Life with Baby

Breastfeeding did not start out well for me and my boy. From the first minute I held him in my arms, he was not interested in breastfeeding. It was discouraging. By the time I left the hospital, my baby still hadn’t done more than suck a few times. I don’t even know if he got anything out.

I wish there had been better lactation support for me, because if there had, I may not be in the situation I am today. I struggled for weeks and weeks to get my milk supply established. I went to lactation consultants, used breast pumps, used herbs such as fenugreek and blessed thistle, and cried and prayed about it. But nothing seemed to help the fact that my boy had a bad latch, and I wasn’t producing nearly enough milk for him.

If I had had better support from the outset, this might not have been the case. But here I am. My boy finally has a good latch, and will breastfeed on each side for several minutes. Sadly, he is probably getting less than 1/3 of an ounce for his efforts. We supplement with formula.

However, I’m thankful that we breastfeed at all. It comforts him and calms him down. It is an enjoyable relationship and I’m so thankful to at least have that. I’m heartbroken that it didn’t work out the way I envisioned, but am really glad to at least be able to supply him with some antibodies and nutrients. I plan to keep breastfeeding him as long as possible, and will definitely share my progress and struggles on this blog.

Just about every mom has a breastfeeding story of some kind, whether it has a happy ending or not. Do you care to share yours? I’d love to hear it.