Breastfeeding trials

Breastfeeding.

The bane of my existance.

It didn't work well with Nicholas and I was very upset about it. Although I think the nurses at the hospital made me more frustrated and upset than I would have been if it hadn't worked and everyone had been supportive about using bottles, instead of focusing on giving me more "help" to breastfeed.

So going into it this time I was very laid back. If it worked, great. If it didn't work, fine. But it turns out I have to remind myself of this attitude.

Abby latched on great at the beginning, but wasn't getting anything. Then, within 18 hours of being born, she still hadn't pooped. For those who are unfamiliar with hospitals, if you child hasn't pooped within 18 hours of being born they want you to switch to include bottles to prevent jaundice. Jaundice means that your child goes to the NICU and sits under lights until the bilirubin - the stuff turning them yellow- is processed out of their system. Nicholas had to do this and I didn't want to leave Abby there, so we added a bottle.

I was fine. We did bottle and breastfeeding, with the breastfeeding just not going well. It wasn't Abby's fault, she tried. I just had no milk. So we started the pump.

Let no one tell you that pumping is easier. It stinks.

All I am saying is breastfeeding is a trial. It's not the "most natural thing in the world" - no matter what the La Leche League or hospital nurses say.

Some people do it well and great, others struggle, some quit, and most people are somewhere in between. It is the dirty little secret that no one talks about with pregnant women.

But I want to make it clear - there is nothing wrong with bottle feeding or breastfeeding. You do what you can, when you can, and the child will grow up great so long as there is lots of love. To all the new moms out there, or my friends who are about to become new moms, take heart if you have breastfeeding problems. You are not the only one!