When I was pregnant with my son, I knew I wanted to breastfeed. The benefits for mom and baby are so numerous, and the price was right for our new little family (ie. free). I read a few things, took a class supplied by my insurance company, and figured that I was good to go! I felt superior to all of those formula moms out there and basically was a naive jerk.
When little man was born, I popped him on the boob as planned. Within 48 hours, I realized that maybe I was underestimating the difficult rating of nursing properly. I was in a lot of pain! I generally have a high pain threshold, so I was thrown for a loop. I also was experiencing nursing aversion, and I would cry every time he had to eat. It was so different from what I had envisioned! I'm still not quite sure why it hurt so much. I saw the LC several times, went to help groups, and talked to other moms, but the pain persisted for over 6 months. At the very beginning, all the skin came off my nipples, and I would bleed. Then, I would have to nurse again within a couple of hours. Anyway, I used a few strategies to cope:
1. Lanolin cream! It is really very soothing!
2. If it got so bad that I thought I had to either quit or die, I would pump and ask my husband to feed the little dude. Sometimes a break really helped me!
3. I persisted in asking for help. Although no one was ever able to determine exactly why he was hurting me so much, sometimes their kind words and encouragement were just what I needed.
4. Try to get some extra sleep. I can't say that I slept every single time he did, but I would up the naps if it was getting too difficult to sleep. Adequate sleep has always helped me deal with hard things, and inadequate sleep has always made them much, much worse. (believe me, I know that getting sleep isn't always an option. My son is 19 months old, and still hasn't slept through the night)
5. Join a help group. I went to two groups in person and joined the Kelly Mom group on Facebook. It's nice to know you're not alone.
6. Remind yourself that this too shall pass. Because it really will.
All of that said, I think that breastfeeding is worth it! My son rarely got sick, which was a huge blessing! Eventually, there were times when nursing became a source of closeness and happiness for both of us. This week I weaned the little man, and there are lots of things I miss. My cliche but true advice it to live every stage of motherhood with all of your heart because it just goes way too quickly!
Good luck to all of you nursing mommies, and I would like to formally apologize to every mom who has ever used formula. I totally understand it now! In the end, what matters most is that the baby eats something and the mommy survives!
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