Lactation Consultant

E

evgreen

Registered User
I'm going to be a first time mom in October, and I plan to breastfeed. I'd like to book a lactation consultant to be on hand for piece of mind. Is it also recommended to take breast feeding classes prior to giving birth? How helpful did you find bf classes if you took them? Which lactation consultants would you recommend and how far in advance should they be booked?

Thanks!
 
If you are delivering in the public system, the nurses will help you with breastfeeding when you deliver (don't worry if you don't speak Cantonese, they speak English). I found them very helpful - though breastfeeding can be a challenge so be prepared for that. I delivered at United Christian in Kwun Tong; for that area they have a community nurse service. For Hkd80 per visit (I think only two visits allowed), the nurse came to my home and checked on my breastfeeding progess (she also checked the baby, showed me how to clean the umblical chord, discussed general problems, sussed out for signs of depression... thought it was pretty awesome).

The Maternal Health Centres also have a lactation consultant who you can see for free. I went there once with my baby and found her really good.

I didn't do classes before but I did read it up. I found the prep in the hospital once the baby was born the most useful...
 
Mrs Chee at Everdawn Midwives is fantastic. Her clinic is in wanchai but I know she will go to a few private hospitals on HK side. She's extremely knowledgeable and effectively got my milk supply up (advice on what to eat, clearing clogged ducts) and baby latched on correctly.
 
someone else recommended mrs chee to me as well thru personal experience. i think i'll give her a call. i will be delivering at matilda.
 
I recommend that you attend a La Leche League meeting before you give birth. I went to one when I was about 5 ro pregnant and it was great to be connected to other experienced breastfeeding mothers and the support the leaders offer. I think LLL is one of the best resources for breastfeeding mothers in Hong Kong. Often, a leader from the group can help you with problems before you need to hire a lactation consultant.

I just gave birth to my second baby in March and met up with one of the LLL here for some help and she was so kind and unassuming and also just very understanding. My breastfeeding problems haven't all cleared up but that has little to do with whether I've seen a lactation consultant or not. In the States, when I gave birth to my son three years ago, I met with a lactation consultant for six weeks straight and still struggled--sometimes breastfeeding is rough no matter what you do.

Anyway, if you would like a recommendation for a good lactation consultant in Hong Kong, I recommend Lotus Lactation. Sarah Hung has been active with LLL and I just remember her wonderful sense of humor from the meeting I attended and she also offered some advice to me here on Geo Baby that has been excellent as well as consulted a bit over the phone regarding my issues this time with breastfeeding. She also works at Matilda.

Hope all goes well with you!
 
I delivered at QMH last September and their midwives were great in helping with breastfeeding, they asked before delivery whether i would be breastfeeding my baby and gave me the baby right after birth for bonding, with midwive there to assist with breastfeeding. baby was rooming in with me the entire time and the midwives visited regularly to check breastfeeding progress, they also conducted breastfeeding sessions in group if you are up to join. Also heard good comments from my friends who delivered at the matilda that the midwives there are very pro-breastfeeding and will help you with it right after birth.

also went to the lactation consultants are Mother Child Health Clinic afterwards for follow up checks which were very helpful.

As a first time mom, i did attend prenatal class which covered breastfeeding which was useful information but personally i think the actual help you get from the hospital are much more useful when you actually have your baby with you!

I did also see Mrs Chee by friends’ referral when baby was 2-month for a minor case of early Mastitis, she was very helpful and very nice, though the clinic was a bit inconvenient to get to from where I live. She is extremely busy so you better book in advance! She was doing a pre-delivery consultation with a mom-to-be just before one of my sessions so I overheard some details, she is usually in the clinic during the day and would visit new born in evening after her clinic hours (to private hospitals only), best to call her to discuss…

Agree with thanka2, the LLL support group is great also, i only went to the group once though as I’ve already returned to work and the timing doesn’t work out, good to get connected esp if you don’t have other bf moms in your close circle.

Good luck on breastfeeding =) it wasn’t easy at the beginning and took me nearly 6 weeks to get things smoothly, still feeding now can’t believe nearly 8 months have passed!
 
I gave birth in the public system this time around (the first time I was in the States at a private hospital that has a very good lactation consultant service). I gave birth at Pamela Youde in Chai Wan and was in a private ward--the nurses were very nice but not very helpful when it came to breastfeeding. I think that if I had been in the public ward it would have been even worse as all the staff are so busy they don't really have time to take care of you and attend to breastfeeding questions. The times that the nursing staff came to check on me with breastfeeding even though I had asked for some specific counsel (and remember, this is my second time with breastfeeding so I already had some experience--can't imagine what it would be like for a first-time mom) they just kind of looked at me, grunted that everything was okay and went on their way--but, I knew that something wasn't quite right--they just didn't have the time to spend with me. So, although, the policy of the public system is much more breastfeeding friendly than the private hospitals--it totally depends on what your issue is and if there are staff available to help with it at that time. Nothing like trying to get the nursing staff's attention while your baby is screaming to be fed after a long labor--so, my advice, y, is to get that connection to LLL before you even give birth because once you do give birth everything changes and you may not have the strength or time to try to connect in an "emergency situation." All the best to you.
 
La Leche have been great helping me with breastfeeding problems. I also had a home visit from Fiona at Annerley, she was a fantastic help and followed up on our progress. I can thoroughly recommend both!
 
What thanka2 said - LLL also run sessions for pregnant mothers specifically on breastfeeding (on a Saturday) and they are free. www.lllhk.org. Your husband can also attend which is great as having good support is one key to successful breastfeeding.

They are run by Sarah who is very experienced and has a great approach. I did a similar thing before my first baby (in Australia via the Australian Breastfeeding Association which is the LLL equivalent) and it was so worth it, mainly because it gave me the confidence in knowing what the most up to date knowledge was in regards to breastfeeding and many of the midwives in hospital are not as up to date and the conflicting views can be very confusing! LLL will also give you a pamphlet with this info on which you can take to hospital to refer to or even to show to the nurses if they are telling you something that is contradictory.

Being prepared and informed is so important so good on you for planning ahead.
 
thank you for all the suggestions. i just signed up for antenatal classes at matilda and noticed that they offer a full 2-hour class on breastfeeding as a part of the program. hoping this will be a good intro for me!
 
Yvonne Heavyside of the Family Zone is also excellent. I also had Hulda and Fiona from Annerley and they were excellent as well!
 
Just went this month with my husband to Sarah's home for this class. Not free anymore though- $500 for you and a partner, but this now includes a copy of their book "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" which is worth it. It's a big big book- I'm still just half through it.
 
Hi everyone,

I'd just like to correct a statement above saying our Breastfeeding Class is free. It is not free. It costs $500 and always has since we started giving them in 2003. Each classs includes a copy of the book, The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, http://www.lllhk.org/Sales/WAB.html. Details of the class are available at http://www.lllhk.org/Class.html

Our meetings, however, are free. English meeting details are available at http://www.lllhk.org/Meetings.html and Chinese meeting details at http://www.lllhk.org/ChineseMeetings.html

SARAH
 
The above class was great! It's even better when your partner attends with you because I think it's important for your partner to understand breastfeeding as well. Sarah is an excellent instructor!
 
I agree that Sarah's class was great, informative and practical, I learned a lot about breastfeeding that I didn't know previously. For someone who comes from a family who is not knowledgable nor supportive of breastfeeding in general, educating myself, and especially knowing that LLL support is out there is comforting. I also highly recommend going to LLL meetings while pregnant. Seeing breastfeeding in action and getting concerns/ questions/ doubts cleared up has given me more confidence.
 
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