I always knew that I would breastfeed Kate. To me it was just a given, automatic answer when asked; "bottle or breast" by the doctor what they should put on our hospital card (below). "Breast" was my answer without even thinking about it. It's not that I had put a whole lot of thought into it, it just seemed like the most natural & best (for us) thing to do. My mother had breastfed my sister & I for 7.5 & 13 months, respectively, so it's what I grew up knowing. Besides, that's what boobs were made for; right? Prepare yourself for the novel ahead, because I'm going to share with you basically everything I've learned in the past 6.5 months, in my breastfeeding experience thus far....
(let me preface this by saying that we did not have any (common) issues with breastfeeding, latch was fine, supply was fine, etc. & for those of you who aren't interested in reading my long rambling post, I will also post a quick top 10 tips on breastfeeding in a post to follow)
Our breastfeeding journey began within an hour of Kate being born. Through my state of exhaustion, pain, euphoria, & tears I watched this tiny, wriggling, crying little baby "come to life". I HIGHLY suggest that you use every bit of your last dregs of energy to stay as present as possible to watch this first hour of born life because it is completely miraculous. (More "official" information on that magical first hour here) Immediately upon being born Kate was placed on my chest "skin to skin". Shortly thereafter she made her way down & started eating. I was *elated* to see how this happened to naturally & over the moon when the nurse informed me that "that hungry little baby has a great latch, she'll be a good eater". (How true that is!) She didn't nurse for all that long then, but the nurses considered it successful.
Then came the first mini-struggle. No more than a few hours later I was trying to feed Kate, who was a wrinkled, red, crying little ball of baby love, when she kept unlatching to cry more, rather than eat. My first panic set in. My milk hadn't come in yet, and since I was still feeding her colostrum, I had next to no idea if she was getting anything or not. I panicked. Which, looking back, is one of the WORST things you can do. panicking does nothing good for 1) You. 2) Your baby, who is very in tune to you 3) Your milk supply.
A 22 year old (& clueless) nurse came in to try to assist & instead of helping, proceeded to dump sugar water (which I ended up being SO upset about) all over me & down Kate's throat. It did nothing to help. The following 24 hours were a bit stressful, some feedings would be good, some would be a lot of tears (hers & mine). Oh... and by day 2, my nipples were KILLING me. Sore, red, and blistered. It would have been easy to throw in the towel. Yet I persevered; this was the "natural" thing to do, right? It was supposed to be easy...
So we went home, my 8.5lb baby down almost a full pound. I was a bit nervous... ok, more than a bit nervous. Kate was born on a Friday morning. My milk didn't come in until Monday night/ Tuesday morning. Those were 4 long, stressful days. (Breastfeeding wise, of course, they were also 4 of the happiest days of many more happiest days of my life to come). In retrospect, I would have breastfed her much, much more - to the tune of every 30-45minutes while she was awake, to try to stimulate milk production sooner. (That will definitely be on my tip list). I was totally NOT expecting what it felt like to have milk come in. I was in major pain, my boobs swelled & hardened to the size of small watermelons & nothing I could do would make them go down. But, I was ecstatic that I had milk, so I didn't care how uncomfortable & ugly they were! About 2 days in they went down, to what is now my "new normal" (still up 2 sizes) & a new panic set in - did this mean that my milk supply was tanking?! Was I not going to make enough milk? No - again, naive me didn't know that this was normal, & was just my body adjusting.
