My Breastfeeding Journey

I am often told how lucky I am to be able to breastfeed my kids. I do feel fortunate, but it wasn’t just luck. When I had my first baby I knew that I wanted to breastfeed. The health benefits, bonding time and saving money were major factors. Plus, who wants to get up multiple times a night to fix a bottle when you have food right there in your boobs?? Here is my breastfeeding journey with some tips and advice along the way.

With my first I had an emergency c-section and he was whisked away for hours. When I finally got to hold him he had trouble latching. Was it due to the circumstances around his birth or me being a new mom? Most likely a combination. They recommended I try and pump to get my supply going. I suggest having your pump sterilized and with you at the hospital just in case you need it! I pumped with no luck because my milk hadn’t come in yet. A lactation consultant visited me several times and we tried all different breastfeeding positions. Cradle and football hold were the ones I settled on. My son was getting the hang of breastfeeding and I was on my way home to try this out on my own. I was a little nervous to be home because the nurses helped me a lot with getting him to latch. At this point my nipples were sore and cracked. I vividly remember every time he went to latch I would curl my toes up and cringe. I powered through and after a few days(lots of Bamboobies organic cream and Medela hydrogel pads) I was feeling much better.

Easy sailing from here on out right? Wrong! When he was about 2 weeks old he was constantly nursing, my breasts felt empty and he seemed fussy and hungry. I just knew I wasn’t producing enough milk. One night I sat up nursing him and crying all night. The next day I drove 45 minutes to see a lactation consultant. She got an exact weight on him, then I nursed him and weighed him again. The consultant was able to tell me precisely how many ounces he had gotten. She said I was producing enough, he was just cluster feeding and going through a growth spurt. It was a huge relief! After a few days everything settled down and our nursing journey continued for almost two years.

Breastfeeding my second was a breeze. She latched perfectly minutes after birth and nursed for about a year. I went back to work when she was 4 ½ weeks old so I did have to make sure I was keeping enough milk stored away.

Then my third came. He latched right away and I thought we were good to go. I got a little lax and didn’t pay any attention to the way he was latching. I was producing so much milk(the lactation consultant said I could easily nurse twins) it actually made it hard for him to nurse. He was pulling back to keep himself from getting choked up on all the milk. In no time my nipples were bleeding and breastfeeding had taken a turn for the worse. After about a week I wasn’t sure I could do it anymore. I was in so much pain when he went to latch I would pull away. Each time he latched I had to work myself up to it. I tried cream, hydrogel pads and home remedies. Not much helped but I knew if I could make it a few weeks we would be okay. Finally the pain started to go away and here we are 9 months later and things are going great!

One of the most common things I hear when talking to people about breastfeeding is, they stopped because they weren’t producing enough. Unfortunately this is the case for some people. There are safe products you can use to help increase your supply if needed. However, a lot of people are producing enough they just assume they aren’t and stop breastfeeding. There is absolutely nothing wrong with deciding breastfeeding isn’t right for you. If you want to continue breastfeeding I suggest seeing a lactation consultant so they can help you in the right direction.

You can’t judge how much milk you are producing by how much you pump, breasts feeling empty, baby being fussy or cluster feeding. There are nights I come home from work and pump 2-3 ounces and other nights 6 ounces easily. All of my kids nursed very different. My first nursed for long periods of time and definitely nursed for comfort. My second nursed a ton! She always nursed on both sides and got everything out she could. My third never nurses for comfort and is done in about 5 minutes. He usually nurses on just one side and I am able to pump the other side.

I understand breastfeeding is a very personal decision and you have to do what you feel is best for you and your little one. It might be breastfeeding or it might not be and there is nothing wrong with that. My experience may be different from yours but I hope to encourage all moms out there!

My breastfeeding journey was definitely not an easy one. I am so glad I stuck with it each and every time. I hope yours goes as flawlessly as my second. Feel free to email me or message me if you have any questions, concerns or just need some support!