equation near the end.
WIC offers peer counseling free (Federal grant program). I checked out WINZ. There’s a 211 helpline maybe you could try. And you have Plunket there, right? I’ve read it here before, but never knew what it was until now. I think it’s struggling. I read somewhere they’re asking for petitions or something for help.
And you'll have nurses and an lc at the hospital. Just trying to get some more stuff for you so you're at ease. :D

Thanks Tracy! :)

My midwife said that they have an on-staff breastfeeding consultant or something...

I am just wondering about once I leave hospital and go home ... if I will have to pay to have an LC visit me.

Yeah Plunket is always struggling. It's a shame because they are very good.

If you call LLL after you are released from the hospital there should be no charge, I am not sure if they will charge to visit you after the hospital though. Maybe they can make some arrangements if you explain your financial situation.

Do check to make sure your hospital will have someone visit you and your baby before your baby is due. No one came to visit me or check on how my nursing was going after I had my son, and when I had trouble the other nurses on call just told me to use the free formula they had in stock which was not what I wanted at all. The book I used was

The Complete Book of Breastfeeding : Revised Edition (Paperback)
by Marvin S. Eiger, Sally Wendkos Olds

and it was very helpful - my lamaze coach recommended it to me. I was also lucky and my son latched on right away - sometimes he still needed a little guidance, but for the most part he was a natural and is still nursing now. If you have any ?'s that I can answer for you, I'd be happy to.

If your OB or the ped you want to use has a lacation consultant on staff (or just knows about nursing), maybe they can help you when you go for your postpartum visits/baby checkups.

Thanks. :)

Last time no one came to see me at home after I had Abby. Only my midwife and then Plunket. But the midwives were not helpful at all when it came to breastfeeding.