Breastfeeding is something that is really important to me since it is the most nutritious food a baby can get, and the convenience of it is even better ;) And after successfully nursing my firstborn for fifteen months with some minor hurdles in the beggining as any first time mom would experience, I thought I had it figured out and that I would have the same experience with baby number two. But, as they say every baby is different, and every experience will be different as well.
With Cyril, after about two painful weeks of both of us learning how to nurse, things slowly started to get easier and easier. And at about four weeks, we had it down. With Benji, things seemed to get progressively worse each week.
But it wasn't until about three weeks or so that I knew something was off. Every time I would try to nurse Benji, he would scream, arch his back, and would get extremely fussy latching on as milk would dribble from his mouth. He would pull away in discomfort. My letdown was forceful and I thought maybe that was the issue. But after talking to my midwife, pediatrician, and other mommy friends, as well as searching the web as any mom would, we were certain that he had lip and tongue ties and that this issue would be resolved if we took him in (even though I was extremely hesitant about the whole tongue and lip tie deal since I never dealt with it with my firstborn).
When we came to get the procedure done, the doctor found no ties. We got a second opinion and again realized that there were no ties. Instead of being relieved, I was disappointed. I was disappointed because we were going home with no solution, and I still had no answers to why I had such a hard time feeding him and why he was in so much discomfort at every feeding. Although we were told that it could be acid reflux, we wanted to give it more time to see if anything changed before we did anything else since he was so small and every week makes such a big difference when they are that small.
Desperate to get my baby (and myself) relief, I made an appointment with a Lactation Consultant. She agreed that Benji didn't have ties but did mention that he had a high palate which made nursing harder for the both of us, but not a big deal and nothing to worry about. As she watched me nurse him, with him immediately starting to get fussy and milk dribbling from the sides of his mouth, she quickly ran out to grab me a nipple shield. Again, I was hesitant to the idea of a nipple shield since I have heard that babies can become dependent on them and develop nipple confusion. But at this point I felt like there was nothing to lose and as soon as she helped me put it on, he immediately latched on and ate peacefully for about 10-15 min without latching off or fussing. I filled with tears as I watched my baby eat peacefully for the first time in his short 5 weeks of life. The shield made all the difference in the world. I ended up using the shield for about 2 1/2 weeks, and there was no nipple confusion when I stopped ;) Your baby needs to be fed now, so do what you have to do now. Ladies who want to nurse but are having a super difficult time, don't give up! Nursing doesn't have to be painful or stressful. There is support and things do get better! Benji is now 4 months old and the happiest little nursling. I am so happy I persevered through all the pain and continued searching for a solution. It was all so worth it ;)
Here are some things that made breastfeeding a lot easier and doable:
1. Nipple Cream: These are a must for the first couple of weeks of nursing since cracked nipples can be a pain! But as time goes on, you will not need these so one good container is all you need! My two faves are Yorba Organics Nipple Cream With Wild-harvested Mafura and Natural Nipple Butter. Both can be used as as lip moisturizer after you no longer need them for the initial purpose :)
2. Nipple Shield: If baby is having a hard time latching on, staying latched, or your letdown is super strong, you have to try a nipple shield. I bought 3. Keep one in your diaper bag at all times.
3. Disposable Nursing Pads: Another must have for nursing mommas! My favorite ones are the Lansinoh Stay Dry Disposable Nursing Pads.
4. Washable Nursing Pads: I prefer these Organic Cotton Nursing Pads for when I'm at home and at night time. But hold off using these for the first month until your supply is regulated.
5. Nursing Pump: Since I nurse baby on demand and baby is with me most of the time, there isn't really a need for a nursing pump other than for when I leave Benji with my hubby or a babysitter and I need to leave some milk. I have this simple Evenflo Single Breast Pump. I have used it with my first and it's still going strong ;)
6. Manual Breast Pump/Milk Saver: Okay, I'm not sure where this thing was two years ago when I had Cyril, but this little thing is amazing! I have saved so much milk using this from my letdown alone. Simply put it on one breast while nursing or pumping on the other, and boom you have yourself milk to freeze!
7. Lifefactory Bottles: My most favorite BPA free glass bottles! Both my babies loved these and they are just the cutest in my opinion. I also always gift these at baby showers :)
8. Dr. Brown's Bottles: My second favorite BPA free glass bottles. Again, both babies had no problem taking these.
9. Storage Bags: And these are the best storage bags if you're trying to build a nice stash in your freezer.
10. Nursing Cover: Both my babies were summer babies and I needed something super light and breathable. This Muslin Nursing Cover is my favorite and the print is adorable. I used it with Cyril and now using it with Benji :)
Love,
With Cyril, after about two painful weeks of both of us learning how to nurse, things slowly started to get easier and easier. And at about four weeks, we had it down. With Benji, things seemed to get progressively worse each week.
