So I haven't really blogged much since the baby came but it is honestly because I am sooo busy all the time! I am definitely realizing why they say that motherhood is the hardest but most rewarding job. The past 4 weeks have been a roller coaster of emotions....ask Andrew..haha. Due to my really great pregnancy and labor/delivery, I thought that I was just sailing through this motherhood thing......then came breastfeeding. I'm guessing most people who read my blog will probably be mothers now a days because some of my posts are definitely going to be considered TMI!!!
The first week of having Scarlette went wonderfully! I was on a crazy high from being a new mother and admiring my beautiful baby girl. We had a bunch of visitors so everyone got to see her and I was so happy to show her off. Then came the second week. The second week was A LOT harder for me. I think this was a combination of my milk coming in, my realization that I couldn't just get up and go whenever I wanted and the fact that I was breastfeeding 24/7. It was super awkward having visitors because I honestly walked around in my nursing bra all day. Anyways..this is where my struggles with breastfeeding come into play...don't judge. I have inverted nipples....yup...if you don't know what those are then look 'em up! One is borderline just flat so it hasn't really given me much problems but the other one is completely inverted and such a weird shape! Scarlette HATED breastfeeding on the one side because she was use to how easily she could draw out my nipple on the other side. Needless to say, weeks 3 and 4 have given me the most challenges. My defective nipple had a huge crack in it because Scarlette was having trouble latching correctly and I honestly feel like this nipple just sucks no matter if she was a pro at latching or not. Therefore, it was incredibly painful and I was soooo close to giving up on breastfeeding. I read up on single sided breastfeeding and I have resorted to doing a mixture of pumping 4 times a day on the defective side (to relieve the pressure and to start a milk storage) and feeding Scarlette on the right side. I know I will probably end up being lopsided but I hope this lessens the degree of lopsidedness. The past couple days Scarlette has begun to learn that she can drink all the milk she wants in 25 minutes as opposed to hours and hours of hanging out on there. I think this is due to her being awake more often and wanting to discover the world around her instead of always be on moms boob. SOOO... the reason why I wrote this semi-awkward post about my personal breastfeeding challenge...is to possibly help anyone else that may run into this problem and to make a list of breastfeeding must haves for new moms!
1. Lanolin or a prescription cream- This is definitely worth the $13 for a tiny tube of healing magic! Even if your baby is latching correctly, your soft luscious--never been sucked by a leech before--nipples will get sore due to the friction of baby sucking. I put this cream on in the morning after her feeding and at night before we go to bed. You can put it on after each feeding and it is not harmful to your baby.
2. Breast Shields--- I bought Medula* breast shields to draw out my inverted/flat nipples and they also provide an air vent to keep your nipples dry and to increase the speed of healing. These little gems have honestly SAVED me from giving up on breastfeeding. You'll notice in the first week or two that your constantly changing your breast pads because they are soaking wet (the body needs time to get use to how much milk your baby needs). So your nipples are constantly wet and this increases your cracking and slows down your healing time. Also, I kept them on at night for the first couple weeks but now that my breasts don't leak as much I have started taking them off at night and I stay dry throughout the night.
3. Breast Pads--- I don't know how it works for the general public but in 4 weeks I have gone through 5 boxes of Johnson & Johnson* breast pads (60pack). I bought one box thinking that it would last a while.....I was VERY wrong. I probably went through 20 per day during the first week....and then it has slowed down since my breasts started regulating my milk (about 10-12 per day now).
4. Breast Pump--- I bought the Medula* manual pump but found that with my inverted nipples I needed something stronger and more effective at drawing them out. This pump was cheapest at Superstore or Wal-mart but I definitely would have gone straight for the electric pump if I would have known the struggles I would have. The Medula* electric swing pump is what I bought to keep from giving up on breastfeeding and it was $200 at Wal-mart and Superstore. Even though it is really expensive, I am really glad I splurged on it. Also, as a new mom I had no idea how much milk that I should be pumping. The first time I used my electric pump I got about 50 ml and thought that I was drying up! BUT since the milk increases as baby needs more I discovered that my 3 week old should only be drinking around 50-100 ml per feeding. Baby is more effective at getting the milk she needs per feeding so I have to pump 2/3 times to get enough milk for one feeding.
5. Vitamin D drops-- I didn't read about these before giving birth but buy them beforehand and then you can conquer jaundice quicker if you start using them the first few days of your babies life. I didn't pick them up till she was about 4 days old and I had one ORANGE baby.
6. Cleanser- This is kind of just a tip...but get a cleanser that doesn't have a scent to it. Shower EVERY DAY and make sure you clean your breasts with something that won't irritate your baby or mask your personal smell. Also, after showering I found that if I lay down my boobs don't leak and I can let them air out for 10-15 minutes...it sure is a luxury I never thought I would appreciate HAHA. I read a book that says you can rub your own breast milk over the nipple at the end of a feeding to keep it clean.
ANYWAYS...I know this was a massive post but I wish I would have known someone who breastfed and had problems with inverted/flat nipples before I started breastfeeding. I am finally started to feel like I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and I am so glad that I held on.
Just a note on Scarlette's growth---She is 8 lbs 5 oz, 21 and 3/4 inches and is completely healthy! She sleeps 6-7 hours every night but is a complete princess during the day and loves being held and cuddled ALL the time. She still has all her dark hair and is starting to make cute Cooing noises more often. Were anxiously waiting for her first deliberate smile!!!
