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Are you looking for resources to prepare for breastfeeding and pumping? Usually a lot of hospitals provide in-person class prior to birth to prepare you for breastfeeding.
However, in this pandemic situation, a lot of those classes has been suspended. I personally prefer to stay at home as much as possible to avoid crowd. In this case, an online class would be your best bet to learn further about breastfeeding (and pumping if you plan to go for work or do exclusive pumping).
That’s why in this article I shared some of the best breastfeeding and pumping classes for breastfeeding moms that I have gone through by myself.
1. Milkology
Milkology was founded by Stacey Stewart, a certified lactation educator to support mothers in their lactation journey. Various classes available include basic breastfeeding class, preparation for pumping at work, boosting up your milk supply, and even exclusive pumping.
Available breastfeeding/pumping classes:
- The Ultimate Breastfeeding Class
- The Ultimate Back to Work Pumping Class
- The Ultimate Exclusive Pumping Class
- Pump It Up
- Master Your Milk Supply
Pros:
- Bit-size video-based lesson. Honestly, I won’t have time sitting in front of my computer to watch one or two-hour video lessons. I only have a little bit of time here and there. This is exactly why Stacey designed her lactation courses in short videos (5 minutes or less) so that moms can easily progress from one lesson to another, one lesson at a time.
- Mobile-friendly. You can easily watch the lessons right from your smartphone, no computer required
- Affordable. Each class only costs between $19-27, how affordable is that!
- 30-day money-back guarantee. If you are unsatisfied with the course content, you can simply request for refund within 30 days of your purchase.
- Comes with a support group (in Facebook)
- It is a self-paced course. You can go through slowly or binge-watch everything at once.
Cons:
- Some lessons are catered towards those residing in United States, such as getting a breast pump through insurance (well, at least not for my countries)
- Not so much of practical videos (such as pumping demo)
2. Lactation Link
Lactation Link was founded by Lindsey Shipley, a registered nurse who is also a certified IBCLC. Her goal is to make breastfeeding education not only reliable and research-based but also easily available. That’s why she created an online breastfeeding course catered to breastfeeding and pumping mothers.
There are three online classes available:
The classes can be purchased individually and as a bundle of three.
Pros:
- Very thorough explanation in each video
- A lot of practical photos and video demonstration (such as how to do hand expression while pumping, and so on)
- Comes with a support group
- Lindsey herself is very active in her Instagram account with frequent Q&A sessions and free webinars.
- Virtual consultation available (please check T&C for more info)
Cons:
- The course content is stored inside one big video (more than an hour), so you need to set aside your time to watch from start to finish
- The price is much more expensive compared to other courses.
3. Simply Breastfeeding from Day One
Simply Breastfeeding From Day One is an online breastfeeding course taught by Cindy and Jana, Canadian registered nurses and IBCLCs.
This course is pretty comprehensive. It covers essential topics that every mom intending to breastfeed should know. From the benefit of breastfeeding, the importance of skin to skin, the positionings, the secret of a good latch, until what to do when you face challenges.
What I love best about this course is the presentation. Each lesson has a short video, text summary (if you need to skim through), as well as full references if you want to know more about certain topics. Wow!
Pros:
- Self-paced course with bit-size video lessons (max 10 minutes per video)
- Mobile-friendly. You can easily watch the lessons right from your smartphone, no computer required
- Variety of learning materials (video, text, downloadable guides, further resources, and full references)
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons:
- Does not automatically come with a support group. If you want to get access to a support group, you can subscribe to The Motherhood Inner Circle membership. Cindy and Jana will have regular LIVE Q&A sessions.
Other available courses/membership:
- Prenatal Power Prep (include lessons from Simply Breastfeeding from Day One and newborn care)
- Healing recovery from birth
- All about newborn
- Getting ready to breastfeed
4. Boob it Up by Milk Sprout
Boob It Up was an online breastfeeding and pumping course taught by Sarah Lang. She is a registered nurse and an IBCLC based in Indianapolis. Her mission is to empower mothers to care confidently during their breastfeeding and pumping journey.
Her course, Boob It Up 2021, is her most comprehensive online course. The breastfeeding section alone contains a prerecorded breastfeeding class and short videos on different types of breast milk and day-to-day expectation of nursing a newborn.
The pumping part is not only about pumping milk. It also includes a section on introducing bottles to breastfed babies. She includes a lot of useful references in terms of videos and recommended books to read.
