Three interesting facts about breastfeeding that I was told while in the hospital, but never knew prior:
1. Breastfeeding can make you hungry: Since I am expelling so many vitamins, calories, etc. in my milk it's no wonder!
2. Breastfeeding can make you sleepy: Not sure why this is, but it's true. I doze off alot when nursing Liam.
3. Breastfeeding can give you contractions: And I thought they were over? Wow, yeah. That sucks! But, only for a day or so after delivery.
So, the pump "injury" was the only bit of pain I experienced dealing with my milk coming in. Despite the frightening stories I had heard about "the day my milk came in" from other people, I had no problems whatsoever. I never felt any pain and I don't remember feeling any heavier up top. From what I've read and heard from others, my experience is not the norm. So, of course, I felt like this meant I wouldn't be able to provide food for my baby.
I was wrong, of course. Thinking back to my breastfeeding informational class during pregnancy I remember the lactation consultant explaining that anyone can breastfeed, including mother's who adopt. In that case, if they begin to pump frequently, their bodies will produce milk. The stimulation tells their body that they need to provide food for their baby. Most of you may have read about my concerns with my milk supply and pumping, but I feel much better now after researching and reading more.
Once we came home from the hospital I tried to pump after each feeding for 10 to 15 minutes. Because breastfeeding is a supply and demand system, the more you nurse/pump, the more you will get. During this time I didn't have one of those hands free pumping bras, but I do now which makes life much easier.
While I am at work, since Liam isn't constantly nursing all day I have been able to pump 4-6 ounces each session. This gets him through most of the next day while I am at work. My husband usually has to give him one formula bottle also, since he eats three times while I am gone. Giving Liam that formula bottle made me cringe in the beginning, but I feel alot better about it now since his diet is mostly breastmilk. If I was able to produce a bit more, then I'd have enough for a full work day away from him, but that's just not happening at this point.
Because Liam tends to nurse for about 30-40 minutes every 2-3 hours (always has), it is a time commitment for the both of us. I've read that alot of babies cut down to nursing for only 15 minutes at a time, but for us it's never been like that. I feel like I have spent hours upon hours on the couch feeding him (that's where I feel most comfortable). This attributed to my feelings of stir craziness the first month or so, when I still wasn't comfortable giving Liam a bottle or taking him out and about. I am not comfortable nursing in public and have only done it a few times. It is just not ideal for me, especially since Liam nurses for a long time.
Though Liam has been a wonderful nurser, we have struggled a bit with him sometimes preferring a bottle instead. It is easier for him and although he doesn't fuss about it often, it is very frustrating for me when it does happen. At times I wanted to give up and just solely bottle feed him, but we pushed passed it. Nowadays, I feel like I am handling those times better as I have learned to not get as frustrated.
At one point, maybe two months into this business I was thinking that breastfeeding was more of a hassle than anything. It took up alot of time and it seemed much easier to just grab a bottle and throw formula in it. I got very frustrated at being the only one able to feed my baby, especially in the middle of the night. I never had much pumped milk for my husband to feed Liam during those wee hours of the morning. What I did have pumped I didn't want to "waste" since I was right there and able to nurse him. I like to save the pumped milk for our outings.
I must have just been having a bad month because now I feel like bottles seem to be more of a pain in the neck than anything else. There's the annoyance of bottles and nipples and caps that need to be washed and sanitized. Plus, after feeding Liam a bottle I usually have to pump so that I can keep up my supply. So, nowadays I have been taking advantage of the relaxation that breastfeeding brings. I have been savoring these moments nursing Liam since I don't get the chance to do it as often, due to being a working mother. I have been enjoying coming home from work to my boy and relaxing on the couch after a long day of work while feeding him. Annnd I have our handy dandy iPad so that I can read blogs, facebook, and twitter so easily during feedings!
I feel like I've been pretty lucky with my breastfeeding experience so far. Though I've never been blessed with an overabundant supply, I've been blessed in other ways and I'm very thankful. Up to this point I haven't even had issues with leaking. I have tons of those nursing pads and have only used a few, just in case.
No, breastfeeding is not easy. It's stressful, especially at first. It's frustrating and it takes time to get used to. But, it's such a beautiful way to bond with your baby. It's fulfilling. And it's an amazing thing when you think about it. I know some people choose not to do it and some people just can't. And that's fine. I love it though. I'm still amazed that my body knew what to do when my baby was born and has continued to support his needs. It's hard to believe that babies come right out of their mamas and know just what to do. It's so natural.
I'd like to continue to nurse Liam for about a year, maybe less. I guess we shall see how it goes. He may want to give up on me after 6 months, who knows? I'm hoping that I can last that long. Each month I count as another success and I'm thankful to have made it this far. Before Liam's birth I had hoped to get through the first three months feeding him strictly breastmilk. I achieved my initial goal and I'm still going strong. I still wish that I would produce enough milk to have a nice stash so that I didn't have to give Liam any formula, but I have come to terms with it. Especially since some days we don't have to give him any at all.
Here are just a few more things that I've learned through my experience...
- I'm really glad that I took a breastfeeding class while I was pregnant. Though breastfeeding is such a natural thing, it helped to have tips and references to look back on.
- Even though we only give Liam a little formula (Enfamil). I'm still glad that we signed up for coupons through both Similac and Enfamil. Even when I couldn't use the coupons, someone else could! And we received lots of free stuff in the mail like ice packs, breastmilk storage bags, travel bags, and containers to transport milk in.
- Dr. Brown's bottles work really well, along with Breastflow.
- Nursing tanks are the greatest.
Happy breastfeeding : )
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