Another Letter of Encouragement! (Thanks to all my mom readers)

First let me say, thank you to everyone who reads. I often wonder if I am talking to myself or if people are actually reading and following (my readers don't seem to be the commenting type (shame, shame folks!)). It has been so nice to receive emails of encouragement and congratulations since Tillman arrived from you. Also, it has been wonderful to get to know you through email as well. Thanks so much!

Mom Reader-Letter of Encouragement with Breastfeeding (I have found that everyone has a unique story with breastfeeding. It isn't easy, and it isn't the "dreamy" picture they paint in the "books" and classes." It is HARD, TIRING & FRUSTRATING (at times). I hope that to-be-moms, breastfeeding moms, etc. read all of these mom letters of encouragement A. to know it is hard. B. to know there is more than one way of doing things besides text book style. C. to know you are not alone if you have troubles with feeding or take a different route to nursing your child.)

Fri, Sep 24, 2010 at 12:25 PM

I'll tell you what I did about breastfeeding - PUMPED! My daughter was born 6 weeks early (at MUSC) and was not a good latcher - it took 6 days for my milk to really come in, so while she was in NICU, they supplemented a little along with the 1/2 oz I could occassionally muster up with the pump. She had gone from 5.4 lbs to 4.8 lbs when she left the hospital a week later. I had to use a nipple guard when feeding- that's the only way she'd get any milk. I suffered through "breastfeeding bootcamp" for about 6 weeks (which included HOURS of cluster feeding at night) and finally came to the realization I would still feed her strictly breastmilk, but in a bottle. I went back to work when she was 7 weeks old and started pumping 6-7 times a day and then after several months was able to "train" my body to produce what she needed and then some. We were able to make it 6 months on strictly breast milk and had a month supply in the freezer to boot. Six years ago I couldn't find any other moms that did what I did, so at first I felt a little guilty.

Now, my son was a different story - he was an aggressive latcher (I wanted to thump that sweet hungry little head) and my milk came gushing out the day he was born (5 weeks early). I started strictly pumping with him at 3 weeks and we were both happier people since he didn't have to listen to me sob the whole time he ate :-) . Unfortunately I got a horrible UTI that took 3 weeks to cure when he was 4.5 months old and my milk supply completely dried up, despite all efforts to keep it going. Luckily I had about a month supply in the freezer for him as well.

Funny how motherhood makes most topics open for conversation with people you barely know :-) I have several friends that say it gets much easier after 6-8 weeks. I just thought I'd shed light on another way of breastfeeding (or "breastmilking")!

Best of luck with your journey!