I am breast feeding challenged. Ive had four babies and it wasn’t until this last baby that my body finally figured out how to successfully feed a baby. Something just clicked. I wish I could say I figured out the magic formula for successful nursing but it was just luck. Ive learned that you just do the best you can and then you’ve got to just go with the flow, literally.
Before I even gave birth to my third baby I had already dedicated myself to being a full time breast feeder but my body had other things in mind. No matter what gimmick I tried or how long I would try to nurse her for, I watched my milk supply dwindle to nothing within three months. It was devastating. So when my fourth pregnancy came along I decided to have much lower expectations and decided to supplement right out the gate if the baby needed it. Well guess what? She didn’t need the formula. She is now four months old and we have yet to use the formula we bought in preparation for her.
Each one of my babies were so different not only with their personalities, the pregnancy, and their birth but also with how breast feeding went. With my first baby I was only twenty two years old and although my milk supply was doing good I was uncomfortable with breast feeding and couldn’t wait to get it over with. When my second baby came along a year later I was a lot more comfortable with the idea of breast feeding but unfortunately he was lactose intolerant and colic. He just cried all the time and wouldn’t nurse despite my best efforts. It wasn’t until we switch to lactose free formula that he was able to feel better. It was like he turned into a different happier baby. And then my third baby was also a challenge. I really wanted to breast feed her and do it right and no matter what my doctor and lactose consultant advised me to do my milk supply dwindled to nothing. I had to put her on formula at just two weeks old because she was loosing so much weight. She was just so hungry. Now that my fourth and last little one has come along I just cherish every day that I am able to breast feed her. Its amazing to watch her little body grow and get chunky and to know that it is my body that is doing that for her. Sometimes I worry that I will wake up one day and the milk just won’t be there. But it is a huge comfort to know that I live in a time where I have access to not only formula but also so many choices of formula to fit my babies need.
If I had to give one piece of advice to someone about breast feeding it is to go at it with an open mind. Don’t have expectations before hand. Breast feeding is like discovering a superpower. You’ve never used it before, it can be really confusing and you need time to explore it and see what works and doesn’t.
For more information about feeding your baby you can check out some great resources from The Honest Company. The Honest Company believes in a best-for-baby approach and have solutions for moms that breast and formula feed. No matter what your situation is, companies like The Honest Company are here to help make sure your baby is fed!
You might also like my post about 6 Things That Suck About Breast Feeding That No One Told You About.
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