Krystle Eilen
Krystle Eilen was hungry for advice. Her baby Eli was just hungry.
“It’s a blessing to have someone so nurturing and calm to help you through those hard times.”
When Krystle nursed her newborn, he ate well but never seemed to fill up. “After a while I had a hard time keeping up with him,” Krystle says.
She mentioned it to Jennifer Kleine, NH+C’s lactation consultant who provides appointments at the Birth Center for all parents with breastfeeding concerns. Jennifer is an international Board Certified Lactation Consultant. Krystle asked Jennifer a few questions at Baby Talk, the Community Ed program where Jennifer consults each week. “Jennifer invited me to make an appointment so we could spend time one on one, in a more relaxed setting,” Krystle says.
There, Jennifer weighed Eli before and after Krystle nursed him. Eli had eaten just 3 ounces, and “he still seemed hungry,” Krystle says.
Jennifer recommended a few ways to build Krystle’s milk supply: Nurse Eli on both breasts, and power pump – a one-hour schedule of pumping and resting each day, to stimulate production. “My body recognized that this is how much milk it needs to produce for Eli,” Krystle says.
Three days later at their follow up appointment, Eli ate 5 ounces. Krystle was relieved – and reassured.
“Jennifer has so many great tips. She just makes it much less stressful,” Krystle says. “I never felt silly asking questions, and she was so calm and positive.”
Krystle breastfed her two older children – Kelby, now 6, and Adelia, now 3 – and muddled through tough times without help. “Kelby had colic; that was super hard,” Krystle recalls. With Adelia, “I joined Baby Talk and it was so helpful. But the lactation consultant was only available during Baby Talk classes. Now, it’s so great to be able to make appointments at the Birth Center with Jennifer.
“It’s a blessing to have someone so nurturing and calm to help you through those hard times.”
The best part? Having appointments right away, to make sure Eli was thriving. “I didn’t have to wait a whole week for more help,” Krystle says. “And Jennifer was focused just on us.
“It was the best experience ever.”