My Nursing Story (for adopt-a-mom)
I'm applying to be a mentor to a new nursing mother over at adopt_a_mom . I meant to do this SO long ago, but things happened, I got really busy, I lost my story, etc. But now, I've been reminded, and I want to try again.
At some point in my first pregnancy, well before my due date, I remember talking to Sol's mom on the phone. She was very interested in my pregnancy, and always had questions or advice for me. While some of it was unwanted, all of it was well meaning. In this instance, she asked me just how much I had thought about breastfeeding. Whoa! I mean, I planned on breastfeeding and everything, but really? now? Then she said something to me that has stuck with me since, "If it's soon enough to think about what happens at the birth, it is soon enough to start thinking, really thinking, about breastfeeding."
My plan was, at the time, to 'try' and breastfeed. Why not? I had learned it was the best for my baby; it would cost less, and would even get me in really good with Sol's mom. I had no idea about lactation consultants, la leche league, boppys, etc. Other things that I didn't know about? Pain, thrush, cracked nipples, latches, plugged ducts, mastitis, and very sleepy babies. I had a lot to learn.
After a relatively uneventful, yet filled-with-intervention birth, Solstice was handed to me, and I began a journey that I will never forget. Nursing was initially successful in the hospital, but I had quite a few problems when I got home. Luckily, I was armed with the LLL handbook - the big, spiral bound, every problem covered, spelled out and diagrammed textbook. Thank god. I thumbed through that behemoth volume every single day.
We made it through the pain, through the plugged ducts, through the mastitis. Her shallow, lazy latch was corrected by very briefly using nipple shields. Under the supervision of a lactation consultant, I used nipple shields to encourage a latch, then slipped them off after the milk was flowing. She wasn’t a sleepy baby for long, and we learned that the key for us while working with oversupply was to nurse on one breast at a time, rather than switching breast to breast. Solstice never took a bottle or a pacifier, and looking back, I guess it was very lucky because I never had to deal with weaning from an object. We did have to finger-wean, which is another story - while she did not take a pacifier, she readily sucked on our fingers when she needed to comfort nurse.
I did not experience the benefit of a late-returning period after Solstice was born. In fact, after a one time ‘indiscretion’ in June of ’05, I found out that I was expecting my 2nd child. Solstice was only 6 months old.
I did not plan on weaning Solstice any time soon. It had taken us a long time to finally get in our groove! So I plowed on through pregnancy. I won’t lie; nursing through pregnancy was not easy for me. My supply tanked, my nipples were sore, and I was overcome by a feeling of ‘I really don’t want to.’ I pushed through because I knew that it would be best for Solstice, who, in my opinion, was just too young to consider weaning.
My ob cautioned me against nursing through pregnancy, so I found another who was more supportive. Luna was born a week overdue at 10 and a half pounds. So much for her big sister stealing her nutrients. I looked forward to an easier nursing relationship with Luna because I was so experienced.
At first things were awkward. My body was used to nursing a toddler, and an infant, even as large as Luna, seemed so tiny to hold. Luna had a shallow latch, and she let air in making a sucking sound. The lc told me that I was doing things ‘right’ and luckily her latch self-corrected in a very short time. There were some jealousy issues with Solstice wanting to nurse first or always at the same time, but I really tried to carve out plenty of time for just Luna, as well as some time with just Solstice one-on-one.
As the girls shared nursing, they became very, very close. Solstice was amazingly considerate of her younger sister’s needs, and Luna would often fall off the breast laughing at Soli’s antics. Things alternated for me, between nursing bliss and doom. I suffered from post-partum depression both times, though it was much, much worse after Luna was born.
In February 2008, I slowly and gently began the weaning process. Solstice was well over 3 years old and Luna was almost 2. I felt it too early to wean Luna, but I was still struggling with depression after 2 years and I felt ready to move on. Solstice would not have tolerated being weaned without Luna; so unfortunately, Luna got the short end of the stick. We went down to once a day nursing for both of them and stayed in that pattern for weeks. Surprisingly, weaning Solstice was much more difficult than it was for Luna. Solstice needed reasoning and explaining. Luna almost didn’t even care. Their temperaments are very different.
Both girls have fond memories of nursing. We talk about it a lot… I am expecting our third child in February, and the girls are excited to help out in any way that they can. They know that babies need to nurse, that they love nursing, and that they need their mama. They nurse their own babies.
