Are you an expecting mom who is looking for free online breastfeeding courses to take because you don’t want to wing it? You have probably spent a lot during the course of your pregnancy and wouldn’t want to break any more banks for something that you most likely need? This article has listed 12 free online breastfeeding courses to keep you well informed and prepared for the arrival of your baby.
New and expecting moms worry about so many things, and breastfeeding is not exempted. From what type of food to eat to keep the baby healthy, to what books to read to birth smart babies, it’s a cycle of worries.
Breastfeeding may be natural, but that doesn’t mean you won’t encounter some difficulties or find yourself asking a series of questions when the time comes.
Prepping ahead of time will make the whole process a lot easier and even help you build confidence as you prepare for your breastfeeding journey. With these free online breastfeeding courses, you can rest assured that nothing will catch you unaware.
These courses have been put together by professionals like nurse practitioners or lactation consultants who have experience assisting new mothers with breastfeeding.
These instructors have much more knowledge and experience with the journeys of motherhood and everything related to it. If you are enrolling in any of their courses, you should know that you are well in good hands. They are sure going to make your breastfeeding journey seamless and hassle-free.
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What is Breastfeeding?
Breastfeeding is the activity of feeding a baby milk from the breasts, this usually occurs the period after childbirth also known as the lactation period.
Many medical experts, and Health organizations, strongly recommend breastfeeding exclusively for six months, that is, without formula, juice, or water. After the introduction of other foods, they recommend that you continue to breastfeed through the baby’s first year.
Breast milk contains all the nutrients babies need for good health and growth. Also contained are several antibodies and enzymes that protect your baby from certain infections.
Importance of Breastfeeding Courses/Classes
As I stated at the beginning of this article, taking breastfeeding classes will help you overcome a lot of problems that may arise when you start breastfeeding your baby. I could go on and on stating the importance of free online breastfeeding courses for new mothers like you. But for the purpose of this article, I will summarise them into the following:
Confidence: There is this level of confidence that comes with acquiring a piece of new knowledge or being fully resourced. This is what taking breastfeeding courses does to you. You approach breastfeeding with the confidence that you can tackle whatever will come at you. And it will give you more time to focus on bonding with your baby rather than on what you are not doing right.
Preparation: Prior learning will provide you with the tools you will need throughout your period of breastfeeding. Depending on how much you are able to cover, nothing should meet you unarmed. You are made ready for the good, the not-so-good, the bad, and the ugly.
Support Group: Most of these free online breastfeeding courses have support groups where you can join, ask questions, and share your experiences. There, you will meet people who are going through it, sharing their journeys and highlighting what works for them.
Education: Finally, education is the key to success. Educating yourself on breastfeeding will help keep you informed and learned. This means that for every question, you will have an answer, and for every problem, a solution.
12 Free Online Breastfeeding Courses for Mothers
Like any new experience, breastfeeding can take a little time to master. But don’t feel bad if you find things difficult at first. With the right resources and some implementation, you’ll discover that things only get easier.
With this in mind, I have put together some free online breastfeeding courses where you can learn everything that you need to know before your bundle of joy arrives.
- Breastfeeding 101
- Breastfeeding Housecalls
- Minnesota Momma
- Medela
- First Latch
- Milkology
- Milk and Love
- Stanford Medicine
- Office on Women’s Health
- The Baby Manual
- Tiny Hood
- Breastfeeding Confidential
1. Breastfeeding 101
The first course on this list of free online breastfeeding courses is Breastfeeding 101, a free course on threebirdnest.org.
Three Bird Nest is a blog run by Toni, a mom of three. This is a beginner-friendly course that covers all the basics of breastfeeding. All you are required to do is provide your email, and the course will be sent directly to you for free download.
2. Breastfeeding Housecalls
The second course on the list of free online breastfeeding courses is Breastfeeding housecalls, a course by Texas-based Breastfeeding Housecalls and Lactation Clinic.
This course, available on their website, offers a wide range of topics in 9 sections. From Anatomy and Physiology of the breast to positioning and latch, down to warning. The topics are well detailed and are a hybrid of written and video content.
3. Minnesota Momma
The third course on the list of free online breastfeeding courses in this free 6-day breastfeeding crash course by Minnesota Momma.
Minnesota Momma is a blog run by Jen, a Minnesota-based mom, and registered nurse. Her free breastfeeding crash course is for expecting moms who are looking to learn all the basics of breastfeeding.
It covers…
- The Basics of Breastfeeding
- Breastfeeding Benefits
- Breastfeeding Challenges and Solutions
- Breastfeeding Positions for Success
- Breastfeeding Resources
- Breastfeeding Tips
This course will be sent directly to your email after you provide your details.
