On Breastfeeding...
Oct. 2nd, 2012 09:55 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ellenmillionI've wanted to document some of my experiences with breastfeeding, but two things have held me back...
a) BOOBIES! (*giggles like a boy*) It's hard talking about breasts without blushing. This is probably a less-than-healthy example of American culture's weird taboos. But it's breast cancer awareness month, so I should get over it.
b) I've been lucky. I know that a lot of women struggle with breastfeeding, or can't do it at all, and that in some cases they feel bad about themselves because of it. I haven't wanted to add to that baggage, so I've avoided talking about it much at all, in case I inadvertently made someone feel inadequate or bad.
So, I'll put my story behind a cut, with this disclaimer: these are my personal experiences, and not intended to be judgmental or hurtful. And, I talk about boobs, because they play a pretty big role.
I've been breastfeeding for seven months now. In the last month, I've added a single meal of rice or oatmeal cereal, thinned with breastmilk, but other than that, it's been all dairymom!
And I am incredibly proud of that.
Breastmilk, depending on what you read, can prevent illness (in baby AND mom), promote health, provides better nutrients, and guarantees that the baby will be smarter and probably become president. Okay, not really, but it's generally accepted that breastmilk is really wonderful stuff, and the best food that a baby can get.
It's not always easy. I was ready to give up at three weeks. We were having latching difficulties, and my nipples were cracked and bleeding. Getting Elsa on at the start of each feeding made me flinch in agony, and sometimes outright cry. Neither of us had any experience, despite classes on my part, and we were fumbling through as best we could. I bought a little cheap handpump and we spoonfed her a little expressed milk, but that was really... unsatisfying. For both of us. (And it still hurt.)
So, I finally broke down and called the public health office, and they sent out a lactation nurse to come by and help out. This is a service they offer for free - an in-home consultation to get you back on track, to offer tips and advice, or in some cases, just to listen to a new mom blubber about things that are hard. I can't say enough about this service, or the wonderful people they have working for them. I waited longer than I should have to call them, and if you are struggling with breastfeeding, find the service in your community that does this and GET HELP. Don't wait, don't feel shy, don't be embarrassed about your house or your hair or your boobs. People doing this job are way over that stuff, and want to help you do your best. And they can!
The nurse gave me a handful of amazing tips - stuff you read about online, or that is described to you, or even things you see video of, that doesn't really make sense until it's YOU and YOUR boobs and YOUR baby, and someone is showing you how to make it work for YOU.
And when you're doing it the right way, it DOESN'T hurt. Even with nipples that were still cracked, we went from OW-FLINCH-OHGOD to Oh! I'd give you the specific tips, but our specific tips may not be the ones you need, and there are websites out the wazoo that list the same things. It's just so individual, and sometimes you've got to have someone SHOW you!
Breastfeeding itself is really pretty amazing. I've got my iPad set up in an iHome holder where I can reach it and read, browse the Internet or play games (I watched a lot of Netflix the first few months, but noise distracts her now, so it has to be quiet things), but sometimes it's just nice to cuddle with the baby and enjoy the experience. Sometimes she wants to scratch or grab things, but more often, she's content to curl up against me and get to work. The human body encourages this kind of thing by making it feel pleasant, and it's a little like a light massage or a warm shower - not sexual or weird, just... comforting.
Her bottom teeth haven't been a problem but a few times, when she was apparently teething and wanted to do a little chewing, but rubbing her gums before nursing helped that need to munch. I'm a little nervous about the top teeth coming in.
I haven't had supply problems (except for the end of one day, when Elsa insisted on feeding 21 times in 24 hours), and I appreciate how lucky I've been in that regard. From the very first hour in the hospital, I had lots of colostrum to offer, and I've been able to feel her everything she wants and pump extra if I want to. Indeed, I can sit down and express 5 ounces in 10 minutes with a dinky little handpump, whether I've just fed her or not. I've even found that I don't actually have to pump - I just give some squeezes on the pump to get the pressure low and I can just hold it there and let my breasts drain into the bottle, with a pump every once in a while if it starts to slow down. I can squirt several little streams of milk across the shower at a pretty high velocity (and sometimes do so for fun because I'm very easily entertained...).
And, for all that, I rarely, rarely have oversupply problems. A lot of women who produce as much as I do would end up at the other end of things, with too strong a let-down, making a firehose for their baby that they couldn't nurse from, leaking uncontrollably, or ending up with uncomfortably full breasts when they couldn't nurse very regularly. I wake up maybe once a week or every other with sore, full breasts and need to pump them, but not more than that. Elsa never has a problem staying on.
In short: THESE THINGS ARE AWESOME.
