Breastfeeding

Before I actually had my baby I always thought that the labor would be the hardest part, and then everything would be peachy afterwards!  I was wrong! :)  For me, labor was the easy part.  It was the postpartum recovery and breastfeeding that were the biggest struggle for me.  I always knew I was going to breastfeed my babies because it is the best possible nutrition I can provide them.  Besides that it also brings a special bond between Mommy and baby and other great health benefits.  Now that I have the process down I'm so grateful I stuck with it because now both baby and I are reaping the benefits.  However, I do wish I had been better prepared for the pain that came with it the first few weeks...  So, if you are planning on breastfeeding, GREAT CHOICE!  Just know that it won't be all peachy at first! :)  Something that I have a strong testimony of is the Lansinoh breast cream!  It saved me!  The cream works great for healing. And the great thing about this cream is that you do not need to wipe it off before you feed your baby. I always applied a pea size amount right after I was done breast feeding to allow time to heal before the next feeding.  

I was blessed to have the opportunity for some skin to skin bonding with my baby as soon as he was delivered.  I am so grateful for this!  The hospital allowed me to hold him for what felt like a long time and then I was able to introduce him to breastfeeding!  It's so amazing how Heavenly Father created our bodies!  I had no sign of any milk production or even breast pain before I had my boy.  But as soon as he latched on, my body produced the colostrum.  As a newborn, your baby only needs a teaspoon of colostrum at each feeding.  This was a relief since I was so nervous that he wasn't eating anything!  The signs that your baby is eating is to listen for sucking and look at his throat for swallowing.  For the first few months my baby was an eating machine, not going for more than 2 hours without eating.  This was one of those big shockers that came to me after becoming a mom.  What?  I have to feed him every 2 hours?  Even at night?  Yup. Say goodbye to sleep! Especially if your breastfeeding because you are the one always feeding him.  This is a good thing though, at least in aiding your milk production.  Your body knows when more milk is needed for production based on how often you are utilizing it.  So the fact that I was using my body every 2 hours got my milk supply up and running well.  Something else that helped with breastfeeding was the fact that i didn't introduce a pacifier until 2 weeks after my boy was born.  This helped prevent nipple confusion. If my baby needed something to suck on for soothing, I offered my finger which he loved.  I also stayed away from using any bottles until 5 weeks after baby was born.  Yes, it was a sacrifice being the only one who could feed him, but it was worth it for me because now breastfeeding has been well established and I know my baby is receiving the nutrients I had always planned on him receiving.  If you have the option of saying no to a pacifier/bottle while your baby is kept in the nursery I would highly suggest it, that is if breastfeeding is the way you choose to go:)  Something else that I believe helped and is still helping with my milk production is WATER!  Carry a water bottle with you everywhere and make sure you are hydrated and eating well.  Also, if you have the option of purchasing a breast pump I would recommend it!  My insurance covered one for me and most insurances do now days.  My lactation specialist at my hospital researched it for me and made sure I got one to me ASAP, especially since I was going to be a working mother.  I started pumping when michael was about 4-5 weeks old to build up a good storage supply to use while I was at work.  I have a double electric pump- Ameda- Purely Yours.  It works great!  It takes about 20-25 minutes for me to pump.  I don't do storage bags so I just store my milk in the Avent and any other bottles that I was given at showers.  I write the date on tape and stick it to the bottle.  Milk in the fridge with stay good for up 5-6 days; In the freezer 30 days.  For 0-3 months be sure to use a "slow flow" nipple so that your baby still has to work to get his milk (as he does when you breastfeed).  This will make his transition back to breastfeeding when you're home a lot easier.  When you pump make sure you go until you are dry.  This tells your body that you are using that supply and that it needs to produce more for you!  At around 3 months my body was set up for a "supply and demand" system.  It was ready to produce as soon as it was notified of the need.  Now that my baby is sleeping through the night I was nervous that my body might slack off in it's production and I would be in trouble.  But it hasn't, granted that I still pump 2-3 times a day at work.  Breastfeeding is still going strong and I'm so grateful for my Mother-in-law who is an expert and has past on her knowledge to me and stuck with me every step of the way!  I know it is not always an option for all mother's and we do what we can!  Being a Mommy is the best calling on Earth!  Way to go everyone!  We are preparing a great future generation!  Let me know of any tricks you found and if you have any questions!  My mother-in-law is a lactation specialist and absolutely loves giving any advice that she can to help these sweet little babies!