My Breastfeeding Story

Ah breastfeeding. The definition of bittersweet. As a new mom you either hear horror stories or the rare “nursing my baby is the most magical experience ever”. Mine had a little bit of both.

So I did my research, I got familiar with the lingo and all possible things to make nursing easier. I went in prepared for the soreness of nursing and expected to deal with issues such as low supply, latching correctly and engorgement. It certainly hurt to latch the first few weeks. Waking up every couple of hours to nurse was difficult too. Don’t let me get started with engorgement. That being said, my baby was a champion nurser from day one, I had my nipple balm in hand to deal with the soreness and my milk was spraying everywhere. I felt like a breastfeeding queen.

Surprisingly, I was not prepared to find absolute peace and happiness in nursing. I would gladly wake up and nurse on demand. It gave me a sense of calmness and a strong connection with my baby.

Of course, it went down-hill quickly after a few months when my milk supply started to go down. I became obsessed with finding the cause of my dwindling supply and ways to increase it. I used conventional and unconventional methods. I wanted really bad to keep this strong connection with my baby, but my baby simply lost interest. The formula bottle unqueened me.

I then tried to exclusively pump. It was me and my pump from that point on, but it was too late and I couldn’t keep that up without the reward of the closeness of nursing.

I still do not know the real cause of my milk supply going down but I know one thing for a fact, it’s not healthy to blame yourself.

Here are a few things that I can convey to moms to be, breastfeeding mamas who are struggling and my future self in order to have a successful and enjoyable breastfeeding experience.

• Go into the breastfeeding journey with an open mind, patience and no expectations.
• Get professional help and classes early on. As it turns out, nipple soreness is the least challenging part of breastfeeding. Ask help specifically for keeping up the milk supply and finding a good nursing schedule.
• Find support from a professional or from experienced mamas that can guide you throughout your breastfeeding journey.
• Do your own research. There are so many resources online.
• Decide if you are going to use a pump and research the types out there. There are different aspects to consider when looking for a pump, such as portability, functionality, accessories and breast shields size options. Look for the one that fits you best.
• Keep up a healthy diet throughout breastfeeding. There are vitamins that are essentials for a breastfeeding mama’s health. Also natural herbs that help increase milk supply. You can include it in your diet or take as supplements.
• Hydration is KEY. Keep a bottle next to you at all times.
• Equip yourself with some handy tools that make breastfeeding easier such as:
• Nursing cover; you will be surrounded with people all the time and you do not need to keep excusing yourself to breastfeed. A nursing cover keeps you modest and you can comfortably breastfeed
• Nipple balm; start moisturizing your nipples in the third trimester and continue to do so religiously after giving birth. It helps tremendously. The texture of a nipple balm is much easier to apply than that of a cream.
• Heating/cooling pads; dealing with engorged breasts is simple, empty your breasts often and apply heating pads when it gets uncomfortable.
• Nipple pads; there’s nothing worse than the feeling of waking up to milk drenched clothes. Nipple pads will be your best friends for a while.
• Nursing bra; this will make your life easier ten times more, just click and feed.
• Nursing tops; you will hate all your non-breastfeeding-friendly clothes with all your heart. You can buy tops that are specifically made for nursing, or stock up on breastfeeding-friendly clothes such as loose blouses, V-necks, tank tops, button up blouses, off the shoulder dresses and tops. Another tip is wearing a tanktop under your regular tops, you can then lift up the top and pull down the taktop to breastfeed.
• Nursing pillow; The ones with back support are the best, they also stay in place better.
• Nursing station; prepare all nursing products and tools near a comfy chair, preferably a recliner, for easy access.

In the end, breastfeeding doesn’t deserve the bad rep, it can be beautiful and fulfilling if you go in prepared and with the right mentality.

Written by Noura AlDulaijan