Breastfeeding is harder than it looks, but that's a reality that often gets ignored. All the books and Instagram photos show happy moms nursing peaceful babies. But what happens at 3 a.m. when it's your second night home from the hospital, the baby won't latch, you're both crying, and you just need a little bit of help? For most moms, the only thing to do is fight through it and wait to call a lactation consultant in the morning. But a new program is bringing the lactation consultant straight to your nursery. Breast pump maker Medela recently launched 24/7 LC, an innovative service that allows moms to access certified lactation consultants at any time — day or night — via their mobile device.
24/7 LC is a membership program available through the MyMedela phone app. Using the app, moms can make instant video calls to bilingual board-certified lactation consultants from Pacify Health and get real-time feedback, advice, and support 24 hours day.
More from CafeMom: New Mom Apologizes For Ever Thinking That Women Breastfeed in Public 'For Attention'
Brian Warren, senior digital solutions manager at Medela USA, says the company came up with the idea for 24/7 LC because it wanted to find a better way to offer breastfeeding moms support. "To me, 24/7 LC is that anytime, day-or-night, go-to resource," he tells CafeMom. "[It lets moms know that if] I wake up and something's wrong, I don't feel well, there's a problem getting baby latched — whatever the circumstance is, I know I can dial in to get immediate help. I don't even have to get out of bed if I don't want to."
Moms can recieve a free one-month membership to 24/7 LC with the purchase of a Medela breast pump, but you don't have to be a Medela loyalist to access the program. As long as you have the free MyMedela app, memberships to 24/7 LC can be purchased through Medela's online store in one-month, three-month, and twelve-month increments. You can even purchase a membership online and then gift the access code to a struggling mom who might need it.
Of course, breastfeeding moms can also rely on support from friends, family members, support groups, and their network of moms. But Warren says the advantage of 24/7 LC is straightforward advice from a certified professional that doesn't leave you with any questions or conflicting information. "This is cutting through opinions and other people's experiences and going to that professional that really knows [what to do] from a clinical perspective,'" he says.
And, so far, moms are loving it. "The feedback we've gotten right out of the box has been really awesome," says Warren. "A number of moms shared with us that they've had a really warm, helpful, informative experience with the lactation consultants. They got onto the network right away, got answers to their problems and questions, and were offered [a] follow-up via email or via text."
More from CafeMom: 15 Raw Birth Photos That Show How Amazing the Vagina Really Is
Obviously, not every breastfeeding mom will need access to 24/7 help and support. But any mom who's ever had mastitis, cracked nipples, supply issues, or even just a baby who refuses to latch can tell you that when you do need help, you need it now. And 24/7 LC could be a solution for moms in distress.
As many as eight in ten mothers breastfeed when they have a new baby, but only about half are still breastfeeding by the time their babies reach 6 months old. For those who stop nursing due to lack of support, 24/7 access to lactation consultants could be the difference that helps them keep going. In fact, it's hard to believe we've made it this long without a service like this. Hopefully 24/7 LC will make consultations possible for more people and inspire others to come up with even more innovative ways to give all moms access to the help and information they need to meet their personal breastfeeding goals.
