I have been away from the blog for so long. Largely because the last few months have been a roller coaster of a ride as I decided to join back work, one of the toughest decisions I have made in a while. I intend to write about that in the coming weeks but for now I want to talk about breastfeeding.
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| Source :https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Breastfeeding-icon-med.svg |
I have been wanting to share my experience of breastfeeding my baby in the hope that it helps other new Moms. As a new mom it is so so easy to get frustrated and give up on breastfeeding. Your body has just achieved a humongous feet (delivered a baby) & you are aching all over, taking baby steps towards recovery. And to top that there is a constant stream of visitors who want to meet you & the baby. If that wasn't enough you realise you are no longer your own master- you have to adhere to the little one’s commands- feed- burp-diaper change (on repeat mode). It’s a cycle you cant escape. Amidst all this the little one refuses to latch on to your breast, nibbling & biting at it (ouch) leading to sore nipples, that coupled with the frustration of seeing the baby wailing, that's enough reason for anyone to give up.
Before pregnancy, I always imagined that breastfeeding would come naturally to me and the baby. I couldn't have been more wrong, that's something I can say from experience. I would have long given up on breastfeeding had it not been for some people and some aids that came to my rescue.
When I first tried to breastfeed my little one, he just wouldn't latch on. He would bite, nibble, bite some more and try to latch on but it just wasn't working. With every attempt it became more painful because my nipples were sore from all the biting. I began to dread breastfeeding my baby and would keep requesting the nurses at the hospital to give the baby formula milk.
My mum scheduled a session with the lactation expert at the hospital to ease the process for me. She was truly godsend because she gave me the first push towards breastfeeding my baby. Here are some of the suggestions that worked for me.
She first helped correct my posture. Since I was unable to sit cross legged on the bed (due to stitches) she asked me to sit on a chair with comfortable backrest. Gave me two pillows to keep on my lap and ask me to place the baby on the pillow so that the baby was almost parallel to my tummy.
Next, she recommended I use the Pigeon Nipple shield to help the baby latch on to the breast initially.
The above two suggestions provided almost instant relief, for the first time I was comfortable and the baby was able to suckle and drink milk.
I had heard mixed reviews about the pigeon nipple shield, in fact some people advised me against it. But for me it was a life saver as it helped in the initiation process, helping the baby latch on the breast and giving my sore nipples some relief from all that biting.
By the third or fourth day my breasts were engorged & making me extremely uncomfortable. Here are a few things that helped me. A warm water bath helped in let down and allowed me to express some milk providing relief
My baby was feeding from only one side initially so I expressed milk from the side he wasn't latching on to to help relieve the pain.
I truly believe the first few months are the toughest when it comes to breastfeeding. Your body is still recovering, you are still getting used to having someone else rule your life, sleepless nights and to top it all every now and then the baby wants milk. I remember I would often think to myself, how can something so little want milk all the time. Nights were the toughest because my son would wake up every two hours for a feed. Don't give up just yet and don’t turn to the bottle, things settle down soon.
There were days when my little one would want feed ever so often, sometimes making me doubt my milk supply. Was I producing sufficient milk? Was he hungry because I wasn’t giving him formula feeds? These nagging thoughts are bound to trouble every new mom. Stop being so hard on yourself. Mother nature is a damn good architect of things. When it comes to breastfeeding, it is all a game of supply and demand. The more you nurse, the better your milk supply. Eat nutritious food, get some rest and be positive- that's all you need. As long as the baby’s pee count is good (check the number of wet nappies)and the baby is gaining weight, you are on track Mommy.
I would highly recommend that you invest in a breast pump when you embark on your breastfeeding journey, even if you are a stay at home mom. It gives you the option to express milk, hence allowing someone else in the family to take care of the baby and feed the baby while you get some much needed rest. Also, you may want to head out for a bit and get some fresh air, leaving the baby in the care of some family member, breast pumps can be very useful in such situations. For instance I had to attend a wedding when Rajveer was barely 2 months old and I didn't want to take him along for the fear of exposing him to infections and Delhi’s severe winters, that's when the breast pump came in really handy.
You don't necessarily have to spend a fortune on a breast pump. If you don't intend to pump too often you may invest in a not too expensive manual pump. I bought the Avent- Comfort manual breast pump and it has served me well so far (Shall review the pump in a subsequent post).
In fact one of the very reasons I have been able to continue breastfeeding after joining work is because I started expressing milk regularly. I express milk twice or thrice in the day which is used to feed the baby when I am at work.
Another thing that I highly recommend is to join forums where you get valuable advise from mums who are in similar situations or have been in the same boat. One such group that joined on Facebook was:
There is so much one can learn from other moms' experiences. This group in particular Breastfeeding support for Indian Moms is an incredible source of information. From documents which provide vital information on breastfeeding to links to well written blogs, this group provides it all. Information & insights from the group members kept me going and helped me rectify my mistakes as well.
Having said all this, I have to accept that there were times when I just couldn’t cope with things (like when I was unwell or simply too tired) I succumbed to the pressure and fed my baby formula milk & on those days I was miserable. I felt like I was such a terrible mother for not being able to exclusively breast feed my baby. It's only now when I look back that I realize that one has to stop judging oneself all the time, mother’s are after all human. You don't become a bad mom or a less loving mom just because you fed your baby formula milk once in the day. Each Mom's experience is different and so is the journey. It’s a choice one makes given the situation at hand and there is no right or wrong because every mother has her baby’s best interest at heart.
It’s almost 9 months and its hard to believe that time has flown so fast. Breastfeeding my little one has been one of the most fulfilling journeys & I am so grateful that I did not give up when things were rough. I would strongly urge all Mums and mums- to-be, please breastfeed your baby. Apart from the health benefits it is such a beautiful way to bond with your baby. Remember, with every passing day the breastfeeding journey becomes simpler and more fulfilling :)
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