"It's the most natural thing ever!" they said. Well, maybe so, but it sure doesn't feel natural in the beginning. Contrary to popular belief, most babies are not born with the innate knowledge of how to partake of that liquid gold known as breast-milk. That first month is hard. Really hard. A lot of people give up because it's so hard. But I'm here to tell you that if you can push through those first few weeks, it becomes so much easier, and nicer, and more convenient. But when you go into it expecting it to be easy from the get-go, you're setting yourself up for failure. Here are some things about the early days of breastfeeding that they don't tell you:
1. It f***ing hurts. Your little one doesn't have very good control of their mouth muscles, and there will be many times that they bite down. You may be thinking, "How much can it really hurt. though, they don't even have teeth yet!" The answer is, a lot. It hurts a lot. And I'm not sure if babies eventually get better at it or if your nipples just become numb to it, but I promise it stops hurting.
2. It is messy. Your baby will often latch on for just long enough to get a letdown, and then pull away, causing you to spray milk EVERYWHERE. Fun times. And then there's also the time you forgot to bring extra nursing pads and you leaked all over your only shirt at your birthday party with your husband's whole family there. Oh, that wasn't you? Well then I don't know....
3. Babies need a lot of help. Most people know that newborns have very limited muscle control in their necks. What most people don't realize, is that this means these newborns can't adjust their heads very easily to get the right angle at your breast or hold that heavy milk jug in their mouth. You will need to hold your baby with one hand and hold your breast in his or her mouth with the other. But they'll get it soon, don't worry!
4. Sometimes babies don't gain weight very quickly. This is a cause for many doctors' concern, but it shouldn't be. As long as they are still making wet and dirty diapers like they should, they are getting enough and unless you want to, you don't need to supplement with formula.
5. You will feel a bit like a cow at first. Newborns eat so often that it seems like a waste of time to even put on a shirt, and you will feel like all you ever do is nurse. And it kind of is. But it won't always be. Right now they are very comforted by your scent and the act of sucking.
6. You will feel like you have to time outings so very carefully so as to avoid the need for nursing in a public place, because you can't FATHOM how anyone could do so discretely. Here's a trick I learned from being around more experienced breastfeeding mamas: wear a tank top under a normal shirt. Than you lift up the outer shirt and pull the top of the tank top down so that your breast is accessible to baby but you're not stripping down for all to see. You can also wear a low-cut top by itself and pull it down when you need to nurse, but the tank top trick allows you to wear a wider range of shirts.
7. Infections can happen. Thrush and mastitis are pretty common and not very pleasant. But they pass!
People won't understand why you insist on sticking with this whole breastfeeding idea when it's so hard. "Think of how much nicer it would be to just give him a bottle!" they'll say Someone ELSE could even give him a bottle! (This can be true for nursing moms who pump, as well.) But you're sticking with it because you know it will get easier. You know how nice it is to be able to leave the house with just some diapers, wipes, and a change of clothes and you're all set. You know how nice it is to pick up your crying infant in the middle of the night and put them right to your breast instead of having to listen to their screams while you get a bottle ready (if you're into co-sleeping, you can even lay your baby down next to you and go right back to sleep while they eat!). You know you're giving your baby the most superior nutrition while also reducing your own risk of breast cancer. You know you're burning an extra 300 calories a day just by feeding your baby. You know how special that bond is and how amazing it feels to be so loved and needed by this little person you made. So please, mamas, find a good support system and don't give up on a bad day. You'll thank yourself later!
1. It f***ing hurts. Your little one doesn't have very good control of their mouth muscles, and there will be many times that they bite down. You may be thinking, "How much can it really hurt. though, they don't even have teeth yet!" The answer is, a lot. It hurts a lot. And I'm not sure if babies eventually get better at it or if your nipples just become numb to it, but I promise it stops hurting.
2. It is messy. Your baby will often latch on for just long enough to get a letdown, and then pull away, causing you to spray milk EVERYWHERE. Fun times. And then there's also the time you forgot to bring extra nursing pads and you leaked all over your only shirt at your birthday party with your husband's whole family there. Oh, that wasn't you? Well then I don't know....
3. Babies need a lot of help. Most people know that newborns have very limited muscle control in their necks. What most people don't realize, is that this means these newborns can't adjust their heads very easily to get the right angle at your breast or hold that heavy milk jug in their mouth. You will need to hold your baby with one hand and hold your breast in his or her mouth with the other. But they'll get it soon, don't worry!
4. Sometimes babies don't gain weight very quickly. This is a cause for many doctors' concern, but it shouldn't be. As long as they are still making wet and dirty diapers like they should, they are getting enough and unless you want to, you don't need to supplement with formula.
5. You will feel a bit like a cow at first. Newborns eat so often that it seems like a waste of time to even put on a shirt, and you will feel like all you ever do is nurse. And it kind of is. But it won't always be. Right now they are very comforted by your scent and the act of sucking.
6. You will feel like you have to time outings so very carefully so as to avoid the need for nursing in a public place, because you can't FATHOM how anyone could do so discretely. Here's a trick I learned from being around more experienced breastfeeding mamas: wear a tank top under a normal shirt. Than you lift up the outer shirt and pull the top of the tank top down so that your breast is accessible to baby but you're not stripping down for all to see. You can also wear a low-cut top by itself and pull it down when you need to nurse, but the tank top trick allows you to wear a wider range of shirts.
7. Infections can happen. Thrush and mastitis are pretty common and not very pleasant. But they pass!
People won't understand why you insist on sticking with this whole breastfeeding idea when it's so hard. "Think of how much nicer it would be to just give him a bottle!" they'll say Someone ELSE could even give him a bottle! (This can be true for nursing moms who pump, as well.) But you're sticking with it because you know it will get easier. You know how nice it is to be able to leave the house with just some diapers, wipes, and a change of clothes and you're all set. You know how nice it is to pick up your crying infant in the middle of the night and put them right to your breast instead of having to listen to their screams while you get a bottle ready (if you're into co-sleeping, you can even lay your baby down next to you and go right back to sleep while they eat!). You know you're giving your baby the most superior nutrition while also reducing your own risk of breast cancer. You know you're burning an extra 300 calories a day just by feeding your baby. You know how special that bond is and how amazing it feels to be so loved and needed by this little person you made. So please, mamas, find a good support system and don't give up on a bad day. You'll thank yourself later!
0 Comments