Breastfeeding isn’t easy, especially after the first pregnancy. Here are my Confessions of a Nursing Mom from 2013.
Confessions of a Nursing Mom
WARNING: This post is about breastfeeding and the confessions of a nursing mom. That means I’m talking about cracked nipples, sore boobs, and massive amounts of breast milk.
I always knew that I wanted to breastfeed our baby for many reasons. For one, it is natural and inexpensive. Two, breastmilk is light on the tummy. And three, nursing is a great way to bond with your baby.
I thought breastfeeding would be easy. If your baby is hungry, you just pull out your boob and baby eats. Right?
WRONG.
Confessions of a First Time Nursing Mom
Breastfeeding is hard!
I actually met with the lactation consultant three times while I was in the hospital because I had so many questions. Plus, little A didn’t like to latch on my left side properly. She still has difficulty and my poor nipple is suffering. There is so much more to breastfeeding a baby than you, your breast, and the little one.
You need a special bra, special breast pads for leaking, special tops with easy access, lots of water, extra calories in your diet, and… in my case: a special diet.
Following a Fussy Baby Diet for Breastfeeding
I am currently following a fussy baby diet that pretty much eliminates half of what we have in our pantry: dairy, citrus, caffeine, chocolate, whole grains, leafy greens, broccoli, red meat, etc.
No one told me that whatever I eat can affect my baby’s stomach. Or if something makes me sick, it’ll probably make her sick too. Seeing that I already have a bad stomach, my poor little girl’s belly might not be a steel trap like her Daddy’s. The fussy foods list seems so long. I am managing by living on cheese, pancakes, fruit, and carrot sticks because I know they don’t upset her belly.
Note: A few months into my breastfeeding journey I switched to a Dairy Free Diet. Read about Breastfeeding on a Dairy Free Diet.
Did You know a Nursing Mom Can Produce Excessive Amounts of Milk?
I mentioned earlier in my pregnancy that I started lactating around 21 weeks. The doctor laughed and said my body was going to be more than ready to breastfeed after the baby was born.
The doctor was right – I produce enough milk for two babies! I am constantly pumping or changing the breast pads in my bra because they are filled with milk and I’m leaking through my bra and shirt. Someone needs to create a wetsuit tank top for breastfeeding Moms. I have dried milk everywhere!
Breastfeeding hurts the first 100 times you do it – especially when your little one likes to smash your poor nipple with her gums. Breastfeeding also hurts when your milk comes in. My breasts turned to rock hard melons for two days when my milk came in. Then they started softening after feedings – only to turn right back into rock hard melons again.
If I don’t pump or nurse every 2-3 hours, then it’s only minutes before my whole shirt is soaked. I did not know I was going to be walking around with leaky time bombs on my chest.
When we were in the hospital, they had me supplement her diet with formula because she wasn’t going pee. I actually cried... I did not want to give her anything, but what I had to offer. I felt inadequate. I felt like a bad Momma. But I did what I had to do for my baby. The formula made her so sick – extra gassy and extra miserable. We only had to give it to her for three days, and then the doctor said she was good to go back to strictly breast milk. I was so excited.
WARNING: Sometimes Mastitis can appear from a clogged milk duct, especially when nursing moms make a lot of milk. Read all about the signs and symptoms of Mastitis and my experience with it here.
Final Confession of a Nursing Mom
When all is said and done – breastfeeding is worth every little pain, ruined t-shirt, and sleepless night. The bond I feel with Annabelle every time I nurse her is hard to describe. Is it weird to say that I love how she ‘needs me?’ Plus, I know she doesn’t have control of where her little hands go – but when she reaches up and touches my face during a feeding, my heart bursts with love.
I know that breastfeeding is a controversial topic. Some Moms are PRO-Breastfeeding while other Moms don’t see the anything special about it. My stance about breastfeeding: Do what you want. I don’t judge anyone!
Love the pictures!
Annabelle is one lucky baby!
Good job mama! It is hard! I nursed SS for 11 months and it got so much easier with time. xx
I completely agree! It’s hard but so worth it! Good job mama!
Congrats! I’m at 6.5 EBF and there are def hard times. Around 3 months he hit a major growth spurt. It took my body 3-4 days to make enough, so he cried a lot. I just fed him nearly nonstop day and night until my supply jumped. If I didn’t know that was normal, I would have assumed I just wasn’t making enough anymore and would’ve supplemented. Btw I love talking about breastfeeding, so if you ever need encouragement or advice, reach out to me! I’m Bethany from Before, During, and After (a mom blog), but you could just email me! (bgking8611@gmail)
Congrats on being such a super momma! 🙂 I tryed BF for a whole 3 days and gave up. I got discouraged easily and the pain was almost unbearable.
