Breast Feeding Your Infant With Confidence, From A Mom Who’s Been There

When I was pregnant with my first daughter, after researching formula feeding and breast feeding I knew I wanted my child to get all the benefits that breast feeding provides.

According to The Breast Feeding Book, by Martha and William Sears, “Children who were breast fed have IQ scores averaging 7 to 10 points higher than children who were formula fed.” They believe this is because of the nutrients in the breast milk as well as the physical closeness. Children who are breast fed are less likely to be overweight, are protected by about one million white blood cells in just a drop of milk which helps babies get sick less often and when they do get sick they recover more quickly.

Breast feeding even benefits the mother by helping to shrink the uterus faster, and creates a bonding feeling for mom with the hormone oxytocin. Mom will also have a reduced chance of premenopausal breast cancer by as much as 25% depending on the amount of time she breast feeds in her lifetime. Breast feeding may also lower risk of ovarian and uterine cancers as well as numerous other benefits.

With just a few benefits it was clear to me that I wanted to breast feed if it was possible, but honestly I was a little afraid. I was scared of what breast feeding would feel like. Because of the media I had only ever thought of the breast as it is shown on the covers of magazines, as a sex object. I tried to think of ways that I could breast feed my child with a bottle or, pumping but heard that I wouldn’t get enough milk by pumping alone.

When my daughter was born I tried breast feeding pretty quickly and realized it was not what I feared. This was totally different to anything I had ever experienced. It was amazing feeding my newborn. The hormone oxytocin made me feel an enormous amount of love and bonding for my baby, not anything sick that I secretly feared.

At the hospital you will receive lots of support from nurses willing to help the baby latch on and teach different techniques to hold the baby. A lactation expert will meet with you giving you advice and answer any questions or concerns. It’s once you leave the hospital when breast feeding can suddenly become overwhelming.

With constant care and help from nurses and lactation consultants gone you will need to find a support system from home. It is hard at first when you’ve had your baby. You are adjusting to your new life, dealing with an overload of emotions, feeling physically exhausted, healing from giving birth or by a cesarean section.

Even though I enjoyed the closeness that breast feeding provided, I was still a new overwhelmed mom. With my first-born, when I was at the hospital I had the nurses take my daughter to the nursery at night and supplement her with formula because I was exhausted and afraid she wasn’t getting enough milk.

The truth is she was getting what she needed, but at the time I was just worried. The first milk from mom is called colostrum. Colostrum is thick yellow milk that is concentrated and gives your baby even more protection when it’s needed, in the first few days before the real milk comes in.

When you get home your milk will come in and it will be easier to see that your baby is getting more to drink. According to Dr Sears when you first sit down to breast feed your baby he or she is getting foremilk or low-fat milk, stored right behind the nipple. This is useful if the baby is only nursing for comfort and sucks briefly. If baby sucks longer then he or she gets higher fat milk called hindmilk.

When I got home after a while I had sore breasts, but I kept feeding my baby. Experts say that breast feeding shouldn’t hurt, so I called the hospital and made an appointment with a lactation consultant. She watched me feed my baby and told me that the baby was latched on incorrectly which was causing the pain. The consultant showed me how to get my baby to open up her mouth and put the whole areole (red part) of the nipple in the baby’s mouth so that I could heal and it wouldn’t cause anymore pain. I was able to heal and continue to breast feed. I had another difficulty in the beginning and that was Engorgement.

Engorgement happens in the beginning when the breasts fill with milk faster than your feeding the baby. Engorgement makes your breasts feel hard and painful to touch but you will feel better soon.

It helps to empty the breasts when you are feeling uncomfortable. You can rent a breast pump for a few weeks from the hospital when the baby is first born. This helps and you can store milk in the freezer or fridge for when it’s needed. Apply a cold compress to your breasts in between nursing and this will help reduce swelling. A small bag of frozen peas or crushed ice works well to relieve the discomfort. Take a pain reliever for a slight fever and pain. You can purchase a cream shown below, to apply to sore nipples. Finally to help with engorgement, make sure to rest and some women say that cabbage leaves placed inside the bra help.

After surviving the first few weeks breast feeding become easy and I could never have imagined making bottles and dealing with all of that. It is estimated that the cost of formula feeding is $1,200 a year and I didn’t want to pay that extra money either.

In order to survive any difficulties or negative comments it is important to find support in order to be able to continue breast feeding. You can find all kinds of support for breast feeding moms at La Leche League, even a local group which meets in your area at http://www.llli.org/webindex.html.

When my daughter was born I was lucky enough to meet a supportive friend who was instrumental in helping me through my breast feeding problems and giving me support. Finding a friend who is also a breast feeding mom will help. If you are having problems you can contact your hospital and speak to a lactation consultant. They will have you come in and watch you feed so they can diagnose the problem and show you how to fix it. The hospital also offers all kinds of classes to help you.

You can overcome difficulties nursing your infant and establish a wonderful nursing relationship with your child. I am always sorry for someone who didn’t have the chance to experience this breast feeding their child, if it is possible. It is an experience I will always cherish and one that has given me and my children a great bonding experience. By realizing the benefits, and getting together a great support team to help you, you too will be thankful that you have breast fed your baby.