Breastfeeding

Boobs. Milky bar. Titties. Breast buffet. Whatever you choose to call them or get called.

Wow.

Breastfeeding is hard. It does get easier and so convenient. Not to mention it is a nice connection and bonding moment between a mother and her baby. But wow. No one warns you what a crazy journey the first six weeks of breastfeeding is going to be like.

Even as a nurse, I support Mothers with breastfeeding or mastitis. Give the education on pre warm packs, feed, post cool packs etc, etc. However, until you experience that milk coming in and the bolt on’s that just appear on your chest you don’t know what it’s like.

Thought it more appropriate to put an icon here

than an image of my breasts. This blog isn't for the only fans.

Anyway, I knew all the theory of breastfeeding …

Pause that thought. Disclaimer, big believer fed is best! If breastfeeding isn’t for you that’s totally okay. As long as you nurture and feed your baby, go you!

Right back to it, I knew all the theory, when milk comes in, how to feed, what to look out for etc, etc. But I felt blindsided by the sheer willpower I had to muster to keep going.

I had milk in my third trimester and it came hot and heavy once Nella was born. We had all the right equipment together yet nothing could have prepared me for the engorgement and heat, the letdown ache, the cracked nipples, and the all-encompassing boob, express, bottle. Not to mention the anxiety is my baby getting enough milk, could we be doing better and am I doing enough?

Like the slight perfectionist I can be, I think I found breastfeeding hard to begin with also because I couldn’t see what Nella was getting. I knew being a (particularly a neonatal) nurse, Nella needed x, y and z amount but I couldn’t be sure she was getting it. I may have fixated on this a little because she was small and I wanted to make sure she put weight on so we didn’t have to go into hospital (work).

To put it plainly all the above ‘it’s just a b***** lot’.

I think anyone would feel overwhelmed to say the least with the above. Plus, then everyone gives you different advice and the ones you really want to see but there in not enough of, a lactation consultant, you can’t see. What a god-send lactation consultants are. Shout out to all the LC’s out there, you rock!!

Once I got over the engorgement and only pumping to relieve a little. Not too much to increase supply further. Wow what a fine line it all is. Additionally, warm pack pre feed and cold pack post feed was soothing. I will admit I did try the old cool cabbage from the fridge, in the bra trick.

My mum ‘swore’ by this and went to the supermarket and got me one. It was soothing and the shape of the cabbage being round did mould nicely into your bra around your boobs. But I then started to notice the damp cabbage smell and I think Nella did too because she became fussy at the boob. I wiped them down and then she latched and fed. So that was the end of the cabbage trick. Also, it would be remiss of me to not add that Nathan loved this phase, as I am sure all your partners did, but I don’t think they understood the discomfort. All I’m going to say here is take a photo on your partners phone so it lasts for them, because they aren’t getting close to them during that period.

The next stage was extremely sore and crackled nipples as Nella’s latch and my technique weren’t quite right, also first-time mum nipples I am sure they all get sore and cracked. Advice when I was pregnant, I can’t remember from who but I wish I could, was to use an electric toothbrush on my nipples to harder them up and get used to being tough. I laughed so hard at this and thought that is ridiculous. But now kind of wish I had tried this. Just kidding. Anyway, I first tried to push through with the pain, hold my breath, latch Nel and breath, breath, breath until it was tolerable. Then, I got into an LC (because they are amazing and slotted me in as I was bawling my eyes out on the other end of the phone). We tried using a nipple shield to help Nella’s latch and protect my nipples a little, this definitely helped! Annoying to try and pull out and put on in public but geez did it feel a lot nicer.

Top tip I kept my nipple shield in between my breasts in my maternity bar, that way I knew where it was and could use straight away whenever needed.

I used the hydrogel discs for my nipples in between feeds which were nice and soothing, and they helped you not pull your nipple off a dry breast pad or maternity bra too. When I was pregnant a friend told me my nipple will get cracked and painful for at least the first couple weeks. Her advice and I still use to this day, maybe from nipple trauma in my brain, was to ‘dab’ your boobs dry post shower, don’t rub. This is so worth following, don’t find out why for yourself.

On seeing the LC, she provided me with words of wisdom I will forever hold onto and continue to pass on to friends and family.

“It only lasts four to six weeks. If you can get through the hard part four to six weeks, breast feeding will be the best thing you have ever done” quote LC.

I grabbed those words with both hands because it gave me light at the end of the tunnel. It gave me hope and something to strive for.

