Partum Me?! Observations on Breastfeeding

In case I scared you with last week’s post, Charlie’s stitches are already out and the boo-boo is completely healed.  He does still have a mark but it fades every day, so we’re hopeful that it will be nonexistent within a few weeks.  His umbilical stump has fallen off and his circumcision is fully healed, so we’re grateful to be wound-less for at least a little while.

One of my parenting goals for Charlie was always to breastfeed him, at least for the first few months.  I knew it might be  a challenge for me because a) I travel for work, so pumping could be less than convenient while running around between appointments and b) I have polycystic ovarian syndrome, which often causes supply issues for women who live with it.  Sure enough, Charlie lost a little more weight in the first few days after birth than what is normal so we were put on a strict feeding schedule, that also involved some supplementing with formula.  I wasn’t happy about feeding formula, since I know that every ounce of formula that’s fed could mean an ounce of breastmilk that’s not produced.  But the kid’s gotta eat.

Luckily, our pediatric practice has a lactation consultant on staff.  We met with her during Charlie’s first week at home and it was probably the best hour we’ve spent with any sort of practitioner throughout this entire process.  We left her office with a plan to boost my supply in the hopes that I could taper off the supplements.  Last week, I attended her weekly lactation support group, where we weighed Charlie as he fed to see how much milk he was actually getting.  He was getting TWICE as much as he had at our first appointment just a few days earlier.  I’m hoping that when I attend tomorrow’s group, we’ll get the good news that he’s getting all 3 oz per feeding from the breast so that our days of supplementation can be over.  I’ll still be happy even if he’s just getting more than what he was getting last week.  Plus, I’m looking forward to seeing some of the other mothers from last week to see how their situations have improved over the last few days, too.

In the meantime, here are the top few things I’ve learned about breastfeeding that you never really learn until you’re trying to do it:

• There are non-pharmaceutical ways to boost your supply. I’m not a holistic medicine kinda girl, but the lactation consultant suggested that we use an herbal tincture that contains fenugreek and some other herbs that are meant to boost supply.  It worked like a charm!  I also read online that eating oatmeal every day can boost production, and as crazy as it sounds, it was a valid tip.  I noticed a marked increase when I started taking the herbs, and then again when I started eating oatmeal every morning.

• Feeding on demand is tedious but it’s the best way to make more “juice.” Charlie is going through his three-week growth spurt and has been extremely fussy between feedings.  While it’s not fun after I’ve gone without sleep for a good day or so, I’ve still taken the opportunity to put him on the breast as much as possible, in the hopes that it will stimulate an increase in supply.  He, of course, has been happy to oblige.

• Pumping after feedings helps with supply, but it’s normal if you don’t get much milk. I was convinced that pumping after feedings would mean that I could fill an extra bottle to freeze for when I’m back at work, and I worried myself to death that a 10 ml pump yield meant that I wasn’t giving him enough during feedings.  The lactation consultant assured me that a baby is the best “pump” there is and that he drains much more from the breast than a machine pump does.  In fact, she told me, a small yield during pumping actually implies that he got a good amount from me, beforehand.

• Before you use a fancy breastfeeding pillow, get your hold and latch right without using one. Don’t get me wrong.  I love my Brest Friend pillow and I know other mothers who swear by their Boppy’s.  But as the lactation consultant explained to me, there will be plenty of times that we will find ourselves somewhere, needing to feed our babies, without one of those pillows to lean on.  Making sure that you can position your little one and get him on the boob properly is a necessary skill set to have before unwrapping a cushy assistant.

• Other breastfeeding moms are your  best resource for info and support. Both in person and online, I’ve found that other mothers whose circumstances are similar to mine are great at giving advice and encouragement.  Just the other day, I decided to google strategies for pumping while on the road for work and I found a whole load of information supplied by mothers who had done it, including tips on specific places that were pump-friendly in major cities where I travel for work!

This last one is the most important…

• NO GUILT.  EVER. First off, stress is the biggest supply destroyer for breastfeeders.  So constantly worrying about whether you are giving your baby enough food does nothing but ensure that you aren’t giving him enough food.  But more importantly, remember that just having the desire to breastfeed is proof positive that you want to do a great thing for your baby.  Even just one day of breastfeeding is better than none, so if you end up trying it and then going to formula, you’ve done a good thing for your little one.  My original goal of breastfeeding for the first year might end up getting changed to something like the first few months, but I do my best to remain confident in the good start that I’ve given him by working hard to make sure that he gets breastmilk, but still gets whatever he needs to grow and develop normally.

Interested in learning more about breastfeeding and milk supply?  Check out Kellymom and LowMilkSupply for info on how to increase your milk.  Also, my friend Amber writes regularly about breastfeeding for Examiner and has some great tips.  Check out her stuff, here.  I am definitely going to make myself some of her lactation cookies ASAP!