It's been almost 10 months of breastfeeding, so I thought I'd jot down some random thoughts on the subject.
First of all, I have all but forgotten how hard it was to get started. I looked at one of my feeding logs from the first week and it was only that that helped me remember what a struggle it was. I was writing in Dominic's baby book the other day about things he liked during his first weeks, and I started to write "eating" but Eddie had to correct me that he really didn't get going very well on that front for a few days. I remember I had to use this "sandwich" move that Kay Gregg, the lactation consultant, gave me.
Next, the weight loss factor. Dang, if I knew that breastfeeding would be such an effective weight loss mechanism, I might have hooked my boobs up to siphons years ago and tried to make something happen. I'm still no Twiggy, but I haven't weighed this little literally since high school. And this despite the fact that I eat like I'm never going to get another meal. Do I want a donut? Yes! In fact, I'll take 2! :-)
I wanted to mention that I went to the breastfeeding classes at Long Beach Memorial Hospital, and I remember at the time being disappointed in them. They spent at least 4 hours - nearly all of the first session - talking about the advantages of breastfeeding. Eddie and I were both sitting there mumbling to ourselves that we GET it and that we were OBVIOUSLY believers in the value of breastfeeding because we were THERE, so couldn't we just get on with learning some techniques? Well, looking back in hindsight, I realize that they really did need to spend all that time talking about how great breastfeeding is for making smart, healthy babies because around 5-8 weeks you hit a wall and you really need to have those truths firmly implanted in your mind to continue. Dominic would eat and eat and eat and then throw up everything he had eaten and then need to eat again right away. Ee-GAD I pretty much felt like he should have been surgically attached to the boob!
I remember going through a period where feeding him on my right side was excruciating. I don't think I had anything like a yeast infection or anything... just a painful period in the progress I guess. I remember whenever I would look down at the little bracelet that kept track of which side I fed him on last (especially useful since I could barely remember my own name for lack of sleep), and when the bracelet would indicate this upcoming feeding should be on the right, I would physically cringe at the dread.
Every time I would feel like quitting, I would remember the 4+ hour speech of the merits of breastmilk and I would try try again.
All the pains and struggles seem like nothing more than a foggy memory now. Other than the occasional worry that I'm having a supply problem after a particularly unfruitful pumping session, breastfeeding couldn't be easier. In fact, it's soooo much easier than feeding regular food - way less messy and super convenient with 0 preparation and nearly 0 cleanup. Oh and did I mention it's free? Ok Ok... I guess you have to factor in the cost of all the donuts, so maybe it's not exactly free.
I will say that teething does, indeed, present nursing challenges. I have been bitten a couple of times and that is horrible. But Kaye taught me that if he bites that I should right away remove him and put him in his crib alone for 30 seconds before picking him up and resuming the feeding. That has pretty much put the kabash on the biting... not completely, but I don't fear a chronic issue.
My only other complaint is the state of "the girls". The breastfeeding advocacy books say that it is the pregnancy, not the nursing, that causes the ladies to lose some of their former glory. But personally, I think it's that period in the beginning when the baby's supply-demand relationship hasn't been established and you walk around with 2 bowling ball boobs for a bit. Inflate... deflate... inflate... deflate. You, too, might lose your elasticity under the circumstances!
Despite the downsides, I'm dreading stopping. First of all, will I gain a thousand pounds when I stop sharing my calories? Next, I'll never be able to handle a forgotten lunchpail as well once ever-present milk is not a dietary option. And let's be honest, I just like the closeness to him I feel from this simple act, and I know I'll miss it.
As for sleeping through the night and napping... Thank God for naps! During the week after D started standing up when he wasn't napping much, I realized that even though I love every second I spend with him, I really really need the 3 hours he naps to accomplish _anything_, whether it be a work project, housecleaning, or just a nap for myself! Is it bad that sometimes when I see him stir in the monitor that I say "stay asleep!" under my breath?
I will offer the following as suggestions for anyone struggling with getting their baby to sleep. I acknowledge I am no authority - I think I just lucked out and got a baby who has a talent for sleeping. But in case something I did had even the slightest to do with his success, here goes.
When I would nurse him, I would start out with a blanket under him. That way, when he nodded off, I could set him into the bassinet and later the crib without disturbing the texture against his cheek, holding the blanket as I slid my arm out from under it. I remember we swaddled him a lot while he was in the bassinet, but not so much once he started sleeping in the crib.
I also do a few things to distinguish between nap time and overnight sleep time. For naps, I say "time to reeeehssssst" and reserve the word "sleep" for the long one, in addition to reserving the bedtime routine and lavender-scented baby lotion, too, for 8:15 pm. I also make sure to close the blinds so the room is as dark as possible during the naps. Isn't there a chemical called melatonin in our bodies whose levels are related to light and darkness that help us get back on track after a bout of jetlag? So I think darkness is much more important than silence.
Speaking of silence, we are fortunate that Dominic took so well to the mobile and the Einstein Duck because he uses both of those as "self-soothing" activities. We will often hear him stir-stir-stir but as soon as he hits the duck or mobile, it's like a tranquilizer dart and he's out like a light. And we aren't very careful to talk quieter than normal or stop the dog from barking at the postman during Dominic's naps, so that way he isn't overly likely to be awakened by a noise. Finally, to get him to fade, I stroke his hair from his part across his forehead and gently drag the backs of my fingers across his closing eyes while I'm audibly breathing deeply like heavy sighs. This not only seems to help him doze off, but I seem to do my best nursing when my shoulders and mind are relaxed by these practices.
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