Lazy Breastfeeder...

Breastfeeding to me was one of those things I didn’t think much about. I was going to do it, I figured it was nature’s way of providing for the baby so it would work just fine. Thankfully for me it did just that. Day one of Stella’s life she was latching right on, with the help of a nipple shield, and we were making milk. I stayed in the hospital long enough with all my blood pressure problems; I was making more than enough for her by the time we left.

*Nipple Shield – my breast are rather large and with the engorgement of the milk my nipples stretched out so they weren't a good shape for her to latch on to. The shield basically suction cupped over my nipple to form a shape Stella could suck. http://www.amazon.com/Medela-Contact-Nipple-Shield-2820mm-2e-29/dp/B000YQMWLU I recommend them for anyone who might have latching on difficulties.

With my ample supply of milk and only getting six weeks of maternity leave you think I would have taken advantage of it and pumped like crazy. Only I didn’t. The first time I pumped I cried. It seemed weird to have some machine sucking on me when it could be my own daughter. It wasn’t a bonding experience and it wasn’t a loving nurturing thing to pump. So I put it away and didn’t think much about it.

A few doctor visits, pediatrician visits, and collaborations with other moms later I realized what a gift I had in this supply. So I started the pumping. I was getting about 4oz from each breast at a time. The only thing I was only pumping about once a day, thinking that would be enough.

The first week I went back to work and Stella stayed home with my mom I thought we were in business. I was still pumping about 9-10 oz total through the day and that’s about how much she was eating. The second week was just the same; however, we started to see how quickly the frozen milk was being used up and by the end of the week we didn’t have much left. So Michael and I made the decision to start supplementing with formula.
*Supplementing means to use formula when breast milk can’t be used, but to focus on breast feeding as the primary source of food.

The formula made it an easy way for me to turn lazy. I had the supply there of formula and didn’t need to maintain the milk, because I knew we had made the decision to use both. But I didn’t like being lazy and I wanted to keep nursing. I would put Stella to the breast and started to realize she would hardly get anything. Then I couldn’t remember the last time I had pumped. I was getting lazy at the expense of my own daughter.

So this week I’m back on the wagon. I’ve been nursing when she’s hungry, though she doesn’t get much and still needs a bottle afterwards, we are getting there. I pumped today at work and realize the more I nurse, pump, drink water, and eat nutritious foods, the more milk I will make. Also Michael is so supportive of breastfeeding and that makes a world of differeance and is very encouraging.

I love breastfeeding and would recommend it to everyone having a baby. It’s such a great experience, such and amazing joy to get that close to your baby, to let you body do what nature has intended it to do. I’m a big supporter and truly believe in the benefits of it. Wish me luck, my goal is to keep breastfeeding through the school year and exclusively through the summer!