Being a second-time mom, I thought I knew it all when it came to breastfeeding. If I’m being honest, I was pretty proud of the fact that I nursed my first daughter for 15 months… I didn’t think I could learn more. And boy oh boy was I wrong. That’s why I’m writing a review on the Balanced Breastfeeding Course because I believe every mom needs to be educated to build a strong relationship with their baby and have a successful breastfeeding journey.
But before I get into this review, I wanted to thank Katelyn (creator of the Balanced Breastfeeding Course) for sponsoring this article. If you’ve been around for a while you know, that I do not support, review, or promote anything unless I wholeheartedly believe in it. So please know that this is all my honest opinion after going through her course (read my sponsorship disclosure here).
I’m a Second Time Mom… So I thought I Knew it All
Yes, I’m embarrassed to admit that I thought I couldn’t learn anymore. As I mentioned earlier, I breastfeed my first daughter for 15 months even after she was in the NICU for 10 days on a feeding tube and being bottle fed. We defied all the odds.
Then I had my second daughter and our breastfeeding journey was off to a beautiful start. She latched within an hour of birth.. truly it was amazing. But then 2 days later, she was diagnosed with CHD (you can read her story here) which put her in the NICU for 10 days.
And it gets worse…. on my way to the hospital… I was exposed to an illness.
So, we were separated for 10 days.
That meant no one could see my daughter for 10 days. So all the nurses took care of my sweet baby girl, while I pumped around the clock at home.. and worried that I wouldn’t get to have the breastfeeding journey I dreamed of.
BUT WE DID IT!!! She just turned 9 months old and she has exclusively breastfed since the minute I was able to go back to the hospital.
Although, it hasn’t been bliss. The first 3 months were hard. There were days I wanted to give up… and I’m so grateful that I didn’t.
Truthfully, as I went through this course I kept thinking “Gosh this would have saved me so much pain.” It’s everything I wanted.. and needed to have a beautiful breastfeeding journey.
With that being said, I want to share a little bit of what you can expect after purchasing the Balanced Breastfeeding Course along with some Pros and Cons!
What to Expect from the Balanced Breastfeeding Course…
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- Online Virtual Course
- 280 Minutes of Education
- 160+ Page PDF
- Video, Written Content, and Photos
- Taught by a Lactation Consultant
Who is Katelyn?
Katelyn Lauren is first and foremost a mama, wife, lactation consultant, childbirth educator, and student midwife!
She is passionate about helping moms connect with their babies through breastfeeding while combining a bit of science with a holistic approach.
(You can read more about her here)
What Does the Course Cover?
I wanted to show you all the chapters that it covers. There is SO much information here.. and truthfully the titles don’t even describe everything that Katelyn talks about.
She is a wealth of knowledge and every module has tips about every part of being a mother.
There are a few chapters that I would like to elaborate on, just so you can see how helpful this course truly is.
Chapter 1: Breastfeeding Basics
This first chapter covers SO much. I thought it would be good to see some of the things you can expect her to cover.
- Breast Anatomy
- Hormones
- Stages of Breastmilk
- Colors of Breastmilk
- Foremilk Vs. Hindmilk
- What’s Breastmilk Made Out of?
- What’s Best for Baby to Drink?
- 5 Steps for Successful Breastfeeding
Chapter 4: Witching Hour
This section had so much more than just information about the witching hour. She went over things like burping, soothing your baby, and more!
Chapter 6: Pumping 101
When I was in the NICU with my daughters I wish I had this chapter. You will learn about:
- Flange Sizes
- Using Your Pump
- Tips for Expressing More Milk
- Cleaning Your Pump + Parts
- Using a Haakaa
- Hand Expression
- Storing + Freezing Breastmilk
- How to Prepare Breastmilk
- Ways to Use Breastmilk
- Tips for Bottle Feeding
Chapter 9: Breast and Nipple Pain
This chapter was 37 minutes long! I felt like there was so much awesome information in this section that you should know is included before you purchase.
I have dealt with so many of the things in this chapter. You will want to go back again and again. I highly recommend printing this chapter out in PDF form, so you have it on hand.
- Normal vs. Abnormal Pain
- Nipple Cream
- Clogged Ducts
- Mastitis
- Abscess
- Milk Bleb
- Oral Thrush
- Overfeeding
- Oversupply
- Nipple Vasospasm
- Engorgement
Chapter 10: Breastfeeding Hurdles
I really struggled with oversupply and and overreactive letdown in the early days. I love all the advice she gives in this chapter.
- Supply Issues
- Overreactive/Slow Letdown
- Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex (D-MER)
- Cluster Feeding
- Flat/Inverted Nipples
- Hypoplasia
- Jaundice
- Sleepy Baby
- The 4-Month Sleep Regression
- Distracted Babies
- Biting + Teething
- Nursing Strike
- Nursing Aversion
- Lipstick Nipple
- Milk Blisters
- Tongue/Lip/Cheek Ties
- Nursing Devices
- Cup or Spoon-Feeding
Pros and Cons of the Balanced Breastfeeding Course
Before I share all the pros and cons of this course, please know that I want to give you a full picture of what you can expect from this course. What resonates with one mom may not for another. Just because it’s a con on my list, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a negative thing for you!
With all that being said, let’s start with all the things I love about this course!
Pros of the Balanced Breastfeeding Course
1. Good for Different Learning Styles
No matter if you are a visual, auditory, or reading learner, this course has ALL the options. Katelyn has created a PDF for you to print, and recorded video for you to watch and at times I just listened to the chapters and felt like she did such a great job explaining everything.
