Got Milk?
Posted on | April 11, 2011 | 11 Comments
Pretty much since the first day that you’re pregnant (and forced, face first down the rabbit hole of baby information) you are constantly bombarded with the pressure to breast feed. There was even an entire class that came with our prenatal course where we had to sit and brainstorm why breastfeeding was the best option.
_______________________________________________________________
You didn’t really have to convince me. I was gung-ho on running with the Breast is Best pack.
_______________________________________________________________
Unfortunately it wasn’t that easy.
Despite books and classes and support and teachers and more nurses than I care to count handling me in the maternity ward, someone, somewhere failed to mention that:
a) sometimes you just can’t produce enough milk to feed your baby
and
b) it can be horribly, HORRIBLY PAINFUL.
Feeding him became unpleasant at best.
_______________________________________________________________
Now, I am PERFECTLY aware that it SHOULDN’T be horribly painful.
But I’m sorry it was. I can honestly say that it was more painful than labour:
_______________________________________________________________
I still don’t know what it was, something to do with a sluggish letdown and probably not enough developed glands to adequately feed the appetite of the grown buffalo that my son had. I think he adapted some sort of super leech-like vacuum reflex to get what he could which made things even worse.
_______________________________________________________________
I would even be in excruciating pain for hours after a feeding.
_______________________________________________________________
Unfortunately I fell into the routine of using it to get Jack to fall asleep. I was terrified that giving it up would mean that he would NEVER SLEEP AGAIN.
I tried to find solutions to increase milk and decrease pain. But nothing helped.
I tried experts, but no one was able to give me an answer that I hadn’t already tried, or that was helpful at all.
*some of the tamer remedies I tried.
_______________________________________________________________
I wound up supplementing with “evil” formula and finally weening him at 10 months.
It was just as, if not more, painful the last time I fed as the first.
Luckily, he didn’t even seem to care.
_______________________________________________________________
I completely advocate breastfeeding your child for their health and yours. I’m just sharing my story because never once did anyone tell me that it wasn’t a possibility for a healthy mom NOT to be able to feed her baby properly. I only found out through talking to other moms that it’s more common than I thought.
BUT!
During the process I did find some BONUS reasons to breastfeed! And here they are to end my story.
*Chill out. I put a pot holder down first…
When Rowan was born, I was prescribed domperidone, blessed thistle and fenugreek by my midwife that seems to be making a difference. At least It’s not painful (past the first week) and there is actually milk.
That’s the story of my boobs, since you asked.
Comments
11 Responses to “Got Milk?”
Leave a Reply
Or choose one of these!
Hallowe’en Monsters!: Full moon, schmull moon. This ...
4 Wicked Reasons to be a Witch: Reason #4 - Trashed garden.
...
Children's Books: some friendly advice...:
One of the most pleasurable ...
Lookity Bookity
Thanks for the Note!
{ Thanks Elle! Baby number 2 is entering the terrible twos... } – Sep 11, 6:35 AM
{ The Terrible Twos are actually really cute, too. We especially... } – Sep 11, 3:23 AM
{ I loved this story. Floating heads, lol! Sweetly evil.
} – Jun 24, 3:21 PM{ hi jenna, i'm a friend of celia's and i think... } – Jun 03, 1:56 PM
{ This was really beautiful to read, Anna. I'm so happy... } – May 25, 1:29 PM
Follow/Contact Me!
Please vote for me! Just click the link!
Check Out These Series Yo.
April 11th, 2011 @ 7:58 am
haha! I always wanted to ask you about your breastfeeding experience, but, you know, it can be a touchy subject.
I think 10 months is awesome, especially as how you were in pain the entire time! And cool that you’re giving it another go with Rowan – yea boobies!
April 11th, 2011 @ 8:54 am
I hear you. I did it till M. was two, but I spent much of those years lying face down in a tub every night to soothe the pain before I could sleep.
When I first started I had an awful midwife who was no help at all (just said I had to do it because formula was evil, but gave little instruction), but a Jack Newman DVD helped me at least get him to latch.
The problem with all this back and forth about which option is better is that the individual human element gets ignored. You’re not supposed to say “I’d love to breastfeed longer but my child has this habit of trying to file his new, pointy teeth on my nipple. And I’m not fond of that.”