Bottom line, despite about 10 panic attacks, by the time Kate went in for her pedi visit on Wednesday she had already gained back more than 3/4 of a pound and was within 2 ounces of her birth weight. Cue the BIG sigh of relief!!! It was then that I knew I could do this. My body was MADE to do this. & no matter how much work it would be, I was GOING to do this. I was invested in this - both physically (hello melons) & emotionally. Which, I was not expecting. Oh.My.God. What an emotional thing breastfeeding is. By her 2 week appointment Kate was over 10lbs... things were definitely working! I set my first goal, to breastfeed Kate to 6 months. (as recommended by the AAP, but moreso, as recommended by a trusted family friend who is a nurse & lactation specialist, on the board of the CBC)
For the next 3 weeks it felt like my full time job was breastfeeding. I truly believe I spent 6-7 hours sitting on the couch, with Kate attached to me some days. It was a shock to me how much work this was! For these 3 weeks I breastfed exclusively. I wanted to have my supply fully come in naturally & I wanted to make sure that Kate had the hang of it. On the evening of her third week birthday I pumped for the first time. (which is the WEIRDEST thing to get used to ever - your nipples are literally pulled like taffy) I pumped 4 whole ounces and was so proud of myself. That night, Dan gave her her first bottle. 1 tiny little ounce. This was at the suggestion of our pediatrician, in case she didn't take to it well, so that we wouldn't waste it. No worries there. She downed that ounce in less than 2 minutes... and then wanted more, of course! Again, I was so thrilled. Not only because it meant that she would take a bottle, but because it meant that now Dan could feed her. Knowing the bond I was developing with Kate, and how much comfort I could bring her through nursing, I can't even begin to imagine how it must feel for the dad, standing by, wanting to be a part of this. Now he too, could help nourish her. (& I could finally take a more than 2-3 minute shower in peace!!!!) We started a little routine that included my nursing her throughout the day/night, with 1 pump a day to make a bottle for Dan to give her before bed at night. (I also pumped while he gave her the bottle; A full pumping schedule to follow, as a few people have asked me for it) This was still a LOT of work, but it worked well.
By 8 weeks things finally felt like it got easier. Or maybe I just got used to how much work it was. My nipples had numbed, so her nursing didn't hurt anymore, and feedings were starting to space out. Yes, there were still some small panics in that time; was I/she getting thrush? (I started using dabbing a solution of 3/4 water, 1/4 white vinegar on immediately after she nursed, preventatively, for 2 weeks) Occasional blisters/clogs on one side (which typically only lasted a day or so). & a chronic fear that I would end up with a clogged duct & the dreaded "M" word... Mastitis. Thankfully, this hasn't happened (so far). Which I attribute to the face that I was super diligent on nursing/pumping frequently and emptying both each time AND because I got a good bra - which I was fitted for 2 weeks into breastfeeding, once the girls had regulated enough to their new normal size.
Since then, breastfeeding has simply become a normal part of my life. Even after I returned to work at 12 weeks maternity leave. With a lot of planning & lifestyle changes (aka getting used to pumping multiple times a day) I reached my 6 month goal on January 27th 2013. With over 400 ounces in the freezer to boot. Yes, I am that crazy mama obsessed with her freezer stash.
I'm not sharing this to make anyone feel bad (again, breastfeeding is such an emotional thing) nor do I judge anyone who doesn't make it this far. I know we had it pretty easy, with no complications, & I was surrounded by support. But, I'm pretty gosh darn proud of myself because it was a lot of work & I'm sharing this with you in hopes that my story helps to support YOU in your breastfeeding goals.
I recently read a blog post that struck a chord with me, in it she said that "there is too much pressure to breastfeed & not enough support for breastfeeding." I wholeheartedly agree. So I just want you to know that I am here to support you. With the recent baby boom (it seems) you may or may not have friends, to text with during late night feedings like I did. But if you don't, feel free to email me instead. I'm not a certified professional, but I'll certainly share my 2 cents & offer advice based on what's worked for us...
Some of which I'll be doing in blog posts in the next 2 days too... my personal tips for breastfeeding & my pumping schedule.
In the meantime... I'll leave you with this photo of my little cherub on the scale at her 6 month doctor's appointment...
xo
p.s. I have a new goal of making it to 1 year breastfeeding. Or until Kate doesn't want to anymore, should that come sooner. NOT that I'm planning to go until she's 5 (or even 2 or 3) but it's working for us now & is sure as heck a LOT less expensive than formula!
p.p.s. I can only hope that I have such success with baby #2 someday!
