The breastfeeding journey is going to be interesting. I have now been to two sessions - one was a LLL meeting and the other was a session led by a nurse who is also a lactation consultant. Much of the information is consistent and I will do well to read the new version of the LLL book in the coming weeks (trying to get through the Dr. Sears book at the moment). The difference between the two meetings so far have been moreso related to structure of the feedings - scheduling feedings vs. feeding when requested. It is definitely going to take some reading and questioning ladies at the next LLL meeting to see what their personal experiences were like.
It also become apparent that with me delivering pre-term, my relationship with a breast pump will begin early. I've been told that the baby will be fed what I express and then when we go home I will be able to transition into breastfeeding. If they have to use a bottle in the hospital, I will have to work with my post-partum doula to transition him and it may be a little frustrating but not impossible. It was really good to get this information. I have purchased a hands-free pumping bra, nipple cream and gel soothie pads and ordered some washable breast pads but still need to go through the breast pump box to see what else I need.
The next LLL meeting is Oct 9 and it is about bringing baby home. I need to make sure I have done some reading and put together my questions by then.
3 comments:
How interesting!I haven't started any of the classes yet. Look forward to it though. Love, Fran
Sounds wonderful!
My suggestion on things you might need is that they make cleaning wipes for the pump. These were awesome for me when I returned to work b/c I didn't always have a lot of time to clean with soap. They do just as well of a job as soap and it goes a lot quicker.
Best of luck!
Definitely feed on demand, NOT by schedule. I've heard too many stories of milk supplies dropping off when people stick to a schedule. The way a baby increases your supply (initially, and for growth spurts and such) is by nursing frequently. Also in the first few weeks it is very common to have "frequency days" or basically nursing marathons. I had a few nights where Kate nursed for 3 hours straight - cried every time I took her off. It's certainly not always like that, and it gets more spaced out as they get older, but babies know how often they need to eat, you can't overfeed a breastfed baby. (Though I did offer Kate a pacifier because the first two weeks my nipples HURT. That took some of the pressure off me and kept her happy. Not all babies want or need that, though.)
Also something I learned is that babies don't just eat for food, like a bottle-fed baby does. They nurse for comfort, for snuggles, for warmth. Kate still nurses whenever she's upset. And I'll tell you, having that tool is a life-saver. When she has a meltdown and nothing else will calm her down I can nurse her and have her calm and happy very quickly.
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