Breastfeeding
Did it just come naturally to you?
I'm still a year from TTC, and I know every body and every baby is different, but I'm just curious-- Was breastfeeding a total breeze to anyone? Were you able to avoid most "problems": latch issues, engorgement, supply issues, clogged ducts, mastitis, thrush, etc. or most of them?
If you avoided all or most, do you think there were contributing factors, or just luck?
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Re: Did it just come naturally to you?
We've had a pretty easy time - some pain in the beginning, but no cracked nipples or major issues.
I put some effort into preparing: read "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" and kellymom.com, attended some La Leche League meetings while pregnant, knew how to contact a LC if needed. I do think being prepared for how things should go - what a good latch looked like, how frequently to expect to feed, etc. - made it easier for things to go well. That said, I also had a very healthy, normal, full-term baby that was a good eater. There are 2 people involved in breastfeeding and you can only control one of them.
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Agreed. Although I'm definitely of the "dumb luck" philosophy. For some people it just comes easier than others. I was in the super lucky category. LBB latched on immediately and perfectly at the hospital. Per protocol, we had two different LCs come by during our hospital stay and both were impressed with how things were going so easily.
I didn't have any issues with cracked, sore, or bleeding nipples because we were lucky enough to get a good latch from the start. My biggest "issue" was that because I have weird breasts (pretty much all my breast tissue is on the side, not the front) I got my engorgement problems under my arms when my milk came in (tail of spence) which was freaky because I had no idea that was going to happen. But a warm washcloth and massaging it in the shower and during feedings cleared that up within a day.
There are so many factors that come into play for successful breastfeeding....
Knowledge:I read a lot and went to a couple of classes/lectures on breastfeeding. I am very fortunate that DH did the same reading and attended all of the classes/lectures with me
Support: I was set on breastfeeding but the support and encouragment from DH made all the difference....he knew what a correct latch looks like, positions/holds for breastfeeding...all the things that slipped my mind when I was sleep deprived and/or frustrated. Most of my close friends and family breastfeed so I had their support, encouragement, and knowledge.
The Right Equipment: Invest in some nice nursing bras. Not only will you feel better but they can reduce the risk of clog ducts. Invest in a good pump, it makes life so much easier.
The Baby: I am so blessed to have two LOs who have never had any issues with nursing. DD came out smacking her lips but I am now dealing with a baby that will not take a bottle.
Luck: Some of it is luck. I never had any issues with clogged ducts with DS but I have had two clogged ducts with DD....go figure!
I applaud you for doing your research! Best of luck!
My tip- be patient, don't give up after 10 days because the beginning is the hardest part.
The book that helped me the most was "Working Mom, Nursing Mom".
I attended a breastfeeding class at the hospital, but found it almost entirely unhelpful. I learned a lot from the nurses when LO was first born and we were still at the hospital.
Nope. I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned that there's a learning curve for your baby, too. My DD needed to learn just as much as I did.
Support, persistance, and patience with yourself is the best way you can be prepared.
Disagree, unless you live in a place without 24 hour pharmacies.
Formula has had no place in my house, and I stand by that. If there was an emergency, then DH would have to go buy some. It's not like that's impossible.
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It wasn't easy at first, but I was pretty determined and I had two older sisters and a mom who all successfully breastfed, so I knew it was possible, which I think is a big factor.
Even though DS1 and I had a rough start (unplanned c-section for me, unplanned hospitalization and being apart from me the first three days for him), we had the luck of being at a hospital with good breastfeeding support, and nurses and LCs who knew enough to get me pumping right away, and work with us to get him to latch, etc etc. I do remember realizing when he was about ten weeks that it was becoming easy and enjoyable, and after that we never really had any big problems. By the time I had my second son, I was experienced enough to have a really "easy" time with it.
Do your research, seek out women who have had successful breastfeeding relationships, find a good LC while you're pregnant, ask about baby-friendly initiatives at the hospital you're going to give birth in. Good luck!
DS2 - Oct 2010 (my VBAC baby!)
There is no formula in our house either. It may have been tempting during some of the tough moments at the beginning, so I'm glad it wasn't there.
BFing was hard. I dealt with latch issues, some anatomical difficulties- LO has a short frenulum, but is not tongue tied, I have small/flat nipples, LO lost too much weight, we used nipple shields for a little bit, I had mastitis and thrush, all the the first few weeks. It was a huge struggle.
Now, it is the easiest and most enjoyable thing in the world. It may be easy for you, you may have some issues, but you'll power through and it will be amazing and rewarding
I wouldn't say it came naturally to me or DS.
It was awkward at first. DS seemed to have little to no interest. My latch didn't look like the pretty pictures in the book. I left the hospital a little worried since I didn't feel like I got the hang of it. DS was a little jaundiced so we had to supplement. Thanks to my persistance, help from my pedi and a LC, and a supportive partner, we got through the most trying time. My nipples hurt but they never cracked or bled. I have two half-used lanolin containers since I thought I would need them, but never really did that much.
After the first 4 weeks, it's been smooth sailing even going back to work, my supply stayed strong. Now at 15 months, I nurse mornings, evenings, and weekends. I still enjoy the bonding time with DS, but don't miss the engorgement, leaky, sore boobs that come in the first few weeks.
Off to the beach
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I've had several of those problems, and only one had any potential to be prevented.
DS was tongue tied, which resulted in serious latch issues. We had it clipped at 5 days old and it still took more than a week and a couple of visits to LCs to get it corrected. I hated when people said babies were born knowing how to breastfeed. I really feel that babies are born knowing how to suck, but not how to latch. A latch is learned. It happens easily for some, but not for all.
When my milk came in, I had a LOT of it. I was seriously engorged. It took me several weeks to properly regulate supply, but I do not see how any sort of preparation could have prevented it... I knew not to pump more than LO drank (we were supplementing with bottle-fed breastmilk because his latch was so bad he wasn't getting enough from me) so I didn't make the problem worse, at least.
And I did have a clogged duct. Maybe if I had been more careful about fully emptying that day, I could have stopped it. But it did not result in mastitis because I knew how to treat it, and it was gone in 24 hours.
Educating yourself is a really good idea, because if you do encounter problems, you will either know how to solve them or know how to get help. And have the name/number for an LC if you have problems.
That was exactly the mindset my La Leche meetings got me into. Once you're pregnant, look them up and go. It's so encouraging to hear that even when it's hard, women on the other side are so happy they stuck with it.
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