(let me preface this by saying that we did not have any (common) issues with breastfeeding, latch was fine, supply was fine, etc. & for those of you who aren't interested in reading my long rambling post, I will also post a quick top 10 tips on breastfeeding in a post to follow)
Our breastfeeding journey began within an hour of Kate being born. Through my state of exhaustion, pain, euphoria, & tears I watched this tiny, wriggling, crying little baby "come to life". I HIGHLY suggest that you use every bit of your last dregs of energy to stay as present as possible to watch this first hour of born life because it is completely miraculous. (More "official" information on that magical first hour here) Immediately upon being born Kate was placed on my chest "skin to skin". Shortly thereafter she made her way down & started eating. I was *elated* to see how this happened to naturally & over the moon when the nurse informed me that "that hungry little baby has a great latch, she'll be a good eater". (How true that is!) She didn't nurse for all that long then, but the nurses considered it successful.
Then came the first mini-struggle. No more than a few hours later I was trying to feed Kate, who was a wrinkled, red, crying little ball of baby love, when she kept unlatching to cry more, rather than eat. My first panic set in. My milk hadn't come in yet, and since I was still feeding her colostrum, I had next to no idea if she was getting anything or not. I panicked. Which, looking back, is one of the WORST things you can do. panicking does nothing good for 1) You. 2) Your baby, who is very in tune to you 3) Your milk supply.
A 22 year old (& clueless) nurse came in to try to assist & instead of helping, proceeded to dump sugar water (which I ended up being SO upset about) all over me & down Kate's throat. It did nothing to help. The following 24 hours were a bit stressful, some feedings would be good, some would be a lot of tears (hers & mine). Oh... and by day 2, my nipples were KILLING me. Sore, red, and blistered. It would have been easy to throw in the towel. Yet I persevered; this was the "natural" thing to do, right? It was supposed to be easy...
So we went home, my 8.5lb baby down almost a full pound. I was a bit nervous... ok, more than a bit nervous. Kate was born on a Friday morning. My milk didn't come in until Monday night/ Tuesday morning. Those were 4 long, stressful days. (Breastfeeding wise, of course, they were also 4 of the happiest days of many more happiest days of my life to come). In retrospect, I would have breastfed her much, much more - to the tune of every 30-45minutes while she was awake, to try to stimulate milk production sooner. (That will definitely be on my tip list). I was totally NOT expecting what it felt like to have milk come in. I was in major pain, my boobs swelled & hardened to the size of small watermelons & nothing I could do would make them go down. But, I was ecstatic that I had milk, so I didn't care how uncomfortable & ugly they were! About 2 days in they went down, to what is now my "new normal" (still up 2 sizes) & a new panic set in - did this mean that my milk supply was tanking?! Was I not going to make enough milk? No - again, naive me didn't know that this was normal, & was just my body adjusting.
Bottom line, despite about 10 panic attacks, by the time Kate went in for her pedi visit on Wednesday she had already gained back more than 3/4 of a pound and was within 2 ounces of her birth weight. Cue the BIG sigh of relief!!! It was then that I knew I could do this. My body was MADE to do this. & no matter how much work it would be, I was GOING to do this. I was invested in this - both physically (hello melons) & emotionally. Which, I was not expecting. Oh.My.God. What an emotional thing breastfeeding is. By her 2 week appointment Kate was over 10lbs... things were definitely working! I set my first goal, to breastfeed Kate to 6 months. (as recommended by the AAP, but moreso, as recommended by a trusted family friend who is a nurse & lactation specialist, on the board of the CBC)
For the next 3 weeks it felt like my full time job was breastfeeding. I truly believe I spent 6-7 hours sitting on the couch, with Kate attached to me some days. It was a shock to me how much work this was! For these 3 weeks I breastfed exclusively. I wanted to have my supply fully come in naturally & I wanted to make sure that Kate had the hang of it. On the evening of her third week birthday I pumped for the first time. (which is the WEIRDEST thing to get used to ever - your nipples are literally pulled like taffy) I pumped 4 whole ounces and was so proud of myself. That night, Dan gave her her first bottle. 1 tiny little ounce. This was at the suggestion of our pediatrician, in case she didn't take to it well, so that we wouldn't waste it. No worries there. She downed that ounce in less than 2 minutes... and then wanted more, of course! Again, I was so thrilled. Not only because it meant that she would take a bottle, but because it meant that now Dan could feed her. Knowing the bond I was developing with Kate, and how much comfort I could bring her through nursing, I can't even begin to imagine how it must feel for the dad, standing by, wanting to be a part of this. Now he too, could help nourish her. (& I could finally take a more than 2-3 minute shower in peace!!!!) We started a little routine that included my nursing her throughout the day/night, with 1 pump a day to make a bottle for Dan to give her before bed at night. (I also pumped while he gave her the bottle; A full pumping schedule to follow, as a few people have asked me for it) This was still a LOT of work, but it worked well.
