Tuesday, November 22, 2011

A Nursing Momma's Tales

Sooooo.... I would not call myself an expert on breastfeeding but am working on meeting my goal of nursing Crewe for the first year of his life and it looks like we will be going over because he is showing not signs of weaning and I am not going to force the issue. I think back to when I was pregnant and really just wanted to make it to 6 months becasue much older than that seemed weird and too much like a little human. I guess I pictured him walking up and asking for it at that age and here I am with a 1 year old wondering what my life will be like again when it doesn't revolve around a pumping and nursing schedule. 

All this to say that I remember scouring the internet and blogs for advice, products, and information to help me tread these unknown waters. I stumbled on some helpful blogs that I still refer to now because her post were so helpful to this new momma.

I am hoping this will help some new momma's out there with some must have products and advice.

First off, if you decide to breastfeed definitely stick with it and don't let anybody change your mind or tell you that your baby is not getting enough. I went to a few breastfeeding meetings where I learned that a newborns tummy is only the size of a marble, so that small amount you are producing in the beginning is the perfect amount for you sweet babe.

Something else I was totally unprepared for was "cluster feeding". Crewe went through a period for about 4 to 5 weeks that he would want to nurse EVERY 30 minutes. It started around 5pm and went until about 10pm. This was the one time I can remember almost giving up because I figured I must not be producing enough. Turns out he was just establishing my supply. Hang in there it does get better.

Invest in a good breastpump. I use this one and have been very happy with it. It is worth the extra money to get a good one that is efficient.

These sterilization bags are a must have and make life so much simpler since free time is already at a minimum. I would definitely stock up.

Last but not least I would also have plenty of these and if you work hard on a proper latch you should not need any cream. I heard over and over that breastfeeding should not hurt and my experience was the first 2 weeks was pretty painful and once that is over is get much more comfortable. If you plan to nurse over 5 to 6 months it will get to the point where your little one can finish up in around 10 minutes. Let me tell you it changes your life!!!

One last product I promote to every new mommy is the Angel Care Monitor. It really helps put your mind at ease when your little angel is sleeping that they are still breathing. This is the BEST product and I would pay twice the amount just for the peace of mind it gave us. The cheapest I found it for was on this website. They just came out with one that has a video monitor which I love and will definitely be purchasing with our next baby. You can find that one here.


I hope this helps at least one momma out there. If you have any questions please leave me a comment. I would love to help and remember too well how scary those first few weeks are.

When weaning happens I will be posting about that, but for now I will have to start scouring the internet and blogs to learn how in the world to go about it :)!

Last but not least I love nursing becuase ALL the quality time I get to spend with this little guy!

1 comment:

  1. I too had set the intial goal of 6months but I am beyond proud to say that we have not spent a single cent on formula. It is AMAZING that our boys are thriving from what we have given them!!! I've told you before but I don't think we're weaning anytime soon either!

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