4. Medela
Medela provides a free program called The Mom’s Room that you can sign up for by email. This program offers educational tools for nursing moms, including helpful tips, articles, instant access to experts, and free samples of popular products.
They also offer a great online breastfeeding course for moms called “Breastfeeding University” which costs $25 to enroll in. The course includes videos that cover all of the basics and details of breastfeeding. But the good news is if you register a Medela Pump on their website you get whooping free access to this course.
5. First Latch
The next course on the list of free online breastfeeding courses is Breastfeeding Classes for Parents, a three-part course led by lactation consultant Vergie Hughes, R.N., IBCLC on the First Latch website.
The three videos cover how to get breastfeeding right from the start, avoiding and solving common breastfeeding problems, and what family and friends need to know to support breastfeeding moms.
The Handouts for Parents is a resourceful section on the website where you will find a series of documents that cover all things breastfeeding in six different languages and general tips on how to survive the first few weeks of being a parent.
6. Milkology
The next course on the list of free online breastfeeding courses is SECRETS TO SUCCESS, a free breastfeeding class by Milkology.
As Milkology stated on this course page, “Breastfeeding is NATURAL but doesn’t always come naturally”. It is on this note that they have put together this course because they believe the best way to ensure breastfeeding success is by enrolling in a class.
On this course delivered right to your inbox, you will receive daily lessons over the course of five days that will cover the following:
- what to expect in the early days
- where to find a super support team
- how to prepare during pregnancy
- where to reach out for help
- how to make plenty of milk for your baby
- and so much more
7. Milk and Love
The next course on the list of free online breastfeeding courses is this six-part course series with Katie James IBCLC.
This course will set you up for a great start with six easy-to-understand videos with Katie and some wonderful volunteer moms who will demonstrate what good attachment looks like and how to express your milk with a pump.
Also available to download is this FREE Breastfeeding Workbook which includes feeding & sleep baby charts, key breastfeeding info at hand, and much more, all at your disposal.
8. Stanford Medicine
The next course on the list of free online breastfeeding courses is this host of breastfeeding courses and resources at the Stanford Medicine Website.
When it comes to breastfeeding, Stanford Medicine is the most resourceful website out there. You can learn pretty much anything you need absolutely for free. Some of the areas covered are:
- Preparing for Successful Breastfeeding
- Breastfeeding in the First Hour
- A Perfect Latch
- Hand Expressing Milk
- Early Initiation of Breastfeeding
- Maximizing Milk Production
- Breastmilk Storage and Shipping
9. Office on Women’s Health
Here comes another resourceful website for expecting and breastfeeding mamas. The U.S. Office on Women’s Health has many valuable, free breastfeeding resources which include a free printable PDF Guide and pieces of video training.
The videos cover a wide range of breastfeeding topics such as the secrets to breastfeeding success, staying healthy and eating well, daddy duty, etc.
10. The Baby Manual
The next course on the list of free online breastfeeding courses is the free breastfeeding course on The Baby Manual website.
The Baby Manual has a wide range of wonderful paid courses but to support new moms during the Covid-19 outbreak they are currently offering their breastfeeding course for FREE!
11. Tiny Hood
The next course on the list of free online breastfeeding courses is Breastfeeding 101: From Prenatal Prep to Pumping, a Tinyhood course led by Tinyhood Lactation Consultant Dana C., IBCLC.
In this free course, you will learn what to anticipate in the days after giving birth, how to get a proper latch, how to establish and build your milk supply, tips for troubleshooting common challenges, and how-tos for pumping and storing breast milk.
What you get…
- Expert-taught course from a Board Certified Lactation Consultant
- 5 in-depth sections of on-demand content
- 20+ downloadable guides and checklists
- 2-years of access to course material – refer back when you need it most
12. Breastfeeding Confidential
The Breastfeeding Confidential website is a full breastfeeding resource library by Andrea Tran RN, IBCLC. She is committed to providing great tips and advice for breastfeeding moms.
Her resource library houses a free e-book, printable newborn feeding logs, breast milk storage guidelines, lactation recipes, and a video tutorial on how to make your own nursing wrap.
This might not be a course but I am including it on the list of free online breastfeeding courses because it offers great educational resources, which makes it a really nice place to start with. Feel free to look around for other hidden gems.
Conclusion
Now, how do you know which course to enroll in first? You don’t, you just pick anyone you like and delve in. They are all available for free, you might as well take them all!
I really hope this article was useful. I wish you all the best in your journey.
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