Breastfeeding Adventures Pt. 1

Like many women I had a tough time nursing at the beginning. By the end of the first day my nipples where bruised and nearly bleeding. I was gritting my teeth trying to suffer through each nursing session. The doctors told me Baby Cthulhu was losing weight (which I would later learn was normal, especially since he was meeting and exceeding all his diaper requirements throughout the day) and that I needed to consider giving him formula or feeding him with a syringe or they would let us go home. I tried several more times to nurse him, but it was incredibly painful and the lactation consultants on site where either disinterested in helping or busy with other mothers and unable or unwilling to help. When I finally said I would try pumping the staff was only too eager to show me what to do. We left the hospital with Baby Cthulhu unable to nurse and drinking from a bottle.

I had been producing colostrum for weeks before Baby Cthulhu arrived so milk production was not an issue. The issue I found was that for a hospital that claimed to be breastfeeding friendly, they really knew nothing about it. When I first pumped I had over an ounce of colostrum spread out into six syringes. We asked how much we were to give him and were told that they didn't know, however many he would take. I would later learn that we probably gave him more than his tiny tummy really needed, but, he started gaining weight and we were soon able to leave the hospital.

The hospital staff used scare tactics and bullying instead of actually doing their jobs and helping a first time mother learn to nurse. They were happy to see us leave with a few pump recomendations and a handful of nipples from their formula brand of choice.

We made our move with me pumping when able, making sure B.C. Got his breast milk even if it wasn't directly from the source. I'm lucky I over produce because with the long gaps between pumps and the extreme engorgement I was lucky I didn't dry up. But, we made it to Virginia and from then on I pumped every two to four hours (sometimes a bit longer if we went out), every day for two months. I still tried occasionally to nurse, but, B.C. would scream and refuse to latch. I had just about given up, resigned to having to pump for the next year or so.

Then one morning just before his two month birthday around 2am Baby Cthulhu woke up screaming. Krues dragged himself to the kitchen to heat up a bottle of previously pumped milk and I held B.C., begging him to calm down and to be patient. In desperation I shoved my nipple into his mouth and told him he would either have to wait a few more minutes for his bottle or start nursing. He was angry, but he started nursing! He grunted and snuffled, but, he nursed!

He drank from his bottle occasionally over the next week when my nipples would get to bruised but within two weeks he was rufusing to drink from his bottles and I was only pumping once every few days.

I know I was lucky to get him nursing again after all that time with no further outside help. To be honest, after the experience we had at the hospital I didn't really trust that a lactation consultant would even be able to help us.

Baby Cthulhu is now four and a half months old and hasn't touched a bottle in two months. There have been difficult times; over-active let down, sore nipples, etc. But, being able to cuddle up with him at nap times as he nurses himself to sleep is the best feeling in the world!

~Shine