In honor of World Breastfeeding Week, I want to share my breastfeeding story with you.  When we’re pregnant we see photos of mother’s breastfeeding their babies, and it looks so peaceful and beautiful.  While it is truly a beautiful it’s not always simple and peaceful.  Let’s be honest, it takes time, patience, and practice especially as a first time mom not knowing what to expect.  They don’t tell you in those pictures, the truth about breastfeeding, the pain, the demand, and finally the soreness.  You won’t understand that until you experience it for yourself.  I chose to breastfed both of my babies, and both of their stories are very different.  Every baby is different from their needs to your supply.  I learned that you can schedule your baby’s feedings or feed them on demand.  I also learned a lot about myself and what my body is capable of doing.  I always recommend educating yourself, take a class on breastfeeding, understand why you are doing it.  There are so many resources on breastfeeding, and in my opinion it’s the best for your baby.  Just understand that it may not be “beautiful” like the pictures in your doctor’s office show, sometimes there are issues, and other times there are not.  Be patient and know your doing the best you can for your baby. 

            Breastfeeding Baby #1

I really did not know what to expect, but like I mentioned in the previous paragraph, I was expecting it to be magical and butterflies and rainbows.  It was nothing like that.  I came across a few obstacles when breastfeeding my son.  I couldn’t get my him to latch correctly so It caused me some pain and discomfort due to an improper latch.  So I decided to supplement in the first week until my milk officially came in, then my lactation consultant (LC) informed me I could use something called a “Nipple Shield” this really helped me and my son to have a better experience.  He was latching perfectly with the help of these shields.  Once I went home, he wanted to eat every hour.  I was up and down throughout the night and day.  I was told by my LC to feed him when he was hungry.  Of course I didn’t think that meant he would be hungry every hour.  I was tired, I was engorged, and overwhelmed.  My husband couldn’t really help me because I wasn’t pumping so it all fell on me to feed him throughout the night.  I was growing impatient and started to feel like maybe this wasn’t a good choice for me. 

            After the second week I was getting the hang of things, of not getting sleep, and feeding on demand.  At three months he was sleeping through the night, which meant engorgement.  I bought a manual breast-pump that took me forever to pump out my milk and he didn’t like drinking from the bottle.  So I would have to wake him to feed him because I was in so much pain.  Eventually this passed (at six months) and I wanted to stop.  His pediatrician recommended me to go the full year.  So I listened, things got easier we stopped using the shield and I felt like a breastfeeding champ! 🙂

            Once we hit the one year mark, I didn’t want to stop. I felt sad that I had to quit.   I started weaning him at 12 months by introducing him to whole milk and then he completely stopped at 14 months.  This was an amazing journey of transformation for me.  I experienced everything with my son, and he really seen me at my finest hour of impatience.  We learned together and today he is as healthy as can be and our bond is still amazing.  I like to believe breastfeeding had something to do with this. 🙂

            Breastfeeding baby #2

My second baby was a breeze!! What a relief! Her first feeding she latched right on with no problem.  She would eat every two hours and I did not have to supplement with formula my milk was released within a few days.  Since I did not have an epidural or any drugs with my daughter, I felt like my body healed faster with my second child I knew what exactly what to do.  I felt calm and at ease when breastfeeding her.  I had more patience and I think it showed in my supply. 

            At the three month mark she starting cutting teeth in which I started using shields because she would bite me and would cause some bleeding.  She grew fond of the shields so I began using them indefinitely.  She was eating every two or three hours and I tried to keep her on a schedule.  Since I had a busy toddler at home, I didn’t want to take the responsibility of feeding her on demand whenever she wanted.  So I created a schedule for her eating habits.  At five months I introduced her to oatmeal cereal and a few solids, so in between her meals she would have breast-milk.  This made it a lot easier on me I was still in demand, but it was scheduled so I was more relaxed.

            With my daughter I decided to go an entire year.  She is now 12 months and we are still going strong.  Of course I want to wean her, but I really want her to wean on her own.  Right now she basically breastfeeds at night to sleep.  I think at this point she is breastfeeding for comfort.  I have introduced her to whole milk, she likes it, but still wants to breastfeed at times. 

           

            So there’s my journey.  It’s been an interesting experience full of emotions and the occasional stress but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.  Just remember that breastfeeding is not easy and you are really sacrificing your body for your baby’s needs.  You may experience issues in the beginning so having a strong support system is so important while breastfeeding.  If you have questions make sure to consult a LC for additional resources and assistance.  Remember that you are doing a great job, and it’s not for everyone don’t feel bad if you cannot breastfeed; you’re doing your best for you and your baby!

 

            Thanks for stopping by mommies! Enjoy the rest of World Breastfeeding Week, share with other mommies out there so together we can strive for mommy success!

For additional information on breastfeeding, you can visit La Leche League, here’s the link: http://www.llli.org/

 

XOXO,

Reina