StumbleUpon

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Breast is best?!?


From the moment new parents announce they are expecting, other moms telling them ‘breast is best’ bombard them. The American Academy of Pediatrics says "babies should be breastfed exclusively for the first 6 months". There is no denying the benefits of breast-feeding your little one, but what if you can't? I am not talking about parents who have adopted and have no interest in getting breast milk from a milk bank

As a mother of two beautiful girls (my oldest 13 and little one just turned 2) my experience was a little different then I thought it would be. With my oldest Kiana, I was completely uncomfortable with the whole idea of breastfeeding to be honest. Being a bit younger, and knowing I would have to go back to work immediately, I just felt it best to start her on formula from the beginning. I remember in the hospital after she was born, the nurses kept asking me over and over if I was absolutely sure if I wanted to give her formula. At times they made me feel ashamed of my decision, however in the end I felt formula was the best option. Kiana never got sick until, once when she was 4 with a mild fever, and then when she was 8 with a double ear infection. 

With my second, I had a completely different outlook on breastfeeding. I read every book, article and blog I could get my hands on about the benefits and best ways to breastfeed. Everything I read made it seem like it would all come naturally, that my body would know what to do when the time came. I spoke with friends and family who had breastfed, a few said it may be slightly uncomfortable at first but assured me a woman's body was made for this! I did have some fears about the pain, and what if my milk supply wasn't strong, nontheless in the end I felt prepared! I had my doula there with me, and a hospital full of nurses and lactation consultants. Then the day came, Ella was born and immediately I asked if I could feed her! My doula and one of the nurses helped me get Ella in position, with a pinch to the nipple her little mouth was on (so I thought). For the next 24 hours in the hospital I had nurses shifting Ella and myself into various holds, the football hold seemed to work best. I am a larger breasted woman, they were far larger then her tiny little head to be exact! Ella did manage to get milk here and there, but was waking often to get more... my milk was still coming in. 

By the time I was ready to take Ella home my nipple area already was badly bruised, 'no worries' they told me “it gets easier.” It was finally time to go home and the fear was settling in, how would I ever figure out how to feed her on my own if I hadn't been able to manage it in the hospital with help?!? The day after I got home my situation was getting worse. Ella was clearly not getting enough to eat and by now my nipples were bleeding! So I called my doula, she came out again... showed me some more latch holds and I continued on. Ella was waking every hour to hour and a half to feed, I would cringe to the bone every time she 'chomped' on. I did everything I was told by taking her off gently with my fingers and re-latching her until it felt better.

Feeding time became the worst parts of the day, which is pretty rough considering how many times you have to feed a newborn. Against all advice, I would slip a bottle in every now and then so I could rest my nipples. I hate to sound so graphic but it was literally a bloody mess for both of us during feeding times. What I have described so far is mostly the physical pain I felt, emotionally I was not much better! I felt like a complete failure... how could every mother since the beginning of time manage to breastfeed, but not me? By day 5 I started to feel sick, I thought I was coming down with the flu, fever, chills, aches, etc... So I packed my sweet baby up and headed to my doctor. We sat in the waiting room for nearly two hours (thank goodness I packed a bottle since I wouldn't dare a feeding in public) and finally we made our way back to the exam room. 

I explained my symptoms of a fever, breast pain and redness on my chest, chills, aches and so forth. After a few "hmmm's" and "well I am not totally sure" he tells me I have a virus. I get a script for an antibiotic and head home. As the night went on my fever went from 102, to 103 to 105+, streaks of red were coming down my chest and I thought I was burning from the inside out. My husband had had enough, so he packed up the girls and we made the 30 minute drive to the nearest ER at midnight! The diagnosis.... Mastitis. I still continued to breast feed (per the doctors instructions) as much as I could but at day 7 I was physically and mentally beat. I was dreading the most precious time to connect with my newborn, feeding time. Ella was hungry, I was in pain and feeling like the worst mother on the planet... and none of this was natural to me. So I bought a pump, and not just any old pump, one of the best I could find, the Madela Pump in Style Advanced:




Relief at last!!! I still was not getting enough milk in, even after following the diet recco's and taking Fenugreek. so I would still supplement with formula every now and then. 

So what am I saying here?! I am by no means discouraging you from breastfeeding; I know that breast milk has wonderful benefits that a lot of formulas cannot offer. I am simply telling the other side of the story, the side I never heard or read! No matter what your feeding decision is, you should not be made to feel ashamed or guilty about it. The formulas on the market today are incredible and bottle-feeding can be a great option for both mom and dad. If you are suffering as much as I did,  my advice would be to get yourself a good pump! Now,  pumping every 3-4 hours on top of feeding can be pretty tricky, (especially if you are working like me) but if it is important to you, you will make it work! 

After all I went through, I still plan on attempting to breastfeed again with our next baby. Every baby latches differently, and for whatever reason Ella and I just couldn't make it work. The times I did get her on a good latch felt incredible... I felt AWESOME to have that connection with her. However feeling so awful when it wasn't working was no benefit to her or myself. Breastfeeding is not easy for everyone, and it may not even be an option for some. At the end of the day, being happy, healthy and giving your child the nutrients he/she needs is really all that matters! 

For more information or questions please contact me directly at ByVictoriaAntoinette@gmail.com or call me at 480-717-2795.


Stephanie Antoinette~