Adventures in breastfeeding

With my first son, Joshua, breast feeding was easy, only when he was teething would I have an issue with nipple soreness and I even found out he was slightly tongue tied when he was 2 yrs.
David had issue with from the first moment.
I knew it was important for him to latch on in order to help with the placenta to come out, but with Ds short cord that was very hard. Also he just wasn't latching on. This may have been why it took twice as long for the placenta to come out then with J.
I thought that it would just naturally happen on its own, the latch, since J was so easy, but after a week, bleeding nipples, lots of pain and me crying I had a lactation consultant come over two days in a row. She taught me how to properly hold him, since my breast is so big, and his mouth so small, the best hold was the football hold. It took a day to get it right every time, and another day to get a proper latch on both sides.

I honestly didn't think it was the latch or hold, and the pediatrician told me he is not tongue tied, so I was at a loss. My friend is a LLL leader, we texted but she wasnt able to come over, so even though I thought I was doing everything right and assured her of it, she wasnt able to come and see for herself. I even made an appointment with an LC who is an MD almost an hour away, but then my friends mother in law who is a local LC came over.
While waiting for the LC to come over a friend of mine stopped by. I was trying to feed D with a medicine dropper, and expressed breast-milk. In desperation, we did that the night before, not knowing what else to do. D was not sleeping very long and nursing non stop, falling asleep after a few min and then waking up again a few min later. We became exhausted. So my friend went home and got me some bottles and pacifiers. I just had to surrender at that point. It was a great lesson in releasing judgement. Neither the bottles nor pacifiers worked out, and shortly after the LC came over and D got his first full feeding (at 8 days young). The next day his cord fell! I feel that is because he was not ready to let go until he had the proper nourishment.

I didn't know how I would leave the house-especially with only football hold working for us, but after 2 days I was able to bf in any position, and even bf'd him in the car, with no pillow or any other help.

So lesson learned! We are now pros! We can even bf laying down in bed.

I have heard countless stories of women having problems and just didn't understand why since J was so easy to breastfeed. Now I understand, and I see why so many women feel they have no choice but to bottle feed, and formula feed. It was a very painful experience, and without proper guidance and a good latch it almost feels like there is no other way. Many women turn to formula, thinking they aren't producing enough, but if the baby isn't getting much (which happens with a poor latch) the production will be low. As soon as the baby gets the proper latch the body will produce however much milk the baby needs. My milk was plentiful even with a poor latch because we just kept BFing despite the pain, so it took a long time, but d got fed. I also think that my body knew from J what D needed, and I would express the milk by hand if I got engorged.

So if your reading this and having trouble, I urge you to find a Lactation Consultant (or a few until u find one that works for you) or go to a la leche meeting. I watched so many videos and still though I was doing it right, it wasn't until I saw the LC that I found out what was wrong. Which was that D didn't open his mouth wide enough, my nipple was not pointed towards the roof of his mouth, he needed to be held tight up to my body stomach facing mine, and in the beginning a cradle hold didn't work for him.

And if after all that your experiencing difficulties, it's ok to bottle or formula feed, most people my age were formula fed and we are doing ok. There are also lots of women who will gladly give or sell milk, or even wet nurse. So many options are available, so let's be thankful for that!

And for you women who are breastfeeding, thank you for being a great example to others and making BFing normal again!