During pregnancy I decided to breastfeed as I knew it was the best way for my baby to get her nutrition, but it was only until she was born and actually breastfed that I realized how very important breastfeeding really is. It really is a baby's first immunization and gives them added protection against viruses as they are born with literally no immune system. All they have are the antibodies you give them through your milk. What a genius way to protect our babies! Of course I had lots of hiccups in the beginning as I was a new mom, but a little determination and patience helped things to fall into place. First off, she did not want to breastfeed when she was born! We waited 12 hrs until she was hungry enough and then she actually drank. Even though she was feeding, she was actually using her gums to bite the nipple to get the milk out, which was very painful! I didn't mind the pain actually, as long as she was getting some milk. Her mouth was so tiny, my nipple was more than a mouthful for her...lol, so i had to use my index finger and pull down her lower lip so that she could get a better mouthful of the areola. She was a very tiny baby (5lbs 2oz), so I let her drink the milk however she could.
At one month, she was much stronger and putting on weight but I was still having pain during and after breastfeeding as she was still biting me with her gums. I thought to myself, she should be breastfeeding properly by now, it shouldn't be this painful. Although my mum and cousin told me that its supposed to be painful I knew something was wrong. So I turned to my saviour, GOOGLE...lol. I googled it and found a video of a woman demonstrating how to breastfeed properly. To my surprize, I was holding her head too high instead of the same level as my boob. I was afraid she would choke, hence, I was holding her head higher than her body. Later on I was told by a midwife that babies can't choke even if held upside-down when breastfeeding. I was glad I figured this out because after I tried feeding her with her head level there was no more pain.
The other problem I struggled with is that one of my nipples is inverted and she hated feeding from it. She couldn't latch onto it and would cry so I would just give her the "good" one and she would be fine. This meant that she only fed from one boob, so I had to pump the other otherwise it would become engorged. Sometimes it would actually leak whilst she was feeding from the "good' one and I would put a towel in my bra so she wouldn't get soaked. Another irritating problem I had was in the beginning my nipples would be unstimulated most of the times and harder for her to latch onto. So I would take a wet rag and rub the nipple until it was stimulated enough and then she would latch on. That only lasted for about a few weeks and then it was fine.
I loved the fact that I had no bottles to sterilize, no formula to wake up in the night and mix, no water to boil etc. Just lift up my shirt and she had her lunch! It all became really great when she turned 4 months at which point she was able to feed properly whilst laying down so I could sleep whilst she drank. The good thing about breastfeeding is that mums tend to get sleepy because of a hormone released, this helps them fall asleep easily and get the much needed rest we need. The great thing is I am able to be at home with my baby and give her all the love, attention, and nutrition she needs. Also, because of breastfeeding, she is so much more alert, bright, learns quickly, learned to talk fast (she has a vocabulary of about 25 words already) and she understands what we say and follows instructions. She does much more than other babies her age who are not breastfed.
Now she is 11 months and a pro milk drinker, loves to eat food too and growing up really fast. Last weekend she was in the hospital for an infection which caused high fever, cough, cold and wheezing. I was thanking God every minute because all she was drinking was breastmilk. She would not eat anything else. The breast milk still gave her some nutrition and she was not dehydrated. It also comforted her when she was irritable and helped her fall asleep quickly in the noisy and bright hospital. Once she cuddled up for some "milkies" everything was alright again and she could forget that she was sick and be comforted. It felt really good to be able to give her such comfort when she needed it.
My advice to new mums would be to have patience and be determined to breastfeed. Do not be swayed by people's comments, even if its your family or even your mom. Utilize the resources around you, whether its TIBS, lactation centres, the internet or even other mums around you who went through the same thing, you would be surprised how helpful other mums can be even if it's just to talk. Buy a breastfeeding pillow, they really, really make a difference and makes it much easier. And lastly, remember that your baby will grow up before you know it and it becomes easier as they grow up, and when they wean themselves I'm pretty sure you will miss breastfeeding. I know I look forward to our quiet time together and our bonding moments!
It has been a rewarding experience and I will continue to breastfeed until she is 2yrs old or until she wants to stop.
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