Hellobee Boards

With LO1, she was excellent, but we still had problems.

With LO2 (different hospital) we didn't have any problems so I didn't see one.

She was a little much for me. She suggested I un-wean my toddler when my newborn was born.

No – I did not find the LC at the hospital to be helpful at all.

No. She made me cry every time. Maybe a bit hormonal on my part (ok, a lot). But I would think they should be trained to deal with highly emotional and overtired women.
She was harsh and lost patience with me. And when I cried over frustration and lack of sleep she just stared at me like I was a lunatic.
I had a postpartum doula at home who was also a LC and she was way more compassionate. While helpful, she also stressed that my comfort and mental state were just as important if not more. It helped a ton.

The nurses at the hospital were supposedly trained LCs but were super hands off with me in general since they were overextended and we didn't have any serious issues. I was really worried when LO hadn't nursed much if at all in the first 12 hours of her life and they were like "oh she's just sleepy" I hired a private LC to come in and visit me in the hospital and they acted a little offended, like they would have helped me if I asked, but I asked and no one came, so...

Nope. All she did was hand me a bunch of papers about breastfeeding. LO had just eaten when she came by so she didn't even look at his latch.

The day nurse I had was so much more helpful, as was our pediatrician. LO lost more than 10% of his weight so the day after we got home we took him in for a weight check. The pediatrician spent so much time with us teaching me the different holds, what his latch should look like and what his swallowing should sound like.

Yes. We had a few and one was my favorite. I sent a thank you note and will send a Christmas card. We did weighted feeds for the first 8 or so weeks due to transferring issues.

They weren't great and we struggled with BF early on. Later I joined a breastfeeding support group run by an awesome LC and we have become friends. She told me she'll be there for me (even house-calls) when DS arrives, and it's such a relief!

Yes, they were both amazing!! They taught our prenatal class, so we felt like we already knew them when they came to see me post-birth. Then, when lo refused to latch the day after coming home from the hospital, they told us to come right back in as soon as we called so they could check things out in person with us. They also ran a new moms group weekly, which was so helpful and awesome during the first 12 weeks. (It was like a live Hellobee!)

With my first delivery at a hospital in Boston, theLCs and nurses were amazing and I got SO much help learning how to BF. The second time, at a different hospital, the LCs and nurses were very hands off and weren't much help at all. DS couldn't latch at all and wasn't getting anything out of me, and they didn't even think to check for any tongue or lip ties.

I did. It was my first and I did not have much BF support in my immediate family (Mom never tried and sister refused to try) so I was the first woman in my family. My mom was of course supportive just could not offer "real life" help.

The nurse in L&D helped me establish initial latch but said it wasnt' "great" so she would notify the LC to see me. LC came by and gave some tips - she told me she would be around all day if I needed her and the following day but not Saturday (the day I was discharged). She checked in on my Friday morning and left me some ointment...bless her heart.

All in all a great experience.

@Happygal: no. I had a very similar experience as you at the hospital. Plus a bossy attitude lol. We have our own LC near home and she is soooo much better.

With DD- I liked the LC, but I didn't need too much help. DD was a champion nurser. I had no clue what I was doing, but DD took right to it. The LC did give me a few helpful pointers though.

With DS- I did NOT like the LC. She was loud and rude. She kept trying to tell me I was doing it wrong. I was holding him wrong, touching him wrong, I should do this instead... She repositioned us and he lost his mind. So I ignored her and did what felt comfortable for us. He's 2.5 months and it's working out just fine. All the advice she gave me did not work for DS. He likes what he likes.

A pedi who is also an IBCLC is just the absolute best case scenario in my mind. You're so lucky to have one.

She was nice, but she didn't tell me anything I hadn't learned at the hospital's breastfeeding class. I really wanted her to check DD's latch, but she was sleeping when the LC stopped by so I went to the weekly breastfeeding support group at my hospital the day after we were discharged to get her latch checked. They were nice, told me her latch looked great, and did a weighed feeding. It gave me a lot of confidence that bfing was going to work out for us.

for LO1--no. i now know his latch was too shallow, but she didn't mention it.

for LO2--yes, i liked her a lot. she was matter of fact, not preachy, and was hands-on and practical.

I loved my hospital LC! She came in right as DD was being born to make sure her very first latch was good, and then visited me every morning and evening I was in the hospital! She taught me how/when to pump, too, and she made sure to use the same brand I had at home so I could keep all the pieces I used, because they'd be thrown away otherwise. I was a wreck but she was so helpful! I even buzzed for her once when they had to add formula to help lower DD's billirubin and she brought in this sort of feeding tube/syringe and taped it to me so the baby would get formula while thinking she was on the nipple. I loved my hospital overall, though. Sooooooo mom-friendly. My baby is like, a champion breastfeeder and I would say that's like, 90% LC.