Basically until someone lets me chomp down on their nipples repeatedly in the same manner, they don’t get an opinion. That’s my rule.
April 11th, 2011 @ 9:18 am
Wow. I give you full credit for lasting 10 months, considering how painful it is. I was pretty lucky with Jaxon, except when he started getting teeth (crazy early too)and, I kid you not, he would look at me, grin, and then bite down, HARD, and laugh at my reaction. Little bugger.
April 11th, 2011 @ 7:28 pm
As you already know I have had the same milk problem, and I can’t believe that you went for 10 months!! I didn’t have the pain problem and I still wean each kid by 6 months or so… I would take the ‘evil’ formula any day over my sanity and a baby that’s finally getting enough to eat.
Glad to hear that things are going better this time around!!
April 11th, 2011 @ 11:54 pm
I feel for you, Jana. The old breast is best debate never seems to lose any steam, and has a perverse apparent delight in making Moms feel like crap.
You’re awesome for hanging in there as long as 10 months! Anything beyond giving that first colostrum is above and beyond if you ask me.
With James I fed until 14 months, but I was sooo done at (and well before) that point. When he wanted to self wean I nearly did a happy dance, even though I was made to feel bad that I “let” him wean too early. This time around Quinn and I weaned at 10 months. It was just the right time for him and his *cough* teeth.
Every Mom and child is different. What I learned from it? Just don’t talk about your own personal choices with other people, avoid the topic at all costs! When it comes down to it, it’s none of their business anyway. You’re awesome. ‘Nuff said.
April 12th, 2011 @ 7:19 am
I don’t think we should be quiet about our choices, if we don’t have one. The frustrating part was that the experts didn’t have any answers and looked at me like I was the first woman in the world who was having this problem. It wasn’t until I talked to other moms who couldn’t feed that I felt better. If everyone brought this problem to the experts, maybe someone would study it more (is it age, or environment? etc etc.)
I’m fine this time around thanks probably to the domperidone and herbs. No pain and enough milk.
April 12th, 2011 @ 8:25 am
I agree that it needs to be discussed more. Until Jana had these difficulties, I’d never heard a word about how challenging breast feeding can be. Now, perhaps because I’m more tuned in, I’ve found a lot of women of a variety of ages have had real difficulties … And the whole ‘just relax and enjoy it’ diagnosis seems rooted in the ‘you’re a terrible mother if your boobs don’t work’ mindset.
Not that you need it now, J, but just remember that the entire career of Wet Nurse existed for this very reason … You know … ’till Evil Formula came along …
April 13th, 2011 @ 6:42 pm
The suffering of breast feeding can go either way. I had too much milk and the joys of that were none too pleasant either. I remember leaking through a sweater and two down vests. Talk about mortifying!
April 25th, 2011 @ 9:23 pm
I’ve heard this from a lot of moms too. And the only one I know that didn’t have to at least suppliment formula had too much milk.
I signed up for free samples of formula and I got a call today to ‘follow up’ on my welcome package. The fact that he was adopted came up right away; however, her follow-up question to ‘is that his birthday or adoption date’ was ‘and have you been breast feeding or using formula so far?’. ‘Umm… formula’ She followed that up with sympathy about milk not coming in for some women… Um, ya, maybe my milk is just waiting for the adoption to be finalized before it comes in. Uh huh.
January 8th, 2012 @ 11:07 am
Love that you forayed into this topic Jana! I agree more people need to talk about this. I was all for breast feeding and thought it would be so natural. Now I find almost every mother I know has had difficulties breast feeding. My first baby is 4 months and I am still trying to get the hang of it. Most of the time she starts screaming after a few seconds – couple minutes of feeding during the day and she feeds ok at night. It was painful and bleeding nipples for first few weeks, now just have to try and feed her very frequently for short periods during day – she might have Gerd but that is just the diagnosis of he week. No one knows why she sometimes refuses to eat all day despite appearing hungry. I will be happy if I make it to 10 Months! Way to go Jana
January 9th, 2012 @ 7:28 am
Thanks Aldea!
I hope it gets easier for you. I know it was really tough for me and I only lasted 6 months with Rowan. She just lost interest in my underachieving boobs. The only advice I can say is to relax and do what’s best for you and baby. Whatever that means.