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If you are a new mom and you are trying to learn as much as you can about breastfeeding, have you ever come across horror stories in magazines and websites of how hard breastfeeding might be? You might have heard of bleeding nipples, milk supply issues, babies refusing to nurse, slow weight gain, pumping nightmares, just to mention a few. Just like how expectant mothers are bombarded with birth horror stories, finding out about any breastfeeding problems can really freak a new mom out about choosing to nurse her infant.
So what is the real story on breastfeeding anyway? Is it really that difficult to nurse a baby? Are there steps moms can take to prevent any breastfeeding problems from happening?
Firstly, the idea that breastfeeding is difficult is a concept that is unique to the modern world. One well known anthropologist asked a group of native women if new moms had a hard time nursing their babies, and they could barely understand the question, much less comprehend the idea that breastfeeding was anything but as natural as breathing.
Maybe what makes the thought that breastfeeding is difficult is the fact the moms anticipate it to be difficult.
Plus, a lot of women have never seen other mothers breastfeed their infant in real life. A lot of girls never watched their mothers breastfeed their younger siblings as they were growing up. Thus, the image of a nursing mother seems to be new in their minds.
What about the poor breastfeeding information that is still preferred by labor and delivery nurses, mothers and mothers in law, and even Pediatricians? One Mom was told by hospital staff shortly after her first child was born, “Don’t nurse for longer than 5 minutes or you’ll get sore.” This mom knew that following this advice could lead to low milk supply and weight gain issues, so she ignored it.
But another mom may not have been so fortunate. Let’s not even mention how many moms are told to “top off” the breastfeeding baby with a bottle of formula, setting her up for multiple problems that could be avoided.
So how can a mom get good advice? One way is to visit other breastfeeding mothers. Ask them questions and observe them nursing their babies. Attend breastfeeding support groups such as La Leche League or Holistic Moms. Check any advice you read or hear against what these real experts – nursing moms have to say.
I have breast fed all of my three children and I am happy that I did. It was a wonderful experience. Not only did it give me a chance to really bond with my babies but also in a medical point of view, I knew that mother’s milk was best for them. It has been over 10 years since I stopped breastfeeding my youngest child but I know that I can still share my experiences with other moms. In an effort to educate new moms about breastfeeding, I will be blogging about this topic in the next few days. I am also running a contest where I will be giving away 2 Baby’s Bliss Nipple Cream for Mommies. You can learn more about this product by visiting their website at www.babybliss.com. To be entered in the giveaway, leave a comment on this blog post. Two Winners will be posted on this site on Sept. 30, 2009.
September 17th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
Breastfeeding is the only way to go for me. Although my son is just over 6 months old and I notice he’s getting really big when I’m feeding him. I’m going to try to make it a full year, but we’ll see. I did pretty good with my 1st two…
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September 19th, 2009 at 12:11 am
i’m on my second child and was so clueless and frustrated about breastfeeding with my first child. This time I am determined to make it. Its not as hard as I remembered it being with my first. The hardest thing for me is to keep my newborn awake long enough to nurse. He usually only does about 5 minutes on each side and then goes to sleep completely satisfied. I am trying to get him to build up to 10 minutes on each side, but his weight gain seems to be going well according to the doctor so I’m not extremely worried.
September 19th, 2009 at 12:56 am
Hi
I just had a baby boy (8days old) 5wks early and I am a breastfeeding and pumping momma. He only latches well on the left and hurts like crazy on the right. so I feed on the left and pump the right for now.
September 19th, 2009 at 2:24 am
With my daughter (who is going to be 4 in Nov.) I gave up breast feeding after one month. I was too stressed, she wouldn’t latch, I hated pumping, etc. With my son (who was born 8/09) I was going to do it ALL differently – exclusive nursing the first two weeks, no bottles, no pacifiers. That notion lasted until our second week home when the crap hit the fan, so to speak.
Since then I have pumped exclusively, only making 1-2 ounces of breast milk at each session. He gets 5 oz of breast milk in a bottle each day and formula the rest of the day. It is hard, but my goal is to continuing pumping to get my milk supply up and go back to nursing or just getting him breast milk and no more formula.
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September 19th, 2009 at 7:51 pm
I linked to this contest, sounds like a great product.
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September 20th, 2009 at 12:24 am
Thanks ladies for the comments and link-love.
September 20th, 2009 at 1:21 am
I am nursing this is my second time. I have three girls. My first who was born premature, never latched on. So for her I pumped. Well, this time around has been the worst for me. My 2month has sucked my nipples raw. And I can’t figure out why. My only guess is that my nipples are large and her mouth is tiny. I really need something too help, other products have not help much…
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September 22nd, 2009 at 7:58 pm
That is such a good point that this is a modern phenomenon. I am so thankful that I have been able to nurse all of my babies. With my first, a NICU baby, we really struggled. I had to pump while he as in the NICU and then he had big trouble latching. It literally took two month until he got the hang of it. He was born at the end of October, and finally started nursing correctly at the beginning of January. But I am so happy that we stuck with it. It was definitely worth it. My 2nd and 3rd babies have been a breeze. Nursing is the best!
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September 22nd, 2009 at 9:12 pm
I am just about to have baby number two and plan on nursing. Things were rough for the first little while with my first. I hope it goes well this time. I’d love to be entered in the give away.
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