Julie over at The Girl in the Red Shoes is an awesome blogger with the cutest little boy that was born just 3 days after Graham. I love reading about her life and seeing her little guy grow. She has a series on her blog called “The Breastfeeding Diaries.” All the stories are great – very encouraging to new moms. Today, I’m guest posting about my breastfeeding experience on her blog. (My first guest post!) Hope you pop over there and check it out!
I just popped over from Julie's blog and wanted to say your story sounds awefully familiar to ours. Our guy came 5 weeks early and spend the first two weeks in the NICU. He had the "Wimpy White Boy Syndrome" as well and preferred to be fed via feeding tube than work to nurse. He was an awful latch and it was frusterating that after a few days we realized we had to get him to eat from bottles in order to get him home. I felt like a failure when we started using bottles (that was the #1 thing to avoid – as taught in our BF class!). But we were finally able to get him home, on bottles. I continued to try nursing (with a shield since his latch was poor). But i had the opposite problem, I had so much milk that he choked and sputtered. We tried for months the nursing/bottle/pump route. And your right – it was EXHAUSTING. It was mentally frusterating and I felt really down because I felt I lost my identity and was just a milkmaid. I didn't have time to do things for me. I understand a new mom's whole world evolves around the baby – but I was still struggling with the abrupt change (and 5 weeks earlier than expected!). I ended up pumping until our guy was 7 months old – and then my overage supply lasted until he was 8 months. I'm happy it went that long, but I feel somewhat slighted that we didn't get to establish a great "nursing bond." I'm also hopeful that our next one will be different. And I seriously despise the pump by now!
Just read your story over at Julies blog and I loved it! So happy you shared. Sounds very similar to mine. It's always comforting to read other moms perspectives on things such as breastfeeding. For some women it is just so much harder. I to supplement and I always tell myself a little breast milk is better then none. I'm glad I didn't give up, and you didn't give up. Most important thing is making sure the little man is fed and of course loved. Great job mommy!
Wow I wish this had been around when my friend Lisa was having difficulties breast feeding.
Ali of
Dressing Ken