I have heard this statement so many times. It seems that the women who have the most reasons for not breastfeeding are the ones who have tried it once, and did not succeed. Here are the statements I have heard most often.
I tried it before and - My baby just couldn't do it.
As my motto goes, Babies are Born to Breastfeed. A healthy full term infant can and will breastfeed. However, breastfeeding is a skill that you, the mommy person, must coach and assist your baby to do properly. Most babies need very little of either, because their natural instincts guide them to your breast the moment they are born. But still, a new mommy, unsure of herself and her ability to breastfeed will be of little help to a crying, frustrated infant. This is why it is so important that you, the owner of the Super Boobs, must educate yourself prior to delivery and surround yourself with supportive, experienced breastfeeding mothers and/or lactation consultants. Please take the time to visit the La Leache League website for links to local consultants, meetings and endless advice and resources. There are also some wonderful books available for you to read while waiting for your baby. My favorite is the The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding: Seventh Revised Edition (La Leche League International Book)
Babies are built to breastfeed, from their flat little chins, to their adorable turned up noses, to their strong rooting reflex that can be seen just moments after birth. Be confident that your baby will breastfeed. He was not constructed for a bottle, he was built for your breasts.
I tried it before and - My nipples were to flat/inverted
Proof that God has a very good sense of humor are a woman's breasts. Let's face it girls, the only way to get two perfectly round, symmetrical boobies with fully erect nipples, that we have all seen in the movies (for about 15 seconds on the star's body double) is to pay for them. And believe you me, that $5000 dollar bra filler is sounding better every day. However, I have quite an attachment to my girls as they have serviced my children well. So I am unsure if I will ever alter them by surgical means.
The reality is, most women have something about their breasts they don't like. To low, to high(what the *&#???), to big, to small. To floppy, to lop sided, and yes, nipples that seem to flat or nipples that appear to be insecure and hiding from the world (aka inverted).
When I was expecting my first child, I was absolutely determined to breastfeed him. However, I mistakenly believed that I had to have something resembling a large pencil eraser popping out of each breast to be successful. So... I started reading and asking everyone I could about what to do about flat nipples. The solution I discovered were plastic cones for my bra. A wonderful little device that created a vacuum situation inside my bolder holder to gently draw out my nipples and ready them for my baby. Not only did they work, but I had great fun with my Madonna impression for about six weeks. Yes, you to ladies, can enjoy the amazing Hoover experience inside your bra by clicking this link: SUCK 'EM OUT
Babies have a way of getting what they need. Keep in mind it isn't just the nipple that your baby will be latching on too. Its the whole package, nipple and areola. There will come a time when you will discover just how true this statement is, because it isn't uncommon for an older baby to just suckle directly on the nipple. This is fine once you have toughened up a bit, but be careful about this the first few weeks as this can cause soreness.
I tried It Before And - My nipples were so sore I couldn't continue...
This is a subject I feel strongly about because of my most recent experience. There are many reason why your nipples will get sore. Let's talk about a few.
Your Baby May be Tongue Tied
My little boy is four months old. He is my third baby. I was expecting my nipples to toughen up quickly. However, I became very raw and inflamed and continued to get worse as he got older. This of course is not normal. My nipples were so bad that I even came down with a yeast infection. My nipples looked like bright red traffic cones and it wasn't funny. (it's OK to laugh now)
I knew I was doing everything right. Danny was thriving, gaining weight well, and seemed satisfied. I am an experienced breastfeeding mom and was confident his latch was correct. But my nipples continued to be raw and painful. And the yeast infection would not go away. I was at my wits end. I started doing some research on line, and came across an article about a problem called "tongue tie". So, I went over to my baby, looked in his mouth and BINGO! He was tongue tied. I knew without a doubt this had to be the problem. Let me explain a bit -
Tongue Tie simply means that the frenulum under my babies tongue was to short and attached to the tip of my babies tongue. Therefore, he could not place his tongue far enough under my nipple to correctly suckle. This was the cause for my extreme soreness. The Solution? A simple and quick clip at the pediatrician's office. After the clip my baby latched right on, stopped fussing and my nipples healed completely in five days.
I realize that not all latching problems are due to tongue tie, but I can't help but wonder how many go undiagnosed. Our pediatrician didn't catch it, nor did anyone in the hospital. And a baby with tongue tie generally does not have issues with bottle feeding. Therefore the problem is diagnosed later when the tight, short frenulum interferes with proper speech development.
