The dreaded breastfeeding……Breastfeeding is always something I said I planned to do. My mom nursed my two brothers and I and for some reason I just always assumed I would do it. To be honest, in my mind it seemed like it was something that was very easy, natural, and would just happen. In fact, Dusko and I skipped our breastfeeding class before Max was born. Ha! That joke was definitely on us or me I should say. Motherhood is definitely something I didn’t have a true vision of until I became a mom, but nursing was by far the hardest thing I have ever had to do. This is for a few reasons:
+It is P A I N F U L
+It is A 24 HOUR job
+The F E A R of the Unknown
P A I N F U L
To say breastfeeding is painful is an understatement. Have you ever had someone cut into one of the most sensitive parts of your body and continue to do it??? Probably not, because that just wouldn’t make sense. Here are my tips for the first week of nursing.
- Lanolin or some kind of nipple cream, make sure to find one that is safe for baby. I used the Medela lanolin and although it gave me relief there are a lot of better ones out there. The hospital gave me this one in a time of need!
- Warm washcloths, especially if this is your second or third or fourth. The milk comes in a lot faster and these help with engorgement. Basically use as a heat compress for approximately one min before nursing.
- Pineapple juice-Buy all natural with no added sugars and bring it in your hospital bag! This one I read about on pinterest in a desperate need to feel better. It either really worked or the timing was there but it’s worth trying in my book. Pineapple is a natural anti-oxidant so it helps with swelling.
- Make sure you have a good, supportive, nursing bra. This was something the first time around I didn’t think was important-wrong! Some of my favorites are actually from target.
24 H O U R job
- Baby is attached to mom pretty much ALL the time for the first couple of weeks. The doctors and nurses will tell you to wake the baby every couple of hours to make sure he/she eats. In a nutshell, I thought I knew what it was like to feel exhausted. Well, I didn’t….now I do, and I understand the term-Mombie! lol
- Unless you pump, which is truly a hard task when baby already wants you every second, you are pretty much the only one that can feed them. Thus the exhaustion…
- Leaving the house for more than a couple hours at time is honestly a real challenge. But girl, you deserve it!!! So leave the hubs at home with the baby or children and go to starbucks, or target, or whatever you fancy.
F E A R of the Unknown
- Is baby eating enough? This is always one of the first questions a mom will ask. Sometimes it can take days for your milk to come in. Since I am absolutely not a professional, what I have been told is that as long as they are going to the bathroom they are getting something! And apparently colostrum(what the baby is eating before your milk comes in) is the most magical stuff ever and carries so many nutrients!
- Is the pain every going to go away? Yes, yes, my friend, it will, I promise.
- Will I ever sleep again? Yup! not sure how soon as each babe is special and unique in their own way but you will sleep again. Infact, when you start sleeping again, you will miss those special moments when no one else was awake but you and the babe!
I could literally talk about nursing for HOURS and HOURS, so look forward to some posts in the future, but for now, Have a good week!
XOXO-
Lissa
