BREAST FEEDING TIPS - Mama Ibeji Tips to Try Again When asked if I was going to breastfeed when I was pregnant for the first time my automatic response would be, sure why not? I could save money on formula and it would be a nice way to bond with my child. I really had no idea how difficult breastfeeding would cut out to be. Some mothers and babies pick it up very easily but for myself and many, I had a lot of difficulties. After four months, the lack of sleep and pain was enough for me to stop. I felt like I was missing out on precious moments because I was always tired, in pain and overall just stressed out by the whole process. Don’t get me wrong, breastfeeding is a beautiful thing and I give thumbs up to all the moms who love it. But sometimes breastfeeding doesn’t work out and however you choose to nourish your child is completely up to you. You do what you need to do to make you the best mommy. When I was pregnant with my second child, I decided to try again. This time around I knew what to expect and decided to have a more relax approach to breastfeeding. I was no longer a first time mother and so many of the first anxieties of having a new baby seemed to be not as scary as it once was. This time around breastfeeding my child was far more successful. Over a year later, I am still successfully breastfeeding. Here are some tips that helped me successful breastfeed this time around. 1. I DIDN’T WORRY ABOUT MY MILK SUPPLY. I was constantly worried about making sure that I was producing enough for my child that I was breastfeeding and directly afterwards, I was pumping. It was in a constant cycle that didn’t allow me any sleep or time to rest and ended up just engorging myself. I found this time around I was going to trust my body to make enough milk to nourish my baby. I didn’t religiously pump like I did the last time and fed only when my baby wanted to. 2. I BREASTFED DIRECTLY AFTER MY BABY WAS BORN – WITHIN SECONDS. Breastfeeding is an instinct that babies are born with. It is truly an awesome thing! With my first child, I waited a bit before I decided to try to breastfeed which may be why we had initial problems of latching on correctly. This time, my baby fed right after she was born. Where there a few bumps in the road? Of course, but in the end I truly believe this helped out greatly. 3. BE PATIENT. I didn’t get frustrated when my little one didn’t latch on right away. I took a deep breath and kept on trying. Sometimes I took a break, headed her off to daddy while I stepped away for a bit. I tried different positions and yes, my boobs still hurt. But the pain goes away and I was patient with my body knowing that it needed time to adjust. I stocked my home with supplies of nipple cream, heating pads and anything else that would help elevate some of the discomfort. 4. I KEPT MY MIND BUSY WHEN I WAS NURSING AND REFUSED TO WATCH THE CLOCK. This was extremely helpful as the first time around I felt like I was always counting down. Don’t worry about how long your baby nurses and concentrate on the bonding time you and your little one have. It was also a great way to catch up on some of my favorite shows or read a book!
Posted on: Sat, 20 Dec 2014 09:43:22 +0000
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