Breastfeeding Four Months On

So those of you who have read my blog previously will know that I really struggled to breastfeed Boo and she eventually ended up on formula. I was really anxious to succeed this time round and now that she's here, and we have breastfeeding established and down to an art I want to let you all know how it's going, and what's kept me going.

Firstly, I cannot express enough how much I have relied on The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by LLL, Get this book, read it, love it, treat it as your bible, give it to expectant friends, make your husband read it, make your whole family read it! It has so mach fantastic advice and 'theory-craft' about breastfeeding, it gave me so so so much confidence and knowledge.

Secondly I found all the recipes I rolled on about in my previous post to be a both unworkably time consuming and a bit naff, I'd just had a baby, the last thing I wanted to do (or indeed was capable of doing) was slaving away in the kitchen making cookies and smoothies. I stacked the freezer up with Ben and Jerry's and my husband made loads of pate on wholegrain bread, I was of course taking my breastfeeding vitamins too, breastmilk isn't best created on a diet of pate and ice cream!

The key thing that I found though was that Bel was a lot more eager to go on the breast than Boo was, and I wasn't faffing round with syringes like had been with Boo, I didn't think that half a mil in a syringe here half a mil in a syringe there was ok and 'would do', I put Evie to the breast every time she showed the slightest sign of being hungry, day and night, and for the first 48 hours I barely slept, I ate with her on my boob, I went to the loo with her on my boob, we just kept going, and then my milk came through and she fed a little less and slept a little more, but still, at least every 2 hours she fed (even if this meant a cold bum change shaped rude awakening) by day three she'd lost 7% of her body weight, by day 10 she was back up to her original body weight and we were discharged from the midwives.

The whole of the first three days was quite frankly hell. I was exhausted, feeding caused afterpains that made me weep even through the painkillers, screw labour, it had nothing on the afterpains!! I thought I'd never eat a meal with two hands again, and I might never sleep for more than 30 minutes for the rest of my life. Boo on the other hand had been a dream! She'd been a 'good' baby, she'd slept loads and given me time to recover from the horrific ordeal that had been labour, and that was not what it turns out she had needed, it was not what I needed, no matter how much it felt like it at the time. No wonder we had the difficulties we did.

I found the easiest position to be laying on my side with her laying in front of me initially, so we spent a lot of time played out on the sofa, I struggled quite a bit with the hold the midwives had taught me, and even now I find that supporting her on the crook of the elbow on the side she's feeding is far easier than supporting her neck with the opposite side, both for me and for her. I also gave up on the illusion of her sleeping in her crib fairly early on, my husband and I have taken it in turns to have the master bed, Bel and I have a camp set up in her nursery on the floor on the other nights, either way she sleeps next to me all night (following safe sleep guidelines as closely as possible) so she can feed whenever she's hungry, and I intend for us to keep doing that until she's 6 months.

I also, whilst I'm here, want to give a shout out to the Bosom Buddies kit, my god those flannels and oils felt so good, also the Lansinoh's Hot / Cold packs, these were a godsend when my milk came in, Sam was forever putting them in the freezer or the microwave. I will give a proper review on both of them at some point, but if you're looking for a gift for a friend who's expecting and they know they're going to nurse, both of those kits should be something you consider gifting them, plus the LLL book, don't forget that book!

Something I've seen time and time again is an effort ver time chart for breastfeeding vs bottle feeding, and I never realised just how true it was, but having seen both sides I have to say I agree with it. Bottle feeding is a bit of a faff, but being able to share it out makes it seem pretty easy. Until you have to go out, and you have to take bottles and thermos flasks and powder pots out with you. Until it's the middle of the night and there are no clean bottles, let alone sterile bottles to feed the screaming baby. It really does become a faff and a burden. Breastfeeding initially, even with a good latch, is painful, it's emotional, and it feels like you'll never have a break again. But then I go out, and I only have to worry about nappies and a change of clothes. She wakes up in the night and I roll over, feed her and then we go back to sleep. She cries in the supermarket and (once I've covered up with a blanket for the sake of everyone elses sensibilities) I can feed her straight away without juggling a bottle and a trolly in the middle of a sueprmarket aisle. Over time breastfeeding becomes easier and easier. Though sometimes, just sometimes, when my husbands gaming and I'm feeling trapped under the baby, I just wish I could give him my boobs for the night and have a break.

Breastfeeding has been an emotional rollercoaster for me, and I'm so glad I managed it this time. But at the end of the day, it's feeding your baby that matters. It's not how you do it, you're no better or worse a mum for breastfeeding or using formula. We're all mums, we're all doing the best we can for our children. The main thing at the end of the day is that your baby is happy and healthy, and that you are happy and healthy.

#Breastfeeding #Babies #Newborn