Breastfeeding Resources for New Parents [Erin Glidden]

Video Transcript

I'm Erin Glidden, and this is Nolan. I'm originally from Sioux City, Iowa. We moved to Brookings three years ago, and I am the Director of Loyalty Giving at the SDSU Foundation.

Why did you choose breastfeeding?

One, just from the economic cost factor, as well as then the added benefits of the health and being able to pass on antibodies was a huge benefit. But then also it being this natural thing that you should be able to do, I was stubborn saying, "Okay, well, then I'm going to figure out how to do this." And then just even the bonding experience, being able to, even if you're away at work all day long, being able to come back and have that one-on-one experience with your child was always just something that brought us together throughout the day and carried forward.

What is your breastfeeding plan for Nolan?

With Riley, I nursed for 13 months. It was one of those, she was more ready to be done than I was type of a thing where I literally had to be like, "Okay. No, you need to eat right now." And she was already walking and already like, "Okay, mom I'm done with you. I don't need you anymore," type of a thing. So, she basically, self-weaned herself. And then with Nolan, we'll try to do the same thing. Obviously, we want to make it a year until he's able to transition to milk and more table food. But again, I will kind of follow his lead. But so far, with his experience, I mean, from day one he was able to latch correctly, and he's been growing, where with her we had a little bit more of a rough start. So, having Baby Café there this time is more just a friend circle type of a network, versus us actually needing their services more, just because he is doing so well. It's nice because I can go up there and be more of an advocate for saying, "Yes, those first 12 weeks are tough, but if you can get through it, you can continue on to make it.

How did the New Beginnings Baby Café help you with breastfeeding?

Obviously, I'm not back to work yet with him, but with Riley, I mean Baby Café was essentially the whole reason why I was able to nurse her for the length of time that I did. We had a hard going at first. Riley didn't latch very well, and it was one of those she would take an hour and a halt to eat, and just kind of defeating as a new mom. And through that whole experience, they said, "Okay, if you're going back to work, this is what you need to do with pumping, and how often, and how they should take bottles." And yeah.

How did the Baby Café help your transition back to work?

With our first, the whole process of nursing and just getting started from the get-go was a little bit of a challenge. You think you know as a first-time mom, "Oh, it's a natural thing. It's going to be easy." But it's one of the most difficult things I think I've ever had to do and learn that process. So, having Baby Café there as a resource was the entire reason why we were able to nurse for the length of time that we did. And then through that whole process, they were saying, "Okay, when you transition back to work, here's, with the pumping, how often you should do it." I brought my pump up to Baby Café because I was like, "There's so many settings on here. I have no idea what I'm supposed to be doing. How long you're supposed to pump for. What you should be getting as an output," that kind of thing. And they talked us through, okay, when you want to introduce bottles, and how you should introduce bottles, and that whole process was just having that resource there was great. There was really nothing else in town that, even from a, you know, you can talk to your friends. But everybody's experience is a little bit different, so having those nurses there who you can go and see them was just an amazing opportunity to have, and a great resource.

New Beginnings Baby Café: Tuesdays, 5-7 p.m., Brookings Hospital Conference Room A

How did your husband benefit from the Baby Café Support Group?

We would go each week, basically, for 12 weeks just to try to work through a latch situation and make sure Riley was gaining weight. He was always there, and they were welcoming. They even put us into a separate room just because not that Tyler was uncomfortable, he wanted to make sure nobody else would be uncomfortable. Just a lot of times he was the only dad that would come up there, but they were able to talk him through, "Okay, here's how you can help support Erin and Riley through that process." And when he would give bottles and that kind of thing. So, it just helped him being able to understand how he could be supportive, and being a part of this because, obviously, nursing is a full family experience. It's not just mom and baby, dad needs to be a part of it as well.

Would you recommend Brookings Health System?

I mean, absolutely, they should consider it as a part of their where they want to labor and deliver. It's really nice having the new facilities with being able to labor, delivery, everything all in one room. The nurses are so attentive. It's nice that a lot of times you might be one of two or three other moms up there in labor and delivery, so you do have that attention if you need it. Especially being a first-time mom, the nurses can be there to help you. And since it is a smaller community, even from our first delivery to our second. Some of the nurses even remembered us. And I mean we were only up here for those two days, two years ago type of a thing, and they were like, "Oh I remember when you were here before." So, definitely, something to consider, and the staff is, obviously, a top-notch staff.

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