after telling the doctors that i was uncertain but that i would try they gave me a book on breastfeeding that was seriuosly over simplified but i had just finished nursing school with maternity as the last semester-i had already read/heard/studied all this. i knew all about the things that go wrong, i Knew i would fail, but i decided i would put my money were my mouth was and put in some effort, i read everything i could find, i attended a breastfeeding class with my husband, all the while feeling squemish about the entire thing. i also kept telling myself that with my job pumping at work would not be an option so only three months and then i could stop.
i ended up having my son by emergency c-section, he didn't like labor anymore than i did and kept dropping his heart rate. after the section we were both pretty sleepy, but i knew i was supposed to feed him as soon as possible after birth, he kept opening his mouth for me but then when tried to get him to latch on he would just lay there with a boob in his mouth looking up at me like what is your problem lady? and not latch on, just layed there with his mouth open.
i kept trying all the first day and by the second the nurses wanted to give him a little formula, i agreed to a little as i was starting to feel guilty that he wasn't latching on, i was afraid he would dehydrate. i know babies are born with the abiltiy to go some time after birth without food, but i was a brand new momma, hormones people hormones! i did make it clear that he would only get formula that one time and no more. (that was the only formula feeding he ever got) by the end of the second day around supper time he latched on!!!!! i could have tap danced on my bed i was so happy, it was only for a few sucks but he did it, i figured if he could do it once he would do it again! by the time we left on day three we pretty much had it down, things were going better than i ever expected.
i had joked before Will was born that i hoped some serious mommy hormones kicked in to make all that eww gross stuff go away, and of course they did, i have not felt that way since he was born. but i did try to remain sensitive too it and feed him as discreetly as possible.
i will be honest and say the first 6-8 weeks are the hardest, just figuring out this thing you brought home, what he wants, what works, broken up sleep, sore nipples, i personally just lived in the minute and did not think even a few hours ahead. i was tired and frustrated at times and i had lots of supportive family around me. i also had thoughts like if i just gave him formula i could keep sleeping and hubby could do it. we even tried it but that night when he woke up, i ended up picking him up and feeding him, why am i gonna lay here and listen to him cry waiting to eat, which woke me up fully anyway, when i can just feed him and we can all go back to sleep?
i also had some good luck in joining a really great breastfeeding support group through the hospital(they called me) and even though all of our babies are now toddlers we still get together once a week for a playdate. most hospitals have classes and support groups run by lactation consultants.
we waited to introduce bottles until a few weeks before i went back to work, he wanted no part of that (read screamed bloody murder) and it took lots of tries before he took one, we did use a binky the first week he was born and it did not cause any problems with nursing. i did have some seriously sore nipples at the beginning but besides that we had no complications, and i count myself very lucky. i did pump at work until we started weaning and he started on cows milk, and we are basically just now done he is 15 1/2 months, he hasn't nursed in about 3 days and he doesn't really ask for it. i work second shift part time so we will see how beditme tonight goes since i am home . his first illness was a cold and ear infection at 10 months, he has had one ear infection since. that is it, no other illnesses.
the moral of my story is try, try like you mean it, get educated, read, go to classes, if you have trouble get help! it doesn't work out, fine, you did your best, if it does you save tons of money on formula, you have a child who will get sick less, and you know you did your best!
a few links i think are helpful:
http://www.breastfeeding.com/good advise, humorous stories, educational info(my favorite)
http://www.lalecheleague.org/so what is your story? did you have problems? were you able to fix them?
i will post your stories if you like!