Of course I plan on nursing this baby, for me there is no other choice. I am really excited about the prospect of nursing just one baby, and I am excited about starting all over. I know that regardless of my experience, I might have problems again, and I know that we can and will overcome.
At some point in my first pregnancy, well before my due date, I remember talking to Sol's mom on the phone. She was very interested in my pregnancy, and always had questions or advice for me. While some of it was unwanted, all of it was well meaning. In this instance, she asked me just how much I had thought about breastfeeding. Whoa! I mean, I planned on breastfeeding and everything, but really? now? Then she said something to me that has stuck with me since, "If it's soon enough to think about what happens at the birth, it is soon enough to start thinking, really thinking, about breastfeeding."
My plan was, at the time, to 'try' and breastfeed. Why not? I had learned it was the best for my baby; it would cost less, and would even get me in really good with Sol's mom. I had no idea about lactation consultants, la leche league, boppys, etc. Other things that I didn't know about? Pain, thrush, cracked nipples, latches, plugged ducts, mastitis, and very sleepy babies. I had a lot to learn.
After a relatively uneventful, yet filled-with-intervention birth, Solstice was handed to me, and I began a journey that I will never forget. Nursing was initially successful in the hospital, but I had quite a few problems when I got home. Luckily, I was armed with the LLL handbook - the big, spiral bound, every problem covered, spelled out and diagrammed textbook. Thank god. I thumbed through that behemoth volume every single day.
We made it through the pain, through the plugged ducts, through the mastitis. Her shallow, lazy latch was corrected by very briefly using nipple shields. Under the supervision of a lactation consultant, I used nipple shields to encourage a latch, then slipped them off after the milk was flowing. She wasn’t a sleepy baby for long, and we learned that the key for us while working with oversupply was to nurse on one breast at a time, rather than switching breast to breast. Solstice never took a bottle or a pacifier, and looking back, I guess it was very lucky because I never had to deal with weaning from an object. We did have to finger-wean, which is another story - while she did not take a pacifier, she readily sucked on our fingers when she needed to comfort nurse.
I did not experience the benefit of a late-returning period after Solstice was born. In fact, after a one time ‘indiscretion’ in June of ’05, I found out that I was expecting my 2nd child. Solstice was only 6 months old.
I did not plan on weaning Solstice any time soon. It had taken us a long time to finally get in our groove! So I plowed on through pregnancy. I won’t lie; nursing through pregnancy was not easy for me. My supply tanked, my nipples were sore, and I was overcome by a feeling of ‘I really don’t want to.’ I pushed through because I knew that it would be best for Solstice, who, in my opinion, was just too young to consider weaning.
My ob cautioned me against nursing through pregnancy, so I found another who was more supportive. Luna was born a week overdue at 10 and a half pounds. So much for her big sister stealing her nutrients. I looked forward to an easier nursing relationship with Luna because I was so experienced.
At first things were awkward. My body was used to nursing a toddler, and an infant, even as large as Luna, seemed so tiny to hold. Luna had a shallow latch, and she let air in making a sucking sound. The lc told me that I was doing things ‘right’ and luckily her latch self-corrected in a very short time. There were some jealousy issues with Solstice wanting to nurse first or always at the same time, but I really tried to carve out plenty of time for just Luna, as well as some time with just Solstice one-on-one.
As the girls shared nursing, they became very, very close. Solstice was amazingly considerate of her younger sister’s needs, and Luna would often fall off the breast laughing at Soli’s antics. Things alternated for me, between nursing bliss and doom. I suffered from post-partum depression both times, though it was much, much worse after Luna was born.
In February 2008, I slowly and gently began the weaning process. Solstice was well over 3 years old and Luna was almost 2. I felt it too early to wean Luna, but I was still struggling with depression after 2 years and I felt ready to move on. Solstice would not have tolerated being weaned without Luna; so unfortunately, Luna got the short end of the stick. We went down to once a day nursing for both of them and stayed in that pattern for weeks. Surprisingly, weaning Solstice was much more difficult than it was for Luna. Solstice needed reasoning and explaining. Luna almost didn’t even care. Their temperaments are very different.
Both girls have fond memories of nursing. We talk about it a lot… I am expecting our third child in February, and the girls are excited to help out in any way that they can. They know that babies need to nurse, that they love nursing, and that they need their mama. They nurse their own babies.
Of course I plan on nursing this baby, for me there is no other choice. I am really excited about the prospect of nursing just one baby, and I am excited about starting all over. I know that regardless of my experience, I might have problems again, and I know that we can and will overcome.