I would like to start this post off with one word…OWWWW!!!
Breastfeeding is definitely one of the most painful, exhausting, time-consuming things a new mother has to endure. On the other hand, knowing that you are providing the exact nourishment your new baby needs to sustain their immunity and build up their bodies to be strong and healthy, makes it all worth it.
My daughter latched on to my breast about 30 minutes after she was born. Thank goodness for the amazing nurses I had and for my sister who is a pediatric nurse. She taught me how to hold my breast and bring it to my little girls mouth. But boy does it hurt like a bi***. I was told to “rough” up my nipples while I was pregnant to prevent that pain from being so bad. I laughed and thought, “Oh it can’t be that bad”. Ha! Ladies if your mother tells you to do something, TRUST HER, she has been there. That night in our hospital room, she woke up screaming and I checked her diaper, it was all clean. So I thought, “ok, she must be hungry”. I whipped out the boob for her, and she latched, well at least I thought she had. Tears started pouring down my face. I was mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted after being in labor for 20 hours, and now I had to be sleep deprived and mauled on for the next 30 minutes. Hello mental breakdown!
The next morning, my mother baby nurse came in and saw I was struggling. She taught me the football hold, cradle-hold, laying on your side, and cross-cradle hold. She informed me that the baby should not be latching onto my nipple but rather have her whole mouth around the areola. OMG!! What! So this whole time, I have been in pain because my little one wanted to suck the soul out of my nipple. It was like I was introduced to a whole new world. Yes it was still painful, but not being in tears every feed kind of painful.
Then came the part when I had to start going back to work. I am a full time registered nurse, in a critical care unit. We are allotted 30 minutes 3 times a shift to pump. Our hospital provides mothers with lactation rooms. They have a nice comfy chair and magazines to read while you wait. The unfortunate part was trying to find time in my busy day to step aside and pump. My breasts would get so engorged, heavy, and painful if I didn’t pump soon enough. I had to learn to get to the lactation room before this happened, because it was so uncomfortable.
I remember the first time my husband watched me pump, he was so interested in it. He wanted to help me set up the machine, read the directions to me, and watched in awe as I was milked like a cow from the machine. At that point, I honestly could care less that my breast was being sucked by a machine. I mean 15 people had just seen a baby come through my vagina, so what’s a little milk being squeezed from my breast. And trust me ladies, most men find it very attractive, and love when your breastfeeding. Your boobs will be standing tall like they did in your early 20’s. But don’t be fooled, once you stop, they drop to the floor and become lifeless. lol
As a first time mom you wonder if your baby is getting enough milk. I was constantly worried I wasn’t giving my girl enough food. I was told to feed on each breast until they pull away and move to the next one. Sometimes, one breast won’t give as much milk as the other. I was also told your baby will un-latch once he/she is full and satisfied. I started noticing my little one would move her lips off my breast and basically be in a milk coma. That’s how I knew she was satisfied.
I think all mothers worry if they are doing anything right, especially a first time mom. Am I good enough? Am I doing everything I should to keep them safe and healthy? What if I fall asleep on accident when I am holding them? What if I don’t hear them cry in the middle of the night? Trust me mama, every single one of us has been there. You are not alone. I know not all mothers are this fortunate to have their baby latch on right away and get the hang of things. I applaud you all for trying. I do not judge mothers on if they breastfeed or formula feed. As long as you are feeding your little one, that is all that matters.
I personally stopped breastfeeding when my baby girl was 3 months old. She developed an allergy to lactose, which her mama gave to her. She would scream in pain when her milk was being digested. So we started her on a hypoallergenic formula and then eventually moved over to Gerber Good Start Soothe, and instantly the screaming stopped and she started to enjoy meal time again.
I didn’t let my stored breastmilk go to waste though. I heard that adding some of your breast milk to your babies bath will help if your baby has eczema or any skin rashes, or just give your little one some soft skin. I definitely noticed a difference when using it. Also, if you have a ton of left over breast milk, look into local women’s shelters and hospitals to donate to mothers in need. This could be mothers who can’t breastfeed d/t drugs, cancer, there baby being in the NICU, or anything else. The National Milk Bank provides this service across the entire United States.
Remember, sharing is caring!
And, breasts are not just “fun bags”!
XO,
Tiffany Colyer
When I became a mom, the thing that stressed me out the most was breastfeeding. I was worried about my supply, how my baby was going to latch, if I could pump enough to build a good freezer stash, etc. etc. etc….
I was told by LOTS of moms that breastfeeding would be instinctual. News flash! If it wasn’t for the AMAZING lactation consultants that were at the hospital after my delivery, I would have been as successful. I had to be coached on how to get the baby to properly latch and I had to do a LOT of reading about how to eat (and drink) properly to have the best breastmilk for baby.
This post isn’t about what kind of diet to have while you’re breastfeeding…it’s a little more fun!
COOKIES! Who doesn’t love a good cookie! After 2 babies who both exclusively breastfed, I have figured out a cookie recipe that helped increase my supply!
This is no traditional cookie recipe…it has a few key ingredients that are said to help support breastfeeding moms.
Brewer’s Yeast
Brewer’s Yeast is believed to be a galactagogue. A herb that is used to increase breastmilk production in nursing moms. **Bonus** it’s always said to help nourish the skin and hair!
Flaxseed Meal
Flaxseed is an EXCELLENT source of omegas and said to help increase milk supply!
By no means and I promising that this will help with your milk supply, but I am willing to try and do just about everything…plus eating a cookie is so much more enjoyable that taking a supplement. They could easily just have a placebo effect…whatever.
Ingredients
**Try not to eat the entire batch in one sitting**
