Spit-up On My Shoulder

Today I’m participating in the Carnival of Breastfeeding sponsored by the Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog. A carnival is when numerous bloggers, like myself, write on the same theme.

This month’s theme is, “What I Didn’t Expect When I was Expecting.” After my post you’ll find links to other blogger’s contributions on this topic. Feel free to leave your own comment on what you didn’t expect about breastfeeding – good or bad!

EDUCATION IS KEY

I was so uninformed about breastfeeding when I was pregnant with my first daughter. I was a little concerned because my breasts have always been a sensitive area (I’m very ticklish there). But it was hard for me to think past the delivery and what obstacles I might face.

The only information I had received while pregnant was a brief overview of nursing in my childbirth class. The instructor made it sound like no one would have any problems – just put baby to breast and it will all go smoothly. I also had seen many images of women breastfeeding on TV or in the movies that made it look easy. When these women nursed their babies, it seemed like the most natural thing in the world.

Breastfeeding did not come naturally for me. This was in 1992 and none of my doctors had talked to me about lactation consultants or La Leche League. I have a vivid memory of one particularly callous nurse in the hospital who shoved my daughter onto my breast when my baby’s mouth wasn’t open wide enough for a latch. When my daughter clamped down on my nipple, I yelped in pain. The nurses in general did not know how to coach me on breastfeeding. They mostly left me alone to figure it out.

Once we got home, things became worse. To this day I don’t know if I ever had my daughter latched on correctly, as I suffered pain at each feeding. I didn’t know who to talk to or where to find help. Neither my mom or mother-in-law had breastfed, and I was the first of my local group of friends to have a baby. I was ashamed about how this act, that was suppose to come so easily, had me at my wit’s end. When my daughter was six weeks old, I quit nursing and cried at my sense of failure.

Luckily I was much better informed by the time I had my second girl. I read books on breastfeeding and talked to lots of people about how they did it successfully. I was able to nurse my daughter for months, rather than weeks, and am incredibly proud of how I learned from my first experience.

So get informed and don’t hesitate to seek out help if you have difficulties. While you’re pregnant, gather the resources you’ll need: phone numbers of lactation consultants, your local La Leche League, and stores that sell breastfeeding supplies. Read all you can and take a class that is solely dedicated to teaching you how to breastfeed. You can do it – something I wish I had known when I was struggling to nurse my oldest daughter.

Because of my difficulties with breastfeeding and other stresses that come with the early months of parenthood, I now work as a postpartum doula. I help new families in their homes so that their transition to parenthood goes a lot smoother than mine did. I’ve also written a book of women’s stories titled, “Why Didn’t Anyone Tell Me? True Stories of New Motherhood.”

Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope you come back often.

Check out these great contributions from other bloggers on the same theme:

• Sinead and Breastfeeding Mums writes “What I wish I’d known about breastfeeding.”
•Shelly at Adventures of a Breastfeeding Mother tells us what she didn’t expect about breastfeeding.
•Angela at Breastfeeding 1-2-3 tell us “What I didn’t expect when I was expecting.”
•Ashlee at New Mama’s Nest tells us what she didn’t expect about breastfeeding her ‘early bird.’
•Rixa at The True Face of Birth tells what she didn’t expect when she was expecting.
•Down with the Kids reflects back on breastfeeding as she weans her son in her post “Goodbye Booby”
•Heather at The Spice Choir talks about how breastfeeding changed her social interactions.
•Andi at Mama Knows Breast shares her top 10 list of things she didn’t expect about breastfeeding.
•Jen at The Lactivist tells us how “Nursing isn’t quite what I expected.”