Most moms know that breastfeeding is the best
way to feed a baby, and many expectant moms plan to nurse their
little ones. However, new moms are surprised at just how difficult
breastfeeding can be to establish. After all, new moms don't have
any experience with nursing, and babies don't automatically know
what to do. In those first few days, you may experience problems
with engorgement and getting your baby latched on, which many moms
don't anticipate.
"I anticipated the pain, so that wasn't surprising, but I never
anticipated the difficulty getting her latched on or that she would
be physically unable to do it," says Shani Pinkerton, a mom from San
Antonio, Texas, whose daughter was born with a tongue tie that made
latching on difficult. "I never considered that a possibility."
Other moms experience problems with their milk supply, which may
also make nursing difficult to establish. "It took several days for
my milk to come in," says Brette Sember, a mom from Clarence, N.Y.,
and author of Your
Plus-Size Pregnancy (Barricade Books, 2005). "My babies
initially weren't interested in nursing, since there wasn't much
there for them to get. It took a lot of work with a lactation
consultant to get things going."
When you are trying to establish nursing, it's important to
realize that many moms go through this, and in most cases, you can
overcome the challenges and go on to nurse your baby successfully.
The key is to know how to prepare for breastfeeding and where to
find help when the time comes.
Many moms make the mistake of
assuming that breastfeeding is natural and therefore easy to do, but
this isn't always the case. "Making milk is natural; breastfeeding
is a skill that mothers and babies have to learn," says Amy
Spangler, IBCLC, a lactation consultant in Atlanta, Ga.
Breastfeeding doesn't come easy for everyone, and any new skill
requires practice and preparation.
"The secret to any parenting skill is having realistic
expectations and learning all you can before the baby is born," says
Spangler. Read everything you can, and read from different sources.
Attend a prenatal breastfeeding class, talk to other moms who
breastfeed about their experiences and attend a La Leche League meeting or
other support group that's offered in your area.
Once your baby is here, you have to be persistent with
breastfeeding, and you have to keep practicing until you both get
the hang of it. "Babies don't know what's good for them, and if
they've had a bottle in the early days, then they may not understand
what you're trying to do," says Spangler. Much of your experience
and the ease of breastfeeding will depend on what happens early on
in your baby's life. This means that what happens in the
hospital is critical. Even if you don't get your baby latched on at
first, let your baby feel your skin next to his face within the
first hour of birth, so later when you try to nurse the feeling will
be familiar.
Your milk usually
comes in after you leave the hospital, and if you become engorged,
latching on may become more difficult for your baby. This is where a
solid support system becomes critical. In most cases, your partner,
or the baby's father, is the most important support person, so Dad
needs to know the basics of breastfeeding and understand why it is
important. You should also have a list of people you can call in
case you run into trouble.
Talk to your healthcare provider about where to find support in
your area. Most communities have a La Leche League and lactation
consultants that can take calls and even come to your house if
necessary. There are support groups that meet at many local
hospitals or other facilities. You can also find contact information
for lactation consultants and La Leche League leaders via Web site
directories and searches, and if you know any moms who have
experience breastfeeding, they may be able to help you get your baby
latched on properly.
If your baby is
having difficulty eating, the pediatrician should know about it. The
doctor will want to check for signs of dehydration and excessive
weight loss. And although most pediatricians support a mother's
decision to breastfeed, they may recommend supplementation if you
are having problems. "Supplementation may be medically necessary,
but it doesn't have to be formula," says Pamela Holland, IBCLC, a
lactation consultant at St. Joseph's Candler Hospital in Savannah,
Ga. "You can supplement with expressed milk."
You should keep in mind that a recommendation for formula impacts
your milk supply. If your baby's pediatrician does recommend
supplementation with formula, you have the right to research other
avenues and to make certain the recommendation is not the byproduct
of breastfeeding ignorance. Breastfeeding experts are not
necessarily medical doctors, and medical doctors are not necessarily
breastfeeding experts. Talk to a lactation consultant, or search out
a pediatrician who is also an international board certified
lactation consultant (IBCLC). If supplementation with formula is
determined to be the only way, then talk to a lactation consultant
about how to maintain your milk supply until formula is no longer
necessary.
Just because you
can't get your baby latched on to nurse doesn't mean formula is your
only other option. "If we've told you that breastfeeding is the best
food for your baby and that it's superior to formula, then what
about all those women who can't get their baby latched on?" says
Holland. "Do they have to feed their babies substandard food?" If
medical professionals are going to sell breastfeeding to American
culture, then there has to be another way to achieve success than
putting baby to breast.
"So much of the literature written about
breastfeeding says that it can only be done one way," says Holland.
"But there are many ways to achieve breastfeeding success." What's
most important is that you and your baby find a way that works for
you, and that may mean pumping for an extended period of time.
Pumping and feeding the expressed milk from a bottle is
breastfeeding success if it works for you and your baby. With the
right pump, you can realistically keep this up for an extended
period of time. If you can't get your baby latched on for whatever
reason, that doesn't necessarily mean that you can't feed your baby
breast milk.
If you do end up bottle-feeding your baby, you can still use it
as an opportunity to bond. Hold your baby close, and use
skin-to-skin contact. Make eye contact and groom your baby. "All
those things are important about breastfeeding, not just the breast
milk," says Holland.
If breastfeeding your baby is important to you, then chances are
you'll be able to make it work. "A highly motivated mother will
overcome all obstacles," says Spangler. Just stick with it, and
realize that any amount of breast milk for any amount of time puts
your baby at an advantage.
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