Having been able to successfully provide my now 7-mo old with bm, i wanted to encourage mothers-to-be ESPECIALLY or new mums.
my aunt who is doing a documentary on fertility etc asked me what the most important thing was for breastfeeding. and i had one word:
PERSEVERANCE!!!
IMHO, in order for bf-ing to be successful, one must:
1. be armed with INFO prior to delivery. HAVE A BIRTH PLAN READY SO THAT YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT. Be flexible in dire circumstances though.
Read and be acknowledgeable about what to do, what to expect and who to call (eg, lactation consultants, support group). having info prepares you not just for bf-ing at home but right at the hospital.
2. have a firm COMMITMENT TO TBF.
Even at hospitals with bf-friendly policies, the nurses are very busy with so many newborns, it's easier to feed them fm and keep them happy. frequently you will be asked, DO YOU WANT US TO GIVE GLUCOSE WATER OR FM? if you are unsure of your abilities, you'll waver. Newborns have a store of reserves to rely on for the first few days and whatever you have is usu sufficient. if your bb takes either, he/she might not latch on as often and it'll take that much longer for your ms to come in.
3. ALWAYS GET HELP FROM THE LACTATION CONSULTANTS in the hospital.
4. HAVE lots of SUPPORT from hubby and bf friends
You might encounter difficulties early on, with latching, with ms issues, with questions. You can then mobilise your support to help you get thro the initial blurry weeks. Be prepared to feel depressed or insecure.
Be wary of comments like, "Your bb is still crying, must be hungry" or the WORST - "Your milk is not enough". URGH! this sets you up for a vicious cycle of giving fm and then complaining about ms. Babies don't just cry out of hunger, they may be tired, wet, bored.
5. Above all, have PATIENCE AND PERSEVERANCE.
Final musings:
i am so glad i went into the delivery suite with my mind made up and certain of what i wanted for my bb. amidst the calls telling me to supplement, i trusted my INTINCTS and ability above all.
Today, my boy is a healthy 7 mo old still enjoying mummy's milk. when i have the cold, he seems to be getting the immunity thro my milk.
there will be days you feel like a cow but then you think, "this is too precious a moment. it will go very quickly".
i know many of us get hung up about the quantity we produce becos we are pumping. i was like that. is it becos we have become a society so driven by numbers or results? why have we come to expect that we MUST pump 150ml per session? where does it say our bb all drink 150ml at 1, 2 or 3 months? i say it's becos the milk cans say so. But our bm is unlike fm. We should not start feeding according to the milk cans but according to our babies request.
My boy has been nursing for only 5 min per session and only on one side. Anyone would be concerned, yes? I was worried, sure. But i slowly had to learn to trust that my boy was getting what he needed. maybe he knocks back his drinks instead of nursing it for hours. LOL.
we have perhaps forgotten to learn to read our bb's signals or be sensitive to their difference cries. every cry in their early months is attributed to HUNGER which then sets up a vicious cycle. every cry causes the in-law to insist that bb is hungry and leads to mummy's insecurity abt her ability to provide ALL that her bb needs.
i want to encourage all brave bf-ing mums to be steadfast in their determination to bf and to be secure and sure of their ability to provide for BB UTTERLY AND COMPLETELY. If at any point your instincts tell you something different, do seek out professional advice from a lactation consultant.
MORE POWER TO US BF-ing MUMS!!
my aunt who is doing a documentary on fertility etc asked me what the most important thing was for breastfeeding. and i had one word:
PERSEVERANCE!!!
IMHO, in order for bf-ing to be successful, one must:
1. be armed with INFO prior to delivery. HAVE A BIRTH PLAN READY SO THAT YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT. Be flexible in dire circumstances though.
Read and be acknowledgeable about what to do, what to expect and who to call (eg, lactation consultants, support group). having info prepares you not just for bf-ing at home but right at the hospital.
2. have a firm COMMITMENT TO TBF.
Even at hospitals with bf-friendly policies, the nurses are very busy with so many newborns, it's easier to feed them fm and keep them happy. frequently you will be asked, DO YOU WANT US TO GIVE GLUCOSE WATER OR FM? if you are unsure of your abilities, you'll waver. Newborns have a store of reserves to rely on for the first few days and whatever you have is usu sufficient. if your bb takes either, he/she might not latch on as often and it'll take that much longer for your ms to come in.
3. ALWAYS GET HELP FROM THE LACTATION CONSULTANTS in the hospital.
4. HAVE lots of SUPPORT from hubby and bf friends
You might encounter difficulties early on, with latching, with ms issues, with questions. You can then mobilise your support to help you get thro the initial blurry weeks. Be prepared to feel depressed or insecure.
Be wary of comments like, "Your bb is still crying, must be hungry" or the WORST - "Your milk is not enough". URGH! this sets you up for a vicious cycle of giving fm and then complaining about ms. Babies don't just cry out of hunger, they may be tired, wet, bored.
5. Above all, have PATIENCE AND PERSEVERANCE.
Final musings:
i am so glad i went into the delivery suite with my mind made up and certain of what i wanted for my bb. amidst the calls telling me to supplement, i trusted my INTINCTS and ability above all.
Today, my boy is a healthy 7 mo old still enjoying mummy's milk. when i have the cold, he seems to be getting the immunity thro my milk.
there will be days you feel like a cow but then you think, "this is too precious a moment. it will go very quickly".
i know many of us get hung up about the quantity we produce becos we are pumping. i was like that. is it becos we have become a society so driven by numbers or results? why have we come to expect that we MUST pump 150ml per session? where does it say our bb all drink 150ml at 1, 2 or 3 months? i say it's becos the milk cans say so. But our bm is unlike fm. We should not start feeding according to the milk cans but according to our babies request.
My boy has been nursing for only 5 min per session and only on one side. Anyone would be concerned, yes? I was worried, sure. But i slowly had to learn to trust that my boy was getting what he needed. maybe he knocks back his drinks instead of nursing it for hours. LOL.
we have perhaps forgotten to learn to read our bb's signals or be sensitive to their difference cries. every cry in their early months is attributed to HUNGER which then sets up a vicious cycle. every cry causes the in-law to insist that bb is hungry and leads to mummy's insecurity abt her ability to provide ALL that her bb needs.
i want to encourage all brave bf-ing mums to be steadfast in their determination to bf and to be secure and sure of their ability to provide for BB UTTERLY AND COMPLETELY. If at any point your instincts tell you something different, do seek out professional advice from a lactation consultant.
MORE POWER TO US BF-ing MUMS!!