I can utterly understand those early days the need or want to give up, thinking it will never get better and all the unknowns. But the knowledge there is an end and it gets easier, felt so reassuring to stick it out.

So…. if you are reading this pre baby hold onto the wisdom it gets better and if you are currently a super-hot mess boobs everywhere post baby, you got this, there is light at the end of your tunnel. I believe in you.

After Nella was born and I was heading home from the maternity ward, one of the midwifes said don’t forget to download an app and track your feeding, wet and dirty nappies. I am uncertain if they meant this to simply remember which side I last fed on, to see feeding patterns, count daily wet nappies or track feeding strictly. BUT…. I downloaded an app and this lead me down a rabbit hole of obsessive behaviour, tracking Nella’s every feed and bowel movement. Like I said particularly as she was small.

Example:

Feed left breast start at 1052hrs

Feed left breast end at 1103hrs

Wet nappy moderate

Feed right breast at 1346hrs

Feed right breast at 1352hrs

Feed left breast start at 1357hrs

Feed left breast end at 1404hrs

Bowel movement small green runny

….and on and on and on……

How pedantic of me. Recording it down to the minutes.

This app then gives summaries at the end of the day, how many feeds, how many minutes feeding, how many nappies? etc etc. This builds anxiety in itself I believe. Making you over analyse everything. We don’t need to know the in’s and out’s (well I do for work obviously on UNWELL babies) but all we need to know if yes my baby is feeding regularly and yes my baby is having regular wet and dirty nappies. You know your baby best and give them some credit too, they will cry when they want something, whether that is a feed, bum change or simply a cuddle, they will tell you.

Anyway, this recording feeds went on and on. It was tedious. Not to mention trying on a partner when they take care of the babe feeling independent and building rapport with bub, then you come in hot and heavy with the questions. How much did you give her of the express breast milk? Did you burp her? Did she have a wet or dirty nappy? What was it like?

Poor Nath, reflecting on this now he probably felt like he was under my microscope. Sorry Nath, I appreciate you and your help more than you know. Feeling insecure and trying to use this app as a tool to help, really it just became the opposite, creating angst and obsessive behaviour.

So… when others and I realised this, I deleted it!

It was pretty much liberating from the click of the delete button. Somehow being able to hold onto that logic (which may have been the only logic words I held onto for the first few weeks) of Nella will tell me when she is hungry or needs something, we went to demand feeding. The old way is the best way, demand feeding! A cap of 4 hrs or longer overnight between feeds and go with the flow. Life will be the hell of a lot nicer doing it this way.

Addressing another modern-day undertaking, ‘triple feeding’.

Boob. Express. Bottle.

Power to the Mumma’s out there that have done triple feeding. WOW! How labour and time consuming. Particularly when you think about the whole process, boob, express, bottle, burp, settle, clean and then it is almost time to start again. Hooley dooly. Not to mention the mental fatigue of that demand.

I mainly pumped to relieve the boobs or so that Nath could give Nella bottles and I could have a break. But one of my good friends had a beautiful boy around the same time as I and her bub just would not latch, whatever they did. Yet he would take a bottle. She pumped and fed for almost a year. Go you absolute weapon!

Now TOP TIP not sure where I got this one from but it is 110% worth knowing.

When pumping to be hands free!

I will try explain it but definitely easier demonstrating this in person.

I use my bonds maternity bra to hold my breast pump flanges on. Unclip your maternity bra, use the side strap and pull across to the other side of your nipple/breast, so taking the strap in towards the centre of your chest, then place breast pump on boob and clip bra back on. Do the same to the other side and then adjust so nipples are obviously in the middle. Bobs your uncle off you go.

Next, not an endorsement (I wish). Spectra breast pumps. I was lucky enough to be given a small portable double lumen Spectra and a large double lumen Spectra. I cannot speak highly enough of these pumps. I have used pumps at work, I have borrowed friends when forgotten mine (how do you forget that Whensday!). All these other pumps come nowhere near the Spectra. Love it. Get one! Or borrow a friends.

I could go on and on about boobs but I think that’ll do it for now. But one more thing actually, if you can go breast. You are babes’ food, you have nappies and you, off you go stress less about anything, you got baby sorted. You literally are the snack. So handy, so easy. Plus the best comfort you can give your baby. Snuggle and boob.

At the end of the day boobs are amazing, women are incredible!

Whenny