Breastfeeding is hard
Wonderful post by loveandcupcakes. I’ve been a little stressed about being able to breastfeed and this blog makes me breathe a sigh of relief. I’m not going to let myself feel guilty about supplementing with formula, especially because I’m sure I will have to. Read on….
I’ve been wanting to write this post since Cielo was born but I thought I’d wait a little to see how things pan out. One month in and I stand by the statement that breastfeeding is hard. And you know what? Every single mom that I have spoken to since Cielo’s birth has said the exact same thing. One even told me she thought it was almost harder than labor itself!
So why is this something I never knew before having the baby? Why isn’t this topic shared in more birth classes and prenatal appointments? Why didn’t my midwife tell me I may have a hard time with one of the most elementary aspects of being a mom? Breastfeeding has been the number one topic of conversation concerning the baby in my household. And after speaking to so many moms and hearing similar stories to mine, I thought it was…
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hopefulandhungry 
Definitely a great post. I think the #1 issue people have with breastfeeding is assuming it’s a totally natural thing and not researching enough about it ahead of time to realize what the possible challenges could be (or having the support around them for when they inevitably have questions).
I thankfully had pretty good nursing experiences with both of my kids, even in the beginning (not saying it wasn’t exhausting and hard that first week)…but it really is so easy once you both get the hang of it. Granted I had 1 kid and not 2, but I think if you go into it with an open mind of you CAN do this (i have a couple of good friends with twins who successfully breastfed both – it IS possible!) and yet be open to having a LC on speed dial and formula around to supplement if necessary (I think just knowing I had a bottle of it in the house allowed me to relax about it) will go a long way towards breastfeeding success.
Prevention is key with breastfeeding – getting a good latch as soon as possible, keeping your nipples aired out and moisturized to prevent cracking & bleeding in the first place is so important.
One other tip – KellyMom.com is HANDS DOWN the best breastfeeding resource out there. I nursed my daughter for 17 months and am 3.5 months in with #2 and I still refer to it for questions all the time. http://kellymom.com/bf/normal/newborn-nursing/ I found it helpful to realize that a newborn’s stomach is the size of a cherry tomato that first day — so it makes sense that a little bit of colostrum is enough to fill them up at first. It’s normal for your milk to take a few days to come in!
http://www.ameda.com.au/breastfeeding/breastfeeding-benefits/your-newborns-stomach-day-110.html
Good luck with it all! I think you have a great attitude about it and that is so important!
Thank you for the great reply and for the links, I will definitely check out KellyMom.com! I hope I won’t have difficulties, but know that I can only do my best and if I have to pump or supplement with formula that my babies will be okay.
I completely disagree! Breast feeding is the easiest thing ever, my entire moms group (28 moms) has discussed this myth that it’s so super hard and we all agreed that it’s not the “chore” some moms make it out to be.
My kid latched on and we had zero problems. I once went too long in between feedings because I was out at a movie, and my breasts got massive and sore. But it’s definitely not the nightmare that this blogger describes. I never used pads, nipple cream, nipple guards, nothing! Hopefully it will be a breeze for you—-don’t sweat it! And if you and baby aren’t into it—just use formula. That’s what it’s there for 🙂
I hope that it will be the easiest thing ever, I just know many Moms who have had a very difficult time. I like to prepare myself for a difficult task and hope that I will be pleasantly surprised by what really happens.
Yeah, I agree that you hear the horror stories more than the easy stories about breastfeeding, I think because the people who had an easy time of it (myself included) are afraid to come off as boasting or something. I do think that researching about it is important (like that blogger noted – knowing that a tongue tie is a common thing and easily snipped would have solved a lot of her BFing problems)… but I also agree that although there are a few moms who really struggle, every one of my friends have had a really easy time of it after those initial couple of days while you and baby(ies) are getting the hang of it. I wish the same for you!
http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2010/04/28/rates-of-breastfeeding-by-race-and-education/
Breast feeding has higher rates among more educated women. Take the time to research, read some books, get your lactation consultant on speed dial, and don’t worry about one bloggers nightmare. Her story won’t be yours.