The highs and lows of breast feeding

We decided while we were planning to have a baby that we would attempt breast feeding as that is possibly the best start we could give to Baby when s/he emerges from the womb.  In fact I had planned more than to attempt it; I was determined to breast feed as there is much evidence that this is beneficial for Baby and as a mother one would want to do the best for one's offspring(s).  We read up about breast feeding on as many websites and in as many books as we could get our hands on, and spoke with the midwives at the ante-natal classes regarding positioning etc and thought that we knew enough to get us going.  We didn't pack any feeding bottles into our hospital bag, thinking we won't need any, fully expecting the breasts to do the job.

Turned out breast feeding was much harder than the books or midwives made it out to be.  My nipples took a battering and Baby was extremely hungry so we spent the first day struggling to keep him calm with just breast milk.  In fact Baby had a hoarse voice by the end of the ordeal.  We asked  the midwives at the hospital about this and they were confident that we would be OK- the milk will catch up and Baby will cope.  In the end we decided this could not be right and decided to mix breast feeding with a top-up of formula.  We consulted one of the midwives about this; she was very reluctant to give advice about the use of formula and kept trying to confirm that we were determined to breast feed Baby.  We then asked one of the paediatricians that dropped in to see Baby, and she was more helpful- giving us a breakdown of the quantities Baby would be needing on formula and suggesting a top-up regime to help stave his hunger in between breast-feeds.  From then on things became easier.  My breast milk production is gradually catching up with demand three weeks after the birth- it is hard work as we need to feed frequently to try to bring the level of milk production up.  However, Baby is no longer complaining about hunger.  Trust me, there is so much that Baby would complain about throughout the day that one less worry is a massive improvement to the day.

Breast-feeding has become an idealogical battle for some people; be careful who you speak with if you are looking for advice and keep an open mind.  Let Baby and your instincts be your guide and don't let anyone guilt trip you into doing what feels wrong for you.

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