And how they feed my baby. Lotus is going to do a breastfeeding story carnival at some point and because I have nothing better to talk about tonight, I thought I’d share my story and link to it later.
My Mum breastfed me until I was 3 and then did exactly the same thing with my brother. He was born when I was 5 1/2, so I remember him being fed.
Actually, until I was a teenager, I don’t think I had ever had anything to do with bottlefed babies. Mum’s friends were all breastfeeders and that is what I accepted as the norm.
So when I was pregnant there was no doubt in my mind that I would breastfeed.
I consider myself so lucky because I had no issues with it, at all.
After Amy was born, she latched on and had a few sucks while we were still in delivery, I could feel her sucking, but there was no pain or discomfort.
That night after Nathan had gone home (Amy was around 3 hours old), she got a little fussy so I got my boob out. You can imagine how proud I was when she latched on amazingly and fed like her life depended on it. (Hey! At 3 hours old, my boobs were all she had!)
I felt a little strange, like maybe I should have asked the midwives for help? Then I told myself I was being silly, she was my daughter and I could do this, by myself! 
So I did.
The midwife came in about 9pm to check our temperatures and was amazed to see me feeding my daughter (again). Her look of shock was priceless as she asked ‘You’re feeding her?’
‘Yes’
‘But, you didn’t ask for assistance!’
‘I didn’t need it’
‘But everyone needs help. Wait, does it hurt?’
‘Nope, I can feel her sucking, but there is no pain’
‘Oh. Well, that is great then.’
Amy wasn’t a sleepy newborn and she spent the night alternately sleeping on my breast or feeding. I couldn’t get her to latch on on my right side, so we fed on the left all night.
The next morning I asked the midwife on duty for help attaching Amy to my right boob. After some crying and some twisty turny boob groping she was attached.
The midwife did the rapidly-becoming-annoying spiel.
‘Does it hurt?’
‘No, I can feel the sucking, but no pain.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes, I’m sure!’
‘No pulling or pinching?’
‘No’
‘Oh, well I’ll leave you to it then.’
‘Thankyou for the help’
‘That’s okay’
My milk came in less than 24 hours after Amy was born. I spent most of the time I was in hospital feeding her.
Everytime the midwife came in they would see me feeding and ask about it.
‘You’re feeding her again?’
‘Yes, she wants to feed.’
‘You know newborn babies don’t actually NEED that much milk?’
‘Yes, I KNOW they don’t NEED it, but she WANTS it, and I don’t want to listen to her cry because she WANTS to suck.’
‘Oh. Okay then.’
Half the time Amy was actually asleep on my bare breast, but I liked seeing the midwives discomforted by us. Yes, I’m a bitch sometimes.
We wet home and Amy spent 90% of the day feeding. When she wasn’t feeding she was screaming because she wanted to feed, so I fed her. Path of least resistance and all that jazz.
She grew bigger and got more attached to my boobs. She spent (and still spends) every opportunity with her hands down my top.
I swore I wanted to feed until ‘at least 12mths’. At my 6 week check, I was told I would have to take extra care of myself because ‘there isn’t much of you’.
So I did.
12 months came and went and somehow I didn’t feel like weaning. Amy was a boobie addict and refused to give them up. We eventually stopped night feeds completely after Amy minced my nipple with her newly cut teeth.
(Note to Amy? Yeah, teeth are bad. Love Mummy)
So, here we are, 9 days off 18mths and she seems more boob addicted than ever. I am trying to cut her feeds down to 1 or 2 a day, but she is having none of that.
She can get into my boobs herself now and every day I am so glad we made it this far. I am taking it a day at a time, as she feeds and twists and turns while still holding my nipple in her mouth. Lately she has taken to trying to wiggle backwards out of the chair, while still feeding. Not my most favourite move. 
So I have a few bits of advice for anyone wanting to breastfeed.
-Wet some newborn nappies and freeze them. Wrap them around your boobs to help with the heat and swelling of engorgement.
-For engorged boobs, heat will help the milk flow, so use a heat pack and massage before and during a feed and use ice compresses afterwards.
-Buy a good barrier cream and use it for any grazes, cuts or blisters. I didn’t need one at first, but after the teeth came through, Amy minced my nipples regularly.
-I used my hands to help Amy attach. I used to squeeze my nipple and areola into a flattened biscuit type shape. This meant that she got a good mouthful of boob even when she didn’t open her mouth wide enough. I needed to do this until she was around 6 mths old.
-If what you are doing isn’t working, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Ask your friend, a nurse, a midwife or your buddy on the internet what they did that made it easier for them.
-If you are badly sore, rest and express until you heal. Don’t be afraid to say that it hurts. Even when I KNEW Amy had a good latch and we knew what we were doing, some feeds were excruciating, no matter what we did.
-Loose tops that lift up are more discreet than button down shirts if you are nursing in public.
Feel free to leave any advice of your own in the comments. Also, if you have any questions, please don’t be afraid to ask. Another great person to plague with questions (I do it all the time and she still loves me) is Tara. She is actually a Peer Lactation Counsellor and she is lovely.
Today as we were driving into town, Nathan and I were chatting. Amy was in the back seat talking away to herself when we realised exactly what she was saying.