Moral of the story, check your baby's frenulum. Or specifically ask someone to check it for you in the hospital before you go home. Tongue Tie is hereditary, but my husband and I have yet to discover anyone in our family with the condition. So don't assume anything. CHECK YOUR BABIES MOUTH. Your nipples will thank you.
Mastitis
Mastitis happens when one of your milk duct is clogged and bacteria sets up there and causes an infection. Mastitis does hurt and can make you feel like poo. The important thing is to keep nursing your baby on the infected side as much as you can. This will keep your ducts empty and prevent further infection. Mastitis is a perfect example of why you should educate yourself as much as possible. If caught quickly, mastitis is easily treated and goes away quickly. Symptoms include a red, warm area on your breasts and a general feeling of Blah :(
Now don't think for a minute that by bottle feeding you will avoid Mastitis. This infection starts in a clogged milk duct, and no one has more clogged milk ducts the first few days post partum then a bottle feeding mother.
Yeast Infection
This has to be by far, one of the most painful infections to contract while nursing. Unfortunately it's quite common. I know you might only associate yeast with the type that you get in your Hanes, but yeast tends to have a hay day growing on a new mom's tender nipples for several reason:
* Many mothers have to have a course of antibiotics before, during or after delivery for a variety of medical reasons. While antibiotics destroy bad bacteria, they will also destroy the good. Therefore leaving your body susceptible to a yeast field day.
* Yeast love sugar and a nice moist area to grow; and of course the milk sugars in your breastmilk will provide yeasts with a nice food supply, and the moist insides of a new mother's bra or nursing pad can create the perfect environment for a yeast family reunion bigger then any thrown by the Jackson's.
* Yeast tend to attack compromised parts of the body. New nursing mom's may have cracks in their nipples (even tiny ones you may not see) that provide a breeding ground for yeast.
* Yeast loves to show up like a big bread truck full of your in-laws when the body is weakened from stress or illness. And no one is more stressed then a new mother. Pushing another human being out of your body, and then caring for that being around the clock while entertaining family members, friends and neighbors is enough to put anyone in the ground.
Side Note: LOVE LOVE LOVE Having babies!
The good news is, yeast can be treated. Not as easily as Mastitis I'm afraid, but it will go away. Please do some research on treating yeast of the nipples and get to know the signs and symptoms so you can stop the bread rolls before they rise. Here's a link to get you started - Treating the Muffin Man On Your Super Boobs.
Your Baby's Latch May Be Incorrect Due To Improper Support
I still hold to my belief that babies will latch the way they need to instinctively when positioned properly. I strongly feel that the main reason for a baby suckling incorrectly is improper support of either the baby or your breast.
If your breasts are large like mine are, and not to high and mighty as mine aren't, it works out to be more important to properly support your breast then your baby. Holding your baby securely is a no brainer. Most mothers will do this regardless. However, large, milk filled breast are heavy. When you are holding your breast to latch your baby on you are supporting the weight in your hand right? OK, baby latches on you get comfy, let go of your breasts and, gravity works girls! Your breast fall down, your nipple slips out of your baby's mouth a bit, and what started as a perfect latch on becomes a painful feeding right on your tender nipple. This is what I believe to be one of the top reasons for sore nipples. Not a baby's incorrect suckle. I am guilty of this infraction myself.
As I am sure you will learn if you haven't already, a baby must compress the area around the nipple to properly feed and stimulate your breasts to produce an adequate amount of milk for your baby. By suckling this way, your nipples will not receive the brunt of the baby's powerful suck. So, be sure to properly support those impressive super boobs until your baby is bigger. Until this time, simply use a throw pillow, Boppy, rolled up blanket or simply your hand to support your heavy breasts while baby feeds. (At 4 months of age, my baby is now tall enough to comfortably fit on my lap and nurse without my worrying to much about supporting my breasts.) I also encourage you to do your homework and experiment with a variety of breastfeeding positions. You will find one you love, and you will also reap the benefits of stimulating different parts of your nipple. This really will help you to avoid becoming excessively sore on one area of your nipple. My favorite has always been the side lying position. I love nursing my babies laying down. Regardless of what position you choose, support your Super Boobs!
If you're thinking, " Gee, this sounds complicated", it really isn't. Bottle feeding a baby is always a two hand handed maneuver and sometimes breastfeeding starts out requiring two hands during the feed as well.
Ladies, you didn't sign up for a pleasure cruise. Raising a baby is hard work, requiring self sacrifice, patience, determination, love and humor. The rewards of watching you baby thrive are greater then any I can adequately describe to you here. Hang in there and prepare yourself for the wonderful world of being a Mommy.
