Oh breastfeeding!

As you may have read, we had a bit of a tough start with our first baby since he spent many days in the NICU. I was hell bent on breastfeeding my kid despite the rocky start and because of the rocky start!:) My background is in public health and I could go on and on and on about why breastfeeding is the best but one of the best things I find about it, not even considering the health benefits, is that it travels with you everywhere and can be ready at any moment. Once you get the hang of it, it's no muss, no fuss.

Hopefully your baby will latch right on. And because my baby did this even 6 days after he was born, I don't have too much advice there. However, there is tons of information on how to get a good latch out there. It's all about positioning and possibly repositioning.

Yes, breastfeeding can be tricky. Take it from a woman who sat up with her husband night after night, day after day for hours to breastfeed, then bottle feed their kid and then breast pump to improve production. I felt like a zombie. It was nuts. But like all things, this too shall/did pass.

We learned so many lessons that I don't know where to begin.
1. Make sure you're baby is actually drinking. Did you know that you should be able to hear a little swallow? You should also see him swallow. Imagine someone chugging a beer or big glass of milk or something, that's what it should look like.

2. Shoot! You just pumped and now your baby is hungry! Did you know that your baby can find more milk? Don't freak out and give him formula instead-that won't help production! Just put that baby on the boob so it helps you and helps him.

3. If you decide one day to pump just to see how much you're producing, don't be discouraged if you don't pump much! It doesn't indicate how much you're producing and how much your baby is getting. Remember, your baby is the best 'pump.' (and yes, I still have to convince myself of this). Best thing to judge this and one of the only things they are good for:) the dirty diapers! how many pee and poo ones has your baby had? and of course, if your baby is gaining weight.

4. Put that baby on the boob. Your baby is the best stimulation for milk production. You have those lovely feelings for your babe, the babe is stimulating the boob, nature is taking its course. You can do it!

5. Baby is fussy on the breast, change it up! Do the football hold, cradle hold, etc.  This really helped me. Also, learn how to get comfortable yourself. You can't hold your baby's head up for 30mins, have your husband help prop it up with a blanket or pillow. The whole experience will be better when you're relaxed.

6. Blocked ducts--ouch! They are horrible and feel like rocks in your breasts! Take a hot shower, massage the area in the shower. Put the baby on the boob and massage the area while he eats. It is suggested that his chin is facing the blocked duct but with me this was hard because most of mine were on the top of my boob. But it's just a tip to keep changing nursing positions to help release the duct and ease the pain. Also keep the baby eating (at least mostly) from the same boob. Keep at it and they will eventually go away. I even read that you can put an ultrasonic toothbrush on it  to help break it up. Know that you are not alone.

7. If you have breastfeeding issues or your baby had a stay in the hospital, do yourself a favor, go and buy the good pump. Not the okay pump but the really good one, preferably the one that does 2 boobs at once. It will make your life so much easier. Trust me, I know.

8. Try the champagne! Okay, it's not really champagne but it sounds like it: domperidone.  It is for nausea and actually carries a warning for heart palpitation in the elderly. This drug worked wonders for me. I tried pumping, baby to boob, taking fenugreek (yuck, tastes like swamp thing) and blessed thistle, etc. Domperidone really helped me and I know other women who it really helped also. If you want to breastfeed your baby and are having trouble look into this.

9. Buy a hooter hider. I thought I could get away with a big scarf/pashmina but really a hooter hider type design is the best. It has a little piece of metal on the top that keeps the fabric away from your baby a bit so you don't have to worry about smothering them and you can peek in at them. It's also big enough to cover you and them almost completely. Good for public places, like airplanes!

10. Lactation consultants will tell you 2 things: 'do you feel your breasts empty?' and 'just relax!' Ahhhh! This frustrated me so much. I never really knew if my breasts were emptied. Unless it had been several hours (like at night) and they were more noticeably full, I had no idea most times. My advice, again, go with those dirty diapers. If your baby is peeing and pooing and gaining weight, your breasts are being emptied.
Relax! How am I supposed to relax when I have a new baby, breastfeeding isn't coming naturally to me, and the baby is also having a hard time!? I hated this advice. Just do the best you can to get the hang of breastfeeding. It will happen. You breastfeed so much and so often that soon enough it will feel more relaxing for you. My advice, which a friend gave me, is to think about something else. Most people tell you to think about your baby when you are pumping or feeding but it was such a source of stress for me that it helped me to write an email, read a magazine, etc.

Again, if I can do it! So can you!