I’ve been breastfeeding my son for 15 months, which is basically his entire life. It’s been a relatively good experience but now that he’s weaning, my milk supply is dwindling and I can sense that my breastfeeding days are numbered. I used to think I’d be relieved and finally get a break when baby would stop breastfeeding but seeing how beneficial it’s been for both of us, I’m kind of sad. At the same time, I don’t want to take any supplements to increase my supply because I’m trying to wean baby. I’ve decided to continue breastfeeding him for the next few months and slowly reduce the number of times I breastfeed each day so that he’s fully weaned by the time he’s 2 (fingers crossed).
Given that my breastfeeding journey is coming to an end, I thought I’d reflect on my strengths and weaknesses in terms of breastfeeding. For the sake of brevity, I’m limiting the reflection to 3 things I think I did right and 3 things I did wrong. And by right and wrong, I mean things that I’m content with and things that I regret.
3 things that I did right:
1. Gave my son as much colustrum (early milk) as I could. I’m thankful that I had the opportunity to breastfeed my son, especially in the early days when the milk was rich in nutrients and antibodies. He did have a hard time latching in the first week so I had to hand express milk, as well as use a manual pump and eventually an electric pump to extract milk into a bottle and feed him.
2. Breastfed him whenever I could, for as long as he needed. I breastfed baby at home, when we’d visit family, and on our mini vacation. I would take my time and try to feed baby as much milk as he needed. Sometimes I’d breastfeed for up to an hour because that’s when he’d be full and turn away.
3. Pumped whenever I went out or knew I wouldn’t be able to breastfeed. Whenever we went out (shopping, doctor’s appointments, errands etc.) I’d pump beforehand so baby would have milk when he got hungry. This was helpful because it’s hard to breastfeed in the car or at a store. And if I ever had to go out without baby, I’d pump some milk and leave a bottle of it at home for hubby to give to baby.
3 things that I did wrong:
1. Didn’t drink enough water
This was the dumbest mistake I made and I regret it a lot. I had been advised by my lactation consultant, my mother-in-law and even my sister-in-law (who gifted me a glass pitcher to keep on my nightstand) to stay hydrated. I had all the intention in the world to follow their advice but intent wasn’t enough to counter fatigue, especially at night. Sure, I’d fill up the pitcher and drink water here and there but I couldn’t make it a habit. I read somewhere that you should drink 8 ounces of water everytime you breastfeed. I think I only drank half of that amount. 🙈
2. Didn’t feed equally from each breast
Again, this mistake could have been avoided. My lactation consultant advised me to feed for 15 minutes from each breast but I only did that for the first few months until I got comfortable feeding from one side; I mostly fed from my left because it was a more convenient position for me and felt natural. But I should have corrected that mistake much sooner than I did because baby and I both paid for it dearly (hint hint: lopsided boobs for me 🙈 and less milk from one breast for baby).
3. Didn’t keep a breastfeeding log
This might sound optional but for someone like me who loses track of time easily it was mandatory. I started off with keeping a log in my notebook but I spilled some water on it so I decided to switch it over to my smartphone instead. But as months went by, it became more of a chore and I stopped keeping track. I started feeding baby on demand which wasn’t the best thing to do because baby would nap for 2-3 hours at a time and that would delay his feed.
Overall, I’d say that my experience with bteastfeeding was a positive one. Aside from being engorged a few times in the first couple of months, I didn’t experience any pain. I did experience some discomfort, though, when I’d wake up in the morning with drenched breast pads due to milk leaking overnight. But even that was comforting in a way because I realised that I was producing a good amount of milk to feed my baby. Once baby began solids, my milk supply took a hit but I continued to breastfeed between meals. Now that baby has started drinking full fat milk, my breastmilk supply is at an all-time low. But I’m not too worried because time is almost up anyway and aside from making some mistakes due to lethargy and personal preference, I tried to do the best I could with the time I had.
Lots and lots of bear hugs, 🤗
-Momma M
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article sponsered by Northern Michigan certified lactation consulting and Mother Hubbards Country Cupboard
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