As a mother/baby nurse, I spend a lot of time helping new moms & babies learn to breastfeed. I know just about every trick to getting a 4-hour-old-sleepy-baby awake and nursing. I thought I knew almost everything there was to know about breastfeeding. Boy, was I wrong. Now that I'm a Mom, here are a few things I've learned the hard way:
Dedication I am always preaching to my patients that breastfeeding takes a lot of dedication at first. "It will get easier" I tell them. HA!
Of course, it does get easier on some levels-baby learns to latch/feed better, Mom becomes more comfortable, feedings are a little more scheduled, etc. However, breastfeeding is HARD work. But it's also something that I thoroughly enjoy. I don't mind putting in the effort and time because I love doing it!
I can compare it to running. Running is hard work, and takes a lot of dedication. Personally, I despise running so I don't do it. I don't think less of anyone if they choose to bottle feed their babies because I know how much it takes to exclusively breastfeed, and if you don't enjoy it, it's probably not worth it.
Wardrobe Ugh...I have spent countless hours standing in my closet searching for something that is both flattering to my post-baby body and nursing-friendly. If I find something that is V-neck (making the girls more accessible for feeding), it's often too revealing. And let me warn you about dresses. If you can't pull the top down to feed, be prepared to pull the whole thing UP-and feed in the nude.
Being Fat Speaking of post-baby body...
Everyone talks about how much weight women lose when breastfeeding. "You burn about 500 calories a DAY!" Yeah, but you have to replace those calories so your body can make more milk. DUH!
I have lost all but about 10 pounds of my pregnancy weight. The one week I decided to monitor my calories, my supply noticeably decreased. So, I have resigned to be at a not-so-ideal body weight until I wean. Best advice: Eat to your hunger; Drink to your thirst.
Empty your bladder Seems obvious, but it's very important to pee before you sit down to nurse. Even if you just did it 15 minutes ago. It's inevitable that the moment your baby latches/you have a milk let down, you will get the urge to pee! Then you will find yourself spraying milk all over while running to the bathroom, leaving your hungry baby screaming at the tease of a meal. No, it's never happened to me. Why do you ask?
Convenience There is nothing convenient about breastfeeding. OK, you don't have to wait for a bottle to warm up in the middle of the night...but that's about where it ends. When I am out and about, I have to think about where I can go to nurse. I don't mind mothers breastfeeding in public, but I know it makes some people uncomfortable, so I try to be discreet about it. Let me say, I have nursed in my car a lot...yeah, real convenient. When baby wakes up in the middle of the night, who gets to feed her? I'm going on 4 months of interrupted night sleep. And when I am away from P, I have to carefully plan how many bottles to leave, and find a place to pump! Again...I do all of this because I enjoy it. <See dedication above>
This post is not meant to discourage expecting/new moms from breastfeeding, but you should know what you're getting in to!
Although it has been (and will continue to be) very hard work, it's also one of the most rewarding things I've ever done. To know that I am making food for my child is an awesome feeling and I wouldn't change it for anything (not even a full night of sleep)!
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