The challenges of breastfeeding a newborn
Just in case no one has told you: breastfeeding is hard. It may not strike you as difficult until you are holding your brand new baby. You then realize that after everything you’ve read and thought you knew, amount to the fact that you have no idea what you are doing. I’ve been there. More than once actually. There I was, holding a new baby who’s survival depends completely on me. I don’t know how to get them to latch or even if they are getting enough to eat. How can you even tell how much milk they are getting? There were so many questions surrounding breastfeeding a baby and so much that seemed out of my control. I felt inadequate for the job, even though just days earlier I had it all figured out. But the great news is that there is help to be found.
“The very best advice anyone has ever given me was to find support where you can find it.”
There will always be naysayers and people that feel the need to push their own agenda on you, especially when it comes to your baby. But there are helpful people too. And these are the ones you must seek out. Their understanding, validation, and advice could be the very thing that gets you through the hardest days.
There are communities near you that will support you. Every step of the way they will be there for you. Additionally you can find groups on Facebook and by contacting your local hospital for the La Leche League nearest to you. The La Leche League is a wonderful international organization that hooks up local breastfeeding experts with nursing mothers in their area. Get plugged into them and go to their meetups. Not only do they have sound, practical advice for you, but it is a great place to meet other mothers in the same walk of life as you.
Sometimes support can come from places you would not expect, like in a book. So, find good literature to fill your head with. You will be spending a lot of time nursing, so get your hands on some good reads. “The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding” by La Leche League International and “The New Mothers’ Guide to Breastfeeding” by The American Academy of Pediatrics are two excellent books to read while nursing and sipping down that 8oz. of water.
Never Underestimate the Power of Support
Lactation consultants are on staff at many hospitals. They can be a bit pricey but they are well trained in all kinds of breastfeeding issues, including very difficult ones. They are worth the price. The support that I got from my LC was so amazing. It was a daily thing for a while, talking with her. She was enthusiastic that I would succeed. Her belief in me was instrumental in our breastfeeding journey. She recommended using a nipple shield to help him latch, and for me to pump in between feedings to increase my milk production. All of her advice was evidence based.
If I can be honest with you, there are some truly painful parts of my breastfeeding journey. There are things I still struggle to talk about and things that still deeply saddened me. Though I was unable to exclusively breastfeed any of them, I did get to breastfeed all four of my children as long as I could. One of my children, I had the privilege to nurse for 23 months! Both of these feats would not be possible without the amazing support I received from my husband, my birth circle group, breastfeeding/mommy friends and my lactation consultant.
So again, I say find the support wherever you can get it. Encouragement alone can get you through those long nights and milk soaked shirts. Please be encouraged to find your tribe. They are out there, and they are worth looking for.