But it wasn't until about three weeks or so that I knew something was off. Every time I would try to nurse Benji, he would scream, arch his back, and would get extremely fussy latching on as milk would dribble from his mouth. He would pull away in discomfort. My letdown was forceful and I thought maybe that was the issue. But after talking to my midwife, pediatrician, and other mommy friends, as well as searching the web as any mom would, we were certain that he had lip and tongue ties and that this issue would be resolved if we took him in (even though I was extremely hesitant about the whole tongue and lip tie deal since I never dealt with it with my firstborn).
When we came to get the procedure done, the doctor found no ties. We got a second opinion and again realized that there were no ties. Instead of being relieved, I was disappointed. I was disappointed because we were going home with no solution, and I still had no answers to why I had such a hard time feeding him and why he was in so much discomfort at every feeding. Although we were told that it could be acid reflux, we wanted to give it more time to see if anything changed before we did anything else since he was so small and every week makes such a big difference when they are that small.
Desperate to get my baby (and myself) relief, I made an appointment with a Lactation Consultant. She agreed that Benji didn't have ties but did mention that he had a high palate which made nursing harder for the both of us, but not a big deal and nothing to worry about. As she watched me nurse him, with him immediately starting to get fussy and milk dribbling from the sides of his mouth, she quickly ran out to grab me a nipple shield. Again, I was hesitant to the idea of a nipple shield since I have heard that babies can become dependent on them and develop nipple confusion. But at this point I felt like there was nothing to lose and as soon as she helped me put it on, he immediately latched on and ate peacefully for about 10-15 min without latching off or fussing. I filled with tears as I watched my baby eat peacefully for the first time in his short 5 weeks of life. The shield made all the difference in the world. I ended up using the shield for about 2 1/2 weeks, and there was no nipple confusion when I stopped ;) Your baby needs to be fed now, so do what you have to do now. Ladies who want to nurse but are having a super difficult time, don't give up! Nursing doesn't have to be painful or stressful. There is support and things do get better! Benji is now 4 months old and the happiest little nursling. I am so happy I persevered through all the pain and continued searching for a solution. It was all so worth it ;)
Here are some things that made breastfeeding a lot easier and doable:
1. Nipple Cream: These are a must for the first couple of weeks of nursing since cracked nipples can be a pain! But as time goes on, you will not need these so one good container is all you need! My two faves are Yorba Organics Nipple Cream With Wild-harvested Mafura and Natural Nipple Butter. Both can be used as as lip moisturizer after you no longer need them for the initial purpose :)
2. Nipple Shield: If baby is having a hard time latching on, staying latched, or your letdown is super strong, you have to try a nipple shield. I bought 3. Keep one in your diaper bag at all times.
3. Disposable Nursing Pads: Another must have for nursing mommas! My favorite ones are the Lansinoh Stay Dry Disposable Nursing Pads.
4. Washable Nursing Pads: I prefer these Organic Cotton Nursing Pads for when I'm at home and at night time. But hold off using these for the first month until your supply is regulated.
5. Nursing Pump: Since I nurse baby on demand and baby is with me most of the time, there isn't really a need for a nursing pump other than for when I leave Benji with my hubby or a babysitter and I need to leave some milk. I have this simple Evenflo Single Breast Pump. I have used it with my first and it's still going strong ;)
6. Manual Breast Pump/Milk Saver: Okay, I'm not sure where this thing was two years ago when I had Cyril, but this little thing is amazing! I have saved so much milk using this from my letdown alone. Simply put it on one breast while nursing or pumping on the other, and boom you have yourself milk to freeze!
7. Lifefactory Bottles: My most favorite BPA free glass bottles! Both my babies loved these and they are just the cutest in my opinion. I also always gift these at baby showers :)
8. Dr. Brown's Bottles: My second favorite BPA free glass bottles. Again, both babies had no problem taking these.
9. Storage Bags: And these are the best storage bags if you're trying to build a nice stash in your freezer.
10. Nursing Cover: Both my babies were summer babies and I needed something super light and breathable. This Muslin Nursing Cover is my favorite and the print is adorable. I used it with Cyril and now using it with Benji :)
I hope that this was helpful! :)
Love,
Alina
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