When I started breastfeeding more than 11 years ago, I didn’t know that breastfeeding requires sacrifices. Perhaps it was just as well that I had no clue. And today, 11 years down the road, I am still making the same sacrifices! 🙂
Committed to breastfeeding
All I knew back then was that I had to breastfeed given both Henson’s and my family’s history of allergies. And it never occured to me that it could be a difficult journey, especially in the beginning. After all, how difficult can it be to just put the baby to the breast, right?
Ha! How ignorant and foolish I was even though I had done all my reading on it. Nothing beats real life experience! And you can never predict what type of nurser your baby is going to be. You can only pray about it.
After nursing 7 children, I can with some authority that the early days of nursing almost always repeats itself. However, being more experienced, the early days are handled differently and with more equanimity. But it does not mean that I like them any better.
Here are some of the more unpleasant stuff that many proponents of breastfeeding seldom mention but should! Because breastfeeding requires sacrifices indeed! I prefer to be mentally prepared. What about you?
1. Engorgement
If you nurse regularly in the fist few days, one shouldn’t be that severely engorged.
Note: keyword is “severely”. There’ll still be a feeling of fullness as the milk comes in. And even if you do escape that feeling in the early days, once the baby goes slightly longer between feeds you’ll definitely feel it! This is why I advice mothers who want to wean to go slow!
It can be rather uncomfortable especially if you like to lie on your side or tummy!
2. Leaks
With my first baby, I leaked for about 6 months! With subsequent babies, once I passed the first month I almost never leak. However, with my seventh baby, I didn’t leak at all until she decided to stretch out her feedings at about 5 weeks old. Then I leaked majorly. Cloth breastpads just couldn’t absorb the leaks. I had to use my trusty Pigeon disposable breastpads.
Even till today, at 9 weeks post-partum I am still leaking though less often. So I am back to using my cloth pads.
3. Being on call 24/7
Since I am a stay-at-home-mom, I don’t express any milk for the baby but latch on directly. So that means baby is with me 24 hours, 7 days a week. Where I go, baby goes. Well – for now at least till she is able to go longer without her milk or starts taking solids. I am on call constantly.
I usually don’t mind it as I do like being with my babies. But it can get tiring since there’s no break. And worse still if she needs to nurse to go to sleep! Some days I feel so touched out I literally squirm when yet another child asks for a hug.
4. Diet restrictions
Ahhh!!! This would be my biggest bugbear. With my last 3 babies, I can’t eat/drink anything caffeinated or they would be so miserable and/or be awake in the middle of the night! They are very sensitive to caffeine – even in utero!
Interestingly with my first 4, I could drink as much coffee/tea as I wanted during pregnancy and not feel nauseous. But not so with the last 3. Even one cup of diluted tea would make me very nauseous. And when these babies were born, I still couldn’t drink any caffeinated drinks or these sweet babies would keep me up all night!
No indulging in chocolate after the babies go to bed at night either. They would not be able to settle down and sleep but instead be very miserable.
And with a few of them, I’ve had to also keep off dairy in the first 6 months. Otherwise, they would get extremely gassy and spit up a lot.
5. Breastfeeding takes commitment
I write this post not to elevate myself but to salute all breastfeeding moms. It takes a lot of commitment, sheer grit, and will power to do it. I know quite a few moms who pressed on despite bleeding and being sore. And then there are those, who did not give up even though people around them, including doctors (!), who keep on dissuading them from continuing due to repeated mastitis attacks.
Even though breastfeeding is a lot more common and accepted now, it is still not mainstream. Many just pay lip service to its goodness. In fact, the moms that I roomed with at the hospital after the seven births, all except one gave formula to their newborn babies. Despite being encouraged to breastfeed by the nurses.
Women who breastfeed are a special lot! Well done!!!
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*** Post updated 23 July 2017 ***
4 Comments on Breastfeeding requires sacrifices
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Indeed, I was so engorged last week, that I had to run to Doris for help. She helped me clear the solid as a rock breasts and taught me how to use hand expression as I sucked badly at it.
Reason? My nipple got so large that they got stuck in the Avent fannel (how silly is that?!) cos I was trying to clear the engorgement myself. As a result, they are hurt badly and I have to put the pump away for a while. Had it be my first child, I might have given up.
But I must say using hands is much easier and convenient, though I cannot do the nurse-one-side-and-pump-other-side stunt.
And I had yet another attack of blocked ducts! So painful!
Or no… has it been cleared?
yep. thanks! but i need to be extra vigilant with this particular side and spot! tebds to recur.