Adventures in B-Feeding (Part 2)

This is a little series on my experiences in breastfeeding - the fun, the not so fun and what I have learned. For Part 1 click here. 

I started breastfeeding at Brighton's birth, when she was less than an hour old. My L&D nurse helped position her on a pillow next to me and within a minute she was latched and nursing. The first 48 hours of nursing was fairly easy because my maternity nurses were all trained in lactation, I had the opportunity to see a lactation consultant (LC) and I had taken a class on it. I also had an appointment with the LC that works at our pediatrician's office in Brighton's first week of life.

Although I had all that help, there were still lots of hiccups in the first month. And although Brighton latched and nursed well, the first month was really hard.  Here are some of the things I learned:

The first week is the hardest

Even if you take a class, even if you read a million books, even if you have an LC come in and help you, breastfeeding the first week is hard. You're exhausted, sore, and possibly stitched up somewhere on your body from labor; you have a tiny newborn who has the instinctual need to suck, but doesn't know how to nurse; and it hurts. Even with the proper latch, my nipples hurt due to the rush of hormones in my body and the fact that my baby was sucking on them every 2-3 hours. The hurting nipples started to fade around the 3 week mark; but the first week was the hardest for me!

When your milk comes in, things will change

My milk came in around the fourth night of Brighton's life. It came in so intensely that I woke up at 1a.m. massively engorged and leaking milk everywhere,  My boobs were so big that my nipples went flat - so much so that Brighton couldn't latch on! After 10 minutes of her screaming at my breast, and me bawling that I couldn't feed my baby, I handed her over to Matt with a bottle of formula (praise Jesus for those pre-made liquid formula bottles they send home with you "just in case") and quickly assembled my breast pump. I got almost 6 ounces just from 15 minutes of pumping. The next two feedings (3am and 5am) were a combination of her still scream-crying as she tried to latch on to my engorged breast and me bawling that I was losing the ability to breastfeed my daughter. Matt fed her another bottle, this time the milk I had pumped a few hours before, while I pumped again.

Thank goodness I had an appointment with the lactation consultant the next morning, who reassured me that I would not lose the ability to nurse my daughter - my milk coming in and coming in so fast was just a bump in the road. She showed me how to get her to latch properly again and gave me some good advice if I continued to have an oversupply.  Ever since that 12 hours of hell, my milk supply has been steady, but I have had a lot of leaking, a lot of engorgement and a lot of moments of frustration.

 My breastpump is awesome

As I mentioned here, I have the Medela Freestyle Pump. I love it - it was a pricey electric version, but since I am going back to work full-time, I needed one that was hands free and fast.

I was so thankful to have it when my milk first came in - it was literally a life saver (and a sanity saver). And after that first week, I learned how to use it daily to build up a freezer stash. Now, I pump daily right after the morning feeding (around 7-9am). If I miss a day of pumping, I pump twice the next day - once in the morning and again in the evening after she goes to bed. The pump is pretty fast - I can normally get about 3 ounces in 20 minutes - and it's easy to assemble and program.

Breastfeeding in public is an art form

For the first few weeks, I could not figure out how to feed her in a public setting without flashing someone. You have a tiny, wobbly headed, fussy baby, a cover that goes over your head and their body, a nursing bra or tank with that tiny locking clasp, a breast pad and the world around you to contend with! It was so hard! I watched a few of my friends do it and paid attention to the order of how they got set up and tried to imitate them. It took about 10 times before I got it down pat.

I still struggle with nursing in public well especially when Brighton is a little tired and not latching strongly, or I forgot my nursing cover. It's an art form and I still have to practice. 

Surround yourself with support

I think I would have given up the first month if it wasn't for the encouragement of my husband, my friends and my family. Nursing can be an isolating, lonely activity, especially when it's just you, the baby and the night to surround you. I can remember nursing Brighton alone in her room in the middle of the night and just crying due to the exhaustion and loneliness. After a few nights of this I made the decision to nurse her lying down in our bed so I was no longer alone (plus nursing laying down is so easy!) Even though it wakes Matt up when I bring her in the bed, he makes sure that I have everything I need - a burp cloth, my iPhone (for the Baby Connect app) and always reaches over to rub my arm or head while I'm nursing her. These little acts of affection and encouragement have helped so much. Also, my friends have made it easy to nurse in front of them and they have passed along tips and tricks as needed. Their kind words have helped so much.  Breastfeeding is hard work and having a support system has been vital. 

I've only been nursing for 8 weeks, so I know I have a lot more to learn in the coming months. I'll continue to share my experiences and advice in future posts!

Anything you have learned from breastfeeding in that first month that you'd like to share in the comments section? Advice and ideas are always welcome!