Breastfeeding. The most emotion-filled word in the early stage of motherhood. Why? Because for some, it is magical, rewarding, and absolutely beautiful, while to others it is difficult, challenging, painful, and downright exhausting. And both are true. It can either be one or both. Everyone has their own story invested in breastfeeding. But in any case, it involves three essential elements: the good, the, bad, and the ugly.
A bit of my background with breastfeeding: I breastfed with my firstborn, Christopher, for about four months. And was able to dip into my frozen milk to last him another two months before having to switch fully to formula feeding. Now, I am currently traveling through the journey with my daughter, AnnaLynne, for about five months now. I have a full freezer of about three hundred, six ounce bags being stored. If my milk remains consistant, I plan on donating my breastmilk starting next month.
The Good
When breastfeeding is good, I mean it is GOOD. It is all about baby cuddles, gentle suckles, and the best bonding time in the world.
Our milk is the literal depiction of liquid gold! It has all the nutrients (but vitamin D) that our baby needs, while also fighting off any illnesses when our babies need it the most.
The Bad
And on the other hand, when things are bad, they are horrible. Bad enough to push any woman past their breaking point.
There is the dreaded mastitis, aka hell fire in the boobs! The first time that I experienced this was with my daughter in the first week of having her. And boy, did it hurt! Hot showers, breast messages, warm compresses, excess pumping, and different feeding positions became my absolute best friend.
And you have to pump in the middle of the night, EVERY NIGHT. This is where me and pumping became frenemies. Because getting up out of a dead sleep as everyone else is able to continue is daunting. And if I don't, well then I not only risk losing some of my production, but also have rock hard boobs. But man, it is so exhausting to see the amount of time added to your sleep deprivation every single day.
You also have to hear everyone's opinion and advice. Whether you choose to exclusively breastfeed, exclusively pump, formula feed, or do a mixture, someone always says that you're doing it wrong! But you have to learn to trust that you are the advocate for your kids needs. And do YOU!
Then there's engorgement. The times where you boobs look bomb, perky with their fullness, but feel as hard as rocks ready to leak in a moments time. Yeah, those are fun...not!
Nipples, nipples, nipples. Not only do they stretch to the point where they look like rolos, but they also get sore and chapped. It hurts. A LOT. And it takes time for both you and the baby to get a hang of it and learn each other. Every baby has a different sized mouth, and every boob has a different shape and size. And when that pesky engorgement does kick in, you'll have to start from level zero all again.
Finally the worst of them all, low milk production. This is a never-ending battle fought every day. Even when you have all the supply in the world. You continually pump more than required time, eat all of the so-called "milk boosting" snacks that you can, and look up every and any technique that you can do. But all you can really do, is your absolute best! And always be proud of however long that you can achieve milk productions even with all of the inevitable bumps along the way.
The Ugly
Then there's the in between, the ugly.
There are milk stains everywhere. EVERYWHERE. No matter how much you spend on those pesky nursing pads (reusable or disposable), there is bound to be milk stains. And they are not pretty. They're on your sheets from late night feedings, on your shirts from being to lazy to put on a bra or the dreadful leakage, on the counter from spilling from the pump bottle to the storage bag, and on everything else.
Oh God, then there's teeth. Oh, you thought cracked nipples were painful? Well you better pray your child is a late bloomer in the teeth department. Because then you'll have that little vampire draining you dry while munching on you like a dinosaur straight out of Jurassic Park.
And whoever said that spilled milk is nothing to cry over obviously never spent an hour pumping, just to get two ounces, and then accidentally knock it all over the damn floor. Especially in the middle of the night.
Nursing in public is honestly just awkward, and nothing even close to graceful. It requires you to wrestle around with a squirmy baby under a sheet of fabric that displays your muffin top in every angle. But, I definitely recommend wearing a tank top underneath to hide your tubby friend and the nursing cover if it is a concern. They both made me feel a little more confident and comfortable during this awkward time.
Then there's the refusal, the ugliest of them all. When your baby just completely refuses to eat and you realize that this tiny adorable human is completely in control of you.
So is breastfeeding tough? Absolutely. But it is something that I would do a million times over. Why? Because I am proud and empowered by my breastfeeding journey with both my kids-no matter how short or long of a time. I know that I have tried my damn hardest. We all have. And I am forever grateful. There is beauty in everything if you are willing to accept it, celebrate it, and appreciate it. Same goes for breastfeeding. So keep on trucking mamas and nutrify those beautiful little babies.
Tips:
- Start by pumping either after each nursing, or on one boob while the baby nurses on the other.
- Don't feel pressured to overdue the pumping everyday. Just build slowly. Your milk will come in and once it does, it will flow.
- Make sure to provide your body with enough nutrition. Drink a ton of water, eat a well-balanced diet, sleep as much as you can and try to relax. The worst thing that you could possibly do for your supply is stress.
- Make sure that the baby is nursing efficiently. If the milk isn't removed correctly, it will not produce correctly.
- If you're looking to increase your supply, try pumping 8-12 times a day for 15-20 minutes, changing flange sizes, and giving the breasts messages before or during pumping.
- When pumping, find a quiet, comfortable place to sit, grab a drink and/or snack, wash your hands, center the flages, and make an air-tight seal.
- When trying to find relief from engorgement try to: feed the baby, take a warm shower (to encourage leakage and move milk), use a cool compress (to reduce swelling), and pump.
- If you're having difficulty with forceful let down during nursing: Pump out a little milk before the feeding, release the baby when you feel it coming, or manually stop it at the areola with your fingers.
- If you want to start weaning from the pump: Do it gradually. Try dropping a session one at time every 3-5 days, decrease the pumping time two minutes, and increasing the length of time between sessions thirty minutes at a time.
- Breastmilk only lasts for 4 hours at room temperature, 2 days in the fridge, and 6 months in the freezer.
-If you need to the thaw some milk, never microwave it! Either transfer it to the refrigerator 12 hours ahead of time, or place in a bowl with warm water. And don't ever try to refreeze once it is thawed.
- Remember that there is no singular way to do it. Just do what feels right for you and your baby by being in tune with your body and motherly intuition.
What I Use
With both of my children, I received an electrical Madela pump from the insurance. I loved it with Christopher, but found myself hating it with AnnaLynne. So a month in the journey with her I decided to switch to the manual Evenflo pump. It was easier in not only extracting the milk, but also in traveling. I no longer have to carry around this big machine and find an outlet. Instead I can pack it in the diaper bag with ease and hide it just underneath my shirt. And I absolutely love it! Plus it was affordable, being just about $20 at Walmart. I also use the Lansinoh milk storage bags (100 count), about $15 dollars at Walmart.
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