So long as I was able- breastfeeding was the only option for me. I thought it would be a breeze. After all it is natural and millions of women do it. I was very surprised to find that it hurt A LOT for the first couple weeks. There was this biting sensation that led to cracks in the nipples. Yowza! Spencer seemed to have no difficulties latching and my milk came in just fine. This discomfort is a very common sensation women experience within the first week or two. My advise? Make sure that the latch is good. Ask for help from your midwife or health nurse. (Often times pain is due to a poor latch) Then buy some Lansinoh brand Lanolin nipple cream, apply after each feeding and start early to avoid any cracking. Hang-in there because it does get better. In just a couple weeks the pain should be gone and should be replaced with a mild tugging sensation.
Some other things to consider. You will need lots (I have 6 pairs) of those fabric re-usable breast pads. It's amazing how many you can go through in a day. I also bought some of the disposable kind for trips out of the house- much safer. Don't forget to stock-up on tops with easy-access for breastfeeding. Lastly, it is best to avoid eating foods such as broccoli, cauliflower, beans, cabbage... and anything else that could cause gas. A gassy baby is a very unhappy baby.
Some of the many benefits of breastfeeding:
• Mother's milk is tailor-made for your baby. In fact, it actually matches 50% of your baby's genetic material.
• It's composition changes with your baby's age, within a feeding, a day, etc.
• Mother's milk is easier to digest and almost completely assimilated by the baby. This is why breastfed babies feed more frequently than formula-fed babies. Breastfed babies also make liquid stools that contain almost no solid matter (and do not smell offensive).
• To date, we have identified over 200 components in breastmilk, and each plays a role not only in the baby's nutrition, but also in general development and growth as well as the development of the immune and nervous systems.
• Breastmilk composition is very stable, even when the mother has a poor diet or is ill.
• Mother's milk contributes significantly to the growth and maturation of the baby's digestive system, which is not complete until around 6 months of age.
• Mother’s milk contains the fatty acids essential to the development of the baby’s nervous system and vision. This may be one of the reasons why breastfed babies’ IQ are 8 to 10 points higher than that of formula-fed babies.
• Mother's milk protects the baby from many diseases, both during breastfeeding and throughout life, first by conferring passive immunity and then by stimulating the baby's own immune system. These effects increase with breastfeeding duration.
• Breastmilk is always available, never spoiled and totally free.
• Incidence of all diseases studied is higher in formula-fed babies than in breastfed babies.
• Breastfed babies cry less and have less digestive troubles (such as « colic »)
• Breastfeeding releases endorphins, which creates a feeling of relaxation and well being in mother and baby, and is even an ideal pain reliever for the baby.
• Breastfeeding mothers regain their pre-pregnancy weight more quickly than non-breastfeeding mothers.
• No preparation, sterilisation, etc. of bottles and formula (often while baby cries…)
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