My Breastfeeding Journey

My Breastfeeding Journey

Breastfeeding eight babies… How did my mom do it when I struggled to feed just one? At least during the first six weeks, breastfeeding felt like a daunting task.

Is it really this hard? Or do I simply lack the patience my mom had? (I really don’t remember her complaining.) So I thought, maybe it’s because I’m a new mom. And perhaps, every new mom has to go through these breastfeeding struggles.

Sleep Deprivation

During my first two weeks as a new mom, I went through the day groggy. Cyd’s longest sleep was 3 hours, and whenever he woke up, I needed to stand or sit up to breastfeed and burp him after. His cries/shrieks are impossible to ignore. I wonder how he could produce such ear-splitting noise from a tiny, fragile body. Luckily, we’ve discovered the wonders of breastfeeding side lying. He likes it because he can eat whenever he wants, and I love it because I can rest while he’s drinking to his heart’s content. Our sleep has improved a lot!

Low milk supply

No one warned me that it’s possible not to have enough milk during the first few days after giving birth. And that it’s quite normal. I assumed that my body wouldn’t fail me. I thought, if my baby needs it, my body should respond. It looked too easy for my mom, she didn’t seem to worry about running out of milk.

Turns out, we have this hormone called Prolactin, which is responsible for producing milk. Many factors can affect its release (i.e., sleep, stress level, diet, etc.). But nipple stimulation by the baby is said to be the best way to make it work hard to make more milk. I also read that certain food and supplements can help boost it. So we bought just about anything that promised to increase the milk supply.

Sore, cracked nipples

I really thought babies just automatically latch without a problem. But it’s not the case with me. Cyd and I had to find the least painful breastfeeding positions over the course of five weeks or so. Sometimes, I lead him. Most of the time, he leads me. This exploration stage led to cracked and sore nipples. There were moments when I felt like giving up. So what kept me going? The assurance that he’ll be less sick if I breastfeed. And to be honest, I don’t like the inconvenience of sterilizing feeding bottles and preparing milk every time he’s hungry.

The Witching Hour

At about 5 pm or 6 pm, when the sun is about to set, my baby’s mood turns sour. Why? He seems to be preparing for a long sleep by drinking as much milk as possible. But my milk supply dropped around this time (when I needed it most). Gladly, these days, I’ve discovered ways to distract him while my breasts are refilling their supply.

Cluster feeding

Perhaps this was the biggest surprise of all. When breastfed babies are around 7-10 days and 3-6 weeks old, they can go through what’s called a “growth spurt.” During this time, they have a voracious appetite, so it’s normal for them to suck every 30 minutes. For a new mom, this is probably the ultimate rite of passage. I surely did not enjoy it. Surprisingly, some of my friends didn’t remember experiencing this. Maybe some babies don’t cluster feed? Well, their moms are lucky.

You mean the world to your baby

At least that’s what his eyes say. My baby stared at me like I was the most beautiful person in the world. How can I not like this job? So, while I treasure my free time, especially when he’s napping or spending time with his father, I long to feed him and see him look at me again.

I mostly love doing it these days, unlike the first few weeks when I dread feeding sessions.

What about you? Have you struggled with breastfeeding, too? What was your journey like?

You Might Also Want to Read: My Birth Story Is Something I Never Expected

2 responses

  1. […] You Might Also Want to Read: My Breastfeeding Journey […]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.