Hamburger vs Spaghetti
in Giggles on August 16, 2016
My apologies to all of my MALE readers…this post is technically NOT about hamburgers and spaghetti; although both foods are used as visuals later on…
Well, August is National Breast Feeding Month. Did you know that? It seems that I am full of interesting tidbits of information as of late. However, this particular topic struck a chord with me.
You see, I nursed all three of my children. Relax, I am not a breast-feeding Nazi. I am not going to spout long laments about how you must be the world’s WORST mother if you are NOT nursing your baby…and if you are NOT nursing your baby, then it stands to reason that your poor, neglected child will grow up to be intellectually slower, have a stunted growth curve, and my personal favorite, a diminished capacity to love—this, of course is due to the fact that the poor baby was not held and cuddled long enough. Rubbish.
No. I am not one of those hyper-excited nursing fanatics. I do, however, believe that the breast is best. And, until I started doing a little research for this post, I believed nursing to be on the decline. This belief was from my own personal experience. I have been around plenty of new moms who thought they would give nursing a try—but after a short-lived stint—quickly decided it was not for them. However, according to several articles and the CDC, breastfeeding is NOT on the decline, but rather on the rise; at least in the beginning. Most states record that moms are at least attempting to nurse their babies.
While the CDC records high percentage numbers (60% or greater) of new mothers attempting to nurse their babies, those numbers take a significant nose dive by the time those babies reach the age of six months. I would wager, those numbers began their decline before those babies reached six weeks. Here are some of my thoughts as to why.
First-time-new-moms (young or old) pay too much attention to Hollywood. Here’s a newsflash for you: Hollywood lies. The picturesque scene that we all have in our minds of a serenely calm new mother, gently cradling a cooing newborn baby, patiently feeding from her breast is a farce. When nursing their own babies does not turn out to look like it does in the movies, new moms get discouraged and somewhat heartbroken, and turn to the bottle for comfort. Learning how to nurse takes time.
Most brand new moms are a bit anxious. All new moms are exhausted. Their nerves are shot and worn right there on the surface. Each one is thinking: What if I’m not doing this right? What if my baby is not getting enough to eat? How will I know if he latches on the right way? How will I know when she’s full? How will I know when he’s hungry? All of these thoughts and a million more are running through their minds, while they are desperately trying to present a cool, calm, and collected front to the outside world.
Stop trying to be perfect. You just had a baby. Be tired. Revel in the fact that you just GREW A HUMAN. Take a minute. Take a breath. Life is not like it is in the movies.
It is very difficult to help teach a new mom how to breastfeed via words, but I’m going to give it a try and give anyone out there who is considering nursing a solid visual that might help you down the road. Y’all know how fond I am of lists, so here is one more!
1. The Cream: In case no one told you this, breastfeeding hurts…in the beginning. Sure, it’s natural. But it feels as though you’ve given birth to a cross between a vampire and a wolverine with razor-sharp teeth…for the first couple of weeks. Nobody tells you that. At least nobody told me that. Here’s the difference between the pain of nursing and the pain of childbirth: you can choose NOT to nurse; once you’re in the delivery room—well, you’re sort of hosed, you cannot choose NOT to give birth. Many new moms have grand visions of nursing their babies, then they try it, find out it’s kind of a pain (both literally and figuratively) and they opt for formula. This doesn’t make them bad moms. Honestly, if you’re reading this post, and this was/is you, check any and ALL guilt at the door. But, if you’re reading this, and you’re pregnant and thinking about nursing…keep reading. Persevere. It really is worth it. It really does hurt…but seriously only for a bit. I used this amazing cream from Lansinoh. It helped with the chaffing and utter rawness that comes in the early stages. I applied it BEFORE and especially AFTER I nursed…every time. It was a lifesaver. It is totally safe for the baby to ingest.
2. Get Comfortable: Find a position that suits YOU. Sit on the couch or in a recliner. Sit on the floor. Sit somewhere that you can surround yourself with pillows and prop up your feet. Even though that sweet bundle of joy only weighed seven or eight pounds, when you are trying to fully support those pounds with one arm, they get heavy.
3. The Football: Hold your baby like a football. Once you are seated, and completely pinned in by a mountain and a fort made of pillows, have your spouse, your momma or your BFF hand your baby to you feet first. Slide her body right beside yours, so that her head is resting in your hand as though you just caught an awesome pass. This hold allows you to maneuver her head into the best position for feeding. You can see EXACTLY where her mouth needs to be. Be sure to place her arms under your breast.
4. The Latch: Babies are LAZY. They are precious and cute, but they are LAZY. They will take the path of least resistance every time…IF YOU LET THEM. When it is time to eat, and you get them even close to their food source, those little heads start bobbing and searching, and their little mouths instantly start sucking. However, even though they are looking for food, and acting as though they are starving, they are only opening their mouths just wide enough to SLURP something inside. This. Will. Not. Work. Use your finger, your breast, your nipple, whatever it takes to get that baby to OPEN HER MOUTH WIDE as though she was trying to take a BITE FROM A BIG, JUICY HAMBURGER. Do NOT let that baby slurp you like SPAGHETTI…it will hurt like you cannot believe. If he did not get a good latch the first time, break the seal by inserting your finger into his mouth. Resist the urge to simply pull him off of you. Repeat the process as many times as it takes. Eventually you both will figure it out. In fact, if your sweet baby is crying, THAT is a great open-mouth for a great latch. Tip: you should be able to see the inside of his top lip and his tongue on the bottom when he is latched on. Remember, your baby is new at this, too.
5.The Switch: The most comfortable place in the entire world for your baby is next to you. Naturally, that sweet baby is going to want to go straight to sleep when she latches on. Try keeping her awake by tickling her toes or undressing her. When you switch sides, change her diaper. That almost always wakes up a peanut. Because new Mommas often cannot remember their own name, try pinning a safety pin to the side you nursed from FIRST; that way with the next feeding, you will start on the other side. Alternating sides evenly, will help avoid clogged milk ducts.
I hope this helps. Ultimately, YOU are your baby’s mother. Only YOU know what’s best for you and your child. Those of us who have lived through these early stages are only trying to offer a little bit of help and encouragement. Do what is best for you and your family.
Here’s hoping your day is picture-perfect!
-Dallas