I always knew i would breastfeed my children. Even before i gave birth, i was already reading up on the subject and trying to learn about it as much as possible. I even picked a hospital that supported breastfeeding. So i thought i was prepared.
When i gave birth to River, the nurses immediately placed her on my breasts for her first latch. Our breastfeeding journey started.
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| River"s first latch.. |
Let me say it now. It hurt like hell. Every time River latched, i winced in pain. My nipples were so sore and cracked that sometimes droplets of blood came out. I tried hand expressing milk and even then, i was only able to get a few drops. You know the saying "crying over spilled milk"? Well there was a time Jim spilled half an ounce of my milk and i completely lost it.
There were moments when i doubted myself and my ability to feed and nourish my baby. She wanted to latch every hour so yeah, i didn't get any sleep and i literally felt drained. Sometimes i felt that my milk was not enough because she always seemed hungry and wanted more. But i waved those thoughts away and i soldiered on. I knew that this was the best thing for my baby and i was determined to give it to her.
And then my milk came. I was able to meet River's needs. For a time i was happy because she was happy. She was well fed and i couldn't have asked for more. But then because i had so much milk, i experienced blocked ducts. It hurt so bad. I had fevers and chills. My doctor prescribed medicine and gave me strict instructions to stop breastfeeding for a week. I looked for other options. I couldn't imagine not being able to feed my baby and giving her formula. I sought advice from other moms. I did my research. And after a few excruciating days, i was able to get it in control. All without stopping breastfeeding and without taking medicine.
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| milk drunk |
After a while, it became easier. She was gaining weight and getting chubbier. She was sleeping more so i was sleeping more too. :) My sister in law gave me a Medela double electric breastpump and things became even better. After feeding River, i pumped. Every two to three hours, i pumped. I was able to store enough milk to last for weeks. Jim was able to feed her so i can rest. We were able to go out and leave her because we knew she wouldn't get hungry. Date nights at last! I did have a few snafus when it came to storing my milk but more on that next time. :)
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| my lifesaver :) |
When River was six months old, she started eating solids so her milk intake lessened a bit. This meant that a bulk of my milk were stored AND took most of the freezer space. So i decided to donate. And i never looked back. I just kept a week's supply for River and the rest were shared. Up until River was weaned, we were able to donate more or less 2000 ounces.
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| organized by the day it was pumped |
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| first milk donation.. |
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| sometimes i get nice surprises like this.. |
It's funny. My original goal was to feed River until she was six months. Then it became a year. I finally stopped when River was a year and a five months old. And even then, i had enough stored milk to last her for the next three months. *humblebrag*
Now it's Hunter's turn and I'm happy to say that, aside from a jaundice scare, it has been smooth sailing so far. My milk came in almost immediately and he always seemed satisfied after a feeding. He's two months old now and he has more than doubled his birth weight. I have also been able to donate about 500 ounces of milk already. Having seen the benefits of breastfeeding, this time around, i am hoping to breastfeed even longer.
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