The Sounds of Advice #59: Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding:

Aisling: Breastfeeding is a wonderful way to feed your baby. Besides being a great source of food and nutrients there are a lot of reasons why people prefer to breastfeed. 

It helps your uterus return to its pre-pregnancy size and reduces post-delivery bleeding.

It makes it easier to lose those pregnancy pounds (you burn up to 500 extra calories a day nursing).

It may reduce your risk of postpartum depression and breast and ovarian cancer.

It can delay the return of your period (although you should still use some form of birth control when you resume intercourse).

It saves money (no formula!).

Breastfeeding is a learned process; none of us (not even Baby) are born knowing how to do it. To improve your chance of success:

Try to breastfeed within the first hour of birth. This helps your uterus contract and provides that valuable colostrum. Also ask to have Baby room in with you at the hospital so you can feed on demand.

Have a nurse or lactation consultant check how Baby latches on while you're still in the hospital. While it might be uncomfortable when Baby latches on, it shouldn't be painful. If it hurts badly enough to make you grimace every time, then you may not have the right position.

Prepare for your milk to come in. This occurs on about the third or fourth day after birth. You'll know it's happened because your breasts suddenly increase several cup sizes! Also, make sure you have several well-fitting nursing bras, and don't forget to pack one in your hospital bag.

Plan to breastfeed about eight to 12 times in every 24-hour period. Your baby is good at giving hunger signals: rooting around searching for your nipple; putting his hand in his mouth; and looking increasingly alert. Always feed on demand.

Try not to introduce a bottle or other nipples, including pacifiers, until breastfeeding is well established. The thrusting motion required to nurse is different from that required to suck a nipple, and the baby could get confused.

Stay hydrated to ensure your body can make enough milk. A good idea is to sip from a glass of water when nursing.

Nurse in a calm environment to help your milk let down. After a while, all it will take for your milk to let down is unhooking your bra for your baby, or even just hearing any infant cry.

Michaelle: I am truly grateful for all the information available in regards to breastfeeding and formula feeding. My mom passed when I was a child and I didn't live near any family when I had my children. I read a book my mother in law found for me and attended a meeting with a breastfeeding coach through WIC. (Women, Infants, Children) I am pro breastfeeding if at all possible even for a short time. 

Before my first child, a son, was born, I was able to read about breastfeeding and formula feeding. I truly wanted to breastfeed, but when the time came around, I was only able to breastfeed him for a week before we needed to supplement with formula due to him losing weight. Once he had the formula, he gained back his birth weight and then some! I was on a prescription that didn't have much research known about it and my doctors also suggested that since not much was known about the possible effects of it on a newborn, it was best to use formula. 

For my second pregnancy, I withdrew from the medication (with doctor assistance) that I had been using while pregnant with my first son. I wanted to try breastfeeding again. This time, I was able to breastfeed my son for six weeks before I ran out of milk. I hadn't been able to keep up my eating in order to keep up the milk production. My husband was able to get our second son to take formula. Again, I was grateful that I tried breastfeeding and that formula was there when my baby really needed it. 

For my last pregnancy with my daughter, I started with formula. I was surprised at how much milk came in this last time. By the time I tried to breastfeed once or twice, my daughter was already drinking so fast that I didn't want to slow her down. 

I am thankful that I was able to breastfeed a small amount with each child to have that special bonding time, but I also had that special bonding time anytime I held them close with a bottle

Sandy: Breastfeeding when I started with my oldest deemed normal and easy. As time has gone on it seems more woman are getting treated unfairly. We only want to do what is fair for our kids in our minds. Yes everyone has an opinion on this subject. However, I haven't personally dealt with anyone saying anything to me. When I go out I worry about. I even worry when I am in my car that someone will try to say something. We shouldn't have to live this way. We should be able to feed our child without fear of someone saying something mean and awful.