Seconds after delivering a baby,
Summer's feet at 2 weeks old
a newly pronounced mother has instincts to count the baby's fingers and toes, to hold the baby in her arms, and to want to breastfeed. A mother's urge to provide natural feeding is normal and some may think it obvious to do so, and rather easy to be done.
It is a misunderstanding
that breasts can produce milk straight away, and babies can latch on right after birth, but WRONG. Unless you have the perfect breasts and an angel of a baby who can do nothing wrong, breastfeeding is laborious and demanding. The baby and the mother will mutually learn to latch and to feed.
No one told me breastfeeding was this tough, and so I had to learn it the hard way. Here are some breastfeeding truths that I think soon to be mothers should know in advance. (read this as my personal experience, and that your situation may be different)
- For the first few weeks, pain is a friend. Nipples become sore from your newborn sucking, and the breast pump sucking the soul out of your breasts. Oh and also once your breasts start producing / increasing the amount of milk, your breasts start to hurt as lumps begin to form. These could be due to blocked milk duct, or clogging of milk around the area, which usually is relieved from pumping or feeding.
- Don't expect to succeed latching on with your baby at first try. It took me 2 weeks to master latching with my baby and truth be told, I almost gave up on breastfeeding in between as my newborn didn't know (want) to latch on to my breasts.
- Your newborn wants to be fed at least 10~12 times a day at the first month. In sleeping term, you will wake up every
2 hours to feed your baby.No cross that out, you will wake up every hour as you have to feed for 15~ 30 mins depending on your baby and burp for 10~15 mins, check the diaper, lay them down, and then put yourself back to sleep. :)
For those who have inverted nipples and need the help of a nipple shield like me, will have to wash these nipple shields in between feed (in the middle of the night). - Don't expect to produce enough milk for your newborn to fully rely on. It is okay to get the support of formula and breastfeed simultaneously until your breasts steadily come to par with the baby in both amount and in feeding cycle.
- Some positive sides are : it is so much easier to leave the house with a breastfeeding baby. You only need to carry your breasts out with him/her.
- Breastfeeding is known to help the baby create a stronger immune system as well as lessen the chances of mothers having breast & ovarian cancers. Also, it protects the mother from diabetes, heart disease and postpartum depression*.
Breastfeeding is not easy, and I believe it needs support from those who can help, from midwives, doctors, and nurses. Even getting periodic breast stimulating massages will help the flow of milk and lessen the pain from lumps. But once you overcome the difficulties, the feeling of breastfeeding your child is absolutely wonderful.
*https://www.unicef.org/parenting/food-nutrition/14-myths-about-breastfeeding