One thing I kept hearing over & over again as I gave my hand at nursing was that if you were stressed out then your baby would know it. It's crazy to me that your baby can be that intuitive. This reason is one of the number one reasons why I decided to remove Emily from the breast. As she would bobble around & scream at my lack of milk supply I'd become increasingly discouraged & frustrated only adding more stress to the matter. It was only a matter of minutes before we were both crying.
I just read a blog post over at Mama and Baby Love called Make Your Boobs a Happy Place. After reading her post I am encouraged to continue giving it a try occasionally to see if perhaps Emily will take to the breast. I love those moments when she latches because there is a bond in that moment that is like no other. Sometimes when she's really fussy I just let her nurse herself to sleep because she will take the breast in those moments and she's completely comforted. In those moments my boobs are a very happy place for her. We still mostly pump & bottle feed but occasionally I still try the breast. I've been on domperidone for a couple weeks now & my supply is up but still not enough to take care of all her needs. My lactation consultant has encouraged me to nurse her from time to time even if I do spend a majority of my time pumping. So I'm going to attempt to continue making it a happy place. And when it doesn't work I'm not discouraged as much & it doesn't end in tears. I take her off & give her a bottle making all well in the world. No stress.
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I just read a blog post over at Mama and Baby Love called Make Your Boobs a Happy Place. After reading her post I am encouraged to continue giving it a try occasionally to see if perhaps Emily will take to the breast. I love those moments when she latches because there is a bond in that moment that is like no other. Sometimes when she's really fussy I just let her nurse herself to sleep because she will take the breast in those moments and she's completely comforted. In those moments my boobs are a very happy place for her. We still mostly pump & bottle feed but occasionally I still try the breast. I've been on domperidone for a couple weeks now & my supply is up but still not enough to take care of all her needs. My lactation consultant has encouraged me to nurse her from time to time even if I do spend a majority of my time pumping. So I'm going to attempt to continue making it a happy place. And when it doesn't work I'm not discouraged as much & it doesn't end in tears. I take her off & give her a bottle making all well in the world. No stress.
I don't have kids so I have no direct experience to speak from, but I've seen enough friends have breast feeding woes to see that you're doing an excellent job! You're putting her needs first rather than getting caught up in the fact that she's not solely on the breast, and that's a very good thing for both of you :)
ReplyDeleteWay to go mama! Sounds like you're doing a great job and have had lots of help & support. :)
ReplyDeleteThis is very helpful, as I am really nervous about whether or not I will be able to breastfeed. I really want to, but I know that sometimes it just doesn't work out, and there's no sense in stressing the baby about it. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThank you for being so honest with your experience.
ReplyDeleteIt is absolutely true - they feel every little emotion (good or bad) that we do. I had the same experience and when I realized it was MY stress that was causing problems (also because I wasn't drinking enough water), I made myself more aware of my mental state when I sat down to BF and things worked out much better. I went on to BF for over a year. Good luck to you!! You CAN do it if you really want to!
ReplyDeleteYou are doing an awesome job. ( says this mama of a toddler and a newborn!) breastfeeding is NOT easy-and is uber hard work, even for us second time moms, and no one should say that it is. You do what is best for you and your family.
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