A note to bleary eyed Me
15 months of breastfeeding, combi feeding, pumping, cup feeding, night feeding - just feeding feeding feeding. 15 months of growing my baby boy with all the enthusiasm a bleary eyed, love drenched mother could muster.
1. I fed in public quite confidently very early. I cant thank Instagram mamas enough for this. Role model super babes hashtag normalising that shit.
This doesn't mean I am an expert. This doesn't mean that I am qualified to make choices for ANY mother and their baby and this blog post is not something that should be used as gospel from my experience to yours or any one elses. It is my personal , self indulgent reflection on what I would tell myself all those months ago as a new breast feeder. Knowledge sharing (not advising or telling) helps a breast feeding community thrive.
1. I would collect even the teeniest amounts of colostrum (the first vaccine! liquid gold!) that leaked out prenatally and bloody save them.
1. I would collect even the teeniest amounts of colostrum (the first vaccine! liquid gold!) that leaked out prenatally and bloody save them.
2. Learn about tongue tie.
3. I would not use a dummy. It interfered with sleep in the end. Great at the beginning. Great in the car. But one particularly eye twitching night I believe I gathered them all up and drop kicked them into a junk drawer. I bet on baby no.2 I ignore this and use one again. I would just be extra careful to not mask feeding cues and needs with use of it.
4. I would try to exclusively breastfeed for the first 6 months. It's a supply and demand thing baby. I faffed with my supply. If you desire to combi feed, wait till you're both established, choose one time of the day and try stick to it.
5. I would not pump if I didn't need to. There is no need to see how much milk you produce because only baby will draw out the most milk. Why add to the life admin.
6. I would milk share. Or receive even. If I had to top up again because of tongue tie or other issues I'd look for the nearest milk banks. For one its FREE. I mean c'mon. And includes all that goodness.
7. Save the bloody colostrum again
8. I'd not play engorged roulette. Only it's not a roulette. The outcome is always the same- pain and a right soaking. Too many times I pushed through feeds, especially out an about or at someones house. Too overwhelmed being busy- I never got mastitis and I'm bloody lucky. And whats more inconvenient? Feeding in good time or trying to latch on a tiny mouth to a gargantuan leaky boob.
9. I would never use the term fed is best. Oh my goodness this is tricky ground. I have used it before. The term can be dodgy. Because formula is not always the answer to feeding problems. It can veil the real issue. When there is a gap in knowledge about breastfeeding surely the best approach is to learn more about breastfeeding? Not just relying on formula for a quick fix. It puts women at risk. Mastitis for a start. Serious infection. Plus isn't it strange that something so vital like a baby being fed is marketed so heavily? If fed is really best why not have a universal product in a plain white tin that doesn't cost the same a month to fill your car with petrol. Crikey we are so lucky to have formula. It's a modern day gift. It saves lives. It doesn't need expensive marketing that we, the parents, pay for.
9. I would never use the term fed is best. Oh my goodness this is tricky ground. I have used it before. The term can be dodgy. Because formula is not always the answer to feeding problems. It can veil the real issue. When there is a gap in knowledge about breastfeeding surely the best approach is to learn more about breastfeeding? Not just relying on formula for a quick fix. It puts women at risk. Mastitis for a start. Serious infection. Plus isn't it strange that something so vital like a baby being fed is marketed so heavily? If fed is really best why not have a universal product in a plain white tin that doesn't cost the same a month to fill your car with petrol. Crikey we are so lucky to have formula. It's a modern day gift. It saves lives. It doesn't need expensive marketing that we, the parents, pay for.
10. I would stay in bed all day doing skin to skin longer. I would give us both the time we needed. And more Gilmore Girls.
11. I'd go to groups more. Peer supporters love to see you come back. There are always toys and other cherubs around for entertainment. You don't have to go in with a problem. And the couple of quid you put in the pot for a cuppa and a biscuit literally keeps the non government funded groups going. Oh and go prenatally. Do your frazzled newborn brain a favor and learn the things when you don't have a hungry urchin competing for head space. OH and take your other half. So they can remember for you and you don't end up trying to punch them in the face at 4am when they potentially, ignorantly, suggest you might have a supply issue.
12. did i mention SAVE THE COLOSTRUM
Hindsight is a mysterious bugger. But there are a few things that stick out in my memory that I'm really chuffed I did.
1. I fed in public quite confidently very early. I cant thank Instagram mamas enough for this. Role model super babes hashtag normalising that shit.
2. I exclusively breast fed for 6 weeks. Mate.
3. I continue to feed responsively 15 months on. Maaaate.
4. I've even taught Leo a milk sign. Its so cute. I keep meaning to get round to more signs but I think I've peaked.
Again I must stress that this is such an indulgent blog post. It's not a guide or a how-to. Sure if I were raving about a lipstick go ahead and maybe lose a tenner. Raising babies is personal. Arm yourselves. Be informed, seek support, facebook groups, support groups, hashtags, YouTube. Try things. And ignore shit advice.
Again I must stress that this is such an indulgent blog post. It's not a guide or a how-to. Sure if I were raving about a lipstick go ahead and maybe lose a tenner. Raising babies is personal. Arm yourselves. Be informed, seek support, facebook groups, support groups, hashtags, YouTube. Try things. And ignore shit advice.
Comments
Post a Comment