Tuesday, May 21, 2013

First feedings


The first time I tried breastfeeding it didn’t go so hot. My daughter didn’t automatically latch by just placing her head up to my nipple. Holding her was actually really hard for me. Not how I imagined it.
The next several times I tried breastfeeding was a fail again. I think Izzy Mae only ate her first 1 ½ of life was the bottle she was fed in “transition” from the NICU.
I finally got the nerve to ask for help from the nurse. One thing we got sorted out was my milk hadn’t come in yet. Next I learned I had inverted nipples. My sweet nurse the second day at the hospital got me a lactation specialist right away.
The session with the specialist went great!
I was set using my nipple shield and breast pump. The nipple shield helped my daughter latch to my breast. While the breast pump helped my nipples not be inverted. It also helped bring in my milk supply. The breastfeeding holds I got help from pillows and later on the Boppy.
Izzy Mae used the nipple shield till November. I kept trying to get her to latch without the shield and then one feeding time she didn’t and that was that. I can remember feeling ecstatic that we did it. This may sound weird, but I felt like a real ‘mom’. I no longer had to worry about making sure I had the nipple shield with me when we went out or where was the last place I set down.
Looking back on my experience I’m so grateful for the lactation specialist and my nipple shield. Breastfeeding was one thing I really wanted to be able to do. I’m so grateful I was able to workout some kinks and successfully breastfeed my daughter. Every day that passes I’m thankful that I still can provide milk.

One benefit with using the nipple shield was my breast never cracked or bled. I did use the same nipple shield that the specialist gave me from the hospital. It’s important to wash it in soapy warm water. Having a clean shield helps from it slipping. Here is an article with more information about nipple shields.

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