Breastfeeding: the good, the bad, and the ugly!

During pregnancy you will probably be asked if you are going to breast or bottle feed.  There's no doubt that breast is best, it's what's natural.  The vast majority of women are capable of breastfeeding, in fact, less than 4% are actually unable.  This doesn't mean that every woman will choose to breastfeed and choosing bottles certainly doesn't make you any less of a mother.  I will always strive to help women nurse their babies, if that is the path they choose, but at the end of the day, if our children are happy, healthy, and well taken care of, that's all that matters.

Now for a little truth: Breastfeeding is hard.  Not forever and not impossibly so, but it is hard.  I have been nursing for four years now and I don't regret a minute of it, but there were times when I have wished to have my body back.

You will probably have a lot of women tell you how wonderful nursing your children is, what an amazing way to bond it is, and that is so true.  Breastfeeding feels like one of my greatest accomplishments.  My children are happy, healthy, and secure and I know that it is in part due to my nursing them.  All of this doesn't take away from the fact that is is hard at times, especially in the beginning.

The first six weeks mark the most difficult time in your breastfeeding relationship.  Those are the weeks you'll be recovering from giving birth, baby will be cluster nursing sometimes, and you'll be adjusting to having less sleep.  There were times I thought I would never leave my couch.  I was just going to be sitting there, nursing a baby, for the rest of my life.

Then those weeks passed and it was like the sun came out.  This was what all those other moms had been talking about when I was pregnant.  Here was the bonding, how much easier it was to go into public, the satisfaction that came from knowing I was nourishing my child all on my own.  Those quiet times when your child falls asleep at the breast are some of the best.

I nursed my first child four years, almost to the day, and my second child is still nursing at just over a year.  I have tandem fed, had the talk about sharing my breasts, I've hand expressed for cuts and scrapes, and I wouldn't change a moment of it.

I tell you all of this to say, don't give up.  Yes, it will be hard, but it will be worth it.  Yes, there will be times when you want to scream or cry, but the times when you are so overwhelmed with the love you feel will make everything worthwhile.

Throughout your breastfeeding journey, you will run across a multitude of advice.  Here are a few of my best tips that have helped me along the way:

1. Drink tons of water.  Breast milk is mostly water and it is very easy to get dehydrated.  Breast feeding also makes you very thirsty.  Get a cute water bottle and keep it full and close at all times.

2. Never let your self run out of coconut oil.  It's great for cracked nipples and safe for baby.  As a bonus, its great for everything from diaper rash to dry skin.

3. Keep high protein, light snacks close by for nursing sessions.  A nursing mom will burn around 800 calories a day, just from nursing.  You will probably find you are more hungry and need to eat more often.  High protein snacks will help keep your blood sugar level and get you through until you can sit down for a meal.

4. Have a book, your phone, something handy for those cluster feeding sessions where you are tied to your couch for hours on end.  There is something beautiful about watching our nursing children, but lets be honest, nobody is staring at their child for several hours.  There's nothing wrong with having something to keep your mind busy.

5. Don't worry about how often baby wants to nurse.  As long as your baby is having plenty of wet/dirty diapers and is gaining weight, your milk production is fine.  They will go through growth spurts, wonder weeks, and other times when it seems like they just nurse and nurse and nurse.  That's ok and it doesn't mean you aren't giving them enough.

These are just a few tips to help your nursing relationship along.  A doula and a lactation consultant can also be invaluable tools when it comes time to nurse.  Good luck and enjoy this time while your babies are so little.  It will be gone before you know it.