La Leche League Round Two!

On Thursday night I attended my second ever LLL meeting. I walked in with two questions, but left with so much more knowledge than I thought I could get. I've only been doing the "mom thing" for four months now, but I've researched and experienced so much with breastfeeding than I ignorantly thought I knew everything there was to know.

Uh... no. This week's meeting was about how your birth experiences could affect breastfeeding. It seemed like it would be a waste of my time, but I'm so glad I was there. For my next baby, I'll do even MORE research regarding vaccinations, the newborn screener, the eye drops, the bath, suctioning... I mean, there's so much I just assumed EVERYBODY did, but I learned that it's okay, and might actually be BETTER for you to not bathe your newborn immediately. When I thought about it and looked back on my birth experience, I can honestly say Addie wasn't that bloody or dirty having just popped out of me. I could totally see how she would have been fine without bathing. As it was, I missed out on the first two hours of her life.

I love these meetings so much, and I really want to be an advocate for breastfeeding because I truly believe it is the best choice for your baby. So many moms don't have the support system to begin or continue breastfeeding and they struggle so much before ultimately throwing in the towel. I want to be the cheerleader telling them they CAN do it (bearing no medical reasons why they shouldn't or the fact that they just don't want to. Hey, it IS their choice...) and help them every step of the way. After my first LLL meeting in January, I left with such a great feeling thinking I could really help people. I'd love to become a lactation consultant, so I started looking into the certification tonight. It's much more intensive than I thought it was, and I don't know if I have the time or means to obtain it. However, I do want to become more active in LLL, so next month (first Thursday in April) I'll ask the leaders for some suggestions as to how I can become more involved.

Can't wait!!

La Leche League

After my sad blog post the other day regarding nursing, one of my friends invited me to a La Leche League meeting that's on the first Thursday of every month just minutes from my home. I was stoked to go and immediately told her SURE!!! when asked. I actually wanted to go back in November, but at the time I was exactly one week post partum, and it was just too soon. Had I known that I could (should) go during pregnancy, I would have gone months ago!

It was empowering being around such strong mothers with the same views as myself. After introducing ourselves we played the ABCs of Breastfeeding. Sitting in a circle we went around thinking of a benefit of breastfeeding for each letter of the alphabet. Liza (friend who invited me) had B for bonding. I chose C for calming both for mommy and baby. Other C's could be convenience, cost-effective. It was fun! Then we did a Q&A. I borrowed a book from their library to help me when I go back to work, Nursing Mother, Working Mother. Then I got to show off A's BumGenius 3.0s AND my new Ergo.

It was quite a struggle for the first three weeks of A's life. (Possible TMI) My boobs HURT like they'd never hurt before. They would get so engorged that I'd get in the hot shower to relieve them. I used heating pads multiple times a day. I was constantly applying Lanolin to my poor, sore, cracking nipples. I used gel packs stuck on to my boobs to soothe them. When A would latch on, I would SCREAM in pain. I didn't scream or make hardly any noise in childbirth yet breastfeeding made me scream. Something wasn't right. Why was something that is so "natural" this hard? Why was I choosing to be in so much pain? Quick answer = For A. I knew breast milk is best. I knew I could fight through it. I knew the pain couldn't last forever. And you know what? I was right!!!

Now breastfeeding is a wonderful time for A and I to bond. She's a pro at it and knows exactly what to do. I'm starting to feel like an old pro, too. She's actually so efficient now that she finishes before I'm ready for her to be done. I'm like, "Aw, done already?" :)

If you're a new mommy struggling these first few weeks, know that it will probably get better! Don't give up unless you know you can't give it any more. If anybody wants to go to a LLL meeting, the next one is Thursday, Feb 3.