I love this. I think breastfeeding is the hardest thing I have ever done. It’s a lot of work, a huge commitment and PAINFUL (at least at first) but I agree that it is also SO rewarding. No one else in the whole wide world will ever have those moments you get to share. 4 weeks was the turning point for me…it was like a light switch, it was just easy. xoxoxox.
I couldn’t breastfeed my son due to his issues from being a preemie, but I pumped exclusively and he’s still getting breastmilk from what I froze! He’s been on mostly formula though since he was about 10.5 months. They supplemented with formula while he was in the NICU and he spit up so much more than when he was on breastmilk.
Just one little piece of advice – if you have oversupply, try not to pump. I know you feel relief when you do, but it signals your body to continue to produce that much milk. Maybe pump just until you feel relief, but not until you feel empty, so to speak. But it does even out – the leaking stops (or slows), your supply regulates, etc. God was really smart when he designed our bodies! 🙂
I had to give Chase formula before my milk came in and I cried hysterically. I think it’s really common. More people need to talk about it! Great post for expectant moms that plan to nurse!
As a NICU nurse (aka one who has never breast fed a child but assisted in the act countless times) I love seeing women share their struggles! Many mamas have the same idea that you have and it just isn’t the case with some babes. And our labor and delivery nurses are so “hardcore breastfeeding” I think they forget that half of them were bottle babies themselves! Fact of the matter is, ya do what works best for you and your baby and family.
Breastfeeding is a wonderful bond between you and your baby! I have been exclusively bf for the past 5 months and I also didn’t know I would have to be on a special diet depending on her belly! Glad you are able to experience the amazing experience of bf with your little girl:)
I loved being able to breastfeed LJ. Unfortunately I didn’t produce enough milk with Lil Mister and he was put on formula at weeks. LJ, though, made it until 5 months. He weened himself since I was going back to work. It is a beautiful and miraculous thing! It’s funny all the stuff ‘they’ forget to mention! I wish you all the best in the world and pray you enjoy every second of it!
I wanted to breastfeed my daughter some 23 years ago but after an emergency cesarean, I got a really bad infection and stayed in the hospital for 9 days. During that time, they wouldn’t allow me to breastfeed while I was on the Iv antibiotics and she got used to formula and nothing I did not even seeing the lactation specialist helped. She refused to breastfeed so she got formula. That was quite a few years ago and I’m sure if I had a baby these days that I might find more help but the nurses were no help and the lactation specialist would only come to the hospital one time. I wish you all the best with your little one.
Wow Mary! Thank you for sharing your experience. It sounds like you had a very difficult time after giving birth to your daughter. I am happy that everything turned out all right, but sad for you that you were in the hospital for so long!
Thank you so much Shana! I have heard that every child is different – some like the boob, and others do not! =0) Thanks for sharing!
I truly feel a special bond between us – even though little A is still so young!
There are definitely a lot of hardcore breastfeeding women out there that are pretty intimidating!
I AGREE! People need to talk about the fact that not all babies can have breastmilk right off the bat – or that they can’t have it at all. That way us new Moms won’t be so disappointed if it happens to us.
Today I soaked my bra and tank top while feeding A … and before I got upset, I remembered what your comment said. Thank you for the advice!
Seriously it is SUCH hard work! I never ever ever thought it would be. I thought breastfeeding was the easy way out – but it totally is not. I am definitely looking forward to it becoming easier – however, I don’t want to rush anything, so I am not counting down the days!
Thank you Samantha! Kudos to you for trying 🙂
Thank you so much for commenting Bethany. I will definitely be in touch – I always have so many questions!
Thanks for sharing Katie! I hope to be able to BF for that long!
Thanks Lisette!
Thank you so much for this! I’m 33 weeks pregnant and hoping to just breastfeed my little one but nervous that it may not be what she needs or I can’t supply her enough. Your advice really has helped me 🙂 xo
I love that, do what you want! Thank you for being so honest and candid, I had no idea!
xx
Kelly
Sparkles and Shoes
I started lactating around 24 weeks – I thought something was wrong with me! I’m glad to know it’s a normal thing. Did you go to a breast feeding class prior to having A?
I want to go down this route when we have kids, but this is honestly the thing that terrifies me the most about new motherhood. It sounds like it is a learn as you go type thing!
Funny, I can remember the good and bad of breastfeeding like it was yesterday. Mastitis was definitely something I had hoped I would but did have. My worst experience was wearing a solid colored teal blouse under a suit to give a large presentation at a business meeting. The stress created a “let down” of my milk and you can only imagine the wet circles on my top. No one said, but hopefully my suit jacket stayed over my blouse! Overall, I am so glad I did it.
Excellent information on your blog, thank you for taking the time to share with us. Amazing insight you have on this, it’s nice to find a website that details so much information about nursing moms expedience.