Breastfeeding Woes
Breastfeeding has not always been sunshine and roses for me. I was determined to make it work no matter what. I think that a lot of mothers go through this hellish phase at the beginning and give up. I am no different. I just made a resolution based on the belief that it was in my daughter's best interest to breastfeed over formula.
PHASE ONE
Even though my daughter seemed to be a natural at it from the minute she was born, I started out lacking a supply out of the gate.
Jade lost about 1 lb in the first week because between latching problems and my supply, she wasnt getting the nutrients she needed. I sought out a lactation counselor who gave me some instruments to hand feed her, along with some nipple shields.
I think my low point was being up, panic-stricken in the middle of the night with my crying child, squeezing a mere few drops and feeding her with a pipette. She had a weak and shallow latch. The lactation counselor gave me a letter to give to Jade's pediatrician advising to give her a tongue-tie procedure. I refused to subject her to surgery at her tender age, so I gritted through the worst of it and vowed to make it work.
At one point, I turned to a pack of ready-made formula to supplement my lacking supply... If you are in the situation I was, I think this is better than letting your newborn go malnourished! If you know its only a temporary fix, then I would say go ahead without remorse. She is already better off if she gets ANY breast milk at all, so as long as this is your goal, then your baby will reap the rewards of this sound decision.
Ironically, my fiance was so against the idea of formula, he dumped what was left of them down the drain! So amusing that people resort to formula over breastmilk. Breast milk is ever changing to meet the needs of your child at every stage; Starting with colostrum, so rich in nutrients that even a few oz. are hugely effective. How can we think that powdered crap can hold a candle to mother nature? From what I understand, the only thing that might be lacking in a child's diet from breastmilk is vitamin D. I have been giving Jade a Vitamin D supplement from the beginning. I started out adding 1 ml to a bottle of pumped milk once a day. Over time she got used to the taste and I have been giving her direct doses ever since.
A word of caution: You have to be careful not to overdose them. So err on the side of less than a full dose. Since she is getting it every day, its OK if she misses one or two days. Don't try to double up a dose if you missed one! It is recommended that a baby is 6 months before you can expose them to direct sunlight and put sunscreen on them. I believe that just 15 minutes of sunlight on their skin a day will negate the need for a D dose that day.
My nipples were sore, cracked, and bleeding for the first 2 weeks...My only relief was Lansinoh Lanolin ointment and cool gel breast pads. I would highly recommend both of these if youre going to get through this.
I took Similac® Breastfeeding Supplement pills and lactation tea to boost my supply.*
The third week was when I saw a light at the end of the tunnel. After that, my milk came in, my sores were healing, and all was well in the land!
PHASE TWO
My next challenge was going back to work full time. I took 3 months of maternity leave, thank God. During that time, I was stock piling a hoard of pumped milk so my fiance could feed her while I was gone. I would highly recommend investing in a Medela breast pump system with plenty of extra parts.
HERE is a travel version I like to take to work because it doesnt scream “Milk Pump” at everyone- its quiet and discrete.** I feel like I never have enough bottles, so I would advise that you get extra bottles too... Also, if they dont get used within about 3 or 4 days, then you can transfer them to a freezer storage bag.
The next challenge is heating the milk for feedings. You cannot put breast milk in a microwave! So we also invested in a bottle warmer. There is a cooling period, and you have to make sure its the right heating time, or the bottle warps and the milk gets scorched. (Found this out the hard way!)
When I went back to work, I noticed I would get quite full between pumps. I decided I needed to also invest in some bra pads to keep from spilling out onto my clothing.
I started out pumping 3 times a day during work hours, once on my lunch break and two 15 minute breaks in the morning and evening. Since then, my production has slowed down. I can pump once or twice a day during work and now get a yield of about 8 to 12 oz a day. I will sometimes pump again when I get home if Im so engorged, Jade has trouble latching on.
Jade's pediatrician gave me a bit of advice that I will pass along to you, should you desire to get your infant to sleep through the night. He said that between the hours of 10pm to 4 am, if your baby fusses, give them water instead of milk. You should give this a try if you want to have a sane sleep schedule. However, it did not work for me for two reasons. For one, when I put water in a bottle instead of milk, she seemed to act like there was nothing in it, but then choke on the water. I suppose if I had persisted, we could have come to a happy solution. For instance, maybe using a sippy cup instead of a bottle, or maybe heating the water so its the same temperature as the milk usually is. Or maybe, given a long enough time, she would have gotten used to the idea of water from a bottle in-as-much as she would need to long enough to start sleeping through the night. Apparently, between 4 to 7 months is the ideal time to do this, otherwise, its too late to change their habits.
But that brings me to the 2nd reason I did not end up doing this with Jade. And that is, with me being at work most of the day, and with her napping much of the time I am home during the week, that these precious moments I get to spend with her even if it is the wee hours of the morning, are the times we get to bond. Even if I do have to spend the next year or so of my life completely sleep deprived! Its so worth it! Every second I get to spend with my sweetheart now is a moment I know I will cherish all my life.
OTHER RESOURCES
If you are where I was just a few short months ago, then I would recommend the following article:
This will give you a good overview of how to position yourself and your baby while breastfeeding, and how to get a good latch. Le Leche League International is also a good resource for all of your breastfeeding questions.
For further reading, I would also recommend:
Or if you want a Kindle book, you may want to pick up:
Updates: 3/4/16
*Since writing this article, I have discovered fenugreek capsules for increasing your milk supply as well. In my experience, fenugreek is perfect for a “quick fix”...it ups your supply abruptly; ideal for taking before pumping. The Mother's Milk tea is more for a milder but prolonged increase in supply...over the course of the day. This works better if you are going to be at home with your baby and feeding intermittently throughout the day.
**I wanted to add a note here about the travel bag breast pump: First off, I really like how you can use this plugged in or with a battery pack. I like the battery pack because, while pumping in the bathroom is not ideal sometimes you have to make do...The stalls don't have outlets, but this is where the battery pack comes in handy...and when you realize you forgot to charge the pack over the weekend, its nice to have a cord you can plug in at any time. One thing I learned as a mother is ALWAYS HAVE A BACKUP PLAN!!! If you run out of bottles, or forget to bring them, keep a package of breastmilk storage bags at work. If everything goes wrong and for some reason you can't use the electric one, here is a MANUAL BREAST PUMP you can use as well.
I also wanted to note that I do have another electric pump I keep at home. This is Medela as well...however, I wouldn't use it at work because its a lot louder than the travel one. Also, I noticed that the travel version that I have simulates natural suckling far better. It alternates back and forth so its more like a child taking gulps. Also, it starts out with a weeker, faster pump for a few minutes to get you going, and then switches over to the stronger longer pumps.
...Good luck, and happy nursing!
