When something is called “natural” (like breastfeeding), one might be inclined to believe that it is a process that would come “naturally” to oneself. Not so, as I have discovered in this wild world of breastfeeding.
It’s been nearly four weeks since Ryder was born, and we are finally just getting this breastfeeding thing figured out. Kind of. He’s latching on more efficiently and nursing is not painful or uncomfortable anymore. We are still suffering from bouts of fussiness, in which he apparently forgets how to nurse, but all in all, we’re getting it together.
To optimize nighttime feedings, I’ve started pumping milk to get two 5 oz. bottles for each evening. The bottles allow Ryder to eat faster and hence, go back to sleep quicker. He doesn’t get distracted like he did when I tried to get him on the boob, and I believe he’s getting a fully tummy (and sleeping more soundly for the next 3 hours). With the new bottle method, I can get Ryder fed, changed and back to sleep in 30 minutes. Then I pump for 10 minutes to get the next round of bottles ready and am back in dreamland myself, shortly thereafter. When we were on the breast, I was looking at a minimum of 1 hour for the same process.
What is most shocking to me, is that everyone seems to know that breastfeeding is hard … but no one really bothered to tell me. Everyone in my mom’s group talks about trouble with nursing, a need for a lactation consultant … but it seems to be a hush-hush topic when you’re expecting. Maybe that’s because when you’re pregnant, all you can really think about is getting the baby out … everything else is just a detail you’ll deal with later on.
But here this pregnant women of the world: Educate yourself about breastfeeding now! And get help right away (translation: in the hospital) to make sure you set yourself up for success. Right now, Ryder and I are shooting for 6 months of nursing and I’ll reassess then to see if we can go longer.