I'm enjoying breastfeeding a lot, and I feel good about being able to do it. I'm planning to breastfeed her as long as we're both comfortable with it, however long that ends up being. I'm happy to answer questions about it, but would never replace an expert. I only know what's worked for us.
a) BOOBIES! (*giggles like a boy*) It's hard talking about breasts without blushing. This is probably a less-than-healthy example of American culture's weird taboos. But it's breast cancer awareness month, so I should get over it.
b) I've been lucky. I know that a lot of women struggle with breastfeeding, or can't do it at all, and that in some cases they feel bad about themselves because of it. I haven't wanted to add to that baggage, so I've avoided talking about it much at all, in case I inadvertently made someone feel inadequate or bad.
So, I'll put my story behind a cut, with this disclaimer: these are my personal experiences, and not intended to be judgmental or hurtful. And, I talk about boobs, because they play a pretty big role.
I've been breastfeeding for seven months now. In the last month, I've added a single meal of rice or oatmeal cereal, thinned with breastmilk, but other than that, it's been all dairymom!
And I am incredibly proud of that.
Breastmilk, depending on what you read, can prevent illness (in baby AND mom), promote health, provides better nutrients, and guarantees that the baby will be smarter and probably become president. Okay, not really, but it's generally accepted that breastmilk is really wonderful stuff, and the best food that a baby can get.
It's not always easy. I was ready to give up at three weeks. We were having latching difficulties, and my nipples were cracked and bleeding. Getting Elsa on at the start of each feeding made me flinch in agony, and sometimes outright cry. Neither of us had any experience, despite classes on my part, and we were fumbling through as best we could. I bought a little cheap handpump and we spoonfed her a little expressed milk, but that was really... unsatisfying. For both of us. (And it still hurt.)
So, I finally broke down and called the public health office, and they sent out a lactation nurse to come by and help out. This is a service they offer for free - an in-home consultation to get you back on track, to offer tips and advice, or in some cases, just to listen to a new mom blubber about things that are hard. I can't say enough about this service, or the wonderful people they have working for them. I waited longer than I should have to call them, and if you are struggling with breastfeeding, find the service in your community that does this and GET HELP. Don't wait, don't feel shy, don't be embarrassed about your house or your hair or your boobs. People doing this job are way over that stuff, and want to help you do your best. And they can!
The nurse gave me a handful of amazing tips - stuff you read about online, or that is described to you, or even things you see video of, that doesn't really make sense until it's YOU and YOUR boobs and YOUR baby, and someone is showing you how to make it work for YOU.
And when you're doing it the right way, it DOESN'T hurt. Even with nipples that were still cracked, we went from OW-FLINCH-OHGOD to Oh! I'd give you the specific tips, but our specific tips may not be the ones you need, and there are websites out the wazoo that list the same things. It's just so individual, and sometimes you've got to have someone SHOW you!
Breastfeeding itself is really pretty amazing. I've got my iPad set up in an iHome holder where I can reach it and read, browse the Internet or play games (I watched a lot of Netflix the first few months, but noise distracts her now, so it has to be quiet things), but sometimes it's just nice to cuddle with the baby and enjoy the experience. Sometimes she wants to scratch or grab things, but more often, she's content to curl up against me and get to work. The human body encourages this kind of thing by making it feel pleasant, and it's a little like a light massage or a warm shower - not sexual or weird, just... comforting.
Her bottom teeth haven't been a problem but a few times, when she was apparently teething and wanted to do a little chewing, but rubbing her gums before nursing helped that need to munch. I'm a little nervous about the top teeth coming in.
I haven't had supply problems (except for the end of one day, when Elsa insisted on feeding 21 times in 24 hours), and I appreciate how lucky I've been in that regard. From the very first hour in the hospital, I had lots of colostrum to offer, and I've been able to feel her everything she wants and pump extra if I want to. Indeed, I can sit down and express 5 ounces in 10 minutes with a dinky little handpump, whether I've just fed her or not. I've even found that I don't actually have to pump - I just give some squeezes on the pump to get the pressure low and I can just hold it there and let my breasts drain into the bottle, with a pump every once in a while if it starts to slow down. I can squirt several little streams of milk across the shower at a pretty high velocity (and sometimes do so for fun because I'm very easily entertained...).
And, for all that, I rarely, rarely have oversupply problems. A lot of women who produce as much as I do would end up at the other end of things, with too strong a let-down, making a firehose for their baby that they couldn't nurse from, leaking uncontrollably, or ending up with uncomfortably full breasts when they couldn't nurse very regularly. I wake up maybe once a week or every other with sore, full breasts and need to pump them, but not more than that. Elsa never has a problem staying on.
In short: THESE THINGS ARE AWESOME.
I'm enjoying breastfeeding a lot, and I feel good about being able to do it. I'm planning to breastfeed her as long as we're both comfortable with it, however long that ends up being. I'm happy to answer questions about it, but would never replace an expert. I only know what's worked for us.
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no subject
Date: 2012-10-02 06:06 pm (UTC)Unfortunately, with both, I never could pump--I could be horribly full and pump about 1/2 ounce in 15-20 mins ... then let the baby feed and be empty in 10. LOL.
