February 13, 2012 - Breastfeeding is not easy!

With my first two kids, once breastfeeding was established it was relatively easy.   It was convienent and both kids fed well.  With the Baby it has been anything but easy.  At the get-go, he was a poor latcher and a lazy sucker.  Over the first three months of his life we exclusively breastfed him, and after feeds he would be unconsolable and cry for long periods of time.  Eventually he would stop crying and go to sleep.  We did this nightly for over a month.  This was so stressful and would often result in both of us crying when he wouldn't stop. 

Sometime after Christmas (I can't remember the exact date, so let's say January 1, for the purpose of this story), the Husband said (during one of the crying fits), let me try a bottle.  After giving that first bottle the Baby turned into a happy baby, and I liked him a lot more.  Then over the next few weeks, as a result of the bottle feeding, my milk supply decreased.  I tried Fenugreek (a natural supplement that is supposed to increase milk production.  It didn't work! Then I got a prescription for a medication that would increase my milk supply, and I would pump a couple times a day, and bottle feed him most of the daytime, breastfeeding at night.  The medication helped a bit, but it wasn't the solution.  My GP didn't really have any assistance to provide, so today I saw a lactation consultant at a local clinic. 

They increased my dosage of the medication (from 4 per day, to 9 per day) and helped me learn to use a tube for feedings.  The tube feeding is a little awkward, but since it only costs me about $3.00 to try it out, I am going to try it for the next week and return the clinic next week.    I am trying to pump after feedings, and I put Baby on the boob for each feed, even though he often crys and squirms and won't suck long enough for the milk to come.  He is so lazy sometimes!!  Fortunately during the night, he will nurse for two feeds, which is keeping me sane, otherwise I would have to make bottles during the night!

So when people say that breastfeeding is "easy" I would have to disagree with them.  When people generalize and say that breasfeeding is "natural" I would also have to disagree.  Nothing that I have done for the first four and a half months of Baby's life is easy or natural.  It is stressful and difficult.  There is a lot of crying by Baby and by me, but I am determined to do this, and find a way to keep at it for the full year.    Wish me luck!