I’ve decided to add a little something to my blog this year. Anybody who reads my blog knows, we don’t have the most exciting lives ever, so I definitely run out of things to write about. So, I’m going to try to write about an actual topic once a week now. Something that’s important to me. Since my life pretty much revolves around being a parent now days, they will most likely all be child/parenting related. So, feel free to skip over that weekly post if you aren’t interested. This week’s post is going be my own little lecture/advice on breastfeeding. This topic can be very uncomfortable for a lot of people, so again, just skip on over if you aren’t interested!
My Breastfeeding Lecture
So, I do not claim to be an expert on breastfeeding. I never would, not in any way. But, the topic does interest me greatly. During my so-far short stint as a mother, I have done a lot of research on the subject, and it has become one of those “if only I had known” subjects to me.
Breastfeeding with Olivia did not work out for me. Now, she was (and is) an extremely happy, healthy, energetic, smart, top of the curve kind of girl. In the end, this is all that matters. But, it will always haunt me that I gave up so quickly on breastfeeding with her. I truly blame all of our issues on my c-section. The pain and recovery from that overwhelmed my every thought. I was exhausted from it. Nobody taught me how to nurse her laying down (preferred method for recovering c-section mamas). Between my pain and recovery, and all of Olivia’s medical appointments (jaundice blood draws, hip ultrasound, echocardiogram, etc.), I just couldn’t focus on it. I did put in the effort…I had some pain due to a poor latch on Olivia’s part, so we worked on that and I tried nipple shields as recommended by a lactation consultant (which, knowing what I know now, I would NOT have done), we drop fed her to get her senses stimulated, tried different holds. I saw two consultants during my hospital stay and another one after we had gone home. After two weeks, I threw in the towel. I continued to pump until Olivia turned 4 months old, several times a day, but with never establishing a real supply, and not knowing what I was doing, by 4 months I was no longer getting enough for even one bottle a day. With that, my breastfeeding journey with Olivia came to an end. While I did feel a sense of relief and “freedom”, it was heartbreaking at the same time.
When we found out Amelia was on her way, I knew I was going to give it a REAL go with her. I was determined to make it work. Not only do I truly believe it is best for baby, it is cheaper, and we are broke! So, I did my research, and when she was born, we worked and worked and worked at it! I made it through that first 6 weeks of torture, and suddenly, everything clicked. We had it down, and we weren’t looking back! Amelia is about to turn 6 months old, and to this day, has not had a drop of formula, cereal, baby food, etc. She is growing, and happy and healthy, and I feel such an immense bond with her, that I can’t even describe it. During the “6 weeks of torture”, we had a very rough patch. She was a really bad cluster feeder, especially at night. So, at the pediatrician’s recommendation, I started pumping when I could, and we started giving her one bottle in the evening. After two weeks, she got over that hump, and we didn’t need any more bottles. Now, I am not a public nurser, it’s something I don’t think I’ll ever be comfortable with. Although, Amelia is quite a homebody, so I don’t know how things would be with a more adventurous infant. For now, we usually just bring a bottle of milk with us when we go somewhere. If we’ll be somewhere for a long period of time, I just excuse myself into a separate room to nurse her. Or, if we’re at a public event/place, I find a designated nursing location to nurse her. This has worked great so far.
Now, I know I am only halfway to that 1-year, formula free goal, but I’m feeling strong, and feeling confident. Breastfeeding can seem like an overwhelming, time consuming, uncomfortable task, but it really doesn’t have to be. And, you may be surprised how you feel after you really give it a try. I am as modest as modest gets, so honestly, if I can do it, anybody can! Here are some of the best tips and advice I have picked up along the way:
1. Know that, though it is a completely natural act, breastfeeding does not come naturally to every mother. Not to most in fact. It takes time, and work, to establish that relationship with your newborn. Along the same lines, know that breastfeeding is basically a full time job for the first 4-6 weeks, and you really need to succumb to that. While it may seem like a never ending battle at the time, it’s a very short period of time in the grand scheme of things, and you will get through it. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Ask to see the hospital lactation consultant before your baby is even born! That way, you’ll get some time in with one sooner after delivery…and the sooner, the better! There are a lot of online resources and support boards as well, and they can truly be life (and sanity) savers.
