Lactation R Us

I've just returned from the Lactation Consultant, and it was the most beneficial 1.5 hours I've spent in a long time.  Instead of Motherly Nurse With Boob Puppet (MNWBP), this time I had a lovely woman who was only about 10 years older than me and who is my new hero.  Her name is Awesome Nurse.

MNWBP was helpful, back when I went 4 weeks ago, but I'm now realizing that she wasn't entirely clear (or I was still fuzzy from exhaustion--to be fair to MNWBP).  MNWBP did not, however, listen to me entirely, and that is where Awesome Nurse earned her name.  Awesome Nurse chatted with me for 20 minutes before we even started the nursing session.

Once I started nursing LO, she told me what I was doing wrong (nearly everything) without making me feel in the least like I was an idiot.  She even told me about a woman who came in with her 6 month old with similar problems.  This woman had let it go for half a year before she got help.  I was able to feel vaguely smug about getting help--when I had felt slightly idiotic for getting help up until that point.

The best part of Awesome Nurse?  She was an excellent teacher (partially because she listened to me).  She asked me to tell her what I knew as I was getting LO back in his car seat.  Then she extended her help beyond the call of duty.  She noticed LO was slumped in his car seat and suggested and showed a way to get him positioned better.  Then, she asked if I knew many people in the area, since we had just moved to Lafayette.  When I said no, she gave me the names of four different mom groups that I might be interested in joining.  She also asked me to call her in a week to let her know how I was doing.

Then, she told me that LO was the cutest baby she had seen a long time.   I believe the word "handsome" was thrown wantonly about.  I left the clinic smiling.  LO left the clinic well-fed but screaming.  (He doesn't like his car seat much, unless it is in the car and the car is moving).  Thank heaven for Awesome Nurse.