Breastfeeding.....a second time around

Okay, so my plan was to write a post at least once a week. But, as you can see, that hasn’t happened. My little one is two months old, and I have been super busy with taking care of her, and keeping up with my older daughter as well. Oh, and of course, school work, house work, etc….

But I think I have finally gotten a pretty good routine down, so now I plan on trying harder at writing my posts. I was super excited about starting this blog, and I still am.

Alright, so today I want to talk about…..BREASTFEEDING!! With my first child I tried, and failed, at breastfeeding. I tried to exclusively nurse, I didn’t even buy a breast pump because I didn’t think I would need one. I would struggle with getting her to latch, I couldn’t find a comfortable position, I struggled with using the boppy, etc. It was miserable and I wasn’t enjoying it at all. After a month of trying, she wasn’t gaining any weight. So I decided to supplement with formula. Unfortunately I still hadn’t purchased a breast pump, so the only time I expressed milk was when she nursed. Eventually my body stopped producing milk.  She went on formula full-time, started gaining weight, and now she is a happy healthy four-year old. “Breast is best” but there is nothing wrong with using formula.

Fast forward to present day. With baby number two I decided I wanted to try the whole breastfeeding thing again. I knew I had a better chance at being successful because: 1. I’m older 2. I work in a hospital and have a lot more knowledge, and know of more resources (my co-workers) 3. I knew I could get a free breast pump through my insurance plan.

Right away I had a lot better luck. As soon as she was born we did skin-to-skin, this is very important! I know that for many, your family is anxiously waiting outside to come in and see the new bundle. Make them wait! Seriously, this is your time to bond with your baby. That first hour of contact/bonding/skin-to-skin is so important. That’s when your nurse will help you try to get baby to latch on, and if you have struggles they can work with you without interruptions. Trust me, once you allow people to come in, it will be hard to get a minute with just you and baby. I was able to get her to latch pretty quickly, and then I let people come in and see her.

I had a very easy/quick labor and delivery, and recovery. We were able to go home the next day. That’s when the trouble started. Once we got home I started struggling again with her latching. She would almost get frustrated if nothing came out right away. I would be able to get her to calm down, and I would start to panic. I tried pumping, and panicked because not much came out at first. My sister told me to just keep pumping, I needed to let my body know that I needed milk. I would pump for 15-20 minutes and only get a few ounces out of each boob. I would put the milk in a bottle and have her dad feed her while I kept pumping. After a few days I started getting more and more milk each time.

I still would try to put her to breast, and eventually it became easier. I am finally at the point where I can just “whip it out” and she knows what to do. That isn’t always a struggle for everyone, but for me it took a little while. I really worried about my supply, I wanted to have more milk so I could build a freezer supply for when I go back to work. I became so obsessed with finding ways to increase my supply, that I was skipping pumping sessions (big no no!).  I would look on pinterest, and I would google ways to increase your supply. I would read blogs, and articles for hours, look at cookie recipes, and smoothie recipes, etc. Every blog/article said the same thing…. rule # 1 DRINK PLENTY OF WATER! I thought “I am drinking enough water, I’m not an idiot”.

I told my sister that I was searching for fenugreek and brewer’s yeast, and looking up recipes to try, she asked me one question. “Are you drinking enough water?” Again, I was like of course I am! She told me to try to drink more. So I started filling up my jug from the hospital. It hold 32oz. and we encourage patients to drink at least three of them a day when they are an inpatient. I decided to try to drink at least four of them. That was the key….I would drink a jug, refill it, pee, repeat. The next morning i pumped 11 oz. total. That was a decent increase for me, almost double to be exact.

I still wanted to try things that would help my supply. I figured if I did multiple things, at the very least, I would keep my supply up. So here is what I tried:

1. Drink plenty of water, rule of thumb drink half your body weight in oz. For example, if you weighed 100lbs. you would need to drink 50 oz. of water a day. Another thing to keep in mind, if you pump 8 oz. of milk you need to re-supply your body with that amount of water. DO NOT become dehydrated.
2. I started eating oatmeal. Personally, I hate oatmeal but it’s suppose to be good for your supply. I have started eating at least one bowl a day, I add a little sugar or honey for flavor. They say not to use instant oatmeal, you should buy old-fashioned oats. Why? I’m not really sure, but I already had a can of old-fashioned oats so I use them. I can’t tell that my supply has increased, but it definitely is staying steady.
3. Nurse as often as you can. If you are able to nurse, do it! That’s the best way to keep you supply going. After you nurse, try to pump even for 10 minutes. It will let your body know to produce more milk.
4. When you pump, pump for at least 20 minutes. Pump until you’re empty. This is something I have trouble with. I set my timer for 20 minutes. I usually keep pumping after my timer goes off, because I’m in the middle of a good chapter. Sometimes I pump for 45 minutes and when I look down milk is still coming out of my boobs…. They say that you should try to pump 5 minutes after milk stops coming out but it always seems like milk just keeps coming. (If you have suggestions on what I’m doing wrong let me know!)
5. Figure out a pumping schedule. Whatever works for you, figure it out and stick to it. If you decide to pump at 7am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm, 10pm, and 3am. Stick to those time, or at least as close to them as possible until you are ready to start weaning your supply. Your body will get used to producing milk at those times. It’s all about supply and demand. Just like when a baby would nurse at certain times, you need to pump at certain times. This is something that I tend to struggle with, however I’ve noticed that my supply drops drastically if I skip multiple pumping sessions. With me returning to work next week I’ve gotten better at not skipping pump sessions.
6. Just Keep Going :)

If I could go back to my first pregnancy I would buy a breast pump. I already have lasted longer with feeding/pumping and I’m so glad. I feel great being able to feed my little girl breast milk. I wish I would have been able to last this long with baby number one. I also would suggest buying a hands-free nursing bra. The first several weeks I would just hold the bottles while pumping. It made time drag by, I was constantly trying to look at my timer to see how much longer I had. It made pumping miserable, and seem more like a chore. Once I started using the hands-free bra, pumping became almost enjoyable. I was able to look on my phone, or read a book. Pumping is now my time to relax, I read, or browse facebook, time goes by so much faster now.

If you are struggling with breastfeeding, don’t give up, get in contact with a lactation specialist, a home health nurse, or try to find a breast feeding support group. All breastfeeding mommas have struggled at some point, they’ve lived and they’ve learned. Most are more than willingly to share their struggles and what they’ve learned. And if you decide to use formula instead of breastmilk, don’t be ashamed or embarrassed. There is nothing wrong with formula. Honestly, if breastfeeding is uncomfortable and a horrible experience for you, than it isn’t good for baby either. Do skin-to-skin while you’re feeding that little one their bottle of formula, continue to bond, and enjoy this time. One day they will be 4 and headed off to preschool and you will wonder where on earth the time has gone.

***Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional, these suggestions are my own personal experience. Never substitute what I, or anyone else says in place of a doctor. You should always ask a doctor before taking anything over the counter, especially while breastfeeding.

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