Breast Feeding

When I was younger I thought breast feeding was super strange and I decided I wasn't going to do it. When I finally became pregnant 15 or more years later I realized my view on breast feeding had completely changed. As an adult I learned and realized that breast feeding was more than just providing food for your baby, it was also about the bond between baby and mother that was created.

I knew from other's experiences that breast feeding wasn't always easy. Sometimes the baby needs a lot of help to latch correctly and to actually get enough milk. Other times your body and your milk doesn't cooperate, and your milk never lets down. I have found that a lot of problems I have heard about could have been mitigated with more breast feeding education, a visit with a lactation expert, and a really good pump.

Since I decided that I wanted breast feeding to work for me, I chose to educate and prepare myself as much as I could before my baby was born. The hospital network near me offers lots of classes, including a breastfeeding class. It was one night and husbands were encouraged to attend, because their support is helpful when things get tough. They also recommended having the lactation consultant at the hospital meet with you individually to make sure everything was working correctly. In the class we learned about proper placement of the baby's head and mouth, and effective ways of holding the baby during feedings. One very important thing we learned is that breast feeding should not hurt, if it hurts then the baby's latch was wrong. The baby should be sucking on the entire aeriola not just the nipple.