So for those of you that know me well, you know I'm not good at hiding my feelings and/or thoughts, and I'm pretty straight forward. With that said if you think this is inappropriate to "publish for the world to see" don't read it...but I didn't want Lauren or Colton's future wife to look back in life and think "why do I feel this way" when she has her own child. And, I've had a few friends and family members have babies recently and I've told them all the same info so I don't want them to feel alone in their feelings/thoughts. I wanted to document it all for when Lauren becomes a mommy and when Colton's and his wife have a baby. :-)
First of all let me say that THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH FORMULA!
Second I was VERY lucky with both my kids in the fact that I was able to breastfeed both of them without issues.
Third let me say that Breastfeeding has been one of the most rewarding yet challenging things I've ever done because of the reasons below and because I did it for 9 months with Lolo and 12 months with Colton (almost there...just a few more weeks sadly)! (I actually went 15 months total...but started weaning at 12 months)
It is the most challenging because...
The first 2 weeks hurt with both kids. I bled, got cracks, etc.
It's time consuming
You are feeding your baby on demand so you never know when they will want to eat and you will have to pop out your b's anywhere! :-)
You can't travel away from the baby as easy as you used to travel, because you have to pump when you are not with the baby which takes time away from the vacation
You sometimes feel isolated because you are the only one that can console your child when they are crying and want to nurse to comfort them (colic for example) and you miss your show that's on tv or your friends that are over for dinner because you are in the nursery nursing your baby while all your friends are laughing, eating, etc in your living room.
You feel like a milking cow at times
You find yourself in unusual situations when you either need to feed your baby or pump (airport bathrooms (regular and private family bathrooms...I've used both), parking lots, meeting rooms at work, and even sharing a nursing room with another mom pumping while on a business trip for Abbott...yes you read that right! I shared a room with a lady once while on a business trip...awkward!)
You have to change your eating habits to accommodate your child...no caffeine, no milk for colicky baby, no broccoli, etc
Some days you don't get anything done because your child wants to eat non-stop
You feel like your b's are no longer yours and they are just on your body for the needs of your child
You don't get much sleep because breastfed babies don't sleep through the night as fast as non-breastfeed babies
However...It's one of the most rewarding because...
After the first 2 weeks I was golden! Didn't hurt at all (ok well until they starting biting) :-)
Even though it's time consuming that is time I will never get back and it's guaranteed 1 on 1 time with my baby!
Even though you might be uncomfortable about where you have to feed your child you will probably look back and laugh at it later on!
I will have a lifetime to travel without my baby (and when I'm older I will wish I my baby wanted to travel with me)...so I can adjust my travel schedule for 1 year...no problem...and at times when traveling for work pumping is a good way to get out of a boring meeting! :-)
Being the only one who can console your child makes you feel GREAT when you know YOU are the reason they feel better...you will be able to watch your show at another time...and your friends will still come over another night. :-)
Even though you feel like a milking cow at times that milk makes your b's look GREAT and full! I've never had more cleavage than what I have when I'm breastfeeding. That's a major perk (pun intended hehe)
Again the unusual situations give you a good laugh when you need one!
The good thing about changing my eating habits is that I really don't need caffeine! I also learned that milk upsets my stomach...so this actually helped me too!
On the days you can't do anything but feed your child because they are growing or hurting...just relax...the laundry will always be there tomorrow. This was a way for me to spend more quality time with my child.
Again...even though your b's are no longer yours they look great and you will one day have them back!
I learned that I don't need as much sleep as I thought and hearing my baby coo in the middle of the night and touch my face with their tiny hands, etc is the sweetest thing in the middle of the night...I'll wake up for that any night! And I know that I'm doing my baby good because the reason they are not sleeping through the night yet is because breast milk is more easily digested than formula...so I know it's easier on their stomachs.
I'm burning 500+ calories a day!!! Woo Hoo! Great diet plan!
Tips/Things I've learned
When pumping, routine is key! Pump at the same time each day (try to find a time that you know your child will be sleeping so you can pump without the stress of them crying in the background)
Routine, routine, routine! Pump for the same amount of time each day (20 min etc)
Drink LOTS of water! Nursing drains fluid from you so if you are pumping you will get more if you stay hydrated…you will notice on days you don’t drink as much water that you will not get the same amount you normally get when hydrated.
Don’t get nervous if you only pump 2 oz at first…it takes your body a week or so to adjust to the ‘extra’ session so just stick with it and you will produce more. Also at first your body is only used to producing a small amount because your baby is only 2 weeks old for example and her stomach is the size of her fist…so don’t think you won’t be able to produce more…you will over time.
You might have to nurse more often the first week due to the fact that you are pumping for the extra session so when she eats there won’t be as much there for her until your body learns to produce enough for her and your pump session.
Start with 1 pump session a day and if you are wanting to store more then add in another one a week or two later (after your body adjust to 1 extra session)…but if you are just pumping to start storing milk for when you go back to work or even for when you just need to get out for an hour or so 1 session a day should be enough.
If you are going to be out and miss a feeding, try to time it so you can either feed her and then leave or pump before you go so your body doesn’t miss that feeding.
When traveling take your pump as a carry on instead of checking it so that it doesn't get broken or lost on the way to your destination.
Feed your baby whenever they want to eat...don't try to 'schedule' their nursing sessions...at least at first. Some days they might want to eat every 3 hours and then some days they might want to eat every hour. I know it can be hard but it's worth it...and the more often you feed your baby the first few days the faster your milk will come in.
If you can, try to not supplement...if you have just fed your baby and they seem hungry 1 hour later go ahead and feed them again...there might not be much there but that's ok...they will get what they need as God has a way of producing what we need when we need it.
Something else I’ve heard (haven't tried it as I don't like the taste of beer) is to drink a beer a day…the wheat in it helps you produce more milk. Also Mother’s Milk tea and Fenugreek pills also help in production. I have only used these when going on a trip so I didn't see much result from them but I've heard they work great!
I think that's about it. Whew! LOL Long post I know but I wanted to get it all in. :-)
