I’d be a rich woman if I had a dollar for every time a new mom said to me “The baby does so well when you’re here. Can’t you just come back for every feed?” Babies seem to behave perfectly when I’m observing a feed. It’s almost as if they know that they are being watched, graded and judged.
So am I a magic baby whisperer? Absolutely not. And believe me, I certainly didn’t possess any amazing baby skills when I was a new mom.
Research shows that when a new mom is offered support while breastfeeding, she feels more confident in her abilities (http://apps.who.int/rhl/pregnancy_childbirth/care_after_childbirth/rmguide2/en/). Of course she does! Don’t we all want to feel supported? I remember when I was young, in elementary school, working on an assignment. When the teacher leaned over my shoulder, looked over my work and whispered “good Job”, I felt confident that I was on the right path. Cue the sigh of relief. All new mothers question their abilities…whether it be about feeds, baby’s sleep pattern, crying, colic, etc. It’s all a mystery in those first few weeks. Knowing that someone is there to look over your shoulder and confirm that all is well, the baby is indeed eating, you do have milk, the baby is indeed gaining weight…this is enough to make a new mom confident in her abilities to not only successfully breastfeed, but possibly to relax and enjoy the path into motherhood.
Baby whisperer? Love the name, but I can’t take credit for that. Confidence builder? Yeah, that definitely fits.