By 8 weeks things finally felt like it got easier. Or maybe I just got used to how much work it was. My nipples had numbed, so her nursing didn't hurt anymore, and feedings were starting to space out. Yes, there were still some small panics in that time; was I/she getting thrush? (I started using dabbing a solution of 3/4 water, 1/4 white vinegar on immediately after she nursed, preventatively, for 2 weeks) Occasional blisters/clogs on one side (which typically only lasted a day or so). & a chronic fear that I would end up with a clogged duct & the dreaded "M" word... Mastitis. Thankfully, this hasn't happened (so far). Which I attribute to the face that I was super diligent on nursing/pumping frequently and emptying both each time AND because I got a good bra - which I was fitted for 2 weeks into breastfeeding, once the girls had regulated enough to their new normal size.
Since then, breastfeeding has simply become a normal part of my life. Even after I returned to work at 12 weeks maternity leave. With a lot of planning & lifestyle changes (aka getting used to pumping multiple times a day) I reached my 6 month goal on January 27th 2013. With over 400 ounces in the freezer to boot. Yes, I am that crazy mama obsessed with her freezer stash.
I'm not sharing this to make anyone feel bad (again, breastfeeding is such an emotional thing) nor do I judge anyone who doesn't make it this far. I know we had it pretty easy, with no complications, & I was surrounded by support. But, I'm pretty gosh darn proud of myself because it was a lot of work & I'm sharing this with you in hopes that my story helps to support YOU in your breastfeeding goals.
I recently read a blog post that struck a chord with me, in it she said that "there is too much pressure to breastfeed & not enough support for breastfeeding." I wholeheartedly agree. So I just want you to know that I am here to support you. With the recent baby boom (it seems) you may or may not have friends, to text with during late night feedings like I did. But if you don't, feel free to email me instead. I'm not a certified professional, but I'll certainly share my 2 cents & offer advice based on what's worked for us...
Some of which I'll be doing in blog posts in the next 2 days too... my personal tips for breastfeeding & my pumping schedule.
In the meantime... I'll leave you with this photo of my little cherub on the scale at her 6 month doctor's appointment...
22.5lbs & 28"long (totally dispelling the rumor that breastfeeding = small babies)
xo
p.s. I have a new goal of making it to 1 year breastfeeding. Or until Kate doesn't want to anymore, should that come sooner. NOT that I'm planning to go until she's 5 (or even 2 or 3) but it's working for us now & is sure as heck a LOT less expensive than formula!
p.p.s. I can only hope that I have such success with baby #2 someday!
I'm not even close to being a mother, but I always thought I would breast feed. I had no idea it could be so difficult and emotional. Definitely something I will want to really think about and research whenever we get pregnant. No one in my family breast fed, so not having people who understand or relate could make it even more difficult. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
ReplyDeleteSo interesting to read of other people's experiences. We were somewhat similar - good latch, good eater, no nipple issues, 2-3 instances of plugged ducts, but nothing major. (as you know) supply has been our only issue but it's just nice to be able to know other people are working on similar things and can admit how (mentally, emotionally, physically) exhausting it can be! xo
ReplyDelete