Some Thoughts on Breastfeeding From a New Mom:
Medela Nipple Shield Review
While I was pregnant I read up on a lot of things, including breastfeeding. There is a lot of information out there about breastfeeding and its benefits. You can read about the proper way a baby should latch, the nutrition that your baby will get, the bonding experience it can be. Breastfeeding just seemed like something that would come naturally. I mean you just do it right? Well it can be a little more tricky than "just doing it".
First off, my Mom would tell me all about her experience and how painful it was (while making biting and head twisting motions for the full drama effect). But after taking a class at the hospital and doing some reading it sounded like breastfeeding would be a breeze! I thought it was just my Mom exaggerating. I got pumped with all this information about how it shouldn't hurt or how if your baby latches wrong simply remove and try again. I mean everything I looked at had pictures of a mom with a smile cuddling her calm nursing baby without a care in the world. So needless to say, when things didn't go as I imagined I was pretty discouraged about the whole breastfeeding experience. However, my son is 3 months old now and things are going well. Its only been 3 months but I want to share some thoughts while on this breastfeeding journey. Side note, as you are reading this, it may sound like breastfeeding is awful but I have to say that I am a total advocate for breastfeeding and enjoy that time with my son. It was just rocky at the beginning.
Since the day my son was born breastfeeding was PAINFUL. Since I thought that it was not supposed to be painful, I kept asking the nurses and the lactation nurses questions. I mean, what was going on?! Everyone kept telling me that my son's latch was fine and sometimes your nipples just need time to "toughen up". I was kind of horrified at that because it was REALLY painful. I tell my husband that it felt like daggers... DAGGERS! Everyone said that it would get better after a week.
One week later. Yup, still feels like daggers. It was very discouraging. I dreaded every feeding and my son wanted to eat every hour and half. I felt like I was failing. I was so disappointed. I thought breastfeeding was supposed to be a time of bonding with hearts floating in the air. How could it be like this? I talked to a lactation nurse and she told me to just hang in there and that really things should get better by week 2.
By week 2 the pain was just unbearable. I talked to a lactation nurse again. I told her that it was to the point where breastfeeding was just a nightmare. She was very kind and encouraging and wanted to help me. I had read something online about a nipple shield, made by medela. While the nipple shield is primarily used for babies with latch problems, especially premature babies, I had read some comments by women who used it for nipple soreness. I was so desperate to try anything I asked the lactation nurse about it (I asked my breastfeeding support peer about it and she highly discouraged me from using it). But the lactation nurse had compassion on me and was quick to give a shield to take home to try. It was a glimmer of hope that things would get better.
Well I have to say, the nipple shield worked wonders! YAY! It helped my nipples to heal (from being cracked and bleeding from a bite. Yes, a bite from a baby, even if that baby doesn't have teeth, may cause some bleeding) and dulled the pain which allowed me to continue nursing. I read that the nipple shield could negatively affect your milk supply but I didn't have any problems with that. This was a life saver! I was ready to give up but made it through because of the nipple shield. After using if for 3 months I found that breastfeeding isn't painful anymore (after weaning my son off of the shield). I think that my son may have had some latch issues after all, though I'm not sure because seriously everyone was telling me his latch was perfect. The nipple shield does add some inconveniences (putting it on while your baby is crying, your crying baby knocks it off with his hands, makes breastfeeding a little messy for you and baby) but all in all I would not have survived the first months of breastfeeding without it!
This is my just 2 cents. I'm no expert but if anyone feels like giving up, I would say to try this before you do! I mean I was willing to try and do anything so that I could breastfeed. I had read all this stuff about how good breastfeeding is and I really wanted to do that for my son. I really felt like I was failing because I couldn't do this thing that I thought would be so natural. But just do what you have to. I got a breast pump so that I my son could have the benefits of breast milk minus the pain of breastfeeding (this was my back up plan). Talk to people about it (your spouse, supports groups, peer mentors, lactation nurses/specialists). This is my take away message. Whatever you have to do, its OKAY!
