September 2009 Weddings
michelle142
member
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
BFing Moms
I know it's only been 11 days, but I'm just wondering when you start to feel some sense of normality?
I somewhat expected this, but I feel like I can't even take 20 minutes to myself to take a shower. I'm afraid to leave the house even to run to the store because he might get hungry while I'm gone, even though I feed him right before I leave.
Were going to introduce a bottle this weekend in hopes of me maybe getting a little relief. My emotional state is taking a beating over being his only source of nourishment.
As much as I want BFing to work out (and it is getting better everyday) I'm starting to wonder if I but off more than I can chew.
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Re: BFing Moms
updated 10.03.12
I felt it after a week but take that with a grain. I never exclusively breast fed Nathan. He always got formula and breast milk. In the beginning I didn't pump either. I did things that made the LC's cringe and I don't regret it for a second. I was able to be out and about at 10days pp I was at the mall but there's no way I would've been able to without a bottle.
I think once you introduce that you will feel a lot better because you won't feel like you're strapped to him. As everyone says, it does get easier but in the end you just need to trust your instincts and forget the opinions of the world around you. If you aren't comfortable introducing the bottle, just try going to places slowly. Soon you'll know when he's gonna eat etc.
Hope it gets better for you. It's all a gigantic adjustment
:Blog:
Well, I hate to say it, but the first 3 months in general are the most difficult. With BFing, I'd say at least the first month and a half are especially hard because you're adjusting, baby's adjusting, there's some growth spurts in there that involve cluster feeding, etc. I totally remember feeling like my entire purpose in life was being a milk dispenser, and it was exhausting, overwhelming, and stressful. BFing is a lot of work that you kind of can't be prepared enough for. But, it really does get better. You'll find a rhythm after a few weeks, then the feedings will be more spaced apart and it will feel a lot more "normal".
Introducing the bottle really will help, and honestly will be great for Jamie for a couple reasons, one of course is sharing some of the responsibility for feedings. It's totally normal to feel like you can't go anywhere, but you really do need to give your self those breaks to shower, or go lay on the bed with a book, or whatever. Its totally okay to walk into another room too, if you're feeling overwhelmed or like you're loosing it, and set him in the crib, swing, PnP, or the likes, and just give yourself a few minutes to yourself. It will make all the difference.
Ditto MB and Tonia. It really does get better, it just takes time. No one expects you to have it all figured out this early on.
It got easier for me about 3 weeks to a month in, when I figured out what bfing positions worked best for us, what times she wanted to eat, that it was OK to put her in the bouncy seat or the swing for 5 minutes to hop in the shower. And also remember that it's OK to ask for help.
Being 100% honest, it took about four weeks to start feeling comfortable. And it was around six weeks that we started being able to space out his feedings.
Hang in there! It does get easier!
You did not bite off more than you can chew. I posted on here around 2 or 3 months after having Kyler, feeling the same way you do and begging for advice. Breastfeeding is seriously HARD. While it is natural, it is not naturally easy. (At least for most women I know.) You will feel chained to your baby and start to get tired and frustrated. I wanted to give up MANY times in the beginning. This is totally normal. Like MB and Zane, I also found the first three months very hard in the feeding department. My nipples were on fire on and off for 12 weeks straight, and the growth spurts with cluster feedings (I spent entire weekends doing nothing but putting my boob in Kyler's mouth every hour) were pretty rough. (My advice for days you do nothing but nurse - READ. I got through a lot of Harry Potter with a kid attached to my boob.)
This all sounds pretty horrible, but you have to have faith in yourself that you can do this. If you're committed to feeding Charlie nothing but breast milk, you can do it. By about four months in, it was completely second nature to me and my goal of making it to 6 months got MUCH more attainable in my eyes. At this point, it's so much easier for me to give Kyler a boob than to worry about bottles when we're out and about. Invest in a nursing cover and use it proudly. Oh, and on those early mornings when Kyler wakes up earlier than normal and decides he has to be fed in order to go back to sleep, it's a lot easier to crash in the rocking chair and bust out a boob than it would be to go downstairs and warm a bottle for him. You will start to see the light eventually and see that BF'ing does have some advantages that aren't just nutritional.
Now that I'm almost at 7 months post-partum, I'm starting to wonder how I'll be able to wean Kyler. (At 7 weeks, I wondered how I'd even make it to 3 months.) The engorgement and leaking and overwhelming feelings go away eventually. Giving baby a bottle of pumped milk will help a lot so you have some more freedom, just always remember to pump as soon as you can when you get back to maintain your supply. (That part's always kind of a PITA, but it's not that big a deal.) And like Tonia said, if you do choose to introduce formula, there's no shame in it and that can help your stress level too. Truthfully, I was adamantly against formula until Kyler was 6 months, but now I supplement a bit for daycare and it takes the pressure off me to worry about pumping X number of ounces every day. I just nurse him when we're together and give him a combination of breast milk and formula when he needs a bottle, and call it good.
You can do it. Do as much reading on breastfeeding as you can to motivate you. There are a lot of good, honest articles out there. And remember this is a really short time in your child's life and a few years from now, the neverending days of nursing will seem like a blink of an eye.