Breastfeeding class*

*I'm trying to give fair warning of the subject matter to any of the guys reading my blog... truth in advertising.

I went to a class last night on breastfeeding. A friend had advised that I not drag Brian along to this one, but afterward I wished he had been there. I know the subject matter is more geared toward me and my parts, but with all the information coming at me these days I like having Brian as my back-up memory. I know I'm going to forget a lot of stuff in the coming months!

But here are few things I did learn. Some have me excited about the prospect of breastfeeding, while others made me a bit nervous.
The instructor, a lactation consultant at the hospital, started class by espousing the benefits of breastfeeding. She said studies have shown breastfed babies' IQs are, on average, 10 points higher. Plus, the mothers who breastfeed have less chance of getting breast or ovarian cancers later in life.

And while I appreciated the instructor's honesty, she must have mentioned 100 times that the biggest complaint she hears from new mothers is having sore (and/or dry, cracked) nipples. She also explained that the new babies need to be fed every 2.5-3 hours. With each feeding expected to last about 30-45 minutes, it doesn't sound like I'll be spending much time NOT breastfeeding... at least at the beginning. Maybe I should have known this already?
I was also glad to learn some positioning techniques and about how important it is that the baby latches on correctly. Sorry guys, I warned you.

So, I know that breast v. bottle feeding can be a touchy subject for people. For me, I'm planning to breastfeed for as long as it makes sense for our family. I don't know if that will be until I go back to work or beyond. In fact, I don't know for sure that breastfeeding will work for me even at the start. (**Another disclaimer that this may be too much info...) I had breast reduction surgery nine years ago. And while I don't regret the decision, the only long-term side effect my doctor noted then was that it might make breastfeeding impossible (because the cuts made may have damaged the milk ducts). This wasn't a huge concern to me at age 19, but now I'm obviously wondering about my body's limitations. From what I've researched, most women who've had this surgery can breastfeed but may need to supplement. I won't know what my body can do until after the baby comes and I see if milk comes in. So, I'm trying to keep a Zen attitude about the whole process and just do what I can when the time comes.

And even though Brian missed all the fun in class, I shared my notes with him when I got home. So now he's as much of a breastfeeding "expert" as I am! Feel free to quiz him :)