i always joke about how i wish someone had warned me before having olive just how challenging and PAINFUL it can be the first 2-4 weeks!! lucky for me, i had all the pain meds from my csections that not only helped manage the pain from my surgery but also helped with the pain from breastfeeding my new baby! and to be honest, i used them mostly for the nursing pains! i also would lather my nipples with lanolin before every single feeding!
each baby was so different as far as nursing went. my first baby was my smallest and because of that i feel that, that was the reason our breastfeeding experience didn't last. she had a hard time latching and i felt like she wasn't getting enough each feeding so i ended up supplementing with formula and by three months she was exclusively bottle fed. i remember feeling so defeated. i felt like i had failed myself and failed my baby. i wanted it to work so badly. but in the end, it was all about my baby and making sure she was getting enough to eat. with my first i tried using these nipple shields to help manage the pain but to also try to help her get the hang of latching. i never used them with my other two!!
my other two were completely different experiences!! maybe because i knew what to expect? they both latched on immediately and almost perfectly! but i also experienced mastitis with both of them too. which is miserable and a whole new level of pain! with my second i struggled with milk supply by STRESSING ABOUT MY MILK SUPPLY. but yet she was my chunkiest baby! to help with my supply i always had a batch of my BOOBIE COOKIES in the freezer and would use those when i felt my supply was low! with margo's breastfeeding experience came A LOT of anxiety. she is a great eater but had a really hard time with my let down for the first 5 months which made nursing stressful for both of us. and i contemplated giving up more times than i can even count. and i'm so glad that i didn't!!
i have seriously loved nursing my babies and i hope i never forget the little tiny things about it that make it so special! my baby needs me, but i also need them. the bond that breastfeeding brings is something so beautiful and indescribable! i always want to remember the little whines and cries of excitement when they know they are about to feed. i always want to remember the sounds of them eating. and i never want to forget their little hands softly touching my face while they nurse or grabbing my finger with their tiny hands. margo rubs her soft hand back and forth on my arm while she nurses and it's my favorite thing. breastfeeding has been so special, and i will be sad when the day comes that my baby no longer needs me!!
this cute tee is from my etsy shop, and you can snag it too! for new moms--- my favorite instagram account to follow for all my breastfeeding questions and inspiration is lactationlink!!
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