This past week was World Breastfeeding Week 2010, so I had a chance to think back to my first nursing experience. I always thought that nursing would be such a natural and easy experience that I never had a doubt in my mind that I would breastfeed my first baby. Little did I know that it would not be as I had imagined. The classes I took before I had my baby didn't prepare me for the challenges that faced me.
As every woman's breasts are different, every woman's experience is unique. What happened to me might not be what you went through or will go through (if you haven't had babies yet). I had my first baby the same week as a fellow coworker, and she did not have any problems nursing, and her milk came in right when she started feeding her baby. My sister in law had no problems nursing either. Of course, that made me very very jealous indeed.When my first baby was born, she was a barracuda type of nurser. She latched on and wanted to nurse voraciously. Unfortunately for her, my milk had not come in, and it did not come in for 3-4 days after I had her. During that entire time was torture as she screamed and cried when she became hungry, and she nursed so much that my nipples cracked and bled. I remember crying as she was crying, and feeling so defeated while on the phone with my lactation consultant discussing whether to give her formula while my milk came in. I felt the guilt of not being able to provide for her, and I had so wanted to nurse my baby. I ended up giving her formula, and she drank like a champion. However, my milk came in soon, and I had to deal with pain from engorgement. I could not believe that it was so difficult to do something that was supposed to be so natural.
I just read this blog post, and I agree that we have lost our way of teaching one another how to do what is natural to us.
www.blacktating.com
The story is of the orangutan bred in captivity who could not feed her baby but after being shown women breastfeeding started mimicking the action.
Scientific advancement makes it so convenient for us to feed our babies formula from the bottle, and there's nothing wrong with that if that's the choice one has made. However for those who have chosen to breastfeed, the support is very lacking, and with failed attempts, it's very difficult to continue to nurse.
Here are some things that I discovered after having my babies, and I hope these tips will help you if you have any issues:
1. BEFORE you have your baby, find a breastfeeding clinic and a great lactation consultant. Not all consultants are the same, and some are much better at teaching than others.
2. BEFORE you have your baby, find a group of mothers who are willing to breastfeed in front of you and can share some tips for you.
3. If you're planning on going back to work, purchase a good pump or be prepared to rent a hospital grade pump. Not all pumps are made a like, and it is true, the more you spend, the better the pump will be. Pumping and actual nursing are not the same, and you will get less from a pump than if you nursed. It also affects your supply. You MAY end up with over-production which is another problem in itself.
4. Having a baby is stressful to your body, and that stress can end up affecting your ability to "let down" the milk. Even if you have milk in your breasts, if your let down function isn't working, you're just going to end up engorged and unable to feed your baby. Biggest tip of the day is RELAX. Turn on some calm music, darken the room if you have to, don't look down at the baby, but imagine feeding your baby in your mind while focusing on the sensation of nursing.
5. Drink LOTS of water. Drink a whole glass of water every time you nurse. The sensation or the thought of water can also help with let down, and it will also help your milk production to be hydrated.
6. Read up on mastitis (breast infection) and clogged ducts. There's a lot of resources online at www.kellymom.com.
Even though I supplemented with my first, with a lot of tips and help from others, I was able to nurse 100% of the time for my second baby. I lost the ability to breastfeed with my right breast due to a biopsy I had with a cancer scare, but also with more help, I was able to nurse my baby with just one breast. If you have the will, you can find a way. Don't be afraid to ask for help as it is the human way to help one another.
-Michelle S.
Owner of: www.3treedesign.com | www.greenthumbfabrics.com | www.uhboohbahbaby.com
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