I breastfed my son for over two years. We had a really amazing breastfeeding journey but a very rocky start. I’ll admit that I didn’t really know what to expect and that is because, to be completely honest, I had no intention of breastfeeding. It was not the norm around me. I had never seen it in person or even in a movie. It happened by “accident” and it is the best accident that has ever happened to me.
I breastfed my son for over two years. We had a really amazing breastfeeding journey but a very rocky start. I’ll admit that I didn’t really know what to expect and that is because, to be completely honest, I had no intention of breastfeeding. It was not the norm around me. I had never seen it in person or even in a movie. It happened by “accident” and it is the best accident that has ever happened to me.
Our first couple of weeks would have been a lot easier if I was armed with more information. Knowing what to expect would have helped me greatly.
Here are ten things I wish people told me about breastfeeding:
- You may not get a huge amount of help or support in the hospital and it is NOT the midwives’ fault. Unfortunately, the hospitals are so busy that midwives simply do not have the time to give you the level of help that you might need. Knowing this would have helped.
- Breastfeeding is hungry work. Never in my life have I had such a longing for carbs and cake. I’ll also admit to never enjoying food as much as I did in those first few weeks.
- Your baby does not directly suck the nipple. It uses the nipple to transport the milk from the breast but they will actually latch on to the wider areola around the nipple. I did not know this and imagined the baby’s lips would directly latch to the actual nipple with their mouth almost pursed closed.
- You can actually feel the moment the milk starts to flow. This is when your “let down” happens. For some women, it is really quick and for others (like me) it can be a lot slower. Hang in there, after a couple of seconds your baby’s sucking will send the signal to your body that milk is needed and it will then flow.
- It is normal to feel extremely thirsty and have dry lips when you are breastfeeding. Staying hydrated has never been more important.
- Feeds get a lot quicker as time goes on. In the beginning, my baby was latched the majority of the time. As the baby grew feeds became a lot quicker and I could feed on both sides within ten minutes.
- Breastfeeding will always be a reason to sit down and have a special one-to-one moment with your baby. I never realized how lovely this could be. It ended up being my favourite thing about breastfeeding.
- You will befriend people on your Facebook friend’s list that you may have never spoken to before. If you suggest that you are breastfeeding it will compel other breastfeeding mums to contact you. They will know first hand how important support and friendship is.
- Breastfeeding is a natural and beautiful thing but some babies struggle to latch. It may be due to tongue tie, flat nipples or your baby being born prematurely but there will almost always be a solution so do not panic. A certified lactation consultant will be able to help you with any issues you may have.
- Have a Lactation Consultant’s number on standby. It is the best money we ever spent (€100). If money is an obstacle just think of all of those tubs of formula you won’t be buying.
Written by Tracey Quinn staff writer at FFHQ who also blogs at www.loveofliving.ie.