2. You DO make enough milk for your baby. In the beginning stages of life, your baby will eat typically every 2-3 hours (from the start of one nursing session, to the start of another). Baby can also take a REALLY long time to nurse at some/most sessions. So, you’ll often find yourself in the following scenario…begin nursing at 1:00PM, baby nurses for 45 minutes total, baby is hungry again at 3:00PM. Now, that only gives you a little over an hour between sessions, so (especially if this happens often) you will start to question your own supply and feel like ALL you do is nurse your baby. Know that this scenario is VERY normal, and necessary in fact. The only way your body knows to produce milk, and produce more of it over the first couple of months, is by your baby nursing. Only 1% of women TRULY cannot breastfeed, but many more give up on it before they really reap the benefits of it. Just lay back and let your body, and your baby, do what they are meant to, and you’ll be successful.
3. There are natural ways to try to increase your milk supply if you are truly concerned about it. First and foremost, as mentioned above, putting your baby to breast as often as possible is THE best way to increase/sustain your supply. Pumping after you nurse can help stimulate your body into thinking it needs to make more milk. There are herbs you can try…Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle are the most successful that I have heard of (but remember, you need to take 2-3 pills of each, 2-3 times a day). There are teas (i.e. Mother’s Milk) and lactation cookie recipes you can try. The only things I do are drink plenty of water (I usually drink about 100-125ozs a day), eat Oatmeal, and eat a well-balanced diet, high in fiber and protein.
4. Buy a high quality breast pump. Even if you will only be a rare/occasional pumper, a good quality pump is still essential. You will want a double, electric pump. Single pumps can get the job done, but will not be as efficient. Manual pumps are far too time consuming, but are helpful in the early days if you need engorgement relief. The thought of pumping can be stressful, and you’ll go through a phase where you’ll question “what if baby gets hungry, and needs to nurse”. Don’t worry…your baby is WAY more efficient at getting milk out of your body than the pump is. So, even if your baby is hungry shortly after you’ve pumped, there will be plenty of milk left. And, bonus, your baby will end up getting more of the fatty hind milk that helps them bulk up and keeps them full, longer!
5. Do not worry about having a huge stash of milk in the freezer. You’ll be able to save some here and there, along the way. Some women panic at the thought of little to no “extra”, but it really is OK.
6. When/if you bottle feed your breastfed baby…1) Do NOT give your baby a bottle in the first 4-6 weeks (except for very rare, necessary times) and 2) NEVER use anything but a Low Flow/Stage 1 nipple. Babies can get milk out of a bottle much quicker than from the breast. The quicker they eat, the more they will appear hungry when they’ve finished eating, leading you (or more likely Dad, or the daycare provider) to believe they need more milk, leading you to overfeed your baby, eventually leading you to believe you have a low milk supply, eventually forcing you to introduce cereal, solids or formula as a supplement. It’s just a downward spiral. This downward spiral can still happen on Low Flow/Stage 1 nipples, so it’s important for you to know that it’s normal for a breastfed baby to appear hungry after finishing a bottle. Not only because they get their milk much quicker, but they are also missing that comfort they usually get from mom. It’s important for dad’s and/or daycare providers to find other means of comfort for handling the post-bottle melt down they will likely get from baby from time to time. Don’t be afraid of the pacifier. We went through 4 weeks of hell in the beginning, refusing to resort to the pacifier. Not only for fear of eventually breaking the habit, but more because we were scared it would interfere with the breastfeeding relationship. It didn’t, and it was a lifesaver!
7. It is important to know that your breastfed baby should never need more than 4-5ozs of milk, per bottle. Breast milk, unlike formula, changes in caloric value as your baby grows. It changes nutritionally to meet your baby’s needs over time, so you do not need to continue increasing their intake like you do with formula.
8. Breast milk storage and use can be confusing. I send fresh milk with Amelia to daycare every day. 3, 4.5ozs bottles. Usually by Sunday, with my weekend pumping sessions, I have 1-2 bottles worth of milk to freeze. Personally, I live by the rule of 6 when it comes to milk (some do less, some do up to 8)…
a. Fresh Milk can be out for 6 hours
b. Milk can be stored in the fridge for 6 days
c. Milk can be stored in the freezer for 6 months
When it comes to freezer storage it’s important to relate back to the fact that your milk adjusts as your baby gets older. You will want to rotate your freezer stash every so often, so your stash is keeping up with your baby’s nutritional needs. Personally, at the end of every month, I start sending 3 frozen bottles to daycare, and freezing my fresh milk, until I’ve used up the previous months frozen milk. Then I go back to sending fresh milk, and repeat at the end of the next month.
