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"All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother"Abraham Lincoln |
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Rachel Allen"What a great site! I love it! I think changing the public perception of breastfeeding to show mums they can stay stylish and still breastfeed is much needed to fill a support void in Ireland. Culturally it is our public perception which holds so many people back. |
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Domini Kemp
“No chef, food company or scientist can make food as perfect for your baby, as you can. Yes, breastfeeding takes time, but the results are worth it. Your baby’s health is undoubtedly improved and it’s great for getting you back in shape. |
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After researching local hospitals in preparation for the birth I was
concerned that the aftercare was not going to reliably get me started
well with breastfeeding as the midwives are over-stretched and
repeatedly reviews by mums of their hospital experiences dealt with
being left without any significant assistance once the baby was born,
- and hence that phrase we all hear so often 'some women can't
breastfeed' (ie: they can, but they haven't had the right support to
get started).
I decided to go with an independent midwife, and after
36 hours labour my daughter was born at home, we were so lucky, it
exhausted me utterly. My midwife ensured my little baby got onto my
breast very soon after the birth (I was so grateful she took charge
of all of that as I couldn't think straight about anything). She
visited us daily for 2 weeks to check on progress and give me much
appreciated moral support and encouragement, then she visited every
few days for the following two weeks, by the end of that month we
were doing very well, my daughter was gaining weight (her weight
dropped initially which is not unusual I think for a breastfed baby),
and I had got the hang of the constant feeding!
My midwife gave me a lot of fantastic advice, and one piece I held
onto firmly throughout this last year, and that is that sticking with
breastmilk only with no supplementation by formula is the only way to
maintain your milk supply. (However I think that there are some
pragmatic reasons for using some formula sometimes but I strove not
to, and much thanks is due to my husband supporting me fully in
breastfeeding and he never complains about the extra work he had to
do around the house etc. as a result).
I had some fairly standard problems in the first few weeks, blisters
on one nipple due to bad positioning (which always made it easy to
remember which breast was next as it was either the good one (phew!)
or the painful one (argh!). My nipples also blanched after feeding
which is uncomfortable but very harmless and I suppose it is due to
low blood pressure (guessing). All of those things went away after a
couple of months. The easiest period for breastfeeding is those next
few months, much easier than formula feeding as long as you don't
mind the time it takes.
I then started expressing a feed every day from about 4 months to get
ready for a return to work part time, building up to all day-feeds as
expressed milk by September, and all night-feeds as old fashioned
breastfeeding.
I am quite convinced that I'd be having problems now feeding during
the day if they weren't from a cup as my daughter can't settle down
with so much to distract her now (unless she's sick, - boy am I happy
to be breastfeeding still when she is sick, it's such a comfort for
her). For us the expressing will help us keep going as long as she
wants. She loves her last & night feeds as a breastfeed, as do I.
She still feeds quite a few times at night but I expect it will
gradually reduce soon, except for times when she's feeling insecure.
I don't believe in forcing the issue and denying her a feed, I have
confidence that we'll get there when she's ready.
I have two friends out of 8 (current mums) who are breastfeeding, and
it really is valuable to have friends breastfeeding. My formula-
feeding-friend mums, on the whole, have seemed very keen to get their
life back to 'normal' as quickly as possible, and that is something
that breastfeeding has helped me evaluate, - ie: I am not looking for
my life to return to how it was, I love giving my daughter as much
time as she needs, her independence will increase soon enough and
I'll miss this wonderful early stage. |
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