So I am the type of person that likes to not only to hear the good but also the bad of certain things. Im not like this with everything but for example I had my friends tell me all the painful, gross, and terrifying stuff of labor, delivery and postpartum. That way I could prepare myself for the worst and if the worst didn't happen then it made things even better! I unfortunately wasn't prepared for breastfeeding. I had heard all the good stuff and read about all the great things about breastfeeding but wasn't really told much about all the struggles I would have. My cousin had told me that the first month would be very painful but once you get past that its smooth sailing. Well I was lucky enough to not have to go through much pain when it came to breastfeeding, but I was definitely thrown many other hurdles. Now almost everything has both positives and negatives. When it comes to breastfeeding I personally thing the positives completely out weigh the negatives! Here are the "negatives" to breastfeeding (I hate calling them negatives because most of the "negatives" are only temporary or really aren't that bad). Also not everyone experiences all of these things. Breastfeeding varies mother to mother.
*In the beginning there can be some pain- I took a 2 hour breastfeeding class and was told that some pain is normal. But that if it is very painful and continues for more than a few days then the baby is most likely not latching on correctly.
*Although breastfeeding is a natural thing it may not come natural to you and baby- This was something I did not realize. Going in to breastfeeding I figured that since it is your bodies natural way of feeding your baby that it should just come natural and Mommy and baby should just be able to master it from the beginning. Mom has to help baby latch on correctly and baby has to learn how to latch on. I thought that Hailyn would just know how to latch on, I didn't know that I would have to "teach" her.
*Although breastfeeding is a natural thing it may not come natural to you and baby- This was something I did not realize. Going in to breastfeeding I figured that since it is your bodies natural way of feeding your baby that it should just come natural and Mommy and baby should just be able to master it from the beginning. Mom has to help baby latch on correctly and baby has to learn how to latch on. I thought that Hailyn would just know how to latch on, I didn't know that I would have to "teach" her.
*Your breast will leak- Now this may sound silly but this was one of the things I was worried about the most. I was worried I would leak through my shirt while out in public, how embarrassing would that be? Now like I said every woman is different but I didn't have any issues with leaking. I definitely leaked but I never leaked through a breast pad or ever had excessive leaking. One thing that is important to know is that you will leak more in the beginning and once your supply starts adjusting you wont leak as much.
*Feeding in public may be difficult- This is another one of those things that gets easier the longer you have been nursing. It also depends on how you feel about nursing in public. I am completely fine with nursing in public but I have to use a nursing cover, thats just what I feel comfortable with. I wish I was able to nurse without a cover but at this point I personally just don't feel comfortable doing it. I think it is awesome when woman feel comfortable nursinig with out a cover, they have every right to be able to feed their baby in public. Now during the first two months or so nursing in pubic, even with a cover, was hard because my daughter and I were still getting the hang of breastfeeding so having a cover over her made things kind of hard. I am not able to do it no problem!
*If you want someone else to feed the baby you have to pump- During the first month or so you may feel like all you are doing is nursing. It can be very overwhelming when you are exhausted and just want to take a nap but you little one wants to eat. Its not like you can just ask someone else to make a bottle and feed your little one while you get a little nap. The first month or so they really depend on you. On the bright side there are breast pumps! Depending on who you talk to there are different theories on when you should introduce a bottle if you are wanting to pump and bottle feed every once in awhile. Some people believe that if you give a baby a bottle too early that they will have issue with latching or may prefer a bottle (since it is more work for a baby to get milk out of the breast than from a bottle). We introduced Hailyn to a bottle at 3 weeks and she had no issues with latching. I personally think that when you introduce a bottle should depend on your baby. If your baby is latching well, and is having no issues with nursing I think it is fine to introduce a bottle. I think as long as you are only doing a bottle a day for the first few weeks there should be no reason for them to prefer the bottle since most of the time they will be eating from the breast.
*Breastfed babies eat more often- Now this isn't always the case. Hailyn has alway gone 3-4 hours between feedings since she was born, and even longer at night. The reason some breastfed babies eat more often is because breast milk is easier for babies to digest so it is digested faster, which can then cause them to eat more often.
*You can only take certain medicines and pain relieves- Just like when you are pregnant, you can only take certain medicines and pain relievers. For me this isn't really that big of a deal because I am the type of person that doesn't really like taking anything unless I absolutely need it. Now I haven't been sick yet since I had Hailyn so I may feel differently once I get sick and can't take just anything. When I do get sick (I plan on getting sick at least once this winter, it is just a given), I will just call my doctor to find out what I am aloud to take while nursing.
*Dietary restrictions- Similar to when you were pregnant you have to continue to be careful about your own nutrition and continue to avoid certain food and limit your intake of others, e.g. alcohol and caffeine. Some mothers say they notice certain foods can cause gassiness and/or upset stomachs in their babies. I personally haven't noticed any issues with any foods. I did have to eliminate dairy and soy from my diet for a few months. Some babies have issues dairy and/or soy. In order to solve this I had to eliminate all dairy and soy from my diet, babies usually grow out of this by 12-18 months and sometimes even earlier, Hailyn is now 4 months and is doing fine with dairy and soy.
*Breastfed babies eat more often- Now this isn't always the case. Hailyn has alway gone 3-4 hours between feedings since she was born, and even longer at night. The reason some breastfed babies eat more often is because breast milk is easier for babies to digest so it is digested faster, which can then cause them to eat more often.
*You can only take certain medicines and pain relieves- Just like when you are pregnant, you can only take certain medicines and pain relievers. For me this isn't really that big of a deal because I am the type of person that doesn't really like taking anything unless I absolutely need it. Now I haven't been sick yet since I had Hailyn so I may feel differently once I get sick and can't take just anything. When I do get sick (I plan on getting sick at least once this winter, it is just a given), I will just call my doctor to find out what I am aloud to take while nursing.
*Dietary restrictions- Similar to when you were pregnant you have to continue to be careful about your own nutrition and continue to avoid certain food and limit your intake of others, e.g. alcohol and caffeine. Some mothers say they notice certain foods can cause gassiness and/or upset stomachs in their babies. I personally haven't noticed any issues with any foods. I did have to eliminate dairy and soy from my diet for a few months. Some babies have issues dairy and/or soy. In order to solve this I had to eliminate all dairy and soy from my diet, babies usually grow out of this by 12-18 months and sometimes even earlier, Hailyn is now 4 months and is doing fine with dairy and soy.
No comments:
Post a Comment