Breastfeeding - 6 month milestone

I have been pretty quiet about breastfeeding because I do feel that is a bit TMI for what I'm willing to put out there on the internet. But the fact that I have exclusively breastfed Neil for 6 months honestly is a bit mind boggling and a HUGE milestone for me, so I wanted to talk about it just a little bit. I will for the most part avoid public TMI but I am more than willing to help anyone out, listen, or talk, if you have any questions. Just email me!

Part of the reason I can't believe I've actually made it to six months is because I really thought it was gross before I did it myself. When I was pregnant, I really didn't think I would nurse a baby. I thought the idea of it was weird and just blech. In fact, at our breastfeeding class at the midwife center, the nurse showed videos of moms breastfeeding babies and I refused to look at the screen. I didn't make a big deal about it but I looked away from the screen. And they had each of us hold a baby doll and pretend we were nursing and I refused to do that. I think Dave thought I was being ridiculous. But that just illustrates how not into it I was.

Why did I try to breastfeed? 

I don't really know if I can answer that. Other than that my Mom did it for all 3 of us (thanks, Mom!), it's cheaper than formula, and although I never really looked into it, there are a lot of benefits for both the mother and the baby.

Why do I like breastfeeding? 

The number one reason is the bonding experience I've had with Neil. I would not give that up for anything in the world. Sometimes I feel bad that Dave hasn't experienced this type of connection. He also didn't experience the feeling of being pregnant, the movement inside (not the way I did) from Neil, and actual contractions and labor. He supported me through all of that and he supports me through breastfeeding. But he will never feel what I am feeling. At the same time, though, he does have his own experiences that are different and special between Neil and him.

What were my personal challenges? 

First, breastfeeding initially was very challenging. We used a lot of skin to skin contact, but I had a day or so where Neil decided he wanted a bottle, not me, and we had to use a dropper to get him back to wanting to actually nurse. (Do NOT feed with a bottle too early. That was my mistake.) In addition, Neil was tongue tied. It made latching on very very painful until we figured it out. We asked the doctor about it and he said there was some tongue tie but not enough to make a difference. So I tried to push through it. But after a few weeks I said I was going to stop if it didn't get better. We ended up at the Breastfeeding Center. They had me nurse Neil and gave me tips, and then did an examination of both him and me. They saw his tongue tie and offered to take care of that. It was our choice, and we ultimately decided to do it. What a world of difference between the nursing before and the nursing after.

Second, it really does take a lot. Even now at 6 months, I plan my time around when I'm going to feed Neil or pump next. I always feed him right before we go somewhere to maximize the time out that I don't have to feed him. I don't have to do it as much but I used to nurse Neil in the car a LOT. That was just so I could go out. And I've gotten more comfortable nursing in public. I know it makes other people uncomfortable, but I've gotten good at not showing anything and Neil is a lot faster now. But initially, it felt like all I did EVER was nurse. 24 hours a day. 7 days a week.

Third, pumping and work. This is my biggest and continuing challenge. I hate pumping. If I just pumped I would not be doing this anymore. There are a lot of days I sit in the mother's room at work on the pump and think "I'm done with this. I hate this." And then I go home and nurse Neil and remember why I'm doing this. For him. Not for me. Pumping hurts me and I'm starting to realize that maybe some of the parts are the wrong size. I just went to Chicago for a work trip and without going into details, the aftermath on my body was terrible. But that also made me start to question how I'm pumping and realize (too bad it took over 12 weeks of pumping at work to realize this) that I must be doing some things wrong. So I'm working on that right now. Besides that, though, it makes work a lot harder. I have to go to the mother's room consistently and my job is meetings. So I have to leave in the middle of meetings, or miss meetings, and I miss out on what's going on and the knowledge I need to do my job. That's really hard as well.

Finally, what advice do I have to give those who are thinking about breastfeeding?

Stick with it. It DOES get better. Their mouths get bigger. You both need to learn how to do it. It won't be as often after awhile.

With that said though, if it really hurts, especially beyond the initial latch, get help. Lactation consultants are AMAZING. The Breastfeeding Center in Pittsburgh is AMAZING. I would not be where I am today without either of those.

Do not introduce a bottle too early. Or a pacifier. You need to let the baby suck as much as they want to/need to. It helps establish a good milk supply. It helps with hormones on your end. And it helps the baby adjust to being in this world. Plus it can be a good excuse to get away when you need a break from all those visitors. ;)

At this point I'm really hoping to make it to a year. We'll see though! We did feed Neil his first solid food yesterday and we'll see how that goes. I'm not sure he ate anything but I do have pictures, which I will put in a future post.