I also supplemented early because of that--although both of them were a titty-only baby through 8 weeks. And my daughter fought taking a bottle (even of the little bit of breastmilk that I *was* able to produce separately for her). The boychild didn't seem to mind nipple or bottle, formula or breastmilk.
If I had it to do again, I would definitely do it. And I would nurse my daughter longer than I did--the 9-10 months that I did my son at least. (I got pregnant with the girlchild--and the doctor told me to stop with him).
OH.. with my son I not only had a badly cracked nipple in the first 2 weeks--I also had a plugged duct! OMG PAIN FROM YOU KNOW WHERE... but we obviously survived it.
It's good hearing your story and remembering mine. :)
Hug that guppy for me :).
no subject
Date: 2012-10-03 04:15 pm (UTC)Guppy hugged. ;)
no subject
Date: 2012-10-02 06:10 pm (UTC)You might even have to go so far as to stop a nursing session completely and try again later. Probably not, though. They get the idea pretty quickly and they DO love us. And our B, as my guy called it. :)
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Date: 2012-10-02 06:38 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2012-10-03 04:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-02 10:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-03 04:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-04 02:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-02 06:32 pm (UTC)HA! Yeah I'm easily amused like that as well. ^.^ When I was painfully full I would see if I could target things in the shower. heh. I did find out a bit of random trivia - if you shoot someone with it, it's considered in some states as assault with bodily fluids (similar to spitting on someone). There ya go. :)
As for the teeth, since mine is a few months older, I can appreciate the anticipation and fear. I had two or three instances where she nipped. No blood, just a bad pinch. Baby teeth are sharp so it doesn't take a lot of pressure to hurt.
Sometimes the skin of the nipple gets caught between her teeth, that's just more annoying then painful. What I currently have issues with is that she passes out on a good solid feeding.....and when her mouth relaxes my nipple gets trapped between teeth.
I haven't discovered a solution to this yet, aside from gently sticking my finger in the corner of her mouth to pry it open. ^.^ Sometimes that backfires and she, in her sleep, clenches her mouth shut. >.O
I'm glad you got the help you needed. And I'm happy you stuck with it. It /is/ very satisfying, as well as soothing and relaxing. Sometimes I find myself falling asleep with baby attached despite my best efforts to stay awake. ^.^
Best wishes Ellen! You'll do just fine!
no subject
Date: 2012-10-02 10:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-03 04:45 pm (UTC)And yes, we've had a few fall-asleep-and-nips, but fortunately not many. I try to catch the sweet spot where she's tired and sleepy enough to fall asleep once I've taken her off but not too asleep... it's tough!
Hooray for Boobies!
Date: 2012-10-02 06:35 pm (UTC)Boobs are amazing, and awesome. Never have my ta-tas felt so very loved as when they were doing as they were intended.
I had no idea what to expect. I found that Measure knew what she was doing, and the more I helped -- the more I hindered (and boy did she get mad!). For us, it was a matter of me letting go and letting her take over ;)
Re: Hooray for Boobies!
Date: 2012-10-03 04:43 pm (UTC)I found that Elsa WASN'T particularly good at it instinctively. She wanted to play around and not suck the nipple all the way in at first, and I was letting her. My big saver was waiting and making her reach to open ALL the way up, not letting her just pull it in a little right at first.
no subject
Date: 2012-10-03 01:34 am (UTC)It's cool you and Elsa have had a good time of it (apart from the beginning!). Me and Sephy are managing well too, but coming to the end of it soon I think. We're down to 3 breastfeeds a day now with three meals of solids and snacks (she's 11 months now).
For me it was a struggle at times because I've only got one working boob :p That presents all kinds of challenges, least of all the very annoying "yay one of my boobs is now literally twice as big as the other" issue.
Still I'm glad we've made it this far and will probably still keep going at least a little over the one year mark, even with just one boob. So many people don't make it past 3 months, so I'm kinda proud!
no subject
Date: 2012-10-03 04:40 pm (UTC)And you SHOULD be proud! Horrah for you and Sephy!
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Date: 2012-10-03 03:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-03 04:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-03 04:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-03 04:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-03 10:10 pm (UTC)Because I nursed E so recently before Ronen, when I started with him, my breasts weren't sore or tender at all, which made his start at nursing a lot more pleasant than hers was. I was amazed and happy not to have any of the misery and discomfort that I had the first time around.
I always tell new moms to stick with it, if they can. What I found is that the first three weeks are horribly unpleasant, the next three weeks are okay, but not great, and then around six weeks, nursing gets really really nice.
no subject
Date: 2012-10-04 04:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-12 05:26 pm (UTC)Do you have any advice about nursing pads? I'm eyeballing some really nice, soft handmade washable/reuseable pads that the local cloth diaper store sells. I also was thinking of trying the gel "soothies" pads to see if it helps. TMI here, but it took my nips a solid 15 weeks to FINALLY stop hurting 24/7 during this pregnancy, and if there's any way to help soothe further boob agony, I want a piece of that. x_x