From cluster feeding (feeding your baby every 20 minutes because they are going through a growth spurt and trying to up your supply of breast milk) to the baby practically ripping your nipple off when they turn their head (a.k.a. nipplelash) you are lucky to still have feeling in your nips at the end of the day.
First up...
In the hospital, my daughter struggled to latch over what the lactation consultant called fibrous nipples. You don't know what those are? Yeah, neither do I. So, she gave me a nipple shield. This flexible piece of plastic saved my breastfeeding life so much over the past five weeks.
Next...
I bought two lifesavers. The first being Medela Tender Care Lanolin. I use this before and after nursing and it really helps keep from cracking and bleeding. I also bought gel pads. These are heaven sent. Not only do they keep the lanolin on your nips but if you put them in the refrigerator or freezer and it really takes away the pain.
So what's the point of all this??
Shortly before I gave birth, I read research spanning from the CDC to a random nursing moms website that African American moms simply do not breastfeed. Why? BECAUSE THIS SHIT IS HARD! There...I said it. Breastfeeding is hard and not to mention painful. It's no wonder that more women don't do it. However, I want to.
I want to give my daughter the best start to life which means I will give her the food that was made specifically for her. I mean think about it. Cow's milk is for cows. Deer's milk...for deer. Formula (you know...that super expensive stuff on the shelf) is modeled after breast milk. So there is no reason why I should not do what nature intended and latch my daughter to my breast. I just have to get through the pain, the raw, red nipples, and cluster feeding. This shit is no joke and it's not for the faint of heart.
But seriously...I can deal with a little pain for this lil face <3
No comments:
Post a Comment