I’ve gone through many different courses, but this one is definitely the most well rounded
2. You Will Walk Away Feeling Ready and Confident
I wish I had this course before having my first daughter. The balanced breastfeeding course will teach you EVERYTHING you will need to know about breastfeeding. I know you will walk away feeling ready and confident about breastfeeding your new baby.
3. Teaches You How to Trust Your Body
I know this is similar to the point above, but I thought it needed to be mentioned on it’s own. Many of my friends have formula fed their babies and they often ask… how do you know she’s getting enough milk? In other words… how do you trust your body?
This was never something I worried about, but I know so many breastfeeding relationships have ended early because a mom didn’t trust her body. Katelyn gives you the knowledge to push through the fear… and come out feeling confident!
4. Great for Troubleshooting
There are so many things that come up during your breastfeeding journey. No matter if it’s sleep-related or time for your baby to wean, everything you will need to know is in this course.
Although my daughter was 8 months old when I took this course, I picked up some really awesome tips for helping my daughter and I to connect. Since she was a NICU baby, nursing = food and that was it. So, I was so excited to rekindle some attachment with her.
5. Attachment-Based Approach
This was the missing piece for both of my girls. The NICU really took the attachment element away from us. That’s why I really resonated with the Balanced Breastfeeding Course.
Her goal is to help you and your baby to bond! Like I mentioned earlier, I started applying many of her tips 8 months into our breastfeeding journey and they really helped us to connect.
6. It’s NOT Just for First Time Moms
If I’m being honest, being a second-time mom I felt like there wasn’t much for me to learn. But gosh, I really benefited from so many of the modules in this course.
The Balanced Breastfeeding course is perfect for soon-to-be moms and moms who want to brush up on their skills. I will revisit this course again and again…
7. It Carries you through to Weaning
Another huge bonus was that she shares about weaning!!! Although this is the end of your journey, it can be really tricky to navigate. With my oldest, I stopped cold turkey (since we only nursed in the morning) when I found out I was pregnant.
All her advice on weaning is so helpful in keeping that bond alive all while transitioning from breastfeeding.
8. Facebook Group for Support
I love Facebook groups. I think they are so incredibly helpful. As you begin breastfeeding, specific questions may arise. This group gives you the opportunity to ask questions, troubleshoot and get help fast!
Not to mention you will be able to connect with other mamas who are in the same season of life! This is more valuable than you know.
9. Cheaper Than Hiring a Lactation Consultant
As I mentioned, you will have access to Katelyn’s Facebook group. Not only will you have like-minded moms to help you along the way… but Katelyn is in there helping out from time to time.
I hired a lactation consultant for my second daughter (since she had CHD) and although she was incredibly helpful with our situation, if I was a first-time mom I would have been disappointed. This course has HOURS of information.. everything you could ever need to help you have a successful breastfeeding journey.
10. A Chapter Dedicated to Pumping
Whether you choose to pump because you need to go back to work or maybe your journey isn’t going to plan, knowing the ins and outs of pumping is essential.
I had to pump with both of my girls in the NICU and gosh that was a learning curve from learning how to use the pump, to the setting and then cleaning and storage. There is so much to know.
I wish I had this module to look back on while we were in the hospital, it would have been incredibly helpful.
11. Has Many Natural Troubleshooting Options
In her chapter on breast and nipple pain, she offered so many awesome natural remedies. I appreciated how thorough she was and loved that she gave home remedies to try to cure things that may arise.
Cons of the Balanced Breastfeeding Course
Although I absolutely loved this course, there are a few things you should be mindful of before purchasing! I think it’s important to know what you can expect, just so there are no surprises.
1. Almost Assumed You Had a Hospital Birth
I know that it is most common to have your baby in the hospital, but many moms are now choosing birth centers and even home births.
My first daughter was a hospital birth and my second was at a birthing house. Both of these were such different experiences and knowing that I just wish that those were mentioned.
It definitely is not a deal breaker, but just something to keep in mind.
2. For Mom in the Middle of Holistic and Conventional Medicine
You may have breathed a sigh of relief and thought why in the world is this a con?! when you read this. But I think it’s important to note that if you consider yourself a”crunchy” mama, this course felt like it was created for those who are middle of the road.
She talks a bit about formula in the last module, which I think is good for every mom to understand and be aware of. She does talk about organic vs. non-organic and the ingredients that are better for babies.
She mentioned how different kinds of homemade formulas are bad. In the last year, I’ve learned so much about raw milk and how beneficial it is, click here for a highlight by one of my favorite Youtubers that will guide you if you are interested in learning more.
When my daughter was brought home from the NICU, we supplemented with coconut oil instead of fortifying with formula.. something I’m grateful that our pediatrician taught us. It’s these kinds of things that I was hoping for and was a bit disappointed that it didn’t include.
3. Nothing About NICU Babies
Being that my first daughter was premature and my second has CHD, I’ve spent 20 days in the NICU and there is so much I wish I knew. Of course, I don’t want to even think that you will have to experience this, but it’s always better to have the resource there if needed.
4. Videos Didn’t Have Many Visuals
I really enjoy videos that have text or pictures to go along with them. There are some photos to demonstrate different things like positioning or pumping, but there isn’t much text to keep you engaged.
I found myself feeling overwhelmed at times by all the amazing info. If you feel the same, I recommend printing out the PDF.
5. Can Be Difficult to Go Back and Find Info
Although I’m so impressed by how much information was in this course, there were a few modules that were really long. I love that she troubleshoots many of the common breastfeeding issues that may arise. But when I wanted to find a specific topic, I struggled to find it.
My Thoughts…
If you are looking for a thorough class that is going to help you gain confidence with nursing, you are going to love the Balanced Breastfeeding Course! I hope this review helped you to make a decision on whether or not this was right for you.
I truly believe that this will be one of the best investments you make as a mom!
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