I hate movies, and I hate T.V. shows. They give such distorted pictures of everything. They always have these cute babies that just attach themselves and are great little feeders without any trouble and mom and baby are happy and life is great. Well no one told me that in real life that doesn't happen with every baby and mother.
Charlotte came out and as everyone knows was just a tiny peanut at five pounds six ounces. She had a tiny mouth and was tongue tied. Breastfeeding SUCKS. It has gotten much better but its still not a piece of cake the tv shows and movies make it out to be.
Charlotte had a really hard time latching. In the hospital the lactation consultants gave me all different tricks, including a nipple shield and a little device where a syringe with formula is hooked up to a little cord that goes into her mouth so I can pump it in while she eats so she is rewarded. These things helped her to be able to eat, but complicated everything. I had so many things to wash and to use, which makes Charlotte NOT a portable baby.
Luckily she just needed the nipple shield once we got home. She was able to wean off of that on one breast and finally the other (been off for two and a half weeks now!) So we are moving along. But it was very frustrating and A LOT of work on my part. It was easy for me to understand why so many women give it up. If you have a crappy latcher, it is uncomfortable, inconvenient and time consuming. I know breast milk is best so I kept working at it and working at it. Luckily she gets better at it everyday and luckily I did not give up (it was very tempting). Now my concern is what will happen when I go back to work in two weeks? I plan to pump, but am afraid with her getting bottles at daycare and such she will again have difficulty latching in the evenings when she is at home with me. I am hopeful that it goes well and that I find the strength to stick with pumping so that she can get the best nutrition possible!
Just don't beat yourself up if you can't continue breastfeeding for whatever reason. I breastfeed Tim for quite awhile ( he took to it immediately and ate like a pig!) but quit with Adam maybe after 2-3 months. My nipples got sore and cracked so it wasn't the nurturing experience I wanted it so badly to be. It took several folks, including the doctor to convince me that the tension and the sense of urgency I was feeling was being transferred to Adam while I was attempting to breastfeed. Once I realized that bottle feeding could be a bonding and nurturing moment too, the tension and concerns left and we were able to have our quality time and relax. I wouldn't trade the breastfeeding time I had for all the money in the world, but bottle feeding was less stressful and actually easier in the long haul for everyone concerned. Whatever you decide is the right decision for you and Charlotte!
ReplyDelete