Evolving the Modern Breastfeeding Experience

If you have ever wondered why breastfeeding is doubted by so many and causes so much confusion and frustration for new mothers and healthcare providers alike, Evolving the Modern Breastfeeding Experience: Holistic Lactation Care in the First 100 Hours will be a breath of fresh air.

As a board-certified lactation consultant (IBCLC), I've witnessed firsthand significant changes in the field of lactation, including universal internet access, product proliferation, legislative changes in the US regarding breast pump eligibility, and the impact of the global pandemic on social support and healthcare.

The First 100 Hours approach to early lactation care is a mindset shift that will renew your faith in breastfeeding as important and achievable.

The earliest hours of breastfeeding can seem hopelessly medicalized by hospitals saying they "support" breastfeeding but not facilitating it, healthcare providers doubting breastfeeding at every turn and recommending interventions like pumping and infant formula, and a lack of education about how to feel confident about breastfeeding and milk production leaving new families frustrated and disappointed after they've gone home.

There's a way to simplify it all - the First 100 Hours approach identifies the cultural myths and unhelpful practices that hinder the earliest hours of breastfeeding and lead to the struggles we often see lamented in tales of modern parenthood.

The First 100 Hours strategy reframes the concept of "getting milk on the 3rd day," clarifies the timeline of lactation and sets appropriate expectations for milk volumes and breastfeeding. It addresses misconceptions and establishes a foundation for what is expected to occur during this critical timeframe.

The First 100 Hours approach defines how breastfeeding and milk production are designed to unfold and align simultaneously throughout the first 100 hours of a baby's life.

The American breastfeeding experience is often characterized by limited prenatal education, intervention-heavy labor and birth, rushed postpartum hospital stays with inadequate lactation support, and a discharge process that leaves new parents lacking information. New parents are bombarded with messages emphasizing the need to acquire numerous baby-related products, particularly those associated with feeding. Commercial marketing efforts heavily target expectant and new parents and their healthcare providers, promoting formula use and undermining breastfeeding.

The First 100 Hours approach promotes respectful, family-centered care and seeks to transform the modern breastfeeding experience. It includes objectives such as establishing appropriate breastfeeding expectations, increasing exclusive breastfeeding rates, decreasing non-medically necessary formula supplementation, and extending the duration of breastfeeding.

The First 100 Hours approach encompasses recommendations from the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative's Ten Steps, the World Health Organization, and the Acade