9. Working Mother Tips:
a. Pumping as a working mother can become VERY tiresome and downright annoying. But, it does not need to be time consuming. While at work, I pump at 9:00, 12:00 and 3:00. I leave my desk at the top of the hour, make the trip down 7 floors and across the building to the lactation room, pump, clean up and get back to my desk by quarter after. Before I leave for work in the morning, I hook the bottles up to the pump so all I have to do is plug it in and go at 9:00. After that, I rinse the horns thoroughly in HOT water, wipe them dry, put the bottles into the cooler that comes with the pump, and pack everything up. Next time I pump, I pump directly into the same bottles, just adding to the milk previously pumped, until I reach the amount needed for an actual feeding bottle…then I move on to a new, empty bottle for the next pumping session, as needed.
b. You do not need to thoroughly wash your pump parts every time…I only do once, at night (then rack dry overnight). You can even skip rinsing by placing your pump parts in a Ziploc bag, and storing the bag in the fridge. I also never sanitize. I think it’s a waste. When I wash my parts at night, I let them soak in scalding hot water until it’s cooled down enough to wash and rinse.
c. By pumping into the bottles, up to the exact amount I need, I am basically ready to make her bottles for the next day when I get home. We use the Playtex Drop-Ins feeding system, and I truly think it’s the ideal bottle for breastfeeding. You can buy a storage kit, that makes storing and traveling with bottles super easy. And, you really only need one bottle, and a few nipples, and you are good to go. Cleaning, washing, etc. is cut way down, and it’s as easy as it gets!
d. I try to pump once on day’s I don’t work, after Amelia’s early morning session (when your milk supply is at its highest). This helps me building up a little stash, or some extra in case I had a lower producing week for some reason (which I have yet to experience).
e. Unless you frequently travel for work, you do NOT need a huge stash of milk in the freezer. When I returned to work, I had her three bottles for that first day, and MAYBE 5-6 extra bottles in the freezer. I’ve been able to pump at least what she needs the next day, every day at work, and can usually freeze 1-2 bottles a week. So, if you are “only” getting enough for your baby’s bottles the next day, it’s OK! Anything more than that would really be considered an oversupply, which while the thought of that sounds AMAZING to many mothers; it is just as hard to deal with as an undersupply.
f. Most importantly, know that, it is now the law that EVERY employer in the United States provide a private, secure location, other than a bathroom, and time for you to pump. No matter the company size or the type of job, it is the law. Make sure to talk to your supervisor, human resources, health and wellness, etc. about your needs as a breastfeeding mothers and find out if your employer has a designated location.
So, this is my journey (so far) and lecture on breastfeeding. There is a lot more information out there; not every tip will work for every woman, and ever experience is different. While I hope it may help somebody along the way, I myself find it fun to think back and rehash all of these troubles, worries and sought out advice. In the end, if the benefits and simplicity of breastfeeding doesn’t win somebody over, maybe the cost difference will…
The average formula fed baby will require about $2,000 worth of formula that first year. It appears statistically normal for formula feeding families to start on cereal and/or solids earlier (additional cost, and a controversial link to childhood obesity). Formula stains clothing. You have to worry about recalls, which is very scary when it comes to something so necessary for your young child.
Breastfeeding, in essence, is free! I bought my pump; using a 20% coupon at Babies R Us, for about $200.00…it lasted while I pumped for Olivia, and should definitely get me through Amelia’s breastfeeding career. And, if we do have another child in the future, it should still be working just fine. Because I work, I have to buy freezer storage bags. I use the Lansinoh Storage Bags, and a $10.00 box of 50 bags will last me a few months, so I’ll need maybe 4 boxes through the first year. Breast milk does not really stain, so you never have to worry about baby’s clothes, excessive use of burp cloths or anything like that. Just another time saving advantage! You will need bottles and accessories in both cases, if you choose to/have to bottle feed your breastfed baby. But, with breastfed babies, you will never need more than the Low Flow/Stage 1 nipples, saving you money.
Olivia sat down next to Amelia to spend a little quality time with her tonight, and I snapped a couple of cute pictures.
