On a new patient's admission , I ask about breast feeding choice. Most women say "yes." Women who have had difficulty breast feeding their first child often reply: " I'd like to try again."
As a nurse, woman & mother, I believe that particular answer deserves more discovery. After asking more questions, I sometimes share my first experience breast feeding.
At 18 I found myself pregnant with my first child.(It was an Italian "shotgun"wedding, but that's another story.) Little did I realize what a "tug of war" would ensue when I made my decision to breastfeed. My mother was appalled that I would choose something so "old fashioned." My mother-in-law wrote me letters about how mother's milk is "God's Milk." Needless to say,at eighteen, I didn't know who to rebel against. Being my mother's daughter,the path of less resistance was to bottle feed.
I was in a daze after a rapid,painful no drug labor. My baby had arrived. The next thing I knew,there was a nurse standing next to me with a syringe aimed at my arm. She asked me," bottle or breast ? " In that split second I answered, "I'll breast feed!"
(This was in 1970. Deladumone injection was given to suppress lactation.)
In the dark age of 1970, hospital policy was that babies that had not been examined by the pediatrician after their birth, had to remain in the nursery until the following morning. (David was born @ 1027 am.) However, it seems that he drove the nurses crazy crying and not wanting to be nipple fed, so they relented and brought him to me at 1:30 am. I knew nothing about breast feeding and the nurse gave me no specific instructions. He sucked voraciously...I think for 20-30 minutes on each side! My nipples were so sore that when he latched on, painful tingles went through my body!
After my 4 day hospital stay, I went to stay with my parents while my husband finished the college quarter. Arriving home, I found my mom had borrowed an antique looking baby scale. She explained that I would never know HOW MUCH milk David would get, so we needed to weigh him before and after he nursed. Looking back, that made no sense, but I never thought about it then.
Can you imagine trying to figure out how much milk he got?
My mother had never nursed me. She did try with my youngest sister, but was unsuccessful. Having no frame of reference, she couldn't understand my choice to breast feed.
Because Davey was her first grandchild, I think she missed not feeding him herself. In retrospect, I think I knew understood that feeding my baby was my right. Unfortunately, I was young and didn't have the nerve or energy to bump heads with my parents. Neither my mom nor my dad would enter the room when I was nursing. I felt ostrasized.
As it turns out, I nursed David for three weeks! My mother kept saying he wasn't gaining weight. He was starved because he wanted to eat every two - three hours. And something was wrong with his bowel movements....it was mustard colored and seedy looking! So finally I quit! My mom called our family doctor, and before you knew it, I was on pills to stop nursing.(Parlodel) And David was on formula.
One week later, I returned to my own little college apartment, and took David to see the pediatrician. He had gained two pounds! He didn't just gain the weight from one week of bottle feeding! It was from breast feeding!
Now I tell moms (who are receptive) that I almost didn't nurse my second child, because of my experience with my first with my first. Nursing my second child was sooo much easier. And I nursed my third child ,too!
Moral of the story:
Give breast feeding a try. Again. Yes it is natural, but it's a learning situation,too!(for baby and mom)Be PATIENT and RELAX! ASK for help.(from reliable, trusted people)
I am grateful working for a hospital that earned the international certification "Baby Friendly." The feedback from the patients is great!
So check it out!
http://www.womensenews.org/article.cfm?aid=4092
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