Breast feeding forever (Breastfeeding in General)

Member Name: charlhrdy

Product:	Breastfeeding in General
Date:	18/09/05 (110 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: No need to sterilise, ready made, no guilt trip

Disadvantages: you feel like a cow!

I remember laying there in recovery ward or whatever they call it after an emergency c-section holding my baby whilst his father gave me advice on how to breastfeed.

I've made some poor choices in my life, but this one topped it, I got pregnant to a man who had two children who he rarely sees, and one who he has recently found out he wasn't the father to. Anyway the point of this is he was sat there saying you do it like this, you put your fingers round there and put him to your breast. I had a hard time keeping my mouth shut and not telling him where to go(I had a difficult birth & he didn't help).

Anyway despite that my baby latched on like a dream, he was a very large baby and babies are supposed to lose weight in the first week, he never did, just kept on eating.

Breast feeding for me was easy, I liked it, I didn't have to wash and sterilise bottles, I didn't have to get up in the night to make bottles, on tap suited me.
Lets not pretend here, it is the best you can give your baby, it is designed with your baby in mind, the colostrum is full of nutrients & vitamins, the milk has everything your baby needs until it is six months old. The antibodies you have will be passed on to your baby to protect them from illnesses.

I was fortunate, I am from a family which promotes breastfeeding and every female member of my family has breastfed. I had much advice from them, and it made it easier. Although I didn't need it the midwives and health visitors both gave me plenty of help, and from the local birth centre I got information about the La Leche League, an organisation set up to promote breastfeeding, they have representatives in all areas who can come and visit and help with any queries, offer support and just be there to listen.

There are some difficulties, sore cracked nipples being the main one, I didn't suffer too much, but I know people who have. When I was sore I found a Kamilosan cream worked best and wasn't harmful to my baby. I also found I sometimes felt like a cow being milked. I seemed to breast feed all evening in the early weeks, it made me laugh when I felt that way.

I am still breast feeding, he is 14 months now, he walks up and starts yanking my top up to help himself. That is funny although a little embarassing.

Summary: go breast feeding go breast feeding go.