Breast Feeding

To breastfeed or not....that is the question!

While I was pregnant, the idea of breastfeeding was not that appealing to me. I had always thought that I would bottle feed. After a pre-natal visit a few weeks before my daughters birth, turned that all around for me. The midwife asked me what my plans were, and we discussed the options....she really urged me to at least try breastfeeding and then if I still don't like it there was no harm done.

Off home I went armed with an armful of information on the subject. The facts about breastfeeding being the best option for your baby were pretty hard to ignore, so I decided to at least try it.

Fastforward to a few hours after my daughters birth.....the very first breastfeed....honestly, it felt weird and extremely magical all at the same time. The next few days however, well that was just frustrating. Nobody told me that it would take a few days for the milk to start flowing, so here I am trying to feed my daughter naturally, and found that for the first few days her feeds needed to be supplemented with bottle feeds. One of the nurses gave me a breast pump that I just couldn't get to work.

I felt quite hopeless, and remember thinking, "If I can't do this, how can I do the rest of it". It took a couple of weeks, and a lot of visits to the baby clinic before I really felt confident with the breastfeeding. I found there was a lot of uncertainty.

How do I know she's had enough? How do I know that she is latching on properly? Should I try to feed to a schedule? Is it normal for her to want to be fed so often? Is she eating enough? So many questions, but thankfully the midwives were very patient and helped me through it all.

Now tell me, what were some of your breastfeeding experiences?

Did you bottle feed instead? If so, tell us the issues you found with that. (My sister bottle fed, and I know there are some dramas that go along with that)

Don't be shy mummies (or daddies), start typing.......

Inspiration........

So I am sure most of you have said this at least once after you first became a parent.....and it is sooooo true, there are so many things that we don't tell each other, or cannot find the words to explain when it comes to our parenting experiences. When we can, it seems we keep it to ourselves for fear of offending a parent who could really use the input.

A couple of years back I was explaining to a childless friend (21yo) who was desperate to have a baby, what it felt like to have a 3 yo that throws tantrums all day long. I was just trying to help her to see that being a mother is about more than what you see in the pampers advertisements. She told me that "I made being a mother sounds horrific", and quite honestly, I am sure I did.

Now in the present, that same friend has come to me and told me that she is so grateful to me for being honest about parenting, she is now in her late 20's and says she is so happy that she has waited and went out and lived her life first.

My only child is now 9 year old, and it has been quite a journey getting here. I know that all of you parents there have stories that you can share, and I would love to hear them.

So please share your stories, tell us about your tears, your joys, your frustrations, your fears.....tell us about the things No One Ever Told Me.