breastfeeding

Breastfeeding, Formula, Pumping, bring it on!

I was dead set on breastfeeding my son, afterall, that’s the natural way to go, it’s free, it’s easy, that’s just what you do. When our little guy was born so tiny I opted to give him formula in the hospital until my milk came in since he couldn’t afford to be dropping any weight. We attempted to breastfeed every time that we gave him a bottle but neither of us really knew what we were doing. He was able to latch on a couple of times but would instantly fall asleep.

week 29 (officially bitten) 197-203 days

boo has her two bottom front (sharp) teeth and during week 29 i received my first bite. there is a common misconception that once a baby has teeth, breastfeeding is uncomfortable or even impossible. in reality, if your baby is nursing properly, then you should not feel her teeth.

week 23 (teething...we think) 155-161 days

boo's daddy and i have been swearing up and down for weeks now that boo is teething. we have all the symptoms (did you know teething can cause "loose stools" due to increased saliva during teething?) except...teeth. a quick google search turned up this article from dr greene which states that it can take up to 2 months for a tooth to erupt. ouch, poor boo. a quick stop at kellymom provided this:

recommended by lactation consultants for over 15 years, the original bravado nursing bra will be your favorite during those first few months postpartum (tip: buy 2...laundry days were a sad bra day for me when i had to substitute with a non-bravado nursing bra). the basic style features 92% cotton / 8% spandex fabric for breathability and the ability to adapt to your changing shape, clips that can be opened/closed with one hand, cups that drop away fully from breast and adjustable shoulder straps.

are you enjoying the benefits of pumping hands-free yet? for the past couple of weeks ive been wearing the easy expression bustier which is a simple one piece design that zips up the front making it a breeze to put on/take off.

week 20 (the distractible boo) 134-140 days

looking back it seems that i was only able to successfully nurse boo while laying down in my bed during week 20. also, the room had to be quiet and heaven forbid boo's daddy popped his head in to chat, that would always signal the end of a feeding. suddenly it became clear that boo was a distractible nurser.

week 19 (adventures in hands-free pumping) 127-133 days

while pregnant with boo i came across a hands-free pumping bra in our hospital's healthlinks store. the bra featured two large round holes where the wearer's nipples would be. i could not imagine wearing such a contraption and shared a good laugh with boo's daddy over the idea of it.

week 16 (nightwakings) 106-112 days

breastfeeding has been somewhat of a gateway parenting choice for me leading to other choices such as baby wearing, co-sleeping and cloth diapering. while baby wearing and cloth diapering are going great, co-sleeping is starting to pose a possible problem. boo has become fond of the nightlife.