31 Days of Breastfeeding Journeys| Day 15 |World Breastfeeding Week 2016
"Our breastfeeding story is certainly not what I expected going into my first pregnancy. I always hoped to breastfeed and knew that some women had trouble. Despite taking Bradley classes and reading Ina May's book, I was in for a lot more than I could have guessed.
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We started off in the hospital with a poor latch and areolar bruising. The LC gave me a nipple shield but not much else as far as guidance. I tried to wean off it quickly but still had difficulty with latch and lots of pain. Engorgement didn't help and caused us to have 30 minute wrestling matches each nursing session before I learned about reverse pressure softening. My sweet baby girl was not gaining any weight the first couple weeks. We found out she had a lip and tongue tie which were revised but she still wasn't gaining weight as by that time, my supply was too low. I spent the next month nursing, then bottle feeding with expressed BM, then pumping. I would get about five or ten minutes before starting the cycle again. I spent a lot of time crying and grieving over the fact that our nursing relationship was not what I imagined.
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It was very isolating being stuck on the couch basically all day with no time to even go outside for a walk. Eventually she started gaining weight and my milk supply increased with the constant pumping as well as many herbal supplements and tons of oatmeal. We finally were able to ditch the bottle and the pump and just nurse. Despite all of my friends and family encouraging me to give up and use formula because it would be less work and less stress, I was determined to give it my all and I thank God that it worked out in the end.
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I'm now making plenty of milk and my sweet baby girl is much more efficient at nursing and gaining weight as she should. I'm so thankful for the tribe of women who did come along side me to help me through the rough start we had. Geneva from la leech league who welcomed me into her home weekly, my Bradley teacher Sheena, my friend and massage therapist Devon, our chiropractor Dr Dunnington, Jaimee who did some CST with us, Michelle who helped us with tummy time, my friend Stephanie who pointed us toward so many resources, and all the women in my life who encouraged me and prayed for us." ~Lyndsey
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