I am a mother of three children, two sons and one daughter.
My boys are 11 and 8 years old. Both were formula-fed babies. I found
out I was pregnant in October 1999 with baby number three, and decided
that I wanted to breastfeed, knowing it would be my last baby.
Support from my pro-breastfeeding friends abounded. "Try it,
you'll love it," seemed to be their mantra. So, armed with their
support, and all the information I had on hand, I was confident that I
could do this.
In May 2000, I delivered my beautiful, exquisitely tiny daughter one
month early. She weighed only 4 lbs 7oz. I clung to my determination
to breastfeed, but I had no idea what was in store.
The other moms never told me how exhausting, painful and difficult it
would be. It didn't seem natural at all. The nurses had me pumping
because my right nipple was flat. I went through four days of the
worst engorgement they had ever seen. My daughter nursed constantly,
especially after we got home, and my nipples were so sore I was always
in tears. Despite all this, I fought the urge to give her a bottle of
formula. Weeks went by, and it slowly got a little easier.
Then the unthinkable happened: we found out our baby was very sick. We
spent weeks waiting for lab work to come back, and spent lots of time
running between our pediatrician and Childrens Hospital.
The final test done was a liver biopsy at Childrens. In the middle of
all this, I realized how easy it was to feed her. What a load off my
mind...no mess, no mixing, no formula - just warm, available milk. And
after the biopsy, nursing was a wonderful source of comfort to her and
myself as well. I was finally aware of the rewards of breastfeeding,
and I was actually amazed at my body's ability to provide nourishment
for my baby.
I am proud that every single ounce she has gained has been solely from
my breastmilk. Emily is now 3 months old, and her health has improved
100%. She is still nursing exclusively. It has been a wonderful
bonding experience for both of us.
While I would tell other moms to be that it takes effort, patience and
dedication, my best advice is this "Try it, you'll love it!"
Breastfeeding
Reading
Room
