So Ellie and I have had a bumpy road so far in trying to figure out the whole nursing thing. I think we're finally making progress and may even be getting into a groove.
But it hasn't been easy. It's weird that while breastfeeding is such a natural thing it's also so hard for both mom and baby to get going after birth. Neither Ellie or I knew what we were doing when we started... and that caused some tears (from both of us).
My milk didn't come in until the weekend after she was born, but we discovered early on that I had a low supply. We've been supplementing her with some formula, which is a good solution to the problem but also tricky. Since I don't know (unless I pump) how much milk she's getting from me, it's difficult to know how much formula she needs additionally. Plus, it's a lot of work going through all the steps of nursing and then having to warm a bottle, feed her again and then go through the burping steps. Some days I feel like we do feedings back-to-back... because we do!
For these first few weeks, the breastfeeding has also been very painful for me. Without getting into too much detail I'll just say that Ellie is not the best at latching on. That equals discomfort for mom. But I think in the past couple days we've turned the corner. She and I are both feeling more confident about the whole process. And a check-up she had on Friday showed she's definitely getting enough food. She weighed in at 9 lbs, 5 ounces! (Though she had a wet diaper by the time she came off the scale... but, still, she seems to be getting all the nourishment she needs!)
I think it's wonderful that you're being so dedicated about breastfeeding! Good job, Mom. :) I've been reading a lot about it myself, and collecting anecdotes. It seems that it is often VERY difficult to learn, but gets much easier over time. I don't imagine that you'll be sorry you powered through.
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