Baby Talk: Breastfeeding Journey

Now that Dominick is almost 8 months old I feel like I can talk about our breastfeeding experience so far. It's kind of taboo and one of those topics not many openly talk about.

When I was pregnant with Dominick I remember saying how I didn't think I wanted to breastfeed, but I would give it a chance and if I wasn't able to then I wasn't able to. No big deal. Only one of my friends successfully breastfed for around 6 months and it wasn't super easy for her. Almost everyone else I knew tried, but wasn't successful for whatever reason. Then more and more people started asking me if I was going to breastfeed or formula feed and I would always tell everyone I was going to try, but I wasn't going to make a huge fuss over it. I had a few friends who were nipple nazis and a few friends who offered their support if and when I needed it. Almost everyone told me and everything I read to give it 6 weeks. At 6 weeks it would start to get easier, at 6 weeks my milk would be in, at 6 weeks this or that. So I said to myself...6 weeks, if at 6 weeks I didn't like it or it was just not working for us then I would be done, but the sake of my child and "breast being best" I would give it 6 weeks.

full belly

Once Dominick was born in the hospital I got a lot of help from nurses and I even saw a lactation consultant who didn't give me the best of advice (more on that later). Dominick's latch was perfect, my milk came in within 3 days and he was gaining weight, but sometimes that initial pain was toe curling. The lactation consultant suggested using a nipple shield to help with the pain and to help with D's latch. Not knowing any better and not doing a ton of research prior I didn't know that it could affect my supply and that it wasn't entirely necessary. I only saw that it was easier for him to latch and the pain was pretty much non existent when I used it. She never told me to only use it when I was cracking or don't rely on it, but to use it all the time. Dominick became reliant on it and I haven't been able to wean him off from using it, but I did try. It came down to the saying, why fix what's broken? I wasn't having any supply issue and he was eating fantastic with it...so why fix it?

When Dominick was about a week or so old we went to the doctors because he failed the newborn screen and had to gain so much weight each week. During one the first few visits his dr suggested supplementing with formula and I told the doctor he was out of his mind. My milk was just coming in and I wasn't going to ruin my chances of breastfeeding. Ryan and I even had an "argument" over it on the way home (the whole 2 miles) because I was 1. hormonal post pregnancy and 2. going to succeed and make it to my 1st goal of 6 weeks. Eventually he did start gaining weight and we got the results we were hoping for that it was just a false positive in the screen. Good news. Now we are almost 8 months in and I am so glad I just tried.

I die over those rolls

So with that said some of the best advice I can give to anyone who is thinking about it is:
1. Just because it's natural doesn't mean it's easy. Breastfeeding is supposed to be natural and best, but it's not always easy. In the beginning being engorged, feeling like you're constantly attached to your baby, having to get help, using a nipple shield (in my case) whatever it is it's not a cake walk all the time.
2. Set a goal. For me it was 6 weeks, then 6 months and now it's 12 months. There have been many times that I wonder if we'll make it through the week. I've used fenugreek, mothers milk tea (which is horrible) and ate lactation cookies all to help my supply at one time or another. It hasn't been the easiest, but it's one of my proudest accomplishments. Being a working mom has made it a challenge. I started pumping when D was around 4 weeks old.
3. Be Confident. If your baby is gaining weight and dirtying diapers he/she is getting enough. That's a huge concern for many parents and it was for me too, especially in the beginning.
4. Have a support systems. Whether your support system is a friend, your husband (mine was and is still supportive), your mom, your sister, your cousin's aunt's coworker, a group setting (la leche league meeting - by the way their services are free as far as I know), etc. I have had a great support system who have provided me with tons of advice, answered all my questions and helped me succeed in this journey. They taught me that breast feeding isn't as taboo as I thought and that if it wasn't something I wanted to do that I would be able to do it. They also helped me be confident.
5. Don't trap yourself at home. One of my friends told me she stopped breast feeding because she felt like she couldn't leave the house. I felt that way too, but thankfully my mom and dad were here and I wanted to do things while they were here. I've fed Dominick in an airport, airplane, our car more times than I can count and in more dressing rooms than I can even begin to tell you about. I don't always feel comfortable doing it, but I can feed him ANYWHERE and it's always ready. Don't trap yourself at home..it's important that you get out for your sanity. D was around 3 or 4 weeks old and I went to a friends house. I fed him RIGHT before we walked out the door and only stayed for 2.5 hours because I didn't feel comfortable feeding him outside of my home. If I was still that way we probably still wouldn't have left the home.
6. Breast is best, but formula is not the devil. There are so many benefits to breast feeding for not only the baby, but for the mother too. It reduces breast cancer, has been known for higher IQs, reduces the risk of obesity and asthma, easy to soothe a sick or upset baby, environmental benefits, expands a babies pallet and it's FREE. Breastmilk builds immune systems and provides a good nutrition along with the fact that breastmilk has never been recalled from the shelves and never expires (not talking about pumped). Did you know that it changes to meet your babies needs at different stages in his/he rlife, your body immediately starts responding if your baby is sick to help build antibodies to fight the "infection". Your body also responds immediately when your baby is going through a growth spurt, so even if it seems like you're not producing enough milk right away, have no fear...you will begin producing more milk and then some to get through that time, it's healed eye infections, diaper rashes, your sore/cracked nipples and other cuts. With that said, if you need to supplement or feed your baby with formula...it's OK! If you really want to breastfeed, don't become reliant on it.