Pros:
- comprehensive content encompasses both breastfeeding and pumping preparation
- a mixture of text and video-based lessons
- affordable price
- Mobile-friendly. You can easily watch the lessons right from your smartphone, no computer required
- for the video lessons, I love seeing her talking right in front of us, so it’s not only presentation slides and audio.
- LIVE monthly question and answer
- Virtual consultation available (please check T&C for more info)
Cons:
- the lesson organization can be done better
Other classes from MilkSprout:
- Introducing bottle ( a short course about introducing bottle feeding to breastfed babies).
- Pump it up 2021: everything you need to know about pumping, storing breast milk, and more.
5. Milky Mama Breastfeeding 101
Milky Mama was founded by Krystal Duhaney, a registered nurse as well as a certified IBCLC.
Her course, Breastfeeding 101 is great for new parents preparing to breastfeed, or parents who want to decide whether they are going to breastfeed, and even experienced parents wanting to learn more about breastfeeding.
Pros:
- The price is very affordable
- Short video clips (max 17 minutes) so moms can easily sneak in time to watch during their free time
- Mobile-friendly lesson presentation
- Comes with a support group (Facebook private group)
- Contains great practical videos (not only presentation slides)
- Includes lessons about personal care
- Virtual consultation available (please check T&C for more info)
Cons:
- Only covers breastfeeding topic, not pumping
6. Balanced Breastfeeding – Working Pumping Mamas
Balanced Breastfeeding was founded by Katie Madden, a registered nurse who became an IBCLC in 2009. She has dedicated her professional life to empowering women to breastfeed through workshops, consulting, classes, and online learning communities.
Her course, Working Pumping Mamas is a combination between text, audio, and video lessons. I love how Katie provides supports not only about the technical stuff on breastfeeding and pumping, but also the emotional supports that moms truly need while navigating their journey going back to work.
A lot of pep talks and affirmations are shared by Katie in her course such as addressing the worries and mixed feelings when a mom is leaving the baby in the child care, and so on. She also talks about how to take care of yourself and how to balance pumping with other things.
I personally feel her course is unique because it offers a complete guide, everything needed for a mom returning to work.
Pros:
- Comprehensive content for moms planning to return to work
- Short audio/video clips, can be easily
- A mix between audio, video, and text lessons allow moms to skim the lesson if necessary
- Comes with a support group (a Facebook group)
- Affordable price
- Virtual consultation available (please check T&C for more info)
Cons:
- May not be suitable for moms expecting full video-based lessons.
Her other online breastfeeding classes:
- Prenatal and Breastfeeding Prep
- Newborn Mamas (for moms with a newborn)
- Marathon Mamas (for preparation to wean)
A few tips for choosing an online breastfeeding/pumping class
- Choose the one with community support. Yes, a breastfeeding mom needs a lot of support. Not only from spouse and family. A community of breastfeeding and pumping mothers would be your next best community to provide ongoing support throughout your breastfeeding journey.
- If you don’t have easy access to local lactation consultation, choose the instructor who offers a virtual consultation option. Sometimes, a self-paced course is not enough and you simply need to talk to someone to work through your problem. This is when the consultant can help.
- Choose the content that suits you best. Some people are auditory and love listening to audio/video lessons. Some people are more visual and inclined more to text and visual presentation. Therefore, choose the online course which content fits your learning style.
In Summary
Nowadays it is very easy to learn about breastfeeding and pumping through proper online classes taught by a certified lactation consultant. Among the classes offered, these six classes are some of the best.
My personal favorite would be Simply Breastfeeding from Day One by Cindy and Jana for breastfeeding only class.
For pumping, I love Milkology online classes by Stacey, Boob It Up by Milk Sprout, and Working Pumping Mama by Katie Madden.
Milkology is great for moms loving simplicity. Working Pumping Mama works best if you need a lot of moral supports in addition to the technical stuff of pumping and getting ready to return back to work. Finally, Boob It Up is the best if you learn better by watching in-person videos.
I hope this review helps you choose the best breastfeeding and or pumping class for your need. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me in the comment.
Diana says
Thank you very much for this info Being a new mom can become overwhelming and mothers need all the help possible to ensure they make the right decisions. These online courses will assist moms who have to go back to work, it also helps moms who face breastfeeding or pumping challenges