I never gave much thought to BFing until DS was born, now I can't imagine not... introducing solids makes me sad too since I know i can't BF him forever... well maybe till middle school :) (j/k) Its upsetting that BFing is so low in the public eye and it seems formula is the immediate response everyone gives when you ask 'how will you feed your baby?' The fact that celebs are blasting it.. well.. it just go to show you that you really shouldn't listen to what celebs have to say... they're famous... not necessarily experts on anything beyond that! Of course complaining about people complaining about BFing isnt really a solution either... to make a difference its best to help spread the word about BFing rather than putting anyone else down for their opinion... and yes formula seems pretty icky to me... but i suppose 'to each his own'? sorry for the rant... :)
To elaborate on that, I love BFing my son. The first few weeks were very difficult and I had thought of giving up a few times while still recovering from birth and adjusting to taking care of a newborn, especially since DH had to be gone during the week and could only drive down to my parent's house where we were staying on the weekends. DH also saw how broken I was and was suggesting that maybe we should switch to formula to keep my sanity (and his).
So it was tough, I thought I wasn't doing it properly, that the latch-on was wrong, I was a mess.... How did you guys feel? Did you have a hard time then too? Anyway, besides all the raging hormones and the fact that it hurt to sit, walk, stand... etc... those first few weeks were really tough and I am so happy I stuck with BFing in the face of that. For any new mom on the fence, I won't beat around the bush, BFing takes time to figure out and perfect, but the reward you get from bonding with your baby and knowing you are giving him exactly the 'formula' that he needs because it is catered especially for him, is priceless.... I am not saying that formula is bad per se --- but if you have the opportunity and the time to BF, give it a serious try. [Personally I am all about naturally taking care of my baby so formula is verrrrry distant in my mind at this point]
What really helped me was that the first day back from the hospital, I was freaking out and DH found a lactation consultant in our area who was gracious enough to come by our house and talk with me for probably around 2 hours, encouraging me and showing me how to latch on and such. That was invaluable... if not for the technique then definitely for the confidence boost she gave me to know that I can do it. I still call her from time to time for advice. So I definitely recommend locating a lactation consultant in your area (preferably before the baby is born unlike how we were frantically trying to do everything two days after DS was born!).
The La Leche League has a great website and posts lactation consultant contact information. Also, we found KellyMom to be a great resource those first few days as well. Not to mention the myriad of other places on the web that talk about breastfeeding.
This is shorter post than I'd like it to be and I will definitely modify it later but for now.. BFing is great... no sense in listening to the crazy rants of people bashing it... and help spread the word about BFing to all the mamas-to-be that you know and give 'em support... Twitter has some nice support groups as well #breastfeeding and #bfcafe are the ones I know of...
Feel free to comment on what resources helped you while you were starting out, what resources you still use - i.e. web, twitter, fb, or share your own BFing experience!
I don't understand why a mother wouldn't want to breastfeed. one, it's free. two, you can do it anywhere, anytime (all you need is your boob and your baby!) and most importantly, three, it offers them all the nutrients they need for their health + immune system! it's the perfect food!!
ReplyDeleteand I just love the bonding time with my sweet babe. I struggled with it in the hospital before my milk came in (had a cs so was there for a few days) and he was getting dehydrated and losing too much weight. one night, the mean nurse came in and said he was loosing too much weight and we needed to supplement with some formula using the sns (is that what it's called? LOL). I felt like the biggest failure and cried silently while my husband slept on the pullout couch next to me, totally oblivious. but my milk came in when I got home and it's been great ever since. my advice to any new mother wanting to breastfeed is to keep at it! if you're having trouble find a lactation consultant, get in touch with the la leche league, look for resources online. it's too important to give up on until you've tried all possible solutions. just my opinion, though :)